Just thought of a useful (to me) workflow enhancement using Aux tracks + MixRecall

Short story:
 
1) Get a development stage mix I like
 
2) Set up an Aux track to record from the Master Bus (which would record into a Lane I'm assuming)
 
3) Take a MixControl snapshot of that mix and add the Snapshot name in the corresponding Aux Track's Lane Notes section
 
and/or
 
3a) Create track, prochannel, effects presets, etc for various elements (like maybe I've got a guitar or drum sound I like so I name the presets and then list the names of those presets in the Aux track take lane so I can recall them later)
 
Long story...
 
I have not installed the JP update yet (still watching the forum for user reaction and possible instabilites that may affect me... so far it looks okay).
 
The reason this workflow is desirable to me is at the moment I keep a specific track at the top of my project. In that track I load up lanes with mix exports at various stages of the project. This could mean I've added some new parts, replaced parts, done some editing, done some sound sculting on individual parts or have finished a "pre mix".
 
It's kind of a PITA to make those exports happen (you either have to set up a proper project export or do a Bounce to Track which is just as much futzing... if not more).
 
Being able to route my Master to an Aux track then simply arming the track and pressing Record should, in theory, produce a lane/clip/mixdown without all that other silliness. Of course each time that happens a new lane should appear. It's basically exactly what would happen if I went through all the hassle of exporting/importing my progressive mixdowns but with WAY less steps.
 
Also, depending on how I route the output of that track it would avoid me having to disable any effects on the master bus or all sorts of other wackiness (like send busses) I have going on. Not sure about that but I'll play with it.
 
Then with Mix Recall if I think I want to return to that mix or elements of that mix I can just name a snapshot appropriately and put the snapshot name into the corresponding take lane "notes" so it's easy to bring back up again.
 
I could also reference project versions (which I create using dates, numbers and descriptive terms) or effects, track and Prochannel Presets I create as I go.
 
Then I can just go through all the various Aux track "mixdowns" I've made to listen back and make decisions (and access the MixRecall Snapshots to return to that state if I want or call up effects presets to bring back things I think sound better than what I've moved on to).
 
I could also, instead of screwing around with the annoying "time range" export process to export a solo or song section for inspection by a client just record that section into the Aux track then drag that clip into the Browser to send anywhere I want.
 
I am not saying any of this will work because I have not tested it BUT if what I am reading is true this would actually be a very helpful workflow for me. I dread "Sample Export Day" because of all the futzing around I have to do. This would really simplify the process and I can save the REAL export crap for when I am truly ready to export my final track.
 
Ya?
 
Ya.
 
Cheers.

arlen2133
Beepster,
it sounds like you have it all worked out in your head (so far).
The JP update is worth its' weight (already) and I think what you've mentioned thus far is attainable.
 
I've been working on it for the last two days and created a bunch of Aux tracks, rerouted some things and "patch" recorded through separate aux and regular tracks.  IT works! 

Thanks. That's good to know. So far the only issues I'm seeing reported seem to be related only to specific Win10 and third party plugs (Waves which seems to ALWAYS be causing issues in Sonar but I don't use those).
 
Honestly I could always see the usefulness of T2T routing in the back of my head (due to watching things done on in tuts on other  platforms) but pretty much never bothered really thinking on it much because we didn't have it.
 
Now that it's here... well it seems to have woken up some unrealized procedures.
 
I came up with the premise of the OP during the time it took me to (and excuse me for being crude) take a tinkle and wanted to document it immediately.
 
If it works this will quite literally save me untold hours of unenjoyable screwing around AND make my little snapshot export/reference system easier (which means I'll do it more often and likely end up with more thoughtful mixes).
 
I already record a ridiculous amount of takes and pore through them to get the best of the best for my final tracks. Being able to use a similar workflow for my mixes is definitely going to be useful.
 
I have only used MixRecall once though and it failed miserably. It resulted in no audible output whatsover but I haven't revisited the issue to see what went wrong. I also don't like the load time involved with MixRecall so this is a potential workaround for that that can allow proper real time A/B. So I can solo the take lanes to compare mixes instead of waiting for MixRecall to load snapshots BUT still have the snapshot names so when I find the one I want I can THEN load the mix I want... or something like that.
 
