I've been using quick groups for years now. They are intuitive, so no need to RTFM. Just hold CTRL and change settings in several selected console channels at the same.

Yesterday using quick groups it totally screwed up a mix. I had no idea why all the sudden some sends to reverb buses were fully open. Must be a bug of course! Since I could not reproduce easily, I hit the manual.

It turns out what I did not know is that if you touch a control that is not in one of the selected channels while still having your finger on CTRL, ALL channels are affected! So I must have briefly adjusted one of the barely open reverb sends from -55 to -45 which was not among the selected channels and it proportionally increased all the others ... meaning those that were at -10 ended up at +6 ...

From the manual:      

• If you adjust a control in a selected track, only selected tracks of the same type are affected.
• If you adjust a control in a non-selected track, all tracks are affected.

To use a Quick Group do one of the following:

• To adjust the same control in all tracks. Hold down the CTRL key and adjust a control in a track that is not selected. SONAR automatically adjusts the same control in all other tracks.
• To adjust the same control in selected tracks. Select the tracks you want to adjust, then hold down the CTRL key and adjust a control in any selected track. SONAR automatically adjusts the same control in all other selected tracks of the same type.

Nice discovery I wonder when they did this, this is useful when have all the same type of tracks and you want to buss them quickly, or the one I can see being use the most is when your tracks are adding up in volume and you want to turn them all down.

Reverb is cooool man. That's why they did it.

This has been around for a couple years now. I love this function.
it beats having to select everything and quick group it.

Does it change *every* track, or just the unselected ones? (which is what I thought it does)

jbraner
Does it change *every* track, or just the unselected ones? (which is what I thought it does)

- If you select no tracks and hold CNTRL down all track parameters are moved.
- If you select a range of tracks (and use a parameter within that range of selected tracks) hold CNTRL only the selected tracks parameters are moved.
- If you select 1 or more track/tracks and hold CNTRL moving a parameter on an unselected track moves all track parameters.
 
I hope I got this right. I started confusing myself here.
I see Rob's point though, you would think holding CNTRL but moving an unselected tracks parameter would only engage just that unselected tracks parameter. but it doesn't.
 
To the OP, good point Rob, thanks for sharing.
 

I've been bitten by the exact same scenario Rob describes: accidentally moving the wrong control and thus inadvertently changing every track instead of just the selected group. After that happened a couple times, I got into the habit of double-checking to make sure I was touching a track within the selected group.
 
It's a great feature, and actually works in a very logical manner, but as with all conveniences and shortcuts there is the potential for calamity. This is what CTL-Z was invented for: human error!
 
(Although even CTL-Z can't always save you from inattentive operation. Or am I the only dufus who's ever accidentally deleted more than one track - and not noticed until after saving the project?)
 
 
 
 

Or am I the only dufus who's ever accidentally deleted more than one track - and not noticed until after saving the project?)

No, you're not! ;-)

The general idea behind the function of being able to hit CTRL + change a parameter and have it executed on the entire project is incredibly useful. Just scares the sh*t out of you if you do it accidentally and your entire project falls apart ( been there...) :)

What is RTFM?