track colors

  • Thread starter Thread starter liv_rong
  • Start date Start date
liv_rong

liv_rong

Knows very little
Is there an option that will create a random track color for each track automatically? Meaning as soon as I create a new track it automatically generates a color?
 
you can get reaper to auto select a track colour, you must define the colours,

I don't know if you can do random colours? :o
 
Thanks for the reply.

Yes, I know how to get it to randomly generate a color or for me to pick a color. I am trying to skip that step. My old DAW would just generate its own colors for each track automatically, Im hoping to get the same results.
 
Try:

1 Load Reaper

2 Insert a new track

3 Right click on the track

4 Select 'track color'

5 Select 'set tracks to random colors'
 
Other than 'looking pretty', is there any real use to coloring your tracks? I've done it a few times and see no real advantage. I move all my guitar tracks next to each other, all vocal tracks next to each other, etc.
 
For me, using the same concept in other DAWs, I use the color coding to help me see what track is playing. Say, guitar 1, red, guitar two, light red, bass Blue, Vocal 1, green, etc. Mainly a visual guide tool, at leas that is what I use it for and it is pretty. :D
 
mjbphotos said:
Other than 'looking pretty', is there any real use to coloring your tracks? I've done it a few times and see no real advantage. I move all my guitar tracks next to each other, all vocal tracks next to each other, etc.
Click to expand...

Color code the tracks by groups is genious. If you get a song with 5 vocal tracks and scads of guitars and mulitiple drum tracks it is a huge help.
 
Atom Bomb said:
Color code the tracks by groups is genious. If you get a song with 5 vocal tracks and scads of guitars and mulitiple drum tracks it is a huge help.
Click to expand...
I understand the principle, but not the application. I can see which tracks are which easy enough by the names.
 
The colors help me a lot in the mixer window and especially in the track list menu. It's makes it a lot easier to see which tracks are where. When you have 20+ tracks, it's easier to see them separated as opposed to just having 24 grey tracks all bunched up together. 4 yellow guitars, 6 green vocals, 4 red drum tracks. Definitely speeds up my workflow.

It's even more handy in the window where all the items are (whatever that's called). A lot easier to see where the verse ends and the chorus starts, and where the bridge is, when you can change the item colors for those parts.
 
Last edited:
I never tried changing song part colors - that I would find handy (verse red, chorus blue, etc) - how do you do that?
 
mjbphotos said:
I never tried changing song part colors - that I would find handy (verse red, chorus blue, etc) - how do you do that?
Click to expand...
Just right click on an actual item, and I think there's a menu where one of the options is "Set item color" or something like that.
 
RAMI said:
Just right click on an actual item, and I think there's a menu where one of the options is "Set item color" or something like that.
Click to expand...


item colours.webp

AND you have to tick the item color box for it to be a different color to the track! :guitar:
 
I don't see how that would set parts of each song (on every track) to a particular color?
 
mjbphotos said:
I don't see how that would set parts of each song (on every track) to a particular color?
Click to expand...
Yeah, I'm not quite sure what Jiff is showing us here. I'm pretty sure all you have to do is right click on the item, and one of the options you'll have is something like "set it item color" or something like that.
 
What that means is the item will take the track color if the box is not ticked
& with it ticked the track & item can be different colors,, BUT I don't know how to seperate things like chorus/verse etc,, maybe with regions or??,, :D
 
jiff 41 said:
What that means is the item will take the track color if the box is not ticked
& with it ticked the track & item can be different colors,, BUT I don't know how to seperate things like chorus/verse etc,, maybe with regions or??,, :D
Click to expand...
Ah, I see. Cool, thanx.

As far as separating verses and choruses, etc....I never thought of regions, but I was thinking you'd just have to split items and change the color of the items that make up that part. I've never used colors that way, but I'm thinking you'd really only have to change the color of one track, just so you can spot it as soon as you look at the screen.
 
RAMI said:
It's even more handy in the window where all the items are (whatever that's called). A lot easier to see where the verse ends and the chorus starts, and where the bridge is, when you can change the item colors for those parts.
Click to expand...

The above is what I was asking about. Especially handy during tracking when I'm keeping half an eye on the screen, trying to read the markers at the top, instead seeing 'blue' approaching ("bridge") would be good.
I don't want to have to split every track at that point and recolor each section that way.
 
Here's what I did to show my mate in OZ the structure,,,, any help?? :drunk:regions.webp

regions is the easiest way that I know of to visually recognise things easily,, there could well be better methods in reaper!
as you can see the region lines are coloured the same as the regions so easy to see when approaching?
 
That seems a bit overkill for me. I know the chords to my songs. I don't need them written out above each change. I sometimes use markers for verse bridge chorus changes but after a couple of times fannying around with colours only found that they hurt my eyes.

The good thing about Reaper though is there is a workflow for everyone :thumbs up:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top