To view an already open, yet currently hidden, effect window, what do you MOST OFTEN do?
0 voters
I posed a feature suggestion already… let’s take a poll and discuss.
Wouldn’t it be nice if clicking the “e” revealed the hidden effect window first?
It would! But don’t stop there. Navigation and focus issues for users who avoid mousing around via a DAW controller, and use of key commands IMO is greatly lacking.
The problem as I see it goes back to priorities and marketing. I use 2 LG 32-inch Ultra-Wides and a LG 28 inch ultra-wide (the 28 inch dedicated to editors and VST GUI’s.) But I think I’m a minority user. I think most Cubase users are on a single laptop. So the suggestion of clicking on the “e” would definitely help those with limited space or single monitors.
One way to avoid hidden effects which is definitely a work-around, but has distinct benefits, is the use of workspaces. Look at the tracks that have the most effect inserts. Pick one, and open all the effect inserts on that track. Arrange the effect GUI’s so they display the way you wish. On mine I arrange them from top to bottom. Save that as a Workspace. Assign that workspace to a Key Command. Next time you want to look at any effect on a particular channel, and look at it in an organized manner, focus the channel, click the key command and that workspace comes to front.
Said feature request is here:
Click on “e” to UNHIDE effect window first, not close it.
Workspaces, yes, that would help some. Good idea.
There is the option of key scrolling backwards thru windows which on a MAC is Command-Shift-Left Quote (or Tilde)… but it’s a lot of keys.
Alt tab?
I use workspaces
Poll suggests 3/4 of people do the double-click thing to re-reveal the window.
Multiply that by the total number of Cubase users, then by the number of times each one of us performs this activity daily…
…and we have a grand old savings of thousands and thousands of clicks per day… clicks we could be using on, uh, Facebook? 
Multiple cases of carpel tunnel avoided per year.
That suggests that 3/4th of the people are not interested in optimizing workflow and learning keyboard shortcuts.
Having to Alt+Tab through windows isn’t really a groundbreaking workflow.
No, it’s basic and really points out that many windows users don’t even know GUI keyboard basics.
But for years hover millions of pixels and click in/click out tiny boxes while being glued to their screen.
My hands are most of the time on the keyboard or playing. Mouse is only used in some inspector and arranger window tasks
You can also open VST windows with the keyboard. They will also first close before they open.
I know, Ijust like them open as i can quickly flip,
Keeping every effect and VST window open and scrolling through them all sounds ULTRA tedious to me, and also taxing on the OS or the graphics card, or something… but hey, I might give it a try just to see how bad I hate it. Maybe it’s more tolerable than trying to keep everything so clean.
Also, “all of the above” is a valid answer to this “poll.” There is no one best way, they’re all good.
When not using workspaces I use the racks on the lower 3rd and don’t find it to be a major hindrance.
I think this all becomes a natural part of using Cubase and the user develops workflow patterns based on experience using the program and working with sound. I like Cubase’s flexibility and that there are usually a few ways to do the same task. Sometimes it seems easier to use one method, at other times, a different route is best. Those decisions seem to be more based on what aspect of a project is being worked on. What is used during a live recording will not be what is used when editing and mixing. If you’re down at the Sample level, that may call for yet another setup. I tend to just keep plugging away and then notice a pattern about it later. Good luck.
I find this issue to be somewhat bothersome. Would be great to find a better solution or design for other mixer elements as well.
It’s only “bothersome” to me when I’m not sure exactly what I want to do. When I’m clear about what I’m doing, I find Cubase provides a very flexible easy to work with system. You can eliminate a lot of excessive clicks by knowing what you want to do and getting into a pattern of how you approach different parts of a project. I also recommend just practicing some key commands and macros, MLE presets, outside of a session when you’re trying to get a song started, recording musicians, editing and mixing, composing a piece. Find a few favorite Key Commands you really need and then don’t go for the mouse when the need comes up, use the keyboard; even better, map Key Commands or Macros to your controller, or I-pad, or other controller. Good luck.
Good discussion. I think when you are using a mouse, looking right at the MixConsole or the Inspector and see the “e” you need to click, it may actually be more cumbersome to use the keyboard than to simply click that “e”.
Click “e” or command-tab.
There are lots of talk here about using key commands instead of the mouse click,
so, if my compressor on my piano track has got hidden, which key do I press to get it show up ?
I was thinking about this some more. I came to the conclusion that maybe a better question to ask users is “How often do you press “e”, or equivalent hotkey, to put a window in the background?”
If nobody uses that function why not just get rid of it so that the command only brings a window forward…