Clever ways to load a set file on stage?

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patrickstinson
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Clever ways to load a set file on stage?

Post by patrickstinson » Thu Jul 03, 2014 5:04 am

I'm sure this has been asked before but I can't find anything in search. Does anyone have any clever ways to load set files on stage without getting on the computer? Once you are done with a song it's a total buzzkill to have to get on the computer, double-click the file, click no don't save the current set, etc.

Thanks!
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jestermgee
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Re: Clever ways to load a set file on stage?

Post by jestermgee » Thu Jul 03, 2014 5:28 am

Yep, it's been asked many times and I there have been a lot of different answers most of which say to just render tracks as stems and put into a "super" set.

If you know how to make scripts to automate software and functions then you could create a simple script that can automate the whole close set, open next set and have them all sequential in a folder and simply automate the PC to go to the next file and open. this will still take a bit of time but could be linked to a MIDI button with software like Bome MIDI translator so you can use a foot switch to do it while you attend to your fans.

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Re: Clever ways to load a set file on stage?

Post by störgeräusche » Thu Jul 03, 2014 5:36 am

find a way to merge all your songs in a "megaset". I used to with audio clips, but now that I have a fast laptop I mainly use drumracks and nested instrument racks. I have a track for all the basslines (a chain for e every bassline, it can be a softsynth or a sliced audio loop if the bassline was made with external synths), a track with all the kicks (a drum rack with all the kicks of my set), the same for snares, hihats and percussion and another couple of tracks with nested instrument racks for softsynths (or samplers with chords/sounds I made with CPU-hungry softsynths I don't feel using on stage) so I have total flexibility (and more error chances ah ah) because with a couple of clicks I can access all the relevant modulation parameters from push and actually do stuff live. As I will get more confident I even might do some stepsequencing action on stage. Its a very long process, but so I really have flexibility and can use push at its best. Good luck!
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störgeräusche
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Re: Clever ways to load a set file on stage?

Post by störgeräusche » Thu Jul 03, 2014 5:37 am

find a way to merge all your songs in a "megaset". I used to with audio clips, but now that I have a fast laptop I mainly use drumracks and nested instrument racks. I have a track for all the basslines (a chain for e every bassline, it can be a softsynth or a sliced audio loop if the bassline was made with external synths), a track with all the kicks (a drum rack with all the kicks of my set), the same for snares, hihats and percussion and another couple of tracks with nested instrument racks for softsynths (or samplers with chords/sounds I made with CPU-hungry softsynths I don't feel using on stage) so I have total flexibility (and more error chances ah ah) because with a couple of clicks I can access all the relevant modulation parameters from push and actually do stuff live. As I will get more confident I even might do some stepsequencing action on stage. Its a very long process, but so I really have flexibility and can use push at its best. Good luck!
soundcloud
website
______________________________________________________
Win7 Pro 64 - i7 870 @ 2.93 GHz - 16 GB RAM - RME Multiface II

Live Suite 9 - Komplete 9 - Waldorf Largo & Edition - Elektron Analog Rytm - Push 1&2- Launch Control & XL -
Adam P33A

patrickstinson
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Re: Clever ways to load a set file on stage?

Post by patrickstinson » Thu Jul 03, 2014 6:03 am

Yeah, I wrote this a while ago after spending quite a bit of time refining the "mega set" idea:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=195844

This problem is a bit unique, though, and I was intentionally a little misleading in the original post. I actually just want to re-load the same set file again after I've wacked out all the parameters during a song. Liine's Kapture would be perfect to just recall the original settings, but it causes a bunch of CPU and GUI lag when I load the live set so I whtought I would ask the more general question of loading set files on stage.
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Coupe70
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Re: Clever ways to load a set file on stage?

Post by Coupe70 » Fri Jul 04, 2014 9:35 am

Can you maybe use the snapshot function of ClyphX to reset all the values ?
I didn't read your complete documentation in the other thread, but ClyphX
might also be able to free you from dummy clips using midi loopback...
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Re: Clever ways to load a set file on stage?

Post by patrickstinson » Sun Jul 06, 2014 7:50 pm

Coupe70 wrote:Can you maybe use the snapshot function of ClyphX to reset all the values ?
I didn't read your complete documentation in the other thread, but ClyphX
might also be able to free you from dummy clips using midi loopback...
I wasn't aware of the snapshot feature of clyphx and it looks like that will solve my problem here.i only actually use the mega set method tutorial I posted here when I perform my electronic set. The original motivation for this thread was for my live instrument setup which starts with all params in a vanilla state and then gets all whacked out by the end of the song. The Kapture M4L device is too slow and stalls my audio thread on and off for about two minutes whenever I load the set.

Clyphx has always intrigued me and is on my must-read list. The only thing that slows me down is that most of the info is in videos instead of an online reference. As a programmer I love to skim the various calls and find the most useful ones.

