Is it possible to merge audio clips?

[chapelier fou]

ttilberg explanation is great.
But if you wanna do it live, you can route the 2 tracks to the record track. well, maybe some issues with monitoring on/off, double volume, etc. But worth digging it.

[ttilberg]

Also, pretty sure Consolidate will default to warped Beats mode which may end up sounding different from the original than a resample/rerouting, esp. if you are going to be warping the resulting track

Ok, I just checked that, you are right, but it depends on what your standard default is set to in Preferences, which is normally beats of course, for loops. So yeah, something to watch if chopping up vocals and then consolidating. I'll add a note on my website.

I believe the discussion in the past has led to: "regardless of warping mode, if the source tempo is the same as the new tempo, there should not be a difference in audio" -- so if the recording was made within the same set at the same tempo, you shouldn't have to worry about the consolidate stuff vs. warping mode.

I'll see if I can find a more reliable resource (like the manual) to quote from.

[ttilberg]

I'm glad I looked it up - I thought it was applicable under all warp modes, but apparently Complex and Complex Pro are exempt:

31.2.3 Unstretched Beats/Tones/Texture/Re-Pitch Warping
If the tempo of a Clip is the same as the tempo of the Set, that clip will play back unstretched. In this case, if the Warp mode of the Clip is set to Beats, Tones, Texture or Re-Pitch (but not Complex or Complex Pro), playback will be neutral. Any Warping caused by changing the Set's tempo is non-permanent, and audio that plays back unwarped at a given tempo will always play back unwarped at that tempo, even if the tempo is changed and then changed back. For example, if you've recorded some tracks at 120 BPM, but then decide you'd like to slow the tempo down to record a particularly difcult solo passage, the original tracks will play back neutrally again after returning the tempo to 120 BPM. Only the recording made at the slower tempo will be stretched. Please note that grooves work by modifying the positions of Warp markers. This means that playback of audio clips with groove applied will be non-neutral even at the original tempo.
The neutrality of unstretched clip playback is veried by performing cancellation tests on rendered output.

[ttilberg]

Actually, I encourage everyone to read the Audio Facts section of the manual. I'm seeing a lot of questions that get asked answered here, and in general, was a worthy and informative read all around.

Chapter 31: Audio Fact Sheet, pages 516 - 526 (English version)
Chapter 32: Midi Fact Sheet, pages 527 - 534 (English version)

[ttilberg]

Consolidation is a non-neutral operation, so the consolidated clip will take on the characteristics (and any artifacts from warping) and be recreated at the project tempo, thus the warp mode will not matter, as it is no longer stretching anything.

You can see this in action if you take a clip, and warp it with very audible warping artifacts (like effects) in mind.

I just put together a test that I think will help illustrate this -- Try this:

Take a loop at any tempo, and warp it using re-pitch, which is a very obvious, audible warping mode.

Change the project tempo so it is very audible "wrong" -- I just used a 126 loop and dropped to 50 BPM, it is now sounding ridiculous.

Now consolidate your clip -- you'll notice that the new clip is created in beats mode, but at the projects tempo (50) -- thus, no amount of changing the warping mode (except apparently complex/pro) will alter the sound at this point.

This is a cool way to get Justice / MSTRKRFT style effects.

--Take a clip and warp using Beats, but change "Preserve Transients" to preserve anything else -- preferably 1/4, 1/2, whole, 1/8, etc-- whatever sounds cool. Sometimes you should also change the repeat mode to "Repeat Forward (two front facing arrows)"
--Press the tempo *2 button a couple times until it starts sounding awesome. The tempo of the clip will probably be 300-500 bpm. This is where the cool stuff happens!
--Consolidate the clip (only available in arrangement view) and you now have a very glitchy clip at the proper working tempo.
--It's awesome on any sound that has sharp attack, like pianos, and if you do it with bass, add distortion, and put dallops of this glitchy clip in with the original clip, you sound like Justice.

Cheers to audio nerds the world around!

[agent314]

Just remember that if someone is giving you undeserved shit on the internet, they're a sad shell of a person and can only find solace in lashing out at anonymous strangers.

It's the uncontrolled id in its purest form

[battiman]

Coming from DAW:s like ProTools and Cubase I have now switched to Ableton altogether. I have one thing that irks me, however. Let's say I have imported a rather long audio file. For various reasons I have cut this audio files into chunks, using CTRL + E. I have not moved or altered the chunks though, I have just spliced the audio file into pieces. Now I want to "heal" the audio file, so to speak, i.e. I want to remove the splits and make the audio file as it was when I first imported it. Here's my question... If I consolidate, Live will create a new audio file, right, thus creating a copy of an unedited audio file that I do not want! I just want to remove the splits.

Is this possible somehow?

And I have already thought of dragging the end of one of the chunks al the way to the right. This would do the trick in the cases I want to remove all of the splits, but what about when I just want to remove some of them? It is so easy in ProTools and Cubase, but I have been unable to find a matching solution in Live.

[ttilberg]

Yeah, it sounds like you've already hit the two ways to accomplish it that I can think of.

[H20nly]

And I have already thought of dragging the end of one of the chunks al the way to the right. This would do the trick in the cases I want to remove all of the splits, but what about when I just want to remove some of them?

this is how i "heal" them. then i would re-splice. rinse/repeat

i agree that it's not the most elegant option, but it does get the job done.

[struknes]

drag it over to arrangement select both and hit cmd-j. after that drag the new merged clip back to session view

this.

or ctrl + j in Windows.


just make sure the clips are on the same track and next to each other first

Yep "ctrl + j" worked for me in Windows 10 with Ableton Live 9! Thanks!