Update Reason Browser for Combinators 2.0

[artmessiah]

The new combinator is great for housing VST and although we can save files, instruments, fx, & combinators to "favorites" to organize and find them, it would be extra great if we could take snapshot images of the combinator and move/save it with the Main "Instruments" browser window with the rest of the RE's and VST. For example if I make a combinator for the Union VST, I would like the combi image snapshot with (under or over) the VST snapshot in the browser. Having the combi with the VST source in the browser window would speed up the workflow, visually would be easier to find and would definitely look better than the normal combinator file icon IMO. Since Reason Studios in updating the browser anyway why not add something like this in the mix. Thoughts? Opinions?

[Billy+]

Be careful what you wish for

[Greg Savage]

I dunno, I'm indifferent about the idea.

[artmessiah]

Be careful what you wish for

Yeah, hopefully something like this doesn't cause more problems then helps as the browser is already a bit buggy when it comes searching and finding as is

[artmessiah]

I dunno, I'm indifferent about the idea.

Yeah, it's not something that is paramount in my brain, but something nice to wish for

[Nick@NMHindman.com]

Agreed. It's a minor 'wish', but I've just stumbled upon the same. Loving the new combinator. I've just spent far too much time making beautiful 'trim' combinators for my Soundtoys devices

[Nick@NMHindman.com]

Separate question: With R12, when I open (for example) the 'Effects' tab on the browser, the 'vendor' lists are all open, as in your image above. If I close them all, they are again open next time I open the 'effects' tab. In previous versions, Reason remembered what state I left the vendor list in. Am I missing something?

[Benedict]

I had already had a similar thought where I took one of my own VST and Combi II-ized it that in the Browser, the VST made the Combi II version seem secondary to the VST which is not really the way one would hope seeing the Combi II version is the one I want to reach for first.

[Ottostrom]

I fully support this suggestion and have been saying the same thing in other threads about the combinator.
Since the update I've really started to look at some combinators as their own devices but it just doesn't look good in my favorite folders:



(I also hope we could at some point customize the folder icons cause I prefer having it take up as little space as possible)

[Italophile]

You can only take a snapshot of a VST because it is in a separate window.

If combi II patches are treated as 'devices' in the browser, where do you stop? How would a patch containing three different VST's be listed? Or, what about patches containing RE's? Aren't they 'devices' too?

[Ottostrom]

You can only take a snapshot of a VST because it is in a separate window.

If combi II patches are treated as 'devices' in the browser, where do you stop? How would a patch containing three different VST's be listed? Or, what about patches containing RE's? Aren't they 'devices' too?

I don't see your point? As I can already place a combinator file in my favorites list the only difference would be that they have a graphical representation specific to them. Why would they have to be listed differently just cause they contain other VSTs or REs and wouldn't that argument be relevant already since I can place them there? Also, taking the screenshot for the combinator could be a separate option in the the new Configure page.

[Italophile]

You can only take a snapshot of a VST because it is in a separate window.

If combi II patches are treated as 'devices' in the browser, where do you stop? How would a patch containing three different VST's be listed? Or, what about patches containing RE's? Aren't they 'devices' too?

I don't see your point? As I can already place a combinator file in my favorites list the only difference would be that they have a graphical representation specific to them. Why would they have to be listed differently just cause they contain other VSTs or REs and wouldn't that argument be relevant already since I can place them there? Also, taking the screenshot for the combinator could be a separate option in the the new Configure page.

I responded to the thread, not your post.

The OP wants snapshots of the combinator and combinator patches to be listed in the device browser.

[Ottostrom]

I don't see your point? As I can already place a combinator file in my favorites list the only difference would be that they have a graphical representation specific to them. Why would they have to be listed differently just cause they contain other VSTs or REs and wouldn't that argument be relevant already since I can place them there? Also, taking the screenshot for the combinator could be a separate option in the the new Configure page.

I responded to the thread, not your post.

The OP wants snapshots of the combinator and combinator patches to be listed in the device browser.

Yes I know, and I am arguing the same point as OP..
So my questions about your worries still remain

[Italophile]

I responded to the thread, not your post.

The OP wants snapshots of the combinator and combinator patches to be listed in the device browser.

Yes I know, and I am arguing the same point as OP..
So my questions about your worries still remain

No, you are not arguing the same point as the OP.

You want combi patches in the favorites list to have a screenshot instead of an icon. That doesn't 'worry' me at all, in fact I couldn't care less.

The OP wants to treat combinator II patches as devices and have them listed in the same section of the device browser as the original device. That is an entirely different proposition to yours.

[Ottostrom]

Yes I know, and I am arguing the same point as OP..
So my questions about your worries still remain

No, you are not arguing the same point as the OP.

You want combi patches in the favorites list to have a screenshot instead of an icon. That doesn't 'worry' me at all, in fact I couldn't care less.

