MIDI, RAM, And Editing Tools
Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2006 2:05 am
(The following was oringally posted in another part of the forums, but someone guided me to it actually having a better home here.)
Live is great, but it still does leave some things to be desired.
For one, Live's MIDI implementation, though horrible by no means, still could use some help. I'm not expecting Ableton to push for making Live some sort of Logic or SX, but hopefully they can pump up the MIDI implementation some.
For one, anyone happen to have a synth that happens to throw out NRPN values? Try recording those into Live....try editing those in Live? I think you'll find you hit a brick wall in both cases.
In regard to editing continous MIDI controller data or even typical envelope information in samples, a line tool would be great!
Multi-timbral capable MIDI clips would be excellent!? Currently we get forced to have things streamlined to one MIDI channel (though we can take in from many), why can't a clip contain data being fed amongst varying MIDI channels? For those that may not see the use of this, say a drum line is composed utilizing different drum modules....rather than having to spread them out amongst tracks, one track could be used to for all the modules; further a clip could be used to send information for any number of the modules pertaining to that track.
Have some sort of display allowing the user to see how much RAM Live currently needs and is using to work effectively (allowing users to gain warning as to when they are about to enter into memory swapping territory).
Now maybe there is a way to do this that I just haven't caught, but Live can export audio, why can't it export MIDI (in regard to arrangement view or clips in session view). Further, rather than having to deal with resampling, how bout a means of having Live develop a new entirely new sample in Session view that is based upon how the envelopes, time stretches, etc. within a clip are set, this new sample can then replace the originala sample. Essientially giving the user the option of if they want to take up more drive/disk space or if they want to simply take up more CPU for the automation being conducted. As is, from what I understand, this is practically what's being done during track freezes......why not give us the ability to not freeze, and just simply create entirely new replacement samples for what we have in the clip without going through a formal resampling process.
MIDI program changes......lets get it so that they can occur at any given time within a clip.
Keystroke/MIDI assignments.....you get to dealing with large Live sets, and well, you can eventually start running out of keys or various MIDI actions to use to trigger scenes or clips. How bout providing a means by which large amounts of key/MIDI assignments can be reassigned quickly, on the go, while things are playing. For example, say someone has a full octave on a keyboard with each key pertaining to a given scene. The full amount of scenes go beyond this designated octave though. Perhaps a means could be implemented where the range group of keys that do pertain to scenes can be considered part of a group, and a command could be implemented where by that entire group could be kept in order but moved down to the next until the first key of the group is now located at what would have been the first unassigned scene (if this causes some keys to no longer be active within the set, so be it). Like wise the group could be moved back up in the same manner.
The ability to tell Live to clear it's undo history quickly and efficiently. Again, just as a means of being able to help manage RAM allocation. Have a super large Live set, you know memory swapping is going to eventually become a problem, well then before it becomes a problem, wipe out a bunch of samples you know you will know longer be using, clear the undo history, and Live now has access to that much more RAM.
In any regard, just my two cents on some of the things that I think could be implemented in a future version(s) of Live.
-Al
Live is great, but it still does leave some things to be desired.
For one, Live's MIDI implementation, though horrible by no means, still could use some help. I'm not expecting Ableton to push for making Live some sort of Logic or SX, but hopefully they can pump up the MIDI implementation some.
For one, anyone happen to have a synth that happens to throw out NRPN values? Try recording those into Live....try editing those in Live? I think you'll find you hit a brick wall in both cases.
In regard to editing continous MIDI controller data or even typical envelope information in samples, a line tool would be great!
Multi-timbral capable MIDI clips would be excellent!? Currently we get forced to have things streamlined to one MIDI channel (though we can take in from many), why can't a clip contain data being fed amongst varying MIDI channels? For those that may not see the use of this, say a drum line is composed utilizing different drum modules....rather than having to spread them out amongst tracks, one track could be used to for all the modules; further a clip could be used to send information for any number of the modules pertaining to that track.
Have some sort of display allowing the user to see how much RAM Live currently needs and is using to work effectively (allowing users to gain warning as to when they are about to enter into memory swapping territory).
Now maybe there is a way to do this that I just haven't caught, but Live can export audio, why can't it export MIDI (in regard to arrangement view or clips in session view). Further, rather than having to deal with resampling, how bout a means of having Live develop a new entirely new sample in Session view that is based upon how the envelopes, time stretches, etc. within a clip are set, this new sample can then replace the originala sample. Essientially giving the user the option of if they want to take up more drive/disk space or if they want to simply take up more CPU for the automation being conducted. As is, from what I understand, this is practically what's being done during track freezes......why not give us the ability to not freeze, and just simply create entirely new replacement samples for what we have in the clip without going through a formal resampling process.
MIDI program changes......lets get it so that they can occur at any given time within a clip.
Keystroke/MIDI assignments.....you get to dealing with large Live sets, and well, you can eventually start running out of keys or various MIDI actions to use to trigger scenes or clips. How bout providing a means by which large amounts of key/MIDI assignments can be reassigned quickly, on the go, while things are playing. For example, say someone has a full octave on a keyboard with each key pertaining to a given scene. The full amount of scenes go beyond this designated octave though. Perhaps a means could be implemented where the range group of keys that do pertain to scenes can be considered part of a group, and a command could be implemented where by that entire group could be kept in order but moved down to the next until the first key of the group is now located at what would have been the first unassigned scene (if this causes some keys to no longer be active within the set, so be it). Like wise the group could be moved back up in the same manner.
The ability to tell Live to clear it's undo history quickly and efficiently. Again, just as a means of being able to help manage RAM allocation. Have a super large Live set, you know memory swapping is going to eventually become a problem, well then before it becomes a problem, wipe out a bunch of samples you know you will know longer be using, clear the undo history, and Live now has access to that much more RAM.
In any regard, just my two cents on some of the things that I think could be implemented in a future version(s) of Live.
-Al