ideas to control Ableton's Browser via MidiRemoteScripts

[raphaelquast]

📁 QBrowser

• implemented in Beatstep_Q > v1.8 ! 🥳

[Zedrock]

Hello,
I wanted to thank you for your hard work which transformed my little beatstep into a very complete controller for Ableton.

All it needs to be complete could be the Ableton Browser navigation ... and above all the possibility of selecting an item (*.agv, *.adv, etc) in this famous browser.

I saw that you had thought of implementing this navigation with a function : def _toggle_browse in QControlComponent.py.

I imagine that, like many others, you must have realized that the selection of an object in this menu was - obscure - , maybe not possible as a - no way.
It seems that the lack of a kind of mapping for the ENTER/RETURN key has a lot to do with it.

After much trial and error, I finally found a way around this.

• We can't use real python libraries directly from Ableton MIDI Remote Scripts folder BUT we can call an external executable from the MIDI Remote Scripts.

I will try to explain how you could do it :

• With Python27 installed

• Install keyboard package under python27

• Install auto-py-to-exe package to make our send_enter_key.py as send_enter_key.exe

• Make a simple python script send_enter_key.py as follow :
  #!/usr/bin/env python
#coding=utf-8
from __future__ import with_statement
import keyboard
#Press ENTER
keyboard.send("enter")

• This script send the ENTER keystroke to the current windows application.

• Then, execute auto-py-to-exe

• Once done, just copy the ouput folder named send_enter_key (with send_enter_key.exe and all needed dependencies in)
  to C:\ProgramData\Ableton\Live 10 Suite\Resources\MIDI Remote Scripts\Beatstep_Q

Now, from QControlComponent.py, you can make a call to send_enter_key.exe as you need with :

import subprocess
subprocess.Popen([C:\ProgramData\Ableton\Live 10 Suite\Resources\MIDI Remote Scripts\Beatstep_Q\send_enter_key\send_enter_key.exe])

It works with Ableton LIVE 10, under Windows 7 (64b).

Maybe this could help you to ending the Browser control part.

Best regards

Zed'

• Sorry for my english, this is not my native speaking.

[raphaelquast]

hey, good news 🥳
I was able to fix the unicode-symbol issue with python2... now the QBrowser feature is fully compatible with Ableton 10!

[Zedrock]

Hi,

And it works fine! Well done!
Formating the status bar text as you did is just so smart!

By now, I have not any special comment on the functionnalities or button-assignement. After a short time to learn, understand and pratice it then QBrowser does the essential tasks I need!

I am still very impressed by the way you gave the beatstep so many features with only 3 main buttons and the shift one!!!
We can even imagine adding more functions in the future by playing on the 16 buttons and their pressure time ^^

Now, for my common use, BeatStep Q is not so far from being mainly (and much more) completed! ;)

Some minor remarks :

• With Beatstep Q, by now, I'm used to navigate through scenes and tracks with the encoders 8 and 16. Is this meaning that buttons 8 and 16 could be assigned to other functions, instead tracks or scenes navigation, if needed, later ?

• Is there any reason why you have not added Max For Live, Plug-ins and Clips folders in QBrowser ?

Ho! A last thing :

• Do you think remote script could be able to add a missing beatstep function : patterns chain ?

Best regards

Zed'

[raphaelquast]

Hey,
Thanks! It was (is) a lot of work but it gave my dusty beatstep a completely new life.
At one stage I simply wanted to try how much I can get out of this little controller 😄

In theory there is no limit to the functionality of the script... but I think with the browser-feature it kind
of reached it's complexity limit (I guess more layers would no longer be user-friendly...)
Also I aggree that with the addition of the QBrowser, the toolset is more or less complete...

After trying (e.g. failing... ) several different approaces with "enter-button" functionalities and hacky ways to obtain
the currently selected item in the browser, the info-bar seemed the only possible way to have something that is
usable without requiring a complicated setup.
First I wasn't sure if the usability would be good enough (after all it's just a single line of text)
but now I'm really happy how it turned out!

• concerning buttons 8 & 16:
  yep, they could be mapped to do other things... however, I do like having a button to navigate
  through clips and tracks since the encoders are sometimes a bit jumpy...
  however, If there's a good reason (e.g. a nice feature-idea), they might be re-assigned in the future.

• I've added "Max For Live", "Plug-ins" and "Clips" folders now!
  ...they are not accessible via the quick-select (buttons 1-7) but they appear in the top-folder-level and
  can be browsed just as any other folder.

I don't understand what you mean by your "last thing"... could you clarify what you mean by "patterns chain" ?

[Zedrock]

Sure,

When I'm playing my pattern 1, the beatstep is playing and loop on the pattern 1.
Do you think if it could be possible, with python script, to make it play pattern 2 once the pattern 1 is played. A kind of chain between pattern 1 and 2 (without needed to press recall pattern 2 to switch from pattern 1 to pattern 2).
And so on if I want to play pattern 1 then 2 then 3 then etc...
If this function already exist on beatstep, I never found it, however this is a common one on many sequencer.

I hope it's more clear.

Zed'

[raphaelquast]

Hey, it's built into Ableton, but unfortunately it is not accessible via MidiRemoteScripts.
-> follow actions

You simply need to activate it once on a clip and then you can copy the clip and they will trigger each other.

[raphaelquast]

Hey, I'll be marking this discussion as "answered" since the Browser has come to reality already 🥳