Live 4 and Evolution X-Session

jtenney · Post by **jtenney** » Mon Jan 10, 2005 6:24 pm

This looks very attractive for what I'd like to do: not DJing, but soundscapes with need for triggering and processing lots of smaller clips, with quite a bit of crossfading. Anybody have any ideas? Also, it seemed to me from a review that I could use the Midi-in Midi-out ports on X-Session to replace my current interface (a Midisport 2x2), and could therefore run my old cheapo electric keyboard through it for midi entry (and more triggering if I need to set up more than the 10 buttons I have available on X-Session, since apparently Live will accept Midi automation from two sources). I would really rather do this than go to an Edirol PCR or an M-audio Radium. Any feedback is very welcome!!

later to all,
John

Mididreamer · Post by **Mididreamer** » Mon Jan 10, 2005 9:14 pm

Dear Jtenney,

No problem with Live. I use an old Roland TR 505 (rhytm composer) and the X-session. Or sometimes with the old Yamha DX-7. You can assign any knob or key with midi information to trigger Live. A great tool working very well with all old midi stuff.

But it is a pity you don't use the DJ possibilities. It can work for soundscape musician with nice unexpected fades, to enter new possibilities and broaden your horizon

!

Kind regards

jtenney · Post by **jtenney** » Mon Jan 10, 2005 9:38 pm

Mididreamer wrote:Dear Jtenney,

No problem with Live. I use an old Roland TR 505 (rhytm composer) and the X-session. Or sometimes with the old Yamha DX-7. You can assign any knob or key with midi information to trigger Live. A great tool working very well with all old midi stuff.

But it is a pity you don't use the DJ possibilities. It can work for soundscape musician with nice unexpected fades, to enter new possibilities and broaden your horizon !

Kind regards

Dear Mididreamer--

Thanks for the words! I may get into DJing possibilities as time goes on, it's all so new to me that I don't rule anything out. I come from the background of a professional violinist for 30+ years, so just this last couple years with Reason has been eye-opening. Thanks for the encouragement! Check out my site if you're interested in soundscapes/comedy/sound effects/weirdness: www.soundclick.com/johntenney.

later,
John

tokyojoe69 · Post by **tokyojoe69** » Mon Jan 10, 2005 10:08 pm

Howdy

I have the uc17, and my friend has a uc33. Personally i prefer the uc33, cos you can assign the faders to individual track volumes and so have control over a whole lot more tracks than just crossfading. I suppose you can still control more tracks with the rotary knobs, but i find them a little small and twiddly. So if you're a poor student like me who now can't afford to go get the uc33, think twice before you get the uc17. that said its still a quality piece of gear.

stallos · Post by **stallos** » Tue Jan 11, 2005 1:24 pm

Hi John

I would definitely agree with the others.
I'm using the x-session and the MK461C as my midi controllers within Live.
I use the x-session in djsets but also when prducing my own tracks.

The midi assign feature in live works a treat.
To be honest, for the price of the x-session you cant go wrong.
My only criticism would be of the knobs themselves, not quite as nice as those on my hardware mixer but you cant have everything I suppose.

Will check out your sounds....
With a musical CV as impressive as yours, I'm sure I will not be disappointed.

cheers
Stal

robin · Post by **robin** » Tue Jan 11, 2005 4:25 pm

i have both a uc17 and the uc33 (not e). whilst the uc17 is ok it really only has enough control for two channels in Live (and the crrossfader is a little bit redundant....the uc16 might be a better choice if you're determined to go for a small controller. uc16s are usually cheaper too)

I'd say the uc33 is a better bet as that allows a lot more control.

jtenney · Post by **jtenney** » Tue Jan 11, 2005 6:10 pm

Dear Stal, TokyoJoe69 and Robin--

Thanks for your responses! I am crunched for bread for the foreseeable future, and want to put aside some $$ for Reason 3.0 when it comes out so a uc33 is not really an option. Plus, in fact the X-Session looks like it has more trigger-buttons, which I might prefer for my purposes.

Stal, I appreciate your kind words about my "CV." My stuff might strike some as rather odd, perhaps more like little radio plays or comedy sketches than music per se. I've really gotten into the computer-synthed voices you can find demos of on line, and they've taken on personalities of their own! It's been a great way to flush some of the BS of the professional music world out of my system.

Again, I'm very glad for all your help. I'm just off to MacWorld (half an hour on the train, lucky me) and was just informed that there's an M-audio booth there, so maybe I'll come home with an X-Session!!

later,
John

AdamJay · Post by **AdamJay** » Tue Jan 11, 2005 6:15 pm

jtenney wrote: Plus, in fact the X-Session looks like it has more trigger-buttons, which I might prefer for my purposes.

on the contrary, the UC-33 has more trigger buttons., and also Preset "scene" buttons.

jtenney · Post by **jtenney** » Tue Jan 11, 2005 6:32 pm

AdamJay wrote:
jtenney wrote: Plus, in fact the X-Session looks like it has more trigger-buttons, which I might prefer for my purposes.
on the contrary, the UC-33 has more trigger buttons., and also Preset "scene" buttons.

Ah. So the numeric keypad on the uc33 does the triggering, and can potentially handle more on/off/toggle stuff than the 10 fixed buttons on the uc17?

louZ · Post by **louZ** » Tue Jan 11, 2005 11:18 pm

robin wrote: ....the uc16 might be a better choice if you're determined to go for a small controller. uc16s are usually cheaper too)

why?

the uc-16 is just a uc-17 without crossfader and with less visible knob positions in the dark.... price is almost the same. why on earth would that be a better choice?

robin · Post by **robin** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 8:14 am

the uc16 is typically half the price of the uc17 in the uk

the crossfader in Live needs better curves to be useful. and the crossfader is a daft place on the controller.

imagine a dj mixer with the crossfader at the top, no-one would buy it.

need i say more?

nuperspective · Post by **nuperspective** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 12:39 pm

i agree. why did they think that was the best place for the fader???? why not just put the screen and fader at the bottom with the button up top. it make the fader almost useless. but for the price sound.

robin · Post by **robin** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 12:47 pm

well it's a uc16 with an add on fader (and the nice refinements that the uc33e got...ie. control mute and the ability to be edited with Enigma).

so, cost is the reason.

don't get me wrong, it's an ok device but the uc33e is more useful.

Patch · Post by **Patch** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 1:34 pm

Plus, in fact the X-Session looks like it has more trigger-buttons, which I might prefer for my purposes.

If it's trigger buttons you're after - why not try the DM2 with DM2MIDI software? I use mine (still waiting for my UC-33e to arrive...) to great effect for triggering clips and other functions. It is fully assignable - see other threads on the DM2 to see if it can do what you need.

BTW - you can pick up a DM2 very cheap (I got mine for about £25GBP) and the DM2MIDI software is free...

louZ · Post by **louZ** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 8:13 pm

robin wrote:the uc16 is typically half the price of the uc17 in the uk

the crossfader in Live needs better curves to be useful. and the crossfader is a daft place on the controller.

imagine a dj mixer with the crossfader at the top, no-one would buy it.

need i say more?

At thomann.de the uc-16 goes for € 95,- and the uc-17 for € 99,- That's why I was wondering. At that price point, you get the added features of the uc-17 almost for free.
If the price difference is that much bigger in the UK, the added features might not weigh up.