Beat Repeat plugin, fatal flaw?

mbenigni · Post by **mbenigni** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 3:04 am

Now that I'm finally beginning to get my head wrapped around the Beat Repeat plugin, my immediate reaction is this:

This would be a KILLER plug in IF you could simply increase the Grid control to values higher than 1 Bar, like you can with Interval and Gate controls. eg. proper n-bar looping etc would be supported via a really simple plugin.

Has this been discussed before? I can't see why Ableton limited this so severely. I mean, obviously cranking that control up would use up resources, but I've got the RAM to spare.

As it stands, I'm back to reinventing the wheel. Again.

Homebelly · Post by **Homebelly** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 3:06 am

automate it.
Extend the automation loop beyond the audio or midi loop and automate to your hearts content.

blank · Post by **blank** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 3:37 am

Beat repeat shines more with automation.

A bit outdated imo but it stills a plugin I use often, it's sweet once mounted in a rack

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 3:58 am

blank wrote:A bit outdated imo but it stills a plugin I use often, it's sweet once mounted in a rack

true, I use Beat Repeat anymore and just hear 'that Beat Repeat sound.' with Dblue's Glitch out there for free, Beat Repeat can definitely use a makeover.

blank · Post by **blank** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 4:12 am

Tone Deft wrote:
blank wrote:A bit outdated imo but it stills a plugin I use often, it's sweet once mounted in a rack
true, I use Beat Repeat anymore and just hear 'that Beat Repeat sound.' with Dblue's Glitch out there for free, Beat Repeat can definitely use a makeover.

There is also a couple of other alternatives out there but I find the beat repeat good on delay chains.

mbenigni · Post by **mbenigni** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 3:04 pm

I don't know that automation is going to solve the problem for my purposes.

Thing is, I'm not really using the Beat Repeat as an effect/ glitch plugin (though I understand that was its primary intended purpose.)

I'm really looking for it to provide repeating musical phrases for live accompaniment, ie. a poor man's (or simple man's) looper. The Repeat button actually makes it pretty effective for this purpose. It all works fine if your loops are 1-bar or less, but to get anything more out of it, that Grid control would have to be crankable to 2, 4, 8 etc. bars (as are the other controls I mention in my OP.)

blank · Post by **blank** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 7:38 pm

Maybe you must check for live looping in live itself.

Works pretty well

http://www.ableton.com/_common/download ... beyond.mov

mbenigni · Post by **mbenigni** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 9:12 pm

Maybe you must check for live looping in live itself.

Works pretty well

Good point, actually. Every time I "reinvent the wheel" in Live I find a simpler way to set up control mapping etc. After giving up on Beat Repeat last night, I arrived at something that met my immediate needs anyway.

Moody · Post by **Moody** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 9:44 pm

I find Beat repeat a great tool to use for snares. When used with some light settings and random it makes great little flams or doubles.

The Phat Conductor · Post by **The Phat Conductor** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 10:29 pm

i wish you could turn the sync off!

i find i use beatrepeat with grid at like 1/4 or 1/8 most often and then do all my mashy mash with un-sync'd delay inserts. if you make a rack that kills the feed when you start mashing it sounds waaay better than a beatrepeat.

Johnisfaster · Post by **Johnisfaster** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 12:04 am

The Phat Conductor wrote:i wish you could turn the sync off!

i find i use beatrepeat with grid at like 1/4 or 1/8 most often and then do all my mashy mash with un-sync'd delay inserts. if you make a rack that kills the feed when you start mashing it sounds waaay better than a beatrepeat.

care to share a rack? I don't quite get what you mean by "kills the feed when you start mashing"

scientist · Post by **scientist** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 2:00 am

Johnisfaster wrote:
The Phat Conductor wrote:i wish you could turn the sync off!

i find i use beatrepeat with grid at like 1/4 or 1/8 most often and then do all my mashy mash with un-sync'd delay inserts. if you make a rack that kills the feed when you start mashing it sounds waaay better than a beatrepeat.
care to share a rack? I don't quite get what you mean by "kills the feed when you start mashing"

this is similar to how i do beat effects as well...set delays on separate chains to different repeat intervals and move from chain to chain via an assigned knob or fader. makes for much more organic sound repeats, sorta like turntable beat juggling.

dcease · Post by **dcease** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 2:16 am

bump bump bump

robotsound · Post by **robotsound** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 3:13 am

it seems like you should be able to send the pitch of the repeat up or down. and maybe a setting to tie an interval to the pitch bend so that it steps up or down at said interval.

jmouse · Post by **jmouse** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 8:20 am

Hi there..

I use beat repeat for on-the-fly fills for DnB..grid setting of 1/3 works well for me.(just have to remember to press the assigned button half a beat before the event).I use a separate button for drum loop and the whole track. My Belkin N52 is my B/R controller.

Live 6.10,Nostromo,PwrBk 1.5