In order to use “insert silence”, it appears you have to select the range “set of tracks over time” into which you want to create your “inserted silence”. However, when I do that, I can’t seem to figure out how to make that select range span tracks in both the upper and lower track lists. Is there a way to do this? What I really want is “insert 4 empty bars at bar 20, on all tracks in the project regardless of where they are shown, without having to select all the tracks”. Am I missing an obvious function?
From what I know, you can’t do it in one go.
You’ll have to Ctrl+Shift and then range on the part above the separator, and then Ctrl+Shift range on the part below the separator, then adjust ranges, then Ctrl+Shift+E to insert silence.
(Ctrl+Shift modifier is the default. Check your preferences in Editing > Tool Modifiers > Range Tool)
I would try this: Set your left locator at bar 20, right locater at bar 24 then Ctrl-Shift-E. That will push any parts on all the tracks to the right by 4 bars and leave 4 empty bars there.
Whoa… that (using the left/right locators instead of making a selection range) does work. Is that documented somewhere? I don’t see it in the “insert silence” page of the manual, and since the command itself is a sub-command of the “edit → range” menu… it doesn’t seem obvious. Or is the left/right locator space considered a default “range” in general when there is no other range in existence?
Many key commands work with selections (tool 1), ranges (tool 2) or loops (space between left and right locators). Many even work with the cursor position. (without implying that they work like that)
It’s impossible to test all key commands under all conditions, that’s why forums are a good idea, so that little tricks like this are shared and become common knowledge.
I’ve learned a ton of stuff by following threads like this. 
I don’t know if it’s documented but it’s one of the most useful features for editing. I use global copy and paste time to duplicate song sections very often using the locator range.
Really good principles to know and keep in mind. Hiding a command like that under the “Edit/Range” menu area seems an odd choice, or at least one that can lead to misunderstanding the wider applicability of the function. I guess if you think of “loop space” as a type of range, it works.
Thanks all for the meta-information…