ProChannel Pre/Post: a more flexible alternative

Instead of having the ProChannel optionally before or after the FX Bin, I believe that the ProChannel would be better inside the FX Bin and represented by a placeholder as though it was itself a plugin. Maybe a different colour would distinguish it from individual fx. Clicking on it would open the ProChannel. There would then be no need for the pre/post option, as plugin fx could be placed both before and after as required.

Some people have complained about the ProChannel and FX Bin being separate in the GUI, making it confusing for new users. This might be a good way to integrate them.

Dave76
You can accomplish exactly this but in the opposite direction by using the ProChannel's FX Chain module.  You can add as many FX Chain modules as you want so it allows you to intermingle plug-ins with ProChannel modules...

 
It would also make sense for the fx in the FX Bin to be displayed at the top and bottom the ProChannel too (maybe as FX Chains or maybe not). This would mean that all the effects being used on a track could be visible and accessible in one place in the correct order, top to bottom.

IN ADDITION:
The (proposed) ProChannel placeholder in the FX Bin should also have some sort of indicator to show whether or not any of the ProChannel plugins are active. Currently there is no way of knowing which ProChannels are active whether opening them one at a time.

If there were 2 bins, one for PC and one for Vst FX, the bin wouldn't take up as much track height with everything showing in one bin, you could see both sets and their statuses, and pressing the pre or post in each box (or on the console) could swap both their signal chain and position on the track.
 
 

This post is not related to the post above. I think this would need a single FX bin on the track. Have the VST fly out like the Quad EQ
 
 

The side by side bins was basically in response to your post 5, rather than you OP. I thought it should aslo be easily achievable. Plus stop the list taking up too much vertical height. If it were a single bin, I'd like to see it expand horizontally and vertically depending on the track view configuration (shape)
 
The second picture is what I'd really like to see. I don't see why that's not so hard to achieve.As effectively it would be the same as the FX Chain being inserted, with just the PC header and a button to open the VST.
 
I am using FX chains for what they were not intended for (Making VST into PC), and they do ok at it some of the time, but it's currently a fudge really.
 
 

OP's idea is super!

I have written the same on previous requests about PC/FX chains: why not simply "merge" them?
* If "normal" FX is inserted in ProChannel view, its interface (as shown already) can be in FlyOut. Plus specific "ProChannel" interface can be constructed, using the same technology as for FX Chain
* If ProChannel module is inserted into FX Bin view, its FlyOut view can be used as the user interface (or ProChannel view, but it is small and most modules have VST incarnations with normal UI in any case).
 
Why not use FX Chains in ProChannel? They are a kind of "VST hosts". Problems with Control Surfaces, no fast way to open wrapped VST UI, control elements are not bi-directional.
 
ProChannel was originally an evolution of Sonar "Filters", but it is grown first up to dynamic ordering and than up to general FX BIN. Its "dark side" is just historical, there is no longer anything special in ProChannel module compare to normal FX, arbitrary (3d party) modules are there, the order can be changed, etc.
 
CW will not loose "proprietary character" of ProChannel with such move, those who like ProChannel view (which is nice in Inspector and Console) will prefer modules with special (ProChannel) tiny UI.