Open Plugins On The Stereo-Out-Channel via Shortcut or Controller Assignement - (Streamedeck)

[Dybbuk]

Hi everyone 🙂

I am looking for a workaround to open the plugins on a specific insert on the "stereo-out" channel via shortcut or controll assignements.
My goal is to have a smoother workflow with different analysing tools which are usually on my output channel. Like adding a LF, mono the output, analyse the spectrum or waveform etc.

I managed to achieve the following techniques already:
1. bypass plugins on the stereo out channel - via streamdeck (achieved with controller assignements, clicking on the left of the plugin symbol in the mixer window)
2. turn on and off EQ-bands inside a third-party-plugin on a specific insert of the stereo out channel- via streamdeck (achieved with controller assignements)
3. open and close plugins of a specific insert (1-15) of the focused track - via stream deck (achieved with shortcuts)

problem 1: opening and closing the plugins via controll assignement as mentioned in "1." does not work. the controll assignement does not recognize the action when clicking in the middle of the plugin symbol in the mixer window. (unlike the bypass function).
problem 2: open and close shortcuts only exist for focused channel

So... logic does know how to find the stereo out channel and let the bypass button be controlled by my streamdeck when assigned correctly. Logic also knows how to open a specific insert of a specific channel strip when focused.
How come logic does not recognize the stereo out channel so you can open the plugins there as good as it works with the focused channel? I do get that it is hard for logic to know what plugin to open if you dont specify it and have like 30 tracks open. But in my opinion the stereo out should be as clear as the focused channel.
On the otherhand logic can work with the bypass function on the controll assignement but has no clue what to do with the open and close command.

I do not want to work with more "pre-master / pre-mix" busses and i do not want to have to select the stereo out fader everytime before being able to open the plugin. I want to open a few plugins easily while i'm deep down the rabbit hole playing around with the instruments and sound design having open 300 plugins already. I know you feel the same! 😉

Does anyone know a workaround? Or can we try to push that for future updates? Pls?

Thx and kind regards
Noah

[oscwilde]

Hmmmm....
I'm a little confused as to how you're approaching things/your workflow - is this in the Main window or in the Mixer?
WRT the focused track....if the Stereo Out is the focused track, you can use assigned controllers as you would on any other track type.
Press Cmd-Shift-M to hide/show the Stereo Out track in the Main window.
Select this "track" to give it/the associated channel focus....and use your controller assignments.

Even when using a dedicated CS, like the Mackie Control (or an iPad app like One Control Pro), you still need to select the track/channel to give it focus before you can insert or open/close/edit plugs. 
Logic doesn't differentiate between the "Output" class of channel and an Audio or Instrument or Aux channel in this regard - you still need to select it before insert use. Having dedicated key commands specifically for the Output channel would be fine if you only had a single stereo out....but not particularly useful if using multiple outs, as many of us here do.

If I've overlooked your intent / thoughts here, apologies, but perhaps you could clarify further?

[Dybbuk]

Hi Oscwilde

Thank you for your reply. I try to clarify more.

Yes I do only use one "Stereo Out Channel". I mean.... it is the default channel everything summs up to at the end of a 2.0 project. I do not see how multiple channels would make sense. Ofcourse I use buses beforehand where everthing routes to, but at the very end, all goes to the stere out channel.

I do know how to show the stereo out channel as a track on the arrangement window and I know, for correct use of shortcuts, I have to focus it first. That works perfectly.

Tho I like to not have to select the track everytime so the solution to this would be for logic to locate the correct channel due to the mixer window or whatever flag the program is working with. This actually allready works as explained in point 1. and 2.

I am able to bypass plugins on that channel or even manipulate plugin values without having to focus the stereou out channel or even open up the mixer. Now i just want to open the plugins aswell without selecting or even open up the mixer window.

I thought about a different way to solve it by setting the stereo out channel to the top of the arrangement window, but there is no option to move it on the arrangement window. Unless i just didnt find it.... if it is possible I could cue multiple functions of the streamdeck to select always the first track followed by opening the corresponding plugin. I didnt find a way to select the last track on the arrangement window so it has to be on top.

I hope this information helps :)

[des99]

If you target learned controller assignments to with Channel Strip -> Selected Track, then those assignments will go to the selected track, and this goes for the output track too - if you make controller assignments based on the selected track, then you have to assign the output channel to a track, and select it for those assignments to work.

if you want to target a particular channel strip directly with assignments, you don't use a Selected Track assignment in the Channel Strip setting, you use a different mode, eg, "Output", to target the assignment to the first audio output channel strip. This will work regardless of what tracks you have selected, as you're directing the assignment to a particular channel strip directly.

