Ableton Forum

Hi all,

Back in Version 7, I was able to set up MIDI overdubbing in such a way that as long as a MIDI track was armed to record, any clips triggered in those tracks would automatically go into MIDI overdub mode.

This was PERFECT for the way I would perform live. I would have all my empty MIDI clips pre-set up in all the right positions with all the right lengths - ready for me to play the parts into them.

However, I just recently changed to 9 and it's looking to me like this way of working has been completely removed, with no way to turn it back on?!
(I'm hoping I'm mistaken and somebody knows how to turn it on or otherwise if I'm just doing something stupid!)

...as far as I can tell, now you have to keep pressing and re-pressing the 'Session Record Button' over and over again to keep re-enabling MIDI overdub on playing clips!!

...please tell me I'm missing something. If this is now how it works, this really screws up the central way I used to build up MIDI sequences live on stage

Cheers,
Rich

Hi Rop, i also have live 9 and don´t have any problem whenever i need to overdub somithing. I show you the steps and then you tell me whetever you do in the same way:
1. I press Punch-in and punch-out buttons next to loop button.
2. I select the region where i want the overdub to perform.
3. I arm record in the corresponding track.
4. I select the exact point where i want the track to start.
5. Then i press the record button.

If you follo that steps, you should´t have any problem re-recording a region or regions of your tracks.

Hi JavPro,

Thanks for the reply, but I think you are talking about how you would use Live at home in a studio environment.
I have no problem with how Live works in this regard - I can also MIDI overdub in this way without any issues.

I'm talking about taking Live up on stage and performing with it. I am live MIDI looping. I am performing one layer of the song, then switching to a new clip and playing a new layer of the song - all in real time in front of a crowd etc.

I am NEVER in arrangement view on stage. I am only in session view.

But in any case - performing live on stage - I don't have time to be setting up punch in / out points! I am launching many different clips. I am looking to start playing inside these pre-set empty clips and have them recording what I am playing immediately. I have no time between clips to be pressing more buttons to set up recording... I am playing one sequence and then I am - as seemlessly as possible - playing a different set of notes into a different clip as soon as that new clip starts.
I bearly have time (or fingers spare!) to press the 1 button it takes to trigger the new clip - let alone going through a whole sequence to set up recording on that new clip!

I need all MIDI clips to automatically be in MIDI overdub mode all the time. I don't want it ever to switch off.
I was able to do this in Ableton 7...

I am finding that I can (somehow) get the Record Session Record button to stay on, and not switch itself off.
...kind of... sometimes...

Not 100% on it yet though. I need more time with it to fully understand how it works I think.

...so maybe all is not lost. We'll see...

Hmmm - it's working to a point...
...but if I change which tracks are armed, then the Session Record button switches off

Does anybody know of any way to stop the Session Record button switching off if you change which tracks are armed? Please?
If I can work that out, maybe it'll be alright... Maybe...

OK found an answer! (Just incase anybody else is trying to use Ableton like I am!)

...I'm using MIDI loopback to create a short clip that runs a MIDI Control envelope. I then map that MIDI control to the Session Record button - which constantly forces it on!

...crude, but seems to work!

Definitely no problem doing what you're trying to achieve here.
I wonder what could cause this issue in your setup...