How to record midi clip in session view for as long as you play?

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zepking2
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Joined: Fri Dec 12, 2025 3:57 pm

How to record midi clip in session view for as long as you play?

Post by zepking2 » Fri Dec 12, 2025 4:14 pm

Ableton Live 12 Intro
Windows 11

Is it possible to record a midi instrument in a clip in session view for as long as you are playing? By default it seems to only record for 1 bar than it loops back and records on top of itself. I understand that you can set the length to 2 bars, or 3 bars, etc. But is there a way to have it record the clip for as long as you're playing?

schlam
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Re: How to record midi clip in session view for as long as you play?

Post by schlam » Fri Dec 12, 2025 7:04 pm

You can record a session clip as long as you want..
Maybe I misunderstand the problem..

zepking2
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Re: How to record midi clip in session view for as long as you play?

Post by zepking2 » Fri Dec 12, 2025 7:32 pm

schlam wrote:
Fri Dec 12, 2025 7:04 pm
You can record a session clip as long as you want..
Maybe I misunderstand the problem..
By default, if you open Ableton Live 12 intro in session view, loan a midi drum kit in a midi track. Click a clip. Hit the session record button (not the black circle arrangement record button) it will only record 1 bar. Even if you keep playing. It'll just record 1 bar and then loop back to the beginning of the bar.

RobrechtV
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Re: How to record midi clip in session view for as long as you play?

Post by RobrechtV » Sat Dec 13, 2025 2:08 pm

It sounds like you're overdubbing into an existing clip, which already has a certain length.

To record to a new clip, which will grow to any length until you stop recording, click the black circle in one of the empty slots of your track.
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zepking2
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Re: How to record midi clip in session view for as long as you play?

Post by zepking2 » Sat Dec 13, 2025 9:34 pm

RobrechtV wrote:
Sat Dec 13, 2025 2:08 pm
It sounds like you're overdubbing into an existing clip, which already has a certain length.

To record to a new clip, which will grow to any length until you stop recording, click the black circle in one of the empty slots of your track.
Thank you! I was confused. I would double click the rectangle to create a clip. Then I would hit the session record button. I was thinking I was recording a "new" clip. But what I was actually doing was recording on top of an existing clip that was 1 bar.
I realize now, I don't need to click the rectangle to create a new clip. I just need to hit the gray record button and start recording.
Thanks!

I see there's actually three different record buttons.
Gray circle on clip - Record Button
Black circle at top of screen - Arrangement Record Button
Black Line circle at top - Session Record Button

I understand the arrangement record button is for recording in arrangement view, but whats the difference between the gray record button and the session record button?

yur2die4
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Re: How to record midi clip in session view for as long as you play?

Post by yur2die4 » Sat Dec 13, 2025 10:45 pm

Session record will add recording into the selected clip slot.

It can be useful to assign the session record button to a key or button or something instead of having to assign ‘record’ of every single clip slot on the grid. It is 1 button to map instead of mapping a lot of buttons.

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