How to show the Master Track?

[DallasSteve]

Sometimes the Master Track appears in the panel on the left side of the screen.  Sometimes it doesn't.  I've searched around the menus and I don't see how to show it when it's not there. 

Related question: I have similar problem with the regular track view/playlist, whatever they call it.  If I click on the Console View, that view appears, but sometimes it takes over the Track View space.  When I click on Track View then nothing happens.  The Console View stays in place.  I have to close the Console View before I can see the Track View again.

I've looked at the Cakewalk documentation online hoping to see an overall tutorial, but I don't see that.  So I watched a few tutorials on YouTube, and that helped some, but navigating the windows is still a hunt and peck type operation.

[Colin Nicholls]

10 minutes ago, DallasSteve said:

Sometimes the Master Track appears in the panel on the left side of the screen.  Sometimes it doesn't.  I've searched around the menus and I don't see how to show it when it's not there.

Do you mean, show/hide the Track Inspector? Try pressing the "i" key.

 

11 minutes ago, DallasSteve said:

When I click on Track View then nothing happens.  The Console View stays in place.  I have to close the Console View before I can see the Track View again.

I recommend using the splitter bar to set the relative sizes between Track view and Console, and then get in the habit of pressing "D" to show/hide the bottom pane, leaving the Track View available in full.

[scook]

The panel on the left by default is called the Inspector.

The default pane displayed in the Inspector is called the Track Inspector.

From the Inspector link above

Quote

The Track Inspector shows mix settings for the current track, bus, or hardware output, and is essentially identical to a channel strip in the Console view. Advanced MIDI settings are also available for MIDI tracks and Instrument tracks.

The "related question" is about views in the MultiDock

To adjust the size of the MultiDock when it contains views like the Console, try keyboard shortcuts D and SHIFT+D

[scook]

On reflection, I wonder if the OP is more about single keyboard shortcuts than specific UI elements.

Be aware, the program uses single key shortcuts. Most of the keyboard shortcuts are documented here. The link is also in the program help menu.

Few shortcuts are hard-coded or reserved. Most may be disabled or remapped to different key combinations.

 

[scook]

The Inspector is showing track 1, a MIDI track.

The Track Inspector shows different information for MIDI tracks.

Review the link above about the Track Inspector.

MIDI tracks do not have an audio routing, their output usually goes to a software or hardware synth for processing into audio.

In the image above, the MIDI track is routed to TTS-1, the GM soft synth bundled with CbB.

Somewhere in the project TTS-1 is setup as the input to an audio track (or the MIDI track may be routed to an instrument track, not the best idea but it works). This track will have a second strip showing the track/bus in its output.

[scook]

The image above with the MIDI track 1 in the inspector, shows a master bus setup in the project.  It does not show up in the track inspector for a MIDI track because MIDI tracks do not contain audio. They contain MIDI data.

Here is a little more info about the "Master Bus"

The "Master Bus" provided by the project templates supplied with CbB is just a regular bus with its "Set as Default Bus" option enabled.

When creating projects without a CbB supplied template, it is up to the user.

While not required, it is a good idea to have all audio/instrument tracks and buses ultimately route though one bus.

To add a "Master Bus" to a project that does not have one already setup:

• Create a bus
• Right-click the bus header in the track view and select "Set as Default Bus" and optionally rename the bus. any new audio/instrument tracks will automatically point to this bus. To change the routing on existing tracks/buses:
  • Select all the audio/instrument tracks (note MIDI tracks do not route to audio tracks or buses)
  • While holding down the CTRL key set one of the selected tracks and change its output to the default bus.
  • Select all the other buses  and perform the same CTRL/output assignment on them too

Buses are at the bottom of the track view  in a separate pane and in the middle section of the Console view. 

Shortcut SHIFT+B and a button at the bottom of the track headers in the Track View toggle the bus pane

 

[scook]

That's right.

The only difference between the "Master Nus" and the other buses is the "Master Bus" has "Set as Default Bus" enabled.

There can only be one default bus.

When adding audio and instrument tracks to a project their output will automatically be set to the default bus if one exists.

I have created my own project template and set bus B as the default and renamed it Master

That said, any bus may be set as the default and may have anything for a name.

I am pretty sure all the project templates included with CbB designate bus A as the default and use the name "Master"

[scook]

You can use the hardware faders in console view, the volume control in Windows or the audio interface but most of the time you really want to check and set a level in the DAW using a master bus.

