I've been thinking of some features I'd like to see in my DAW of choice. I'd love to know what others would like to see. Let's make this a wish list - rather than a slagging off/championing of your favourite DAWs please!

Here are a handful to get you started, mostly to help with mixing, though if you're composing, mastering, tracking or whatever, feel free to add...

(1) Variable phase control on each channel - instead of the regular phase flip control, why not have a variable phase control like Little Labs IBP. Cost would be prohibitive on an analogue console, but there's no reason not to include this in a DAW. I use them so much, it's a pain in the arse to take up an insert with them. Ditto high/low pass filters.

(2) Wet/dry controls for each insert slot. To make parallel processing a piece of cake with any plug-in rather than have the developers have to write it into every plug-in.

(3) Solo for insert slots. So you can eg rack up 4 different compressors or limiters on one channel and audition one at a time, switch instantly between them, without having to fiddle with plug-in bypass for each one.

(4) The option for multiple meters - eg peak and RMS at the same time on every channel. Or to choose which channels display pre fader and which post.

The biggest isn't really a DAW feature, it's an OS one... aggregate audio devices on Windows. Grrrrrrr

But beyond that, I'd love incredibly accurate but idiot simple extraction of tempo/time signature from audio. So I can import/record a simple guitar/vocal demo and easily get a template to sync everything else. And I do mean IDIOT SIMPLE.

Andy

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When the going gets weird, the Weird turn Pro.

Switch to Reaper.

1) "Take up an insert"? Number of FX is set only by what your PC can manage. FWIW, this is true for most DAWs. If you need it on every channel, add it on every channel.

2) Reaper does wet/dry out of the box.

2 and 3) Most decent DAWs don't limit you in setting up send FX. So you simply set these up as send FX, and don't send the original track to the mix.

Quote grab:

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Switch to Reaper.
Most decent DAWs don't limit you in setting up send FX. So you simply set these up as send FX, and don't send the original track to the mix.

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I agree with the original poster... a wet/dry mix would be handy on inserts, - send FX is a little fiddly if you only want it on one track.

However, there's an argument that suggests DAWs are already complicated enough, these days. If anything, I'd like some of the more obscure options removed/hidden to make way for any new ideas. Most of the options on Sonar X1 I never touch on a day-to-day basis. Some options never used.

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www.thediplomatz.com

Quote zenguitar:

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The biggest isn't really a DAW feature, it's an OS one... aggregate audio devices on Windows. Grrrrrrr

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Blame Steinberg for that. Microsoft had their own high performance system (Direct X) but Steinberg couldn't seem to get their heads around it so they created their own much more limited system which everyone seems to use these days.

James.

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JRP Music - Audio Mastering and Restoration.
http://www.jrpmusic.net

As a Logic user I really, really miss "transpose to scale". I'm still a bit amazed when I realise it doesn't have it.

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http://www.bogusfocus.com/

Totally agree with the aggregated ASIO devices suggestion. We’ve been without that one for far too long. Maybe Steinberg should be chatting with Microsoft to hand over future development of ASIO? Although by track record I’d champion RME to take it on!

In Cubase I’d like to be able to send an FX channel back to itself to create a feedback loop. It seems that Steinberg are determined to save me from myself on that one - bah!

I’d also like the ability to load multiple saved mixer channels in one dialogue. I have a number of pick ’n’ mix FX channels saved, but I have to create a ‘blank’ FX channel and load each one individually. It would also be nice if Cubase would create the channels for me at load time instead of me having to create them up-front.

Maybe waveform displays could become a little more intelligent. Sometimes I can HEAR differences in the audio, yet the amplitude waveform looks very flat, making editing difficult. Rhythm electric guitar would be a good example. Maybe if the amplitude waveform could be coloured according to frequency content? Where I can’t see an obvious amplitude peak, a bright yellow portion of the waveform might give me a shot at making a cleaner cut.

I’d also like ‘Create blank track based on the track I’m sitting on'.

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An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

Quote grab:

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Switch to Reaper.

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No. I already have it, and although I use it from time to time, I find some features (these included) to be inelegantly implemented. I also find Reaper to be deficient in some other areas compared with my main DAW. Hence the idea of a thread simply listing useful features, rather than descending into a 'which is the best DAW' thread yet again.

