But,, I don't think that there is a direct correlation between layer/midi channel/output.

Actually there is, Project 5 just doesn't make this obvious, leaving room for confusion. You may also run into situations where the synth will have a main stereo out along with other outs, effective causing there to be 17 outs. I've seen this with Virtual Sampler 3.

The other possible confusion you may have is thinking there are no separate midi input controls for each of the instruments outs. This is because you must assign the input controls yourself. For instance:

In SampleTank you can have:
Instrument1 Ch1 Out 1
Instrument2 Ch1 Out 2
Instrument3 Ch2 Out 2
...
Instrument16..

and you have to, as you said, 2. Create the layers and set their midi output channels to the relative channels of SampleTank.

Click on each layer and use the box, in the inspector, on the left side of the screen that says "Send to: Chan nn" to select the midi I/O control channel you want to assign to that particular layer.

I'm not in front of my Daw at the moment, but it should work out something like this:

You have a SampleTank: inside ST you have...
Instrument1 Ch1 Out 1
Instrument2 Ch1 Out 2
Instrument3 Ch2 Out 2

You have control over these as follows:

Main Control Track: SampleTank x 16 audio outputs [each with effective individual control over Volume, Pan, Width, Solo, Mute]
Layer 1 = SampleTank 1.1 [You have control over midi send channel, allowing midi assignment to Instrument1 Ch1 Out 1].

So all data on this layer is sent to SampleTank's Instrument1 Ch1. You also are given control over mute and solo for this layer.

This may not, perhaps, be totally clear but this is something intend to make more than clear soon enough. Once you've done it a couple of times it becomes blatantly clear just how effective the current implementation is and as well as where it could be improved upon.


-LD

The way I suggested would keep things tidy, as you could effectively 'fold away' all the subtracks if your screen was getting full, but would allow all the required outputs to be shown at once if required...this would give maximum flexibility to everyone's different working methods and keep the current flexibility of track layers intact.

Ahh but you must remember, I suggested Show/Hide layer tracks.

Show/Hide Track Lanes - equivalent to "Show/Hide Settings" used for effects plugins. Sliding/Fade in/out effect is a must to add a flare to the GUI! Windows Xp has the perfect example of this in the explorer window, to the left; Detail Buttons.

This feature would allow hiding all the layers keeping things, as you say, quite nice and tidy

I see what you're saying, and it makes good sense . My thought wouldn't be to lock the layering to the point that what you are trying to do would be impossible, the thought is to simply allow the option for P5 to initially auto-assign consecutive channels so that the user doesn't have to do it all manually.

This isn't to say that these assignments must stay in place and cannot be overridden nor is it to say that you cannot simply create a layer and assign it as you would now. The user would still have the option to set up layers however he/she sees fit. I think Cakewalk's idea was to keep the interface tidy by not showing all outputs at once.

In staying with that thought, this is why I said that the main track should automatically flip to reveal the outs which are assigned to the layers.

I think that both of our ideas on this are quite interesting and unique and useful either way you look at it, also if either were implemented they would effectively accomplish the same functionality.

Havent read all the above

Me, either. Not for a while, anyway.

I'm going to assume that all of my major requests have been covered somewhere in this 5-page thread. But in the spirit of data-dumping, I'll throw in a couple of requests that probably border on esoterica. [Somebody] might actually be reading this thread.

The first was already detailed in Creature Features I [Event Processor Graph]. While I'm at it, let's add a MIDI oscillator that's outside of the actual project working space; somewhere in MIDI Remote Control, or an expanded automation dialog. With just the right feature set, and MIDI message transmission, it could easily be transformed to an one-shot, sync'able EG, or random MIDI generator.

OK, so that's really two-for-one requests. Sue me. The third would be an edit buffer for tweaking/programming DX(i) and VST(i) synths and effects. The buffer is already there (for the "saved-state" implementation), so what I need is a Compare toggle. Check back to the original preset without overwriting your current tweaks. *Flick* "Oh, so that's where I started this mess!"

Current workaround: Two instances in adjacent tracks; same preset or starting point in each. MIDI Override Follows Current Track ticked. One becomes the control synth; the other assumes the role of "tweak-ee". (That makes me the "tweak-er", I'd guess.) Toggle tracks with the Up/Down arrow keys on the Qwerty to see where home base is located.

I'll bet there's a list a mile long at Cake HQ that includes these particular requests.
Probability of actual implementation? Hmm. Let's see: what's half of zero?

ORIGINAL: LabDog

But,, I don't think that there is a direct correlation between layer/midi channel/output.

In SampleTank you can have:
Instrument1 Ch1 Out 1
Instrument2 Ch1 Out 2
Instrument3 Ch2 Out 2
...
Instrument16..

and you have to, as you said, 2. Create the layers and set their midi output channels to the relative channels of SampleTank.

Click on each layer and use the box, in the inspector, on the left side of the screen that says "Send to: Chan nn" to select the midi I/O control channel you want to assign to that particular layer.

I'm not in front of my Daw at the moment, but it should work out something like this:

You have a SampleTank: inside ST you have...
Instrument1 Ch1 Out 1
Instrument2 Ch1 Out 2
Instrument3 Ch2 Out 2

You have control over these as follows:

Main Control Track: SampleTank x 16 audio outputs [each with effective individual control over Volume, Pan, Width, Solo, Mute]
Layer 1 = SampleTank 1.1 [You have control over midi send channel, allowing midi assignment to Instrument1 Ch1 Out 1].

So all data on this layer is sent to SampleTank's Instrument1 Ch1. You also are given control over mute and solo for this layer.

This may not, perhaps, be totally clear but this is something intend to make more than clear soon enough. Once you've done it a couple of times it becomes blatantly clear just how effective the current implementation is and as well as where it could be improved upon.

I think I understand all of that. What I was trying to say (late last night) in response to your message is that if you click on layer 1, which is pumping midi data to ST's midi input channel 1, where ST will play both instruments 1 and 2, I don't think that P5 could automatically show the output effects for that layer on the left side of the screen, which is what I think you suggested. Because ST is outputting stuff from Ch 1 to both Out 1 and Out 2.

Here's yet another idea.. Add 2 new categories to the left column of the (Add Instrument) listbox named something like 'New Multi-Timbral' and 'Multi-Timbral'. The 'New Multi-Timbral' category lists all synths. When you select a synth there, it loads an instance of the synth into memory and lists it in the 'Multi-Timbral' category which then becomes available to add to tracks. When you add a new track and add a synth from the 'Multi-Timbral' category, it really just shows the same instance of the synth that's in memory. If you delete all of the tracks that use the multi-timbral synth, it's removed from memory and the category. This would let us have the ability to do multiple takes which create layers and not be confused with the mass of layers that show up if when everything is on one track.