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Have Ableton-style "fixed length" audio recording

0
xsterxster San FranciscoPosts: 22

This would be particularly useful for live performances where you decide before looping how long of an audio loop you want to record, and once recording starts, your no longer have to perform any other actions to have your recording automatically stop and loop.

I understand that currently you can

Start recording on an empty audio clip, then manually time the stop of the recording before your desired length. This is not great because you have less cognitive load before starting the recording (while things are already looping) and more cognitive load when the recording started (since you're already busy with both hands playing an external audio source or guitar). Having to take your hand off and perform a timed action or buy a midi footswitch are not showstoppers, but seems like an unnecessary impediment.

You can also start recording, not do timed actions, let it overflow the desired length, then go back later into the clip editor, scroll to the end to start editing the end time and move it forward to clip to the right length. But this has the disadvantage that at the end of the desired length, the clip you just recorded is not looping (since it's still recording extra lengths). Going into the clip editor is also unnecessary additional labor vs setting the length ahead of time.

You can also pre-record the desired number of bars with empty content through a "trial playback". Time that dummy clip to stop at the right time, then use continuous overdub to record the real clip and let it auto-stop at the right time. Stop the additional overdubbing once you're done playing (pressing undo seems the fastest). But this also has issues. For one, after laying down the groove, if you're about to bust into a 16 bar guitar riff, you'd have to first wait 16 bars recording empty content to set the "template" clip first which is awkward musically. Also, if you want to record something high gain and noisy, you'd also have to mess with your amp or mixer before hand to turn off the signal to not record excessive noise and turn the setting back on right before recording.

An Ableton-style "fixed length" that you set ahead of time has none of these disadvantages, is super easy to set-up and seems simple to implement. The audio clips already have a clip length (which is ignored while recording). The simplest solution is just to have a global setting for "respect clip length when recording audio track".

The current mechanism of always letting audio recording overflow seems like it could be useful in some circumstances, but I'd argue it shouldn't be the default, and definitely shouldn't be the only way to record.

Comments

  • 1
    amiga909amiga909 Central EuropePosts: 1,078

    @xster said:
    You can also pre-record the desired number of bars with empty content through a "trial playback". Time that dummy clip to stop at the right time, then use continuous overdub to record the real clip and let it auto-stop at the right time. Stop the additional overdubbing once you're done playing (pressing undo seems the fastest). But this also has issues. For one, after laying down the groove, if you're about to bust into a 16 bar guitar riff, you'd have to first wait 16 bars recording empty content to set the "template" clip first which is awkward musically.

    have u tried setting the length of the Audio clip manually? shift + LR knob to set the length works for audio clips too.

  • -1
    xsterxster San FranciscoPosts: 22

    It doesn't do the same thing in audio clips as it does for midi or synth clips. Presetting a length in an audio clip before recording doesn't do much (the very subtle effect it has is to actually let you stop the recording in a length that's a multiple of the length, but you still have to perform a timed stop yourself).

  • 0
    amiga909amiga909 Central EuropePosts: 1,078

    you can use overdub recording, hit an Audition button below an audio track.

  • 0
    amiga909amiga909 Central EuropePosts: 1,078

    the Deluge has tons of recording options, some do self-extend record, some not.

  • 0
    xsterxster San FranciscoPosts: 22

    I described the pros and cons of continuous overdubs in my original post.

  • 0
    amiga909amiga909 Central EuropePosts: 1,078

    @xster said:
    I described the pros and cons of continuous overdubs in my original post.

    I just tried to help, mate. You wrote

    Stop the additional overdubbing once you're done playing (pressing undo seems the fastest). But this also has > issues. For one, after laying down the groove, if you're about to bust into a 16 bar guitar riff, you'd have to first wait > 16 bars recording empty content to set the "template" clip first which is awkward musically.

    If I got you right, I tried to point out you can you speed the workflow by setting the audio clip length as described.

  • 0
    xsterxster San FranciscoPosts: 22

    Oh I see what you're saying. I didn't understand what you meant originally. You're saying do use continuous overdub but instead of manually pre-recording a blank track with the right length, just set that track's length then overdub it.

    Right, that solves it. It's a bit of gymnastics but it does make the continuous overdub the best option. Thanks!

  • 0
    amiga909amiga909 Central EuropePosts: 1,078

    I did not take the time to explain myself well enough, sorry, thanks for the heads up, cool you got inspired.

    As for your suggestion, I find it interesting fixed length clip recording could have more priority. I can refer to wanting fixed length recording mostly always and self-extend recording only in a few cases.

    I did not find much usage for me with the new recording functions in v3 yet, not a section i am well experienced. I got the feel it is more thought for live music, bands or instrumentalists. Before v3 you could not record self-extend in a clip at all and it was heavily requested but it never bothered myself. I dont use Ableton but I am used to pattern based music making and setting the length of a musical idea before recording is more natural for me.

    I dont know if there is a workaround to get fixed length recording without overdub recording.

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