Ableton Forum

Guys, sorry I've just found this issue, I think it's been discussed before, but I wondered what the latest is on this:

It appears to be impossible to record automation into clips in the session view - you can only record it on the arrange view. Clip automation can only be created by drawing envelopes manually.

Is this still the case? Any word on if it's likely to change?

Thanks

Ash

Ashmil you can record automations on clips as long as the midi overdub button is lit.

Expand the little "E" in the corner of the clip window and look for the parameter you just recorded changes for, it will have a little red square next to it in the list, denoting that it has been automated.

Hope this helps.

Thanks, but doesn't work here.

I know about the OVR button, the Envelopes window, and the little red squares telling you what's been automated, but the only way I can get any automation into a clip in Session is by DRAWING an envelope into the clip for the relevant parameter.

I'd LIKE to record on-the-fly adjustments I make to Macro controls, or the X-Y controller for a VSTi etc, but this only seems to work in the Arrangement View. Am I missing something?

Cannot be done in Session View. A much requested feature that Abes confirmed would require an entire re-qrite of the underpinning code...which isn't going to happen.

You can at least copy paste the automation recorded in arrangment view to a clip...

G

You could use automation (dummy) clips on audio tracks.

They are silent wav files dropped into an audio track. Once you have that, you can add all the automation by "expanding the little "E" in the corner of the clip window" like mode:masters said.

UKRuss wrote:Cannot be done in Session View. A much requested feature that Abes confirmed would require an entire re-qrite of the underpinning code...which isn't going to happen.

So they brought out the expensive bug fix called M4L.

Clever people.

And we are all mugs.

Harsh but fair.

Aeroplay wrote:You can at least copy paste the automation recorded in arrangment view to a clip...

G

Can you really do this? Doesn't work here. I can record automation in Arrange, no probs, but can't copy it over to a session clip.

murm wrote:You could use automation (dummy) clips on audio tracks. They are silent wav files dropped into an audio track. Once you have that, you can add all the automation by "expanding the little "E" in the corner of the clip window" like mode:masters said.

Being able to add automation via the Envelope window is not the problem. It's recording stuff in on-the-fly I wanted to be able to do.

Cryptic UK wrote:So they brought out the expensive bug fix called M4L.

Can you tell me about this - is it some kind of workaround?

Thanks guys

Check out 'Max for Live'. It is a visual programming add-on that allows you to customise Live and its devices and associated hardware controllers to do things that it doesn't do natively.

UKRuss wrote:Check out 'Max for Live'. It is a visual programming add-on that allows you to customise Live and its devices and associated hardware controllers to do things that it doesn't do natively.

What he said

I discovered a work around only this morning!!!!

Basically can't record automation but you can record MIDI CCs.

The solution requires MIDI Yoke (or the Mac equivalent). It also requires that your controller is set to send on only one midi channel.

This is what you do.

In MIDI Preferences: set you midi controller to "Track" rather than "Remote". Then enable MIDI Yoke 1 input as both Track and Remote and MIDI Yoke 1 output as Track.

In Session View: Create a new MIDI track and select MIDI From <your controller> MIDI To MIDI Yoke 1 channel 1. Record arm this track.

Click on the MIDI learn button and then on the parameter that you want to automate. Tweak your controller and exit MIDI learn mode.

Record your automation into clips on the new MIDI track.

Play back and enjoy!

Alternative scenarios.

You could have several midi tracks outputting to MIDI yoke on different MIDI channels. Make sure that only one track is armed for record while setting up the MIDI map. By selecting which tracks are active during record and playback you can automate several parameters from the same control.

If recording a keyboard performance to a VSTi and tweaking in real time as you play then you will need to to put the instrument on a separate MIDI track with it's input set to MIDI Yoke 1.

This method has the advantage that by changing the MIDI map you can reassign the parameter to which the envelope is applied. Something you can't do with regular clip envelops AFAIK.

Hope that helps.

Edit: Credit has to go to Grappadura for this idea. I now realize I must have subconciously absorbed it from this thread --> http://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=130066

crumhorn wrote:I discovered a work around only this morning!!!!

Basically can't record automation but you can record MIDI CCs.

The solution requires MIDI Yoke (or the Mac equivalent). It also requires that your controller is set to send on only one midi channel.

This is what you do.

In MIDI Preferences: set you midi controller to "Track" rather than "Remote". Then enable MIDI Yoke 1 input as both Track and Remote and MIDI Yoke 1 output as Track.

In Session View: Create a new MIDI track and select MIDI From <your controller> MIDI To MIDI Yoke 1 channel 1. Record arm this track.

Click on the MIDI learn button and then on the parameter that you want to automate. Tweak your controller and exit MIDI learn mode.

Record your automation into clips on the new MIDI track.

Play back and enjoy!

Alternative scenarios.

You could have several midi tracks outputting to MIDI yoke on different MIDI channels. Make sure that only one track is armed for record while setting up the MIDI map. By selecting which tracks are active during record and playback you can automate several parameters from the same control.

If recording a keyboard performance to a VSTi and tweaking in real time as you play then you will need to to put the instrument on a separate MIDI track with it's input set to MIDI Yoke 1.

This method has the advantage that by changing the MIDI map you can reassign the parameter to which the envelope is applied. Something you can't do with regular clip envelops AFAIK.

Hope that helps.

Hmm, pretty good - this works! As long as I don't mind having my 'automation' (as MIDI data) on a separate track and clip - which ain't so bad.

Don't quite understand why this workaround is needed though - why can't I just record that MIDI data directly into the main VSTi clip/track with the note data?

Ashmil wrote: Don't quite understand why this workaround is needed though - why can't I just record that MIDI data directly into the main VSTi clip/track with the note data?

If your VSTi can be set up to respond to MIDI CCs using it's own GUI then you can record them, but if you have assigned them using MIDI learn in Live then you can't. Incoming MIDI data goes through the MIDI Map before it's delivered to the track input. The MAP effectively routes each message to either the automation sub system, or to the track input. Only messages that are not mapped to controls are delivered to the track input.

If you select your instrument tracks input as midi yoke 1 then you could record notes and control in the same clip on the other track. ie. a pair of tracks with notes and controll data on one, and the other just used to contain the instrument.

crumhorn wrote:

Ashmil wrote: Don't quite understand why this workaround is needed though - why can't I just record that MIDI data directly into the main VSTi clip/track with the note data?

If your VSTi can be set up to respond to MIDI CCs using it's own GUI then you can record them, but if you have assigned them using MIDI learn in Live then you can't. Incoming MIDI data goes through the MIDI Map before it's delivered to the track input. The MAP effectively routes each message to either the automation sub system, or to the track input. Only messages that are not mapped to controls are delivered to the track input.

If you select your instrument tracks input as midi yoke 1 then you could record notes and control in the same clip on the other track. ie. a pair of tracks with notes and controll data on one, and the other just used to contain the instrument.

understood - thanks for the advice!