Announcing Playtime, a Session View for REAPER

[FOLKDISCO]

Originally Posted by dinoc

Is it possible to add more scenes? or is the absolute max 8?
Thanks

Don't worry!
You can right click and insert groups right or left.
You can right click and insert scenes above or below.
Can't see a "duplicate scene" option, which is a bit of a pity.
Don't know what the absolute maximums are here, but I suspect it's way beyond what would be downright silly.
Just made a 31 group x 43 scenes grid, 1333 clips on screen, and yeah, it's getting beyond silly!

[dinoc]

Originally Posted by FOLKDISCO

Don't worry!
You can right click and insert groups right or left.
You can right click and insert scenes above or below.
Can't see a "duplicate scene" option, which is a bit of a pity.
Don't know what the absolute maximums are here, but I suspect it's way beyond what would be downright silly.
Just made a 31 group x 43 scenes grid, 1333 clips on screen, and yeah, it's getting beyond silly!

Thanks a Mill Folkdisco! I was clicking on the wrong place apparently!
Nice, I just added a bunch of ezdrummer midi loops to easily choose from, as well asrecorded a bunch of short audio loops.
This rules for this addon Helgoboss!

[dinoc]

Just wanted to share that since the launchpad control surface is compatible with Playtime, so is the app "Launch Buttons" which emulates the launchpad surface in a smartphone. https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...launchbuttonsF
I've tested it on android only and works pretty darn well.
Cheers
Gevi

[talustalus]

Originally Posted by helgoboss

Dear REAPER users,

for those of you who want a Session View à la Ableton Live in REAPER: Now there is one. It's called Playtime. Technically, it's a VST instrument that makes heavy use of REAPER's awesome extension API.

Playtime is available here. Please check it out and let me know what you think. Would appreciate any feedback

Cheers
Ben

Is there anyway to tell Playtime to start somewhere other than the project end? I have sidechain ghost items set up for a project length, so playtime always starts printing after these, which is undesired...

[hits_of_sunshine]

Then you can add a track and trigger the sidechain looped clip before praying other clips.

[talustalus]

Originally Posted by hits_of_sunshine

Then you can add a track and trigger the sidechain looped clip before praying other clips.

That's a great idea. I'm going to go work that out now.

[talustalus]

Originally Posted by helgoboss

Dear REAPER users,

for those of you who want a Session View à la Ableton Live in REAPER: Now there is one. It's called Playtime. Technically, it's a VST instrument that makes heavy use of REAPER's awesome extension API.

Playtime is available here. Please check it out and let me know what you think. Would appreciate any feedback

Cheers
Ben

I'm really enjoying Playtime. It is genius!

However, it only starts playing/writing one measure after the project end. Then each subsequent writing or playing pass it will again skip one measure instead of picking up from the actual project end. Is there a setting that is conflicting this?

[jprykiel]

Hi Ben.
I know you were already contacted by some blind users using Reaper with screen readers on Mac or PC.
Like others, I would gladly buy playtime if it was accessible. Unfortunately, I don't have enough skills in computer science to tell you what to do, but I hope you're working on it.
Please keep me posted.,
Cheers.

[Ozman]

Originally Posted by talustalus

I'm really enjoying Playtime. It is genius!

However, it only starts playing/writing one measure after the project end. Then each subsequent writing or playing pass it will again skip one measure instead of picking up from the actual project end. Is there a setting that is conflicting this?

I believe there is a setting that allows to not jump to the end of the project. It allows you to play along with the arrangement.

[talustalus]

Originally Posted by Ozman

I believe there is a setting that allows to not jump to the end of the project. It allows you to play along with the arrangement.

Hi, thanks yes I believe I know about that setting. But I DO want it to go to the end of the project. The thing I don't understand is why it skips a gap of one measure before jumping to the "end" - which is one measure later than where the last item edge ends.

[David Carlyon]

As soon as the mac version is here, i will buy immediately.
Does Jurgen Moss know about this? Sure he could work some magic Push2 integration!! So exciting.

[talustalus]

Originally Posted by David Carlyon

As soon as the mac version is here, i will buy immediately.
Does Jurgen Moss know about this? Sure he could work some magic Push2 integration!! So exciting.

Mac version already exists. I'm on mac.

[TVbene]

Hey, I'm building my own jamming room with reaper where Playtime is used for the possibility to do live looping and I really love this plugin!

