confused about macro automation/clip recording session view

[slatepipe]

weirdness....

i got some joysticks mapped to some macros on instrument racks via mfl. the macros are mapped to various parameters. they work really well but...

i can't record the automation into a clip in session view when i move the joysticks around. the clip records ok but without the automation. i read up on it and and heard that you couldn't record clip automation into session view in the past but i'm a bit vague as to whether you can do it now, or if there are workarounds... currently i can't do it anyway

i seen some 'record session view automation' mfl patches but i thought this would work without extra workarounds

so i tried just recording into arrangement, but that doesn't work either. anything that is modulated via the macros doesn't record. i got other things like volume and sends mapped to the joystick via mfl and the automation of those is recorded ok.

the mfl mapped macros are greyed out and say they are controlled by mfl

so... i tried recording a clip into session view and then tried drawing in the macro automation manually afterwards. i then get the little red dots next to the macro knobs and when the clip plays they then move with the automation. but the sound doesnt change and when i look at the effect parameters they are mapped to - those stop moving too

am i missing something here or is this just something that live can't do? i figured it ought to record automation and everything into arrangement view at least, but something's wrong...

or do i have to record everything into a seperate track as audio? and therefore leave it not very editable

hope this makes sense


thanks for any advice and help

[Valiumdupeuple]

am i missing something

Yes !
That is due to the way your macros are attached to your m4l joystick patch. As I don't know exactly how you proceed I can't be more precise, though.

so... i tried recording a clip into session view and then tried drawing in the macro automation manually afterwards. i then get the little red dots next to the macro knobs and when the clip plays they then move with the automation. but the sound doesnt change and when i look at the effect parameters they are mapped to - those stop moving too

And I guess the "back to session" or "re-enable automation" (as called in the manual) button is light up, right ?

[NoSonic822]

yea some of the m4l devices you cant automate like conv reverb.

[slatepipe]

hi - thanks for your replies

That is due to the way your macros are attached to your m4l joystick patch. As I don't know exactly how you proceed I can't be more precise, though.

i had a look at the multimapper device on the mfl site (http://www.maxforlive.com/library/devic ... ultimapper) and copied some of the controls from there into my patch. it works ok and i can map the joysticks to the macros in a rack no problem. they stay mapped when i close and open the set too. it's when i record anything - either into a session clip or into arrangement, the macro movements aren't recorded. the macros in the dropdown in the arrangement are greyed out too. it says 'this parameter is disabled because it is controlled by a max device'

And I guess the "back to session" or "re-enable automation" (as called in the manual) button is light up, right ?

hmmm, i just been trying to suss it all out again...

- i recorded a clip into session view while moving the joysticks mapped to a rack. the clip recorded but with no rack automation. however i also got a joystick directly mapped to track volume and sends directly via the API in mfl, and this automation does get recorded
- when i play back the session clip it plays fine but with no automation, so i record it into arrangement view. as i record it i can move the joysticks and hear the automation but again it doesn't get recorded
- with the back to arrangement button either on or off, the macro automation is greyed out so i can't draw it in afterwards
- i can manually draw the automation into the clip view but it doesn't register on playback. and when i then record it into arrangement it doesn't show up until i click the back to arrangement button, but even then it's greyed out and can't be edited

sheesh . the workaround i got is ok... recording the audio into another track but it'd be miles better if the macro parameters weren't disabled.

thanks for any advice. maybe there's another mfl patch which can be used that records with the instrument macros??

cheers

[unix23]

I've been trying to do the same thing with a Max stepsequencer device for Push followed by drumracks that runs in Push usermode with some audio effects after it. I want to record playback automation as midi data.

When I set a separate midi track to use the Max Sequencer track as a source I was able to record notes but no effects automation. I understand that I could overdub but would like to capture it in one pass. I thought maybe this was a limitation of Session View so I tried to record in Arrangement view and the best I could do was:
record the notes into the Track 2 and the automation into Track 1 (with the Max instrument.)

To play this back I had to disable the Max instrument (Track 1) and reverse the MIDI routing so that the Track 2 information sent MIDI notes to Track 1, with the clip on Track 1 contributing the automation. To merge them I'd have to cut and paste the notes.

This is really clunky. There has to be a better way! I'm still working on it.

[unix23]

I came up with another way but it *still* has to be easier than this. This works in either Arrange or Session view:

Track 1: MIDI Track with Max sequencer, drumrack, effects
Track 2: MIDI Track

Set Track 2 to input MIDI data from Track 1
Arm both tracks
Record
Track 1 will contain automation data and Track 2 will contain note data.
Copy the note data from the sequence (session or arrange) in Track 1
Paste the note data into the Track 1 sequence containing the automation data

To play it back, disable the Max sequencer on Track 1 and play. All the MIDI data is now contained in the clip.

There *has* to be an easier way to get the automation AND notes from a Max stepsequencer (I'm guessing this is true for VST stepsequencers and automation, too) into a a single clip in the session or arrange view.

[Colourman]

I have Multimapper mfl in a midi track, with the volumes of each track mapped to it.
1 Inset 1 bar midi clip looped into scene
2 Hit session record, automation arm on
3 Set the volumes via midi controller to a nice vibe
4 Stop recording
5 Repeat step 1 to 4 for variations of volume levels
6 Select the clips you just made
7 Turn off loop
8 Set quantize to “none” if you dare
9 Midi map the clips to keys or buttons
10 Jam a scene and fire the clips to dynamically change the volumes in real time.