Not speed comping, but normalization is a mess

I'm on the latest version.
 
I chose some takes and flattened comp.
 
Later, I tried to undo/re-do. It was totally hopeless. None of the tracks played correctly. Super frustrating.
 
I have a feeling the problems were largely around the flatten comp. I was able to create the comp track to start with.
 
The flattened track seemed to be an in-place bounce that took the volume fade into the chain. I'm wondering if all fx on the track are included in a flatten as well.
 
I know that some experimentation could answer some of these questions I have but I thought I'd post. I'm hoping everyone jumps in and says it works great and I just don't understand it. I'd be fine with that. Could totally be true. I probably use the speed comping thing once a year... maybe.

gswitz
I'm on the latest version.
 
I chose some takes and flattened comp.
 
Later, I tried to undo/re-do. It was totally hopeless. None of the tracks played correctly. Super frustrating.
 
I have a feeling the problems were largely around the flatten comp. I was able to create the comp track to start with.
 
The flattened track seemed to be an in-place bounce that took the volume fade into the chain. I'm wondering if all fx on the track are included in a flatten as well.
 
I know that some experimentation could answer some of these questions I have but I thought I'd post. I'm hoping everyone jumps in and says it works great and I just don't understand it. I'd be fine with that. Could totally be true. I probably use the speed comping thing once a year... maybe.

Hi gswitz,
 
Choosing Flatten Comp will render the clips to a new lane. This includes any clip automation (gain) or clip FX, but is independent from the overall track FX/automation. 
 
I'm not seeing any reproducible issues with flattening the comp or undo/redo thereof. I'd suggest trying it in a new project file first and seeing if you're able to get that working normally. There could be something specific in your project file that's behaving unusually. 

I just replicated the problem.
 
I can make a video if you like, but it's pretty simple.
1. New project with 1 audio track set to record.
2. created 3 distinct takes by looping back an mp3 player and just playing 3 songs and recording it.
3. Use speed comping (swiping lower half of take lanes) to randomly select regions
4. flatten comp by right clicking parent track and choosing flatten comp.
5. Normalize the track by clicking the parent track (not a lane) and normalize it to something you'll notice. You don't have to collapse the lanes first.
6. delete the flattened comp and hit play.
 
expected results... each of the highlighted sections plays as expected.
 
Actual results... the first 2 sections play as expected but then it sticks to one clip and stays on it regardless of selections. Making changes to the selected clips doesn't help.
 
More info:
Before flattening, you can click on the sub-clips and normalize without causing an issue. The use-case is level matching to try to hide the fact that your switching from a more energetic take to a less energetic take, you want to increase the gain of one of the takes slightly while keeping your hands on the keys.
 
After you have flattened, if you click on the main track and normalize that, then you can't get back to your original takes. The reason for clicking the parent track and normalizing was to attempt to get the flattened comp to an amount of gain that puts it closer to the tracks your mixing with.
 
Even More:
In my OP, I noted that the volume was reduced in the flattened track. I wonder if that wasn't a misunderstanding of mine. I tested the fader reduced prior to flattening and this has no impact on the flattened track. I definitely didn't have any gain envelopes on the clips or anything. No envelopes on anything at the time I did the comping.
 
So here's what I'm thinking happened. In my reckless efforts to do the comping and get levels to match up, I must have normalized all the tracks to a level higher than what I had when I flattened the comp. The flattened comp was at the original level. Then, I normalized trying to adjust levels and normalized all my clips? Not sure. So now, it looks like the flattened comp is softer than the originals.
 
Interestingly, you are not permitted to normalize the gain on the comped track. Attempting it (by clicking the clip for the flattened comp in the take lane), you find the normalize menu item disabled. This even when you can normalize all the other take lanes.
 
So the crazy thing is that it looks like it has actually changed the wave forms in the 3 take lanes. The program may be switching between the lanes, but the lanes, later in the recording, all have identical audio in them.
 
Early in my 20 second recording, the tracks are still distinct to their original recordings. Speed comping after wrenching it still works to shift the sound between the different takes. But later, where the wave forms all match, that's where the speed  comping is no longer useful. You can switch between takes, but if they all have the same audio, what's the point? :-)

Well, I can easily work around it as long as I remember. I laughed to see I was a contributor on the normalization thread.

I think you are exactly right in what the problem is and what is causing it.

I hope you can see why I thought it was speed comping.

gswitz
3. Use speed comping (swiping lower half of take lanes) to randomly select regions

Just for the record, and possibly to prevent confusion in future discussions, 'Speed Comping' means to audition a selected comp segment by Shift+Spacebar, using arrow/cursor keys to move form one clip to another across time or lanes, and hitting Enter to promote the currently selected segment.
 
The act of splitting clips into segments with the Comp Tool is just part of the 'ordinary' comping process.