Two ideas to make the Project Zone much more manageable. Instant vertical and horizontal, user defined, musically meaningful views - on one click buttons
1] As a newbie, it was sometime before I discovered the little chevron in the bottom right of the Project Zone. It’s such a useful button but it is currently buried. Do you know what it is for? Hmmm…?
Here you can control how Track Heights.
This is a very important button as it controls the horizontal aspect of the Project Zone real estate. I say move this button and change it’s icon to a (changeable) number.
If this menu was a little larger and above the track list (where there is space) it would get more use. People would realise it’s importance to workflow.
My idea is to have a number here, replacing the chevron. The chevron ‘says’ nothing intuitively, a changeable number is more transparent.
Clicking on this number would reveal the Track Height Menu (same as the menu currently selected via the chevron). If you click this number you can change the track height from say 1 to say 4, then back in the Project Zone, you get a ‘four’ numeral icon stating your track height is now set to 4. In other words the flexible number replaces the tiny chevron and better informs the users.
2] Collapsible Cycle Markers
I also think a lot can be done to tame and control the vertical view of the Project Zone. Although Cubase does have many tools, often it’s a multiple click job- maybe involving shortcuts. These ideas together make this all much easier to instanly view exactly what you want.
Assumption: You have a Marker Track.
Let’s say you are working on a song, and you have set out cycle markers for four verses and three choruses, an intro and an outro. At many given times you might only be working on say chorus 2.
If it were possible to hide or “solo” a cycle marker in project zone - quickly, this would be ideal. Although Cubase has a lot of tools for this already, this idea goes straight for the core of the issue:
When a cycle marker region is collapsed, this means that within the timeline and project zone the area disappears and is replaced only with a bold, say 5 point line. Conversely, If a marker region is “soloed” (to slightly stretch this term), all of the other verses and choruses are collapsed to verticle lines, leaving only the chorus you are focusing on. Stuff you don’t need to see at that moment is gone.
A simple re-click, in the Marker track, on the bold line, (let’s call it a concealer line) would bring the verse or chorus back into view.
These two ideas together give the user architectural power over the visibility in the project zone in a musically meaningful way. They give better more intuitive control over both the vertical and horizontal aspect of the Project Zone Views, they do not require shortcuts or locator draggings.
According to how you set out your cycle markers, you can manipulate your project zone visibilities in a way that get’s you where you want, immediately. You can hit the spot and get your best focus.
It might well be possible to get both of thesse ideas into the Marker track functionality.
(Po)
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