Problem with Cakewalk not giving keystrokes to Spectral Layers in ARA mode

[winkpain]

I had started this as a simple question in Q & A, but it seems that it is more appropriately an issue to be reported. So...

When using SpectraLayers in Cakewalk in the ARA mode, keystrokes performed while in the SpectraLayers window are not given to that application. In other words, any SL specific keyboard shortcuts are sent as CW shortcuts (key bindings), and numerical data entry keystrokes are likewise seen as CW shortcuts.  Examples:

• using Ctrl-Z to UNDO my last edit in Spectral Layers will actually undo the adding of the Region FX (i.e., my last action in the Cakewalk environment), thereby removing Spectral Layers and all my edits therein however many I have done at that point! (this one is a major bummer after many edits!)
• highlighting a data entry point in the Spectral Layers window in order to type in a numerical value for the setting will not enter my typed value but rather successively choose the CW Screensets associated with the typed numerals

I had hoped in my Q&A query that there was some setting in CW such as the plug-in windows' "Give all keystrokes to plug-in", but it seems it might be more an ARA "bug".

Dunno. So, reporting here and sending support ticket as well...

[winkpain]

For anyone looking in here with similar concerns,  I reached out to CW Support on this and got a response saying that:

Quote

According to our development team; the option to give keystrokes to plugins is hidden for region effects (ARA plugins) because the usual plugin toolbar is not displayed. We'll consider adding it in the next update....

...there isn't any workaround at the moment, but we are looking into adding it into a future update. 

So be it.

[winkpain]

This is actually, still, quite a major issue. As mentioned in my examples above

Quote

Examples:

using Ctrl-Z to UNDO my last edit in Spectral Layers will actually undo the adding of the Region FX (i.e., my last action in the Cakewalk environment), thereby removing Spectral Layers and all my edits therein however many I have done at that point! (this one is a major bummer after many edits!)

highlighting a data entry point in the Spectral Layers window in order to type in a numerical value for the setting will not enter my typed value but rather successively choose the CW Screensets associated with the typed numerals

Wow!  Try having completed, say, 30 or so painstaking, detailed edits in SpectraLayers via ARA, and then mess one up and instinctively hit CTRL-Z by decades long established habit (no matter HOW much I've tried to train myself against using it with this issue), and BAM! the SpectraLayers Region Effect and therefore all my edits within it are instantly gone with no way to retrieve them! Doing a Redo simply adds SL as region effect again, but with an initial blank slate state.   This happens to me, unfortunately, all too often.

Is there any hope of upticking this in the ARA development arena, perhaps?

[David Baay]

Not that this is any kind of an overall solution, but you might save yourself some grief in the short term by Edit  > History > Clear after adding SpectaLayers so it won't be removed by Undo.

[jackson white]

it's the same for Melodyne, sounds like an ARA issue, haven't tried it in another DAW yet

[winkpain]

19 hours ago, jackson white said:

it's the same for Melodyne, sounds like an ARA issue, haven't tried it in another DAW yet

I don't have this problem with Melodyne in ARA. For example, CTRL-Z operates as an Undo in the Melodyne window and NOT the as Cakewalk Undo (i.e. NOT undoing the insertion of Melodyne as a Region Effect, as it does with SpectraLayers).

[jesse]

Quote

using Ctrl-Z to UNDO my last edit in Spectral Layers will actually undo the adding of the Region FX (i.e., my last action in the Cakewalk environment), thereby removing Spectral Layers and all my edits therein however many I have done at that point! (this one is a major bummer after many edits!)

YES!! Happens to me all the time!

You have to go back into Cakewalk track view- and IF YOU'RE LUCKY and haven't done anything else with the edit history then in the edit menu select "redo add region".  It will then recreate the region as before and Melodyne will recreate whatever edits you've made.

[winkpain]

38 minutes ago, jesse said:

You have to go back into Cakewalk track view- and IF YOU'RE LUCKY and haven't done anything else with the edit history then in the edit menu select "redo add region".  It will then recreate the region as before and Melodyne will recreate whatever edits you've made.

Perhaps with Melodyne - I don't have an issue with Melodyne. For me CTRL-Z works there. However, with SpectraLayers no edits are recreated with a Redo after an Undo. It's a total loss. David's suggestion of a Clear Undo history before editing in SL is a fair safeguard. AND in addition, I've found that re-assigning the Undo and Redo shortcuts within SpectraLayers (for example, to SHIFT-Z and SHIFT-Y) is a fair workaround. In this case, the re-assigned shortcuts do get priority from within the ARA plugin.

[jackson white]

@winkpain double checked Melodyne again, seems to be working as expected in the latest release. my previous experience could have been project specific (corruption as it was an older project) or perhaps "high speed" double clicking, but sounded very much like your case. so maybe Spectral Layers specific?