blinddrew wrote:Plenty of us struggle with keeping track of one rhythm...
I need to investigate Ableton further, to see if it's possible to play back a selection of clips while recording them into an arrangement.
Yes it is. That’s one of of main features. I use Bitwig Studio myself, which does the same thing, and that is also very good. Bitwig also has a lot of CV stuff for Eurorack if you have the means of getting these CVs out of your computer (I use an Expert Sleepers ES-3 for this) as well as its own software modular environment (the Grid)
If it’s just a couple of tracks the free versions may well be fine for you.
Thanks Ramirez, I’ve got Ableton Live Lite, can you tell me if it’s possible to have Midi loops as clips, or do clips have to consist of audio only?
I must admit, I do find a Ableton a bit of a steep learning curve!
Arpangel wrote:...you’d think ... it would be possible to do what I want to do without having to make work-arounds.
It is... but you need the right tools for the job! A builder wouldn't use a screwdriver to makes holes in the wall, or a drill bit to open a tin of paint... oh... wait... !
...it must be possible to "unlock" us from being tied to one master clock that controls playback and record, why isn’t it possible to do this?
It's not about 'master clocks' it's about 'timelines'. Loops need a circular timeline, recording needs a linear one. Most DAWs are based on the concept of a multitrack tape recorder -- and you couldn't pay loops on one of those either! You'd need separate tape machines.
Some DAWs have the facilities for both sample/loop playback and linear recording, some don't. You just need the right tool for the right job -- in your case you need a loop playback feature within the DAW -- as recommended by others above. Ableton is the obvious choice, but there others that work in a similar way.
Last edited by Hugh Robjohns on Wed Jun 10, 2020 11:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
Technical Editor, Sound On Sound...
(But generally posting my own personal views and not necessarily those of SOS, the company or the magazine!)
In my world, things get less strange when I read the manual...
blinddrew wrote:Plenty of us struggle with keeping track of one rhythm...
I need to investigate Ableton further, to see if it's possible to play back a selection of clips while recording them into an arrangement.
Yes it is. That’s one of of main features. I use Bitwig Studio myself, which does the same thing, and that is also very good. Bitwig also has a lot of CV stuff for Eurorack if you have the means of getting these CVs out of your computer (I use an Expert Sleepers ES-3 for this) as well as its own software modular environment (the Grid)
If it’s just a couple of tracks the free versions may well be fine for you.
Thanks Ramirez, I’ve got Ableton Live Lite, can you tell me if it’s possible to have Midi loops as clips, or do clips have to consist of audio only?
I must admit, I do find a Ableton a bit of a steep learning curve!
Pretty sure that clips can be MIDI only. I know it can in Bitwig.
It can be a bit of a learning curve. I use Reaper for 99% of my 'professional' work, traditional' recording tasks of bands, choirs, etc. as well as eiditng and mixing.
But I use Bitwig a lot for my own music/sound, experimenting and writing.
Arpangel wrote:...you’d think ... it would be possible to do what I want to do without having to make work-arounds.
It is... but you need the right tools for the job! A builder wouldn't use a screwdriver to makes holes in the wall, or a drill bit to open a tin of paint... oh... wait... !
...it must be possible to "unlock" us from being tied to one master clock that controls playback and record, why isn’t it possible to do this?
It's not about 'master clocks' it's about 'timelines'. Loops need a circular timeline, recording needs a linear one. Most DAWs are based on the concept of a multitrack tape recorder -- and you couldn't pay loops on one of those either! You'd need separate tape machines.
Some DAWs have the facilities for both sample/loop playback and linear recording, some don't. You just need the right tool for the right job -- in your case you need a loop playback feature within the DAW -- as recommended by others above. Ableton is the obvious choice, but there others that work in a similar way.
I loaded Ableton, and promptly had to go to the loo....
Technical Editor, Sound On Sound...
(But generally posting my own personal views and not necessarily those of SOS, the company or the magazine!)
In my world, things get less strange when I read the manual...
If I understand your issue correctly, this might do it for you;
Select the item you are looping. Hit F2, and tick the box that says 'Loop'. Then L click on the right edge of the item and drag it out to the desired length.
If you need to save a file of that new length, select the extended item, and use Render Selected Items.
I can't speak for Reaper, but I wonder if it's the same as this...
In Cubase, If I record round and round a short loop, the track I record to is actually recording for the length of time I leave it running. After recording, if I drag the recorded track out it's all there.
