Time Markers

[Creativemind]

Hi All!

Just something I've been thinking about today:-

I would love to see Time Markers in Reason which appear above the timeline on the sequencer.

The markers can be coloured, obviously labelled and importantly stacked. I would love at least 6 stackable if not more. The reason I say stacked as well as labelling sections of a song (Intro, Verse, Bridge, Chorus, Outro etc) is I would like to use them to analyse dance / electronic music structure. So importing a song into Reason and analysing where things drop out (kick stops here / pad starts here) etc along the timeline and sometimes 3, 4, 5 things can change at any one time so I would need to place markers on top of each other if need be.
I think a good place to add the markers would be on the left of the sequencer, above where the tracks are, add another icon on the transport section (see pic.) So you could have the New Note Lane icon, the Track Parameter Automation icon, Create Pattern Lane icon and then the new Time Marker icon with an arrow next to it. Click the arrow and a drop down menu appears with 1-6 in there and each time marker lane can have it's own label but you can also double click anywhere on the timeline on that strip (where the marker lane has been added) to add a little box / marker on that part of the timeline which can then be labelled accordingly. I'm still tryna think where above the sequencer would be most suitable place for the time markers. What do people think? 1) a way of toggling from the Snap, Bar, Position and Length bar to the Time Marker bar? or perhaps having an additional bar / marker lane appear underneath that Snap, Bar, Position and Length bar and the sequencer, right above the timeline itself? if several were stacked, it would take up a lot of sequencer screen real estate. Thinking about it now, it would be hard to find space above the sequencer for more than 1. If you were using more than 1 though, for me anyway, I'd be using them as I said for analysing a song purposes and then I wouldn't be creating a song so other things wouldn't be needed.

It would be the icing on the cake as well if these markers were able to be skipped / jumped to with keyboard shortcuts which could be chosen by the user. Which leads me to my other workflow wants...Macro's.

Sorry for the bad icon mock up (used MS Paint) and the icon is supposed to be a clock btw to signify time as in markers. I forgot the drop down arrow next to it as well. Doh! and I know that could 'cause a little confusion perhaps with the time stretch icon but these aren't in the same places obviously.

Thanks!

[Creativemind]

I've messaged Propellerhead with this idea.

[tt_lab]

I use blank blocks to do this.

MARKERS.png (147.82 KiB) Viewed 7889 times

[Creativemind]

Yeah but they're not for that lol!

Not to mention that shading you get down the sequencer.

[selig]

Yeah but they're not for that lol!

Not to mention that shading you get down the sequencer.

That’s a feature, not a bug!

It’s handy to shade the sections of a song like that IMO. Plus you can select the block and hit “P” and it will play/loop instantly. There’s plenty of text to describe what happens when using them to analyze different sections of commercial tracks too.

While not ideal (you can’t select from a list etc.) they work pretty well for a feature not intended to work that way.


Sent from some crappy device using Tapatalk

[rcbuse]

I use an empty combinator and empty clips with labels for notes and such.

Screen Shot 2018-12-28 at 1.46.19 PM.png (33.31 KiB) Viewed 7873 times

[Creativemind]

I use an empty combinator and empty clips with labels for notes and such.

Screen Shot 2018-12-28 at 1.46.19 PM.png

That looks cool. Must try that out.

[frm5993]

yes! need markers! ridiculous not to have them.

[retreed]

Reason offers more options.
I use a tempo automation lane on Transport as marker. No need to create anything in the rack for this and it is always on top.

[BigPictureSound]

Reason offers more options.
I use a tempo automation lane on Transport as marker. No need to create anything in the rack for this and it is always on top.

That actually makes more sense to me visually than notched markers, I will have to give that at try. I gave the blocks method a shot, but too many steps + a step that takes you out of the sequencer didn't quite work.

[guitfnky]

for me, one of the most useful features of Blocks is the way they let you super-easily control time signatures and tempo changes of a section over the course of a song. you never have to worry about copying or misaligning a transport clip, and it’s easy to override if necessary.

I had no idea clip labels could contain carriage returns...I’d always just assumed they couldn’t. I use that feature all the time. that’s amazing. 🤯

but even with the tools we do have, markers would be super welcome. being able to flag time immediately without stopping playback would be incredibly useful. I’m always doing detailed listening passes toward the end of a project to identify numerous sections that I want to address later (timing/pitch issues; stuff that needs to be automated, etc.). and right now I have to use a pen and paper to write them down, which, for a DAW, in 2019, is legitimately stupid.

[pushedbutton]

On a vaguely related tangent I wish I could set the position of the song start so we could have some precount nonsense going on and not have to have the whole song a bar or two ahead of what the notation would say.

[Proboscis]

I had no idea clip labels could contain carriage returns...I’d always just assumed they couldn’t.

Same - I am amazed at this awesome 'other' feature (I too use empty blocks as markers, the advantage also as they can be color coded for each section)

But..... how do we do a carriage return ? Pressing Enter or shift+ enter only confirms the line. Arrow down does nothing, and copy/pasting multiple lines from a notepad only registers the first line

[Proboscis]

On a vaguely related tangent I wish I could set the position of the song start so we could have some precount nonsense going on and not have to have the whole song a bar or two ahead of what the notation would say.

Yes I agree. Especially if a song has a short fade in. An optional -1 bar would be very handy.

[guitfnky]

I had no idea clip labels could contain carriage returns...I’d always just assumed they couldn’t.

Same - I am amazed at this awesome 'other' feature (I too use empty blocks as markers, the advantage also as they can be color coded for each section)

But..... how do we do a carriage return ? Pressing Enter or shift+ enter only confirms the line. Arrow down does nothing, and copy/pasting multiple lines from a notepad only registers the first line

good question...I haven’t had a chance to try it yet. maybe it works like it does in Excel; Alt+Enter?

[Proboscis]

good question...I haven’t had a chance to try it yet. maybe it works like it does in Excel; Alt+Enter?

Nope. Ive tried combinations of alt, ctrl, shift, and even threw in an  

[guitfnky]

I use an empty combinator and empty clips with labels for notes and such.

Screen Shot 2018-12-28 at 1.46.19 PM.png

okay, so it seems we can’t figure this out on our own...how’d you get carriage returns in the clip labels?

[jpf]

Still waiting to know the secret of Lectric Panda for carriage returns in the clip label!!!

[Arjanders]

I use an empty combinator and empty clips with labels for notes and such.

Screen Shot 2018-12-28 at 1.46.19 PM.png

Yep that is neat! Can you tell your secret?

[rcbuse]

Still waiting to know the secret of Lectric Panda for carriage returns in the clip label!!!

Sure!

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7508230

[jpf]

Thank you! Sadly I have windows...

[Creativemind]

On a vaguely related tangent I wish I could set the position of the song start so we could have some precount nonsense going on and not have to have the whole song a bar or two ahead of what the notation would say.

Yes I agree. Especially if a song has a short fade in. An optional -1 bar would be very handy.

Yes or sometimes I have a 1/16th note guitar riff leading into the song and it throws everything off the timeline by a 16th. I usually have it start on bar 2 instead and then have the riff at the end of bar 1.

Do other daw's play the bit before the timeline or can they be played?

[Creativemind]

Since when has the "untitled note clip" been a thing? never seen that before.

[guitfnky]

Still waiting to know the secret of Lectric Panda for carriage returns in the clip label!!!

Sure!

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7508230

thank you!

I too am on Windows, and therefore, all I can say is womp womp. 🥺

[Proboscis]

Can a Mac user post a sample project here with multiple lines in the clip ? And a screenshot so we can see it, if it doesn't show.