How to make Abl.6 incredible tool for MIDI controllers
Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 12:00 pm
I've been programming a huge environment in Max/MSP to controll Ableton in live situations, however I am not able to avoid using the mouse or some hot keys to do certain things; this is a really big shame. Here is my wish list for MIDI/remote implementation:
Some of these are repeats from my other post "my wishlist for the ableton 6 tooth fairy" - sorry about that, but I repeat them here for consistency of this topic.
1. Allow track select via MIDI
2. Allow clip/track view via MIDI [the toggle view between track effects and clip settings]
3. Allow clip select of [active] track to MIDI [so that I can tweak a clips parameters]
4. Allow "show plugin window" [the wrench icon] to be MIDI assignable
5. Have a preference setting toggle for "set focus = true" to plugins. What I mean is, if I turn a plugin on/off or open its wrench, please allow me to have th screen jump to it so I can see it.
6. Allow plugins to be colapsable to be less wide, as it stands some of ther ableton plugins - like reverb, are so iincredible wide they occupy my whole screen width. I would just like to see which plugins are on/offf on my screen, and use MIDI to actually control the parameters.
7. Allow me to move MIDI/KEY mappings when in assign more with the mouse [dragable asignments, copy/cut/paste]
8. Allow me to save/export/import MIDI assignments to a text file
9. Allow me to edit or manually configure my MIDI via the screen and keyboard so I don't have to allways send it the mapping via listen. This would be handy becuase sometimes I send a sequence of MIDI via my controller in my live setups.
10. Allow clip tweaks [transpose, beat mode, loop in/out] to be track specific instead of 'which ever clip is selected' [so each track's active clip would have its own MIDI mapping]
11. Have Ableton send MIDI out remote when the assignment is changed on screen. In other words, if I have set up plugin 1 to be on/off on MIDI note 12. Then when I use the mouse to turn it off, it should send that midi note to the external controller to tell it its mode is now off [so that the external controller can turn its assosiated LED off]
12. program changes, why can't I use them??? All plugins from ableton should respond to program changes, especially things like the impulse, simpler etc. but also all effects. It's shamefull that I can't use them to change through sounds, kits in a live situation - without this feature it means I cant use the impulse effectivly live at all... I seriously don't ever want to have to use the mouse and screen to browse folders on stage, and I want to be able to automate the changes
13. Enevelope-saved-states: envelope that are set in clips can be used by other clips if you drag a clip onto the filename section, it would be fantastic if Ableton had a new folder/function called "envelope-states" where I can drag clips into. A clip dragged into this folder would not save the clip, but all the assosiated envelopes. Then via a program change [see 12.] or via mouse dragging I could then have the currently active clip [see 2. 3.] be assigned a previously stored envelope setting made before the gig. The possabilities of recalling envelopes easily is immense, don't over look it!
14. Allow an external device to map to any session x,y coordinate via an establlished refernce protocol. in other words, if I send ableton <access clip // X = 12 // Y= 4> then I should always view track 4, row 12 in the session, thus eliminating the need to map every-single session box via MIDI and also makign it possible to recortd and recall clips entirely via an external system [max/msp, reaktor, controllers etc.] ; if this is well implemented mind blowing interfaces can be developed for your applicaiton.
15. allow select clip instead of always trigger clip via MIDI, so I can select a clip via wish 14. instead of always triggering a clip, you could either just add an optional parameter to the string in wish 1.4 <xs clip / X / y / select=true> or have it be a seperate message: <selectclip / X / Y >. This is really essential to point 14.
16. allow quantitization settings to be track specific instead of clip specific and each track should have a seperate MIDI controler assignable. This would make quantitize actually useable!
Not MIDI but still essentiual improvements for live performance workflow in live situations:
1. Allow a different record mode so that when I hit stop/play on a recorded clip it doesn't start looping from the -start- of the recording to the end of it, but rather sets the loop point X number of bars back from the point I stopped the recording. Example: If I am playing keyboards for the last 4 minutes and I like the last 8 bars I just played, when I hit stop record/play with my foot, it should create a loop which goes 8 bars back from the end of the recording to the end of it. Obviously I would set the loop length via MIDI and it would be changeable in real time [so end-X bars back] - combine with MIDI wish 16. to allow me to have seperate loop lengths on seperate tracks via 1 knob per track. This feature would revolutionize how one records since it means I can effectivly ALWAYS have record on and just keep picking the "best" moments and let them loop instantly without having to stop the recording, then use the mouse and "search" for the good bits [which are nearly always at the end of the recording I just made - right folks!?]
2. Add a rapid bounce feature - so that if I have some nice effects, envelopes and tweaks on a track I can bounce it down to a permanent audio file on the SAME track. Since I understand this is hard to do for the processor I would propose that from the time you press the button, it would play the clip one entire full length of its duration/loop length and record it. Then once the realtime recording of the loop was done [behind the scenes] it would create a new clip with the recording in the next available slot in that track and the program should then turn off ALL plugins on that track for you - thus clearing up CPU power. If this feature would be implemented it would revolutionize everything since i can add effects and processes like mad [combine with envelope assignemnts request in MIDI .13 for even more possabilities] and then bounce it down to a file and free up processing power in one simple press of a button, and I'm sure it's possible. At the mooment for me to achieve this I have to create two tracks for every actual track, one for playing, one for recording, and then move the recorded files back with the mouse after they are made - this sucks up CPU and precious screen space, complicates the MIDI assignments like crazy and makes it impossible for me to just 'jam' intuitivly since I have to be very concerned about what is on what track and whether I can record what I am hearing or which track it is on... too much brain-maintenenace is being waisted...
