Move track position Up or Down

[PBuryk]

Has anyone noticed that the bottom track in the editor window can't be moved up or down?
I just happened to have a session with (3) newly imported tracks (and no other tracks in the session) that I decided to rearrange in the editor.
Top and middle tracks could be moved, but not the bottom track!
To move the bottom track I had to add another new (empty) track.
Now, all 3 of the previous tracks can be moved but not the newly added one.
Weird......

MB 3.7 on latest AVLinux 64-bit OS.

Cheers!
Patrick

[madmaxmiller]

Weird......

indeed

MMM

[x42]

I assume you mean with Ctrl+Up/Down. -- it's a bug
Try Menu > View > Show Editor Lists, in the right-side bar: Tracks & Busses -- and re-arrange them there via Drag/Drop.

[PBuryk]

I assume you mean with Ctrl+Up/Down. -- it's a bug
Try Menu > View > Show Editor Lists, in the right-side bar: Tracks & Busses -- and re-arrange them there via Drag/Drop.

X42 -

Yes indeed and... Thanks for confirming that!!

BTW... I stumbled upon your method a while back... So many ways to accomplish the
same task in MB/Ardour!!! I think I'll keep using the "blank track" (as last track) though.
I'm already using blank tracks as separators so adding one more doesn't make much of
a difference to me. [Waiting to see if my "Blank Panel" suggestion gets implemented!]

Cheers!
Patrick

[madmaxmiller]

I'm already using blank tracks as separators so adding one more doesn't make much of
a difference to me. [Waiting to see if my "Blank Panel" suggestion gets implemented!]

Every "blank" track adds a full strip of EQ, filter, compression and summing processing to the DSP load... Not a big deal in small projects @ 44.1 kHz though, let alone under Linux. However, it sums up and gives you at least slightly longer export times

MMM

[PBuryk]

I'm already using blank tracks as separators so adding one more doesn't make much of
a difference to me. [Waiting to see if my "Blank Panel" suggestion gets implemented!]

Every "blank" track adds a full strip of EQ, filter, compression and summing processing to the DSP load... Not a big deal in small projects @ 44.1 kHz though, let alone under Linux. However, it sums up and gives you at least slightly longer export times

MMM

Yikes!!
How very interesting! I did not realize that was true!
I presumed that if there was nothing in the track then the track was not presenting a
load to the computer in any way. Now you got me thinking... WtF!? Why WOULD an
empty track incur load? Also, if blank tracks are not load-free then what about
mixbuses that aren't being used?

Ben/Mike - Is there a write-up about this that we can check out? I don't remember
seeing anything in any of the current MB documentation about it. Basically, I would
like to understand the following:

- If blank tracks incur DSP load on the system... why?
- Does the above also apply for un-used mixbuses?
- If the above incur loads, has there been any thought regarding disabling them
under the following conditions:
- - - When there is no region assigned to a track
- - - When the track is muted.
- - - When there is no channel (or other input) assigned to a mixbus
- - - When the mixbus is muted.

I would imagine the above to be able to be implemented dynamically for the following
reason:
- New tracks can be created dynamically (ie., without session restart), so why not
disable DSP load if blank or muted dynamically?

The muted aspect of this is also interesting because, quite often, I have been muting
and un-displaying unwanted tracks (comps/rejected parts/experiments/etc) rather
than have them cluttering up the editor and mixer windows and rather than deleting
them in case I (or client) have a change in mind later. Now I'm thinking that all of
these unused tracks are also incurring load on DSP and other resources (like disk-reads, etc.).
I'd sure like to understand the skinny on this practice!

Ok... So I guess I've dumped enough here for the time being.

Looking forward to learning more about how MB & MB32C work "under the hood".

Thanks so much!!!!
And, With Very Best Regards
Patrick

[madmaxmiller]

How very interesting! I did not realize that was true!
I presumed that if there was nothing in the track then the track was not presenting a
load to the computer in any way. Now you got me thinking... WtF!? Why WOULD an
empty track incur load? Also, if blank tracks are not load-free then what about
mixbuses that aren't being used?

Harrison explain that Mixbus behaves like a real console: the builtin electronics consume power, no matter if a plug is plugged into the input )ok let's assume all amps are class A ).
That looks stupid at the first glance but makes some sense at the second. So if you decide to put something into a track the mixers behaviour wouldn't change, the DSP would be the same and most importantly all that little push and pull of tiny currents between channels and buses wouldn't be interrupted... all the physics built into the engine finally make the Mixbus sound - where other DAWs just do vector summing.
Ben or X42 certainly can explain that better and they actually did here in the forum multiple times already...

Cheers,
MMM

[x42]

Like on a real console, there's nothing in a Mixbus Session that is ever "unused".

e.g. you can change Mixbus-assigns in real-time (or automate them) and suddenly there's a signal. If the Mixbus would not run all the time and would only kick-in when needed that would result in an audible artifact.

As for tracks: You can right-click in the track-header and deactivate it. This is a non-realtime operation and can only be performed when not rolling. Inactive tracks won't add to the DSP load.

[Mike@Harrison]

In addition to clicking in the track header in the edit window you may also make a channel strip inactive by right clicking in the slate area in the mix window.

Like on a real console, there's nothing in a Mixbus Session that is ever "unused".

e.g. you can change Mixbus-assigns in real-time (or automate them) and suddenly there's a signal. If the Mixbus would not run all the time and would only kick-in when needed that would result in an audible artifact.

As for tracks: You can right-click in the track-header and deactivate it. This is a non-realtime operation and can only be performed when not rolling. Inactive tracks won't add to the DSP load.

[PBuryk]

In addition to clicking in the track header in the edit window you may also make a channel strip inactive by right clicking in the slate area in the mix window.

Like on a real console, there's nothing in a Mixbus Session that is ever "unused".

e.g. you can change Mixbus-assigns in real-time (or automate them) and suddenly there's a signal. If the Mixbus would not run all the time and would only kick-in when needed that would result in an audible artifact.

As for tracks: You can right-click in the track-header and deactivate it. This is a non-realtime operation and can only be performed when not rolling. Inactive tracks won't add to the DSP load.

Mike & X42 -

Great responses! And it absolutely does make sense to disable tracks while the transport is stopped. Pointing out the differences at the track summing junction also
makes a lot of sense when trying to model a console, and Harrison/mixbus does indeed accomplish that very well.

So... I guess I'll change my work layout and pursue other separation type tricks (such as group colors, etc.).

Cheers, All!!
Patrick