Posted
Hi,
Im having a little trouble getting a good workflow going here.
Say, I record a part. The next step would be to adjust the take, quantizing off notes so that the changes don't need to be redone each time the figure it created. This is working alright for me. Its still a little awkward though.
The problem Im having is when I overdub new parts, adjust the timing of the take and recreate the figure I lose all of the changes to velocity I've made.
I haven't done a thorough survey of what other work gets lost when creating a figure but the general feeling is that nothing that is done to the figure is safe. Velocity doesn't seem to be retained in any instance.
I find myself constantly copying the figure back over the take in the same way that I would file->save the project so as not to lose anything.
As anyone else struggling with this seesaw?
Perhaps there should be some sort of dialog that asks, before recreating a figure from the take, if the user would like to apply any changes made to the figure, to the take.
Perhaps a mode to make quantizing happen simultaneously to the figure and the take. As it is I alway do the same routine:
record
figure automatically created <- no point
switch to and adjust take
recreate figure
What do you think?
p.s. I know the figure creation has a quantize built into it but I really never use blanket quantize that way.
EDIT:
Also, in hyperedit mode, with show selected parameters on... switching from take to figure is buggy.
I have a project open. I have the track I want to view as a take selected, but going back and forth between take and figure is effecting only one track and its not the selected track.
The only reliable way to edit takes has been to open a phrase editor. The velocity bug is present in both
Mo., 10.08.2009 - 16:04 Permalink
Thank you for pointing out this workflow issue. I think we will be able to improve this. Probably the solution is even simpler than expected.
I can imagine that it should work a lot better if only the new/replaced portion of the take is processed and everything else is retained from the figure.
Mo., 10.08.2009 - 20:47 Permalink
Having record only alter the recorded part of a take/figure sounds good, especially when punch in and out are working again.
There is still an issue of having to quantize the take, after a figure is made in order to get the correct figure. Like wise storing part, input by the mouse requires the same workaround.
This is necessary every time harmony changes and figures need to be recreated. Any changes made to either velocity, or the figure have to be stored in the take, which I cant imagine is a very good way of working -- the take should be the recorded performance, not a temporary "safe buffer"
My ideal would be a lanes/comp system. I imagine thats a tall order at the moment.
A lanes/takes function would act in a similar way to the audio lanes comping in all of the major daws. Multiple takes could be held simultaneously, which solves the main issue of this post -- not overwriting the recorded performance.
The recorded performance could always remain, as is, in the composition, available at any time. Important revisions or alternate takes would be available for editing in or preview.
Perhaps a control similar to harmonies "layer" could be used to select between the different comps and their corresponding parameters (velocity, breath, pitchbend etc) to allow for non destructive edits.
EDIT
As an example.
I'm working on a figure, it has been modified heavily from its original take. I an store the figure by dragging the figure parameter into the take.
Instead of just replacing the take, a little pop up would come up with a list of takes
Perf 1
Perf 2
Minimal
Pickles and Beer
Create New...
Rename...
I create a new layer "Messy Moon." I could have chosen to overwrite Pickles and Beer, or any of the others.
The first two items in the list would be recorded performances. The minimal item, was a recorded performance that was a take that was edited heavily and then dragged onto the create new. The pickles and beer take was created entirely with the mouse.
A take-layer (I'm sure there is a better name for this parameter) would select between which take is active at a particular time.
The could be coupled with an optional automatic take to figure function so that changes can be heard in context, immediately, while working.
At the moment, I make the changes in the phrase editor, move the phrase editor out of the way to get to the arrange window select the take parameter and recreate figure; every time I make a change. I know probe plays the take, but it doesn't play it in context.
This way we would have the flexibility of non-destructive editing, with out having to manage two separate parameters to maintain a single part (take and figure).
Figure becomes more or less invisible -- or we go with the name figure and take becomes just one comp in a figure.
EDIT 2
Sorry for all the revisions. Its a bit of a problem for me to get my head around.
On second thought. I can see that this idea limits some of the flexibility of keeping all parts in separate containers for mobility.
I addressed this in more sensible terms here