Follow Action Question

soundsliketree · Post by **soundsliketree** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 12:53 am

I'm attempting to create a follow action group that plays one clip for 3 bars and then selects a random clip below it as a 4th bar fill. I set up the top one for play three bars and then playing "* any" clip and set up each of the fill ones below it to play for a single bar and then return to the top clip. The problem I'm having is that "* any" includes the top main clip, so whereas it usually plays three bars and then a fill clip and back sometimes it reselects the top clip for the 4th bar fill and then plays another 3 bars - putting the whole 4 bar phrase out of sync and creating fills in the wrong places from that time onward.

I hope I've explained this situation clearly enough. Does anyone have a suggestion for me to do what I'm trying to do.

Thanks very much!

unsuccessful handshake · Post by **unsuccessful handshake** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 2:51 am

yeah ummm...
the abletoners neglected to add a 'go to random (but not this one)' setting...
sucks, cuz sometimes it seems like the follow action can gett stuck on triggering the same clip over and over and...

soundsliketree · Post by **soundsliketree** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 2:55 am

Yeah. It seems to me that "play any clip except this one" would be much more valuable than the way it currently is. Perhaps I should petition them to change it.

In the meantime, I wonder if anyone can think of a workaround for what I want to do?

longjohns · Post by **longjohns** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 3:08 am

combine the clips into complete 4 bar loops. then you can legitimately play *any of them.

i.e. each clip has the 3 bars of normal drums, then it's own unique 1 bar fill

C.S. · Post by **C.S.** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 3:10 am

How many fills do you want to use? I've run into the same problem. The only work around that I've found is to place the 3 bar clip in the middle of the two 1 bar clips. Set the odds to 1:1 and have one trigger the clip above and one the clip below. Then set the odds of the 1 bar clip to 1:0 making the option previous. You probally thought of that already, maybe someone else has a better way around it.

soundsliketree · Post by **soundsliketree** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 6:47 am

longjohns and C.S.: great work-arounds. thanks very much.
i love forums.

i will suggest that ableton adds a "play any other" follow action in a future version.

cheers!

forge · Post by **forge** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 7:48 am

you know what, I have a strong feeling either I read about this OR it was discussed at "camp Ableton" as a must have

have you done a search? I know the search function sucks

the best guys to ask are Machinate, Hoffman2k and AdamJay

hambone1 · Post by **hambone1** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 8:06 am

I brought this up at Camp Ableton for lighting and video, so the same sequence never plays twice in a row.

C.S. & longjohns - great workarounds!