Option to playback from same position as before editing

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sckbtz
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2022 11:47 am

Option to playback from same position as before editing

Post by sckbtz » Mon Feb 14, 2022 12:12 pm

When I want to edit a section of a song and move a clip in the arrangement window until it fits, The playback always starts from the beginning of the clip, not where I had it before I moved the clip.

This problem in detail: I click before a clip to set the playback position a bar or two before it. I press play, then stop, then play and so on. It always plays back from that position. Now I move a clip because I think it should come earlier. Press play. Now the playback position has moved, and I have to put it back to where it was. This is incredibly detrimental to a quick workflow... Maybe I'm missing a basic setting, but I couldn't find it in the shortcuts...

Thanks!!

rdan76
Posts: 33
Joined: Sun Jan 10, 2021 1:07 am

Re: Option to playback from same position as before editing

Post by rdan76 » Mon Feb 21, 2022 5:33 am

I agree that this particular Ableton behavior is frustrating. By default, when you hit Play, Ableton will always begin playback wherever your "insertion marker" (or whatever it's called) is currently located. That marker is represented by a tiny green triangle at the top of the arrangement view. It does not automatically relocate itself during playback or record functions; you have to click within the arrangement to relocate it. Therefore, anytime you stop and restart playback or recording, you will always restart from the same place unless you have clicked to move the insertion-point.

While there's no way to change this default behavior (hence the frustration), there is a different keyboard-shortcut to accomplish what you're trying to do. If you hold down SHIFT as you press play, playback will resume from wherever it last stopped. Note, however, that this doesn't work if you CLICK play on the transport controls. It only works if you press whatever button is assigned to the "play" function on your keyboard. By default, that's the spacebar. So, unless you've remapped keys, pressing SHIFT+SPACE should restart your playback from wherever it last stopped.

Note that CTRL+SPACE is also a useful keyboard-shortcut to know. This is used if you're looking at a clip in the Clip View, and you click to relocate the insertion-pointer on the clip itself. If you want to start from wherever you've placed the insertion pointer in the clip-detail, you have to press CTRL+SPACE.

So that's three ways to begin playback:
SPACEBAR by itself begins playback at the location of the Insert Marker in the main Arrangment View.
SHIFT+SPACE resumes playback from the point where it last stopped.
CTRL+SPACE begins playback at the location of the Insert Marker in the Clip View, for the currently-selected clip.

jonljacobi
Posts: 887
Joined: Sat Dec 30, 2017 3:36 am

Re: Option to playback from same position as before editing

Post by jonljacobi » Mon Feb 21, 2022 7:36 pm

Yeah, I still wind up recording in the wrong spot because I manage to move the play cursor for whatever reason. But it seems to be a deliberate feature designed for live use so I'm not entirely sure what can be done about it..

ozinga
Posts: 87
Joined: Fri Mar 05, 2010 11:43 am

Re: Option to playback from same position as before editing

Post by ozinga » Tue Feb 22, 2022 5:09 pm

Option to disengage selected clip and playhead sync
and add an option for "return to last stop location' "play from last stop location'' like other DAWs

jonljacobi
Posts: 887
Joined: Sat Dec 30, 2017 3:36 am

Re: Option to playback from same position as before editing

Post by jonljacobi » Tue Feb 22, 2022 7:52 pm

The problem with this is the same as with many behaviors desired by users--feature and option bloat. For me the behavior was a bit of a pain at times (mostly during recording), but I've just adapted and am now used to checking and placing the playback cursor as necessary. I've assigned a key (Maestro) to the shift+space functionality so I can pause/play. I actually find the ability to quickly jump around by selecting clips useful at times.

I don't care if there's an option, as long as it's well out of the way and can't be accessed accidentally during a performance.

ozone7
Posts: 47
Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2005 4:23 pm

Re: Option to playback from same position as before editing

Post by ozone7 » Sat Oct 29, 2022 9:34 am

Ah man, I really wish Ableton would do this.

It used to work like this in Live 4 and beforehand.
Editing in arrange was so fast.

Making edit tweaks and listening with a run up is the only way to judge. And having to re-select a start point after every tweak has just put me off Ableton.

I’m on Pro Tools for work and the option is set all the time (pretty much).

3rdtimothy
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2022 8:22 pm

Re: Option to playback from same position as before editing

Post by 3rdtimothy » Sat Jun 10, 2023 8:26 pm

This isn't Exactly what is being requested but it might get close. I got this from a site called performance looper.
1. Turn off Global Quantization. Set it to “None”.
2. Now hover your mouse above the MIDI clip until you see the little speaker icon.
3. While holding the SHIFT key, click anywhere along the length of your clip using the little speaker icon.
4. From my experience what you can now do now is OPTION + Spacebar and it will continue to play from wherever you have the cursor.

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