Thank you for a great thread. I haven't revisited the PC since it was first introduced and I found it somewhat useless back then.  Now that I know it has evolved (thanks to this thread), seems like I have some fiddling to do this weekend to check this out.
 
Craig, thanks for becoming more active on this forum.  You have consistently brought up subjects that have been real useful for me.
 
Thanks again,
Jim

smallstonefan
I do wish there was a way to have a single button to toggle between two different FX Chains to A/B different approaches to a track...

There's a workaround for that.
 
1. Clone the track. Insert the FX chain "A" in one track, and the FX chain "B" in the other.
2. Turn on one track's mute switch.
3. Group the mute switches for both tracks.
 
Now when you enable one mute switch the other will turn off, and vice-versa.

jkleban
Craig, thanks for becoming more active on this forum.  You have consistently brought up subjects that have been real useful for me.
 

Hopefully this won't be the last one 

I love the pro-channel, really I do... “but” (here we go) I believe there is so much to improve about it. 
 
When focus is on the Inspector why can't it have hotkeys? so we can... 

Load module

replace moduleload

save pre-sets

global on/off

docking options

lock current track bus

set post effect bin

set colour

why not Multi inspectors to allow display of the active track inspector and a master bus inspector as well 
 
open and closing of the UI of plugins in the FX chain as you change active track (for people like me with 3 monitors this would be a brilliant idea) 
 
improved FX Chain controls

The only thing I'd like to see is a keyboard shortcut to expand/contract the PC vs. using the Inspector. For other plug-ins, a noise-gate (fast<->slow shutting) would be very nice. I'm using Waves CLA Signature Drums with its softgate to gate drums and vocals.

brconflict
The only thing I'd like to see is a keyboard shortcut to expand/contract the PC vs. using the Inspector.

A "Show/Hide ProChannel" function is exposed for binding in the Console view.

Anderton

smallstonefan
I do wish there was a way to have a single button to toggle between two different FX Chains to A/B different approaches to a track...

There's a workaround for that.
 
1. Clone the track. Insert the FX chain "A" in one track, and the FX chain "B" in the other.
2. Turn on one track's mute switch.
3. Group the mute switches for both tracks.
 
Now when you enable one mute switch the other will turn off, and vice-versa.

 
Cool, thanks for the workaround! 
 
Wait... I just tested this and you can group the Bypass buttons on two FX Chains in the same way. Not a workaround, problem solved! :) Thanks Craig!

Anderton
Saw this from jb101 in the thread on ProChannel development:
 
@ShellstaX - The FX  Chain Module has almost completely replaced the FX bin for me.  It adds so much more functionality (if that's a real word) to the signal chain in Sonar.
 
Any thoughts about what works best in the bin and works best in the PC? 

I fully agree with ShellstaX. I use at least one FX Chain Module on most tracks. Basically that's my moveable FX bin that enables me to put whatever plug-in(s) are appropriate anywhere in the ProChannel signal flow.

A great example is an amp sim. I happen to use Amplitube the most now. That always goes in an FX Chain for me, and then I can mix and match other plug-ins or the ProChannel modules to get the track into a "most excellent/tasteful" place.

I tend to freeze tracks and that freezes the whole processed signal, gives me a great audio track to work with, and everything is taken out of the CPU demand. I can unfreeze anytime as needed for a quick adjustment.

What works well in the ProChannel or in a ProChannel FX Chain? Just about everything I would say. Just not an effect needed to specifically effect a clip, in which case the Clip FX bin would be the spot for the effect.

I will add that I use the busses and plug-ins on those (obviously not frozen on busses) for a lot of the real-time experimenting with mixing.

A spectrum analyser with a pull out/pop out window like the eq would be useful in the pro channel.

How about an exciter/enhancer?

I use the ProChannel almost exclusively now.
 
I even put my Amp Sims in FXChains, unlike Makeshift, as I can assign any parameter, such as turning "Chorus" on/off, or increasing/decreasing"Gain", to one of the FXChain controls.  Then I can hide the VST GUI, and still tweak as I go.
 
I can also customise the PC FXChain GUI to make it instantly recognisable, and then save it as a preset, or as part of a track template.
 
@Craig - I know what you mean about putting "Set-and-forget" VSTs like Channel Tools in the FX Bin, but I have become so used to using the ProChannel that I often lump things like that together in an FXChain, collapse it, and forget about it.  I can then bypass them by clicking on the FXChain "On/Off" button, or adjust the Input/output Gain, or open up their GUI all from the inspector or Console View, with little effort.
 
@Sanderxpander - If you have not played around with the ProChannel since the implementation of The PC FXChains, I highly recommend another look.  It's great.
 
As you may have gathered, I like the ProChannel, and think the implementation of PC FXChains was a stroke of genius.