Drag'n'Drop of sequences (plus maybe bug report)

[pljones]

Hi,

Start a new MuLab session.
Replace Basic Synth with Kontakt 5 Player and load Abbey Road 60 Drummer Full Kit.
Set the MuLab browser to Sequences.
In Kontakt, load a Groove.
Drag the groove from Kontakt to the MuLab Sequences.

MuLab's browser switches to the Compositions tab and shows Composition(1) and Composition(2). I'm not sure why the MIDI groove doesn't just get added to the Sequences - the second composition contains a part for the sequence but you're left looking at the original composition, and it's not clear what - if anything - useful happened. Is this intentional?

On one occasion - i.e. not reproducibly - I got "A severe error has occurred" after having deleted all the compositions. That time, I didn't get the "No composition" message in the main window. I'm not sure exactly what I'd done just before the error, which is possibly why I can't reproduce it. I'll try to figure out what it was if it happens again.

[MuTools]

Start a new MuLab session.
Replace Basic Synth with Kontakt 5 Player and load Abbey Road 60 Drummer Full Kit.
Set the MuLab browser to Sequences.
In Kontakt, load a Groove.
Drag the groove from Kontakt to the MuLab Sequences.

MuLab's browser switches to the Compositions tab and shows Composition(1) and Composition(2). I'm not sure why the MIDI groove doesn't just get added to the Sequences

Indeed MIDI files are currently only imported as compositions, not as sequences. But you can already import a MIDI file as a single sequence, it only takes some extra steps. I've added a note on the wishlist about a shorter direct way. Can't promise anything on short term though.

the second composition contains a part for the sequence but you're left looking at the original composition, and it's not clear what - if anything - useful happened. Is this intentional?

I think the answer is yes because i'm not sure that when dropping something on the browser should automatically switch to that object. If you want to use that MIDI file immediately then drop it on the composer, not on the browser. Or activate that composition after having dropped the MIDI file on the browser.

On one occasion - i.e. not reproducibly - I got "A severe error has occurred" after having deleted all the compositions.

Thanks for reporting this, did a quick check but could not yet repeat such crash. If you would have extra tips about this crash, pls let me know. Until this prob is fixed and in case you need a stable situation: Try to avoid the situation that there is no composition in a session. I have a suspicion that there is some code part that assumes at least 1 composition in a session.

[pljones]

Indeed MIDI files are currently only imported as compositions, not as sequences. But you can already import a MIDI file as a single sequence, it only takes some extra steps. I've added a note on the wishlist about a shorter direct way. Can't promise anything on short term though.

I sort of understand the logic: the MIDI file is a "whole composition", so gets imported as such. It's probably good for actual files being imported -- grooves exported from plugins are usually just simple sequences, though. I wouldn't suggest dropping the current way of doing though, it makes sense now I think about it.

I think the answer is yes because i'm not sure that when dropping something on the browser should automatically switch to that object.

I think this is probably where I'd differ. If I drop a WAV onto the browser, it should switch to whichever tab is appropriate to show it. Hm. Maybe have a "pinned"/"unpinned" mode that stops it following what's dropped on it... But I'd put the follow drop as the default behaviour myself (i.e. I find it hard to imagine how it improves workflow not to). The only issue would be if I dropped several files of different types... that would have to fall back to not following drop...

If you want to use that MIDI file immediately then drop it on the composer, not on the browser. Or activate that composition after having dropped the MIDI file on the browser.

I guess this comes back to the "MIDI file is a composition" point -- if I were gathering several sequences together, I probably wouldn't want to drop them on the composer, I'd just want them to hand, ready to be arranged. This doesn't so much apply with separate compositions (but does with nearly everything else in the browser).

Thanks for reporting this, did a quick check but could not yet repeat such crash. If you would have extra tips about this crash, pls let me know. Until this prob is fixed and in case you need a stable situation: Try to avoid the situation that there is no composition in a session. I have a suspicion that there is some code part that assumes at least 1 composition in a session.

I spent a fair while trying reproduce it, too... It was quite unexpected and I was already confused after the "MIDI file is a composition" thing. Methodical steps failed -- so I guess I must have done something unintended anyway... (I'd only deleted the compositions because I didn't know what was going on...).

[MuTools]

I think this is probably where I'd differ. If I drop a WAV onto the browser, it should switch to whichever tab is appropriate to show it.

When dropping a MIDI file on the browser it does switch to the compositions tab. Not on your system?

[pljones]

It does, yes -- you were indicating you felt it shouldn't, I thought?

I think the answer is yes because i'm not sure that when dropping something on the browser should automatically switch to that object.

Maybe I misread this?

[MuTools]

Indeed some confusion, sorry. What i meant was that when dropping a MIDI file on the browser i don't think the composer should automatically switch to that new composition which is created from the dropped MIDI file. But the browser itself indeed switches to the compositions tab, so you could immediately drag-drop the new composition on the composer if you want.