Seeing Multiple Tracks In Session View As One Logical Instrument/Group

Discuss music production with Ableton Live.
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jackercrack
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2011 11:17 am

Seeing Multiple Tracks In Session View As One Logical Instrument/Group

Post by jackercrack » Thu Mar 16, 2023 8:47 am

Hi there.
Is there a way record multiple tracks, at once, in session view and have it operate as one group/instrument for convenience...but still maintain individual tracks for later editing?

I have a 12 string pickup that each pole/string is a separate entity/channel. I would like to be be able to record all of the channels at once in session view...while maintaining the convenience of being being able to move/edit things as one clip. Right now I can individually arm each string and then hit record and the scene selector, and that records all of the string simultaneously into individual clips, which is fine. The main issue with this is it becomes very cumbersome. I can't, for example, simply drag a clip to/from arrangement view...I have to copy and paste a bunch of things which just kills the work flow. I can sum everything to one stereo bus/track...but then I lose the individual tracks for later editing. Grouping tracks together doesn't help because I can't record arm ,or launch a clip button to record, a group.

I know this setup is overly elaborate...but that's kind of the point of the project.

To put it in a simpler view... Imagine I'm a drummer recording a multi tracked kit. I want to use the workflow of live like I would on guitar. Hit a button on push...and start recording that clip. And then hit a different button and record a clip there...but later on I want to be be able to individually mix the separate drum tracks.

Any idea? I feel like I might be missing something really obvious but I feel like I've exhausted all my options with groups and bussing. A while back I tried making an effect rack that consisted of a bunch "External Audio Effect" instances each with a different string...but I couldn't get it to print to tape so to speak.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

RobrechtV
Posts: 74
Joined: Sat Feb 18, 2017 1:32 pm

Re: Seeing Multiple Tracks In Session View As One Logical Instrument/Group

Post by RobrechtV » Thu Mar 16, 2023 9:24 am

In Live 11, you can now link tracks, which should do most of what you're looking for. I've used it to link a guitar track to its simultaneously recorded DI so that all edits applied to both.

(Note that even without linking, you can select multiple clips in session view by holding shift or ctrl and drag them into your arrangement together.)

jackercrack
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2011 11:17 am

Re: Seeing Multiple Tracks In Session View As One Logical Instrument/Group

Post by jackercrack » Fri Mar 17, 2023 6:38 am

Cool, definitely helped some. I have two different computers running live a didn't realize that I didn't upgrade this one to 11 :) At the very least linking the tracks allows me to arm and disarm them with out having to select them all first which is a big help. Linking in conjunction with the setting "Start recording on scene launch" is getting pretty close to what I need. When that is set I can hit the clip launch in a group/folder track and that will start recording all of the clips in that group. I don't have my push hooked up at the moment. If hitting that clip launch, in the group track, starts recording on all of the clips than that should be pretty close to what my brain/fingers are looking for. At the very least it's a heck of a lot easier than it was a few days ago :)

Thanks for your help.

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