Possible to record audio and/or parameter changes (automation) linearly?

[ericzang]

Hi, I'm trying to get a better understanding of Usine. I like a lot how flexible it is. I've watched videos and have started to do some experimenting, but I know it is a very deep program and there is much more to discover. Does it have the ability to record audio and/or parameter changes linearly, like some DAW's do (similar to Ableton's "Arrangement" view)? This might be done in the Grid?

The reason I would like to do this is to be able to record, and especially to edit later, the performance. This would allow the fixing of mistakes. For example, the send to a reverb was too much, or the wrong effect was chosen, the manual movement of a filter frequency was bad, or an off time or bad note (audio) was sent to a looper. If the audio and parameter automation is recorded linearly in something like a track, then these problems could be fixed.

I understand it is already possible to record the audio to disc from any position in the workspace.

If linear recording is not available, I'm wondering about a workaround, perhaps first sending and simultaneously recording the audio and midi into a DAW (Reaper for example) and then pass the audio and midi to Usine (using a helper program that can internally route multichannel audio and midi from one program to another).

Thanks for any ideas!

[SylvainT]

Hello,
Yes, you can record audio in Usine. Open the record panel, drag and drop what you want to record (device in, out, rack ...), clic on rec button to start then reclic to stop.
For any kind of automation, use the grid. It's a very powerfull tool. Drag and drop almost everything you want.
All the best
Sylvain

[ericzang]

Thanks Sylvain. Just so I understand correctly, would those methods you wrote of allow me to playback a for example 30 minute performance and recreate it "live" in Usine, similar to how a DAW plays back raw source audio and automation through effects? Thanks!

[joffo78]

Hi . Unfortunatly i'm afraid has a too much complex architecture to do that .
In the present state at least it seems complicated to me. But I'd love to!

[ericzang]

I found this info in another thread:

Currently, there's no easy way to record automation with MIDI controlers, but you can use a piano roll to record your cc and then drag the small number of the midi file on the grid

I'm on Windows 10 Pro, Presonus Quantum interface (Thunderbolt).
I started to experiment with this workaround idea: To record in Reaper the live audio and midi before it reaches Usine, and at the same time have Reaper send this live audio and midi to Usine. Then I would be able to playback the recordings in Reaper and send that to Usine, simulating a live performance from Usine's perspective. Audio appeared to be successful, but midi was not.

- first I sent my live audio and midi to Reaper tracks in record mode, and used ReaStream vsts to send the live audio and midi out to ReaStream vsts placed in Usine where normally the audio and midi inputs would be. (Maybe also be able to use ReaRoute driver instead of ReaStream, but this doesn't send midi).

- I was eventually successful with sending the audio to Usine. Usine must be launched before Reaper. If Reaper is launched first, Usine cannot use the audio interface (it reports 0 ins and 0 outs for the Quantum). Also, when this happens even after a reboot and without Reaper running, Usine cannot use the Quantum. Using a new install of Usine fixes the problem.

- I could not get my midi keyboard to work in Reaper when Usine is open. I know on Windows a midi device cannot be used by more than one application, but this problem seems different. It was as if Usine claimed the keyboard midi device, but the square box of the keyboard was not selected in Usine's midi device list. Also, as an experiment I tried it by opening Reaper before Usine, so it can "claim" the midi keyboard before Usine, but when Usine was opened, the keyboard stopped working in Reaper.

Any ideas how to workaround this midi issue? Thanks!

[ericzang]

I have a successful test! Usine is the primary audio and midi destination and Reaper received the data via Reastreams. The reverse for playback also worked.

This setup is:
Usine receives the audio and midi devices as normal.
I placed ReaStreams in positions to capture the audio (in a track or probably could at the device). Placed ReaStream to receive from the "From MIDI Device" of my midi keyboard.

In Reaper:
This maybe was not necessary, but just to reduce chance of conflict, before starting Usine, I set Reaper's audio interface to Windows WASAPI. (I suppose this could still be set to the Quantum if there are no conflicts with the Quantum's channels, or maybe this could be Reaper's "Dummy Audio" instead?) Then I closed Reaper, started Usine and then started Reaper.

Placed ReaStreams in tracks and set the tracks to Record Output. Reaper was able to record the ReaStreams from Usine.

The playback arrangement was also successful. Usine's ReaStreams were then set to "Receive" and Reaper's to "Send". The recorded midi notes in Reaper could play a synth in Usine, and knob movement I had mapped to a Usine fader was recorded in Reaper. On playback it again moved Usine's fader. The midi recording was delayed, but in Reaper I aligned the midi recording manually to the audio it was associated with. Audio recording was sent back to Usine no problem.

Maybe I could be using Usine's Share and/or Bridge functions instead of ReaStream? I need to read about them.

I wonder if I might be able to record and playback OSC. I see there are a few programs available. Or maybe a parameter in Usine that is linked to an OSC message can send out its activity, Reaper receives this message which is OSC linked to a simple JS plugin fader. When this fader moves, Reaper can record it as automation. As for recording movements made on a touchscreen object with Usine's Interface Builder (I haven't tried this yet), maybe it would work if the touched object can send out MIDI (or OSC)?

Does anyone know of conditions where this arrangement would not work for some things?

Anyway, this test was encouraging!

[x.iso]

Bridge relies on VST counter part which is not finished yet and not released so far. but yes, it's designed to get audio in/out of Usine as well as midi, but it's the midi portion that didn't work properly, which is why it was postponed. also Bridge allows Usine to latch on another DAW's synchro like VST does.

[ericzang]

Ok, thanks for the update!