Ideally, I'd like a nice, clean mixer-style GUI with several things instantly switchable/tweakable without having to take up huge amounts of screen real estate with plug-ins. If I want variphase on every channel and want to juggle more than one channel at a time, it's a pain to have to work with separate plug-in GUIs. That would be like having a gainer plugin instead of a fader, or a dedicated stereo pan pot plugin instead of a pan on the mixer.

Where there's a single parameter to adjust (phase, wet-dry, HP filter freq etc), it makes sense to me to have the control embeded in the mixer rather than presented as a separate plug-in.

True aggregate devices on Windows would be great, but let's keep on-topic if we can - DAW features only. Here are some of the most useful features I can think of that already exist but haven't been cribbed by all DAW manufacturers...

I love the edit as you record feature in Samplitude. I'd love to see that in other DAWs. Ditto the object-oriented editing.

I love the elegance of the mix/edit groups in PT, and also the implementation of VCA grouping.

I love the vocal comping facilities in Logic.

I love the arrangement facilities (particularly the Arranger Track) in Cubase.

I love the drum part editor in Cubase.

I love the remix facilities (ease of pitch/time manipulation on multiple tracks) in Cubase.

I love the clip indication facility in Sonar.

And the waveform display in Wavelab.

I hate the metering on pretty much all of them - big potential area for improvement. Ditto the scoring facilities, particularly for scoring drum parts.

Quote The Elf:

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I’d also like ‘Create blank track based on the track I’m sitting on'.

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+1. like "duplicate track" without getting all the actual parts that are on there.

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hourglass | random thoughts | doubledotdash!? collective

...and I'd like the ability to hide tracks in Cubase's Arrange Page, just as in the mixer.

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An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

Properly implemented, consistent patch management, meta-data and selection for plugins and instruments.

Perhaps one day Cubase will let us drag and drop tracks in the mixer... and display inserts and sends at the same time...

nah, it's an impossible dream, surely.

Quote The Elf:

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...and I'd like the ability to hide tracks in Cubase's Arrange Page, just as in the mixer.

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That's another one that's done perfectly in PT, IMO. With the show/hide window on the left of the screen. I'd like the arrange and mixer page track visibility to be linkable.

Quote zenguitar:

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I'd love incredibly accurate but idiot simple extraction of tempo/time signature from audio.

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[swift-hijack-mode]
Andy - have you ever tried the freeware MixMeister BPM Analyser?
Standalone utility, but works a treat!
www.mixmeister.com/bpmanalyzer/bpmanalyzer.asp

Martin
[/swift-hijack-mode]

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YewTreeMagic

Quote Martin Walker:

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Quote zenguitar:

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I'd love incredibly accurate but idiot simple extraction of tempo/time signature from audio.

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[swift-hijack-mode]
Andy - have you ever tried the freeware MixMeister BPM Analyser?
Standalone utility, but works a treat!
www.mixmeister.com/bpmanalyzer/bpmanalyzer.asp

Martin
[/swift-hijack-mode]

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I'd thought he meant something more complicated than that, tracking tempo and time-sig changes. Now *that* would be worth having.

The problem with tempo analysis stuff is that, believe it or not, DAWs aren't consistent in their measurement of bpm. Cubase and Logic seem to drift out over a 3m30s pop song for example. You would have though that a measure of quantity over time would have to be identical, but it seems not...

Anyway, nice idea... maybe you could take it to another thread to discuss in more detail and keep this one for high level ideas? Spin-off threads to discuss details would be welcomed, of course!

Here's one I touted in the Cubase forum and got quite a lot of support for (whether enough to ever see it implemented, who knows?)

Anyway, I love to have some sort of Humanise function for the selected MIDI tracks on the Main Arrange page.

Writing for media means lots of cutting and editing and so all tracks really have to be hard quantised to the grid to allow this, otherwise, chaos!

So when writing orchestral mock-ups, having a small degree of un-togetherness would be a good thing but without the notes being moved on the grid. This way the mock-up can sound more realistic but without the notes actually moving. This also helps when the MIDI file gets sent to an orchestrator or copyist as they would be in the right place.

