MIDI takes... Capture last take?

[dhrose]

I recently upgraded to Logic 9 from 8.0 and I discovered that my favorite feature of Logic, capture last take has turned into a 12 headed dragon that is out of control... Ha! So, I'm used to playing along with a drum loop and getting a part down... then hitting my cmnd. key for capture last take and voila. Well imagine my surprise when I discovered that Logic is storing all 50 practice takes as well as the one I want. Which wouldn't be so bad if I could shift select the ones I want and merge them... But Noooooooo.

 

Geez this is a bummer! Is there any way to override this or get around it and go back to the old method? Thanks for your help.

 

DHR

[camillo jr]

Unfortunately, this is the default behaviour now. But you can just flatten the take (menu under disclosure triangle) and it will leave you with your last performance. It would be great if there was a pref called "Don't create take folder on cycle record".

 

And yes, editing MIDI take folders doesn't work like audio take folders, since there's no swiping available - you can only pick one complete take. Here's a bit of a workaround......

 

If you split the MIDI take folder say every bar or two (Option-scissors at division of your choice) and then open all the resulting folders, you could create a comp by clicking on the various blocks. Note that the "Keep, Shorten, Split?" dialogue is bypassed here; "Keep" is the default choice when splitting MIDI take folders.

 

BTW, Option-clicking the headers of all those mini folders will open and close them all at once, if they're all selected.

[dhrose]

Ha... I din't realize you were here too! I remember you replying at OSX audio. Thanks again. It really has me super annoyed. It's one of the things that kept me using Logic, so I'm trying to work around it but it seems to take way too many steps to undo some of this nonsense. And I can't really COMBINE stuff which is what I really want to do. Guess I'll just practice more before running the engine. Also using a drum plugin with a playback button works too. Cheers!

[David Nahmani]

It would be great if there was a pref called "Don't create take folder on cycle record".

There is, kind of: you can use the replace mode in any of the merge modes.

 

Unfortunately, that does not seem to work when capturing the recording after the fact with the key command, only if you press record at the beginning.

[David Nahmani]

And I can't really COMBINE stuff which is what I really want to do.

You could click the take folder menu, choose "Unpack" then merge regions or sections of regions as desired...?

[dhrose]

Er, well that could potentially create some 50 tracks in my arrange window which I'm not too keen on resizing the whole affair to make those selections/cuts whatever... it's just crazy how they could take a simple useful function and screw it up. Obviously this is a moot point if you're a keyboard player (I'm not) but it did give me a chance to throw down some nice melodies played with one hand. So, at this point I'm practicing before I run the engine or using a drum plugin that will play back without sync. Oh well. Thanks for the help...

[David Nahmani]

Er, well that could potentially create some 50 tracks in my arrange window which I'm not too keen on resizing the whole affair to make those selections/cuts whatever...

Well I'm not sure how else you would expect to be able to look at your 50 takes to select what data you want to merge? Or maybe I misunderstood you somewhere....? BTW now rethinking of all this if you were to do that (which apparently you don't like anyway) it would be easier to simply record in one of the "Create tracks in cycle record" modes. Then there's no take folder to unpack.

 

Thanks for the help...

You're welcome! Just trying to find whatever's best for your workflow with how the software currently operates. I know it's always annoying when they change a functionality that you had based your workflow on.

[camillo jr]

Isn't there a key command for flattening the take folder? (My computer's being fixed right now so I can't check.) If so, that would be the fastest way to get your last take up and running. Or just use the folder's menu. It's an extra step but short compared to playing 50 takes in a row!

 

DHR, I was wondering if that was you.... your avatar wasn't visible when I answered your post.

[David Nahmani]

Hey Camillo... just checking to make sure you didn't miss this post? That's the fastest way at least if you know beforehand that you'll stop once the last take was the good one!

[camillo jr]

Thanks David, I'm gonna have to give that a try..... but like DHR, I'm now hardwired to use the capture command! Oh what these machines do to us!!

