Feature Request: Session View

It would be very cool to switch between the linear Timeline arragment view and the Session view like ableton to Start and stop loop clips. For a Live Act it is a dream.

Cheers, reloop

Comments

  • No its not the same, slate is a Sampler but not a loop „machine“ like ableton. I would to do play a sequence with obsidian or other auv3 synth for example. Slate plays the linear timeline but not in a Loop with different Instruments groups with different adjustments.

  • I’m not an Abelton user, so I’m not sure: can’t you set the loop points in the linear sequencer and by muting pads in Slate be able to create a live mix? Most music has patterns of 2, 4, or 8 bars, and the loop points could be changed on the fly as needed. Check out YouTube videos of Ani using NS1 to do live looping. Maybe that would inspire you to try some different options.

  • edited February 2019

    @SlapHappy said:
    I’m not an Abelton user, so I’m not sure: can’t you set the loop points in the linear sequencer and by muting pads in Slate be able to create a live mix? Most music has patterns of 2, 4, or 8 bars, and the loop points could be changed on the fly as needed. Check out YouTube videos of Ani using NS1 to do live looping. Maybe that would inspire you to try some different options.

    Nah, it's not the same. Launching clips to play after the current one is a very different way of arranging/jamming. You can do the slate/loop thing if you've already worked out all the details but the beauty of a session view is it's a great way to jam song ideas, both in small sections and also to help arrange a full song.

    At the moment I frequently export all tracks from NS2 and import into BlocsWave (and from there to launchpad) -- partly because BW is such fun to play with.

    I tend to create with my iPad and iPhone when I wouldn't have time to sit at my Mac and make music more 'seriously' and in far shorter bursts. Having a young family has made having a home studio impossible, and iOS has been a revelation in being able to make music again.

    Anything that adds friction to this process is something that gets left by the wayside. All the workarounds that are being discovered for NS2 are clever and for those with the time are great, but when you know what you want to do (and when you know how easy it can be) anything that adds friction will be less likely to be used.

    I like and use NS2 because it is the app with the least friction to host Auv3 instruments and fx.

    Once audio tracks and auv3 automation are added to NS2 I'd likely import loops back from BW and continue arranging in NS2.

    I don't know if the added complexity of a session view would make NS2 a one stop shop or whether the path of least resistance would still be to go to an app such as BlocsWave instead.

  • IMO an Ableton-style Session View is such a different paradigm to the NS2 linear sequencer that it's likely to be a major endeavour trying to implement. Especially if users then require the ability for the Session View and the regular timeline to interact.

    Have you looked at StageLight? That has a Session View that might fulfil your requirements.

    It's one of those situations where you just can't please everyone. Some people absolutely love the Ableton workflow, some people are indifferent to it. IMO BM3's attempt to implement this type of loop-based workflow is one of the reasons why the app is so clunky, because it's just so hard to create an effective UI when you're trying to please everyone and their dog. NS2's strength is partly down to being streamlined, and that involves not including every feature that every user wants IMO.

    Of course this is annoying for those people who are looking for an Ableton-like workflow on iOS. But there are alternative apps that do offer a loop-based workflow: BM3, StageLight, LaunchPad and GarageBand.

  • @richardyot

    actually we discussed session view a lot during develoement... from obvious reasons that idea was posponed to some not defined point in future - but i don't think it's not possible to add it to NS with preserved intuitive workflow... Look how intuitive way Matt implemented all that complex audio/midi routing capabilities - i'm pretty sure if he decides one day to add session view, it will be perfect...

    At the end, Live is also linear sequencer, if those two different point of view to track timeline would be implemented with NS2 UI/UX standards, it can be total winner :-)

    Of course, at current stage it's all just my personal speculation and fantasy, maybe big task for 2020, or 2021 ??

  • edited February 2019

    It would be perfect to have both in one App without export and import for other apps because i want only to use NS2 ;)

  • @dendy said:
    @richardyot

    actually we discussed session view a lot during develoement... from obvious reasons that idea was posponed to some not defined point in future - but i don't think it's not possible to add it to NS with preserved intuitive workflow... Look how intuitive way Matt implemented all that complex audio/midi routing capabilities - i'm pretty sure if he decides one day to add session view, it will be perfect...

    At the end, Live is also linear sequencer, if those two different point of view to track timeline would be implemented with NS2 UI/UX standards, it can be total winner :-)

    Of course, at current stage it's all just my personal speculation and fantasy, maybe big task for 2020, or 2021 ??

    Yes obviously implementing a Session View would be popular with a significant amount of users and potential users, I just imagine that it's a non-trivial task, especially to do it well.

  • edited February 2019

    I just imagine that it's a non-trivial task, especially to do it well.

    For sure. I think, it's definitely more comoplex task than for example audio tracks - i see it as "year scale" project...

  • Not a great solution, but, it is possible to use a loop based sequencer like modstep to send midi to NS2. In that case, Modstep becomes like a bolted on session view. It’s then possible to record a Modstep jam to the timeline in NS2 when you want to go linear.

    (Caveat: Modstep has some odd interface choices and a steep learning curve for some users. But, it is a great app once you learn to use it.)

  • It is not so good to switch between other apps. I know modstep. But the UI Design in NS2 is so superb and the power for a good Session view is good enough i think.
    Well, i‘ll waiting hopefully for the next two years what dendy and matt do ;)

  • edited February 2019

    @reloop said:
    Well, i‘ll waiting hopefully for the next two years what dendy and matt do ;)

    uhm, what matt do, to be exact :-) i really don't make any useable job (ok except of few factory patches :)), just spitting lot of "awesome" ideas which causes sometimes headache to matt :-)))

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