Ripple Edit - for Events and Ranges (voice overs, podcasts e.g.)

+1. I have grown used to this in Video Editors and I forget it’s missing in Cubase. But yeah, it would be -very- handy.

I don’t know whether SB will add this feature or not, but I’m posting this to show how it can be achieved now. Don’t take at as a dis to the request. (I’m reposting my post from from the Nuendo sub-forum)

But in any case, this can be done with macros, and a PLE preset.

For all tracks:
Select the earliest object to be included in the edit, then
Macro:
Locate Selection Start
Select from Cursor to end

To do this on a selection of tracks:

  • Select tracks upon which objects should be moved
  • Select the earliest object to be included in the edit, then
    Macro:
  • Locate Selection Start
  • Select all on tracks
  • PLE preset:
    Property is Set: Event is Selected
    Position Beyond Cursor
    Function: Select

I’ve included the PLE preset: Steinberg Forums

Thank you Steve, this is of course helpful, but it definitely doesn’t come close to the workflow of the ripple edit mode that has been described and requested.

With the Cubase macro approach you have suggested, for example, it requires a key to be pressed EACH TIME to make the selection (obviously), which isn’t a problem if what you need to do is very simple and occasional. However, as soon as you need to do something more complex or repetitive across many little clips close together spread out over many tracks, the need to hit the key for the macro EACH TIME you change selections becomes very frustrating and slows down the workflow considerably.

For example, when editing a complex multi-track dialog project with hundreds of little clips close together (which is common for a heavy dialog session with several speakers/voice actors), where you need to adjust a tiny bit on one clip, then a tiny bit on another, then on another, then on another, etc… while ALL the following clips in the timeline ripple their positions automatically, the Cubase macro approach would be VERY tedious indeed. EVERY time you wanted to tweak a different clip (and have all the following clips ripple), you would need to hit the key command again. Which would therefore be THREE clicks or keystrokes: 1 click (select the clip to adjust) + 2 press key for macro (to run the macro and select all following clips) + 3 then click and drag.

Contrast that to the ripple MODE as requested here and once you turn the ripple MODE on, all you have to do is ONE click and it works like butter: 1 click and drag – and that’s it! Everything else automatically follows perfectly, smooth as can be.

The workflow with a ripple MODE is lightning fast when you’re doing tons of tiny little edits on any track/clip in the project, and so the Cubase macro approach you’ve kindly suggested is only really useful if you don’t have to do anything complex or repetitive.

For anything complex, the macro approach is not only very slow but ALSO more prone to human error since there are more clicks/keystrokes in between each desired action, leaving more room for mistakes to happen. From my own experience, I’ve dealt with such issues, and one misplaced click when you’re going fast and it has blown up projects for me before. A “ripple MODE” is FAR more safe.

Additionally, in Reaper (and I hate to even mention the name of the DAW here since it evokes certain negative emotions from some people here), there is a second ripple MODE that focuses just one ONE track at a time, which is another nice tool.

Hope that all makes sense.

Personally, I’ve just accepted that Steinberg hasn’t added this feature. I’ve asked for it for years and years, and I gave up on it. Maybe this thread will spark interest again. When I have to do a complex dialog editing project nowadays, I jump over to Reaper, work there for a while, export stems, then come back to Cubase (or whatever other DAW I need to use for that project). I do sincerely hope that the Steinberg developers are listening though, because if Cubase were to implement a true Ripple Editing MODE, it would be highly appreciated by many, many people, especially people who produce complex multi-track podcasts with several speakers and voice talent and also audiobooks, etc. It would be a great tool for sound designers and music producers too, who want free-form manipulation of complex layered multi-track elements.

Thank you uarte, that was a perfect and deep explanation. Music producers and film scorers (I can’t even tell you how many hundreds and hundreds of times over the past 2 1/2 years of being on Cubase that this would have been a giant time-saver and workflow boon in my scoring work) would benefit massively from this, as well.

These are the not-so-bright-and-fancy things that make working on a DAW day-in-and-day-out for your work a joy. I hope Steinberg focusses hugely on workflow enhancing features like this for the next major update, because they really make a very significant speed difference.

