OutrageProductions

^^^THIS is vital! Get one just the way you like as a pre-master mix and use it as a reference.

As I recall, the Audio Interface that you finally settled on doesn't have multiple hardware output options available, so I was just explaining that using an output for headphones and an output for speakers is possible IF and only IF your I/O has multiple outs built in. In your case, you might want to explore further what @Lynn Wilson suggested, or the scenario from @57Gregy.

I master multiple songs (EP/LP) in one audio track sequentially ( I learned from Bernie Grundman) with track start markers & a couple of markers inside each song for pertinent sections (verse/chorus/bridge et al) and then run to a master bus with my mastering chain. Enough silence (~5sec) between cuts to emulate the final assembly and eliminate overwash of my ears. On the source track I can insert EQ & level changes that can be written into snapshot automation before treating the ensemble with mastering tools to get them in the same ballpark an make them sound like they came from the same project. Of course, I will also send notes back to the mixer (if not myself) for recommendations regarding the mix. So, yeah... getting the mixes right IMO is the toughest part. Mastering a well executed mix is sooo much easier than polishing a turd. YMMV

All my project templates have hardware outputs that I assign the master bus to; speakers, headphones, surround (6 channel). That makes it easy to change from phones to nearfields to big monitors (stereo just using hardware out 5&6 and my surround monitor controller). And I still have 2 hardware outs unassigned. Hmmm...

Spot on. I make a very healthy living composing & scoring for film &TV with just 448 plugins, probably 300 of which I never use (most of Waves Gold Native). Lots of NI, Spitfire & E/W. I'll mix 100 tracks with less than 40 EFX plugs. My mastering chain is at max 5 plugs, and one of those is just metering & analysis. It's all in knowing how to use the tools you're given and not sweatin' the small stuff. Of course... great ears are a must, too.

Without processing the clip or applying <Groove Clip> looping and changing tempo, solutions are few. You could try this; [From the manual] Scrub tool The Scrub tool lets you audition all displayed tracks as you drag the mouse cursor forward or backward at the desired speed. You can scrub a single track by dragging over the track, or all displayed tracks by dragging in the Time Ruler. Note: The Scrub tool does not work on automation. To scrub a single track Hold down the J key to temporarily enable Scrub mode and drag over the track. To scrub all displayed tracks Hold down the J key to temporarily enable Scrub mode and drag in the Time Ruler. Note: The Scrub tool is invoked by pressing the J key. There is no Scrub tool button in the Control Bar or Tools HUD. Just like we've done with tape machines since the beginning of time.

If you open just the Inspector panel, the audio channel strip (with the fader) has the same indication as the Console view. Keystroke <I> open & closes.

One option to insert a track where you want it: If you have track 4 (for example) selected in track view, RMB context menu has <Insert Track Template> command; locate the template that you want and it will insert just above track 4. Easy peasy.

If I have to compose a lead-in audio, I put the video in my vid edit sled and add some digital black to the head first. Then apply a TC offset in CW.

I've found that the click on the section header CAN be finicky sometimes too. I just pay attention to what I'm doing. Ripple Edit has interesting effects on the process as well. I usually don't have envelopes created until I have the whole arrangement settled, maybe that's why it doesn't bother me much.

I've only ever been able to set start time using the instructions provided by @scook AND the video file had to be AVI (and possibly WMV IIRC). Won't work with any Mpeg formats.

To copy/paste all tracks in the section with underlying events check this <Select All + Events> Arrangement sections also respond to any of the <Edit - Special> commands.

We bought AGFA tape by the pallet load. In 35 years, never had a bad reel. It always performed up to snuff.

