Using Cubase track versions in my home studio productions; why use them ?

[@LanewoodStudios]

So do you use track versions in your Cubase workflow ? Any specific creative uses that might be interesting to know about ? BTW: I noticed that the just released Cubase 11 has an additional feature related to track versions. Apparently you can now disable that it shows the version name.

[@dnaldoog3114]

This is amazing - most of this I had no idea about - will change my life!

[@LanewoodStudios]

@@dnaldoog3114 yes it is very useful!

[@LESHED1]

Honestly, I did not use the track version until now rather I am repeating again and again. It looks like this track version can save me some disk space. 😊 will see… Thanks for the video Amram Leshed Israel

[@LanewoodStudios]

Yes they are very nice to use in this way. You have all versions you want right there in your project. Thanks again for watching and commenting!

[@project1265ffo]

Very usefull information about track versions 👍

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thanks Filipe!

[@azpunkydan]

That was extraordinarily useful! Thank you!!

[@LanewoodStudios]

Good to hear that 🙏🙏

[@timsintebin7665]

Thank you for making this good and clear, step by step video!

[@LanewoodStudios]

You are welcome, glad you enjoyed it!

[@MadsGranumMusic]

Just what I needed. Thank you!

[@LanewoodStudios]

Great 👍

[@kevinmccarthy4088]

Great workflow! I've been using TV for a while now and this just makes it more useful. Subscribed.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thanks for your comment and subscribing 😁.

[@HenryMittnacht]

Great knowledge here! 🙏

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thank you!

[@MrMikomi]

Very nice. Thanks.

[@LanewoodStudios]

You are welcome. Glad you liked the video 😁.

[@neilkendall5499]

Another excellent video from Lanewood Studios! I've been looking for ways to tidy up my recording projects in Cubase. Everything becomes a mess with so many tracks of different takes, edits, comped tracks etc for each instrument. I never know what to do with the takes I don't end up using, and I end up having far too many tracks in my Cubase projects. I think I need to start using track versions and do something similar to your workflow here. It looks like a great way to tidy up your projects! If you have any more tips for making the workflow less messy, please consider making some videos on it. I was also wondering, do you delete the track versions with the old takes before you finish and export the project to a stereo audio file? Or do you still keep the old takes? I'm never sure whether to just mute the old takes before exporting, or to just delete them. Or whether to save a project with the old takes and one without. What do you do? I suppose with track versions you could just have one project, and still be able to keep the old takes as a track version if you ever need them again. But I don't know. There doesn't seem to be much information about how to organize Cubase projects properly and neatly, so I'm looking for ideas. This video has been a big help.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thanks, glad it helped! Before I used track versions I moved al non-used tracks to a folder track called OLD. And then before I started mixing I would get rid of that folder track to make the project smaller again. I guess you can do the same thing with track versions by deleting all the older non-used track versions of each track but that's more work so I don't ;). I'll put a video on cubase project organization on my ideas list, thanks!

[@SilverWolf941]

Does track versions work with automation lanes too?

[@LanewoodStudios]

I believe the automation stays the same on all track versions.

[@jameseverett4976]

What a hassle compared to Studio One's scratch pad. I hate having to buy and learn a new DAW for one good feature that can make all the difference in composing efficiency.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Hi James, no switching DAWs is a pain and you definitely don't want to do that for a single feature. I don't know Studio One at all, but is the scratch pad so nice for trying out different versions of tracks or archiving versions of tracks prior to processing ?

[@jameseverett4976]

