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Tech Tips | DP8 | Temporarily Group Visible Tracks

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Temporarily Group Visible Tracks

One of DP8's most useful, and versatile key commands is "Temporarily Group Visible Tracks". By default, its key command is set to the "W" key, although it can be changed to any command that works for you.

Note: To change the assignment for this command, search "Temporarily Group Visible Tracks" in the Commands List, found under the Setup drop-down menu. Click on the "W" in the Key 1 column for this command, and trigger your own keystroke.

By holding the "W" key, you can group all visible tracks to perform the same edit or mixing adjustment with one click. As the name suggests, all visible tracks will be grouped, and the same adjustment is applied to these tracks.

  • When working in the Tracks Window, all tracks in your Sequence are always visible; all tracks would have the same action is applied when using this command. For example, it is convenient to use this key command in the Tracks Window to record enable, monitor enable, play enable, or enable automation for all tracks in your Sequence simultaneously.
  • If working in the Sequence Editor or Mixing Board window, the "Temporarily Group Visible Tracks" command, groups visible tracks as defined by the Track Selector. If a track is not in view per the Track Selector window's settings, those tracks would not be affected.

Here are a few ways to use this command:

  • Adjust volume fader positioning
  • Adjust pan pot positioning
  • Enable/disable solo or mute button
  • Enable/disable play or record automation
  • Use the magnifying glass in the Sequence Editor to zoom in or out vertically on the waveform or note grid
  • Change the audio edit layer in the Sequence Editor

This is not a complete list, but should give you an idea of how universal the "W-Key" trick is.

The video below begins by showing some standard Mixing Board adjustments which may need to be applied to all tracks in your Sequence at some point, (adjusting volume fader positioning, pan audio tracks, solo tracks, and mute tracks).

Next, the attention turns to the Sequence Editor. First, all tracks are vertically magnified, then tracks are switched to the Volume edit layer. With the Pencil tool, automation break points are added to all tracks at the same point in time, (additional break points are added by using the Option key to drag a new point from an existing one). Finally, once the Sequence is played back, the W key is held to enable Play Automation on the audio tracks so the automation that was just written is incorporated to the Sequence's playback.

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