FWIW; ...over a period of a week or so, I got to trade off a pair of Focal Clear Mg Pro headphones [http://www.economik.com/focal/clear-mg-professional/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9fLRs-Xa_gIVwoJbCh3nRwVkEAQYASABEgJaW_D_BwE] with some more familiar and less costly units like the NDH-20's and Beyerdynamic DT 700 Pro X. Going often from $110k in-wall Westlakes to headphones in a Hill designed LEDE room led me to believe that the most accurate facsimile was the DT 700's. Not to mention the highway robbery committed by the previously mentioned manufacturers. Just MHO over 45+ years in the biz. YMMV.

TETO; I use the RMB method in the track header section 99% of the time. My only (minor) irritation with it is that the default instrument on first use of loading a project is always the TTS-1, whereas I would prefer to be able to set my own default. [Maybe someone knows a reg hack?] Subsequent initiations during the same session will open with last used, but close & reopen the session, and it returns to default TTS-1. Not mission critical, but I sigh heavily nearly every time it happens.

I have a convoluted workaround; Insert an instrument track with a VSTi that has the capability of MIDI output (Scaler 2.x for example), drag your MIDI clips onto that track. Add any number of new midi tracks, input sourced from <Scaler>, outputs to your desired HW or SW instruments and play or record. Works great.

I spend a good amount of time moderating on the NI forum and have two thoughts; 1. I'm not updating to NA2(3) until the current NA1 completely becomes unsupported and they force me to... and 2. I'm really glad that I don't use a Mac anymore. ?

What you are seeking goes under the names of Sibelius, Dorico, MuseScore, or Finale. "These are not the droids you are looking for."

Great work! Glad to hear that your bustin' ear drums again!

Clik <OK> in the previous dialog and load the project with missing plugins. One way (and it is not exactly elegant or fast) is to highlite a track after the project is loaded, RMB in the track header [just to the right of the track name works well] (not clip header) and use <replace synth> in the fly-out menu. Find the synth that relates to that track and load it from it's current location on the current machine. That will pop open a list of synths (similar to, but not visually identical) to the plugin browser view and allow you to load the synth that was used on the other machine, assuming it is available. You may have to do this multiple times for each missing track plugin, depending on if you had initated an individual instance for each track/instrument. I rarely transfer projects from one machine to another, so others may chime in with an easier procedure. As I stated in previous post, the file paths to the VST's may be different on each computer and they are saved in the project session as relative file paths, unless the computers are set up identically in their respective Drive/Folder/File path. Caveat; this SHOULD happen automatically on most project transfers if the VST's exist on both machines (regardless of file path) but for some odd reason, on this project are not.

It a matter of preference where you dock the synth view... mine sits in the browser above the plugins/media browser on the right side. It can be floated freely too.

Put ticks to these boxes in the <add instrument> dialog; >First Synth Audio Output >Synth Property Page >Synth Rack View. AFAIK the browser view has only ever displayed instruments, not patches... those become available when the instrument GUI is open and visible.

Remember that some people sign up for college calculus and never buy the textbook. Or do, and don't ever read it.

Per the documentation: To send Sysx banks at startup 1. In the Sysx view, select a bank that you want to send to an instrument when you open the current project. Cakewalk highlights the bank you select. 2. Click the Sysx view Settings menu and choose Auto Send on/off. A check mark appears next to the bank name in the Auto column to show that the bank is marked for auto-sending. 3. While the bank is still highlighted, click the Settings menu and choose Output to open the Sysx Bank Output dialog box. 4. Enter the number of the output you want to send this bank out through, and click OK. The output number you entered appears next to the selected bank in the Output column. 5. Repeat steps 1-4 for each bank you want to send, and save your project. The next time you open a project, Cakewalk asks you if you want to send any Sysx banks in the project that are marked for autosending. If you click OK, Cakewalk sends the bank(s). If you want Cakewalk to send auto-send banks every time you open a project without asking you, clear the Ask this question every time check box in the Auto-Send Sysx dialog box. If you decide later that you want to be asked, go to Edit > Preferences > File - Advanced and select the Ask Before Sending System Exclusive (When Opening Projects) check box.