An arrange window

I've also put in a feature request for this, but the idea is that the user can designate for example all tracks and data between marker 1 and marker 2 be designated as a single block called "Intro", marker 2 and marker 3 as a block called "vs 1", and on and on.  I would like to be able to set the marker to the barline and it automatically recognizes and captures pickup notes.  Then I would like an 'arrange' window or screen that these designated selections are a shown as blocks on a timeline that I can drag and drop to rearrange the order and try different versions of the song. 
I saw something like this in a competing product that I demoed a while back.  I don't want to learn a new product, I would just like to see this in Sonar :-)

On the front side I would prefer that the blocks auto select any part of a clip that is less than a full measure at the beginning (to catch pick up notes) since I would want those most of the time when copying.  On the back side of the clip it could be trickier due to fading chords, etc.  I think your solution sounds like a good one.  I wonder if a selectable option could be available to have it truncate or autoselect any clip that continues for up to a measure after the block ends.
 
When I saw this feature in another DAW that I demoed I really thought it was a workflow enchancement.

The basic idea is:
a) create an arranger track
b) set up any number of time ranges in a project. A range cover alls tracks as far as I remember and each get it's own nametag. Cubase implemented range markers in the same system as normal markers - with it's own style.
c) add named ranges as you want to a playlist on arranger track.
Each added range can be put anywhere in playlist, and each also be set to x repetitions.
 
Very useful to decide final flow of a project.
Easy to add extra parts at the end of the project, but insert it anywhere on arranger track.
Add a longer intro, extra breaks, extra chorus etc - or anything you come up with.
 
In Cubase you can save different arranger setups and also allow to either play project from arranger track, or generate completely new projects from any saved preset you made in arranger.
 
Even Cubase Elements have this feature.
But if Cake implement this I buy up to any version to get it.
Really neat...

sharke
I also think Sonar needs some kind of clip library feature like Pro Tools - a means of instant access to all clips in a project. It would be so much easier to be able to drag clips from a clip list into the project instead of scrolling back and forward along the clip window to drag-copy clips from A to B.

I double that too - all daws I tested always hide away midi stuff.
They often have a manager/pool kind of thing for audio clips - but midi stuff is excluded - why?
Partly possibly because midi never become files on disk - so get them managed too, please.

my vote on this ... this sounds really cool because all existing options (clip grouping, matrix, ...) are too tedious and hurt the creative flow because you can just restructure on the fly ...

sharke
I also think Sonar needs some kind of clip library feature like Pro Tools - a means of instant access to all clips in a project. It would be so much easier to be able to drag clips from a clip list into the project instead of scrolling back and forward along the clip window to drag-copy clips from A to B.

SONAR has this for audio clips. Check the Browser drop-down menu and select "Project Audio Folder." 

Something like this would definitely would be a wonderful feature for composition purposes.  (I just did a YouTube search for "Cubase Arranger Track" to see it in action.)  
 
I'm in the middle of a song right now - specfically, trying to move a chorus to earlier in the form - and finding it really difficult.  (I'm not a Sonar Ninja, though!!!!)
 
Granted, Sonar is a DAW - and perhaps such things should be worked out ahead of time - but it seems like there's an opportunity in this space.  After a quick Google search, most "songwriting" programs appear to be lyric-oriented.  Perhaps there's something else out there where you can move sections around and find that what you thought was a great bridge is actually a better chorus - or a song just flows better with a different form.  

Until we have a real arranger try this little tip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=XTysXLBiYqY#t=3742s
 
Brian

Does anyone have a link to good example of this feature in action on Cubase?
 
Thanks!

I gave the OP 5 stars. These are the kind of modern features I'd like to see in Sonar. Focus on workflow, especially non-linear workflow and bringing the DAW into the 21st century.
 
Speaking of which, the matrix needs some love, I'll be posting a feature wishlist for that soon.

So StudioOne v3 now got Arranger tracks too.

I love this request.
Though nowhere near as intuitive for a workaround you can pack everything into a folder, split all of the clips together in the envelope header for different parts and drag things around as though they are one entity. I hope this makes sense, if not check out Eli's Fun with envelopes in the Sonar X1 Tips & Tricks video at Groove 3.
 
Rocky

Personally I like using the thumbnail part more, once ranges are defined.
You just copy and drag those parts in order.
No reason to navigate through the timeline at all and take things to/from scratchpad.
 
I find Cubase implementation better and more flexible, also generating projects as such from stored presets of different arrangements.
 
S1 scratchpad is obsolete, as I see it. You just drag a thumbnail and place it last until you know what you want with it, and playback looping set before that. Not needed, really.
 
What I did not see from S1 launch broadcast was how they treat splitting of clips(or events in S1). Everything looked cool as presented, but there were only strict sections with nothing that complicates things.
 
I have songs where drums have a few hits intro on toms before that bar where kick and there rest comes in. This means time ranges cannot cut strictly on a spot, but have rules how clips are handled on either side - to split, keep from left, keep from right - and such rules.
 
And for Cubase, it's enough running Elements to get arranger tracks.
In S1 you need Pro version - and they ditched Producer and I would have to pay twice what I payed for Producer just to get upgrade to Pro. And Presonus have two levels of entry versions that don't even have VST support as standard - only Pro version does - what is that about?
I ditched S1 long ago anyway for how they treat midi for external instruments - just kept as reference for support with Waves.
 
Would be very exited if Cakewalk suddenly had Arranger on "next" list...

bluzdog
IMHO.....This trumps all previous requests and feature updates to SPlat.

most definitely. this combined with mix recall would make the world a better place :-)
 
we should take turns to bump this thread every 12 hrs ;-)

sharke
The current way of moving huge chunks of a project around by lassoing and dragging them, or by inserting or deleting time, are fraught with problems, finicky and inconvenient. Being able to define song parts or "scenes" and order them on an arranger track would be so useful and make mapping out songs so much easier.

Meanwhile, I use Clip Groups a lot. It's a habit I got into with Sony Vegas as a way to move video+audio events around, so I was glad when it was added to SONAR.