[57Gregy]

And you can name any bus as the Master and set it as the default bus whether it's a new bus or an existing one. Just double-click the bus name and rename it. Then set all of your audio tracks to flow through that bus and you'll be able to control all audio tracks with that one slider.

[msmcleod]

2 hours ago, DallasSteve said:

One other question comes to mind.  If a project has no master bus where everything is routed as output, is there a way to control the volume level for playback in one control?

 

2 hours ago, scook said:

You can use the hardware faders in console view, the volume control in Windows or the audio interface but most of the time you really want to check and set a level in the DAW using a master bus.

Personally, I'd discourage using the volume control in Windows or the changing the audio interface's output.  Yes, you can do this, but there's been loads of posts in the past with users complaining that their exported mixes come out at a different volume than the volume heard within Cakewalk.... and controlling the master volume in this manner is usually the cause of this.

By keeping your audio interface volume at unity gain, and using a master bus to control the master level you'll avoid this confusion.

 

[scook]

That's right

[John Vere]

Sorry. I spent some time last night reviewing my Tutorials and found way too many errors. 

But I think judging by your screen shot you need to understand the way the left hand side bar Track strip view works.   It shows the focused track on the left and on the right it will show the focused tracks output destination. If it is a midi track as in your screen shot,  it shows advanced midi settings, if it is a Audio track or an instrument track it will show the output destination Buss. If your using a sub bus then that will show. Otherwise the Master bus will show on the right. 

In my Tutorials I always show the Buss Pane can be shown/ hide with SHIFT B or drag it up. It is by default hidden. 

[scook]

The Master, Preview and Metronome are part of the basic template.

If the Metronome bus is not there, to use the audio metronome the audio must be assigned to a bus or hardware output in preferences.

The Preview bus is used to audition audio clips in the media browser. The preview may be reassigned using the menu on the media tab (B in the image below)

Having separate buses for the metronome and preview  gives each its own volume control.

[DallasSteve]

Thanks for the quick replies.  I didn't know it was called Inspector.  That helps.  The Track Inspector is there (I think) (see image) but it only shows the current track not the Master Track.  Sometimes the Master Track is there.  Sometimes it is only the selected track.  I don't know the magic word to show the Master Track.

Edited June 21, 2021 by DallasSteve

[DallasSteve]

scook

The links you posted don't mention Master Track.  That's what I'm trying to understand. I wanted to control the entire volume on playback and I thought the Master Track fader was the place to do that.  Am I misunderstanding the basics here?  The tutorials I watched didn't help me on that.  In the image I posted above I see now that it has a track listed for "A - Master".  When I click on that now I see the Master Track in the Inspector.  That's what I wanted.  But then I open another project and it doesn't have a track for "A - Master".  I thought each project automatically had a Master Track in it as the final output on playback.  Is there a link in the documentation explaining that?  I looked on the Documentation Index and it doesn't contain the phrase Master Track anywhere. That seems a glaring omission.

Thanks.  Steve

 

Edited June 21, 2021 by DallasSteve

[DallasSteve]

scook

Thanks for that explanation.  I didn't understand at first.  I think you are saying that the track in my image named "A -> Master" is really a bus.  I think I proved that by looking at in in the console view.  I tried adding a bus in the other project that had no Master and it added a bus named "A -> Bus A".  I think you are saying that the "Master" bus is created in template projects that I can select when I am creating a new project.  I think you are saying it's nothing special, just a bus that the template names Master.  Is that correct?  I think it's coming into focus for me now.

[DallasSteve]

One other question comes to mind.  If a project has no master bus where everything is routed as output, is there a way to control the volume level for playback in one control?

[DallasSteve]

scook and Greg

That's what I thought after working this problem through.

Thanks again

[John Vere]

Video removed for editing. 

 

Edited June 22, 2021 by John Vere
Update links

[DallasSteve]

John, What happened to your video?  I started to watch last night, but I didn't finish.  Now it's gone.  Maybe the moderators pulled the link?  I like your Crock Rockin video.  That was one of my favorite songs when I was in junior high.

[DallasSteve]

John, Thanks.  That explanation helped me.  I tested the tracks and when they had output to Master the Master bus appeared in the right side of the Inspector like you said it would.  I used your bus shortcut and the buses appeared.  In this case it has Master, Metronome, and Preview.  I didn't add those.  I guess they all came from the default template.  So why does it have Metronome and Preview?  If I delete the Metronome bus does the metronome in the control panel not work any more?