Set audio region to automatically loop when switching from another region?

joeguam

Loving Stage Traxx, already played a few gigs with it traveling to 2 different cities so I didn’t have to bring my full pedalboard rig. Just have a question, I use a loop pedal in my full rig and I’d like to mimic the same functionality if possible please:

On my loop pedal, a loop bank (in this case, in ST3 it would be an audio region) continuously loops even if you switch to another bank. So for example, if I engage bank1 it will continuously loop bank1. Then, if I engage bank2, when bank1 finishes it will automatically switch to bank2 and continuously loop bank2. And if I engage bank1 again, when bank2 finishes it will automatically switch to bank1 and continuously loop bank1.

My challenge is, while playing my guitar at a gig I sometimes forget to toggle the loop function after the play head moves to the next audio region….and then the song abruptly stops (which has been quite awkward). How can I get ST3 to function like my loop pedal and just continuously loop whichever audio region is currently playing until the next region command is engaged (but then continuously loop the next region automatically when it switches to it)?

Hopefully this isn’t confusing, kind of hard to explain. Appreciate any help please…

peter

When you define a region in the region editor, just set the loop option to on. Selecting that region to play next will keep the loop active.

joeguam

peter thanks Peter, but unfortunately that does seem to be how the app works. Really love your app btw!

So as you suggested, when I define a region in the region editor, I set the loop option to “on” for each region. Before I start playing the song, it shows the loop function toggled on for each region in the player. However, once you select to move to the next audio region, the loop function on the current region toggles OFF an does not ever toggle back on. So, when I switch back to that region, I have to manually toggle loop ON again, and when playing instruments sometimes it’s tough to remember to do this.

Here’s another example to try and explain what I’m hoping to accomplish:

Both region1=chorus and region2=verse have the loop set to ON in the region editor
Start playing the song, and both chorus and verse still have the loop toggled ON, and chorus continues to loop until the verse region is selected
When the verse region is selected, it starts blinking but the loop on the chorus region toggles OFF…and this is not as desired…we want the loop function to remain ON but just switch to the selected next region.
Same thing happens when the verse is playing and you select the chorus to play next…chorus region starts blinking but the verse region loop toggle OFF and we want the toggle to stay ON but just move to the next region selected.

Is there any way to accomplish this? Basically we want to be able to move between regions but keep the loop toggled ON for all regions all the time (so that the song never abruptly stops). Again, the goal here is to mimic a loop pedal and prevent the awkward silence that happens when we forget to toggle loop on a region.

Damir

joeguam I suppose that makes sense, because if you have selected a region to permanently loop you don’t want this to disengage this setting as you pass through that loop and reset only when you select that song , you actually want it to immediately reset to the default setting you chose in the audio segment editor so you can move around the audio loops but always have your permanent loops remembered, as this gives you minimal foot work when performing.
I think that makes a lot of sense especially if you use ST3 as a drum machine and move around various beat patterns.

peter

Oh now I understand. The problem is that as long as the loop on the current region is engaged, Stage Traxx will not play the next region. So the loop needs to be disengaged to switch to the next region. That happens automatically when you select a next region to play. So the solution would be to reset the loop status of the region you are exiting to the default once the next region is playing. I don't think this is possible to achieve with the way the data is currently arranged but I will take a look.

joeguam

peter Damir - thank you both, really appreciate it. From a development perspective, your proposed solution would work as once the play head exits a region, the loop will toggle back to the default setting in the region editor.

The other design I had in mind was, you could code Stage Traxx to continue looping a region UNLESS another region is selected (and blinking). This is because the user has purposefully and intentionally selected the direction of the song to move to a different region, therefore superseding the loop toggle. As long as another region is not intentionally selected/blinking, the play head should continue to loop the current region. This is exactly like how a multi-bank loop pedal is programmed.

Just curious, when would the next update be released?

peter

It is possible to detect when a region is exited so I can reset the status shortly after playback progresses out of a region. This change will be released in the next update.

Damir

joeguam The other design I had in mind was, you could code Stage Traxx to continue looping a region UNLESS another region is selected (and blinking).

You have that already just select permanent loop and it will loop till the cows come home or you choose another loop 😂

peter

Next week most likely.

joeguam

peter I have a show booked out of town next Thursday, it would be great to have this feature released before then! Thanks Peter!

peter

I just released version 3.8.21.

Damir

peter I just released version 3.8.21.

Thanks Peter, great work I confirm the permanent loops now are remembered.
And also the pitch shift immediately showing chord changes is very nice 👍

joeguam

peter Thank you!!

joeguam

peter

Hello Peter, it's been almost 2 months and the new release with this feature has worked great for a number of gigs now, thank you once again.

