Coming up: CSIX AE Series v3.5
Fixed size of the control area (no auto-wrapping)
The standard B-layout in the upcoming version makes it possible to work with a non-auto-wrapping TCP, where the buttons does not automatically reposition when the panel width is reduced. With the new layout, it is therefore possible to either use a dynamic flow of elements (Layout A and C) or to have them fixated, even in the same theme.
To have a nicely framed appearance of the controls area, all buttons should preferably be displayed in the B-layout. It is still possible to hide elements via the Theme Adjuster, but this will of course affect the alignment.
New options for the TCP will only be available in the AE Series. Latest CSIX Theme Adjuster v3.09 is required.
CSIX version 3.4.1
New options with MASTER W in AE Series
With the existing WIDE_MASTER layout there’s now an option to let the combined VU/loudness meter fill the width of the panel, or alternatively, to have four large action buttons for easy access. By default these actions use the script Xenakios/SWS Set Volume, which can be used to nudge the master output in steps of exactly 1.0 dB, or to set unity gain.
Unlike MASTER WS (Wide + Sidebar), the modified MASTER W layout can be made wide regardless if an embedded GUI is present in the Extended Mixer, which can be useful for multi-channel metering.
New options for the master mixer is available only for AE Series and may be implemented to other Series later on.
Latest CSIX Theme Adjuster v3.08 is required to set the new options.
Tweaked Meters in AE Narrow Slate (semi-dark variant)
When tracks are armed for recording, the meter bars (in AE Slate) now has a yellow range from -24dB up to -6dB, and high peaks displayed in a light red color. When recording into REAPER, the color ranges can be used as guidance for adjusting levels and to clearly monitor peaks that overshoot 0dBFS (indicated by a solid dark red).
Also for mixing and finalizing tasks e.g. podcasts and broadcasts, the -24dB transition can be useful to roughly gain-stage tracks and busses, and to preserve the dynamic range of the material.
CSIX Series version 3.4
New alternate TCP Master in CSIX AE Series
The Master Track Panel B-layout in AE Series v3.4, is created to have a compact view of the master track that is more subdued and does not take too much attention away from the tracks below.
All master controls are available, just in a different and more space-efficient way. For convenience, a few action buttons have been added that can be used as is or customized in the configuration. Like other embedded actions in the CSIX Series, they provide quick access to frequently used functions, making the workflow smooth and efficient.
Note that VU meters under the CSIX Series have mouse-sensitive areas, e.g. on the TCP Master where you can click on the meter scale to bring up routing, or in the readout area to reset peak value, and alternatively, by right-clicking to bring up the corresponding context menu.
Here’s a walk-through, showing that each control is strategically placed to allow for intuitive interaction:
CSIX Series version 3.3
Version 3.3 introduce significant changes to all CSIX themes and variants.
Some changes have been made to streamline the appearance in cases where different types of layouts are used together, and other changes are implemented to accommodate the latest features in REAPER such as ‘Fixed Lane’ track mode or the ability to toggle TCP width.
In CSIX v3.3, the TCP area now has a different behavior when it’s made narrow. Rather than collapsing the controls and hiding them when width is too small, elements are now retained and instead covered by the main arrangement window, which can then be adjusted manually or toggled between A and B settings. This by using the new native action for ‘TCP area width’ (ID 43188).
CSIX provide further options for setting up responsive layouts where the presence of elements depends on user interactions, e.g. whether track is selected, if it’s armed for recording or if the mixer is visible. However, with all these possibilities and settings in combination, it’s likely to encounter having set up the theme in such a way, that elements suddenly seem to have disappeared(!)
Fortunately, the latest CSIX Theme Adjuster (v3.06) now has a Reset Button that, when used, returns the theme to its initial default settings, displaying all basic controls and only a few elements with responsive behavior. The available Action Buttons ↙︎, in TCP and MCP are all coded to show only when tracks are selected. Furthermore, all actions, as well for the Transport Bar and Master Mixer, can be reduced or turned off completely.
New in CSIX AE Series: Fx on the right
The latest version in the AE Series ⧉ now also allows you to have Fx/Inserts on the right side of the TCP by using Layout C, which can be set as the default format, just like it’s been available for other CSIX Series. In the AE Series, it’s also possible to set maximum columns for the list overview.
By default the right-aligned Fx List contains both Fx/Inserts, Parameters and track Sends. Alternatively there’s a Preferences checkbox in the Theme Adjuster to hide Sends in the Fx List, and instead have a separate Sends List on the left side of the panel.
Below is a brief example showing the right-aligned Inserts list with the latest AE Narrow Light theme.
Note the function to reset theme parameters. It is highly recommended to do this at least once for each updated theme variant, to ensure that new settings from the Theme Adjuster are loaded correctly, especially if you have previously used CSIX.
New features with CSIX version 3 and REAPER 7.
In CSIX, AE and BC Series, there’s now an option to enable and adjust custom color overlays on control panels, and all CSIX themes include action buttons inside the workspace, right where you typically have the most focus.
Action buttons have an advantage over regular toolbar buttons as they can be assigned special properties and conditions. For example, they can be set to appear only if a panel is selected or when it has a certain size. In REAPER 7, the new custom element can also be defined as an interactive area and contain different content, such as action scripts, images, text, lines or boxes. This way, a button with a toggle function can also be displayed with a graphical icon, but as it stands now, it cannot automatically switch images and provide visual feedback on the on/off state of the assigned function.
An example of such custom button can be found in the Transport Bar, where there’s an option to toggle the metronome on and off. Although the button does not change its appearance in the two settings, it’s still included and be used if you like.
Please note that themes under the CSIX Series offer different features and works under different layout premises. Some theme variants may not have color overlays or the same number of action buttons. If a function, feature or layout is not available for a given variant, it will usually be indicated in the CSIX Theme Adjuster by showing ‘N/A’ in the parameter readout.
Here are some of the features in version 3 and how they can be set:
Action buttons
Action buttons on tracks and in the transport bar provide access to both scripts and functions in a new and exciting way. When using the alternative “Transport-2” layout found in the latest AE and BC series, it’s possible to have an arsenal of over 70 different action buttons, all of which can be edited relatively easily in the theme configuration. By doing this, you can also make your own custom scripts available or define special buttons to run installed third-party extensions.
Editing the theme configuration can be done in a simple text editor and requires some familiarity with renaming, extracting and handling files in the system. Below is an example of how to extract .ReaperThemeZip and edit rtconfig.txt.
Note that non-native scripts are typically given a unique ID that only applies to the current REAPER installation. In the case of multiple installations, it may therefore be necessary to update the ID commands.
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