Baby steps towards a track FX Wiring Rack

[DarkStar]

... to make multichannel routing on the track MUCH easier.

How about taking these steps in evolving an FX wiring rack?

(a) show the Pin In/Out connectors for all the FX (with the FX names) on a track; that'll make it easier to select the desired channels for each FX:

... Big pic: https://i.imgur.com/cz5gMba.png

I added a mixer FX to get all the channels back onto 1+2

(b) show only the connected channels, with 'straight' wires:

... Big pic: https://i.imgur.com/UiGpjDs.png

(c) change the rectangular wiring matrix into hanging wires, they are connected by dragging and dropping the input or output 'sockets' (I'm not sure of the best colour scheme for the wires):

... Big pic: https://i.imgur.com/naZTego.png

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FR in Issue Tracker:
http://forum.cockos.com/project.php?issueid=5636

[Fergler]

That would get super messy routing one output to, say, all the rest of the other FX.

I think Reaper is beyond what 3. would be useful for. 2. doesn't make any sense to me at all, btw, I don't see how one edits it.

[DarkStar]

What I am proposing is (what looks like) an easy way for the developers to move on from the current position to make channel routing within a track much easier to do and much easier to find out what I did 3 months ago.

If it stays easy to do, I feel there is more chance of it being implemented.

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I do not think that connecting a single VSTi output to several FX would necessarily be that messy.

I've no idea how (b) would be edited either. But I'm a Feature Requester, not a UI designer. But perhaps I could drag the "->4" output from the VSTi to the "VST In 1" for FX 02.

[SmajjL]

Using the 'I think I know the devs feel' this looks so not Reaper though, but I am openminded.
DS, your way of describing surely must make more universal sense for many that Is having issues, and that is what I think you are trying to do, cool.
Reaper have had the power of routing for a long time and now Bitwig comes and get instant cool routing medals because it is more obvious and easy'ness and, that bothers me very much, the principle of it I mean, nothing against Bitwig or Reaper, just making a point or, attempting.
Please everyone without irritating another might be an artform though.
If I manage to confuse then simply, I am on your side and Reapers for any universal improvement generally.
Please continue and things could evolve into something when you least expect it.

Version2b:

You know when you use the FX button, so you see the FX list and menus and stuff.
Showing info There is maby an idea, pushing the info closer to the user into obviousness.
Pins or wires, or text what ever one can come up with, color code, symbols, pictures.
I am also only thinking about FX routing, not the track routing, ps.
I'll leave the mockups up to DS should something inspire.

Bonus Ps: Also, what is possible using JS and the Reaper nerds knowledge is beyond me, nothing would suprise me if something is possible already or, soon.

[comfortablynick]

Originally Posted by DarkStar

make channel routing within a track much easier to do and much easier to find out what I did 3 months ago.

I agree the channel routing/plugin connector area could use some overhaul. It's a very clunky process IMO. Your first option I could see being implemented in REAPER -- the routing matrix is already very powerful.

I really don't like the third option though. Skeuomorphic designs just look grating to me these days. I'm sure there are much better/more powerful ways of managing routing than by manipulating analog-like cables that aren't relevant to anything within the DAW.

Nick

[semiquaver]

The third design is the quickest to parse visually ... By a good bit.

[James HE]

I think the first pic (a) works the best. Even though the other options are (subjectively) a bit easier to read, (a) just seems the most straight forward to to interact with and change settings. And I don't think having just a visual representation is the sort of "fluff" REAPER wants to have.

I think it would be awesome to have this as another tab in the track routing window, or as a pop-up from the track routing window.

[DarkStar]

^^^
Just what I was thinking - "all" that is needed is to show the pin connections for all the FX on a track let us edit them.

Oh, and a few guide lines to help us pick the correct row:

>>> https://i.imgur.com/Ie9tByr.png

[airon]

The matrix view would have mouse-over row and column highlighting, just like our other matrixes do. This entire idea would come in handy for multiband stuff for me.

The matrix could dynamically change depending on what single channel or channel pair routings the user performs. It could insert a two pixel gap between those channel selections for example.

I'd also test making this a dropdown pin menu default choice if a multichannel VST instrument is present in the track, and make it the second choice in the dropdown for every other track.