DAW Features You'd Like to See Added to DAWs

[Goober(s)]

Instruction manuals that don't assume you have a PhD in audio engineering

 

 

agreed

[Goober(s)]

Error messages for everything, including signal flow, that include suggestions on what to look for when something is not working, or at least some of the most common ones.

 

 

 

that's a great idea. like a kind of artificial-intelligence response from the DAW when the human operator is hitting a wall, f-ing up, or needs help.

 

[UstadKhanAli]

 

 

that's a great idea. like a kind of artificial-intelligence response from the DAW when the human operator is hitting a wall, f-ing up, or needs help.

 

 

It would be great if there were some sort of heads up, even "try this!" links to suggestions, anything.

[gtoledo]

I'd like for D.A.W software to have a feature where you click on a track, and see a node graph - like is in MaxMSP/Jitter, pd, QuartzComposer, etc., that shows the plugin chain associated with each track in current order, as well as associated aux channels and master fader (end of the node chain). Then, I'd like to be able to use other node objects (like LFO, interpolation, timeline, etc., generators) to perform mixing operations, switch plugin chain ordering, automate plugin input parameters, etc.

[gtoledo]

Oh, and a talent knob, of course.

[Phil O'Keefe]

Sonar does not have track notation features. I need to take notes on all sorts of stuff and some way to have that available per-track would save me time and help me remember to take notes.

 

And if there could be a popup display of lyrics that scrolled with the music, enlargeable so it could be read from some distance...

 

and if DAWs could auto-erase crappy music, the world would be a better place

 

nat whilk ii

 

 

Loved your post, except for the last line.

 

I'd rather leave the value judgments to us humans. After all, we can respond emotionally to the emotion in music, and machines (as of yet) can not.

[Goober(s)]

 

 

It would be great if there were some sort of heads up, even "try this!" links to suggestions, anything.

 

right... and then you could turn on or off (or up or down) the level of handholding that you want.

 

or, just as there are those "celebrity plug-ins" you could have "celebrity guidance AI plugins" that provide feedback as that person might provide it in real life.

[Phil O'Keefe]

I know... it just made me think about the lack of AE PhD's and I just ran with it.

[Phil O'Keefe]

I like pdf manuals. Go figure

 

As do I, although I'm old school and like Mike, I do remember (and see the advantages of) well-written printed manuals too.

[Phil O'Keefe]

 

The Mackie manuals are pretty darn good and a fun read. I`ve been using DP since 2.7, the manual is still the same dry crap.

 

E

 

I just finished up a couple of Mackie reviews and I was happy to see their manuals are still well-written and maintain their sense of humor. I've always appreciated that.

[Phil O'Keefe]

But getting back to the Track Notes thing...what I'd like to see is the ability to post picture thumbnails' date=' which would expand to full size when clicked. Then you could take a photo of a cool miking setup or effects front panel.[/quote']

 

That would be an extremely useful feature! I do something similar by saving "Polaroid automation" images in my individual DAW song/session folder for songs I need to document something like that on, but it's an organizational kludge - it would be much better to have it all saved within the program itself.

[KB Gunn]

I love Studio One but it is lacking 5.1 surround mixing and plug in functions

[RockViolin]

TILT- like pinball machines have. Intonation and rhythm that doesn't rise to a certain level or correlate to a known idiom results in an error message that says- PRACTICE MORE _ SUCK LESS. A 24 hour freeze is then in effect. Additionally, any excessive manipulation of what was somehow marginal enough to make it through initially will result in the same message- and then that DAW is seized up for 1 week.

 

[UstadKhanAli]

 

right... and then you could turn on or off (or up or down) the level of handholding that you want.

 

or, just as there are those "celebrity plug-ins" you could have "celebrity guidance AI plugins" that provide feedback as that person might provide it in real life.

 

 

I like where you're going with this!!!!!

[UstadKhanAli]

TILT- like pinball machines have. Intonation and rhythm that doesn't rise to a certain level or correlate to a known idiom results in an error message that says- PRACTICE MORE _ SUCK LESS. A 24 hour freeze is then in effect. Additionally, any excessive manipulation of what was somehow marginal enough to make it through initially will result in the same message- and then that DAW is seized up for 1 week.

 

 

 

Hahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!

[gubu]

As do I' date=' although I'm old school and like Mike, I do remember (and see the advantages of) well-written printed manuals too.[/quote'] Funnily enough, I prefer taking track notes in an old fashioned notebook. Call me wrird

[Phil O'Keefe]

[WRGKMC]

I'm not real sure. Maybe some resource reduction buttons that turn off unneeded items from running in the background. I'm not a code writer and don't know if its possible or if it would even make a difference. Maybe all the widgets are inert when they aren't selected, but having performance options would be an interest to me. I don't do allot of midi do disabling all midi could be one button.

 

Maybe having a rating on scanned plugins can be another item. When the plugins are scanned, they could be tagged in three ranges, High Medium or Low CPU consumption. This way when you're going through a long list of 100, you can choose from those ratings when choosing a plugin. Maybe only use one hog and some Lite ones so you don't find out when your project crashes, that plugin was the cause or at least you know it can be an issue, and do allot of saves when using it.

 

I don't have a big problem modifying Sonar. You can customize the buttons you want to use and save the layouts you like to use. Even the colors can be saved. (found that out doing an upgrade and wanted to get my custom settings moved over to a new computer.

 

I can see where the Software makers could come up with some new skins. Sonar 8.5 had three ultra ugly color schemes designed to make you blind. Having a larger or downloadable selection would surely be a nice change of pace. One of the biggest items you face using a DAW is eye fatigue dealing with the same look all the time. Maybe some major studios who use the software and have certain button schemes and colors might contribute their custom settings as a discount for future upgrades?

