MIDI feature requests

thatsRayor

I've been using Loopy for a few months now and have just started using Loopy HD. I've got it hooked up via audio and MIDI to a Roland GR55, Line 6 HD500 and Roland TD4, with an M-Audio Axiom 49 to mix it all in real-time - it's absolutely incredible! Never before have I had such instant creative satisfaction with a looping setup.

My request would be to have more flexibility with MIDI. It's already quite functional, but I would love to have the ability to assign different functions to longer presses of MIDI buttons - say 1-3 seconds between a MIDI note on and note off, with some kind of visual display on screen - and maybe even double presses (within half a second, say). This would be especially useful once undo is implemented since you could emulate the functionality of a Boss looper (for example). Does this sound feasible?

Thank you, Michael, for this amazing piece of software. I'm looking forward to Audio Bus to (yet again) revolutionise the way I make music.


Edit: One thing I struggle with when starting a loop is not being quite sure when a loop will start recording. Say I want to record a 4 bar loop, I'll set the tempo and the number of bars, then will often take my sweet time to hit record on one of the loops. Is there an easy way to know when the START of the 4 bars will be coming around? (without counting it, obviously)

Michael

Hey @thatsRayor - this is a very good idea, and I'm definitely open to it. I'm intending to revisit the MIDI control system shortly, and include the ability to chain multiple actions to one trigger, so I'll see about your suggestion too.

Hmm, well, the easiest way is to watch the clock on the panel - it has a rotating indicator showing you where you are within your selected loop length. When it's at 12 o'clock, you're at the start. It also pulses with the beat, so you should be able to get an idea where you are.

Cheers for the kind words!

thatsRayor

Thanks for the reply Michael it's great to see a developer so in touch with the user base. Makes me happy to be living in such a future!

I was unsure if the clock kept a consistent view of the time- I've noticed that the little light orbiting each loop will sometimes jump around unexpectedly. I guess I'll have to keep an eye on that clock for now. Is there any chance of implementing a customisable 'count-in bar length' if no loops have yet been recorded? Or even the option to start recording at the start of the next bar would probably suffice

Michael

Cheers I do my best!

Oh, bugger, yes - I've been meaning to fix that position-jumping issue! I'm aware of the problem, just haven't got around to it yet 'cos I've been working flat-out on Audiobus.

Actually, Loopy already counts in to the next bar - is it not working for you? Do you definitely have 'count in' enabled in Settings?

thatsRayor

I definitely have 'count-in recording' enabled. When I hit record on a track, Loopy will wait till the next round (say the beginning of a 4 bar cycle) to start recording, which is problematic when laying down your first loop because there's no way to tell when the cycle begins (apart from counting bars from when you start the clock, or old fashioned trial and error). I've tried watching the clock on the panel (the various ones on different panel screens) but they seem to have the same position-jumping issue.

I would love to see a customisable bar quantise feature in future where you set the tempo to start, hit record on a track to have it record at the start of the next bar, then hit record again during the last bar to loop at the end of the bar. It would be most useful with a MIDI foot controller.

This is the same idea as Ableton Live's global quantisation, which can range from 1-8 bars and also down to 1/4 and even 1/32 notes- as well as no quantisation at all (think loops out of sync). If it were MIDI assignable it would also make it very easy to stack polyrhythmic loops.