Add the possibility to pause/restart automation

[zgildasz]

Hi Arlo,

I think about the possibility, when we work with audio, to add more flexibility/control during playback. The idea is to add an option "pause" et "restart" in the automation.
Here is what I imagine :
* first song played (automation is on)
* End of playback (include "pause" into automation), so the singer can interprete the final line free timed
* On the very last syllabe/end, I press the footswitch who restart playback/automation located on the final musical ending
* Next song chained, automation continue...

Hope I'm clear enough. All is possible for the moment excepted that I could not use automation, or only for the first part of the chained songs.

This automation pause could be use with remote and also include in the automation options ("add pause").

[arlo]

Are you talking about automation tracks?

[zgildasz]

Sorry but I don't know what you mean by "automation tracks". I'm talking about the automation with which you can record midi events.

[arlo]

Like this, right?

http://www.bandhelper.com/tutorials/performing.html#automation_tracks

Are you recording your automation tracks relative to a backing track (audio recording)?

[zgildasz]

Yes, that's it, I record an automation track relative to a backing track.

[arlo]

So then does the backing track end before the end of the song, when you're doing the "free" ending?

[zgildasz]

Not exactly, because I whish to consider the sustain of an ending cymbal for example. It could work like that, for two songs chained :

* play backing track, automation ON (midi fx control essentially)
* pré final of the 1st song with stop on a cymbal
* the singer sing freely the ending lyrics, during that the audio is still playing and the automation at the end of the cymbal tell to the audio machine (Fostex D160 in my case) "fostex pause, fostex locate to this point (beginning of the next song), automation pause".
* the singer sing the very last syllabe of ending lyrics, and on this very last syllabe I restart automation and play audio located on the beginning of the 2nd song.

...and then my automation is still in time with the 2nd song independantly from the time taked by the singer to sing the end of the first song. By the way, one thing very important that I haven't mentionned : these 2 songs chained are considered as just one song in SLM.

[arlo]

Why not represent the two songs as two songs in Set List Maker? Then while the singer is finishing song 1, you could load song 2 by selecting it and sending some MIDI presets to set up your Fostex, and then you could select song 2 a second time when you're ready to start playing its backing track and automation track (using the Song Second Selection layout action).

[zgildasz]

Well I'll give it a try, but there just something not really smooth : I have to press two times to control "next song" and then "start new song". In these kind of laps , with ending/ song chain, it could be relatively short. And press play/automation again is totally musical because on the first time of the next song, but change song between is far "less musical" if you know what I mean. Maybe if I can automate "next song" in automation then that's the good idea/way to go, but I'm not sure that we can automate that.

[zgildasz]

I just remember that it is possible to tell SLM to change automatically song, I prefered before change myself the song but maybe it could be useful then to go that way.

[arlo]

Yes, you could use the Song Completion layout action to change songs while the singer is doing the free ending. Either way, this seems better than using one Set List Maker song to represent two actual songs. I guess I'd draw the line there depending on whether you would ever perform those two songs separately from each other, or in a different order.

[zgildasz]

The thing is that I prepare several of what I call a "combo" of songs. A "combo" is for me around 3 songs grouped for there style/tempo, chained, and not necesserely played entirely each. And because the playback play all 3 songs on one program on the fostex, I consider it as one song in SLM.

[arlo]

All right, well currently there is no way to pause and resume an automation track, but that's on my wish list and I'll add a vote for you.

[zgildasz]

Ok thanks Arlo, that's not a  big priority because we can do it another way, but with this automation pause/resume it would be far easier to manage it.

[Ruckman65]

Please add a vote for me, too.