How will CC automation of external synths work in Live 9

[petal]

I have been trawling the internet for hours and I can't find the answer, so here I go:

I know that in Live 8 the only way to automate parameters on external synths is using envelopes in clips.
I can make this work partially. I can point the cc to a specific parameter on my external synth and make it control this parameter, but only with a bad result.
Say I'm controlling the parameter from min to max, then I should get cc: 1,2,3,4,5.... 126,127. but what I get is 5, 27, 54, 89. In other words horrible stepping.

Will we see any improvements to midi automation of external synths and new features regarding this in Live 9?

I would prefer to be able to see automation and be able edit automation of parameters in the arrange window as well,
just like automation works for the stock plugins in Live.

With my setup, this really is a dealbreaker if Ableton havn't improved on this yet. Any chance of seeing that?

Cheers,
Thomas

[S4racen]

Have you searched this forum for options.text and midi thinning?

Cheers
D

[petal]

Nope, I didn't know about the midi thinning in midi live, but it does match up with what I'm seeing. Hopefully it will be a solution to the "horrible stepping" I've been experiencing.
Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!

Now, what about "the CC automation editing in arrangment view"-issue.
Does Ableton still not have any love for us in Live 9 on that requested feature. I can't seem to find info on it anywhere. Only directions to clip envelopes and automation in clips?

Cheers,
Thomas

[JuanSOLO]

thinning only works in arrangement.

very annoying indeed.

[petal]

Well, just tried to add the Option.txt, but it did not solve my problem with stepped midi data being send to my external gear.
This really makes Live almost useless combined with external synths - at least for me.

[JuanSOLO]

I try to forget about it, and just go with it.
It's definitely a strange oversight by Ableton, that's really annoying, but I wouldn't say it's useless.
Really undesirable, yes, but I still use it and I am ok with those results.
If I obsess over it I will get kinda freaked out and waste a lot of time looking for a better solution.

[petal]

I found this M4L device that works the way I need it to:

http://www.maxforlive.com/library/device.php?id=54

Not perfect, but definitely brings me much closer to what I was aiming for. I can now edit automation data in the arrangement window and even the stepping problem is solved.

Which just leaves us with, is Live 9 gonna address this or will we still have to use workarounds like the above mentioned?

[JuanSOLO]

Now I'm confused, this device you posted only sends CC's from it's GUI.
Not sure how this fixes stepping from external automation recording.

[JuanSOLO]

and, it's still the same in 9.

[petal]

I'm not trying to record external automation, I'm trying to automate parameters on my external synths from Ableton and edit these in the arranger view.

That M4L device does the trick, without stepping

Still it is strange that Live can't handle it as a totally basic midi feature.
I guess jumping through hoops to get where you wanna go is part of the fun...

[Zygi]

Create an empty midi rack and ctrl+m map the CCs to its 8 macros.

[petal]

I just tried and couldn't figure it out. Could you please explain to me how this will enable me to gain controls of midi parameters on an external synth?

Cheers,
Thomas

[Zygi]

I don't know how to explain something that doesn't go beyond these words...

You create a midi rack (or any rack tbh). Then you press ctrl + m to map CCs. Then you map the CCs. And then you have something to automate - the macros. When configured properly, midi should be sent to your external synth

[petal]

OK, I got it working now. Thanks for pointing this feature out for me!