Solved Script For Coloring Tracks By Instrument Type?

[Randall Rothenberg]

Is there a macro or a script or something that will automatically set my track colors by instrument type? I’m imagining all guitar tracks in red, all drum tracks in blue, basses in green, etc etc. Or whatever the colors - I’m happy to adopt someone else’s color scheme. I’d just like this to be more automated than it is.

 

[Trucky]

Welcome to the Forum!

The Color Toolbar add-on script provides what you're asking and more...

Color Toolbar 3 Add-on for Studio One

 

[RedSkyRoad]

Color Toolbar 3 is awesome

 

[dawzone]

Welcome to the Forum!

The Color Toolbar add-on script provides what you're asking and more...

Color Toolbar 3 Add-on for Studio One

View attachment 997

well...that changes everything

 

[daw stew]

I'm surprised that this user created add on hasn't been built into S1. The add on has been out about 4 years. It brings great functionality, I cant understand why it's not been incorporated into the software's code

 

[Randall Rothenberg]

Thanks for this suggestion! I like it, but I’m finding it a bit confusing to use. The colors keep changing on me. I think I’m not using the “conform” function properly. I’ll keep working it.

 

[Trucky]

Be sure to watch the Color Toolbar video tutorial or read the PDF manual.
It would help if you could post a screenshot of the Conform result and what you mean by "colors keep changing on me"...

 

[Randall Rothenberg]

Thank you again, Trucky! I've read through the manual and watched the videos, but I'm still not getting it right. I'm sure I'm doing something dense, but I can't figure it out. Here are some photos to illustrate (I had to reduce their size so the forum could take them v- I hope they're readable):

So, in order:
#1 is my custom track template, with 10 folder tracks with clearly differentiated colors.
#2 is the color setup in Color Toolbar, which I'm pretty sure matches the template.
#3 is me about to launch a new Studio One song NOT from my template, but just from a blank screen, to see if 10 tracks will conform to my Color Toolbar custom scheme
#4 is the new song with the 10 tracks, which don't completely match my Color Toolbar choices. As you can see, tracks 4-5 repeat themselves on 7-8, and the other colors don't match up.

I think I'm using this all wrong. And I can't figure out how to automate the track and mixer icons (if they are indeed automatable.)

It's not a big deal, because the templates work, but I'd love to know how to use this properly.

 

[Trucky]

Sorry, I need better attached screenshots from you (too blurry) to see names to what's assigned.

From what I can see, your #4 screenshot has generic (Track 1, Track 2, Track 3, etc.) names assigned.
For Conform to work as expected, it requires tracks to have specific names (Drums, Bass, Vocal, etc.) to match names assigned to colors in the CT3 Editor.

Open the attachment to see an example of what I need for screenshots.
It shows results for a Drums folder with Kick, Snare, OH L & OH R tracks and a Bass track.

 

[Randall Rothenberg]

Trucky, does this help? The first one is my template in S1 Seven. The second one is the Color Palette Editor from the Toolbar that's not applying correctly. If this isn't good enough, I'll get you more. Many thanks for your help here!

 

[Trucky]

Much better, but did you see my comment regarding generic track names in your #4 screenshot?

Attached is the Conform results I get when I use your Folder track names with your color assignments.

 

[Randall Rothenberg]

Much better, but did you see my comment regarding generic track names in your #4 screenshot?

Attached is the Conform results I get when I use your Folder track names with your color assignments.

I missed it, but re-looked. Here’s exactly what I mean - which likely reflect my ignorance of how to actually use the toolbar: I assumed that when I filled out the program reflected in the edit menu photo, that would then somehow be reflected in the way tracks are colored and named, automatically. I’m sure that’s one of the things I’m doing wrong, but I’m not sure how to do it right.

 

[Randall Rothenberg]

The answer may lie in how you got the same results I did. Like, is it as basic as you fill in the program, and there’s a place in which your track names-colors are listed in a dropdown? Have I missed that?

