Recording Take Counter and Wildcard

[LuCsa]

Concerning...
*************
... the introduction of a "recording take counter" and a corresponding wildcard.

As a "recording take" I declare the act of recording one or multiple record-armed tracks until this very recording is stopped. (This term is used to avoid confusion with the already existing "takes".)


Request
*******
o) An internal integer counter, whose initial value can be set by the user, which increases by one with every accepted recording action.
o) A corresponding wildcard which contains the current value of said counter in order to use it in the filename of the saved audio files after a recording action.


Benefit
*******
Currently, available wildcards to differentiate recorded takes/files are only those providing date and time information. A counter as proposed would provide short and clear file name/recording take nomenclature.


Reason
******
Especially in classical recording sessions, in which the recording engineer makes important notes about the current take in the score and where quick note taking and quick communication with the tape operator is essential, the described nomenclature is common and of big advantage.
At the beginning of each take its later recording take number is already known, whereas the time/date information under which it will be saved is not (and cumbersome to use for communication and documentation purposes).


Implementation/thoughts
***********************
o) internal integer counter with a user-definable initial value
o) wildcard (e.g.: $rectake) prints current value of counter
o) if one or more recorded items are accepted after record stop, the counter increases (and is used if the wildcard is used in the file name). It remains unmodified otherwise.
o) internal integer variable keeping track of the last used (!) counter value. This can be used to inform the user of potential file name conflicts in case (s)he modified the counter value between two recording actions.

[LuCsa]

Is there really nobody interested in such a feature?
What other ways, other than time/date stamps, are there to identify recorded media?

cheers,
Lukas

[karbomusic]

Personally, YMMV, October 21st, 2018 @ 5:35:00.000 PM only happens once in our entire existence, for that reason I always use time because it makes so much sense and is pretty much 100% foolproof. Again, YMMV. In other non-musical things I do, I use computer based "ticks" which is the number of nanoseconds since epoch which is even more accurate and also 100% unique.

I also think "takes" in the description in any form is confusing and probably not the best idea for naming.

[cdmstudios]

I ABSOLUTELY SECOND THIS FEATURE REQUEST. I have been pleading for the ability to make the first recording be marked as -01 instead of just the track name forever. It's ridiculous that I have to hit record and stop every time I do a session just to get to take 1.

[cdmstudios]

Honestly I can't believe it's not an option to have Reaper record files with sequential file names, as opposed to always having to have the first recording just be the track name.

with everything else you can configure in this program, this, to me, is the most embarrassing omission.

[LuCsa]

Originally Posted by karbomusic

Personally, YMMV, October 21st, 2018 @ 5:35:00.000 PM only happens once in our entire existence, for that reason I always use time because it makes so much sense and is pretty much 100% foolproof. Again, YMMV. In other non-musical things I do, I use computer based "ticks" which is the number of nanoseconds since epoch which is even more accurate and also 100% unique.

I also think "takes" in the description in any form is confusing and probably not the best idea for naming.

Undoubtedly, time (or ticks) are unique and definitely the most precise naming convention one could possibly choose. However, with your arguments you ignore the reasons for the request, which I provided above, and which are an issue in my daily work and that of my colleagues (I'm the Reaper guy and "naming takes by date and time" has already become a running gag among them.)

I think it is a simple and very basic feature request. Quick and simple (!!) coordination during recording sessions, where you need to make "real time" notes in your score is the main reason. Closely followed by the fact that a single integer number is much more quickly grasped than a date/time identifier when scanning through recorded files, for instance.

###

Thanks for your support, cdmstudios.

Cheers and thanks,
Lukas

[cdmstudios]

just trying to bump this. I keep hoping to see this in every update I install...

[LuCsa]

I'm here again to emphasize my unchanged interest in such a feature.
Just today we had another discussion during a recording session preparation and take numbers (for score notes) have been once more an issue.
Please give us a "recording counter" and a corresponding wildcard.

Cheers!

[cdmstudios]

please!!!!!!

[cdmstudios]

what is the resistance to this? Honestly?

take 1 should be take 1...

<sigh>

[Meo-Ada Mespotine]

MediaItem-Statechunks have that rec-counter already built-in:

From my docs: https://github.com/Ultraschall/ultra...Chunk-Doku.txt

RECPASS integer state
the counter of the recorded item-takes within a project, ordered by the order of recording. Only displayed with recorded item-takes, not imported ones.
integer state - the counter of the recorded items, ordered by the order of recording, with 1 for the first recorded item, 2 for the second, etc

[EvilDragon]

...and it's now in v5.973+dev0329

[sytch]

Kowtow for this feature!
It remains only to add a window that displays the current counter value (like Pyramix:https://rmmedia.ru/attachments/136541/)

[cdmstudios]

YES!!! thank you for adding this!!

