Keyboard Maestro

[mark101]

Hello! I am new to Keyboard Maestro and am trying out some auto bouncing stems macros which have been great. However I would like to able to bounce out the files with the project name auto populating, in the format "Project name_instrument stem" for example "SongXYZ_piano". 

After adding the ⌘B Bounce instruction I tried adding "Insert Text by Typing" to fill this in. I guessed a variety of commands that didn't work, for example

 

%FrontWindowName%

%Variable%SessionName%

 

What is the correct command to have this auto-populate with my project title?

Thank you in advance for any help!
 

 

[des99]

This works for me:

[mark101]

Thank you for the reply! I tried this out and it works however this produces this result, "Song Title - Tracks", so the "- Tracks" text comes along with it which I don't want.

 

Is there a way to automatically omit that text or another way to pull the project name? Thank you!

 

[des99]

Yes, KM has loads of ways to manipulate, search/replace text and do variable calculations. I use regular expressions inKM for much of this stuff but there are loads of tools in KM. The documentation is excellent, as are the KM forums.

Some ideas:
https://wiki.keyboardmaestro.com/action/Search_and_Replace
https://wiki.keyboardmaestro.com/Regular_Expressions

Edited September 22, 2023 by des99

[mark101]

Sorry these are way over my head and I'm just learning, would you able to let me know what is the exact wording I need to get this project title to appear? Thats really all I need, thanks!

[des99]

Solving problems is 80% of programming, and it's a skill that's imo best learnt by actively doing it yourself, rather than hoping others will always solve your problems for you. So instead I'll give you some clues:

Search the window name variable (as above) from the beginning of the string, up to ".logicx" and save that into a new variable. That's the name of your project. Use the documentation I linked to to see if you can figure it out - extracting substrings from another string is a fairly basic task that you'll need to do all the time, so it's worth getting the hang of.

If you have *really* tried and are still stuck, post back...

Edited September 22, 2023 by des99

[Chris Rickwood]

Not to discourage you from learning KM because that's time well spent but have you looked at exporting audio files instead of bouncing?  Exporting tracks as audio files or Exporting selected regions as audio files will export individual tracks or regions with a custom name that you can define. Look at File -> Export. If you've setup your project smartly it makes exporting stems very easy.

[Danny Wyatt]

@mark101 I've been using KM for a year or so and I can tell you 2 things:

1 - The best way to learn KM (as it is with everything else, of course) is to spend a lot of time creating new macros, downloading macros from other people and seeing what's happening. I can tell you that what you experience where things other people tell you go over your head, that was me a year ago. I'm no expert by no means, but I'm way more comfortable with KM now, because so far I created close to 800 macros

2 - Join the KM forum. Super useful people there, including users that also use Logic so they will be able to help you. And the developer, Peter, is also there, so sometimes he also helps people, him being the best person to help with some issues.

KM definitely changed a lot on my workflow, not just in Logic, but with everything. Enjoy the ride! 🙂

[Danny Wyatt]

Another thing I would suggest is this app called "A Better Finder Rename". This app also changed my life and I can't tell you how many THOUSANDS of files I have renamed and how many days it saved me. Literally! Maybe for some tasks, having the files already exported and then using ABFR would be better, if KM is still too hard for you to use. Still, take some time regularly to learn KM, because it's totally worth it.

[loukash]

26 minutes ago, Danny Wyatt said:

KM definitely changed a lot on my workflow, not just in Logic, but with everything.

I haven't used Keyboard Maestro with Logic yet because Logic can be quite easily customized with a plethora of keyboard shortcuts. But else, can't do without KM since 2010. (And before that iKey which had similar macro functionality before it was abandoned.) Especially with apps that aren't scriptable otherwise.
My main and literally constant use of KM is the clipboard history. That alone makes it worthwhile out of the box, without even learning to program anything. Then I have dozens of macros that will insert or type text snippets triggerd either by global keyboard shortcuts or abbreviations. Also very easy to set up.

Edited September 23, 2023 by loukash

[loukash]

24 minutes ago, Danny Wyatt said:

this app called "A Better Finder Rename".

I use a couple of simple custom Automator workflows for renaming. For more complex stuff there's the free Transnomino.

[des99]

1 hour ago, Danny Wyatt said:

Another thing I would suggest is this app called "A Better Finder Rename". This app also changed my life and I can't tell you how many THOUSANDS of files I have renamed and how many days it saved me. Literally!

I've tried most of the renamers over the years and my favourite of them all is Renamer from Incredible Bee, but I second the sentiment - these tools are incredibly useful to me. Note that macOS has some of this renaming functionality built into Finder these days too (select multiple files, right-click -> Rename), although these utilities go further.

47 minutes ago, loukash said:

My main and literally constant use of KM is the clipboard history.

I use LaunchBar for clipboard history. LaunchBar is absolutely the first thing I install on a new Mac, and using any Mac without it just feels painfully slow to me...

KM is not running here all the time, I run it for particular workflow tasks. But KM has saved my bacon so much it's unreal... it's responsible for all my presets in the mammoth preset sharing thread, for one... Probably running a good quarter of a million saves out of Logic...

