I have to say after working with MC 5 consistently now for at least a month or so, there are a few things that I do like. However, I can not get used to the new Audio Track monitoring options.
I don't like the very tiny and individual Solo and Mute buttons. Not only are they too small to see and click accurately, the previous method of a toggle worked just fine for me. If it was active and you clicked it, it muted. If it was muted and you clicked it, it became active. Brilliant. If you wanted to Solo, you held CMD+clicked it, plus, it was a nice big area to click in because it was the full height of the audio track itself and not split in two as it is now.
Now, there's this confusing mess with the Track Selector Panel and the Power Button thing and two and no way to map any of that stuff to they Keyboard.
I remember hearing that some particular icon changes a few years ago were driven by the fact that as monitors have gotten bigger, the old icons were not as easily seen or recognizable as the newer icons. Yet, we get Solo and Mute icon/buttons that are smaller still. I don't get it.
Kenton VanNatten | Avid Editor (for hire)
"I am not obsessed... I'm detail-oriented"
I agree, Kenton. And I'll bet that even 20 year old eyes have a problem with those buttons when there are many audio tracks to deal with. I also just don't understand the reasoning behind those changes. What we had previously worked just fine. I suppose some of the design people must actually believe that editors are using 55 to 60 inch screens for the Composer UI.
Larry Rubin
Senior Editor
The Pentagon Channel
www.pentagonchannel.mil
Kenton.VanNatten:Yet, we get Solo and Mute icon/buttons that are smaller still. I don't get it.
Like everything in the interface it all these options SHOULD (IMO) be mappable to the KB.
Kenton.VanNatten: I don't like the very tiny and individual Solo and Mute buttons. Not only are they too small to see and click accurately, the previous method of a toggle worked just fine for me.
I don't like the very tiny and individual Solo and Mute buttons. Not only are they too small to see and click accurately, the previous method of a toggle worked just fine for me.
Kenton.VanNatten: and no way to map any of that stuff to they Keyboard.
and no way to map any of that stuff to they Keyboard.
I agree. To make an important icon even smaller and NOT provide keyboard mapping is punishing. I use third-party software that will toggle an enlargement of the screen with a one-button keypress when I need it... it's not pretty, but it gets the job done.
The ability to take "snapshots" of different custom monitoring configurations and recall them by keyboard shortcuts would be very much appreciated.
-Telegram!
Telegram!: The ability to take "snapshots" of different custom monitoring configurations and recall them by keyboard shortcuts would be very much appreciated.
You can do this with the toolset presets in the toolset menu. Choose one, customize the position and size of the project window, timeline window, composer window, and tools, then "save current" to lock in your configuration. You can map those to the keyboard through the command palette. Further, you can link a customized timeline view to any toolset using the "link to current..." dialogue. For my audio toolset, I have linked a timeline view with audio tracks vertically expanded, so those buttons are larger. I also have my video monitors hidden in the audio toolset so I have maximum screen real estate for the audio timeline.
Thanks Larry, can I "save current" to remember which tracks are solo-ed, turned off, etc.? That's what I am asking for. I didn't think it could.
Telegram!: Thanks Larry, can I "save current" to remember which tracks are solo-ed, turned off, etc.? That's what I am asking for. I didn't think it could.
Not sure if it will remember status of tracks that are solo-ed, but it will link a customized timeline view that you have saved in timeline views (view menu on the bottom left of timeline toolbar) by using the "link to current" function of toolsets. At least that way, you can start with tracks at an increased size, with increased sized buttons accordingly.
95% of the time, I prefer to work with the same view, showing me ALL of my 16-20 audio tracks, plus 3-4 video. I would rather shrink my Composer window than lose that overview of the timeline.
What I need are tools within Avid to help me quickly compare sound quality from various camera's audio tracks in relation to other elements on the timeline. All in preparation for handing my completed timeline over to the mixer for finishing. It's about speed at that point.
That's what monitoring "snapshots" would provide... eliminating the need to constantly return to the Track Panel for its Solo and Off icons.
AFAIK, the Timeline views and the linking concept you suggest don't get me there any better than my third-party screen enlarger.
Hi Kenton and all,
As someone who worked on the aformentioned feature, I thought I should chime in with some history about how what you are seeing came to be. First, it's important to know about the old "mute" button prior to 5.x That button was unique in that it actually turned off all processing for the track, which is actually not what you want if you want to be able to dynamically toggle mute/solo (not interupting play) in the future. We called it Mute/solo at the time, because that's what we had, but it really is a "track disable" button and that's why it has been moved (almost purposefully hidden) into the track control panel and looks like a "power" button. The new Mute/Solo buttons act very differently in that they can be toggled on/off during play with a control surface like a Command 8, this puts us on the right path for being able to toggle things dynamically in the future without stopping play. We kept the "old" track enable/disable functionality because there are times when you might want to completely disable the track e.g. saving CPU cycles on RTAS plugins that otherwise would still be consumed if the track was only muted. However, hitting this button will always stop play. Tooltips are needed to help clarify things I agree.
As to the icons themselves and the sizes, we're looking at ways to improve the UI going forward, so please do continue to provide this type of feedback. Also, we've talked to many editors about "mute/solo" and because the concept is universal, i'm sure you'll agree that it helps the learning curve for new users whereas the old icon and command-click was far from intuitive.
On keyboard shortcuts, sadly, that was planned but missed the cutoff date for the release. So, i'm glad we're talking about it, because I want to get your feedback on how we're planning to do this. Mapping 24 solo/mute buttons to the keyboard is kind of a non-starter, so the current plan is to have one key command for solo and another for mute, this will then operate on selected tracks. Also, I trust everyone is aware that if you "alt-click" solor or mute, (depends on your platform) it does a global operation which is a great way to clear solos and/or mutes.
Thanks again for the feedback,
Doug
Dhansel:Also, I trust everyone is aware that if you "alt-click" solor or mute, (depends on your platform) it does a global operation which is a great way to clear solos and/or mutes.
I am aware of this capability, and have already pointed it out several times in other threads related to the enhanced audio features in the new timeline of MC 5. It also works for globally engaging/disengaging waveform plots and auto gain on active tracks.
Hi Doug,
Thanks for chiming in here, it really means a lot to understand the limitations of the previous function to know how we go to where we are now.
Dhansel:the current plan is to have one key command for solo and another for mute, this will then operate on selected tracks.
I like that idea. There already is a "Mute" button (it's been mapped to my ` key for years), but it appears to function much like the previous one where it essentially "turns off" the track. Have a quick method of being able to work with a combo of CMD+A or SHIFT+CMD+A plus some sort of mappable new Mute/Solo buttons would be great.
Also, I'll be contacting you soon off-list about presenting at our March BAVUG meeting.
Thanks again
Thanks Kenton, I forgot to mention that the mute button in the command pallet is correctly mapped to the "new" mute buttons in the next release. The work has already been done.
Dhansel: the current plan is to have one key command for solo and another for mute, this will then operate on selected tracks.
the current plan is to have one key command for solo and another for mute, this will then operate on selected tracks.
Thet' sounds great, Doug. If I could hit a key that would cycle through a handful of customTrack highlights, (I call them "snapshots"), this new feature would be even more powerful. Thanks for your reply.
Telegram!:If I could hit a key that would cycle through a handful of customTrack highlights, (I call them "snapshots"), this new feature would be even more powerful.
YES! Similar to Cycle Trim Sides or Cycle Picture Sound. It could just be "Cycle Track Control" and "Cycle Mute/Solo"
Duly noted guys. Thanks.
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