Using Ableton as a looper // SP404 Sucks

The Lounge Other Gear
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My set up currently consists of: Digitakt, A4 Mk2, Hydrasynth and SH01A

I wanted a box to dump loops to so that I don’t have my projects spread across 4 different boxes, tried 1010 Blackbox, hated it, recently got a SP404 MK2 which bafflingly doesn’t allow the recording of perfectly timed loops so my only option now is Ableton, I’m sitting in front of the computer anyway so I might as well use it, I just need to set it up so it involves minimal screen time, maybe with a little midi controller.

Interested to know how people would do it…i.e. What to to set as the master clock, audio routing, to use overbridge or not, etc.

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Octatrack
Deluge
Mc 707
Akai Force

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I’ve discounted all of those for various reasons (sound quality/price/no stereo/size), SP404 was last hope.

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Thought about the Boss RC505?

Otherwise, get a Novation LaunchPad Pro and that’ll give you the hands on access so you can loop forever.

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Can you expand some more on what you’re wanting and what other boxes have not been able to do for you?

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Check out the 404mk2 thread. There is at least one method for recording perfectly times loops described there in.

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How does a launch pad pro allow perfectly recorded loops?

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I would use Overbridge to get pristine digital audio straight into Ableton, and I would use a Launchpad Pro mk3 to capture and play loops.

Make a template so your different machines are always on the same tracks in Ableton, and you’re done. In-time loops at the tap of a pad.

Edited to add:

It has a button to set the loop length before you start recording, just like the Push

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I can’t believe I never realized that :man_facepalming:t2:. Probably because I’m using it with Bitwig.

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Thanks for this, looked promising but didn’t work, you still need to manually start the external source in time, what I need is for it to start recording exactly in time with the external source/clock, regardless of whether it’s receiving audio (so for instance recording a snare loop from the Digitakt with the first hit on beat 4, when played back on the SP404 the first hit will still be on beat 4) and perfectly in time with the Digitakt. Yeah what I want is a looper, RC-505 is too big, Launchpad looks promising though.

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If this the information you have on octatrack, it is false information and has been discussed here on the forum. I think octatrack would be a really good solution for your scenario

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I would probably use my iPad and Loopy Pro if I wanted a quick, easy and robust solution that’s cheap (assuming you have an iPad).

As far as hardware, I’d grab a Tascam Model 12 Mixer/Digital Recorder. That way you could have all of your boxes always connected and ready to work independently or together in perfect sync. Record all or any combination of boxes/instruments onto SD or into anything else you want with or without a Computer/DAW.

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