Switching tracks while recording for live-looping in Waveform 11

[GraziTheMan]

Waveform still doesn't have any clear live-looping functionality built in(that I'm aware of) but I've seen some videos where various people have created workarounds. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to recreate any of these with success. I CC'd the drum pads on my Akai MPK mini 3 to switch between tracks, but I'm using the same MIDI input for each track, and Waveform doesn't allow me to switch tracks while recording is in progress.

I know there are plugins designed for live-looping but most of them are designed for recording audio, but I would like to record MIDI instead. Other plugins were confusing to work with. It seems to me like all of the right stuff is there in Waveform to make this happen without having to use a plugin. I really love this software and I'd love to be able to use it for 100% of my recording/session needs.

Here are my questions(which are also requests that I will figure out how to submit to the Tracktion team):

1.) Is there any script that would enable me to program a macro into the num pad keys for switching back and forth between specific tracks?

2.) Is there a setting I could toggle that would allow me to switch between tracks while in the middle of recording?

3.) Has anybody heard whether or not Tracktion has live-looping functionality on their radar as a possible future update?

I love this software a lot and I'm super impressed with the Tracktion team. This is the only thing I feel Waveform is missing when it comes to competing with FL Studio and Ableton

[AGreen]

What's the purpose of switching tracks? If it's just to loop record you don't need to switch tracks. There's a setting in the midi settings section called "Action". Set it to "Overlay new clips containing newly recorded midi". This will cause waveform to create a comp clip with multiple takes as you loop record. You can then click the + sign on the clip and view the takes, comp them or explode them to separate tracks.

[Watchful]

I'm wondering if Grazi is presuming to record a section of audio, then jump back and record the same section on a second track...then on a third.

If so, AGreen is right that there's an easy way to do it.

Set your in and out marker for where you want your loop.

In the lower right of your screen, select the LOOP button.

Arm the track and record. Waveform will loop the recording back to your in marker until you click stop.

As AGreen says, you will see what *appears* to be one clip. But notice there's a plus symbol in the lower right corner of that clip. Click on it, and you can see it's a whole bunch of clips (one per loop take) that you can cycle through or send out to new tracks, or (more efficiently) comp through.

[pough]

I think he's wanting to switch tracks because they have different instruments. You set a looped in/out and start to record. Record a little cowbell. Switch tracks while it's still recording. Record a little virtual kazoo. Switch tracks while it's still recording. Record a little didgeridoo... and so on. All while the recording continues without pause.

I think at this point the only way it could be done in Waveform is to have a separate MIDI keyboard for each track.

[AGreen]

It would be possible to do with a macro if there was a command to arm a specific track but unfortunately there's only a command to arm all tracks. It would be really useful to have such a command as arming specific tracks is common.

[terrynoakes]

Not sure if this would help in any way, but you can set default input to follow track selection. I use this when recording vocals standing away from computer. Controlling the track selection using Tranzport remote control. The only problem is input does not stay armed, when new track is selected

[AGreen]

I've managed to create a macro that comes very close to the desired loop recording behaviour I think. It allows loop recording with track switching to be done very rapidly. The only caveats are that the macro key must be pressed twice, once to switch the track and once to start recording on the new track. It also records from the start of the loop not from the current cursor position. This can't be helped, as Waveform doesn't allow looping to be switched on and off during recording which is necessary for recording from the current cursor position. Here's the macro:

Code: Select all

var trackName = "T1";
var currentTrack = "";
var tracks = Tracktion.getEditElements ('track');
var selected = Tracktion.getSelectedEditElements ('track');
var numTracks = tracks.length;
Tracktion.selectItem ('none');

if(Tracktion.getName (selected[0]) == trackName)
{
    Tracktion.record();
}
else
{
    for (var i = 0; i < numTracks; ++i)
    {   
        currentTrack = Tracktion.getName (tracks[i]);
        if(currentTrack == trackName)
        {
            Tracktion.startStopPlayback();
            Tracktion.addObjectsToSelection (tracks[i]);
            Tracktion.startStopPlayback();
            break;
        }
     
    }
}

Usage:

A separate macro is required for each key binding to each track. For example keypad 1 can be bound to track T1 with one macro, keypad 2 to track T2 with another etc. Set the track name for each track by modifying the trackName variable on line 1 of the macro and then assign a keyboard shortcut.

Once macros are setup, make sure the "Default device follows selection" settings are turned on in the input settings, select a track and arm the input, then hit record. Press one of the assigned macro keys once to switch to the track you want to record on and press again to start recording on that track. The key can be pressed very rapidly so there is practically no delay in switching tracks and starting recording. Make sure the "Action" setting on the midi inputs is set to merge newly recorded midi, rather than overlay it if you don't want Waveform to create comps for each track. Hope this gets you close to what you want.

