FR: Composer TRACK for nested composer modules

[masterjoe]

This idea is inspired by the good old "pack folder" feature from Logic that I was using in Logic 5.5.1 on Windows loong time ago. What I like about it is that you can structure your song logically like Intro - Refrain - Break - Verse - Bridge - Refrain etc. while still having all sequencer features inside of these elements. Each of the elements has a set of tracks and events / clips to define that phrase.

How shall this be done in MuLab? - I suggest having another type of track that is called "composer track". Each composer track uses a nested composer as the associated modular element. The nested composer is like any other normal composer. The only difference is that this composer has its own track on which clips are defined that use all existing tracks in the nested composer. So you can have clips on that composer track like "intro" or "bridge" and they are displayed as single clips. They contain data for all tracks of the nested composer's tracks. So when you dbl-click such a clip you will see an editor that looks almost identical to the nested composer. You have all tracks and modules there. But this clip from the outer composer track has its own set of events / clips on the composer. So each of the clips of the composer track can have totally different note events, automation data and audio in it. It can also have its own start, end and loop start / end points for the whole clip.

Clips on a composer track allow to define clips with multiple tracks that are nested in the outer composer. You just need a single tracke lane in the outer composer. Editing the clip leads you to a composer editor which only displays the contents of this clip. But the track structure is shared between clips.

So basically what a composer track does is to defines sort of scenes for a nested composer. These "scenes" are actually clips on the nested composer's track. Dbl-clicking such a clip allows you to edit its contents.

This approach would add another way to define whole songs or to define complex tracks while having them in a single clip.

A function "create composer track" in any composer could also be added which transforms the currently selected set of clips to a nested composer with an associated composer track in the outer composer where you use the "create composer track" feature. The selected clips from the outer composer automatically go to a first composer track clip on that composer track. The created nested composer replicates the tracks from the outer composer so that everything sounds the same. However now you can add additional clips on the new composer track in the way described above.
This way you can create hierarchies of composer tracks with associated nested composers to structure your song.

Adding one or more composer tracks to already existing nested composers is also feasible. When doing so no clips exist on that track. But you can add them in the way described above.
Also having multiple composer tracks for the SAME nested composer allows separating notes from automation e.g. for that composer. This allows variations etc.

Clips on composer tracks should have all features known from other sequences: Shared copies, start, end and loop start / end points.

Composer tracks would add a nice flavor of structuring songs and phrases in MuLab.

What do you think?

[MuTools]

I'm much thinking in the same direction and in fact much of what you describe is already on the wishlist. M9 is the result of a serious internal code restructuring. M9 itself is already reaping rewards of this restructuring but i'm very hopeful many more rewards will come thru in the next main updates. Thx for sharing your view on this, it certainly adds extra inspiration. I've bookmarked your post and will reread at later time.

[masterjoe]

Very nice to hear this. And yes I have the feeling, too, that we are thinking in quite the same direction. That's what lead me to MuLab in the first place and V9 showed me that the direction in which you go is exactly the way I like. Amazing work The potential is really there!

[padillac]

Do these proposed “intro” and “bridge” clips point to different sections of the same composer? Or are they different composers?

fwiw you can kind of accomplish this today with the note actions on a composer.

I do like the idea of “composer clips” where we could select a range between two time values OR markers in a composer timeline. To me that’s a bit more natural for arranging than using MIDI notes, plus it would allow for starting playback in the middle of the clip. The current MIDI note approach requires you to start playback at the beginning each time.

What I would REALLY love is multiple timelines per composer module. FL studio has something like this, that they call compositions or scores or something. Anyway, it would be awesome to create multiple timelines in a composer, so we could create one timeline each for Intro / Verse etc. Then your “composer clip” idea would select a specific timeline to play - ideally also being able to trim / loop it, so you can chop entire timelines just like you chop samples.

[masterjoe]

Do these proposed “intro” and “bridge” clips point to different sections of the same composer? Or are they different composers?

No, neither different sections nor different composers. These composer clips exist for the composer track that I have suggested. A composer track is associsted with a single composer. Each of the clips on that track have a clean timeline with the same tracks that the referenced composer defines. It's kind of defining a composer scene in a clip. Sort of. But you define the contents of that clip on a empty timeline of the composer for each clip. Clips can also be pooled (re-used).

Hope that clarifies it.

[padillac]

Okay so it’s similar to FL Studio, and what I said later in the post: effectively having multiple timelines per composer, and then the composer clip selects which timeline plays. I hope it happens!