[David Nahmani]

So odd: nearly everyone I meet who's a pro user falls in love with the capture command. I never use it: it scares me to rely on something that will record my performance after the fact - unless I make a wrong move like hitting the spacebar again in which case my entire performance is wiped out. Never got it. I prefer to record and delete my recording if I don't like it, and do it over again.

 

To each their own I guess but in this case I almost feel like I'm missing something.... weird.

[dhrose]

Ha, me with the "pro users."

 

I'll check out the "create track in cycle record mode." Just hitting record, does do the same thing but it's not as spontaneous... it's like you come up with the best stuff when the clocks not running! 8)

[camillo jr]

Yeah, it's definitely about the spontaneity. I might be practicing a part or trying out ideas and suddenly realize that what I just did was working really well, so I just hit the capture key.

[Music Spirit]

I'm used to playing along with a drum loop and getting a part down... then hitting my cmnd. key for capture last take and voila

 

I had exactly the same frustration moving from L8 to L9

 

For starters with great respect to David, I love 'Capture Last Take' and and do not like 'Create Tracks in Cycle Mode' because then you end up with loads of extraneous tracks in your Arrange page which you have to keep deleting once you have selected the take you want.

 

 

Here are my two preferred workarounds to not being able to switch off the annoying way Logic automatically since L9 creates loads of takes and folders etc

 

Method 1:

You need the Key Commands: 'Play from Previous Bar' and Go to Left Locator

 

a)- Cycle locators on etc and practise the phrase you want to record until you feel you have really got it right.

 

b)- Now for the recording attempt stop the sequencer and 'Go to Left Locator'

 

NB When you stop the sequencer from Cycling, Logic clears out and forgets all those practise takes you did so you are starting from fresh.

 

c)- Hit 'Play from Previous Bar' a couple of times and the Playhead will jump back a few bars giving you lead in to the Looped Section

 

d)- Play in the phrase you want and immediately hit Space Bar to stop sequencer BEFORE IT CYCLES and then Capture Last Take as Recording

 

e) - You have the perfect recording.. or - if you don't then repeat the steps from a)

 

• The advantage of this is it really improves both your musicianship and compositional thinking for phrases etc.

You may ask why d) .. ie why stop the sequencer before it loops? Because then you will have one and one only take, hopefully correct.

 

Also for personal workflow reasons: I find it a pain to have to keep switching on and off the Cycle button. With the Cycle button always on I find it fast and intuitive to practise a record a phrase, but always starting from Left Locator with a few bars lead in...via Play from Previous bar KC struck a few times ( ie giving you a few more bars than just the Previous Bars)

 

Method 2:

 

You need the Key Command: 'Flatten and Merge Take Folder'

 

Playing in Cycle Mode as soon as you feel you have played the correct last take, hit Capture Last Take.

and the KC Flatten & Merge Take Folder.

 

This also becomes fast and intuitive once you get used to it

 

HTH

 

MS

 

PS The above methods are also great for transcribing music which has been Beatmapped - and for which you want to make an Arrangement.

[camillo jr]

Here are my two preferred workarounds to not being able to switch off the annoying way Logic automatically since L9 creates loads of takes and folders etc

 

NB When you stop the sequencer from Cycling, Logic clears out and forgets all those practise takes you did so you are starting from fresh.

 

This is not true..... just stopping transport won't clear out the buffer, you have to play something new first. In fact, you can repeatedly put the transport in and out of play and as long as you don't play anything new, Logic will continue to remember all those takes.

 

Method 1 seems a bit cumbersome. Once you've done your practice, why not just turn off cycle mode and play - then there's no rush to get to the space bar?

 

Method 2:

 

You need the Key Command: 'Flatten and Merge Take Folder'

 

Actually, all you need is "Flatten Take folder". So with this key command, you can pretty much have your cycle cake and eat it too!