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Re: Looper developer looking for opinions on some interface questions
(Resending this without images, as I think the system might have dropped
the message - been a few hours since I sent the original)
Right, so I've gone away and done some thinking, and I'm hoping to gauge
your thoughts on this, if I may be so bold.
Firstly, about new loop length quantisation:
>> Please remember to offer odd numbers as well! Ableton's Looper only
>> Multiplies/Divides by 2 and that really sucks when you are used to
>> setting up poly rhythmic textures that matches 3 against 4.
>
> Here here! Also very limiting when trying to improvise song forms where
>differing song sections have differing lengths that are not even
>multiples of the first loop. This limitation in Ableton has driven many
>to use mobius rather than than the ableton looper.
>
> (and once you have scaled the learning curve of mobius, there really is
>no going back. Why climb a lesser mountain?
My current plan is, Loopy will round new loops to whatever multiple's
closest, be it 2, 4, 3, 5, or anything you can dream up. If the new loop
is shorter than the master loop, however, it currently limits to
power-of-two fractions (half, quarter, etc), under the assumption that
it's going to be harder to accurately time shorter lengths manually, so it
makes some guesses to help you out.
I'm thinking for more weird fractions, the below scheme with auto-punch
might do the trick.
So, I need to devise a simple way to configure and trigger auto-punch - to
quantize the punch out control events. (Unless advised otherwise, I'm
thinking of limiting punch in - the count-in - to the beginning of the
next master loop)
I sent the following to Daniel already, but I'm very interested in Per's
opinion too, and anyone else who's out there.
I'm still pondering the options here - it's got to be something that gives
easy access to a base setting (eg. 1x master loop) for beginners, but that
provides the ability to indicate different durations, too, for more
advanced users.
Perhaps what's needed is a basic default - 1 X the master loop, but then
more advanced users can configure other lengths.
Something I've implemented already in Loopy is a radial menu system that
you access by holding a track:
http://resources.atastypixel.com/PastedGraphic-2.png
And radial sliders, that you change by dragging your finger around the
circle, like a knob:
http://resources.atastypixel.com/PastedGraphic-3.png
http://resources.atastypixel.com/PastedGraphic-4.png
Perhaps one setting could be "Auto end" (or something), which, when
selected, gives you a slider to select multiples, or fractions of the main
loop. The interaction would be:
- Hold finger on track till menu appears
- Tap 'Auto end'
- Slide radial slider around to configure length (perhaps when it's below
a certain threshold, like 1/2, it activates stutter mode, which will keep
recording indefinitely, but stuttering on every 1/nth duration?)
- Tap to hide menu
Then, when you're ready:
- Tap with 2 fingers to do a count-in that starts at the beginning of the
next master loop, and runs until the set duration's up.
Or, to start recording straight away:
- Tap the center, then
- Tap the track again with 2 fingers to activate the auto-end.
Is that too hard? I'll need to have a look to see how existing systems
handle it, I think - particularly whether they present it as a setting you
pre-configure, or some gesture/etc that lets you instantly select the
length at the time you start recording.
Many thanks, again,
Michael