Here we go. A nicer implementation

src/avtk/clipselector.cxx

@@ -232,7 +232,41 @@ void ClipSelector::resize(int X, int Y, int W, int H)
 	redraw();
 }
 
+void setRecordBarsCb(Fl_Widget *w, void* data)
+{
+	ClipSelector *track = (ClipSelector*)w;
+	long bars = (long)data;
+	if(bars == -2){
+		const char* answer = fl_input("Enter a custom number: ");
+		bars = atoi(answer);
+	}
 
+	EventLooperBarsToRecord e(track->ID, track->getLastClipNum(), bars);
+	writeToDspRingbuffer( &e );
+}
+
+void setLengthCb(Fl_Widget *w, void* data)
+{
+	ClipSelector *track = (ClipSelector*)w;
+	long beats = (long)data;
+	EventLooperLoopLength e(track->ID, track->getLastClipNum(), beats);
+	writeToDspRingbuffer( &e );
+}
+
+int ClipSelector::findClipNum() {
+	// calculate the clicked clip number
+	int clipHeight = (h / numClips);
+	clipNum = ( (Fl::event_y() ) - y ) / clipHeight;
+	if (clipNum >= numClips)
+		clipNum = numClips -1; // fix for clicking the lowest pixel
+
+	return clipNum;
+}
+
+int ClipSelector::getLastClipNum()
+{
+	return clipNum;
+}
 
 int ClipSelector::handle(int event)
 {
@@ -245,11 +279,7 @@ int ClipSelector::handle(int event)
 	case FL_PUSH:
 		highlight = 1;
 		{
-			// calculate the clicked clip number
+			findClipNum();
-			int clipHeight = (h / numClips);
-			int clipNum = ( (Fl::event_y() ) - y ) / clipHeight;
-			if (clipNum >= numClips)
-				clipNum = numClips -1; // fix for clicking the lowest pixel
 
