[Resolved, sort of] MSuperLooper - default bars option is broken in v15

[BennyG]

I've only just got around to installing v15, and it seems that default bars isn't working right.

Previously in v14, I'd set MSL to sync mode and then default bars to 2, for example. Hitting record would record the 2-bar loop, with the recording stopping automatically at the end of the 2 bars and the loop cycling in playback mode.

Just tried this with v15 and the recording just keeps overdubbing after the first pass. Previously, this would only happen if auto overdub was enabled, but now it seems impossible to turn off the overdubbing.

Am I missing a setting somewhere, or is this a bug?

[MeldaProduction]

Hmmm, it's possible that this was introduced as a sideeffect, it's sooo complicated at this point. I'll take a look at some point, but no promises.

[gambolputty]

I just installed a demo version of MSuperLooper 15.01 and I'm experiencing overdubbing all the time as well. I'm using Element as a VST host. MSuperLooper is set to sync, 16 tracks, 2 default bars, all loops same length. "Display waveforms" and all other settings in that immediate section are off. Recording is starting right in the middle of the two bars instead at the beginning of the two bars. Settings off? Bug? Please advise.

[BennyG]

Hmmm, it's possible that this was introduced as a sideeffect, it's sooo complicated at this point. I'll take a look at some point, but no promises.

Thanks for the reply - been doing some more testing tonight, rolling back to v14 and I can confirm this feature is definitely broken in v15.

Here's a couple of quick gifs to illustrate. MSL is running with sync enabled and default bars set to 2. I'm not running any audio through it, but you can clearly see that in v14.16 it records for 2 bars and then the track goes back to purple, indicating that we are back in playback mode:

MSLv14.gif

Whereas in 15.02rc1 the track stays red and keeps recording, despite the fact that the settings are identical to the example above (no auto overdub, etc):

MSLv15.gif

I appreciate MSL is very complicated, but this is core functionality of the software that no longer works as advertised, nor as it used to in previous versions. Default bars is supposed to be used if you know the length of your loops in advance, and to free you from having to manually mark an end point for the recording. As things stand, this is not currently possible in MSL.

I've got a whole workflow based around using the looper in this way, with various bindings and multiparameters which don't function right now. I'd be massively grateful if this could get some attention, it's a real deal-breaker

[BennyG]

Sorry, just coming back to bump this onto page 1 again, as I'm still having troubles with default bars not working. Is anyone else out there using MSL in sync mode with default bars and able to confirm whether they can get it to function in v15? I just can't find a way to stop MSL from going straight into an auto-overdub after each recording pass

Been trying a few things with the multiparameters to 'hack' it into marking the end point with a delayed trigger so I don't have to do it manually, but nothing replicates the v14 behaviour (e.g. I can't do different length loops on different tracks).

I've searched the forum for solutions/clues, and it seems this was reported a few months back, when v15 was still in Beta:
viewtopic.php?p=8175152

It appears user Burillo may have been having the exact same issue back then:

I can't figure out how to do the simplest thing in MSuperLooper - i want to press record, and i want the recording to record exactly 8 bars, and stop recording...

I think this is the same problem being described there, so I can't be the only one

[MeldaProduction]

Wait a second - you said it's not working?? I thought the problem is just that it doesn't stop after one pass (since it is overdubbing)

[BennyG]

Wait a second - you said it's not working?? I thought the problem is just that it doesn't stop after one pass (since it is overdubbing)

Well, yes. The overdubbing is not expected/desired behaviour and therefore the feature is currently broken.

I guess technically you could argue that it's still possible to record a loop of x bars by setting default bars to x, but only if you want go straight into an overdub, which I don't (auto-overdub is clearly turned off in my examples above, so why is it still overdubbing?)

So the bug report is specifically regarding the current inability to disengage auto-overdub when in default bars mode. Either way, that's an unexpected/undocumented change from how previous versions of MSL have worked, so surely counts as a bug, right?

[BennyG]

Right, so after a lot of tinkering and tweaking this weekend, I managed to stumble across a combination of settings in v15 that brings back the desired behaviour from v14 detailed above. If the following is set, MSL will record for the specified number of 'default bars' and then transition straight into playback of the loop once the recording is made...

Recording starts at main loop: on
Recording stops at main loop: on

settings.png

Then in the MIDI bindings, the key that is set to trigger the record command should be set to "On/Off" mode (not as a switch, which was how I'd always been using it previously):

MIDI.png

For whatever reason, that seems to do it. No more auto-overdubbing!

[Zorker Torker]

Right, so after a lot of tinkering and tweaking this weekend, I managed to stumble across a combination of settings in v15 that brings back the desired behaviour from v14 detailed above. If the following is set, MSL will record for the specified number of 'default bars' and then transition straight into playback of the loop once the recording is made...

Recording starts at main loop: on
Recording stops at main loop: on


settings.png


Then in the MIDI bindings, the key that is set to trigger the record command should be set to "On/Off" mode (not as a switch, which was how I'd always been using it previously):


MIDI.png


For whatever reason, that seems to do it. No more auto-overdubbing!

You method is not working for me unfortunately. I just built whole live setup based on MSL and it SO frustrating to unable to auto stop recording. Maybe you discover another solution in v16?

I hope developers will fix this in upcoming update because auto stop is absolutely basic need for every loop artist. For example, I'm piano player and it's nearly impossible for me to push the record button again to disable overdubbing. MSL is absolutely genius plugin which allow to get looping on the next level and I'm going to buy it after my trial will expired. But lack of auto stop recording is just kill me. I'm pretty sure that lack of basic needs for loop performance will scare away professional musicians from buying it.
I hope adding auto stop recording after default bars is one of the first things in developers "to do" list.

I'm on Ableton 11 using MSL ver 16. MacBook late 2019 retina 16.

Btw it constantly crashes Ableton after switching some presets. It also crashes after "clear track" which is pretty scary thing in a live situation.

[MeldaProduction]

Ok, understood, will check it out.