Export length is incorrect?

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Dugrok
Posts: 33
Joined: Thu Sep 02, 2021 12:57 am
Location: Ontario

Export length is incorrect?

Post by Dugrok » Tue Oct 26, 2021 2:09 am

Hi there,

I'm trying to export a project (podcast for which I also compose the music and soundscape). When I set the loopbar, or when I manually set the render length value in the export window, Ableton produces a file that contains minutes of dead air at the end of the track. It is supposed to be 35 minutes long, but clocks in at 44.

I've read on Reddit that this happens to some users when they have time signature changes in their projects, which mine does have.

I'm fairly new to Ableton, and this is the first time I do this kind of work in the program. I may be doing something wrong, but would appreciate it if anyone could chime in on this.

Edit: I am using Mac OS 11.6. My audio interface is a UAD Apollo x6, and an Apollo Twin (chained together). I will update with the exact version of Live I am running once it completes a render, but it's 11.

Thanks in advance!

EDIT WITH SOLUTION:
Leaving this here because someone (potentially me) will probably come looking for the answer to this at some point.

I've figured it out. Ableton knows to follow the loop bracket and calculates bars accordingly and automatically. The ruler at the top of the project does not reflect the same number. That's why I was getting confused: according to my project ruler, I should have been setting the end length at 1112.1.1. However, the loop bracket adjusts automatically to 892.2.0 - which sounds kind of random but is probably just the compensation for the several time signature changes.
| 14" 2021 64 GB M1 Max MBP , OS 12.4 | 15" 2015 2.5 GHz Intel Core i7 MBP, OS 11.6 | UAD Twin and x6 | Ableton Live 11 Suite v11.2

Snakey Engel
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Sep 16, 2023 3:44 pm

Re: Export length is incorrect?

Post by Snakey Engel » Sat Sep 16, 2023 4:42 pm

So, in 2 years, this has obviously not been fixed. Here I am in late 2023 trying to export a project's final mix, and it has time signature AND tempo changes. Sure enough, it added several minutes of time onto the end. Come on, Ableton. Between this and the dismal implementation of video syncing and export, it seems like two areas to RADICALLY improve on.

How about really take a look at the export process and fix all the awkwardness of leaving your project's interactive main windows and having to try and remember all the different times and lengths for the export in addition to setting all the export settings correctly, and put some of that in the main windows, like if you set the loop time's beginning and length, have a check box in the export dialog that says, "Use Loop Start" and one that says, "Use Loop Length". Then you can set that expertly, and not worry about it in the dialog box where you can't reference anything.
OR
You make the dialog window for Export be interactive with the project, so you can actually SEE if it's getting the correct beginning and ending
AND
Give the option to export by a start time and end time, and give the option to set the end time and how many bars before you want. Make it easy and useful in ways maybe you can't anticipate. Just some ideas to improve what seems to be a pretty important part of any DAW and everyone I've used could be SOOOO much better.

[jur]
Site Admin
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Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2015 3:04 pm
Location: Ableton

Re: Export length is incorrect?

Post by [jur] » Sun Sep 17, 2023 2:19 am

I’ve never experienced this nor can remember anyone else having this issue.
But let’s start with asking something really important you didn’t mention (I hope I didn’t miss it in your post; sorry if that’s the case): are you talking about exporting from Session or Arrangement view?
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RobrechtV
Posts: 74
Joined: Sat Feb 18, 2017 1:32 pm

Re: Export length is incorrect?

Post by RobrechtV » Sun Sep 17, 2023 10:57 am

Snakey Engel – Why are you entering the Render Start and Render End values manually? Just set your loop to what you want to export, click the loop bracket to make it a selection, then export. The start and end times then correspond to the loop bracket.

(To be exact, the start and end times are set to the current selection in the Arrangement window. You could also simply use your mouse to select the range you want to export before opening the Render screen. I just find the loop bracket a convenient way to do it, because it is persistent – you can leave it set to the length you want to export while you do other things, then simply click it to make that selection again.)

Edit: Seems like another drive-by rant. People sign up especially to complain about the hugely inconvenient way they do things, then never return to read the simple solution. :roll: Oh well, hope it's still useful to other users.

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