Ableton Forum

I spend a lot of time playing piano and recording tracks. Playback is a long process. There has to be an easier way.
Stop Track, Rewind, Click NO INPUT, Play the track, STOP, DELETE TRACK, rewind, Click on EXTERNAL IN, Click on the track to highlight, click on RECORD. That's 10 mouse clicks to be ready to record again.

Most of the time, the track is deleted so I repeat this process over and over. Is there an easier way to UNDO a track without going through all of this.

Thanks

On Mac: Command+Z undoes previous action including recording, and clicking record again will start recording at the same spot. I believe it's Control+Z on pc.

LarZ2 wrote: I spend a lot of time playing piano and recording tracks. Playback is a long process. There has to be an easier way.
Stop Track, Rewind, Click NO INPUT, Play the track, STOP, DELETE TRACK, rewind, Click on EXTERNAL IN, Click on the track to highlight, click on RECORD. That's 10 mouse clicks to be ready to record again.

Most of the time, the track is deleted so I repeat this process over and over. Is there an easier way to UNDO a track without going through all of this.

Thanks

In general learn keyboard-shortcuts. It will make you better sooo much faster.

Windows ctrl+z, mac: CMD+z = undo. SHIFT+CMD+z = redo.

CMD+d = duplicate
CMD+s = save
CMD+t = new track
CMD+, = preferences
etc etc etc etc.

Good luck

I think it is easier and faster to simply keep recording each new take to another Clip as you go (easier in Session), then delete the ones you don't like later.

I think what's OP meant is to undo and delete the recordings - currently it's quite tedious to reject a take - you undo it but then you have to locate the recorded files in the folder and delete them.

Oh wait. Do you mean you wish to start recording on new Audio Tracks altogether without switching External In back and forth? Hmm, are you able to save time or tedium by leaving ALL the ext. in. to be static, but then use the Monitor Section and the Exclusive Track Arm feature to switch tracks with two clicks? You could use that in conjunction with the shortcuts I describe below, or similar..

If you switched "Monitor" to "off" for a track, it would not be heard, then hitting the Track Arm for another track, and Monitor to "on", could this be better for you?

Unless you are working on overdubs and timely fills on pre-arranged material, I good technique for recording oneself might be to let it free run and edit later. That doesn't mean stitch things together but to not be hung when you want to start over and switch tracks: just start over?

That's also what the "Takes and Lanes" functionality is for, if you do have a set arrangement. Keep going through it. In my own experience having recorded myself play and recorded bands play, it can be frustrating and awkward to keep having to mash buttons, snapping out of the musical vibe.




I would recommend looking at how to use the Track Arm, Monitor Section, and keyboard shortcuts to best suit your workflow needs.

In particular, turning off then turning back on the Track Arm input should be unnecessary when "Monitor" is set to Auto if you wish to playback and listen for a time.

The red light should be able to stay on, and the microphone will not feedback or have an issue, if the track has audio clips in the arrangement or session that are active.

Additionally, with keyboard shortcuts (you can customize them with using the Key button in the top right of Live's interface).
For example, I always make my Default Live Set have lowercase "q" be my "stop" button, so at any time, "q, q, q" gets me to the start of the set.

You mention "rewind" - but does that mean to the very start of a specific position? My example puts the Playhead at 1.1.1 If you needed to go somewhere else, using "Add Locator" via the Create menu and clicking on it would be the best way probably to return to it without external automation tools like SoundFlow.

Also, I set lowercase "r" to Record Enable, to allow the quickest way for me to get the spacebar ready to launch recording.

I would start recording from 1.1.1 with "r, spacebar". Then, I would just need "q, q, space" to stop, rewind, and listen, and "q, q, r, spacebar" to record another take. Using the Auto monitoring mode, there should be no need for changing input, as I mentioned.