How do I set Quantize in scripting?

alexs1

Some of my old .mos scripts have lines like, "set quantize = off" or "set quantize = loop" before and after certain functions, but they don't seem to have any effect in build 41.

I tried writing an .msl script with statements like 'quantize == "off"', and that compiles successfully but also still doesn't change the setting when triggered. Until documentation comes out, does anyone know the correct syntax for scripting quantize changes?

edm11

alexs1 Have you tried just quantize off and quantize loop ?
I haven't done any msl scripting myself, but the documentation had an example like that in the Defining Sessions section:
https://mobiuslooper.com/docs/mcl/

alexs1

edm11

No, it gives me an "unresolved symbol" compilation error when I try it. I think the example you linked is for MCL, which I'm guessing has different syntax rules than MSL.

jeff

The = character is problematic in computer languages because it can mean two different things: 1) compare two values or 2) assign a value to a variable. Almost all traditional languages use a single = to mean assignment and double equal == to mean comparison. MSL is more like a traditional language so it uses this convention.

To change the value of a parameter you use single equal:

     quantize = "off"

To compare the value of a parameter to something use double equal:

   if quantize == "off"

MOS didn't need this because it had the set statement which didn't require an =. MSL doesn't have set but I may add that back since older users are familiar with it.

The next difference between MOS and MSL is the need to put quotes around "off". In MSL any word that isn't surrounded by quotes is a symbol. There are a few types of symbols, but the most common is a reference to a variable. When the interpreter sees a symbol, it looks to see if one with that name is defined and substitutes the value of that variable in the expression containing the symbol. So quantize is a symbol that will have one of the values off, subcycle, cycle, etc. If you were to write this:

    if quantize == off

What the interpreter does is first look up the value for the symbol named quantize and then look up the value for the symbol named off and compare the two values. The problem is there is no symbol named off. When you test the value of the quantize parameter, you need to use what languages call a literal string. These are one or more words surrounded by quotes. When the interpreter sees a word surrounded by quotes it knows that this isn't a reference to the value of a symbol, it's just a string of characters.

In most of the examples I post here, you will also see this syntax:

   if quantize == :off

When a word is preceeded by a colon, it means this is a keyword symbol. Keyword symbols are special symbols whose value is just the name of the symbol, in this case "off". There is no difference between the expressions quantize == "off" and quantoze == :off but I usually use the second style because it only requires one extra colon character rather than two surrounding quote characters.

I'm sure this sounds strange, but it's fairly common in computer languages for reasons I won't bore everyone with. Although this is common, I'm not entirely happy with it, because it's often a source of confusion for non-programmers.

alexs1

jeff

Thanks for the explanation! One equals did the trick.

Is there something similar with how message statements work in MSL? I'm not sure if those would act more like a comparison/variable assignment or symbol/string, scripting-wise.

reaLTime

Hello,

I am asking for help here, as I continue to miss something.
The default quantization of my session is "Leader Loop". To my understanding this automatically relies on the behaviour that whichever loop gets recorded first, becomes the Leader Loop. That's how it actually works in my setup.
Trying to NOT use overlays, I now try to write a script that let's me record something any time (start and end are unquantized), e.g. without waiting for the loop point of the Leader Loop and stopping whenever I press record again.

Following this post and the info given herein I have arrived here - this script works on the "quantized" side of my setup
(Only difference: quantize = "off" is replaced by "wait loop" - and does what it is supposed to do: record and send Midi Signals to my Softstep.)
For me, the line
quantize = "off"
doesn't seem to have any effect... when I press record, the script waits for the loop point of the Leader Loop - I would expect it to start recording immediately....
Thanks for any ideas!

#name Unquantized Record And Signal for1

#focused

#sustain 500

if mode == :Reset mode == : Play mode == :Multiply || isOverdub {
quantize = "off"
Record
MidiOut(:control 0 20 02)
MidiOut(:control 0 21 00)
MidiOut(:control 0 22 00)
MidiOut(:control 0 110 00)
}
else {
Play
MidiOut(:control 0 110 01)
MidiOut(:control 0 20 00)
}

function OnSustain {
Reset
MidiOut(:control 0 20 00)
MidiOut(:control 0 21 00)
MidiOut(:control 0 22 00)
MidiOut(:control 0 23 00)
MidiOut(:control 0 25 00)
MidiOut(:control 0 110 00)
MidiOut(:control 0 111 00)
MidiOut(:control 0 112 00)
MidiOut(:control 0 113 00)
}

alexs1

reaLTime

Hey!

You'll have to test this yourself, but I would try two things first:

1) Delete quantize = "off" and edit the next line so that it's Record(quantize=:off). This makes it so the quantize=:off part only applies for that specific function while the script is running, rather than setting the entire track quantization settings.

if that doesn't work, try

2) Moving quantize = "off" to before the first curly brace, so it looks like quantize = "off" if mode == :Reset mode == : Play mode == :Multiply || isOverdub {

Let me know if that helps!

reaLTime

alexs1

Good evening!
thanks a million. I have actually tried your second suggestion, which did not work for me - but tomorrow I will try
Record(quantize=:off)
which I didn't even think of until now.

I will be back with the results.

reaLTime

Hi
I have now tried your first suggestion, and wrote
Record(quantize=:off)
as you have suggested.
Unfortunately, the problem stays the same.

I had already tried moving
quantize = "off"
before the first curly brace - but also that didn't give me the result I am looking for, as I already mentioned.

Now I am out of ideas what else I could try. Don't know why it dosn't work.

I have experimented with using the binding menu for the unquantized record function,
Jeff had suggested that in a post.
I chose
Sync Record Unit = None
and
Flex Record Start = Immediate
and it worked perfectly.

I noticed, that choosing these settings in the Binding menu while creating the Midi binding does write the following arguments in the respective line in the Binding Window:
recordUnit none
recordStart immediate

Out of sheer curiosity, I have written (added) the same arguments myself into the argument window while creating the Midi Binding for my script.
Unfortunately, that doesn't work either.

The thing is that I need a script to start recording, or all other events for that matter, because I put Midi Messages in the scripts that are sent to my foot pedal, for orientation, as I do not have the possibility to look at the computer while playing with Mobius.

So, I think the solution is to have two Midi Messages go out from one and the same trigger - one that triggers the record function created via the Binding Menu, using the available options
recordUnit none
recordStart immediate
and the second Midi Message triggers a script with something like
if mode == :Record
MidiOut(:control 0 xx xx)
etc.

It still leaves me a bit unrestful - for I don't understand why quantize = :off is not happening....

thank you very much for your ideas and input! Much appreciated!

alexs1

reaLTime

Shoot, weird that isn’t working. Record(quantize=:off) should work outside of your script by itself, though.

So if it’s purely not working only in your script, that leads me to believe the error is somewhere in the logic/syntax, rather than in settings/configuration. I’d test some more with the placement of Record in the script and see if there is an optimal spot. Otherwise, I’m really not sure 🤷‍♂️