The OP wants to treat combinator II patches as devices and have them listed in the same section of the device browser as the original device. That is an entirely different proposition to yours.

I was so sure he was suggesting the same addition that I have been thinking about that I completely glanced over the "Main "Instruments" browser window" he mentioned in the original post.
You are correct, those are very different points and I am actually on your side here cause I don't think we should be able to edit the main folders (and I don't think there is a need for it since you can add as many custom favorite folders as you want).
Sorry for the confusion!

[Italophile]

I was so sure he was suggesting the same addition that I have been thinking about that I completely glanced over the "Main "Instruments" browser window" he mentioned in the original post.
You are correct, those are very different points and I am actually on your side here cause I don't think we should be able to edit the main folders (and I don't think there is a need for it since you can add as many custom favorite folders as you want).
Sorry for the confusion!

That's OK.
I am a programmer by day so when I read posts like this, I read it as if it were a client's design spec.
Taking a snapshot of a VST is fairly simple as it is already in a separate window. Taking a snapshot of a combinator would be more difficult.
You also need to keep in mind that the more graphics a UI has the more HD space is required, and you would also need to consider the amount of vertical screen space that combi snapshots would occupy in a browser list. Having to scroll through a lot of 6U combis to find the one you want would probably not be the best UX.

Personally, I am neither for nor against the idea. I just think it would need some careful consideration to avoid making the UX even worse.

[Ottostrom]

I was so sure he was suggesting the same addition that I have been thinking about that I completely glanced over the "Main "Instruments" browser window" he mentioned in the original post.
You are correct, those are very different points and I am actually on your side here cause I don't think we should be able to edit the main folders (and I don't think there is a need for it since you can add as many custom favorite folders as you want).
Sorry for the confusion!

That's OK.
I am a programmer by day so when I read posts like this, I read it as if it were a client's design spec.
Taking a snapshot of a VST is fairly simple as it is already in a separate window. Taking a snapshot of a combinator would be more difficult.
You also need to keep in mind that the more graphics a UI has the more HD space is required, and you would also need to consider the amount of vertical screen space that combi snapshots would occupy in a browser list. Having to scroll through a lot of 6U combis to find the one you want would probably not be the best UX.

I definitely see your point about the increased space it would occupy and the vertical real estate in the browser but I would still argue that those are not such a big problem since the user themselves would control which combinator to make a snapshot of and in what part of the browser they would be placed. You would only have to scroll past 6U combis of you put them there yourself so who is really to blame?
But the fact that they are not in a separate window probably makes it a lot harder to take screenshots, although I feel like it wouldn't be too hard to just pick the top-left coordinates of the combi and then depending on unit size it would take a screenshot of the correct rectangular space.

[artmessiah]

I was so sure he was suggesting the same addition that I have been thinking about that I completely glanced over the "Main "Instruments" browser window" he mentioned in the original post.
You are correct, those are very different points and I am actually on your side here cause I don't think we should be able to edit the main folders (and I don't think there is a need for it since you can add as many custom favorite folders as you want).
Sorry for the confusion!

Never thought about it that way - the issue of combinators being in the device/instrument browser and the problems that might incur with that approach. In all honesty I'm more or less just saying it would be nice to have a graphical snapshot of the combi patch wallpaper in the browser and not the simple combi icon. If it's only in favorites I'm good with that

[artmessiah]

Separate question: With R12, when I open (for example) the 'Effects' tab on the browser, the 'vendor' lists are all open, as in your image above. If I close them all, they are again open next time I open the 'effects' tab. In previous versions, Reason remembered what state I left the vendor list in. Am I missing something?

No you're not missing anything. It is for sure a bug. Reason in previous versions remembered if you closed them; Reason 12 does not. Hopefully it'll get fixed soon.

[Italophile]

Never thought about it that way - the issue of combinators being in the device/instrument browser and the problems that might incur with that approach. In all honesty I'm more or less just saying it would be nice to have a graphical snapshot of the combi patch wallpaper in the browser and not the simple combi icon. If it's only in favorites I'm good with that

Combinators don’t necessarily have a background image.
If you had a snapshot it would need to be per patch as there is no way to identify that two patches share the same snapshot.

[Benedict]

Probably (as the architectures appear to be there already for uploading the Combi Backgrounds) one could upload a Thumbnail for treasured Combis?

Yes in the Instruments space may become an issue, but ability to be seen nicer as I noted and Mrt Strom showed in his image above, would a pleasing thing.

[Italophile]

Separate question: With R12, when I open (for example) the 'Effects' tab on the browser, the 'vendor' lists are all open, as in your image above. If I close them all, they are again open next time I open the 'effects' tab. In previous versions, Reason remembered what state I left the vendor list in. Am I missing something?

No, RS have broken it.