Octop4d - Novation Launchpad & M4L

Discuss music production with Ableton Live.
Post Reply
S4racen
Posts: 5821
Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2007 4:08 pm
Location: Dunstable
Contact:

Octop4d - Novation Launchpad & M4L

Post by S4racen » Thu Dec 30, 2010 8:15 pm

Hi All,

I've been working for the last few months on a device that would turn my Novation Launchpad into a true partner for my APC40.

http://vimeo.com/18762683

My aim for this device was to create 8 scenes of functionality accessable through User 2 Mode...

Each scene is mulitlayered with the use of the Scene Launch Buttons and Bank Select Buttons...

Shuffl3r - A fully controllable alternative to Max4Lives Buffer Shuffler allowing you to arrange audio on the fly, reverse or mute slices in 1/8ths...

Eff3cts - Think of a beat repeat that can do quantized repeats at 64ths, 32nds, 16ths, 8ths, 1/4rs and half bars, now think of being able to trigger it at any eighth of the last bar so you can catch the snare, the kick etc. Add to the scen a set of tempo synced Gater's / Filters and Bit Crush effects. And finally 4 different speed Turnatable Stops and Reverses...

Loop3r - With control of the 8 tracks in the clip launch rectangle of either the Launchpad or an Akai APC40 you can get visual indication of clips that are playing and are able to set a bar, 2 bars, 4 bars or an 8 bar loop. Once set (works on existing loops as well) you can halve or double the length of the loop by choosing to move either the end or the start point of the loop. You can also shift the loop brace backwards or forwards, by a bar at a time or by the length of the loop itself...

S3nd / R3turn - With the clip launch grid and the bank select buttons you can choose to take control of 1 send across 8 tracks or 8 sends on 1 track or alternatively take control of the 8 macros of a rack within one of your return tracks. The buttons act as toggles in that you can jump straight to a value and back to zero with two presses giving you the ability to stab audio to a return track, great when used with any form of delay effect, try it with a ping pong delay and catch the snare...!

M1di - Today there are 8 pages of midi buttons, starting at cc0 and going up to cc63 per page you can set the buttons to work on a momentary or toggle basis, with an IAC Driver on a MAC or Midi Yoke for Windows these buttons can be mapped directly within Live or used to control a drumrack. This scene however is fully customisable to create any mapping you'd like with any lighting feedback possible, group buttons, have sliders, create an X/Y grid with Z feedback when you press a button, i'm more than happy to offer support to anyone wanting to create their own, think of it like an advanced midi editor (it's not that pretty but it works seamlessly)

Drumr4ck - This is a simple step sequencer type device that works with a R3ceiver device placed before a drum rack, it gives you control over 8 banks of 8 samples that you can trigger on the 8ths of a bar (swing is controllable as well). The different banks can be selected manually by using the scene launch buttons or the Receiver device can be configured to jump to a particular bank when you launch a specific clip, maybe when you launch an acapella you can have the sample chopped up into 1/8ths to add to the overall mix...

Util1ty - Using Live api calls and keystroke emulation this scene is what i use when i'm constructing DJ sets, i need to quickly change views so all that you think of are selectable, i need to be able to warp clips quickly so one button sets 1.1.1 here and warps straight from that point, i can cut copy paste, switch windows to Itunes, open and focus on the browser and load clips from there, theres too many to list so i've detailed them in the manual...

That makes 7 scenes so far with one to go, user testing has meant i'm already at version 1.3.3 of the device and will continue to develop it as time progresses, as it dovetails nicely with my APC40 i find that i don't use every scene in every set i play but i switch between a few and leave the launchpad sitting there as the perfect partner to my main control surface...

I'd recommend a minimum of 3GB of RAM for running the device and it's been created in Live 8.2.1 with Max 5.1.7.

The end of the video acts as a set up guide to show you how to crate your own template using Octop4d, the Receiver and Windows Midi Receiver which are all ready for download from the shared folder that you can subscribe to through my blog thestudiosessions.co.uk


Audio in the video comes courtesy of WaLLy who you can here more from at his Soundcloud page soundcloud.com/?wally-00

Cheers
D

Hi All,

Just uploading the manual, i'll follow up with a video detailing each of the 5 scenes, the latest two add a Utility scene and a Looping scene, rather than put a massive description of how each works in detail the manual is fully illustrated....

In summary,

Shuffl3r: Visual Feedback on the Launchpad, rearrange slices of audio with reverse and mute options, plus a bonus Bit Crusher
Eff3cts: Too much to list!!
Loop3r: Control the looping of the clips within the control box of either the Launchpad or an APC40, thus making the Launchpad truly complement the APC40! You can set loops, halve double by start or end point, and move loop by a bar at a time or by it's length....\
Drumr4ck: A simple step sequencer with 8 by 8 banks of samples.....
Utility: Best to show you....

Image

Three scenes left to add, these will come over time as they did with the Isotonik device based on users feedback, theres plenty to start off with though....

This device is available (with all of the Modul4r devices thrown in for good measure) by visiting http://thstudiosessions.co.uk

Cheers
D
Last edited by S4racen on Thu Jan 13, 2011 10:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.