[cdmstudios]

It also says an option was added to reset the counter - where would that be?

[Tone Ranger]

There's an action called 'reset global recording pass counter' in the Actions List :-)

[cdmstudios]

I'm confused about how this works. I just updated to the new software and loaded an existing project and relabeled a track and recorded a take and it came up as take 481. Even when I rename the track and start again it keeps the take number going up from 481. Why isn't going back to 1 each time I relabel the track?

[Tone Ranger]

It only seems to reset the number if you use the above action, even with new tracks. Not sure why?

[cdmstudios]

that seems completely useless.
Bummer

[cdmstudios]

Why would there be a global counter? Why is the counter not the same as the internal one was which dictated what the subsequent file would be called? Can't you just change that to add a "-1" to the end of the first recording, instead of the second?

Or if you're going to add a $recpass, have it reset per track automatically as the normal one does when you rename.

I'm so confused about this addition

[cdmstudios]

Here's another real world example of this conundrum:

I want to do a loop recording of a vocal line. I label the track "vocal insert chorus 3b"
I record 4 takes back to back in loop record.
The item says (4 of 4) but the last take says -3.wav

very confusing.

[cdmstudios]

I'm wondering if there's any other response to this, as I thought we were getting the feature requested but it doesn't actually work as needed.

Do the powers that be understand the distinction between what was given and what was asked for and why the global counter doesn't work in this scenario?

I'm just wondering if this is still being worked on or if it's been dropped.

thank you

[smiles]

Glad to see that we can at least have an incrementing take number, and yes, I agree that the reset doesn't quite work yet.

I'm looking at slaving my Reaper to Pyramix via Eucon, and it would be great to be able to keep the take numbers in sync. Pyramix has a great option to manually change the take number either after a recording or in the options menu. And a separate, movable window for the take number would be brilliant. Context: classical music recording, where take numbers start at the start of the session, and continue incrementally as we move through the piece.

[xexano]

I just discovered this feature, and I believe it's already working exactly as it should: Like smiles said, in a session while recording to multiple tracks at once, it is necessary to have the same global "pass" number on all files recorded at the same time, regardless of the number of takes already recorded (or not, e.g. when overdubbing only selected tracks) on each individual track.

Regarding cdmstudios's comment about the loop recording behavior - I concur there's something off: When I have set the preference to save a new file each loop, start recording e.g. global take/"pass" 55, and loop 4 times, I get files "55", "55-1", "56", "57" - meaning, the feature works as intended apart from the first two loops, which apparently count as the same global pass.

I second the wish for a display window showing the upcoming/current pass (for easy reference when taking notes), and/or the option to have this as a variable for video overlay effects scripting.
Also an option to (re)set the counter to a custom value could be handy - e.g. when (for some reason) deleting a few unusable takes, or when recording two or more projects in a session and wanting a single sequence of takes for the day...

But already as it is, this is very useful to me, great feature!
Cheers,
Chris

[cdmstudios]

I haven't had a chance to try it out, but what I'm hoping this update addresses:

The main goal was to have it so the first recording on any track would be labeled with -1.wav instead of how it is now, where it just labels the first recording simply with the track name.wav. Then the subsequent one is -1.wav

it meant I'd have the burn the first each time to get to "take 1"

With the global counter, my concern is that when I rename a track, it doesn't reset to 1. I don't think I should have to remember to reset the counter. It's how every other DAW works.

Of course, maybe all this is fixed now. I'll know soon.

[cdmstudios]

sadly, from what I can tell, my problem isn't resolved.

I'm sure there's some reason some of you need this Global Record Counter, but for me, I just want normal track naming/resetting of counter behavior where take 1 is take 1

[cdmstudios]

I did finally have the opportunity to understand the logic behind the Global Counter. I was doing a session where we weren't always recording the same amount of tracks but I wanted the track take # to match each time for each track and this was very useful.

HOWEVER, I would still LOVE to address the original complaint, which is that if we DON'T want to use the global pass feature that the first recording on any given track be labeled with -1.wav at the end of it instead of just the track name. Otherwise one has to record two files to get to take one, and that just eats up unnecessary time in a pressure-cooker session where you're taking notes on take numbers for various differently labeled single tracks. Every other DAW that I know of defaults to this behavior.

Or if you don't want to change the behavior so many people are used to, please add it as a different wildcard. Thank you!