Cheers.

arlen2133
I hear ya. 
I would like Mix Recall to load quicker as well.  I have been trying to use it when I do mixdowns but since I've been in "compose mode" for an extended period of time it's had to wait...
Yes! T2T has been something I was hoping the Bakers would implement so now that it's finally here I intend on taking full advantage of it. 
Matter of fact, I may even take your idea of recording down the mixes/takes onto a single aux/track for previewing. 

What I think they need to do is figure out a way to allow us to load at minimum 2 mixes into memory or some such so the user can A/B back and forth without waiting for the snapshot to load. That load time, especially on larger projects, makes it so it's not an accurate way to compare mixes.
 
I guess for stability it would have to be a separate "MixRecall Preview" mode. That way Sonar isn't having to deal with the resource load of the project in general but allows us to properly A/B (or maybe even C/D/E) the snapshots "gapless" then load the snapshot we want to continue with. 
That's pretty much what I'd be doing manually with the workflow presented in the OP but I'd been kind of wanting it since shortly after MR was released.
 
What I REALLY want next though is some automation improvements. Like automation "tracks" or something that can sandox envelopes and be applied to any track/parameter in the project in realtime or offline. That would be very useful to me.
 
Cheers.

I like that idea of possibly putting two (or three) mix recalls maybe in ram so that they can load faster..
I'm not the programmer here so I can't attest to how this might complicate other things in Sonar (heaven forbid).
I just know that WHATEVER feature it is, we typically want it faster right????
And the Mix Recall would be a good candidate for "faster is better"
 
But like BobF said Beepster, The JP update is very solid for those on 7 and 8...
It appears a little hit and miss for some of the Win10 folks, but I think those kinks will get ironed out pretty quickly as the Bakers seem to be right on top of it.

I bounce mixes to individual tracks all the time. A typical project of mine will have seven or eight mix files. There are several advantages...
 

• You can use exclusive solo to compare and contrast.
• Sometimes dropping part of one mix into another yields great results.
• I can do my "varispeed" trick on the mixed file
• It's easy to "virtual razor blade splice" the mix to remove something like 4 measures of an overindulgent guitar solo. Not, of course, that I would ever do that...
• You can squash the living crap out of one of the mixes, and mix it in like -20 dB below the real mix.

 
Of course normally this requires bouncing. I don't have a problem with that, but I am finding that the bus-to-track recording thing gives the benefit of real-time bouncing BUT with the additional benefit of being able to tweak what you hear, so you can stop after you make some adjustment and start over quickly instead of having to abort the bounce, tweak, re-bounce, etc.

Anderton
I bounce mixes to individual tracks all the time. A typical project of mine will have seven or eight mix files. There are several advantages...
 

• You can use exclusive solo to compare and contrast.
• Sometimes dropping part of one mix into another yields great results.
• I can do my "varispeed" trick on the mixed file
• It's easy to "virtual razor blade splice" the mix to remove something like 4 measures of an overindulgent guitar solo. Not, of course, that I would ever do that...
• You can squash the living crap out of one of the mixes, and mix it in like -20 dB below the real mix.

 
Of course normally this requires bouncing. I don't have a problem with that, but I am finding that the bus-to-track recording thing gives the benefit of real-time bouncing BUT with the additional benefit of being able to tweak what you hear, so you can stop after you make some adjustment and start over quickly instead of having to abort the bounce, tweak, re-bounce, etc.

You've of course been bouncing and exporting a lot longer than I have so it's likely second nature. To me it's still an ordeal (to an extent) so just arming and recording without all the futzery will be nice.
 
Also, and I'm sure you've thought of this but I'll say it anyway, by using the Solo buttons in the Aux track's (or export track's) take lanes with the track solo'd there is no need for Excl. Solo. The Lane solo mutes every other lane automatically unlike with tracks (which require Exclusive Solo to do the same thing).
 
The one downside is when recording a mix to an Aux track you gotta wait for the whole track to playback (no fast bounce) but to me it's just one more chance to listen back to what's going on.
 

charlyg
Am I ever gonna catch up? You guys are coming at me WAY TOO FAST.
I feel like the old woman and the bus...
H/T  Billy Connolly "Old woman and the bus"

You're doing fine. All this fancy arsed crap starts making more sense naturally the more you work with the program. I would never have been able to conjure up/understand the relatively simple premise of this thread even a year ago. Now I come up with all sorts of nefarious scheme and dreams.
 
Cheers.