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Concept for "Input templates"

Hello

In relation to https://forum.grouptheloop.com/index.php?p=/discussion/278/input-monitoring-using-audio-unit-but-no-on-main-input#latest, I'd like to propose a draft for an "Input templates" concept in GTL.

My need is to change input settings and applied effects quickly (by a single key press) and on time (by making it cue-able), so I can do live performances of songs with complex structures.

At the moment, it is possible to apply effects to the main input (in the settings). This can only be changed manually with multiple, non-automatable clicks, so it is NOT meant to be changed during a live performance.

It would be very useful to be able to define different "input templates", that each resemble a custom configuration of the main input and its applied effects.

For example, the following 3 input templates could be defined:

  • Template 1: Input 1 (guitar) with effect A (e.g. Tonebridge audio unit)
  • Template 2: Input 1 (guitar) with effect B
  • Template 3: Input 2 (microphone) with some reverb (internal effect)

By allowing to select an input template using keyboard bindings (for example key "1" for the first template, and key "2" for the second, etc.), it would be very easy and fast to switch between different configurations.

In addition, the switching between templates should be cue-able, so it would change exactly between recording one loop and another one.

In a next step, the following options would be very cool:

  • Option to specify two inputs for a template, for example input 1 (guitar) with Tonebridge effect A plus input 2 (microphone) with some reverb. This would allow to record both guitar and vocals at the same time to the same loop.
  • Option to specify which of the two inputs would be recorded to a loop. This would allow to record input 1, while input 2 would only be monitored. This is useful for example when recording a verse for the first time, we record the guitar and only monitor the vocals, and then the 2nd time we could playback the recorded guitar and sing another verse. Or in case of a chorus, we could record both the guitar and the vocals the first time, the playback both of them the 2nd time while singing a 2nd voice on top of it (and maybe record it, too, so the 3rd time we can add a 3rd voice).

For example, the following 2 input templates could be defined:

  • Template 1:

    • Input 1 (guitar) with effect A (Tonebridge), recorded
    • Input 2 (microphone) with reverb, monitored
  • Template 2:

    • Input 2 (microphone) with reverb, monitored
    • Input 3 (cajon) with filter (internal effect), recorded

Thinking about it, instead of creating all sorts of complex input templates with all those settings applied in one single place (making it a repetitive task to configure them and a nightmare to apply changes to several of them), it could be a more pragmatic approach to split those templates into "input templates", "effect templates", and "recording/monitoring" templates, and then combining them by several keyboard bindings, or by defining "meta templates".

I hope this gives you some inspiration. I know that you are a one-man-team, and I highly appreciate your work, so no pressure. ;-)

Best regards and keep up the good work!
Joshua

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