This Humanise Function could work in the same way as the different Quantise functions and even have an option to permanently alter the MIDI notes if desired. Options to Humanise All or Humanise Selected Tracks.

Remember, you heard it here ...er... second.

W.

so the basic MIDI data is rigid to the grid, but on playback it's humanised?

sounds sensible. i know some VSTis already offer this as an option (e.g. EZDrummer) but as a lot don't a system function for it would be helpful.

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hourglass | random thoughts | doubledotdash!? collective

Quote onesecondglance:

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so the basic MIDI data is rigid to the grid, but on playback it's humanised?

sounds sensible. i know some VSTis already offer this as an option (e.g. EZDrummer) but as a lot don't a system function for it would be helpful.

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Ableton does this. All its midi functions apart from the groove quantise are awful though.

Logic does many of the things people have requested.

I thought the idea was stuff that DAWs should have, not little features my particular DAW doesn't have that I'd like...

Quote Mixedup:

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Quote Martin Walker:

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Quote zenguitar:

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I'd love incredibly accurate but idiot simple extraction of tempo/time signature from audio.

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[swift-hijack-mode]
Andy - have you ever tried the freeware MixMeister BPM Analyser?
Standalone utility, but works a treat!
www.mixmeister.com/bpmanalyzer/bpmanalyzer.asp

Martin
[/swift-hijack-mode]

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I'd thought he meant something more complicated than that, tracking tempo and time-sig changes. Now *that* would be worth having.

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You thought right, tempo map AND time-sig changes. Would be useful in so many ways.

Andy

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When the going gets weird, the Weird turn Pro.

Quote Sam Inglis:

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Perhaps one day Cubase will let us drag and drop tracks in the mixer... and display inserts and sends at the same time...

nah, it's an impossible dream, surely.

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Bloody Hell, it's like reading H P Lovecraft in here!

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Andi, www.thedustbowl.net Mixing, Mastering, Audio Editing at The Dustbowl Audio

Quote The Elf:

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...and I'd like the ability to hide tracks in Cubase's Arrange Page, just as in the mixer.

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I do this by making a folder track at the bottom of the arrange page called "mute tracks" or something similar. Not quite as direct as your idea, but I find it does the job...

I Tried getting a few companies interested in these....no bites.


1. Assigning notes/group of notes/control codes in a midi track to a virtual midi track. I could record drums from my TD20, patch through to Superior/EZ/Addictive/whatever and control velocity/panning/etc. of the 'virutal tracks' to effect kick drum volumes independently from snare, toms, etc. non destructively. You can do it in cakewalk with 'split notes' cal routine, but control parameters get 'lost'.

2. MIDI ODBC driver. I'm a programmer. I'd like to be able to execute SQL statements such as (simple examples):

(a) Remove x-talk notes when recording from my TD20

Delete * from [Track1] Where [Velocity] < 10

(b) Change all notes

Update [Track1] Set [Note] = 'C5' where [Note]='C7'

(c) Minimum length of a particular note (e.g. one mapped to a crash cymbal) 1 = 1 bar (0.25 = 1 beat if timing was 4/4).

Update [Track1] Set [Length] = 1 Where [Length] < 1 and [Note] = 'D4'

For constantly performed procedures, you could have a whole script and 'enable/disable' check boxes for each statement, rendered in real-time non destructively. I hate messing around dragging/dropping with my mouse (especially since my wrist operation). With this idea, I'd be able to write my own 'midi plug-ins' to do anything!

By the way, (c) Ant 2009!!!

Edited by Ant Gamble (15/06/11 11:11 PM)

Quote Ant Gamble:

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I Tried getting a few companies interested in these....no bites.

1. Assigning notes/group of notes/control codes in a midi track to a virtual midi track. I could record drums from my TD20, patch through to Superior/EZ/Addictive/whatever and control velocity/panning/etc. of the 'virutal tracks' to effect kick drum volumes independently from snare, toms, etc. non destructively. You can do it in cakewalk with 'split notes' cal routine, but control parameters get 'lost'.

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You can do that in Logic, all in real time, and route individual notes to different instruments etc.