S4racen
Posts: 5821
Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2007 4:08 pm
Location: Dunstable
Contact:

Re: Octop4d - Novation Launchpad & M4L

Post by S4racen » Thu Dec 30, 2010 10:09 pm

https://www.sugarsync.com/pf/D162684_6643726_90537

Full manual for Download, hope you like what i've been up to!!

Cheers
D

S4racen
Posts: 5821
Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2007 4:08 pm
Location: Dunstable
Contact:

Re: Octop4d - Novation Launchpad & M4L

Post by S4racen » Wed Jan 05, 2011 7:51 pm

Added scene 4 (6 of 8 now done and fully tested)

It's called S3nd / R3turn and gives you four options, all give light feedback across the launchpads grid of buttons....

1, 1 of 8 sends (choose using the round side buttons) across the 8 tracks within the control box of either the Launchpad or an APC40 if you have both attached)
2, 1 of 8 tracks in the control box (APC40 or Launchpad) to control 8 sends on the track
3, The return volumes
4, The macros of the first rack in any of the first 8 Return tracks

As before each mode within this scene has full light feedback that updates as you change values using the device, pressing a unlit button sends the value pressing it again turns it off giving quick stabs, pressing a button within that column simply changes the value...

Video coming soon, but the Util1ty scene now has windows functionality as well....

Hopefully the next scene will be 8 pages of user assignable midi controls, just got a party to get ready for so it'll go on the back burner for now....

If you want a copy of Octop4d then head over to my blog http://thestudiosessions.co.uk and use the buy now button for the Octop4d.... All my devices require Max4Live and the latest version to work!

Cheers
D

S4racen
Posts: 5821
Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2007 4:08 pm
Location: Dunstable
Contact:

Re: Octop4d - Novation Launchpad & M4L

Post by S4racen » Sat Jan 08, 2011 12:20 pm

M1di = 1 scene of 7 done = 8 pages of user assignable Midi Buttons, or control over 4 full drumracks of samples!

http://bit.ly/edZFWQ

Done!!

Image

Image

Cheers
D

docprosper
Posts: 1193
Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2010 11:20 am
Location: Fredericksburg, VA

Re: Octop4d - Novation Launchpad & M4L

Post by docprosper » Thu Feb 10, 2011 3:05 pm

Hey,
Looks really cool but I have some questions. If this discussion ends up jacking your thread let me know and I can re-post as a new topic.

1) How much is it? Paypal's blocked at work so I wasn't sure.

2) More importantly, how well will this integrate with a pre-existing APC40 DJ setup? I've never really checked out your Isotonik device as I've been busy building up my own DJ template; I have a pretty good feeling that yours has much more functionality but I'm pretty invested in mine (and I made it :)). I've got ~20 tracks with HML cut filters and M4L devices acting as slaves to route EQ'd audio from two main DJ tracks to either clean or FX tracks. The this is all mixed down to the master. The final product is six faders for H-M-L routing to seperate effects busses for each track, and three H-M-L master faders between tracks. I use a Faderfox to control a 'master' M4L device for all the fading and an APC40 to fire clips.

Anyway, I now have a Lauchpad as well and am eying Octop4d more for the effects than as a 'master' DJ controller. I'd probably try it standalone on travel but am interested to know how easy it would be to integrate it with my current setup. I realize you may not be able to answer my question w/out seeing my setup, and I'm not really asking for a gaurantee, just your thoughts on the matter. Very impressive stuff you're doing, BTW.

Thanks,
Hamish
Funk N. Furter wrote:Post properly.
Ableton Live Suite | M4L | Powerbook | Launchpad | APC40 | Faderfox | 2x1200 | Xone:96 | ...
---> http://soundcloud.com/kilcraft

S4racen
Posts: 5821
Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2007 4:08 pm
Location: Dunstable
Contact:

Re: Octop4d - Novation Launchpad & M4L

Post by S4racen » Sun Feb 13, 2011 8:49 am

Hi Hamish,

cool sounding set up you've got there, your right its difficult to tell how they'd integrate so best yto think of it as a standalone device, you'd nEed some way of routing audio to it, you could place it on the master but then itd effect all audio...

The most telling thing is that Octop4d doesn't come as a preconfigured template so its totally configurable to any template...

Cheers
D

docprosper
Posts: 1193
Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2010 11:20 am
Location: Fredericksburg, VA

Re: Octop4d - Novation Launchpad & M4L

Post by docprosper » Sun Feb 13, 2011 6:15 pm

Thanks for the reply. It's too good to pass up; I'll check out and report back. I'm guessing that I will be able to configure it to my liking, somehow. How does it work with Isotonik if I have an APC40 and a Launchpad?
Cheers, Hamish
Funk N. Furter wrote:Post properly.
Ableton Live Suite | M4L | Powerbook | Launchpad | APC40 | Faderfox | 2x1200 | Xone:96 | ...
---> http://soundcloud.com/kilcraft

S4racen
Posts: 5821
Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2007 4:08 pm
Location: Dunstable
Contact:

Re: Octop4d - Novation Launchpad & M4L

Post by S4racen » Sun Feb 13, 2011 6:54 pm

Hi Hamish,

With Octop4d you have the scenes like looper and sends that you can choose to have effect over the clips within either the apc40 or launchpad control box, I simply use it as an extension of the apc40 rather than having a second grid of clip launching...

Cheers
D

Post Reply