Add some record modes that make Playtime work more like a looper

[helgoboss]

Some rough ideas, unsorted, duplicated, brainstormed:

• (Destructive?) audio overdubbing as in Super8
• Retrospective recording (moving fixed-length window): Define a record length, e.g. 2 bars. Then press record and keep recording without end. When pressing stop, it would "commit" the last 2 bars.
• NIXin: circlesongs mode
  • just start creating your clip, and press "forward" once after finishing recording loop to create another clip on top of the existing one (lossless overdub)
  • buttons for switching lanes/tracks (up/down)
  • when in an empty lane, pressing record waits until lane 1 is done, and starts recording simultaneously once lane 1 restarts playing on lane 2, if "forward" is pressed around the half duration of lane 1, it loops the block at the half-point. And vice-versa, if it's pressed at double the duration, it loops at double. Length of the loop is rounded to a subdivision of the previous track, just like in Cantor - https://youtu.be/Hvf-frOvOvI?t=492.
• Mode "Record/play/overdub" ... or rather a global "Overdub instead of recording if slot not empty"

Old notes on this

Global record controls in app bar:

• middle or right side of app bar also contains the global record controls for triggering workflows such as:
  • Record several takes: starts recording into currently selected slot. after first recording ends (either manually or automatically depending on global settings), records into next slot TODO with same length then next. Doesn't keep playing previously recorded.
  • Record overdub into one slot: Starts recording into currently selected slot. After first recording ends, records new clip in same slot, still playing back previous one.
  • Record overdub into multiple slots: As above but records into multiple slots. Enforces non exclusive column.
• For this we need a dropdown to select the mode and a smart record button: initially, it starts the recording process. Then, when recording open end, it triggers stop of the first recording. After that, it stops recording.
• As soon as we have signal detection, we can even employ a no-button-during recording session mode that works like MIDI overdub but records into different clips. By setting a predefined length (or even by measuring a currently playing clip) and then pressing smart record: We record each cycle! whenever a cycle is empty (no input signal), we don't move on, just start recording into the same empty clip again. Related to Playtime: Ability to start recording on incoming signal  #949

[dsorce]

Retrospective Recording would be a key decision on whether to pay for a license.

[helgoboss]

Can you describe roughly how you would expect it to work?

[dsorce]

If I could have definable bar length commit buttons.
1 bar 2 bars 4 bars 8 bars... 16, 32
This software is dead, so would be a replacement.
Play as long as you want, commit when you hear the the loop you like.
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxt_AW6in9U8HqNTYSVMy_NMzpGByneV60?si=c3Os8U-9vxLd0Iku

[helgoboss]

Okay, I just made a small concept for retrospective recording. Check it out whether that would work for you. If not, write a user scenario (such as the one below) that describes what you want.

Scenario with start timing "Quantized: 1 bar":

1. User defines a record length, e.g. 2 bars (we already have a record length option)
2. User switches record mode to "Retrospective recording"
3. User triggers recording (either via slot record button or smart record button)
4. Playtime starts recording bar 1 as soon as the next bar is reached
5. Playtime records bar 2
6. Playtime records bar 3
7. Playtime records bar 4. During that time, user stops recording.
8. At the end of bar 4, Playtime keeps bar 3 and 4 and immediately starts playing bar 3.

Scenario with start timing "Immediate":

• Doesn't make sense, I think. Probably should be prevented.

[dsorce]

Scenario with start timing "Quantized: 1 bar":
This sounds great. Would love to try this out.

[RibbleFripFnibbulator]

+1 for audio overdubbing and record modes. That would be amazing. Ideally a Replace with the option to immediate replace playback or to hearing playback during the replace, i.e. Substitute function from Mobius looper. Things like Insert, Append would also be amazing.

[RibbleFripFnibbulator]

Immediate Next-Loop Overdub/Record:

1. Silence mode
2. Record into a blank slot (exclusive mode disabled)
3. ????
4. Tempo is set, first clip plays back, and the clip below it is already recording at the same tempo immediately on FIRST playback

So far with all my methods I am not able to achieve this. I put together a Trigger->Browse down->Trigger script hoping that maybe if I send the commands quickly enough in succession, the second loop trigger's lateness would be forgiven and it would still enter record mode immediately. However it appears this is not possible. Playtime will wait until one "cycle" passes before the second loop begins to record.

Can this be implemented? An immediate "next layer overdub" if you will? This would allow Playtime to be used for faster live-looping.

From #1281