[Dybbuk]

Thank you des99

I am pretty sure i am already doing that. I'm currently on the phone tho i will check again next week.

If i undetstand you correct you talk about the settings in the controller assignement window where you can change class and channel strip settings (see screenshot, could only find it in german but shouldnt matter). I do have the channel strip set to "output". I have to, otherwise the shortcut with manipulating the third party plugins on the output channel would not work.

I think the problem is that it is missing a command to open/close the plugins in the corrresponding insert. If i use the learn mode it does not get the click in the middle of the plugin icon (inside mixer window). Probably because it is no universal command like learning the bypass click due to having different plugins?

 

Anyway thanks for the help. I am looking forward to additional ideas and getting a solution. Until then... happy new year :D

[Dybbuk]

Ok I digged further and I am rly getting frustrated. either I am stupid or logic is not logic. how can a simple task like this be so difficult?

- I can not find any function/shortcut to set the "stereo output" as the "focused track" so the simple logic shortcuts to open a specific plugin on that track, do not work. I always have to do an extra click with my mouse to focus it first (I dont want that).
- I can select another track with a shortcut but I can not make the "selected track" the "focused track" with a simple shortcut. same for the stereo output. As @des99 mentioned, I changed the controll assignment value from "selected track" to "output". It works... it selects the "stereo output". The only problem is, it keeps the "focused track" it had before and just adds/selects another one to the selection. So all commands will be used on both tracks which leads into errors and not what I am aiming for (only focusing the stereo output with a simple shortcut to then open a specific inserted pluging with the shortcut that logic provides)

How do I achieve the final step? i feel like I am close. pls, help. Thank you ❤️

kind regards

Edited January 13 by Dybbuk

[Dybbuk]

Ok I did it... finally... I dont know why this happens but maybe someone can explain it and we can learn.

To fix the issue with not focusing the track, I had to delete the already existing control assignments paramteres under "Channelstrips > Ch1. Select". I deleted all from 1 to 8. I copy pasted them in a new zone before I deleted them and changed the value of the first "Ch.1 select" from "selected channel" to "output".

I have no clue why it kept the already focused track before.

[urbka]

Hey,

I managed to get this working with key commands only, but as there's no key command for opening/closing plugins on specific insert other than on the selected track, I was searching for the easiest way for logic to select my stereo out channel.

The best and easiest way I got it to work was with groups as Logic has a key command for selecting tracks in specific group. 

So what I did was go to the mixer and added my stereo out to group 1 (as I'm not using groups otherwise, that's why I chose group 1 - if you do, you can use some higher number you don't usually use). In this step you just have to make sure ONLY stereo out is in that group as the key command you'll set up will select all the tracks in that group.

Next thing is to make sure stereo out is shown as one of the tracks in Logic arrangement window.

Then you go to key command and just make a shortcut for "select members of group 1". 

For stream deck, you just put the shortcut for group, followed by another shortcut that opens specific insert. I just made a template where I always have my metering plugin as insert 15 on my stereo out, that way it always opens the correct one.

This isn't flawless as it selects the stereo out track and it moves you from where you've been, but it's the best workaround I could find at the moment. If anyone know how to program another step that would take you back to the previously selected track it would be great.

[JakobP]

An alternative way to tackle this could be to set up a screenset with the plugin windows opened, then simply assign the screenset switch ?

[Sir Hannes]

I find this topic very very interesting, too. I say thanks to @Dybbuk @urbka for sharing!

Unfortunately, I sent back my StreamDeck+ last week, as I didn't fell in love, software wasn't so intuitive, and the amazing MIDI-plugin and me did not become friends (that one goes 100% on me, my brain hates MIDI CCs and all that 80s stuff) 😄

Please keep this topic, your progress and ideas updated, will add mine, too. 🙂

 

[Dybbuk]

@urbka your solution sounds similar to mine and we share the same problem. The track has to be selected to solve it. I believe there is no command to unselect or revert to 'select last track'. If there is i would be happy to know it so i can just add one more command on my chain.

The ultimate goal would be to not get off the current situation you find yourself in, but open those inserts anyway.

I dont like to use a group as the solution. I work a lot with groups and busses so this could change from project to project, especially when working with other people. So doing it the way i marked as the solution is what i was looking for.

Lets hope someone finds a more elegant way. The fact you have to have the stereo out on the arrangement window, just to do this, is kinda weak. The DAW should have a flag on each track created so you can easily use direct commands, without having to select them. But that is probably more likely to find in Reaper than in an Apple DAW.

Maybe someone has the renown to forward it tho :) Or maybe just enlighten us. 

Thanks for all your help guys.