Fastest way to clone a track

I’m not a Logic expert, but I’m pretty familiar with it and I think the following info is correct...Logic people, please correct me if I’m wrong.

I assume you’re referring to Logic’s function where you...

1) Unpack the folder track containing the regions, so you can work with individual regions
2) Click on the track you want to clone to select it
3) Go to the Track tab and select “New with Duplicate Setting”

That does do what you want, but after unpacking the folder to view the individual tracks to duplicate them, the folder no longer exists as such. So, you need to repack the folder. To do this...

4) Have at least some data in the cloned track. (If you pack an empty track, it will be deleted during the packing process, and won’t return when you unpack.)
5) Select all the tracks, including the clone that contains at least some data, that you want to re-pack into a folder.
6) Go to the Regions tab.
7) Select Folder.
8) Select Pack folder.

Now all the tracks, including the duplicate you created, are packed into a folder again.

As to Sonar, you're making this waaaay too complicated! The easiest way to do what you want is...

1) Right-click on the track number of the track you want to clone.
2) Select Clone Track from context menu.
3) Uncheck “Clone Events” if there are events in the track you don’t want to clone (if there are already no events, this will be unchecked by default).
4) Click “OK.”

If you're cloning the last track in a track folder, or the only track in a track folder, in step (3) simply enter that track number as the starting track.

For example, suppose you have five tracks in a folder, and want to create three clones of track five. In step (3), specify Repetitions as "3," and Starting Track as "5." Now Sonar will create tracks 6, 7, and 8, and they will all be within the folder.

I don't often clone tracks but I was thinking there isn't 8 steps to it in Sonar....

Select track.... click clone......done.... IIRC

mike_mccue


I just drag the clip to the empty part of my track view... and it turns into a new track.



best regards,
mike

But when you clone, you may not want the clips to be copied, only the settings and VSTs.

Why not just "insert a new track"??  Why clone if you don't want the contents?

I'd challenge people to find a more convoluted way, that's more of a challenge.

Even though he got it wrong, I think his point was about creating clones within folder tracks specifically when you're trying to clone the last track in the folder, or the only track in the folder. That's why my option has four steps, as in step 3 you can decide whether you want to clone the track and have it remain in the folder, or clone the track and have it end up outside the folder...you can do it either way in Sonar.

But I also had to correct him about how Logic's duplicate function works. Logic uses folders in a very different way from Sonar.

I rarely use folders but I can see where that can be a workflow issue.

I normally just clone a track and delete the clip/clips in the track if I need the same in/out setups.  I use custom track templates for tracks that use the same or similar setups on a regular basis.

Tripecac


My default project template has 3 folders:

1) drums
2) synths
3) vocals [hidden by default]

I often want to clone the last track in the synths folder.  If I accept the default, the cloning of that track pushes the clone into the hidden "vocals" folder.  So, I have to go through these steps:

Option 1:
1) right click original track number
2) select "Clone Track..."
3) uncheck "Clone Events" if not already unchecked (NOTE: in 8.5.3 this is checked by default)
4) click "OK"
5) unhide the "vocals" folder
6) right click clone's track number
7) select "Move to folder"
8) select original's folder ("synths")
9) re-hide the "vocals" folder

Option 2:
1) select a clip in original track
2) ctrl-drag clip to space below last track in project
3) delete copied clip
4) right click clone's track number
5) select "Move to folder"
6) select original's folder ("synths")

Option 3: (recommended by Anderton, haven't tried yet)
1) right click original track number
2) select "Clone Track..."
3) uncheck "Clone Events" if not already unchecked
4) change starting track to the current track number
5) click "OK"

Either way, it's several steps.  When I watched the Logic video, it looked like a single keypress or mouse gesture created the clone track.

Do you think CAL can be used to clone a track?

The "clone track" feature as it is called in Sonar is part of my standard workflow. All the reasons in this thread apply (speed, routings, fx's). I use them a lot like track templates during the course of a session.

I know the last track in the folder issue is a slight pain, especially when I forget... But it is simple enough if you have more than one track in the folder. 

1 - Drag the last track up a space (so it's not the last track) and then clone it. 
2 - Or my favorite, as Mr. Anderton suggested, select the last track and clone it - but in the settings - select the "starting track" to be any number within your folder that is before the last track.  - - - - This takes only a few seconds to have 1 or several cloned tracks... 

An observation;

The Simple Instrument track is just that, simple. It was meant to be an easy way to setup a soft synth. It was never intended to take the place of a standard MIDI and audio track. It seems to me a lot of the extra clicking is do to using an SI track inappropriately.

I am not sure why so many insist on using SIs for things that are not their forte.

I am not sure why so many insist on using SIs for things that are not their forte.

If "so many" of us use simple instrument tracks, then perhaps Cakewalk should invest some time improving simple instrument behavior?

Which do you think will happen first?

Given that we're in a recession and Cakewalk is busy scrambling to hire more graphical designers (and forum moderators) for X2/Y1...