 

[Trucky]

What I posted in the screenshot is specific to what you asked for but for the sake of time I need to refer you back to the Color Toolbar website.
The home and help pages include video tutorials, a detailed help section, a PDF manual and additional tips and information to learn how everything works. Instead of starting from scratch I'd recommend ignoring what colors you prefer for your tracks and use the Color Toolbar factory default and settings. The choice for factory default is located in the main menu. The Color Toolbar Editor manages a database that includes over 480 instruments. You can always add more instruments if needed. It also provides logic to help move any group of instruments from the default assigned color slot to the color slot you prefer. There's a number of other features included with Color Toolbar that's described in detail on the website.

 

[Randall Rothenberg]

I got it now, thanks to you! I didn’t realize how the basic functionality works: That colors attach to category names and keywords, and that means you have to BOTH name the tracks AND press the conform button to label them. I thought it’d work like an S1 template. Anyway, thank you for guiding me.

 

[Trucky]

Sorry, I'm just so familiar with how everything works in Color Toolbar.
Let me know if there's details missing that need to be added to the website, video tutorial or documentation to make this more obvious.

 

[BobF]

Trucky - Minor thing with the web site. Installation folder example all say "most likely Studio One 6"

The intent is obvious, but ...

Great tool

 

[Trucky]

Thanks @BobF!
Website updated to say Studio One 7.

 

[Randall Rothenberg]

Sorry, I'm just so familiar with how everything works in Color Toolbar.
Let me know if there's details missing that need to be added to the website, video tutorial or documentation to make this more obvious.

I started to ruminate on why I was so confused in working my way through this. In part, it’s about the classic problem of finding the simplicity on the other side of complexity - a classic learning curve problem with software.

That said, Color Toolbar is much simpler to use than the video and website description makes it out to be. For example, the site opens with a long paragraph talking about graphic design standards and slots, before it even tells you what the add-on does. So one thing I’d recommend you is a very clear opening that says something like:

1. Color Toolbar allows users to automate the coloring of tracks, mix channels, arrangement sections, events, and almost everything else that can be colored to make S1 navigation and workflow faster.
2. Color Toolbar comes built in with a set of standardized colors so you can start working with it right out of box. But you can also customize your own selections. If you want your bass tracks always to be blue and your drum tracks red, you can do that. If you want all the individual drum channels nested in a bus to be different shades of red, you can do that, too.
3. Color Toolbar works by associating specific colors to specific headline categories, and to all the keywords associated with that category. All it takes is one press of a button to automatically color all your tracks, channels, events, etc. So any time you notate a track or channel as a Woodwind (and/or a saxophone, a clarinet, or a flute) and press the “conform” button, all those tracks will take on the the color you chose.
4. Try it now! Open up a new Studio One song. Press the letter “T” to open the track dialogue. Tell it to launch 6 instrument tracks. Then change those tracks from the default names “Track 1,” “Track 2,” etc., to more specific names, such as “Electric Guitar,” “Brass,” and “Piano.” Open Color Trackbar by pressing the icon at the top of the screen (the one to the left of the macros icon) and press the “conform” button. The tracks and their mixer channels will change colors to reflect Color Toolbar’s built-in standard colors.

Anyway, something like that.

Two other side notes: The WIX hosting site is difficult to use on a mobile device - it blanks out when I try to scroll. And the launch video is for an earlier version; e.g., the video shows the C, T, S, and G buttons defaulted at top center, but they’re not present in the version I just downloaded.

But it works, and I get it now, because of you - thanks!

 

[Trommler]

I'm surprised that this user created add on hasn't been built into S1. The add on has been out about 4 years. It brings great functionality, I cant understand why it's not been incorporated into the software's code

Basically, Studio One should have at least an AI function for years, which can automatically identify every audio and instrument track, labeling all these tracks, sorted all these tracks, assign symbols to all these tracks, colorize all these tracks accordingly, generate folders and make sub-buses for all these tracks and so on. Only with one click. Once as a reminder for all software developers out there. The computer should significantly support the user and make upcoming tasks automated and simplify and not make it unnecessarily difficult. But we are far away from that.