Edited September 23, 2023 by des99

[Danny Wyatt]

Been using ABFR for many years and I love it. Never heard of Transnomino. It seems good too. Don't know how they differ, but I know that ABFR has a lot of different options that I don't see in Transnomino. I saved the link anyway just in case, so I can explore it one day and see what it can do that ABFR can't.

Also, when it comes to KM, once you get used to it, you will see that it's worth the time when you learn more about it, more than just the clipboard history. I see myself constantly creating new macros, even for super simple things. If I can save 10 seconds here and there, why not?

 

[Danny Wyatt]

3 minutes ago, des99 said:

Note that macOS has some of this renaming functionality built into Finder these days too (select multiple files, right-click -> Rename), although these utilities go further.

Yeah, I saw that a while ago, but it's super basic. And when you get used to a certain app where you get all you need, it's hard to even remember that Finder also has some of that functionality. ABFR is just on my dock, because it's what I use quite often. And it's awesome that I can just drag and drop my files to the dock's icon and they are ready to go.

 

5 minutes ago, des99 said:

But KM has saved my bacon so much it's unreal

In the past when I used to read about someone using KM, I thought it was just a keyboard shortcut app and never really paid much attention. Last year, for some weird reason, I decided to explore it and I fell in love. I can't explain how much I love that app and how much I can do now that saves me so much time and work.

My "productivity" apps, that I always recommend:

- Keyboard Maestro
- Raycast (similar to Alfred, but 100% free and with some features that Alfred doesn't have, even in the paid version)
- A Better Finder Rename
- Hazel
- HoudahSpot

I can say that my life changed when I started using them all.

[des99]

We should probably have a thread for recommended Mac utilities... there are so many I love and rely on. In some ways, the utility class of apps have been traditionally, and still are, extremely well-served on the Mac, and made with attention to detail and love that other platforms don't really get.

[Danny Wyatt]

Agree. 

There are so many great apps out there and some people are not aware they exist. That's why I always recommend KM, because it totally changed everything for me and I'm happy to see other people have the same experience. It feels great when you have an app that does stuff you don't need/want to do s you can focus on other important stuff

[loukash]

16 minutes ago, des99 said:

Note that macOS has some of this renaming functionality built into Finder these days too (select multiple files, right-click -> Rename)

Oh, haven't noticed that yet, as I only got to Ventura two months ago, after years with El Capitan and occasionally with Catalina.
It looks like a slightly stripped down "Rename Finder Items" action in Automator. Still useful for "quick'n'dirty" stuff though.

5 minutes ago, des99 said:

We should probably have a thread for recommended Mac utilities... there are so many I love and rely on.

Some of my other 3rd party favorites and general workflow essentials:

• XtraFinder (yes, put your SIP in your behind, Apple!)
• Default Folder
• Find Any File
• iStat Menus
• WordServices
• LittleSnitch
• Windscribe
• Karabiner-Elements
• Prefs Editor
• BBEdit
• FileJuicer
• GraphicConverter's "Browser" mode (as it can manipulate file system metadata for any file, not just images)
• also thinking about getting PathFinder again since my old license seems to have expired, and Ventura requires the newest version…

And given how many backups and syncs I produce (see my post in another thread), also:

• ChronoSync
• NeoFinder

More audio specific tools:

• Yate
• Myriad
• Spectre

And, of course, don't fear the Terminal.

Oh, and my latest discovery:

• Retroactive

I can run my beloved iTunes 10.7 on Ventura! Yay!
Die, Music.app, die… :P

[des99]

Lots of good stuff there from @loukash - of those, the ones I use are:

• Default Folder
• iStat Menus
• Find Any File
• LittleSnitch
• BBEdit (1000%!)
• ChronoSync - I used to use this but found it a bit Java/UnMaclike and clunky, so for simple folder sync jobs I now use and really like Get Backup Pro from Belight. Simple and elegant.
• NeoFinder

Others:

• LaunchBar
• Bartender
• Shottr (screengrabs)
• KAP (animated screengrabs/movies)
• Screenflow (screen movies)
• MonitorControl (screen brightness controls)
• Renamer
• Audio Hijack
• Transmit (file transfers)
• Forklift (file transfers/browser)
• Bitwarden (password manager)
• Versions (subversion client)
• Kaleidoscope (diff tool)
• Sequel Ace (SQL app)
• Keka (archiving)
• Keyboard Maestro
• Marked (markdown tools)
• Notational Velocity (notepad)
• Overcast (podcasts)
• Pacifist (installer inspection)
• PlugInfo (plugin info)
• IIINA (video)
• Spamsieve (mail spam)
• SuperDuper (disk cloning)
• Things (task manager)
• Wipr (general adblocker)
• Characters (when you need an obscure ASCII character)
• Focusrite MIDI Control (control my audio control panel via MIDI)
• Hex Fiend (hex editor)
• Synalyze It! (file format tools)
• Hosting AU (microhost)
• Snoize MIDI tools (MIDI monitor, sysex transfers)
• Timing (time tracking)

Probably others, but these are what I can quickly come up with in the utility space...

