Flex Sampler: Play sample while it's being recorded

edited September 2020 in Feature Wish-lists

One thing that works on Octatrack's Flex machines but doesn't on Drambo's Flex Samplers is playback while recording. So if recording has already started, the triggered playback will play the sample to the point where it currently ends. All other operations, like speed, pitch and everything else also apply. So basically the sample is always ready no matter what state of recording it is at now.

There is a number of use cases for this.

1) For example this can be used as a live monitoring technique with ability to affect the signal instantly, like play reverse from current point.

2) I use Flex samplers for looping the live signal, so instead of pressing "record" and waiting 4 bars until the recording is complete, so I can switch to it, I can have the recording on all the time and when I want to switch from live signal to a loop, I just stop the recording process, instead of initiating it.

3) Apply sampling effects to live signal. As I mentioned above, you can do things like reverse from current point or slow down (vinyl stop) the what appears to be live signal to the listener.

Some of these use cases may require record trigs, though. They were mentioned by other people multiple times already, I assume.

Comments

  • @laikrodiz I don't have OT, but these techniques are nice and usable indeed.

    One question, does it record to the loop of predefined size, or recording buffer is growing from zero to mem limit?

    The first case should be easy, the latter would be problematic in some modes: slice, loop.

  • On OT it's limited by RAM size as far as I know, but in my own experience I only used it with fixed length recorders.

    This creates a number of possible problematic scenarios that should be handled. Like pitching up the sample that is being played live without timestretch or reaching the beginning of the sample that is being recorded and is playing in reverse, or when random LFO is trying to modulate the playback position but there's nothing recorded yet at a position it picked.

    I agree it's a can of worms in a way but all of these can be separately addressed by introducing specific limitations one way or another.

  • edited September 2020

    So its like i have some slices and they get lost as soon as I start recording a new sample?

    What happens with loop points in loop mode?

  • Well, on OT the slices are kept intact in case of fixed length recording and discarded in other cases.

    Regarding loop points, pitch and other problematic scenarios, OT doesn't really offer elegant good sounding solutions and just stops the sound of a specific playback attempt.

    To be honest, this functionality is so advanced that whatever you decide would be the best solution the users will accept as a predictable behavior :)

  • :) got it... nevertheless I added this feature to the list for next flexi update. Live recording during playback is a must have!

  • +1 for this

    Good request and Excellent Description @laikrodiz

  • edited September 2020

    @laikrodiz Yes your descriptions are great, you don't give me any space for thinking, I'm buying this :) Thats what i need.. well described use cases

  • edited September 2020

    Another dream coming true !! Thanks giku !

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