Solved Does Studio One have a macro method to set a specific length for a MIDI event?

[Vocalpoint]

When I add a new instrument track and then double click in it - I usually get a MIDI event that is a bar long - as a default. And while I realize I can grab the edge of this event and extend it out using the mouse - I am wondering if there is a macro combo that would:

1. Create a new MIDI event
2. Prompt me for a bar length (8, 16 etc)
3. Allow me to enter a value
4. S1 creates said clip and off I go.

When I am using the Launcher for example - I almost always want something longer than a bar. Would love to have some sort of macro that is fast and furious (and can be driven by key command) to load a cell with a 16-bar clip quickly - rather than mousing around, dragging boundaries etc.

Been watch a few of my favorite content creators some who use Ableton and another that uses Bitwig - and I have to say - those two environments are much better at setting a MIDI clip length than Studio One does.

Appreciate any tips, tricks or conversation.

Cheers

VP

 

[tremo]

Following -- that would be a very useful macro.

 

[sintil8]

Interesting idea.
Yes the launcher needs to grow and both Ableton and Bitwig have some great functions and tools for working with Event/launcher/Slots.
Hope this is being worked on as the launcher is pretty primitive at the mo'.
The Macro idea, would be a cool function to have, or if the guys in the kitchen can give a drop down or presets for cell dimensions.

Dirty solution : have a Dumb Midi Track with pre-configured Midi events of different bar lengths colored and labelled drag and drop events to req. launch slot, rinse and spin. Not very elegant but it cuts out some of the faffing about. (template fixture)

Regards to all.

 

[Trucky]

Be sure to checkout the macros examples (see screenshots) in the "Music Editing" macropage of the Macro Toolbar...



Note Length Macros

 

[Vocalpoint]

Be sure to checkout the macros examples (see screenshots) in the "Music Editing" macropage of the Macro Toolbar...

View attachment 728

Note Length Macros

View attachment 729

Trucky

Thank you as always - but what I am looking for is a macro to insert a blank Instrument Part (aka MIDI Event) that is 4 bars long or 8 bars long etc etc. Not Note Length.

I have been playing around and have found that if I drag/draw/insert an 8 bar Range and then double click that - I DO get a blank 8 bar Instrument Part.

Kinda sorta moving in the right direction - but it appears Studio One does not have any ability to address this via macro.

There is no Insert Range command (with a parameter to specify bar length).

VP

 

[Trucky]

OK, so event bar length, not note length?

 

[Vocalpoint]

OK, so bar length, not note length?

Correct - ideally this:

I drag a fav instrument into S1 to create a new (empty) Instrument Track

Then I press my super cool magic keyboard shortcut that fires a macro that does this:

1. Creates a new (empty) Instrument Part (MIDI event) and prompts me for a length - in bars (8, 16 etc)
2. I enter a value (8)
3. S1 inserts the new empty part (spanning bars 1 -9) and off I go.

VP

 

[BobF]

Not what you asked, but if you have a loop range set, the new part will be the length of the range. Maybe you can set up a macro to set the loop start/stop points, then double-click to create the part.

 

[Trucky]

I thought that too because it's easy to make a 4 bar loop and double-click it to create the part but it's just as easy to create the event and stretch it.
However I'm not finding commands to create either of them.
"Set Loop Start" and "Set Loop End" commands don't includes arguments.

 

[BobF]

I thought that too because it's easy to make a 4 bar loop and double-click it to create the part but I'm not finding commands to create it.
"Set Loop Start" and "Loop Start End" commands don't includes arguments.

I have NOT done this, but maybe something like this:
Position cursor at desired starting bar
-- macro
Set loop start
Forward bar "number of bars"
Set loop end
--
Then double click to create the part. No need to have loop enabled. Obviously you would need more than one macro; one for each of your most commonly desired part lengths unless Forward Bar prompts for input - which I'm not sure of

 

[Trucky]

Attached are two macros for creating empty 4 or 8 bar parts to use with Launcher.
You can assign these to keyboard shortcuts or add to a macropage.
I assigned them to a macropage (shown here with a dropdown including choices for 4, 8, 12 & 16 bar parts).

1. Add an Instrument.
2. Select the number of bars in drop-down or the macro assigned to keyboard shortcut.
3. Double-click the loop range to create the empty part.
4. Drag the part into Launcher cell.



Example macro for Empty 4 Bars Part w/Launcher...

 

[Lukas]

Example macro for Empty 4 Bars Part...

Would have been my suggestion too (until there will be Navigation Essentials Pro which will allow to resize events or create them with a defined length).

 

[Vocalpoint]

Here's a macropage example to create empty 4, 8, 12 and 16 bar parts or you can assign keyboard shortcuts to the macros...

View attachment 733

Example macro for Empty 4 Bars Part...
View attachment 735

WOW!

Love the crew in here. Really appreciate the discussion and I am going to get right on this.

Cheers

VP

 

[Vocalpoint]

Got this working with no issues - but it really only shines in Arrange Mode.

It gets even stranger in the Launcher. If I use the 8 Bars Part macro in Arrange mode - I get my empty 8 bar part when double clicking.

But if I hit B - and then drag that new empty part to Scene 1 Cell 1 - my empty 8 bar part gets shaved cut in half. 4 bar loop instead of 8 - kinda defeating the purpose of using a macro to faciliate longer (empty) clips for the Launcher.

Just another hard disconnect between creating MIDI parts in Arrange and trying to replicate in the Launcher.

But this is a nice macro nonetheless - I see it getting a lot of use. Not quite as flexible as say Ableton - where you create a clip and when you double click it and are in the actual MIDI Clip window - there are fields on the left to simply type 32 and the MIDI part gets auto extended to 32 bars. But I will take what I can get for now.

Thanks all!

VP

 

[Vocalpoint]

This creates 2-, 4- and 8 bar parts, which you can then drag to the launcher:
It´s not exactly what you requested, but maybe it helps.
View attachment 739
View attachment 740View attachment 741

Awesome. However - I replicated this - and created a 8 bar empty part - drag it to the Launcher - and I still end up with a 4 bar clip.

Do I have some sort of oddball setting that is preventing this copy from staying at 8 bars?

VP

 

[Wolfger]

Hhmm, i deleted my post, the macro did some weird things-creating parts on different tracks then the selected one.
no idea about your problem when dragging to the launcher?

 

[Vocalpoint]

Hhmm, i deleted my post, the macro did some weird things-creating parts on different tracks then the selected one.
no idea about your problem when dragging to the launcher?

No problem. I am quite impressed with the imagination that is being displayed when assembling all these varied commands.

S1 is so deep if you really dig into it.

VP

 

[Wolfger]

Here they are again, I tried on an Audio-Track, of course that didn´t go well!

 

[Wolfger]

8 bar part stays 8 bars when dragged to launcher, couldn´t find a setting which would influence this behaviour:

 

[Vocalpoint]

Over here - this is what I see:

In Arrange view - after macro fires:



Then prepare to drag from Arrange to Launcher:



And perform the drag n drop:



Tis a weird one. Now - I am in Windows - you are on Mac.

You are seeing what I think I should be seeing - but am not seeing.

VP