I included several midi instruments and it used to work like a charm, but I changed my setup so that I have a dedicated track for each (hardware) midi instrument. The midi is then sent to the tracks with the vst instruments, these are the tracks that I assigned to the group slots in Playtime. This way I can easily send multiple midi instruments to the same tracks on different midi channels. This helps me to stay within the 8 track limit of my launchpad, among other things.

But Playtime doesn't seem to see the midi input. When I record via Playtime nothing happens on these midi tracks. When I use the reaper record button the midi gets recorded, though.
Any idea why this happens and how I could solve it? I attached my project, maybe someone finds the time to check it. I would be very grateful!

[_jon]

Originally Posted by TVbene

Any idea why this happens and how I could solve it? I attached my project, maybe someone finds the time to check it. I would be very grateful!

Instead of Input: None on those tracks, try switching it to Input: MIDI on some device that isn't going to get in the way. For some reason that seems to allow Playtime MIDI looping to kick in.

[TVbene]

Originally Posted by _jon

Instead of Input: None on those tracks, try switching it to Input: MIDI on some device that isn't going to get in the way. For some reason that seems to allow Playtime MIDI looping to kick in.

Thanks a lot! I had to combine that with record input force MIDI, but now it does work.

[David Carlyon]

Is anyone using this with Push 2? I only just took it off the desk to clear some space...but i miss it already.

[FOLKDISCO]

Ben, or anyone else!
The Playtime template and all examples show Playtime on track 1, with all the other tracks below.
It always seems quirky to me setting group 1 to track 2, group 2 to track 3 etc.
Now I am making Playtime controller tools with mutes etc, and again midi channel 1 refers to track 2, midi channel 2 refers to track 3, etc, etc!
Is there any good reason for playtime sitting on track 1?
Timing?
Anything else?
If there's a good reason for it being on track 1, I'll just have to get used to it!
If not, I'll probably put Playtime at the bottom.
Cheers!

[ThrashJazzAssassin]

Originally Posted by FOLKDISCO

Is there any good reason for playtime sitting on track 1?

No. Put it where you want

[FOLKDISCO]

Cheers ThrashJazzAssassin!
Playtime is already down there!

[Earthwalkersmusic]

Hello!
I am using playtime with the APC key 25. It works wel for triggering the clips, but all other functionality of the controller is null. I really would like to use the shift button and the record arm, solo, mute, select, and clip stop funtions as well as the device macro controls which with the shift can select volume, pan, sends, and the device macros. Is there any way to implement these functions? Maybe a script or is the default controller settings still in development to contain those features. As of now, the shift button and clip stop buttons just play notes like from the keyboard. Thank you for your time and consideration fellow playtimers!

[inarisound]

Originally Posted by helgoboss

Dear REAPER users,

for those of you who want a Session View à la Ableton Live in REAPER: Now there is one. It's called Playtime. Technically, it's a VST instrument that makes heavy use of REAPER's awesome extension API.

Playtime is available here. Please check it out and let me know what you think. Would appreciate any feedback

Cheers
Ben

Hello, I have a question... after I recorded a clip I have extra measure at the beginning that I want to cut, unfortunately in the Midi Editor it's impossible to achieve...


Is it possible to change midi clip size (select regions) after the clip was recorded?

[FOLKDISCO]

Originally Posted by inarisound

Hello, I have a question... after I recorded a clip I have extra measure at the beginning that I want to cut, unfortunately in the Midi Editor it's impossible to achieve...

Is it possible to change midi clip size (select regions) after the clip was recorded?

I think if you double click on the clip, you go through to the piano editor and you can drag around the end point left and right, changing the length.
Not so sure about playing with the start position like this.
Also, right click on a clip in playtime and you can set its start position and length in the dropdown.
Have fun!

[Stew]

Hi

I've a question about assigning tracks to groups.

I've split a guitar jam, all from one track (say 'Track X'), into a bunch of short loops (a couple of dozen of them).

Assigned the clips to Playtime (which is on Track Y) - so it runs across say Groups 1-3.

When I jam with Playtime, they all play on Track X. When I write with Playtime, I get a really messy track with multiple items overlapping.

If I assign Group 1 to Track A, group 2 to track B, group 3 to track C, I'd hope it would write to those tracks, but it doesn't.

Is there a way to set this up properly within Playtime?

And/or, can I now split the items across new or existing tracks?

Cheers

Stew

[ThrashJazzAssassin]

Originally Posted by Stew

Hi

I've a question about assigning tracks to groups.

I've split a guitar jam, all from one track (say 'Track X'), into a bunch of short loops (a couple of dozen of them).