 			// handle right clicks: popup menu
 			if ( Fl::event_state(FL_BUTTON3) ) {
@@ -269,13 +299,25 @@ int ClipSelector::handle(int event)
 					{ "Save" },
 					{ "Special"},
 					{ "Beats",  0,   0, 0, FL_SUBMENU | FL_MENU_DIVIDER },
-					{"1       "},
+					{"1 ", 0, setLengthCb, (void*)1,0},
-					{"2"},
+					{"2 ", 0, setLengthCb, (void*)2,0},
-					{"4"},
+					{"4 ", 0, setLengthCb, (void*)4,0},
-					{"8"},
+					{"8 ", 0, setLengthCb, (void*)8,0},
-					{"16"},
+					{"16 ", 0, setLengthCb, (void*)16,0},
-					{"32"},
+					{"32 ", 0, setLengthCb, (void*)32,0},
-					{"64"},
+					{"64 ", 0, setLengthCb, (void*)64,0},
+					{0},
+					{ "Bars to record",  0,   0, 0, FL_SUBMENU | FL_MENU_DIVIDER},
+					{"1 ", 0, setRecordBarsCb, (void*)1,0},
+					{"2 ", 0, setRecordBarsCb, (void*)2,0},
+					{"3 ", 0, setRecordBarsCb, (void*)3,0},
+					{"4 ", 0, setRecordBarsCb, (void*)4,0},
+					{"5 ", 0, setRecordBarsCb, (void*)5,0},
+					{"6 ", 0, setRecordBarsCb, (void*)6,0},
+					{"7 ", 0, setRecordBarsCb, (void*)7,0},
+					{"8 ", 0, setRecordBarsCb, (void*)8,0},
+					{"Custom", 0, setRecordBarsCb, (void*)-2,0},
+					{"Endless", 0, setRecordBarsCb, (void*)-1,0},
 					{0},
 					//{ "Record" },
 					{ "Use as tempo" },
@@ -302,27 +344,6 @@ int ClipSelector::handle(int event)
 						free(tmp);
 						gui->selectSaveSample( ID, clipNum );
 					}
-				} else if ( strcmp(m->label(), "1       ") == 0 ) {
-					EventLooperLoopLength e = EventLooperLoopLength(ID, clipNum ,1);
-					writeToDspRingbuffer( &e );
-				} else if ( strcmp(m->label(), "2") == 0 ) {
-					EventLooperLoopLength e = EventLooperLoopLength(ID, clipNum ,2);
-					writeToDspRingbuffer( &e );
-				} else if ( strcmp(m->label(), "4") == 0 ) {
-					EventLooperLoopLength e = EventLooperLoopLength(ID, clipNum ,4);
-					writeToDspRingbuffer( &e );
-				} else if ( strcmp(m->label(), "8") == 0 ) {
-					EventLooperLoopLength e = EventLooperLoopLength(ID, clipNum ,8);
-					writeToDspRingbuffer( &e );
-				} else if ( strcmp(m->label(), "16") == 0 ) {
-					EventLooperLoopLength e = EventLooperLoopLength(ID, clipNum ,16);
-					writeToDspRingbuffer( &e );
-				} else if ( strcmp(m->label(), "32") == 0 ) {
-					EventLooperLoopLength e = EventLooperLoopLength(ID, clipNum ,32);
-					writeToDspRingbuffer( &e );
-				} else if ( strcmp(m->label(), "64") == 0 ) {
-					EventLooperLoopLength e = EventLooperLoopLength(ID, clipNum ,64);
-					writeToDspRingbuffer( &e );
 				} else if ( strcmp(m->label(), "Use as tempo") == 0 ) {
 					EventLooperUseAsTempo e (ID, clipNum);
 					writeToDspRingbuffer( &e );
@@ -338,6 +359,8 @@ int ClipSelector::handle(int event)
 					// for a clip to become 0
 					EventGridState e( ID, clipNum, GridLogic::STATE_EMPTY );
 					writeToDspRingbuffer( &e );
+				} else {
+					 m->do_callback(this, m->user_data());
 				}
 			} else {
 				if ( _master ) {

src/avtk/clipselector.hxx

@@ -104,6 +104,11 @@ public:
 	int handle(int event);
 
 	void resize(int X, int Y, int W, int H);
+	int findClipNum();
+	int getLastClipNum();
+
+private:
+	int clipNum;
 };
 
 } // Avtk

src/event.hxx

@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ enum EVENT_TYPE {
 	GRID_SELECT_CLIP_ENABLE, // enable selecting a clip from the grid
 	GRID_SELECT_CLIP_EVENT, // a press / release on the selected clip
 	GRID_SELECT_NEW_CHOSEN, // a different clip is now "special"
+	EVENT_LOOPER_BARS_TO_RECORD, // choose how many bars to record
 
 	/// Track
 	TRACK_JACKSEND,
@@ -267,6 +268,25 @@ public:
 	EventGridSelectNewChosen(int t = -1, int s = -1):track(t),scene(s) {}
 };
 
+class EventLooperBarsToRecord : public EventBase
+{
+public:
+	int type()
+	{
+		return int(EVENT_LOOPER_BARS_TO_RECORD);
+	}
+	uint32_t size()
+	{
+		return sizeof(EventLooperBarsToRecord);
+	}
+
+	int track;
+	int scene;
+	int bars;
+	EventLooperBarsToRecord(int t = -1, int s = -1, int b = -1) : track(t), scene(s), bars(b) {}
+};
+
+
 class EventQuit : public EventBase
 {
 public:

