I love the Q-Link function. However, you have to be in the mixer view to activate it. That also holds true for any keyboard shortcut one creates. It does not work when you don’t have an active mixer window. At least the shortcut should always be active, no matter where in the DAW you are active. This is especially true when you are working with a single fader unit like the Steinberg CC121.
That is the intention of this function, apparently.
It’s really helpful in the mixer to set the same parameters and plugins for many channels. But to have it enabled without the visible feedback makes it very dangerous.
And I think it would be dangerous in the project window as well.
Imagine, accidental setting many tracks to the same EQ settings and delete the individual settings this way without noticing it… only because the mixer is closed.
There are other ways to do similar things in the project window. Grouping for example.
I have to disagree on this. First of all the same mistake can happen in the mixer window as well. Secondly since there is a separated undo/redo function for every move that has been done on the mixer (better said: in a non editorial, but sound-differing move) I do not see any danger of doing some destructive and irreversible damage.
Since you actively have to have more than one track selected for this function to “kick-in” I do not see how this would lead to any accident. If only one track is selected it does not influence any other tracks (like grouping - or link groups do - even if just one of the linked channels is selected). In fact that is the main reason why I use the q-link function much more often than link-groups because I sometimes oversee that tracks are linked and with just one track selected (with my CC121) I mistakingly edit the EQ on all other linked tracks.
So the very accident that you describe for Q-link can easily happen with normally linked tracks as well. There is no indication on a linked track in the project window either.
I love the fact that q-link follows by selection.
I do second your point that some sort of visual feedback of the activation would be necessary. This could easily accomplished by having the q-link show up on the upper panel in the project window.
Maybe it would be a good idea to make this feature available as a preferences choice, like the “synchronize project window and mixer visibility” option.