I’m trying to setup my first workspace and I thought about having the control room window open on the far right of my arrange page, but would like to make it so its always on top of the arrange page so it doesn’t get hidden when I click on the arrange page. In fact, in general I would like ALL windows opened on top of the arrange page to always be on top of the arrange page so they are never hidden when I click back on the arrange page instead of closing the window. For example, when I double click an midi part and open it in the key editor, I often find myself when I’m done clicking back on the arrange page instead of closing the key editor, so I end up with a key editor window always open in the background. This happens for any window I open on my main monitor, as I have a habit of jumping right back to the arrange page by clicking rather than closing windows.
Is this possible? I’m coming from Logic, and it was possible to hold down a key modifier before opening a window (forget which one) and it would open the window as a “floating window” (aka “always on top”) which was very handy in setting up nice screensets. Logic also had nice interlocking spaces; i.e. if you opened the mixer it would make a space for it automatically in your arrange page instead of adding a new window - Digital Performer does this too with “consolidated windows.” I’m assuming cubase cannot do this, but I’m hopeful there is a way that I can at least get the windows I want to float above the arrange page and save them as workspaces.
Is this possible? Thanks in advance for helping this Cubase newb out! I tried searching the pdf manual before posting but came up empty handed.
I FIGURED IT OUT - right clicking near the top of the window name in the control room allowed me to select “always on top” which is GREAT!! Hopefully all windows have a magic click spot that shows this functionality!
As far as I’m aware, none of the editor windows allow always on top. It can be a nuisance, as you point out, and you see frequent requests that this changes, but I once came across a post from SB that explained why: it was to prevent people accidentally editing a window that they thought had lost the focus. Presumably this had happened once too often, maybe during development and this is why we’ve never seen it. In other words, we may be suffering the lesser of two evils.
Window handing and focus could certainly benefit from a rethink. Maybe the updated mix console, with its touch-screen look-and-feel, may signal the beginning of a major overhaul.
In the meantime, don’t forget that editors are activated and closed with the return key, which can act as a toggle between them and the project window (as long as what you’re editing remains selected in between times).
And, I have just discovered, Ctr-TAB switches beween open windows. (I wonder how long that’s been there?)
Thank you very, VERY much for the detailed reply Crotchety!! I did not know about the open/close editor button. This might be all I need! Unfortunately my control-Tab doesn’t do anything. Do you by chance know the key command name for this “switch between open windows?”
I also realized that unlike every other DAW I’ve used, Cubase smartly only keeps one editor open in the background. For example, if I open a midi piano part in the key editor, dont close it and instead double click on a bass midi part, instead of opening a new window like in other programs, the hidden window is brought forward and changes to the bass part. AWESOME!! I know it seems silly to get excited over something like this, but you’d laugh if you saw my mockups in DP - I would sometimes end up with 20+ midi editors open in the background!!
So it seems in Cubase its no big deal if I forget to close the editor (at least the key editor) and it jumps behind my project page, as the same window will just pop back up again when I double click on a new midi part - not that big of a deal (I hope).
I too am very excited by the new direction Cubase has taken the Mixer. In many ways its MUCH better than the old mixer (still trying to figure out if I can keep multiple racks always open though - i.e. the sends and inserts rack open at the same time. Right now if I click on one it closes the other…grrr…). If Steinberg can apply the same type of functionality and control in the mixer (hiding/showing what you need, all being in one great full screen editor, etc) to other parts of Cubase, the future looks very VERY bright indeed!
Now if only they could somehow get similar CPU performance as Logic Pro, Cubase would be the ultimate DAW!!
I don’t think there is one. Ctrl-TAB is pretty standard in Windows. Besides internal window switching, it often allows you to skip between different sections of a dialog, say. Maybe you have to find the Mac equivalent.
We’ve all been there. You should see me when new versions come out…
This could simply be a matter of tweaking. It can take a while. I’m not a Mac man so I suggest you have a good read around, including the KB, and start a new thread for this, possibly in the hardware or setup forums, if you don’t think you’re where you should be.