 

Edited September 24, 2023 by des99

[loukash]

46 minutes ago, des99 said:

ChronoSync - I used to use this but found it a bit Java/UnMaclike and clunky

What?! ChronoSync is as Cocoa as only can be. Using it since 20 years, I was even doing beta testing in the early days because I had special wishes they hadn't implemented yet so that it could handle and filter Finder Labels. That was on a white iBook with Jaguar, syncing with PowerMac G4 running OS 9. (iBook long dead, the PM G4 just died only a few weeks ago, probably the power unit again. D'oh.)
CS can be a complex solution though, and in the advanced rules mode I still can get lost by its logic. But I found it always the most accomplished and universal sync/backup tool for Mac.

46 minutes ago, des99 said:

Others:

Using some of them, too.

I haven't found anything yet that could replace "Dock Spaces.app" which was 32-bit. It can switch between uniquely configured Docks simply by replacing ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.dock.plist and "killall Dock". So on El Capitan I have dedicated Docks for general use, graphic design, audio recording/editing/mixing, travel, tinkering, you name it.
I already have a plan to emulate the app in KM (to get back on topic, hehe). Or learn how to program in Swift. We'll see…

Oh, and I sorely miss iView/Expression Media (which can also handle audio just fine, not just images and graphics, although I'm using it mainly for the latter) as a project/asset manager. Haven't found a replacement yet either that would fit my workflow, as they are mostly focused just on images. That's a major downer. NeoFinder comes close and can even import iView XML data, but it has its own quirks that make it suboptimal for my needs.

Edited September 24, 2023 by loukash

[des99]

17 minutes ago, loukash said:

ChronoSync is as Cocoa as only can be.

Yes, I know, it just felt a bit clunky and inelegant for a Mac app - possibly my memory of it is clunkier than it actually is - I haven't used it for a while now so it's difficult to quantify again now. And this was some years back, so the app was much older - looks like it was V4.x, whereas today it looks like it's on V10.

I also ran into a (reproducible) problem with it where one of my destination drives ran out of space during a sync and it didn't handle it at all well, which made me nervous.

It was the best of a bunch of sync utilities I searched around for back in the day, but GB3 works better for me in this regard now. Although my needs are fairly simple...

17 minutes ago, loukash said:

It can switch between uniquely configured Docks simply by replacing

I have my dock permanently hidden, I hate the dock...

I also miss Total Spaces which I used as a Spaces manager, but it no longer works on current macOS versions or Apple silicon sadly.

Edited September 24, 2023 by des99

[loukash]

31 minutes ago, des99 said:

looks like it was V4.x, whereas today it looks like it's on V10.

They had this odd version jump from 4.9.13 (still in use on my both MBPs) to v10.0.0 a few years ago. Probably a sort of marketing fart or what…
Anyway, the UI is still the same, and that's a Good Thing™ in my book. 

34 minutes ago, des99 said:

I also ran into a (reproducible) problem with it where one of my destination drives ran out of space during a sync and it didn't handle it at all well, which made me nervous.

Options > Special File/Folder Handling > Disable Safe-Copy
See its tooltip for more details.

39 minutes ago, des99 said:

my needs are fairly simple...

Since I also want to keep my Logic installations *) (among others) in sync on all three Macs, including all the stuff and presets from LP9, ChronoSync is the only tool that can handle it. It needs multiple sync documents though, otherwise the rules would become too complex.

Also, the second best investment was the ChronoAgent. It's sooo much faster than regular file sharing. (To make one license work with multiple Macs, you can easily "unregister" it on one Mac and "re-register" on the other that you want to sync to.)

~~~

*) Speaking of which, I just tested if Logic v10.3.3 can still open v10.7.9 projects.
No go.
But v10.6.2 on Catalina still can, albeit with a warning.
And v10.3.3 still can open v10.6.2 projects. With a warning.
Good. Backwards compatibility with El Capitan still intact. :)

[des99]

21 minutes ago, loukash said:

Options > Special File/Folder Handling > Disable Safe-Copy
See its tooltip for more details.

No that wasn't the issue. It didn't realise the drive was out of space and kept going with the copy continuously and failing and I think corrupting the file system... I can't remember the full details, but I remember thinking that any drive utility that can't recognise when a drive is full doesn't make me feel confident in it.

Anyway, you don't need to sell me on it 🙂, I've found something else that works for me better - and like I say, my needs are simple, which generally means having a few backup projects that simply sync different folders across different drives - essentially making duplicate safety backups.

21 minutes ago, loukash said:

And v10.3.3 still can open v10.6.2 projects. With a warning.

It usually depends on what's in them. There were a lot of features added in 10.4 and 10.5 particularly, and changes of behaviour, so while it might be ok with one project, it might not on another. It's asking for trouble, imo, to try and open later projects on earlier versions, but if needs must, and as long as you're careful (ie make copies of projects and don't overwrite them just in case they get corrupted etc) you'll probably be mostly OK if Logic can read or import the project - but it's not guaranteed.

Edited September 24, 2023 by des99

[loukash]

@des99 we're getting off topic here. As a moderator, perhaps you may want to split the thread?