Anderton
Keni
What about when you need to have unequal splits? Say a note hangs over differently on one track than another... Currently it's a pain to fix...
What's frustrating to me is you keep thinking things can't be done when they can in fact be done. Use the scissors tool instead of the comping tool - alt-click on the Take and you can split it wherever you want. If you have notes hanging over on one track that aren't on another, you're going to have to do custom splits no matter what.
You can also move the split point laterally between two individual adjacent clips and nothing else if you want.
Comping wants to force many things to happen to happen to all Lanes even if I only want to change one... Slipping the start pouint for example will move the start of the clip on all Lanes instead of the single one I'm trying to adjust...
It doesn't have to. Just select only the clips you want to affect. I have no problem slip editing individual clips. I think you haven't worked enough with the new tools to understand that they are not necessarily forcing you to work in particular ways, they default to working in particular ways but you still have a lot of flexibility in how you can use them.
How about the sometimes handy tool of simply clicking on the lane and play auto-starts there... Have you tried to get it to play from before the first note? I continually find myself clicking to select the clip I want to hear then I must stop the auto playback and re-locate the the start of playback...
I'm not quite sure I understand the problem but unless you're comping, don't use auto-playback and just place the now time where you want to start playing.
Suffice it to say that we all work differently and I'm a bit displeased that Cakewalk has taken it upon themselves to change tools that worked for many... with something that doesn't work for many...
It's an area of the program that has changed, and once you learn what those changes are, you will find that on balance the changes allow for far more flexibility than was possible with layers. So far the things you've mentioned can be done, and easily. It's like the person who was disappointed because layers let him play back multiple tracks simultaneously through an individual FX bin and bus and he didn't want to have to give that up with the new Take Lane paradigm. But you can do that with the new Take Lanes.
I think the real issue is that it's annoying to have a workflow all figured out, and then have to modify it to accommodate something that's changed. The question then becomes whether the time lost learning the new workflow will be compensated for by offering a smoother user experience that will save time overall and make for more efficient operation in the future. In my Sound on Sound column on comping with X3, I mentioned the initial difficulty I had figuring out the new Take Lane paradigm. I really had a hard time wrapping my head around it at first. But I read all the online documentation and spent a couple days experimenting with different scenarios. After those two days were done, I would NEVER want to go back to how it was before.
Yes... I have found ways to do what I need... These issues I bring up aren't stopping me from doing my work, but making it much harder.
I have been and continue to explore the new facets... This is really my point. I have always found work arounds, but when the new changes slow me down even with knowing their existence...
For example... It is indeed infuriating to be forced to learn many new commands to accomplish what was once easy... A "simple" preferences toggle or if must be, manual toggle to enable a comping mode when it is desired becomes the issue for me... Why must I be forced to continually do extra work to accomplish simple tasks?
Would you be comfortable if smart grid was forced on you? I'm sure you would find ways to do what you need, but it's now slowing your workflow...
Please don't misunderstand my posts on this... I'm not arguing between the tool sets, only mentioning that these new tools should not be replacements... I'm guessing this is one that I would believe should be an on-the-fly toggle as well as a default choice... I know you will say they are not replacements, but they are indeed as I must go out of my way to accomplish what once were simple tasks... Of course learning the myriad of new commands helps, but does not replace the stream... I have learned many new commands for old tools since X1 was released... Daunting at times but now 8.5.3 is more confusing as I use X most of the time...
For me, this kind of forced workflow changes does not help most sides of workflow... It may help some, but only at cost to others..
I sense some anger in your words and I hope that's not the case. It's often hard to communicate through the forums and such as we must imagine we understand what each other are referring to and why... I know we are all interested in having the DAW that does what we all need... Reading what those needs are is a constant task for The Bakers and learning if how individual's deal with the software creation is no simple task...
I continue to endeavor to help in the design as much as possible even when those around me don't get my point...
Keni
BTW... I will work harder at using the changed scenario as it is just as I have done with every iteration of Sonar and ProAudio etc. over the years...
Thanks for always being willing to share your knowledge and insights...
Keni