Ok thats enough for now. I hope you will find some of these suggestions for MIDI-live control to your liking,
Seb.
Some of these are repeats from my other post "my wishlist for the ableton 6 tooth fairy" - sorry about that, but I repeat them here for consistency of this topic.
1. Allow track select via MIDI
2. Allow clip/track view via MIDI [the toggle view between track effects and clip settings]
3. Allow clip select of [active] track to MIDI [so that I can tweak a clips parameters]
4. Allow "show plugin window" [the wrench icon] to be MIDI assignable
5. Have a preference setting toggle for "set focus = true" to plugins. What I mean is, if I turn a plugin on/off or open its wrench, please allow me to have th screen jump to it so I can see it.
6. Allow plugins to be colapsable to be less wide, as it stands some of ther ableton plugins - like reverb, are so iincredible wide they occupy my whole screen width. I would just like to see which plugins are on/offf on my screen, and use MIDI to actually control the parameters.
7. Allow me to move MIDI/KEY mappings when in assign more with the mouse [dragable asignments, copy/cut/paste]
8. Allow me to save/export/import MIDI assignments to a text file
9. Allow me to edit or manually configure my MIDI via the screen and keyboard so I don't have to allways send it the mapping via listen. This would be handy becuase sometimes I send a sequence of MIDI via my controller in my live setups.
10. Allow clip tweaks [transpose, beat mode, loop in/out] to be track specific instead of 'which ever clip is selected' [so each track's active clip would have its own MIDI mapping]
11. Have Ableton send MIDI out remote when the assignment is changed on screen. In other words, if I have set up plugin 1 to be on/off on MIDI note 12. Then when I use the mouse to turn it off, it should send that midi note to the external controller to tell it its mode is now off [so that the external controller can turn its assosiated LED off]
12. program changes, why can't I use them??? All plugins from ableton should respond to program changes, especially things like the impulse, simpler etc. but also all effects. It's shamefull that I can't use them to change through sounds, kits in a live situation - without this feature it means I cant use the impulse effectivly live at all... I seriously don't ever want to have to use the mouse and screen to browse folders on stage, and I want to be able to automate the changes
13. Enevelope-saved-states: envelope that are set in clips can be used by other clips if you drag a clip onto the filename section, it would be fantastic if Ableton had a new folder/function called "envelope-states" where I can drag clips into. A clip dragged into this folder would not save the clip, but all the assosiated envelopes. Then via a program change [see 12.] or via mouse dragging I could then have the currently active clip [see 2. 3.] be assigned a previously stored envelope setting made before the gig. The possabilities of recalling envelopes easily is immense, don't over look it!
14. Allow an external device to map to any session x,y coordinate via an establlished refernce protocol. in other words, if I send ableton <access clip // X = 12 // Y= 4> then I should always view track 4, row 12 in the session, thus eliminating the need to map every-single session box via MIDI and also makign it possible to recortd and recall clips entirely via an external system [max/msp, reaktor, controllers etc.] ; if this is well implemented mind blowing interfaces can be developed for your applicaiton.
15. allow select clip instead of always trigger clip via MIDI, so I can select a clip via wish 14. instead of always triggering a clip, you could either just add an optional parameter to the string in wish 1.4 <xs clip / X / y / select=true> or have it be a seperate message: <selectclip / X / Y >. This is really essential to point 14.
16. allow quantitization settings to be track specific instead of clip specific and each track should have a seperate MIDI controler assignable. This would make quantitize actually useable!
Not MIDI but still essentiual improvements for live performance workflow in live situations:
1. Allow a different record mode so that when I hit stop/play on a recorded clip it doesn't start looping from the -start- of the recording to the end of it, but rather sets the loop point X number of bars back from the point I stopped the recording. Example: If I am playing keyboards for the last 4 minutes and I like the last 8 bars I just played, when I hit stop record/play with my foot, it should create a loop which goes 8 bars back from the end of the recording to the end of it. Obviously I would set the loop length via MIDI and it would be changeable in real time [so end-X bars back] - combine with MIDI wish 16. to allow me to have seperate loop lengths on seperate tracks via 1 knob per track. This feature would revolutionize how one records since it means I can effectivly ALWAYS have record on and just keep picking the "best" moments and let them loop instantly without having to stop the recording, then use the mouse and "search" for the good bits [which are nearly always at the end of the recording I just made - right folks!?]
2. Add a rapid bounce feature - so that if I have some nice effects, envelopes and tweaks on a track I can bounce it down to a permanent audio file on the SAME track. Since I understand this is hard to do for the processor I would propose that from the time you press the button, it would play the clip one entire full length of its duration/loop length and record it. Then once the realtime recording of the loop was done [behind the scenes] it would create a new clip with the recording in the next available slot in that track and the program should then turn off ALL plugins on that track for you - thus clearing up CPU power. If this feature would be implemented it would revolutionize everything since i can add effects and processes like mad [combine with envelope assignemnts request in MIDI .13 for even more possabilities] and then bounce it down to a file and free up processing power in one simple press of a button, and I'm sure it's possible. At the mooment for me to achieve this I have to create two tracks for every actual track, one for playing, one for recording, and then move the recorded files back with the mouse after they are made - this sucks up CPU and precious screen space, complicates the MIDI assignments like crazy and makes it impossible for me to just 'jam' intuitivly since I have to be very concerned about what is on what track and whether I can record what I am hearing or which track it is on... too much brain-maintenenace is being waisted...
Ok thats enough for now. I hope you will find some of these suggestions for MIDI-live control to your liking,
Seb.