Assigned the clips to Playtime (which is on Track Y) - so it runs across say Groups 1-3.

When I jam with Playtime, they all play on Track X. When I write with Playtime, I get a really messy track with multiple items overlapping.

If I assign Group 1 to Track A, group 2 to track B, group 3 to track C, I'd hope it would write to those tracks, but it doesn't.

Is there a way to set this up properly within Playtime?

And/or, can I now split the items across new or existing tracks?

Cheers

Stew

When you click on a clip it tells you what track it's on, which is the track it will always play in, regardless of what group it is assigned to.

The latest pre of Playtime (v1.15.0-pre1) has an option in Settings - Move items between tracks - which should help with this

[Stew]

Originally Posted by ThrashJazzAssassin

The latest pre of Playtime (v1.15.0-pre1) has an option in Settings - Move items between tracks - which should help with this

Ah, that sounds useful, cheers!

In the end I just manually shifted the written clips, but it'd be good not to have to do that.

I guess it relies on where the clips originate then? ie, if they are all sitting on Track X, that's where they'll play back.

[Ampa]

I am trying to use InputFX such as JS: Pitch Shift 2 and JS: Delay (Floaty) with Playtime, but I am unclear as to best practice.

I'd like to end up with an InputFX chain that can behave rather like the input effects on a hardware looper such as the Boss RC-505. These could then be toggled on and off at will to create a wide array of different effects for live vocal looping.

Do the FX have to go into the InputFX slot for each track (1-8)?

This seems messy as I end up with 8 copies of each effect.

Can I somehow put all the InputFX into their own track, which is then routed as the input path for all other tracks?

[_jon]

Originally Posted by Ampa

I am trying to use InputFX such as JS: Pitch Shift 2 and JS: Delay (Floaty) with Playtime, but I am unclear as to best practice.

I'd like to end up with an InputFX chain that can behave rather like the input effects on a hardware looper such as the Boss RC-505. These could then be toggled on and off at will to create a wide array of different effects for live vocal looping.

Do the FX have to go into the InputFX slot for each track (1-8)?

This seems messy as I end up with 8 copies of each effect.

Can I somehow put all the InputFX into their own track, which is then routed as the input path for all other tracks?

You can just set up a single Input track with all your FX on that, and then have 8 tracks (or however many you want) that receive audio from the Input track post-FX. You set this up using the routing icon/dialog. Use these tracks for Playtime recording and playback but don’t monitor them, just monitor from the Input track.

[Ampa]

@_jon Thanks for the help.

I have tried as you suggested, but can't get things working quite the way I'd like.

When I record natively in REAPER the Mic (Input 1) is routed through track InputFX, and sent to Tracks 01 & 02 which will record with the FX applied.

But when I record via Playtime the clips are not created on Tracks 01 & 02, but always on the Track Playtime.

What have I done wrong?

Found the following in the Playtime help…

Record: output Record: audio (stereo)" as track input is also possible. In this case, the item will end up on the Playtime track, not on the track on which it was originally recorded. The reason is simple: If it would stay on the original track,
playing the clip and recording a new clip on the same track at the same time would cause the first clip to be recorded again ... which is probably not what you want.

Sadly in this case I think it is what I want!

.rpp file attached.

[_jon]

Originally Posted by Ampa

@_jon Thanks for the help.

I have tried as you suggested, but can't get things working quite the way I'd like.

When I record natively in REAPER the Mic (Input 1) is routed through track InputFX, and sent to Tracks 01 & 02 which will record with the FX applied.

But when I record via Playtime the clips are not created on Tracks 01 & 02, but always on the Track Playtime.

What have I done wrong?

Found the following in the Playtime help…


Sadly in this case I think it is what I want!

.rpp file attached.

I only see one track with a bunch of FX on it in this file. I'm not seeing any other tracks.

[Ampa]

Originally Posted by _jon

I only see one track with a bunch of FX on it in this file. I'm not seeing any other tracks.

Oops! Sorry - I am not sure what happened there.

However, I don't think I need anyone to look at the file since…

1. The behavior I am seeing is as described in the documentation. However it is not the behavior I want!

2. I believe that there is already a request to allow the behavior that I want (https://bitbucket.org/helgoboss/play...me-track-audio), so I should probably contribute to that thread and approach Helgoboss directly.

3. I have found a workaround by using the Loopback feature of ReaRoute to send audio from one track in Reaper (where I can apply input FX) to the input of an other track. This allows Playtime to record input audio + FX to separate tracks, rather than dumping it all on the Playtime track.

