How to create a smart looper

Discuss music production with Ableton Live.
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fabiospark
Posts: 50
Joined: Mon Dec 31, 2018 7:08 pm

How to create a smart looper

Post by fabiospark » Fri Nov 29, 2019 7:18 pm

I'd like to record a guitar from an usb interface to a stereo track (I'm getting the stereo out of an external ampli)
and I ask if it is possible to set up Ableton Live Suite (10.1.3) to get this kind of behaviour. (Sort of a super looper).

1 - Set up a drum track and let it play a rhythm.
-- Layer 1
2 - With the guitar record a loop into a clip on a track with the name of the sound (i.e. Crunch).
As soon as you finish recording, the clip should start playing back.
3 - Record a second loop with the same sound and put it into another clip on the same track
4 - Repeat step 3 as you like, getting each time a new clip on the same track.

-- Layer 2a
5 - After changing the sound on the external ampli, while listening to one of the previously created loops (Crunch track clips),
record a new loop in clip on a track with the name of the sound (i.e. Lead).
6 - Repeat step 5 as you like, getting each time a new clip on the same track.
-- Layer 2b
7 - Start the playback of a different clip on the track Crunch and record a new loop into a new clip on the track Lead
8 - Repeat step 7 as you like, getting each time a new clip

In the end one should see in each track a few clips each one with a different piece of performance
and it should be possible to edit and adjust the recorded clips.

To change the slot where to record it would be nice being able to use some gear that would let you
navigate through the slots with four footswitches working as four arrows and some other switch to arm/unarm,
record/overdub/play/pause/stop/undo/clear etc.

Maybe it's impossible,
maybe it would be too complicated,
maybe i'm just ignorant (never used A. to record).

I'm not asking for a ready made solution: hints, links, examples will be welcome.

Thanks.

chapelier fou
Posts: 6011
Joined: Mon May 15, 2006 12:15 pm

Re: How to create a smart looper

Post by chapelier fou » Fri Nov 29, 2019 8:33 pm

Let me read this once again tomorrow, but it looks doable with some m4l action if I understand it well.
MacBook Pro 13" Retina i7 2.8 GHz OS 10.13, L10.0.1, M4L.
MacStudio M1Max 32Go OS 12.3.1

fabiospark
Posts: 50
Joined: Mon Dec 31, 2018 7:08 pm

Re: How to create a smart looper

Post by fabiospark » Fri Nov 29, 2019 8:40 pm

Thank you.

Angstrom
Posts: 14921
Joined: Mon Oct 04, 2004 2:22 pm
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Re: How to create a smart looper

Post by Angstrom » Fri Nov 29, 2019 9:06 pm

I've thought about this sort of thing a little bit. the main issue is with:
3 - Record a second loop with the same sound and put it into another clip on the same track

because what I think you mean is: the first clip is now in clip two and you are overdubbing onto it. Which Live cannot do. It can't overdub audio into clips.

If we ever get the long hoped-for comping feature, or (like bitwig) audio regions in clips / MetaClips (!)
then it will become possible. But for now it would take two parallel tracks in a group. So consider tracks 1, and 2, in the group. We record clip 1 into track 1, the only track which is receiving the instrument input. We would have to (when stepping to clip 2) clone clip 1 into track 2 clip slot 2. So track 2 is the playback track, and track 1 is the overdub track.

I'll expand on this strategy if required. It's something I've pondered for a while but never acted on.

Ironlion
Posts: 58
Joined: Sun Sep 07, 2014 7:32 pm

Re: How to create a smart looper

Post by Ironlion » Fri Nov 06, 2020 8:03 pm

Check this out these two videos:

Ableton Clip Slot Looper:
https://youtu.be/nGatlWjLU2U

Add foot pedal control:
https://youtu.be/0k657piakRo

Image
Image
Clip Slot Looper for Ableton: https://performancelooper.com/shop/

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