Live 5 and Novation Automap

Discuss music production with Ableton Live.
LOFA
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Post by LOFA » Sun Apr 23, 2006 5:32 am

Hah hah hah. I had to go to school to get the right link for the instaler, sent it o my gmail, opened it at home... voila!

Buying this was as good a decision as buying live or picking up a book on max/msp.

Yum.

c1c2
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Post by c1c2 » Sun Apr 23, 2006 9:44 am

Now that it seems to work for me somehow - I got to check the manual
at least once more I guess :wink: - I feel the same way.

Past weeks I had the feeling I had to "touch" all these plugins I have,
I was missing something, and I was really looking for a hardware synth.
As automap provides some basic controlling out of the box, this was
a lot easier and more flexible than buying just one hardware synth..

I hope this pick-up bug gets sorted out, but if it´s really an Ableton bug,
I´m sure it will.

LOFA
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Post by LOFA » Sun Apr 23, 2006 4:05 pm

I haven't gotten far enough yet to figure out what this pick up bug is. Could you, or someone please explain this to me before it catches me off guard? My fuse is a little short this week due to finals. I wouldn't want to do something I might regret... :oops:

dbolt
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Post by dbolt » Sun Apr 23, 2006 7:44 pm

What's up LOFA the pick up bug sucks ass; the parameters jump say your using the faders for volume and then you switch the outside buttons to switch to the sends or pan parameters and then go back to the volume and move the fader it jumps so you might be maxed out at the highest value and all of a sudden you may have the loud volume peak and you have to rush it down. Its like the MicroKontrol in REAson 3 or with Lc Xmu in Mackie EMODE they actually pick up where the parameter was when you left it so you wont have any surprises. I think Ableton doesnt won't to spend the time and go back and refigure the GUI or whatever Code to fix this problem because their working hard to have LIVE V6 out before this fall or at least get a BETA out to work out all the kinks we might face.

Later
Dustin

c1c2
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Buggy remote SL software?

Post by c1c2 » Sun Apr 23, 2006 8:09 pm

No, problem LOFA, it has somthing to deal with the sliders/knobs
and the mode they react after you changed settings with them.

E.g. you change a setting with a knob/slider and then change to another
template and use that same slider to change something else and then go back
to the mixer e.g., then the knob may have a different location compared
to the origin.

In pick-up mode, if you move that slider again, the data does not "jump"
to the beginning of that new movement,
the setting is changed after the slider/knob reaches
the position where you left it before.
This is useful especially in live mixing situations.

Sorry, I´m no native speaking, hope you understand what I´m trying to explain.

But as for me, I still have lots of other questions I could not find a corresponding answer to.

1) What are "different" automaps? And why plural?

I thought, there is just one automap for the application I use.
Is it possible to modify that automap, so that it uses the other sliders
for controlling more synth settings all the time?

And how can I change it?

2) The template editor crashes every time it scans my vsts.
So no way for me to import any vst data. That actually means,
making tamplates is as hard as with any other controller.
Or can I have the same funtionality the editor provides
within the remote SL?

As automap provides just basic funtionality, the software provided
is obviously buggy, the support form of novation is out of order,
I really think about sending back the unit.

If I could change that automap behaviour in a way it only
uses the synth settings and in a way it does with the manual templates
it would be useful. Actually I thought automap would lead the unit
to manual presets, if they are stored. And if not stored _then_ provide
that basic funtionality it does now.

IMHO it´s a bit of everything but at last on a very basic level
and not yet well implemented into live.
Mixing and controlling should be completely seperated.
I want to control that starships I own with _all_ the knobs and sliders
as I can with the manual templates.

Would be nice, if some other control freak could help me understand. :wink:

Bong Sau
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Post by Bong Sau » Sun Apr 23, 2006 8:33 pm

Is it possible to modify that automap, so that it uses the other sliders
for controlling more synth settings all the time?
I don't think this is possible. You can freely assign the lower set of buttons on the left, the pots and the trigger pads within the live automap, buts thats it.

The pick-up problem really needs to be sorted though, as it makes using the automap live a no go.

c1c2
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Post by c1c2 » Sun Apr 23, 2006 8:53 pm

Bong Sau, could you decribe how to do that?
I mean, if you assign a knob, where do you save it? In the automap
template?
Is this possible for every plugin?

I´ll do further testing as this weekend a decision is needed if I keep that SL.
Well, 429 € are a heavy loss to me if its useless.
And you know, "Automap is supported in Live 5.2". :lol:

I did find a workaround for that template editor bug as one can change the vst folder
to be scanned.
As I have organized anything inside subfolders I can sort out the vstis
that will cause it to crash (powercore, battery so far, no virus,
and that´s a shame :().

It is possible to save so called vstxml files close to the .dll that change
the bahaviour of every little plugin you use inside automap,
but the editor help file describes this just for the use inside cubase.

So has anyone found a way to do this inside ableton?
If not... bye bye SL, cause that is exactly what automap should provide,
thats a feature described in the novation´s knowledge base
and I don´t know why I should miss that as ableton user.

LOFA
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Post by LOFA » Sun Apr 23, 2006 9:47 pm

dbolt wrote:What's up LOFA the pick up bug sucks ass; the parameters jump say your using the faders for volume and then you switch the outside buttons to switch to the sends or pan parameters and then go back to the volume and move the fader it jumps so you might be maxed out at the highest value and all of a sudden you may have the loud volume peak and you have to rush it down. Its like the MicroKontrol in REAson 3 or with Lc Xmu in Mackie EMODE they actually pick up where the parameter was when you left it so you wont have any surprises. I think Ableton doesnt won't to spend the time and go back and refigure the GUI or whatever Code to fix this problem because their working hard to have LIVE V6 out before this fall or at least get a BETA out to work out all the kinks we might face.

