Global Synchronization / Actions Snap to a Musical Timebase (Live, Mobius Echoplex)
Ableton Live, Mobius, Gibson Echoplex Plus, Roland Loop Station etc. all have this simple, but critical feature that Reaper is missing for live performance; rhythmic awareness. This is similar to the
Start On Bar feature in the Media Explorer.
From the Gibson Echoplex Plus manual:
Quote:
Quantize defines whether certain functions are executed at the end of
the the current loop, current cycle, the current sub-cycle or
immediately.
Quantize forces a function to wait for a designated point before
executing. This is very useful for forcing functions to occur precisely in
rhythm. When Quantize=off, all functions execute immediately.
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(the down/up arrows show where the record button is pressed, the white area where the recording starts and ends)
One huge benefit is that the musician can concentrate on the actual performance or creative process (whether that be with a traditional instrument, an effect or the DAW itself as the instrument) rather than trying to perfectly time every single (or multiple) action.
A popular misconception is that this is primarily a "DJ feature" but as the varied examples below show, this is not the case at all.
Live Performance Examples:
-Keller Williams Loop Jam from "Breathe" (multiple synced Echoplexes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=dMONzLf8VvA
-Imogen Heap - "Just For Now"
https://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=25VG...eature=related
-Battles (live)
Every member of the band uses a (synced) Gibson Echoplex Plus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvJS-Tm9Bm
https://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=awTd...eature=related
While an Ableton Live like Global Quantize feature built in to the transport would be the most accessible and intuitive implementation,
actions to wait until the start of the next beat, bar or measure for the next action would allow much of the same functionality through custom actions, while being invisible to anyone who doesn't use it. Reaper already has actions for waiting a certain amount of time for the next action, but those aren't really useful in a musical context.
-Ableton Live: Global Quantization
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8fkWEKdlB4
-Ableton Live: Global Quantize & Draw Mode (automation)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrrpvboKgag
-MobiusVST (circularlabs.com)
(how to temporarily override the quantize mode)
Quote:
If you use Quantize, you may find that sometimes you want to execute a
function Unquantized. You could do this by changing the Quantize
parameter to Off, executing your function, and then turning it back on
again, but that is hardly convenient or economical.
Instead, the Echoplex allows you an easy way to break free of the
Quantization when you choose to. Anytime you have pressed a function
and gone into the Quantizing Mode with ooo on the display, all you
have to do is press the same function again and it will execute
immediately. If you like, you can think of this as double-clicking the
function.
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Additional Resources:
-Gibson Echoplex Plus manual (PAGE 74-76):
http://www.gibson.com/Files/Download...usManual12.pdf
-Roland Loop Station RC-50 manual (PAGE 28-30)
http://lib.roland.co.jp/manual/en/dl...4/RC-50_e9.pdf
-Mobius manual
http://www.circularlabs.com/mobiusdo...ync=MIDI%20Bar
Related Feature Requests:
-loop recording ideas
http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=59194
-Global Quantize Setting
http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=14995
-Quantized Transport Controls w/ Continuous Playback (live performance)
http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=31689
-Actions: Wait Until Next beat/bar/measure/loop point for next action
http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=57982
-Feature request: speedtrainer
http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=59274
Wait until end of Measure/Item/Marker etc before Next Action
http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?p=215364
ACTION: Wait X seconds" ....why by seconds and not by bar/measure?
http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=24383
New idea: 'Action Markers'
http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=63706
How do you get your musical inspiration back?
http://forum.cockos.com/showpost.php...3&postcount=34