How do you live loop like this?

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In Ableton Live there's two views, the session view and the arrangement view. The arrangement view is linear like most DAWs, but the session view is arranged into a series of rows called scenes. Each scene can have a different MIDI or audio clip per track, and the MIDI clip can contain any arbitrary data including commands to start / stop looper devices etc. Then you can trigger different scenes by pushing buttons on a controller, or even pick clips from different scenes to mix and match them. The scene and clip launch can be quantized, even to a measure, so you don't even have to hit them in time.

So you could trigger a scene that would record a 4 bar loop into your percussion track and then have it automatically move to another scene that starts playback of the loop. Since the triggering is quantized, you can hit the button to trigger the scene early and then go walk over to switch instruments or whatever.

Clips can have follow actions that automatically play back another clip afterwards, so you can configure your "record 4 bar loop" clip to automatically launch the "play back 4 bar loop" clip after it's done.

Ableton Live was mostly designed around non-linear playback, the arrangement view was very primitive in earlier versions (and still is compared to most DAWs). The focus has always been the session view where you are basically doing live remixing.
 
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To put it in a nutshell, there is a looper plug-in in ableton where you can automate record/play/overdub. So you setup all your tracks ahead of time and then make sure you get to your instrument and play it on the correct downbeat.

I use ableton for backing tracks, click and cues. Again, it’s fully automated and I use my mastermind to tap it once or twice in the set (for sections that have no fixed length). For something like that, you don’t need the looper block, it’s done a bit differently.
 
To put it in a nutshell, there is a looper plug-in in ableton where you can automate record/play/overdub. So you setup all your tracks ahead of time and then make sure you get to your instrument and play it on the correct downbeat.

I use ableton for backing tracks, click and cues. Again, it’s fully automated and I use my mastermind to tap it once or twice in the set (for sections that have no fixed length). For something like that, you don’t need the looper block, it’s done a bit differently.
I’m already thinking about how I can do the scene selection and record stuff with my RJM.
 
In Ableton Live there's two views, the session view and the arrangement view. The arrangement view is linear like most DAWs, but the session view is arranged into a series of rows called scenes. Each scene can have a different MIDI or audio clip per track, and the MIDI clip can contain any arbitrary data including commands to start / stop looper devices etc. Then you can trigger different scenes by pushing buttons on a controller, or even pick clips from different scenes to mix and match them. The scene and clip launch can be quantized, even to a measure, so you don't even have to hit them in time.

So you could trigger a scene that would record a 4 bar loop into your percussion track and then have it automatically move to another scene that starts playback of the loop. Since the triggering is quantized, you can hit the button to trigger the scene early and then go walk over to switch instruments or whatever.

Clips can have follow actions that automatically play back another clip afterwards, so you can configure your "record 4 bar loop" clip to automatically launch the "play back 4 bar loop" clip after it's done.

Ableton Live was mostly designed around non-linear playback, the arrangement view was very primitive in earlier versions (and still is compared to most DAWs). The focus has always been the session view where you are basically doing live remixing.
Thanks a lot, very inspiring info. You're also discussing Zenaudio in your YouTube, does that SW also enable this live modification/duration of registered loops ?
 
I’m already thinking about how I can do the scene selection and record stuff with my RJM.
Ableton has a great midi map functionality. Just click the button you want to control in ableton and send something via the RJM (over USB) and it gets mapped in ableton.

For quick ideas and composing, I like the ableton session view. For backing tracks, live and recording I like the arrange view. And for live looping, just drop an ableton looper in. All of them can be controlled via the RJM while simultaneously changing scenes etc.

Check this video out on the looper with an axe fx III. I have a similar setup for looping, except that I use a single RJM GT16 controller for everything.

 
AS someone mentioned in the actual youtube video comments, if it was live wouldn't she have to time it perfectly as she walked back and forth between instruments? I played as a solo act for many, many years after bands, trios and duos. Midi sequences as backing tracks and it is very unforgiving thats for sure.
Being able to stay in a groove, extend a chorus etc. is a very neat thing. Too late for me, but definitely cool. Sequencing was a tedious thing for sure.
I have seen guys and gals that loop live with foot pedals that are amazing and seem to have plenty of freedom. I do have a version of Ableton lite, might check it out for fun.
 
AS someone mentioned in the actual youtube video comments, if it was live wouldn't she have to time it perfectly as she walked back and forth between instruments? I played as a solo act for many, many years after bands, trios and duos. Midi sequences as backing tracks and it is very unforgiving thats for sure.
Being able to stay in a groove, extend a chorus etc. is a very neat thing. Too late for me, but definitely cool. Sequencing was a tedious thing for sure.
I have seen guys and gals that loop live with foot pedals that are amazing and seem to have plenty of freedom. I do have a version of Ableton lite, might check it out for fun.
I checked out some live clips (in front of an audience, not in a studio) and that pretty much cemented my belief. There is definitely at least some touch ups or re-recordings done after the original video was filmed. Or she is miming the whole thing to a pre-recorded track.


