Soma wrote:forge wrote:Soma wrote:? This is how the clip automation always works. It is a % of the value set by the GUI control. The arrange view will automate the actual GUI.
For me the way it works is great. It provides a way to automate relative to an arangement. Much like an LFO or envelope on a synth.
If you want the orange clip to be louder, make the clip volume for the other clips less than 100% (what you really want is the other clips to be quieter)
It could be nice if you could automate one parameter absolute for each device on a clip: on/off (then you could add a utility with gain and automate that one on and off) but that would probably confuse most users.
we need relative/absolute buttons on the clips
I would argue that absolute and relative modes fro clips would not be so easy for a user to understand. Been reading
Jef Raskin and I agree that this creates a confusing MODE with a difference too different than the original.
![Idea :idea:](./images/smilies/icon_idea.gif)
However, if the envelope could create a nonlinear mapping from 0% to 100% with center = to the GUI's parameter value, then you have the ability of absolute automation with the same functionality as the current schema (0% to GUI value) with only ONE MODE (non modal).
For backward compatibility, old projects would have their envelopes adjusted to be in just the lower half of an envelope. This mode is Relative, bi_polar, and covers the range 0%-100%. I can draw some pictures later.
thanks for the link - I will finish reading it later, so without having read all of it I'll answer your point - firstly you would be trying to fit 200% into the space for 100% - too much is already squeezed into the bottom view of Live
I actually think your way would be more confusing because it is a change to the existing mode, but having a button would make it a clean cut - there are just different modes, either you enable it or you don't, and if you don't you never have to worry about it, ever.
I'm not sure why you think absolute/relative buttons would be more confusing than it is now - clip envelopes were introduced in Live 3 and we're up to 7 with 8 probably on it's way and there are still people who post asking "why do I have to turn up the sends before I can automate them?" etc
if there was a simple relative/absolute button then you could have it default to absolute for new clips, or set the default to whatever you like, and just have it set to relative for backwards compatibility and it would be exactly as it is now.
if you have it set to absolute we would have the groundwork for the session automation we all so badly want, allow hardware controllers to record straight in and we are there
if you play a clip with 'absolute' enabled and there is automation in the arrangement view then the 'BTA' light comes on and if you hit record it overwrites what is in there, that way you could have it on a per-track basis
and of course BTA buttons per track would help!