[Kang]

I thought for sure this would work in punch mode (after hitting the normal 'record' first), which would actually seem more convenient to me if you are required to press a key anyway. But alas, the "input follows selection" decides not to work in this case for some reason. It works if you take all these actions separately. Same with Tracktion.selectItem ('down'); instead of creating a new track.

Code: Select all

Tracktion.record();
//Tracktion.stopPlayback();
Tracktion.insertTrack ('audio');
Tracktion.jumpToMarkIn();
Tracktion.record();

Maybe someone can figure it out.

Definitely interested in checking out AGreen's new macro. I use some of your macros everyday. Do you lurk here, or just come and go (just curious)?

[AGreen]

Definitely interested in checking out AGreen's new macro. I use some of your macros everyday. Do you lurk here, or just come and go (just curious)?

I'm a bit of a lurker, I like to keep up on Waveforms development as I've always liked the daw. I'm currently still on v10 but will upgrade to v11 at some point. Glad the macros are useful, though some were to address issues that have been addressed in v11 like grouping faders etc.

Unfortunately Waveforms macro commands don't always behave as expected due to certain things being locked while recording. You can't switch looping on and off and if you change the selected track in a macro the input doesn't follow the track until you stop record. This makes things more difficult and that's why my macro above needs 2 key presses, one to change the track and another to start record. It's why your macro isn't working as you expected. It would be nice if these problems could be addressed as it does limit what can be done with recording somewhat.

[GraziTheMan]

I think he's wanting to switch tracks because they have different instruments. You set a looped in/out and start to record. Record a little cowbell. Switch tracks while it's still recording. Record a little virtual kazoo. Switch tracks while it's still recording. Record a little didgeridoo... and so on. All while the recording continues without pause.

I think at this point the only way it could be done in Waveform is to have a separate MIDI keyboard for each track.

This is correct. I want to equip multiple tracks with different instruments, set the loop markers, and switch back and forth between the tracks(instruments) while using one MIDI input device to control all of the different instruments.

[GraziTheMan]

I've managed to create a macro that comes very close to the desired loop recording behaviour I think. It allows loop recording with track switching to be done very rapidly. The only caveats are that the macro key must be pressed twice, once to switch the track and once to start recording on the new track. It also records from the start of the loop not from the current cursor position. This can't be helped, as Waveform doesn't allow looping to be switched on and off during recording which is necessary for recording from the current cursor position. Here's the macro:

Code: Select all

var trackName = "T1";
var currentTrack = "";
var tracks = Tracktion.getEditElements ('track');
var selected = Tracktion.getSelectedEditElements ('track');
var numTracks = tracks.length;
Tracktion.selectItem ('none');

if(Tracktion.getName (selected[0]) == trackName)
{
    Tracktion.record();
}
else
{
    for (var i = 0; i < numTracks; ++i)
    {   
        currentTrack = Tracktion.getName (tracks[i]);
        if(currentTrack == trackName)
        {
            Tracktion.startStopPlayback();
            Tracktion.addObjectsToSelection (tracks[i]);
            Tracktion.startStopPlayback();
            break;
        }
     
    }
}

Usage:

A separate macro is required for each key binding to each track. For example keypad 1 can be bound to track T1 with one macro, keypad 2 to track T2 with another etc. Set the track name for each track by modifying the trackName variable on line 1 of the macro and then assign a keyboard shortcut.

Once macros are setup, make sure the "Default device follows selection" settings are turned on in the input settings, select a track and arm the input, then hit record. Press one of the assigned macro keys once to switch to the track you want to record on and press again to start recording on that track. The key can be pressed very rapidly so there is practically no delay in switching tracks and starting recording. Make sure the "Action" setting on the midi inputs is set to merge newly recorded midi, rather than overlay it if you don't want Waveform to create comps for each track. Hope this gets you close to what you want.

Thanks for the reply. I'll check this out. Something is better than nothing!

[GraziTheMan]

I sent a request to the Tracktion team, but I may have sent it to the wrong department. If anybody knows whether there is a specific feature request form to submit, I'd be happy to fill it out.

[Watchful]

Posting here is often just as effective or more than any other methods: Tracktion's development team reads these posts nearly every day.

[GraziTheMan]

Yeah going back through the years I can see a lot of that. I haven't seen any replies lately but that's ok. I'm sure they must be pretty busy

[Watchful]

Look for replies from FigBug (Roland) and DRowAudio (Dave), who are the two folks you want to befriend right away. Both very helpful and very active.