src/eventhandlerdsp.cxx

@@ -224,7 +224,6 @@ void handleDspEvents()
 				break;
 			}
 
-
 			case Event::LOOPER_LOAD: {
 				if ( availableRead >= sizeof(EventLooperLoad) ) {
 					EventLooperLoad ev;
@@ -266,8 +265,12 @@ void handleDspEvents()
 				}
 				break;
 			}
-
+			case Event::EVENT_LOOPER_BARS_TO_RECORD: {
-
+				EventLooperBarsToRecord ev;
+				jack_ringbuffer_read( rbToDsp, (char*)&ev, sizeof(EventLooperBarsToRecord) );
+				jack->getLogic()->looperBarsToRecord( ev.track, ev.scene, ev.bars );
+				break;
+			}
 			case Event::LOOPER_LOOP_USE_AS_TEMPO: {
 				if ( availableRead >= sizeof(EventLooperUseAsTempo) ) {
 					EventLooperUseAsTempo ev;

src/logic.cxx

@@ -152,6 +152,15 @@ void Logic::looperClipLenght(int t, int s, int l)
 }
 
 
+void Logic::looperBarsToRecord(int t, int s, int b)
+{
+	if ( t >= 0 && t < NTRACKS ) {
+		jack->getLooper( t )->getClip( s )->setBarsToRecord(b);
+	} else {
+		LUPPP_WARN("invalid track number %i: check controller map has \"track\" field.", t );
+	}
+}
+
 void Logic::looperUseAsTempo(int t, int s)
 {
 	size_t clipBeats  = jack->getLooper( t )->getClip( s )->getBeats();

src/logic.hxx

@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ public:
 	void trackJackSend(int t, float vol);
 	void looperUseAsTempo(int track, int scene);
 	void looperClipLenght(int track, int scene, int lenght);
+	void looperBarsToRecord(int track, int scene, int bars);
 };
 
 #endif // LUPPP_LOGIC_H

src/looper.cxx

@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ void Looper::process(unsigned int nframes, Buffers* buffers)
 		// handle state of clip, and do what needs doing:
 		// record into buffer, play from buffer, etc
 		if ( clips[clip]->recording() ) {
-            if(clips[clip]->getWantedBeats() > 0 && clips[clip]->getBeats() >= clips[clip]->getWantedBeats() - 4)
+			if(clips[clip]->getBeatsToRecord() > 0 && clips[clip]->getBeats() >= clips[clip]->getBeatsToRecord() - 4)
                 clips[clip]->queuePlay(true);
 
 			if ( clips[clip]->recordSpaceAvailable() <  LOOPER_SAMPLES_BEFORE_REQUEST &&

src/looperclip.cxx

@@ -60,8 +60,6 @@ void LooperClip::init()
 
 	_playhead   = 0;
 	_recordhead = 0;
-
-
 }
 
 void LooperClip::save()
@@ -188,16 +186,20 @@ void LooperClip::setPlayHead(float ph)
     }
 }
 
-void LooperClip::setWantedBeats(int beats)
+void LooperClip::setBarsToRecord(int bars)
 {
-    _wantedBeats = beats;
+	_wantedBeats = bars * 4; // we set bars
 }
 
-int LooperClip::getWantedBeats()
+int LooperClip::getBeatsToRecord()
 {
 	return _wantedBeats;
 }
 
+int LooperClip::getBarsToRecord(){
+	return _wantedBeats / 4;
+}
+
 void LooperClip::record(int count, float* L, float* R)
 {
     // write "count" samples into current buffer.
@@ -249,11 +251,7 @@ size_t LooperClip::audioBufferSize()
 void LooperClip::setBeats(int beats)
 {
 	if ( _buffer ) {
-        if(_buffer->getBeats() == 0)
-            setWantedBeats( beats );
 		_buffer->setBeats( beats );
-    } else {
-        setWantedBeats( beats );
 	}
 }
 

src/looperclip.hxx

@@ -116,9 +116,9 @@ public:
 	///reset the play head to zero. Does nothing when recording
 	void setPlayHead(float ph);
 
-    void setWantedBeats(int beats);
+	void setBarsToRecord(int bars);
-
+	int getBeatsToRecord();
-    int getWantedBeats();
+	int getBarsToRecord();
 
 #ifdef BUILD_TESTS
 	// used only in test cases