How to record release envelope?

Discuss music production with Ableton Live.
Post Reply
massivewolf
Posts: 62
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2015 1:56 am

How to record release envelope?

Post by massivewolf » Fri Mar 27, 2015 7:24 pm

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to figure out how to record the release (the part that trails off of a note) in automation. Apologies if I used the wrong term in the thread title.

Thanks in advance!

infernal.machine
Posts: 1051
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2012 1:34 am

Re: How to record release envelope?

Post by infernal.machine » Fri Mar 27, 2015 7:34 pm

What instrument are you using?

You can either use the dropdowns on the automation lane to find the release parameter, or find where you manually adjust the release, right click it, and automate away.

massivewolf
Posts: 62
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2015 1:56 am

Re: How to record release envelope?

Post by massivewolf » Fri Mar 27, 2015 7:41 pm

infernal.machine wrote:What instrument are you using?

You can either use the dropdowns on the automation lane to find the release parameter, or find where you manually adjust the release, right click it, and automate away.
Thanks for the quick response. I'm using Sylenth1.

infernal.machine
Posts: 1051
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2012 1:34 am

Re: How to record release envelope?

Post by infernal.machine » Fri Mar 27, 2015 7:54 pm

OK for VSTs you have to configure the parameters to be able to automate them in Live.

On the Sylenth instrument in your device view, there's a little triangle to unfold device parameters (in between the device on/off and the little wrench icon). Click that triangle, and then activate "Configure". Pull up the sylenth GUI and move the release fader (or whatever other parameter you want to automate). You should see it pop up in the space underneath the configure button. When you're done, deactivate "Configure", right click the new parameter and automate that shit.

massivewolf
Posts: 62
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2015 1:56 am

Re: How to record release envelope?

Post by massivewolf » Fri Mar 27, 2015 8:14 pm

infernal.machine wrote:OK for VSTs you have to configure the parameters to be able to automate them in Live.

On the Sylenth instrument in your device view, there's a little triangle to unfold device parameters (in between the device on/off and the little wrench icon). Click that triangle, and then activate "Configure". Pull up the sylenth GUI and move the release fader (or whatever other parameter you want to automate). You should see it pop up in the space underneath the configure button. When you're done, deactivate "Configure", right click the new parameter and automate that shit.

That's helpful, thanks. Hope I explained this right-- but when I press stop, is it possible to record that part of the release? In other words, I want all of the instruments to stop at the same time, but the release of the synth remain recordable.

infernal.machine
Posts: 1051
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2012 1:34 am

Re: How to record release envelope?

Post by infernal.machine » Fri Mar 27, 2015 8:27 pm

Gonna need more details about your setup to determine exactly what you're trying to do. Are you in session or arrangement? What are you using automation for?

If you are just trying to record the release trail into an audio clip, you can resample or freeze/flatten the track and the trails will be recorded. But this has nothing to do with automation lol

Airyck
Posts: 739
Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2009 11:54 pm
Location: Phoenix, AZ

Re: How to record release envelope?

Post by Airyck » Fri Mar 27, 2015 8:30 pm

Sounds like you just to turn up the release on the amp envelope on Sylenth1
Ableton Live 10 Suite / Push 2 / Max 8 /

massivewolf
Posts: 62
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2015 1:56 am

Re: How to record release envelope?

Post by massivewolf » Fri Mar 27, 2015 8:59 pm

infernal.machine wrote:Gonna need more details about your setup to determine exactly what you're trying to do. Are you in session or arrangement? What are you using automation for?

If you are just trying to record the release trail into an audio clip, you can resample or freeze/flatten the track and the trails will be recorded. But this has nothing to do with automation lol

It''s the second part you suggested.
Last edited by massivewolf on Fri Mar 27, 2015 9:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.

massivewolf
Posts: 62
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2015 1:56 am

Re: How to record release envelope?

