How to both record AND quantize with a groove?

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frep45
Posts: 38
Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2009 12:58 am
Location: USA

How to both record AND quantize with a groove?

Post by frep45 » Wed Jul 21, 2010 3:57 am

In a song with groove, I'd like to be able to quantize a live-recorded clip without having to change the clip's notes into a "straight" pattern in the editor.

This is confusing to explain, so here's an example. Let's say I:
1: lay out a straight 16th note pattern in the MIDI editor
2: set the clip's groove amount and global groove. Since it is all programmed as straight 16th notes, you can hear the "swing".
3: I now record a new clip using my padKontrol, playing along with the proper "swing" of the song.
4: I now need to quantize a few notes I messed up...but I can't use quantize since my recording (on the "straight" MIDI editor grid) appears "pre-grooved".

Had I recorded "straight" (played with no groove at all), I would be able to use quantize to fix notes instantly--but playing the part straight on a song with groove is hard. Since my recording already had a groove to it, I have to force my recorded notes into a "straight" pattern before using quantize. Is there a way to quantize to a non-straight grid?

There must be something I'm missing about the behavior of these settings :? ...any ideas?
Live 7.0.18 / Win7 Pro 64-bit / M-Audio FastTrack Ultra / 4gb RAM / 3.16ghz Core 2 Duo
APC40 / padKontrol / nanoKontrol / Yamaha P-120

frep45
Posts: 38
Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2009 12:58 am
Location: USA

Re: How to both record AND quantize with a groove?

Post by frep45 » Thu Aug 19, 2010 3:20 pm

For anyone who's interested, I have been learning to live with this more. It helped me to think of groove as an effect that is applied right as Live plays the notes, not something that you can see in your piano roll notes. Thinking of it this way, it makes sense to always quantize your playing to be "straight", even if you played with a groove.

For example: if you record yourself playing with a groove, switch the clip to Straight and quantize it, THEN switch back to Swing. That way, fixing notes/making new notes is easy since it's on a straight grid, but the end result uses the global groove and sounds correct.

You probably don't even need to switch to straight, but it helped me when listening to the clip--the worst is hearing your grooved playing being "double-grooved", so to speak.
Live 7.0.18 / Win7 Pro 64-bit / M-Audio FastTrack Ultra / 4gb RAM / 3.16ghz Core 2 Duo
APC40 / padKontrol / nanoKontrol / Yamaha P-120

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