There's one challenge that I'm facing, any suggestions on this?
When a region is currently playing, tapping the "Next Region" button only once selects the current region that is playing and makes it start blinking. It does not select the next region and make the next region start blinking. Just the same, issuing the "Select next audio region" midi command with a midi device makes the current region playing start blinking. In order to get the next region selected so that the region after the one currently playing starts blinking, you either have to tap the "Next Region" button on the iPad screen twice (i.e. double tap) or issue the "Select next audio region" midi command twice (i.e. double stomp).

Is there any way that the "Next Region" button on the iPad screen and the "Select next audio region" midi command can be set to actually select the next region after the one that is currently playing with a single tap/stomp?

Thanks so much in advance, hope you can consider making this improvement please.

joeguam

Just wanted to mention that I’ve used this feature for several gigs now and it works beautifully, thanks @peter. Abrupt stops in playback are no longer possible and the worry eliminated, great feature!

Damir

joeguam Is there any way that the "Next Region" button on the iPad screen and the "Select next audio region" midi command can be set to actually select the next region after the one that is currently playing with a single tap/stomp?

My two cents worth, I don’t see the point of either , why?
If you press once , you firstly get the now playing loop repeat once, big deal, you can do that using permanent loop pedal or finger feature anyway , ok you have to hit it again to release the continual repeat , but it’s doable and fast .
If you change the logic so one hit firstly selects the next loop in line , again BIG DEAL! that loop is already going to play next anyway so there is no need to select the next loop, it’s unnecessary.
I think it’s more logical if you hit the pedal once you skip this and the next loop.
This logic creates an advantage , reducing 2 unnecessary taps yet simply allowing you to skip the next loop and making it quicker to move throughout the whole songs loops.
This logic is only better if all your loops are strung together, if you have gaps between loops than remaining with the existing logic is better.
I always program all my songs fully with loops, there are no gaps , only beginnings and ends of song might have some small non looped area , this is the best way to use loops for numerous reasons.
So I would make the one hit skip now and next loop.
Cheers Damir

joeguam

Damir
Damir I think we may be saying similar things. I have all my songs programmed with continuous loops, however the “next region” button - in the current version - doesn’t actually queue up (set to blinking) the next region….it queues up the region that’s currently playing. So, tapping the “next region” button just continues to play the region that’s currently playing and that is useless because I already have all my regions on continuous loops.

Shouldn’t the “next region” button actually queue up (set to blinking) the next region with a single tap?

Damir

joeguam Damir I think we may be saying similar things. I have all my songs programmed with continuous loops, however the “next region” button - in the current version - doesn’t actually queue up (set to blinking) the next region….it queues up the region that’s currently playing. So, tapping the “next region” button just continues to play the region that’s currently playing and that is useless because I already have all my regions on continuous loops.

Shouldn’t the “next region” button actually queue up (set to blinking) the next region with a single tap?

Ahha! I see your point. Because you have permanent loops on all your loops makes sense to jump to next loop so it releases the now playing permanent loop, yes that makes more logical sense in your case.
I don't have permanent loops engaged so to me it makes more sense that first tap actually skips the next loop as well because if i don't touch anything it will play anyway so whats the point.
OK perhaps the logic should be (Peter) , if you are on a loop with permanent loop already selected the first tap just moves on to the next loop, BUT if you do not have the now playing loop in permanent loop the first tap on the foot pedal skips the next loop as it will be next anyway if you don't touch anything , so it makes sense to skip the now and next loop allowing you to quickly skip the next loop and either stay on that or go hunting for other loops, this would save a lot of foot tap dancing if you use this feature a lot.
And if you need to engage the now loop to play again just hit the permanent loop feature and if you need to move on just release this button or hit the loop search pedal and it will also move on to the next loop.
Actually this makes a lot of sense.
I hope i have explained my logic clearly.
If not let me know and i will try again .
Simply put depending if a now selected loop is normal play or permanent loop engaged depends how the first foot pedal hit works.
Cheers

peter

I am with Damir. I think it makes more sense that the first press selects the current region and then you move to the left or right. In any case it is just one extra tap for you to achieve what you need. The other way around (first tap selects next region) would mean you need to cycle through all regions to get to the current one.

joeguam

peter shouldn’t the “Select next audio region” actually select (i.e. queue up and set to blinking) the NEXT audio region and not the CURRENT region?

Am I missing something here?

If we wanted a “Select CURRENT audio region”, should that be a different command? That’s essentially what the “next region” button is functioning as now.

joeguam

peter

Peter, what is the need for a musician to select the current region (ie. REPEAT/LOOP the current region)? Doesn’t the “toggle loop” button (which is right next to the “Next Region” button on the screen (and also has its own midi command) do that same functionality?

joeguam

Damir you explained it well, thanks Damir.

I see how your situation would work to select the region after the next (as the next region would naturally just play after the current one). Regardless, with the current functionality of the “Next Region” button (and the “Select next region” midi command) doesn’t do either, it selects the CURRENTLY PLAYING region.