Jeff Jacobs
Description:
Add Actions that automatically target the next available empty clip slot (either audio or MIDI) so users can record or insert content without manually selecting an empty clip each time. This enables fast, repeatable workflows for building takes, layers, or sequences across a grid.
Problem:
In many looping and sequencing workflows, users repeatedly record new material into successive empty slots:
  • Recording multiple takes (Take 1, Take 2, Take 3…).
  • Building variations across a row/column.
  • Quickly capturing ideas without touching the screen to locate an empty clip.
Today, users typically must manually select an empty clip slot before recording or creating a MIDI clip. That adds friction and increases the chance of mistakes (recording over an existing clip, selecting the wrong target) during performance.
Proposed Solution:
1) New targeting Actions
Provide actions such as:
  • Select Next Empty Audio Clip
  • Select Next Empty MIDI Clip
  • Select Next Empty Clip (any type)
Optional variants:
  • Select Previous Empty Audio/MIDI Clip
  • Select Next Empty Clip in Row/Column/Play Group (scope selection)
2) Combined record/create actions (optional but powerful)
  • "Record to Next Empty Audio Clip" (one action: find next empty + arm/record).
  • "Create MIDI Clip in Next Empty Slot" (find next empty + create).
3) Scope rules
Allow the user to define the search scope:
  • Current page only
  • Current track/channel only
  • Current row/column
  • Current play group/clip stack
  • Whole project
Define search order:
  • Left-to-right, top-to-bottom (or user configurable)
  • Wrap-around behavior (stop at end vs wrap to first)
4) Safety behaviors
  • If no empty clip exists in scope:
- do nothing, or
- optionally create a new row/clip slot (if the app supports it), or
- show a clear notification ("No empty audio clip found in scope").
  • Never overwrite existing clips unless explicitly requested.
Benefits:
  • Faster capture and take-building workflows with fewer taps.
  • Reduced risk of recording over the wrong clip.
  • Makes foot-controller-driven recording more practical (hands-free).
  • Improves creative flow: quickly capture ideas across multiple empty slots.
Examples:
  • Take capture:
- Footswitch triggers "Record to Next Empty Audio Clip" repeatedly to record multiple takes in adjacent slots.
  • MIDI idea grid:
- Button triggers "Create MIDI Clip in Next Empty MIDI Clip" to populate a sequencer grid quickly.
  • Variations row:
- Scope set to current row; each press selects the next empty slot so the user builds variations left-to-right.
This summary was automatically generated by GPT-5.2 Thinking on 2026-01-09
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Original Post:
Target next empty audio clip / next MIDI clip
As is, there’s only the option to target the next empty clip, but it would be nice to be able to target specifically only the next empty AUDIO clip.