@@LanewoodStudios - thanks for responding. Scratch pad allows you to work out a completely different idea, or any degree of one, as well as new tracks or versions. By themselves, new tracks/versions don't really add anything [as far as I can tell], since you can just copy a track and alter it, or use lanes, and also hide/show tracks - same amount of effort. Then what if you want to add tracks, just for the new idea? Having your new idea and all it's tracks separate from the original allows any kind of changes, additions, etc. whereas with track versions and lanes, you have to reconfigure/mute the different tracks each time you want to compare ideas or switch to the other idea. The only way I can do anything like the scratch pad in Cubase is to copy all tracks to a later time frame, but then I have all the tracks I don't want for the new idea in the way, and any new tracks I want are added to the old idea as well. Nothing wrong with track versions, just saying I don't see how they really add any functionality, and they are too limited as far as exploring new ideas. To me, experimenting with alternate ideas is the essence of composing, and it boggles my mind that with all the upgrading of DAWs going on, they never really address the problem of making experimentation more convenient. New features are rarely all that useful. I'm still using Cubase 6, because I don't see much use for features added since then, yet I'm pining for something that makes experimenting quicker/easier without losing what I've done, or having to start a new project, and the hassles of bringing ideas from the old & new project together again. But all that aside, your video is the best I've seen so far in explaining how to work with track versions.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thanks for the detailed explanation, sounds like a great feature in Studio One. I must say I don't really use track versions for trying out ideas myself. I only got into them for archiving earlier versions of a track prior to some sort of editing. I used to indeed copy tracks for that before, and store them in a folder called 'OLD', but the track versions are much more convenient for that. So I am fine with track versions on an individual track basis for my purpose.

[@iam-music]

@@jameseverett4976 Yep thats the deal...every daw is going to have its own pros/cons...but be careful...'preset surfing' as a creative process is fun but its also as much a curse...back in the day (eg 80s), guys would use a handful of hardware and a 4 track and still some of the most creative stuff that lasts. I use Live in tandem with cubase...I find as a mix studio...cubase/ptools are by far the most comfortable but Live is tied to, well, a live rig where instruments are played along with other musicians and that is the synergy that no DAW will ever give while making music alone (generally not specifically you :-) They are both really good in their own areas...experimenting is something I enjoy doing of course but I really find it so immediate and left brain compared to a screen. Composing ...com...posing; many things to many people but if S1 is working for you, stick to it and learn to make the best of the other things. I really appreciate the video (using cubase since atari 1040) and find even the old comping of looped takes ie prior to v7 no hassle at all...we used to have to write patch charts for eg an MS20. The creativity comes from a great performance and great artists. One time, I had an egyptian girl come in and sing a spontaneous intro in Arabic...I just put it on loop and left her for a while. When I played it back...wow...so the comp process took a while because there was sooo much good stuff but ultimately just the natural linear takes sounded best...the alternate comping wrecked the natural feel. Art is in the eye/ear of the beholder...if you know what I mean

[@in2gadgets]

Absolutely fantastic, Maarten - thank you so much :-)

[@LanewoodStudios]

You are welcome … again 😉.

[@chrisshollinrake6826]

Thanks for that, have never used them before, will be from now on.

[@LanewoodStudios]

They are very nice for saving previous versions during editing!

[@limerot]

Learned a lot from you, thank you for your insightful Cubase videos. Subscribed. Greetings from Norway!

[@LanewoodStudios]

That’s good to hear! Greeting from the Netherlands.

[@LenSeligmanMusic]

So helpful...thanks!

[@LanewoodStudios]

Great to hear!

[@luckystrke]

Brilliant, thx for this!

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thanks for commenting. Glad you liked the video!

[@skylightmusicshowree]

Thanks for this! I only started using track versions this year. I wasn't aware of the track id function, so thanks for that. I use Track versions in conjunction with the Arranger Track when building song arrangements. I'll look into all it can offer now (including C11). I use the Arranger Track to create Arrangements for Verse, Pre-Chorus, Chorus and Bridge and then use Cubase in a similar way to how I would use Groups in Maschine. It's not exactly the same, but I like some of the features of the Maschine workflow. I couldn't get on with it as a plug-in, or have the time to get to learn it at the moment, so this was a good workaround for me. I may bite the bullet and get to know Maschine over the Christmas holidays...

[@LanewoodStudios]

Sounds like an elaborate setup you use. 👍

[@bakkel]

Why didn’t I ever thought of this workflow for comped and tuned versions… 😳 Used lanes before, but not in this way. Great tip!! 👍🏻

[@LanewoodStudios]

Yes it is very convenient to use them like this. Glad it was helpful 😁.

[@sandipbanerjee9106]

Excellent video Sir ......Thank You Very Much for sharing.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thanks for your comment and you are welcome!