GROUP TRACK GOTCHAS

There are two things about group tracks that tend to mess people up. First off, there’s the Arrange view:

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Notice that when the track Lead1 is unfolded you can see its volume control (as well as pan, sends, etc.), but when the group track LeadGrp is unfolded, you just see the tracks inside of it – you can’t actually see it’s volume and other important controls. To show these, you have to expand the view by hovering the mouse at the lower boundary of the group track’s title until it becomes a splitter. Then drag down to reveal its full controls:

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The other Group Track Gotcha is that it’s very easy to mute or solo tracks within a group, then fold the group and forget about it. Later on, you realize that you’re not hearing all of the tracks you should.

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In the Session view, there’s a little interface tip-off to help you out when grouped tracks are soloed. The unfold arrow turns blue:

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Unfortunately, in the Arrangement view (and in the case of muting rather than soloing tracks), you’re on your own. So be careful!