 

I'd also like to see a map button that pops up a current map of all your connections in block diagram form that shows your inputs outputs and everything in between. Something like you'd see when you click on windows network sharing and can see the devices and connection from the computer to the network, but instead its the inputs through your various channels, busses, effects outputs.

 

Then you'd have suggestion buttons that suggests remaps and things to re-routs for either more efficiency, better quality, faster workflow, or whatever. Maybe you have an inexperienced user who really doesn't know the best buss assignments or plugin placement and the map button would show him where he can make improvements, or suggest how its done by pros. This may not be as useful to pros who already know this stuff but for the technically illiterate, buying a DAW with this added Tutoring built in would be a highly valuable option.

 

You could even sell it as a paid educational option that upgrades a DAW program that teaches the user to use the program properly. It may save someone years of effort struggling with learning the software on their own, plus the manufacturer could add their own spin on the current features and upcoming events, like, "Once you upgrade to this these areas wont be grayed out and you'll be able to expand your creativity to this level" After all, so many younger artists are into gaming and giving them a leveled approach to creativity would likely be understood and of interest to them.

 

Again, I'm not a code writer but I see many of these daw programs still in their infancy, and still very primitive. They are fine for those who learned audio the traditional way, but most of the education along that path was all limited to hardware based studios. DAW's should be doing for audio what moving from books to computers has done for education, but they are all using the same old model saying you must go back in history and learn how it used to be done before you'll understand how the tools we offer should be used. Maybe that's still necessary but maybe not for the beginner who has to go and study every term he comes across.

 

Maybe even video buttons would suffice. Someone comes across something he doesn't understand. He cant make heads or tails out of the manual written in scientific terms, so he hits the video button and the daw program plays back a short snippet of what he is trying to do weather its dialing up a good compressor setting, using an EQ, routing signals to a Buss, Side Chaining etc. Most of the video clips can be short and sweet and shows him that task done most efficiently.

 

There again, most Studio engineers can do without the competition of new engineers on the scene so any education built into a program may not be welcomed. It may be a Boone for the software writers though. I used to do self paced training videos to teach technicians how to troubleshoot, maintain and repair high end electronic gear. doing a good job at that is actually allot easier then trying to write a manual the masses might understand. Of course shooting the videos would require pros who know how to write an educational script like that then shoot all the parts using hands only (no need for actors or peoples faces, just a narrator and showing the moves with chyron type graphics imbedded. Making up a list of links that can be clicked from the console shouldn't be that hard to do.

 

Who knows, some third party could so this as a generic add on to common daw programs. When the PDF manual is opened and a menu is selected it can interpret that click and give you a video option.

 

Just brain storming, but I see it as a wide move for DAW companies selling to amateurs who often know nothing and quickly loose interest when thay find the program really does require a professional to use it.

[Goober(s)]

I'm not real sure. Maybe some resource reduction buttons that turn off unneeded items from running in the background.

 

 

this is such a good idea, I didn't bother to read anything else you wrote. they should absolutely do this.

 

[Nijyo]

 

Does it bother anyone that more and more manuals come as PDF files these days instead of as printed manuals?

 

Not specifically with audio gear, but I've been annoyed by this with other software. More than once I've put the PDF on a USB stick and brought it down to Office Depot's copy center to have them print and spiral-bind it for me. Worth every penny.

[Anderton]

I'd like for D.A.W software to have a feature where you click on a track' date=' and see a node graph - like is in MaxMSP/Jitter, pd, QuartzComposer, etc., that shows the plugin chain associated with each track in current order, as well as associated aux channels and master fader (end of the node chain). Then, I'd like to be able to use other node objects (like LFO, interpolation, timeline, etc., generators) to perform mixing operations, switch plugin chain ordering, automate plugin input parameters, etc.[/quote']

 

 

I like the idea of "overview views." Sort of like those block diagrams they used to print on the top of rack processors.

[Anderton]

One of the things that bugs me is an inability to break loose from convention. Why do clipping indicators have to look like LEDs and be little circles? Why can't your fader turn red and display the amount the signal went over zero, and double-clicking on a red fader would a) change the color back to normal and b) reduce it by the amount the level was over 0, plus another 0.2 dB. A single click would reset the color but leave the level unchanged.

[Phil O'Keefe]

One of the things that bugs me is an inability to break loose from convention. Why do clipping indicators have to look like LEDs and be little circles? Why can't your fader turn red and display the amount the signal went over zero' date=' and double-clicking on a red fader would a) change the color back to normal and b) reduce it by the amount the level was over 0, plus another 0.2 dB. A single click would reset the color but leave the level unchanged. [/quote']

 

That sounds great to me!

[gubu]

Spectral view/edit. The only reason I used to open Cool Edit/Audition. Insanely useful tool that could get artifact removal and restoration done in about 1/20th the time it would take with conventional edit screens and plugins. You'd think it'd be standard across all platforms.

[WRGKMC]

 

One of the things that bugs me is an inability to break loose from convention. Why do clipping indicators have to look like LEDs and be little circles? Why can't your fader turn red and display the amount the signal went over zero' date=' and double-clicking on a red fader would a) change the color back to normal and b) reduce it by the amount the level was over 0, plus another 0.2 dB. A single click would reset the color but leave the level unchanged. [/quote']

 

That's kind of like Normalization and peak hold display on meters. You'd probably need to scan the entire track some how though. You may only have one transient during the entire playback that cracks the ceiling. Just right click on a track, Tell it how many db's below zero you want the fader set and it automatically sets the fader there. Then when you add plugins like comps, EQ and limiters you could do it again and take those into account. Not sure how good the music will sound doing that but it may be a good way of having your mix come in at a reasonable db level so a mastering engineer has enough headroom to use his magic.