You are here

Request for looping and overdub mode

Hi
I wanted to put this out there to users using Qtractor as I am new to it....( well I had used it a while ago but I come back to it now) to ask other users' opinions. I have been speaking to Rui about this a bit but let's see what other people think.....

I do think Qtractor is a great sequencer.......thank god we have a few people working on Linux stuff.....

The last time I used Qtractor a year ago, I went to do something basic........I wanted to set a 4 bar loop up and record some drums. I would put the L marker at bar 1 and r marker at bar 4 and I set loop mode on. I wanted to lay down some snare and bass drums, then on the second pass continue to add some hi hats.....then on the third pass maybe add a few more snares ( like flams e.t.c). I then take that block and copy it say 32 times and then I have a drum track.....then I can start working on the track.

To me this is an instinctive thing to do.....loop something, overdub your stuff as it's looping e.t.c

The problem is you can't do this in Qtractor.....it creates 'takes' .....but I was left thinking 'where are my notes gone I have just recorded' ....as it looped around it seemed to not keep my notes I'd played.......

In the old days of Cubase you would set your markers, put loop on , put overdub on......then start recording.....to me that's instinctive how a linear tape style sequencer works.....but I realise what I like / used to is not to everyone's taste....

Does anyone find this lack of overdub / looping a problem when they are recording? I can set loop mode to be off and just record without it but it's nice to have a section going around and around that you build up.....and I don't necessarily want lots of takes when I am doing this....

I can use other sequencers to achieve what I want so it is no problem but what does everyone think about this ....you are more experienced users than me so perhaps someone can chime in and suggest some tips or something.....

Thanks for your time.
Mike

Forums: 
rncbc's picture

as said before, qtractor does not currently "overdub" while on loop recording. what you record in the (N)th loop cycle is not played back on the next (N+1)th cycle.

instead, it can be set to create "takes" from each loop cycle (loop recording mode option). that is, you get N "takes" and then select which one is the one to playback.

otoh. "overdubs" can only be made by recording a second time around, creating a newer clip that may well overlap any previously recorded or existing ones which are played-back as usual while current recording is engaged.

note that overlapping clips are played-back simultaneously as if they were "overdubbed". later you can optionally merge those overlapped clips into one real "overdubbed" clip.

yes, i know that's all a gang of multiple steps to perform what should be simple action as you ask. but that's what you have, atm. :)

cheers

Ok thank you......I am am suprised no one else has found this a problem......how do people make their music I wonder?!

atm.....that sounds encouraging ! It would be good if you could add this at some stage if the program could handle it....just to keep me off your back!

You might have a look at seq24
The website introduces it as:
Seq24 is a minimal loop based midi sequencer.
It was created to provide a very simple interface for editing and playing midi 'loops'.

Thanks M Noit for the suggestion but I didn't really get on with SEQ24 - it seemed to be lacking. I could always use Muse which is also very good and perhaps more like Cubase......but I like Qtractor because of the clips pane....being able to drag things into that.....that's a great feature - and the vst stuff ( although Muse also works with DSSI VST).

I recall Rosegarden was great as well but I didn't like the way you set ranges on that with the very small timeline and having to hold shift to do so - and it wouldn' t loop properly in time when it looped around - something that has been acknowledged by the group who are involved in it.
Thanks for your suggestions though.

Add new comment