The downside to the workaround is that it introduces additional / unnecessary latency.

Thanks for your help

[_jon]

Originally Posted by Ampa

Oops! Sorry - I am not sure what happened there.

However, I don't think I need anyone to look at the file since…

1. The behavior I am seeing is as described in the documentation. However it is not the behavior I want!

2. I believe that there is already a request to allow the behavior that I want (https://bitbucket.org/helgoboss/play...me-track-audio), so I should probably contribute to that thread and approach Helgoboss directly.

3. I have found a workaround by using the Loopback feature of ReaRoute to send audio from one track in Reaper (where I can apply input FX) to the input of an other track. This allows Playtime to record input audio + FX to separate tracks, rather than dumping it all on the Playtime track.

The downside to the workaround is that it introduces additional / unnecessary latency.

Thanks for your help

Cool solution, no problem. RME interfaces also have a built-in hardware loopback feature in TotalMix which may give you less latency.

[TVbene]

Does anybody use something like the clear and delete item functionality with a MIDI controler? I could really use this and I have seen the corresponding entries in the parameter list. Or is there a way to trigger such an event with actions? I`m thinking about the CSI project (https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=183143) and then I could use my launchpad with a modifier key in order to delete the items via the grid buttons.

[Ampa]

@TVbene Yes.

I have linked the parameter Clear and Delete to a pad on my midi controller.

Click the track automation button on your Playtime track, and then Learn the midi input that you want for the Clear & Delete parameter.

It requires that the correct slot is selected before hitting the button (which I do with the keyboard cursor keys).

Most often I use it to delete the take I just recorded (because I made a mistake).

[Juljan]

Hi there,
I suppose it is just my fault as a kind of new user to REAPER and Playtime but I have to face the following problem: When I import a song into TCP from the Media Explorer, I get a playrate of 1. Loading the song directly into Playtime changes the playrate instead. How can I change the behaviour so that it reacts the same as importing into TCP?
Thanks in advance!

[mehmethan]

It has been a quiet long time since Helgoboss replied at this thread (agu 2018). I hope he is ok and the playtime project is not dead.

[zvukofor]

Does anybody has the same problem? —

I wanted to try some live guitar looping, but even using default Playtime project, clean install of Reaper, i'm still getting small dropouts when recording. No audio plugins are used.
Tried to set audio buffer bigger (4x) - no glitches/dropouts, but cannot record anything live, obviously.

But the same Reaper settings work fine for "pure" recording on 8 tracks simultaneously with no dropouts ever. No problems with Super8 looper too.

Tried 1.14 and 1.15 version of Playtime.
I'm on macOS 10.13, old i7 laptop, SSD disk.
RME Babyface, 128 buffer size.

[NickScottProducer]

will it work with ableton push 2?

[thirstyear]

Wow, long time since last post on this thread... So, i am having an odd problem with Playtime. Reaper 5.977, very solid Windoze box, yada yada. Been using Reaper for many moons and have never seen anything like this, i suspect something with Playtime rather than Reaper. After setting up a Playtime layout, assigning clips to slots and assigning triggers to slots (in this case from a LaunchPad Pro in Live mode, which seems to be all Playtime responds to), saving the preset, saving a VST bank file, etc etc, and then reloading at some later time the project, most pad/trigger assignments are gone. typically, Playtime will remember a few, but only a fraction of the trigger assignments. I have tried everything i can think of in regards to combinations of what is 'saved', what order it is saved in, etc, and no joy. i'm about ready to start running Live in parallel with Reaper, but other than the clip launch stuff i truly and thoroughly dislike Live and would prefer not to have to resort to using it for clip launch stuff. Anybody got any clues/hints? Anybody experienced this behavior? oh - running current version of Playtime...

[brummbear]

Typically, you would use Launchpad Pro in PRG mode with Playtime, not LIVE mode. And you would use MIDI port "MIDIIN2 (Launchpad Pro)", not the port "Launchpad Pro".

This setup works flawlessly since years here, both with DIY configuration files as well as the built in Launchpad Pro config. Check out Playtime's manual...

[toxizz]

Originally Posted by mehmethan

It has been a quiet long time since Helgoboss replied at this thread (agu 2018). I hope he is ok and the playtime project is not dead.

Same here ... Wondering why Reaper Dev's are not picking the ball up on this matther.
Implemeting a session view within reaper are supporting Helgo for further developpement would be a MUST imo.