So, track folders are great for contiguous tracks, but if you want to group non-contiguous tracks you need a different solution. For this you can create a bus/submix/aux track. For definition's sake, I think of a submix as a bus routing where you turn off the Master/Parent send of the sending tracks. AKA a way to group tracks together to control with a single fader, or apply FX to the lot. While an aux track is routed in addition to the Master/Parent send. AKA the way you would set up a reverb bus. You want both the original signal and aux feed. So aux = keep Master/Parent send checked, submix = turn off Master/Parent send.
First way to create a bus is manually do the routing. Works but is slow and laborious.
A better way is to use the excellent SWS Cue Buss generator, found under the Extensions menu. Select the options you want and instant bus. Remember to turn off the Master/Parent sends for the tracks if creating a submix.
Continuing to piece the puzzle together, the cue bus generator can be run as an action. This gets rid of the need to open the window.
Now the real power starts to come in when you use a track template option in the cue bus generator. Allows for a more customized bus than a default track.
With all these tools in place, an idea for a custom action begins to emerge. One that creates an aux or submix with minimal work. We need to
- turn off the Master/Parent sends for the selected tracks (if creating a submix)
- use a cue bus generator action on the selected tracks, perhaps with a bus track template we've created
- open a dialog box to name the resulting bus
See if you can create a really efficient action for bussing. You'll save loads of time in the long run.