Ableton Forum

to record automation in live is so easy & cool - it just records every movement you do with almost every parameter, I love it.

but sometimes I just want to record some audio. then of course I forget to mute a few tracks I don´t want to hear while overdubbing and mute it while laying down that killer take.

live of course records the muting and it drives me nuts. how can I tell live to NOT record any automation? any idea everybody?

... u don't?!
U can delete the automation afterward.

duckpow wrote:... u don't?!
U can delete the automation afterward.

That's not an answer.
If you have created automation and then you want to record new audio, it will overwrite your automation so it's gone. Deleting the new automation doesn't retrieve the old curves.

Efraim wrote:

duckpow wrote:... u don't?!
U can delete the automation afterward.

That's not an answer.
If you have created automation and then you want to record new audio, it will overwrite your automation so it's gone. Deleting the new automation doesn't retrieve the old curves.

Seems like an answer to me... unless I'm understanding the original post, it seems like the guy is just ending up with a couple of unintentional mutes being recorded which can be easily removed.

I'm trying to remember if turning overdub off fixes the problem. Of course, you'd have to be recording into an empty spot.

Edit: Or record a bunch of clips in Session View instead?

Ableton automaticly records all automation as soon as the global record is armed...

Delete them afterwards or record your new track to session view

Arm you track and not the global record, then click clip button in session, this will start your arrangement playing and record your new part as clip in session. You can then drag that clip in your arragement.

I really wish automation had an on/off switch.

I sent an email to ableton concerning this. hopefully it will be part of the next update or release

Dragonbreath wrote:Ableton automaticly records all automation as soon as the global record is armed...

Delete them afterwards or record your new track to session view

Arm you track and not the global record, then click clip button in session, this will start your arrangement playing and record your new part as clip in session. You can then drag that clip in your arragement.

I really wish automation had an on/off switch.

I sent an email to ableton concerning this. hopefully it will be part of the next update or release

I think this is a good & quick workaround for the problem that when you have to record new audio to a spot with automation going on already.
nice one, thanks!

automation on/off switch is what I´d like to see - for recording, but also for playback. global and individual parameter.

Well I think alot of people see a problem.

Session is awesome and what makes live unique but it has its limitation

Its alot more work aligning stuff in a precise order and time with session view then arrangement
They have separate purposes...

789lwnm2 wrote: automation on/off switch is what I´d like to see - for recording, but also for playback. global and individual parameter.

What do you mean by this?

I believe I've got an answer, although I have yet to try it out myself.
http://www.ableton.com/answers/how-to-k ... i-or-audio

havent tested this, but...what if automation has been locked on the track?...can you overdub and the automation remains?...not in front of Live atm, but........

edit; oh, yeh the link above is what i mean...lock envelopes

In my opinion, this is the biggest bug in Ableton and if they don't fix it in 9 I will be beyond annoyed. There is NO excuse for not being able to mute a track so that it does not monitor when you are recording a new one WITHOUT recording over the automation. That is just idiotic and there is not excuse for it. Looping is fine and dandy, but sometimes you multitrack record an actual band, and I assume Ableton likes competing with and offering an alternative to ProTools. Sometimes you do this crazy new thing called overdubbing, and when you do that with vocals in particular, you want to hear the vocal track you're doing solo. However, this doesn't mean you want to destroy the channel on/off automation you've done on the previous vocal tracks, which have to be turned off erasing the previous automation. If you're doing more complex doubling, or even, god forbid, backing vocals, with lots of in/outs it can be a real pain to have to redo the automation again, and my basic question, is why? My god, put another button on there, called mute monitor, standard on boards for how many decades now? You're gonna have sample translation from voice to midi, but NOT this? Cmon...

I have done allot of Vocal comping, over dubs, multi tracking and all that, Honestly its not that much of a problem.
Automation will not be over dubbed if you do not move the parameter.
you can punch in and punch out audio, midi, and automation.
Duplicating tracks is to easy.
if you want to tweak a parameter while recording and keep your old automation
or if you want to do another take bu not loose the old.
Duplicate track mute and go. very simple.

you can lock automation.

Ableton is listening to users: There is now a separate automation arm button in the arrangement view. If it is off, control automation will not be recorded. Neat.

Now I'm looking for the opposite: to record only automation but not audio on an audio track.