Sun 13 Jan 2008 12:34:25 AM UTC, comment #1:
Selection and operation on multiple audio clips is absolutely essential for multitrack audio editor. Selecting and for example moving multiple audio clips is very often used while dealing with editing multitrack audio, so without it Traverso being en excellent software lacks almost it's basic functionality.
Let me share some additional thoughts on this subject. Maybe someone will find it useful or interesting:
- of course selected and for example moved audio clips should remain in the same time and track placement relation to each other.
- it should be possible to move multiple audio clips to different tracks. Lack of track needed to remain selected and moved audio clips placement relation should be communicated to user. I think no new track should be auto created, as it could lead to situations that would easily mess up the overall project.
Select function to be effective and fast should be more then just one Ctr+A "select all clips" function, or "click and select" by dragging the mouse cursor (like in most DAW's popular "mouse select" action).
The absolutely best selection option I know includes 3 main choices:
- traditional "select all" that would select all audio clips and select by dragging the mouse that would selects audio clips we are able to mouse-select in our track view (which is often zoomed and does not show all audio clips). Therefore is needed
also
- option to selects multiple clips on selected track only.
and
- option to select multiple clips on all track.
Above two options should have sub-option to precise the direction of selection from desired Point. A work cursor or play head should be used as that Point.
So actual options would be:
- - select by mouse select (usual clicking and dragging the mouse to select)
1 - "select all" (Ctr +A like action)
2 - "select all audio clips on the right of cursor/play head on the selected track"
3 - "select all audio clips on the right of cursor/play head on all tracks"
4 - "select all audio clips on the left of cursor/play head on the selected track"
5 - "select all audio clips on the left of cursor/play head on all tracks"
Working implications of above options should be:
If selection Point (the cursor/play head) happens to be in the middle of audio clip/clips and above options 2 to 5 are chosen, then this clip/clips should not be selected. All other audio clips that end on the left or began on the right from the selection Point (cursor/play head) would be selected according to chosen action.
I imagine it could be done "the Traverso way" (soft selection) by setting the position of cursor/play head in the desired position, then clicking the "select key" <key> and then moving the mouse right or left of the cursor/play head.
Selection options, "selected track" and "all tracks" could be done by press and hold [key] and press and release twice <<key>> actions.
I work professionally with many DAW's and sequencing software since back Atari ST times and in my opinion the above "select" solution that could be find more less in some audio software is the most efficient already but with "soft selection" it would be a blast to select desired audio clips in the project no matter of zoom factor of the timeline.
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