Quote Ant Gamble:

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2. MIDI ODBC driver. I'm a programmer. I'd like to be able to execute SQL statements such as (simple examples):

(a) Remove x-talk notes when recording from my TD20

Delete * from [Track1] Where [Velocity] < 10

(b) Change all notes

Update [Track1] Set [Note] = 'C5' where [Note]='C7'

(c) Minimum length of a particular note (e.g. one mapped to a crash cymbal) 1 = 1 bar (0.25 = 1 beat if timing was 4/4).

Update [Track1] Set [Length] = 1 Where [Length] < 1 and [Note] = 'D4'

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The percentage of DAW users/musicians who can write sql is pretty small. However, much of this you can do in Logic in a similar fashion with the transform window.

Quote Mixedup:

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Where there's a single parameter to adjust (phase, wet-dry, HP filter freq etc), it makes sense to me to have the control embeded in the mixer rather than presented as a separate plug-in.

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Don't know about other DAWs but his is already implemented in Reaper and it's something I find myself using a lot.

Personally the most useful tool at the minute would be a time shift function that allows me to slow the passage of time while I explore the possibilities of a particular harmony without bottlenecking the whole day.

A room analyser would probably be handy. Stick a named mic (RTA?)in various parts of the space, type in the room dimensions, produce a sine wave and impulse by way of a named monitor, take a profile, suggest solutions (possibly sponsored by Wickes Building Supplies).

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Ohm's Law states, "Your PA isn't as powerful as you think it is".

Quote shufflebeat:

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Don't know about other DAWs but his is already implemented in Reaper and it's something I find myself using a lot.

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Not in my version! Unless you misunderstood what I meant.

The room analyser idea... why would you want that in you DAW? You analyse it, fix it... and then don't really need it again.

Quote Ant Gamble:

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2. MIDI ODBC driver. I'm a programmer. I'd like to be able to execute SQL statements such as (simple examples):

(a) Remove x-talk notes when recording from my TD20

Delete * from [Track1] Where [Velocity] < 10

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It's not SQL, but you can certainly do this sort of task in Cubase's Logical Editor. Macros are handy too.

Quote Mr Windle:

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Anyway, I love to have some sort of Humanise function for the selected MIDI tracks on the Main Arrange page.

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Yes, would be nice to apply that to several tracks at once. I take it you've already investigated (a) the transformer MIDI plug-in, and (b) the MIDI Track Inspector/MIDI Modifiers/Random/"Position" option?

Quote Mixedup:

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Quote shufflebeat:

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Don't know about other DAWs but his is already implemented in Reaper and it's something I find myself using a lot.

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Not in my version! Unless you misunderstood what I meant.

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Is this what you mean? (from reaperuserguide375c.pdf)

11.9 Showing FX Parameter Controls
The menu option Show FX parameters when size permits can be used to add to the mixer panels FX controls for those parameters specified in the Envelopes window (see Chapter 9). To select those parameters that you wish to have displayed, click on the track's Envelope button to open its Envelopes window, then check the UI box for each parameter that you want displayed.
In the example shown on the right, the plug-in ReaEQ has been added as an FX to a track called Vox.
As well as the plug-in itself appearing in the mixer panel (at the top) we have also decided to show controls for two of that plug-in's parameters, Band 2 Gain and Band 3 Gain.
To remove an individual control from the display, hold the Alt key while you click on it.

In my experience the best way is to hit the 'envelopes' button, choose the parameter you want then tick the 'UI' box on the right.

Quote Mixedup:

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The room analyser idea... why would you want that in you DAW? You analyse it, fix it... and then don't really need it again.

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Because I imagine (in my innocence) that most of the elements required are already in place in most DAWs so it wouldn't take much bolting together but it would allow you to, er, analyse it and fix it and then not use it again.

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Ohm's Law states, "Your PA isn't as powerful as you think it is".

Quote wave1:

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Quote The Elf:

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...and I'd like the ability to hide tracks in Cubase's Arrange Page, just as in the mixer.

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I do this by making a folder track at the bottom of the arrange page called "mute tracks" or something similar. Not quite as direct as your idea, but I find it does the job...