It’s not as if I’m debating you uarte. The act of posting a workaround is not the equivalent of saying it either replaces, or is better than, the request. Good example of a use-case for the saying ‘no good deed goes unpunished’ though.

The argumentativeness of these posts does nothing to help get this feature implemented, and I don’t doubt that my workaround is useful to some subset of users who want the feature.

Hi Steve, Definitely not trying to be argumentative with you – just pointing out the scenarios where a ripple edit MODE would be greatly appreciated and the workaround would not work well for anything complex. Nothing personal at all about that. As I mentioned at the beginning of my post, I thanked you and mentioned your post was helpful. Later in the post I indicate that I appreciated your kind suggestion. There was no sarcasm there, and I genuinely meant those words, and appreciate your help. Apologies if anything came across sarcastic. Certainly wasn’t intended.

And YES, I do believe that your workaround is indeed useful for a subset of scenarios. Of course! Even for me – I personally have used a similar workaround for years when the task I have to do doesn’t merit jumping out of Cubase to Reaper, doing the ripple editing there, exporting stems, then coming back into Cubase and importing the stems. So I definitely appreciate what you’re saying.

I hope you also know there are good folks on this forum who don’t argue for argument’s sake, but are simply having a constructive discussion, so there are zero negative feelings on my side, hope the same for you. If anything, we are on the same side actually.

As for the saying “no good deed goes unpunished” I know what you mean, this forum has been toxic at times, but my response was not that kind of response. Hope we’re on the same page about this.

Thanks uarte, much appreciated.

+1

+1

Hi everyone,

I work in a radio for the creation of documentary and fiction. Projects may be complex. Without the ripple edit, we do not advance in confidence. It is an indispensable tool. We use Sadie, and in this software there is the riplle edit in both directions, separate or simultaneous (this mode is great when it is added to a trim window… but this is another subject). If only Cubase had this option, it would perhaps avoid seeing too many people going to Reaper (and what a pity!).

Thanks for reading me.

Ripple editing can be a good thing. But, from my experience with my Vegas video editing package, if you forget that it is active it can totally ruin an edit. Obviously you have undo but if you don’t notice straight away and do lots of things then realise things have moved from where they should be it can be nasty. Vegas allows ripple editing of selected track or all tracks. So I reckon that’s what you need to add. It would also have to be a properly designed button that makes it obvious. Sadly, Cubase Gui is getting worse in that respect. Ed

+1

Agreed 1000%

+1

  • 1

Yes! +1

I switched to Reaper a short while ago after getting frustrated with some things on Cubase (GUI problem on Mac, and more), but I keep checking back to see what the status is, hoping I might be able to come back. The ripple feature in Reaper is stunningly great for fast and efficient work such as rippling the entire session including MIDI and all automation (without needing to open all automation then hide it that would require a lot of more steps, clicks, and selections in Cubase. It’s incredible how much time this saves in the day for me on songs, and it would benefit so many users, even those who have never used it before in other DAWs/hadn’t heard of it.

We all know that Shift + Double Click on part selects all parts to the right on that track.

I wish Steinberg could make, say:

  1. Shift + A + Double Click for units to the right from the double clicked part/event ripple on all tracks.
  2. Shift + you_name_it + Double Click for Selected Tracks Ripple.
  3. Also, some blinking button to warn us to proceed with utmost caution because many units would be affected by edit (or parts/events colour change to ‘ripple’ colour; or all parts blinking in some jolly conspicuous way to signal us that all these units possess Ripple status).

WOULND’T IT BE WONDERFUL???

Great idea for implementation. I would add that #1 should also move all automation data on every single track/channel (including groups, auxes, master, etc.) as well, otherwise it will all be out of synch with the rippled tracks.

My friend, strike me hard if I’m wrong but methinks that automation data is attached to events/parts by default in Cubase/Nuendo. Therefore one should not worry about them at all.

Yes, totally - it is for the actual events/parts, but not for Groups, Sends, Master Faders, etc., which of course are crucial automation-wise.