Set audio region to automatically loop when switching from another 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.

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.

Damir

joeguam if you only need to release a permanent loop you are better off programming a permanent loop foot switch or a midi command to release the permanent loop, using loop select button function is not ideal due to its logic as is.

Damir

joeguam 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?

So why don't you just use the loop button midi command to disable your permanent loops temporarily to simply give you what you want on the foot pedal, which is to move on to the next loop.
I agree with you , to why the now playing loop is selected on the first pedal push , when you have a repeat loop already on the screen in the lyrics window and probably on the foot pedal as its a nice feature for instant use on stage, i would rather have the 2 assignable buttons to be able to go left and right when selecting next loops as the one direction idea takes too long to get around a song loop assignments.
Also if you start to search for a loop going forward means you don't need the next loop but the one after the next loop, otherwise you would just let the player naturally go to next loop, but if you move backwards you will get the next loop, this makes a lot more sense and skips unnecessary steps.
Selecting the now loop to replay is unnecessary as you have a looping button to do that jumping to a different spot is a different function and should be better streamlined to do it effectively .
Also if you have moved in any direction left or right simply hitting the opposite button gets you back to the now playing region and immediately cancels the search, giving you a quick way out of a bad decision.

joeguam

Damir

Thanks Damir, because all my regions are set to continuously loop by default (in the Audio Region menu), my need is a SINGLE command that will switch to the next region (and exit the currently playing region). It seems that the command “Select next region” should actually select the next region, but instead it selects the current region. Somehow I’m missing something here?

The challenge here is during a show in the middle of a song, especially when I’m playing solos, a “double tap” or a “double stomp” requires quite a bit of time.

@peter - Maybe instead of changing the functionality of the “next region” button or the “Select the next region” midi command, is there a possibility that a new midi assign command can be created? For example, we could name it “Queue the next region”, and it’s functionality will:

Set the region after the one that is currently playing to blinking
Disable/toggle loop off for the currently playing region
When the current region finishes playing, exit the current region
Enter the region which was set to blinking in #1 above and begin playing it
If loop is enabled for the formerly playing region (in step # 2 above) in the Audio Region menu, re-enable/toggle loop back on for that region

Is this possible please? I don’t need a button on the screen as I control ST3 through a midi pedal stomp. Just a new midi assign command.

Damir

joeguam because all my regions are set to continuously loop by default

This is an unusual way to play back a backing track, but i can see why you might run this way if you have drums only as your backing and use the backing audio segments as drum loops, and i agree with you it would be nice to be able to just release the now playing loop by one button push and also use the same button to move to other loops without introducing another switch on the foot pedal.
Perhaps if the logic changes depending on how you have programmed your loops.
If you don't have a permanent loop selected in a loop segment the logic is first hit skips the next loop, but if you have a permanent loop selected in an audio segment the first hit to search releases the now playing loop and selects the next loop in line to play on then you can move on and search for next loops.
This makes both ways of operating streamlined , i still think having movement in both directions would be a great benefit to all because you could get to all loops much faster and if you overshoot a loop you can quickly step back to select the exact loop you need in a very short amount of time.
The more loops you have the bigger chances are you are going to overshoot a loop cause the segments are smaller and there is no way to get back , this on stage is very dangerous to use as if you pick the wrong loop you could sound stupid. Thats why i hardly ever use my foot pedals for that i always use my finger on screen as i can safely and instantly select the correct loop.