There are two different issues in play here: (I think!)
1. some means of playing "what you see is what you get" in a row. A strict, repeat this row behaviour. Empty slots == silent track.
2. a way of having empty patterns (to have a silent track) in a row, without taking up a lot of visual space, i.e. different colors or symbols available
I understand the problems associated with 1, that it isn't normal tracker style, etc. It's ableton style. It would of course, prevent normal trickling down, and really only makes sense with an isolated row. That said, I think a key combo like shift+double start, or shift-ok-start could work.
I'd be happy with just 2, though, as it meets the same goal. The user is responsible for making their own empty patterns as he sees fit. The only difference is that I'm able to define a pattern as being 'blue' or 'red' or whatever, some different font or background color, or choice of symbol. That way a song doesn't have a lot of 00 or 11s used as a flag that look similar to other patterns. I could choose one colour for empty patterns, and have multiple empty patterns of different lengths, but choose the same colour.
Thanks for considering this kind of thing, thanks for helpful comments, all.
(edit - somehow missed comments above. Yes, option B sounds good, addresses 1. above, but with a mode switch rather than a key combo)
1. some means of playing "what you see is what you get" in a row. A strict, repeat this row behaviour. Empty slots == silent track.
2. a way of having empty patterns (to have a silent track) in a row, without taking up a lot of visual space, i.e. different colors or symbols available
I understand the problems associated with 1, that it isn't normal tracker style, etc. It's ableton style. It would of course, prevent normal trickling down, and really only makes sense with an isolated row. That said, I think a key combo like shift+double start, or shift-ok-start could work.
I'd be happy with just 2, though, as it meets the same goal. The user is responsible for making their own empty patterns as he sees fit. The only difference is that I'm able to define a pattern as being 'blue' or 'red' or whatever, some different font or background color, or choice of symbol. That way a song doesn't have a lot of 00 or 11s used as a flag that look similar to other patterns. I could choose one colour for empty patterns, and have multiple empty patterns of different lengths, but choose the same colour.
Thanks for considering this kind of thing, thanks for helpful comments, all.
(edit - somehow missed comments above. Yes, option B sounds good, addresses 1. above, but with a mode switch rather than a key combo)