Setting up Roland Aira's with albeton

[AegyoPD]

I'm not sure what preferences I need setting up my TB-8 and TB-3 with Ableton. I have the airas synced up with a midi cable and both of them plugged into a usb hub on my comp. Also have my m-audio fast track plugged in usb but it doesn't have a midi connector. How I can I set it up so that I get sound from both tb8 and tb3 and split the instruments onto separate tracks on ableton?

[estibi]

I think you will need to skip USB hub and connect them directly.

Btw, can you use a TR-8 to control Ableton's drum kits somehow easily or you need to MIDI mapping everything?

[AegyoPD]

My laptop only has two usb inputs. Do I even need to use my audio interface if the sound is coming directly from the airas usb cables? Ive seen some of the stuff people have been doing with the drum racks and using Push which is cool and Im definitely going to try that later but for now I just want to use the machines normally. EDIT: My m-audio fast track interface only has one input ;/ I am guessing im gonna need to upgrade my interface to something that has more inputs and maybe midi in/out?

[colulizard]

I just got the TB-3
I have a jack cable for the audio and USB from my PC for midi clock data only. I programme patterns in the TB-3 and jsut fire them off. I've kept a blank pattern which starts immediately, and then bring in the "real" patterns.
It seems you need to have the TB-3 turned on before opening ableton (same as for my keyboard and APC) but then it syncs the midi clock OK.

Good luck. I'm probably uing this in a stupid way, but the manual is awful for this type of thing.

[_seph]

this is something that I've wondered about and haven't been able to yet find any clear answer, perhaps I will just need to wait and see once my TR-8 and TB-3 arrive.

ultimately it would be great and very convenient were one to simply connect their Airas to a USB hub, the issue here is that your computer is treating each device as a USB audio interface.

it is my understanding that Windows has issues with this while being on MacOS makes things a bit easier, but essentially you will need to create an aggregate audio device, I have no experience doing this, but it is my understanding that this basically sums together all of your USB audio inputs.. so your FastTrack, TB-3 and TR-8 are treated as one interface. apparently this can be a bit fiddly and introduce latency and sync issues but again, I have never attempted to run multiple USB audio devices so I'm just paraphrasing secondhand info.

it would be too perfect if this can work... I just sold my multi-channel interface and now only have a Balance, but were I able to use it on one USB port along with the Airas connected to a USB hub on my second port, that would save me needing additional I/O or a mixer and keep this compact rig more portable.

it's too bad that the Aira line don't also make use of Roland's VS Streaming driver from their Duo/Quad/Octa-Capture interfaces which allow you to connect more than one.. if they all seamlessly worked together I'd buy an Octa-Capture in a heartbeat.

[dixie237]

What's the difference between how the virus TI hardware handles USB audio into Live and the Aira Hardware USB audio? Is this down the the VST plug that virus TI has?

[hendoodles]

I also just bought the TB3 and TR8 and can get them to output sound and sync time clock. However, recording any of the knob / fader movements is something I haven't figured out yet….

I am hitting a brick wall. I see the devices as external instrument and set up the preferences to sync, but can't record a movement of a knob or effect….. : ( Does anyone know how to midi map these devices?

[UltimateOutsider]

What's the difference between how the virus TI hardware handles USB audio into Live and the Aira Hardware USB audio? Is this down the the VST plug that virus TI has?

The TI does have an optional audio interface mode which would work similarly to the Airas, but the special thing about the Virus is the Total Integration plugin. When you use the TI plugin the Virus can actually stream audio to your DAW via VST channels. It's physically using your USB connection, but it's not functioning as an actual audio interface like with the Airas. As far as your DAW's concerned it's just another VST. I don't know of any other synth that does this.

I've been waiting for people to get Airas in their hands to see how folks are hooking these things up in Windows. I've heard that some folks use Asio4all for device aggregation on Windows, but this is something I have not experimented with personally.

You could always use a multi-in audio interface (and skip the USB feature of the Airas), but then you wouldn't get all the channels that the TR-8 can deliver over USB.

I imagine that someone who ONLY has a TR-8 and a TB-3 (and no standalone audio interface) could use the TR-8 as the audio interface/device, and then run the TB-3 audio out into the TR-8's audio ins?

[dixie237]

What's the difference between how the virus TI hardware handles USB audio into Live and the Aira Hardware USB audio? Is this down the the VST plug that virus TI has?

The TI does have an optional audio interface mode which would work similarly to the Airas, but the special thing about the Virus is the Total Integration plugin. When you use the TI plugin the Virus can actually stream audio to your DAW via VST channels. It's physically using your USB connection, but it's not functioning as an actual audio interface like with the Airas. As far as your DAW's concerned it's just another VST. I don't know of any other synth that does this.

I've been waiting for people to get Airas in their hands to see how folks are hooking these things up in Windows. I've heard that some folks use Asio4all for device aggregation on Windows, but this is something I have not experimented with personally.

You could always use a multi-in audio interface (and skip the USB feature of the Airas), but then you wouldn't get all the channels that the TR-8 can deliver over USB.

I imagine that someone who ONLY has a TR-8 and a TB-3 (and no standalone audio interface) could use the TR-8 as the audio interface/device, and then run the TB-3 audio out into the TR-8's audio ins?

I don't think it will be long then before Roland add a Virus "TI" or as Elektron have anounced "overbridge" style interface with a VST plug for the Aira's. It's the next logical step.

[craigyboy]

Is it possible to send midi notes from ableton to the TB-3?

I have the TB-3 hooked up via USB with an external instrument setup on a midi track. Ableton receives midi notes from the TB-3 no problem, but if I want to draw notes in manually in ableton the TB-3 carries on playing the original pattern ignoring any note changes I've made in ableton.

I've hooked up synths in the past and been able to do this no problem but I've hit a brick wall trying to figure this out, I might be being daft here....

Thanks

[Captain Johnson]

Someone needs to post a video with these things being setup with ableton.........

[estibi]

I also just bought the TB3 and TR8 and can get them to output sound and sync time clock. However, recording any of the knob / fader movements is something I haven't figured out yet….

I am hitting a brick wall. I see the devices as external instrument and set up the preferences to sync, but can't record a movement of a knob or effect….. : ( Does anyone know how to midi map these devices?

You can easily map faders and knobs using Ableton's Midi mapping.
That being said, TR-8's effects like Reverb, Delay and Scatter go to the audio channel 1/2, so you will not hear them in the individual tracks.

[Captain Johnson]

That being said, TR-8's effects like Reverb, Delay and Scatter go to the audio channel 1/2, so you will not hear them in the individual tracks.

watch this I think you might be wrong

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-CNUVxSi9s

[estibi]

That being said, TR-8's effects like Reverb, Delay and Scatter go to the audio channel 1/2, so you will not hear them in the individual tracks.

watch this I think you might be wrong

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-CNUVxSi9s

If you connect TR-8 via USB to the Ableton, the effects go to the default channel 1/2 in Live which is the main stereo output.
I don't know if you can change that - I tested that yesterday.

What I actually miss in TR-8 is the ability to reduce the light of the pads. It's too bright, especially in a dark room.

[Captain Johnson]

surely there's gotta be a way to send the effects over usb to separate channels..........