Post by massivewolf » Fri Mar 27, 2015 9:15 pm

infernal.machine wrote:Gonna need more details about your setup to determine exactly what you're trying to do. Are you in session or arrangement? What are you using automation for?

If you are just trying to record the release trail into an audio clip, you can resample or freeze/flatten the track and the trails will be recorded. But this has nothing to do with automation lol
Airyck wrote:Sounds like you just to turn up the release on the amp envelope on Sylenth1
Hey Airyck, thanks for your response. Read below.


Infernal- sorry, I tried it and didnt work. I'm in arrangement view.

Basically, I have 7 layers playing together. One bass track, a few sylenth ones, a sample, parts of drums. One of the sylenth synth layers that I shaped is making a really interesting sound with a longer release.

Now, it's a 4-bar loop, and I realized that the middle of the loop is something I'd like to extract for another part in the song. When I press "stop" while recording this piece of the loop in a new audio track, the release part isnt there. It all just stops abruptly, so I figured some sort of automation would help (but I could be wrong)!

Airyck
Posts: 739
Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2009 11:54 pm
Location: Phoenix, AZ

Re: How to record release envelope?

Post by Airyck » Fri Mar 27, 2015 11:03 pm

If you turn off looping on the clip you'll hear the tail. You may need to extend the end of the clip a bit to include a bar or two of silence. Once you freeze that clip it will make an audio file that includes the tail you're hearing.

In arrangement you basically will need to have some "silence" play for a while after the clip to hear the clip tail (before you turn it into audio).

When you freeze and make audio as a loop it wraps the tail into the beginning of the audio (by repeating the loop twice and playing only the second loop) so it sounds correct when looping.
Ableton Live 10 Suite / Push 2 / Max 8 /

massivewolf
Posts: 62
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2015 1:56 am

Re: How to record release envelope?

Post by massivewolf » Sat Mar 28, 2015 2:27 am

Airyck wrote:If you turn off looping on the clip you'll hear the tail. You may need to extend the end of the clip a bit to include a bar or two of silence. Once you freeze that clip it will make an audio file that includes the tail you're hearing.

In arrangement you basically will need to have some "silence" play for a while after the clip to hear the clip tail (before you turn it into audio).

When you freeze and make audio as a loop it wraps the tail into the beginning of the audio (by repeating the loop twice and playing only the second loop) so it sounds correct when looping.
I should've just said midi clip (I only mentioned it in context of a loop because that was how I narrowed in on that specific trail when I pressed stop). To reiterate, since I pressed stop, hearing the tail from the middle of a loop wasn't the issue at all. In fact, since it's the middle of the loop that it's being recorded from and not the end of it, the loop should be a non-issue.

When I stop the clip, the release sound from that particular layer still resonates. Should I just disable the other layers while recording except for the layer with the long release to get the desired effect?

Sorry if this sounds redundant, I just think I havent explained it thoroughly enough. I'm more concerned with getting the abrupt stop recorded and the trail off from that, and not a trail that just happens when you've reached the end of a clip.

infernal.machine
Posts: 1051
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2012 1:34 am

Re: How to record release envelope?

Post by infernal.machine » Sat Mar 28, 2015 5:32 pm

Yeah I really still have no idea what you're talking about haha.

It seems like using some combination of shortening the MIDI note in the clip, soloing the tracks you want to record, and resampling the audio coming out of the set should give you whatever desired effect you want, but I don't know.

massivewolf
Posts: 62
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2015 1:56 am

Re: How to record release envelope?

Post by massivewolf » Sat Mar 28, 2015 8:46 pm

infernal.machine wrote:Yeah I really still have no idea what you're talking about haha.

It seems like using some combination of shortening the MIDI note in the clip, soloing the tracks you want to record, and resampling the audio coming out of the set should give you whatever desired effect you want, but I don't know.
Haha. I'm not the best at being clear. Maybe I'll just upload a video of what I'm trying to do and link it. I'll be back. Thanks.

Post Reply