Anyway long story short thanks for the tip about the snap all function! So awesome.
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Coupe70
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Re: Clever ways to load a set file on stage?

Post by Coupe70 » Sun Jul 06, 2014 9:45 pm

patrickstinson wrote: Clyphx has always intrigued me and is on my must-read list. The only thing that slows me down is that most of the info is in videos instead of an online reference. As a programmer I love to skim the various calls and find the most useful ones.
In the download package of ClyphX is a quite good PDF manual that has lists of all calls.
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patrickstinson
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Re: Clever ways to load a set file on stage?

Post by patrickstinson » Mon Jul 07, 2014 8:12 pm

Coupe70 wrote:
patrickstinson wrote: Clyphx has always intrigued me and is on my must-read list. The only thing that slows me down is that most of the info is in videos instead of an online reference. As a programmer I love to skim the various calls and find the most useful ones.
In the download package of ClyphX is a quite good PDF manual that has lists of all calls.
Ah, excellent. ClyphX totally rocks.
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lapieuvre
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Re: Clever ways to load a set file on stage?

Post by lapieuvre » Tue Jul 08, 2014 3:57 am

I'va always done my live shows in a mega set, never needed ClyphX.

I realised That ClyphX was buggy (That was 2 years ago) so I stooped using it.

It's quite easy to do.
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patrickstinson
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Re: Clever ways to load a set file on stage?

Post by patrickstinson » Sat Jul 12, 2014 8:34 am

ClyphX works very well for me for snapshotting. Man, it's a hell of a lot better than Kapture, especially with it's crossfading ability.

But back to the original title of literally loading ableton set files on stage. I am a developer, and might add to this the idea of an Ableton set assistant mobile app. I am a developer. It would just be a set list on your phone/tablet that that would let you load each file into live.

Overkill? A great idea?
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patrickstinson
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Re: Clever ways to load a set file on stage?

Post by patrickstinson » Sat Jul 12, 2014 9:17 pm

STOP THE PRESSES

I just found an incredible way to manage your setlist from your iOS device using the EventScripts app (http://www.mousedown.net/mouseware/EventScripts.html). Then you can just sit there on stage with your guitar and tap a set in your setlist right on your phone! Then switch to another set list and load another one.

Basically it let's you trigger applescripts from a list. You can even include tags for separate set lists! I wrote this script to open a set file from a fixed folder. Just change the folder path in the script, then duplicate the file and rename it to match the file of your Live set.

I'll post a more detailed overview of how to do this on my blog and will ping this thread when I do so. My applescript is below. Between this and ClyphX snap mapped to a user-defined button on Push's grid, this topic is totally tied up for me.

Code: Select all

on run argv
	
	set basename to do shell script "basename -s .scpt \"" & {scriptPath of argv} & "\""
	set fpath to "/Users/patrick/Music/PK/Ambient Jams/2 - Patrick Kidd Solo Project/" & basename & ".als"
	
	do shell script "open \"" & fpath & "\""
	delay 0.5 -- cludgy...
	
	tell application "Ableton Live 9 Suite" to activate
	
	tell application "System Events"
		key code 123 -- left arrow
		key code 123 -- left arrow
		key code 36 -- return
	end tell
	
end run
Totally awesome!
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jestermgee
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Re: Clever ways to load a set file on stage?

Post by jestermgee » Mon Jul 14, 2014 7:09 am

Yep

Basically my suggestion but with you doing the research and leg work yourself so....

Image

Nice work on the DIY and adding in an iOS device for extra creativity.

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Re: Clever ways to load a set file on stage?

Post by sparklepuff » Mon Jul 14, 2014 10:59 am

I've been using this app called OnStage that is available on App Store. It lets you select up to 30 Live sets and assigns a program change number to each one so that you can simply press a button on your keyboard (which is what I do) and that closes the currently open Live set and opens whichever song you selected.

PROBLEM

The guy who makes the app has decided to no longer support it or update it. Ableton changed the way closing Live sets works in Live 9.1, they removed the command + W function, the only way to close a Live set is to open a new one or an existing one. So Live 9.0.6 is the last functioning version of Live that works with this app. I developed my entire Live show to function using separate sets because I'm in a band and not DJing continuously, and I have many tracks and tons of automation and synths being used, and containing 22 entire songs in one single Megaset is very inefficient. If I want to change one thing about a song I run the risk of affecting all of them, especially if it's at a crucial moment on stage or during sound check. Keeping each song separate makes so much more sense from a safeguard and ease of use standpoint.

I had some dialogue with Ableton about either making their own version of this because I can only imagine how useful it would be to thousands of users out there who are under the impression that it is impossible to use Live in any other way than making a giant Live set with everything in it, when that isn't the case. They said there is no demand for it.
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