Old 08-21-2017, 06:36 AM   #1
XamiKami
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Default Better FX-Chain Window

The FX-Chain Window is really annoying me, as its kinda wasting space and just well,... ugly.

i think there should be two changes, both pretty easy to do:

1. Give us the option to use a tab-like system instead of the menu on the left. just make an option that, if selected, switches the fx-chain window to have a Tab per Plugin at the top. that would save a lot of space and make it look a bit better imo.

2. Give us the option to have multiple fx shown at the same time inside the fx chain window. That way you could more easily monitor the effect of say a gain plugin on a compressor, and it would create an FX-Rack like feeling. I know that, because the plugins dont have the same size, it would be kinda ugly sometimes, but well,... its not like reaper's menus are supposed to look good ;D


Especially no.1 would be super easy to implement and would be a big improvement!
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Old 08-21-2017, 07:55 AM   #2
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Well, since you already know it is so easy to implement, why don't you make your own DAW? You can make things as fruity looking as you want and call it Fruity Reaper. There must be a market for it.
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Old 08-21-2017, 08:11 AM   #3
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Calm down dude o Its a feature request posted in a Section made for feature requests, no need to get angry, wth?!
and no btw, just because applying something thats present in many parts of a software to a different part ( like applying the Tab-idea to the fx-chain window) isnt that big of a stretch doesnt mean i am able to write my own daw. and why would I? i love reaper. this is just something i think would be cool. Just because I come from fl, doensn't mean im a bad musician haha wtf man ;D

just an idea / request. no need to feel attacked bro
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Old 08-21-2017, 08:16 AM   #4
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If you're looking for an eye-candy DAW, Reaper's not it most of the time, even after theming.


Tabs wouldn't make sense in bigger FX chains at all, honestly. In fact, I prefer using the extended mixer (MCP) view most of the time, because it's a lot more compact and I just click on FX and they show up, no unnecessary frame around them.

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Old 08-21-2017, 08:20 AM   #5
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not in bigger chains, you're right. but for smaller projects, it would still be a great option to have, because well,... why not? and yea i do that too, but having to open and close windows all the time is kinda annoying too :3
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Old 08-21-2017, 08:26 AM   #6
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You open and close them all the time, regardless of how it's physically done...
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Old 08-21-2017, 01:05 PM   #7
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I agree that REAPER is not your DAW if you're looking for beauty. It's strength is in it's efficiency and stability.

I also get annoyed by the FX chain window. Not because it's ugly, but because it has it's own menu system.

With the FX window focused, you can't even use a shortcut to save the RPP session file unless you refocused the main REAPER window. The FX Chain Window would intercept all (or nearly all) shortcuts for it's own menu system.

I never got the logic behind this.

Even though Justin kindly added an option to have the FX Chain Window ignore shortcuts and send them to the main REAPER window, it's still weird.

I'd like to see the FX Chain Window just be floating and the menu system be part of the rest of the columns so shortcuts for the FX Chain and the main window can work at the same time.
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Old 08-21-2017, 01:11 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MRMJP View Post
I also get annoyed by the FX chain window. Not because it's ugly, but because it has it's own menu system.
Only a problem for followers of The Apple.
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Old 08-21-2017, 01:15 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EvilDragon View Post
Only a problem for followers of The Apple.
I didn't know this wasn't an issue on Windows.

I wonder why it has to be different on OS X? WaveLab also has FX Chain windows and does not have this issue or restriction (whatever you want to call it), and WaveLab started as a Windows-only app.
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Old 08-21-2017, 01:22 PM   #10
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It's because on macOS you only ever have one menu bar, and all programs/windows share it (which I can understand simplifies things, but in this case it's not exactly the best idea ever ). On Windows, you can have sub-application windows with their own menu systems, and that's why it's fine there.



Also, all shortcuts are passed through to the main window, so enabling transport or saving a project works just fine, too.


This falls into how Cockos does cross-platform using their SWELL library. I would assume that changing this particular thing is not something that can work well as a 1:1 conversion between Windows to macOS, so it's needs some very special handling on macOS side, which doesn't seem to be like a particularly exciting or easy thing to do.


WaveLab probably has their own cross-platform GUI toolkit (as opposed to solely using OS-based menu systems), so that's why their FX chain window works OK cross-platform.

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Old 08-21-2017, 02:11 PM   #11
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ED, as always, thank you for your good support:

your quote:

"This falls into how Cockos does cross-platform using their SWELL library. I would assume that changing this particular thing is not something that can work well as a 1:1 conversion between Windows to macOS, so it's needs some very special handling on macOS side, which doesn't seem to be like a particularly exciting or easy thing to do"


Could be very true, but this is such a miss for Reaper - mac users ..(no offense to you ofcourse !)

And IMHO, when you bring out a DAW for both windows and apple platform, you should make these alike 100%, at all costs.
It can not be taken for granted that a DAW feature works on OS A, while it doesn't work on OS B.
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Old 08-21-2017, 02:14 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vanhaze View Post
And IMHO, when you bring out a DAW for both windows and apple platform, you should make these alike 100%, at all costs.
It can not be taken for granted that a DAW feature works on OS A, while it doesn't work on OS B.
Well, sometimes it's just not possible, or not feasible/worth the time investment. For example, the "embed bridged plugin GUI" option exists only on Windows, because win32 API allows for that kind of thing (I guess), and macOS API doesn't (I guess)?
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Old 08-21-2017, 02:18 PM   #13
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Well ED, i don't know about that, i am not a Rocket Scientist, could be very true.

All i am saying is that, where it is truly possible to streamline a Windows/OSX function in a DAW, a DAW developer should put as much effort in that as he can to make it happen.

Again, only my humble opinion.
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Old 08-21-2017, 02:24 PM   #14
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My solution would be to just make the FX Chain menu alongside all the rest of them in the main window.

After spending just over a full year with REAPER, it's one of the very few things I think is not great about REAPER.

Overall I'm happy with my transition from Pro Tools to REAPER for initial mastering processing, but this and lack of true native playlists (without a script work around) are the two things I think can be improved for REAPER.
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Old 11-19-2017, 03:53 AM   #15
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I just posted another thread about this before noticing this:

Is it possible to change the colors of the FX chain window? It always seems to be the ugly basic white?
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Old 11-19-2017, 06:07 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by occultron View Post
I just posted another thread about this before noticing this:

Is it possible to change the colors of the FX chain window? It always seems to be the ugly basic white?
I'm not sure but there are a few other areas where its too blindingly white. Mainly the top bar on the floating transport window. I try to keep a darker and easier on the eyes vibe on my computer but then things like that are blindingly white.
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