I stand by my statement. The original video is not truly live. In the real live clips, there are clams, everything is not perfect like the OP video. Some singing is a bit of key, slightly off time on some of the playing. Little noises, everything not perfectly in tune etc. You know, normal live stuff. The OP video is way too polished and perfect to be live. That's why I say: It's either edited or not live at all. Just look at the video you posted. It's not perfect, it's live for real.
 
I checked out some live clips (in front of an audience, not in a studio) and that pretty much cemented my belief. There is definitely at least some touch ups or re-recordings done after the original video was filmed. Or she is miming the whole thing to a pre-recorded track.


I stand by my statement. The original video is not truly live. In the real live clips, there are clams, everything is not perfect like the OP video. Some singing is a bit of key, slightly off time on some of the playing. Little noises, everything not perfectly in tune etc. You know, normal live stuff. The OP video is way too polished and perfect to be live. That's why I say: It's either edited or not live at all. Just look at the video you posted. It's not perfect, it's live for real.
Or one is well, rehearsed and filmed until they got the take they wanted.

Your need to tear this person and their claims apart is troubling.
 
Or one is well, rehearsed and filmed until they got the take they wanted.

Your need to tear this person and their claims apart is troubling.
I have no real beef with her as an artist. It's the marketing that is troublesome. Having your whole thing be that you loop live, and then release videos that claim to be live but are not, is not really honest. It's like the Instagram guitar players that fake their speed. Anyway, this started as a first impression for me, and after research I stand by my statement. To me, it's obvious that the studio videos are not live. I'm not going to argue it any more. It's like hearing auto-tune, or the difference between batteries and a power supply with a fuzz people, difference in cable lengths etc. It's impossible to convince someone else to hear what you hear.
 
Well anybody can look at it as he wants; it still is ART in capital letters and nobody can take her that off. I do like what she does, find the technology is very inspiring and am convinced she's one of those people that help music art to move forward. As a matter fact I don't care the least if she reworked the performance for her clip. And who doesn't make any mistakes live ? What matters is if it works out fine with the crowd.

Some comments though seem to forget how many takes were done for studio versions of great band's songs that their creators are uncapable to perform live without digital and/or external backstage assistance (U2?) or remind how tube amp players used to spit on FAS, and now are the most fervent users of it....let's see time go by. Have a week holidays next week to finish off to limit the cost of this bloody stay home period and will certainly go for a trial period with this impressive Zen stuff. Hope it can integrate EZ drummer as a VST plugin.
 
The original video is not truly live.

You can tell that from the bass note she didn't play, little variations in inhalations, the complete lack of proximity effect in the vocals, how she does two snaps which then loop with only a single snap, and probably other items if you watch/listen really closely.

But...none of that is glaring. She's undeniably talented. It's a safe assumption that when actually looping live, she can come pretty close to nailing it. (Just think how much she has to rehearse the timing in order to make the video, where even most of the breaths match the recording!) And obviously any kind of heavy in-the-DAW use of copy-paste is likely to generate tracks that are suitable for looping.

So, good for her. But no, that video isn't the actual performance of the recording we're hearing.
 
@guitarnerdswe @Stratman68 @Dr. Dipwad : you guys done with your grand tear down job and arm chair sleuthing? Can we get back on topic? The thread is about how you loop live like this, not whether or not the video is entirely geniuine. You want to watch her videos on super slow motion and and infinite repeat, go for it. Not the thread to post about it though. If I ever start a thread where we talk about whether it's live or memorex I'll be sure to tag y'all in for your expert opinions.

Back on topic...

I fired up Abelton last night to try this out and immediately ran into issues moving from instrument to instrument -- that definitely takes a fair amount of practice if you're going with the pre-arrangement approach. I'll have to consider this more. But today I'm going to try mapping some control switches on my GT/22 to Abelton functions so I can do this without a set arrangement to follow. I can just move between instruments and punch in the next loop as I get there and am set to record. Thanks for that tip @toneseeker1 !
 
@iaresee: Be fair. What I said about her could not remotely be considered a tear-down of her. I went out of my way to say she was talented, could nail it live, etc.

But I am sorry to have distracted from the main point of your thread.

On that topic, the answer is: I don't know. Sorry. My last Ableton version was 8, and I haven't had it installed in quite a while. Bowing out of the discussion now....
 
One thing that Live and other apps can do is to loop and sequence at the same time. Markus Reuter is a MASTER of this. He has offered to give me a lesson. I'll spend some time with him this weekend and let you know what I learn.
 
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