Also, I notice in this latest version, you can no longer add special characters to the field in Prefs where you add the wildcards. So now you can't have a - or a _ before the take # unless you include it in the trackname.

[LuCsa]

Originally Posted by EvilDragon

...and it's now in v5.973+dev0329

Hello!
After a long time I chime back in here! I was incredibly busy and coming back I see that quote up there! Thank you a lot, devs, I'm happy to see our ideas are being considered!!
I can't comment on the issues discussed here so far, because I haven't had the chance to use the feature so far, but ... cool!

cheers

[slip_right]

Please could there be an option to define the next new take number for the $recpass wildcard rather than just being able to reset it?

This would be useful if you were picking up a recording session and day 2 started with say, Take 76.

Please could the current take number be displayed in a user sizeable window until recording stopped, then next take number shown until next record stop etc.....

This would allow engineer and producer to check what take is currently being recorded during recording, and what take is next before next recording starts.

[benmiller]

"Please could there be an option to define the next new take number for the $recpass wildcard rather than just being able to reset it?"

would really be nice

"Please could the current take number be displayed in a user sizeable window until recording stopped, then next take number shown until next record stop etc....."

Yes please, this would be veeeery helpfull!!!

or at least make it availablie in the API so we can build are own little window...

also i have a problem with the zero padding option, in the wildcard help it states:

$recpass : recording pass ($recpass00, etc to add leading zeros)

but this only works if I $recpass00 is at the end of the name. so if media file name is for example $recpass00_$track, then the zero padding doesn't happen, i just get 00 after the recpass number so for recpass 3 i get 300_trackname. It would be usefull i the zeorpadding could work when $recpass is at the start of the name too.

[benmiller]

an other quirk:
if you record and have recpass 10 for example, and then delete this item, record again and you get recpass 11. recpass gets incremented although item with recpass 10 was deleted from the tilmeline.
this seems like the good behaviour to me.

but:
if you record and have recpass 10 for example, and then delete this item, AND THEN SAVE THE SESSION, CLOSE IT AND REOPEN IT, record again and you get recpass 10 again!! To me this doesn't seem in line with the above behaviour.

[slip_right]

Please could this be considered for the next version or Reaper? Sadie and Pyramix both have this function. Thanks.

[slip_right]

This bit please.....

Originally Posted by slip_right

Please could there be an option to define the next new take number for the $recpass wildcard rather than just being able to reset it?

This would be useful if you were picking up a recording session and day 2 started with say, Take 76.

Please could the current take number be displayed in a user sizeable window until recording stopped, then next take number shown until next record stop etc.....

This would allow engineer and producer to check what take is currently being recorded during recording, and what take is next before next recording starts.

[slip_right]

Bumping this up hoeing it might happen! Thank you.

Originally Posted by slip_right

Please could the current take number be displayed in a user sizeable window until recording stopped, then next take number shown until next record stop etc.....

This would allow engineer and producer to check what take is currently being recorded during recording, and what take is next before next recording starts.

[benmiller]

ah today gain i would have really needed a window to dispaly the current recpass number....

in nthe mean time there is an action to set the next recpass number. it's labeled "set global recording pass counter..."

[benmiller]

how does one make a feature request? adding this window to display the recpass seems like a simple thing to do. The window would look like the one for the big clock. When not recording the window would display the number of the next recpass. while recording it would display the number of the recpass which is happening, and the background could go red.

[tmmmmm]

I'm wondering if the Recording Pass Number is somehow accessible via the API? I couldn't find any information on that, otherwise it would be possible to create a simple LUA script to display the current/next/... Take Number. Which would be fantastic!

[slip_right]

Please could the current take number be displayed in a user sizeable window until recording stopped, then next take number shown until next record stop etc.....

This would allow engineer and producer to check what take is currently being recorded during recording, and what take is next before next recording starts.

[Meo-Ada Mespotine]

Originally Posted by slip_right

Please could the current take number be displayed in a user sizeable window until recording stopped, then next take number shown until next record stop etc.....

This would allow engineer and producer to check what take is currently being recorded during recording, and what take is next before next recording starts.

There should also be a wildcard "$rec_pass" for exporting media-items and their takes.

[Meo-Ada Mespotine]

Originally Posted by tmmmmm

I'm wondering if the Recording Pass Number is somehow accessible via the API? I couldn't find any information on that, otherwise it would be possible to create a simple LUA script to display the current/next/... Take Number. Which would be fantastic!

https://forum.cockos.com/showpost.ph...9&postcount=11

Or use Ultraschall-API and you can use this function:
https://mespotin.uber.space/Ultrasch...GetItemRecPass