I wrote a simple autohotkey script which does the following in the session view:
1 Press F5: duplicate selected midi clip + play/record.
Example: Insert a clip in a drum rack track. Arm the track and press session recording. Play the kick and snare part.
Now press F5. The kick-snare clip gets copied to next empty slot in column and starts recording so you can add hihats.
Press F5 and the clip with kick, snare and hihats gets copied to next slot ready to add toms on the fly.

2. When something goes wrong, press F6 which will delete the current clip, copy and play the last clip in column. Press session recording again and you're back in the game. I strongly suggest you to make a session recording shortkey and save it as a template.

It is an .exe program that runs in the background so you need to run it before using its functions and close it when you're finished. I could make it run and close with Ableton if you're interested.

The only way this script works properly is to make sure that the midi clip is selected before hitting the shortkeys. You don't have to select every newly created clip, only the first one. However, sometimes, rarely, Live shifts focus on piano roll for no apparent reason. In that case the script will perform a "duplicate loop" function but it will not expand the loop brace. The extra notes won't be played. Select the working clip again, problem gone.

This script is nothing more than automated key presses you do in Live summoned in two PC keyboard keys.

Download link
https://app.box.com/s/kgcegzx5cgarzl0bokh2go1sdtwc6v61

 

Last edited: Nov 8, 2020