Later
Dustin
Ah hah. That is what I thought. This is the reason why I bought a bcf2000 this week on top of the sl25 (last week.) I figured rather than have a 37 or 61 key model of the sl, I could get the bcf (or the bct) and an sl 25. Then I could wait to see how the technology pans out with automap, see if any automap programs that can turn cheaper, generic, 88 key controllers into similiar things comes out, and, well, leave my heavy. fragile fw1884 at home, where it belongs!

c1c2:

Thank you for the time and labor! I will finish reading your response now! Really- thank you both very much. I am very familiar with this problem, and unlike my microkontrol, for some reason I have no intention of running my sl25 under the LC XMU :wink: (though I am so glad I have that- can't wait to add a bcr to my set-up once I understand max/msp and CC'c, not to mention, get through the next round of layoffs at my job!)

LOFA
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Post by LOFA » Sun Apr 23, 2006 10:11 pm

I find it REALLY annoying that I cant use the right side to control more parameters. I have 3 other devices that can run MORE RELIABLY as mackie control emulators, and thus, this is the reason I have neither used the right side yet, nor experienced this bug 8O

Ultimately I would want to either control an instance of impulse on the pads, using the left lcds, and simpler or operator on the keys with the right lcds.


I will now put this in the wish list.

c1c2
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Post by c1c2 » Sun Apr 23, 2006 11:37 pm

After all, I think this automap thing will need some improvement,
but it might work finde in the future.

As I have programmed some templates now, I can say this is really
easy with the editor. So I guess I´ll keep the SL and use it as
a hugh, easy to program controller. :?

dbolt
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Post by dbolt » Mon Apr 24, 2006 1:04 am

Yea I go back and forth using my MicroKontrol under Mackie Emulation with Ableton and using my SL25 for Synth Templates built in. Yea I came close to getting a BCR2000 for all the knobby action and the cheap price and Mackie Emulation, but I sold my UC33e to put toward the pricey SL25. I must say no more MIDI controllers and no more Software unless its the Korg Legacy Collection with the MS20 controller, but after that I must quit. I have this passion for more Hardware instruments, on the way Dave Smith's Evolver Desktop Synth. Also just got a second hand Yamaha DX200, and recently purchased a new Korg Electribe ER1 mk11. Something about Hardware. Really I wish I had a faster CPU my PB G4 12" 1.5g 1.25gRam just isn't cuttin for more intense Jam Sessions collaborating with others and also wanting to play out live one day. I see the MacIntel in close range hopefully I'm soon to get some Pell Grant and Student loan $$ in so maybe I'll stuff a little back for one. Gotta love going back to school.


Later
dUstin

Bong Sau
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Post by Bong Sau » Mon Apr 24, 2006 6:57 am

Bong Sau, could you decribe how to do that?
I mean, if you assign a knob, where do you save it? In the automap
template?
Is this possible for every plugin?
This is taken from the Novation website....

The left side of the SL is split into two parts. The encoders on the top will control device parameters in a very flexible way: As soon as you select an device in Lives GUI, this device will automatically map to the SL. The LCD will then show you which parameter is mapped to which encoder. If you do not want to follow the automatic selection of the controlled device, you can “lock” the SL to the currently controlled device with the top ROW SELECT button on the left on the SL (next to the top row of buttons). With this button active, the SL will always control that instrument or effect, whatever device is selected in the session.

The other knobs, pots and trigger pads on the left of the SL are freely assignable: They can be bound to any function the user wants it to, by using Lives “MIDI learn” function. The three ROW SELECT buttons below (2nd, 3rd and 4th from the top) can be used to navigate (up and down) and fire scenes. The bottom ROW SELECT button will Stop All Clips.


I've not actually tried it yet because of the pick-up bug, but I imagine you can assign the free controllers in MIDI learn mode then save it over the automap template. Hope this helps.

c1c2
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Post by c1c2 » Mon Apr 24, 2006 11:28 am

I´ll give that a try, though I also need to bind controllers for the synth vstis
that do not come with live and I guess midilearn doen´t help
that much in that case.

So far I guess this automap thing needs some improvement for L5.
The cubase setup looks very interesting with it´s more modular architecture
using modified templates for _every_ plugin in automap mode.

c1c2
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Post by c1c2 » Mon Apr 24, 2006 8:55 pm

Strange. I´m facing a serious problem with the template editor.
Every time I import the name of a plugin and let the editor map
the ccs, it shows all ccs are set to "0". Can anyone confirm this?

I could swear yesterday it wasn´t so and my templates worked...

c1c2
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Post by c1c2 » Tue Apr 25, 2006 6:37 pm

So.., no response here anymore.

I contacted Novation support yesterday and gave them a call today
after I read the email reply, just to make some things clear for myself.

For Live5, automaps can´t be edited in the way this can be done for e.g. cubase. Novations says, the feature has to be implemented by Ableton,
but it isn´t yet. So there is no comfortable way for editing templates
like the FAQ of the SL desribes for changing automaps and templates.
It´s always a permanent change, not changing from plugin to plugin.
There are no automap_s_ for Live5, there is just one.

So we still have to read the CCs from the manula to do real good templates
if we are using Live. :cry:

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