Fixed Length recording starts off-measure

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Rhypht
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Fixed Length recording starts off-measure

Post by Rhypht » Sun Nov 30, 2014 7:08 pm

Every now and then, usually once I have several clips going in a track, I will go to record a new clip using the "Fixed length" button on the Push. Once I hit record, Ableton opens the midi track of the appropriate length, but the problem is that the recording starts somewhere other than beat 1 when the rest of the clips are all on beat 1. For example, I'll have a bunch of clips playing, and I'll go to add a new clip to the layer, and when I hit record, the recording starts on beat 2 or 3, even though the rest of the clips are all on beat 1.

What's going on here, is there an option to just have fixed-length recording always sync with the beat that the rest of the clips are playing at?

joeyfivecents
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Re: Fixed Length recording starts off-measure

Post by joeyfivecents » Mon Dec 01, 2014 4:30 am

This is a problem I have been asking about for the last year and have gotten zero replies about. Basically it just doesn't work worth a s**t. Good luck finding an answer or getting it fixed. I feel your pain. I just lump it in with the majority of things that don't work the way they are described (iPhone, iCloud, Max For Live, apps, Apogee products, Looper, aftertouch on Push, Logic Pro X, etc). I'm almost to the point where I don't want to spend any money on anything because none of it ever works as advertised. Sorry for the rant.
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Rhypht
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Re: Fixed Length recording starts off-measure

Post by Rhypht » Mon Dec 01, 2014 9:21 am

No worries, I understand the frustration. The thing is, I can't imagine that there isn't some sort of fix for this issue.

Push is a performance controller. People perform with it all the time. If this issue wasn't able to be fixed somehow, you'd hear everyone complaining about it, and it wouldn't be used the way that it is. So I'm convinced that there's some option or setting that we are overlooking somewhere, either with Push or in Ableton itself.

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Re: Fixed Length recording starts off-measure

Post by joeyfivecents » Mon Dec 01, 2014 5:57 pm

If you find out, please follow up on this thread. I'm very interested. Thanks.
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Re: Fixed Length recording starts off-measure

Post by joeyfivecents » Mon Dec 01, 2014 6:00 pm

viewtopic.php?f=55&t=201137

Never got an answer here
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Rhypht
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Re: Fixed Length recording starts off-measure

Post by Rhypht » Wed Dec 03, 2014 4:45 pm

Well I did find out why it's happening. Maybe this can help someone lead us to an answer.

The problem is that Ableton is keeping track of when every clip was recorded, and trying to snap all of their playback/record times to the global time signature of the track.

So, when you have Fixed Length turned on and you hit Record, Ableton isn't just starting the recording on the next beat (or however you have it set). It's actually punching you into the recording at that exact time, on that exact bar relative to the global time signature, because the bar/measure counter is constantly running as soon as you start making clips. This means that if you have a 4-bar clip running, and somewhere way down the line after you've been jamming or just messing around, if you got 2 bars off from that 4-bar clip you made, and you try to record another 4-bar clip on a different track, it will punch you in 2 bars into the initial 4-bar clip.

To make it a bit simpler (maybe), imagine you had two tracks, and Fixed Length turned on with a length of 4 bars. You want to record a 4-bar clip on the first track, and then create another 4-bar clip on track 2, but have it begin at the second beat of the first track. Ableton isn't letting that happen because it's starting track 2's clip on beat 2 to compensate for the fact that you're trying to set up two clips that are out of sync with each other.

Sorry if that was confusing. Essentially what I'm trying to say is that we are trying to find a setting for something like "Snap clip length to global time signature" and turn it off. Not sure if this exists somewhere, but I'm pretty sure that's what we need.

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Re: Fixed Length recording starts off-measure

Post by joeyfivecents » Fri Dec 05, 2014 10:44 pm

I get it. Why in the world would they implement this? Seems counterproductive. Maybe in a year we'll get an update (that we have to pay for of course) that will let us change this behavior. I just spent the last 30 minutes trying to record a bassline with fixed length. So stupid.
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blobbyghast
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Re: Fixed Length recording starts off-measure

Post by blobbyghast » Wed Sep 09, 2015 10:10 pm

This problem is really frustrating.

It renders Fixed Length literally useless. I can never use it for a live performance, because I don't know when this bug is going to occur.

It is surely very frustrating to new users that do not understand that it is a bug. I have spent the last few days messing with the Push, and I thought I was doing something very wrong. Well now that I somewhat understand the Push, I finally understand that this is a bug, and not my fault. But I am sure other users have given up, thinking that they were just using the device incorrectly.

Since Fixed Length is broken, I guess its back to manually stopping clips with a footswitch.

Stromkraft
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Re: Fixed Length recording starts off-measure

Post by Stromkraft » Mon Sep 14, 2015 3:32 am

joeyfivecents wrote:This is a problem I have been asking about for the last year and have gotten zero replies about.
You've been asking Ableton support about this?
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Re: Fixed Length recording starts off-measure

Post by Tarekith » Mon Sep 14, 2015 6:05 am

Ableton doesn't use the forums for tech support, it's for users to help each other. Definitely send an email to support@ableton.com if you need assistance.
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Stromkraft
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Re: Fixed Length recording starts off-measure

Post by Stromkraft » Mon Sep 14, 2015 12:02 pm

***Post edited due to server error ***
I think in that a fixed length clip is defaulted to start at 1.1.1 with the reference to the grid and your recorded notes will be recorded when you play them at the point in time in reference to the grid.

Do we agree that this is how it works now? Now, how would you guys want it to work instead? I don't understand what you want. Is it a looper aspect to fixed length recording?
Last edited by Stromkraft on Mon Sep 14, 2015 6:31 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Stromkraft
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Re: Fixed Length recording starts off-measure

Post by Stromkraft » Mon Sep 14, 2015 12:17 pm

Rhypht wrote:what I'm trying to say is that we are trying to find a setting for something like "Snap clip length to global time signature" and turn it off. Not sure if this exists somewhere, but I'm pretty sure that's what we need.
So how does the setting "Start recording on scene launch" affect this issue, if at all? I'm just trying to understand what could cause unexpected behavior.

Go into preferences and check your default launch settings in Record Warp Launch:
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[jur]
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Re: Fixed Length recording starts off-measure

Post by [jur] » Mon Sep 14, 2015 12:38 pm

I think in that a fixed length clip is defaulted to start at 1.1.1 with the reference to the grid and your recorded notes will be recorded when you play them at the point in time in reference to the grid.
That how it is designed to work. I personally don't like this design either, but I can't deny it makes sense.
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Stromkraft
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Re: Fixed Length recording starts off-measure

Post by Stromkraft » Mon Sep 14, 2015 1:07 pm

[jur] wrote:
I think in that a fixed length clip is defaulted to start at 1.1.1 with the reference to the grid and your recorded notes will be recorded when you play them at the point in time in reference to the grid.
That how it is designed to work. I personally don't like this design either, but I can't deny it makes sense.
Why has your answer replaced my post (See above)? You're editing posts now? :mrgreen:

You didn't credit me to the quote.
Last edited by Stromkraft on Mon Sep 14, 2015 6:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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[jur]
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Re: Fixed Length recording starts off-measure

Post by [jur] » Mon Sep 14, 2015 1:09 pm

Sorry... that wasn't my intention, something wrong happened and I can't find a way to recover your post :|
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