...then when you use a key command to show that Scene, the Arrange pane shows the Folder Track AND whatever has subsequently been added to the folder.
This takes a bit of explaining; sorry for the long post. I don't think I'm missing something in S1's Visibility settings or "Scenes" or Macros, but if I am I would love to hear about it.
The idea is to create "Scenes" that are "Locked" and work like: "Show only Folder X and any track it happens to contain no matter when added", rather than working as it does currently: "Show exactly the Folders and tracks that were already visible when the Scene was created and locked."
In Cubase I created a method of using a key command to make everything(!) in the arrangement disappear except exactly the tracks I want to work on. And it's consistent between projects without any adjustments as it is part of my template. It never changes, it's "set-and-forget". Especially helpful as a song gets more complex or when using a large template. There is rarely any scrolling through tracks.
I think that Studio One's "Scene LOCK" function may allow this to work (more explanation below).
My experience with Scenes or "Visibility" settings (including in Cubase without some pretty deep tweaking) is that, as I get into a creative flow in a large project, they just get all messed up and I have no desire to stop the creative flow to attend to the administrative task of making sure my Scenes are all updated/fixed as I add instruments. It's a creative flow interrupter.
Perhaps it can work as follows:
Let's say your songs typically use Drums, Bass, Synth, Strings, Brass, and Woodwinds. Create a folder track called "DRUMS (in use)", a folder track called "BASS (in use)", etc. Make each one of those folders, visible totally by itself in the arrange pane, containing nothing, a "Scene" and LOCK the Scene. Give each Scene a key command. So each key command makes everything disappear except the desired folder. Clearly this works in S1.
As you create music, you grab a synth from your template or your Browser. Once you have decided you are going to keep your new riff, you make sure the track is in your "SYNTH (in use)" folder track. You don't have to come out of your "right brain" creative flow to fiddle with any "Scene" settings. Do this every time you make a new "Synth" track, and you will be able to use the key command to make everything disappear except your USED synths, for tweaking and programming.
...and do the same with Drums, Bass, Strings, etc. People with giant film scoring templates should like this.
Alternatively, each of your "in use" folders could always contain the instruments you know you will use, such as a favourite drum sampler for example. (But you still want to be able to add some new instruments without fiddling with your locked Scenes.)
You could also make a folder track called "ALL UNUSED" which contains your entire template. So you will have a key command that shows "everything else".
I think this would totally work in Studio One except...when I hit the key command to make (for example) "DRUMS (in use)" visible (and nothing else), it works, but none of the contained tracks are visible. It just shows me an empty folder, because when I "LOCKED" that Scene, it contained no tracks. I have to go to the Visibility section and click-click-click to make everything visible, and then I guess fiddle with the Scene settings, and creative flow is interrupted.
Perhaps this would work if there were an option such as "If a Folder Track is visible in a Scene, all of its contained tracks are visible". This would simply be consistent with the way Visibility settings work using the Track List column, where if you click a Folder Track to "Visible", all of its sub-tracks are automatically made visible.
Thanks for considering this and for any help!
Windows 7 Pro 64 / Studio One 3.2 / Asus P9X79 / Intel Core i7 3930K @ 4044 MHz / NVidia GeForce 9600 GT fanless (or Sapphire Radeon HD 7750 fanless) / 32 GB Corsair Vengeance / M-Audio Fast Track C400
