• SONAR
  • So what's the big deal with take lanes?
2012/10/01 10:52:52
munmun
I have been using these in X2 but there is no apparent work flow advantage against multiple takes in 1 track that we had in X1.  Am I missing the point here?
2012/10/01 11:03:12
garrigus
The lanes are also used for automation. So each automation envelope added to a track can now be separated into its own lane. This makes editing automation much easier.

Scott

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Scott R. Garrigus - http://garrigus.com
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2012/10/01 11:04:31
munmun
Yes I am loving the automation lanes.  I used to get x-eyed with the mess of envelopes before.  Just struggling to understand the track lanes.
2012/10/01 11:24:44
CoteRotie

It's way cleaner from my point of view:

1.  You can add written notes to each take, so you can keep them straight. 2.  When you rebuild or delete the lanes stay in the same place.
3.  All kinds of crazy behavior with layers is gone with lanes.  (Deleted layers sometimes re-appeared, layers sometimes wound up on top of each other, etc.)

2012/10/01 11:29:07
stevec
All kinds of crazy behavior with layers is gone with lanes

 
So far, that is my favorite feature of Lanes.    
 
Though I do like the notes window, that's pretty nice.   And I also like that you can record to a lane.  Oh, and the Mute/Solo buttons are bigger than layers.   And each lane has an edit filter so you can tweak clips independent of other lanes.
 
OK...  so there are a few things I like.  But the lack of odd behavior as compared to layers is still a good one IMHO.  
 
2012/10/01 11:48:20
Beepster
My biggest issue with layers was once you recorded too many takes the layers would be too small to work with (you couldn't see the wav for slices/slip editing and the tools wouldn't hook into what you wanted them to). That wouldn't have been a problem if you could expand the track beyond the screen to zoom in on the individual layers but for some reason you couldn't. The only way to correct this was by dragging them into a new track and that just adds more clutter and confusion. Also the whole having layers not staying where they were supposed to was pretty annoying as well. I really like the ideas of layers until I actually started using them to track and comp solos... then it became apparent they needed a major overhaul. The layers fix all of that. There are a couple things I'd like to see fixed with layers though. The collapsed lane height should be smaller (why it has to take up the equivalent of two collapsed tracks is beyond me). They should make it so you can zoom the lanes vertically however tall you want and have their height independent of the other lanes (might be a feature I'm missing somewhere). Finally there should be a button that collapses individual takes alongside the "add/delete lane" buttons so if you want to get just one take out of the way you can do so easily (again I might be missing a feature). Otherwise they've been working very well for me and it has drastically improved my personal workflow. I am however the type of dude who does a ton of takes while I'm hammering out parts so YMMV. Cheers.
2012/10/01 11:55:48
The Maillard Reaction
How many takes do you need?





I've been reviewing the limitations of take lanes and I think I prefer my layers in v8.5.2.

I had 10 years to learn the work arounds for the bugs in layers. I'm good.

Take lanes seem like a step back wards in usefulness... they didn't have to be... but that's how they came out of the oven.


best regards,
mike
 


2012/10/01 12:04:57
FastBikerBoy
I agree that take lanes are just an improvement over the layers mess from earlier versions.

They are easier to mute & solo, and rearrange them into any order you want,.

Things that are possible with takes that aren't with layers include adding written notes to each take, isolate differnet data in each lane, and recording directly to a chosen lane.

Downside is they can take more real estate but even that's neglible, certainly worth it for all the advantages. IMHO of course YMMV and other disclaimers apply......

Best of all they don't have the rebuild function.....
2012/10/01 12:09:41
Beepster
@Mike... When I'm writing I need a lot... especially with solos. I'm constantly trying different things and comparing them to each other and then when I've worked out a part or a theme I play it until it's tight then move on to the next section. Then after all that I try to redo the whole thing in one take (or at least one take for each major section). This adds up to a LOT of takes. Also being able to keep the takes separate and name them/add notes makes it easier to compare stuff. With layers it was a nightmare of muting/unmuting clips and not knowing if you had the take you actually wanted. It's a matter of how you work individually I think. I could see them not being a big deal for some people but for guys like me it is an ENORMOUS deal. I am very happy with them.
2012/10/01 12:27:22
The Maillard Reaction

I name my Clips if the default clip names seem less than useful... but they are usually adequate.

I make the good takes "yellow" and the ok ones "orange" and I throw away the stuff that should be thrown away as soon as I can.

I also make a practice of listening to the takes with frequency rather than producing so many takes that I end up with an annoying stack of stuff to sift through before I begin to review them. It makes it easier to identify good takes and identify stuff that should simply be thrown out.

I mute clips with the "q" key and if I want to listen to a series of layers sequentially while looping I just select any clip that is playing and an adjacent clip and hit q once and the one I want to listen to plays while the previous one mutes.

Plus I get to zoom in ALL the way on the amplitude axis to see even the smallest details... which I value highly and which is no longer an option.






Down grade.


best regards,
mike
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