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Good idea. Yes, I do this too (and I disable the tracks as well), but it gets messy and I often want to keep tracks together (e.g. DI and amped guitar tracks), even though I may not be using them.

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An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

1) How about a licensing/validation scheme that doesn't cause you hair loss?

For that I give props to Reaper.

Dongles, eLicensers and all other junk keeps the paying user away from their purchase. Steinberg for example kept me away from my music for 7 days this last month and could only offer a partial solution to an XP bug in their eLicenser.

2) Tempo/meter feature that could program a whole song by inputting data parameters in a program window.

What I mean by that is saying 4bars 3/4 meter at 120bpm, 3bars 7/8 at 130bpm and so forth and handle mixed meter tempos gracefully in chunks as a guitarist would in a riff oriented fashion, then the arrangement is created for you so you won't have to count bars, etc.

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www.descentintomadness.com

Quote Mixedup:

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Yes, would be nice to apply that to several tracks at once. I take it you've already investigated (a) the transformer MIDI plug-in, and (b) the MIDI Track Inspector/MIDI Modifiers/Random/"Position" option?

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Yes, investigated these but they either:

a) work on a single track at a time - I'd like a big macro setting to fiddle with and hear the effect over the whole of the string section/brass/orchestra etc.

b) change the actual position of the notes and for the reasons stated before, that's a no-no.

W.

OK, here's two features I'd love to see in DAWs that as far as I know most don't have:

(1) the ability for plug-ins (including off-line plug-ins) to write automation data.

(2) support for AppleScript or whatever the PC equivalent is.

Quote Sam Inglis:

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(1) the ability for plug-ins (including off-line plug-ins) to write automation data.

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You mean like Vocal Rider and the BlueCat stuff? Yes, very cool feature and not enough of them have that. Not enough have MIDI output either so that you can at least record MIDI data (eg some gates double as MIDI triggers, very useful).

Quote:

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(2) support for AppleScript or whatever the PC equivalent is.

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What is AppleScript?

AppleScript is a scripting language that enables you to create complex macros. I used to use it a lot with BB Edit to do complicated text manipulations.

Quote shufflebeat:

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Is this what you mean? (from reaperuserguide375c.pdf)

11.9 Showing FX Parameter Controls

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Nearly, but not quite. Thanks for making me aware of it — which I wasn't — but that's pretty much the same thing as Cubase Quick Controls. Would also be useful to decide where in the mixer everything was displayed - almost as if you were designing your own GUI as you would in Reaktor, Synthedit etc.

Quote:

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Because I imagine (in my innocence) that most of the elements required are already in place in most DAWs so it wouldn't take much bolting together but it would allow you to, er, analyse it and fix it and then not use it again.

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Fair enough. The elements are all there (apart from the mic) in some of the DAWs, but you're talking about a hit one button facility? Could be useful. I like Fuzzmeasure Pro for this, but might be useful to have an instant facility for this.

Also for capturing impulse responses for the convolution engines which seem to be in all DAWs now.

Quote Sam Inglis:

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AppleScript is a scripting language that enables you to create complex macros. I used to use it a lot with BB Edit to do complicated text manipulations.

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Ah... so similar to incorporating SQL, or like when you use VBA in MS Word, Access and Excel; or like programming in Flash etc? ie a 'Basic' style computer language. Logical Editor in Cubase not good enough for you then?

I must admit, I'd really like to see a nice, full featured programming language in a DAW. Back in the mid 80's I was quite a fan of AMPLE (even had the Music 2000 MIDI interface for controlling synths). I loved the Forth-based language, though nowadays with modern processors I think I'd prefer something with a proper block structure like C or Pascal. Given a decent API for the DAW's internals and plugins and ideally an Eclipse-based IDE the possibilities would be endless.

CC

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Put the fun back into dysfunctional.
Mr Punch's Studio

I've only just seen the announcement about Harrison Mixbus v2.0 which incorporates a lot of the mixer features I'd like to see. Will have to try that out when it becomes available for Windows.

AppleScript isn't really a proper programming language. It's more like a way of recording and editing sequences of actions: open this menu, select this item, hit this button, then do this... but it's fairly simple, it works, and it's a lot more comprehensive than the macro support in Cubase.