I wish we had an actual effects rack back.
I just want to have all of my (send) FX in a rack that I can open quickly with a key command, make simple changes quickly, Navigate to their corresponding FX return quickly… etc.
There is still a rack for instruments right? Why not an FX rack too? And we did have an FX rack back in the 1990’s. (Although the output from each effect went directly to the master buss)
Imagine a Rack Module just like VST INSTRUMENTS. Add the effect unit you want to use, Done. A dedicated FX return is automatically created for you. The big difference would be that the “effect” would not just be an arbitrary item INSERTED on a group. It would be the proprietary source. Just like a VST instrument in the vst rack.
An FX return could have all of the same functionality as the FX/group track.
And if you delete an effect unit from the rack the corresponding FX return in the mixer and Automation lanes would disappear as well. Just as it does with a VST instrument now.
And the signal flow would be logical and familiar to audio engineers.