Is this possible in Live?

[kselbee]

Sorry, but I've been away from Live for quite a while and the version I have is older (4 or 5 I believe). But I've been considering upgrading and using it some more but had a feature question. Is it possible to create a loop, a bass loop using a synth for example. And then specify the key as C. Then use that same loop later but specify a different chord such as E minor? Does this make sense? Again, I'm not referring to audio, but MIDI only. If you've used the Yamaha QY series then this is the sort of functionality I'm after. Thanks....

[hybridjosto]

you can use midi effects in live 7 (at least), maybe scale will work for you? there isn't a transpose setting for midi that ive found but it might not be too hard to grab the notes and move the whole phrase up/down manually as appropriate?

[robfoster]

Sorry, but I've been away from Live for quite a while and the version I have is older (4 or 5 I believe). But I've been considering upgrading and using it some more but had a feature question. Is it possible to create a loop, a bass loop using a synth for example. And then specify the key as C. Then use that same loop later but specify a different chord such as E minor? Does this make sense? Again, I'm not referring to audio, but MIDI only. If you've used the Yamaha QY series then this is the sort of functionality I'm after. Thanks....

What you're describing sounds very much like a feature called techni-chord that is on my technics "home" keyboard, it must be about 20 years old!, yeah it is a load of old shite by todays standards, but you have the ability to record a 16 bar loop with up to 8 tracks then the loop plays whatever chord that you are playing on the keyboard, i wrote a lot of songs on it, i found it really inspiring, being able to do something like that with live would be cool, maybe you can.

[Da hand]

Is it possible to create a loop, a bass loop using a synth for example. And then specify the key as C. Then use that same loop later but specify a different chord such as E minor?

I am trying to understand what it is exactly that you would like to do. Chords and Keys are not synonyms - for example, an E minor chord is in the Key of C. So what would you like to change? Chords or Keys?

[ThrowAway]

Yes.


Da hand, you can do both anyways.

[jhartford]

Yeah, its actually pretty easy.... (but it seems no one knows about this feature)

Make your loop in session view, then go into midi map mode and map the clip containing your loop by clicking on the clip and then pressing and holding the lowest note on your midi keyboard followed by the highest note on your midi keyboard. Now when you launch your clip from the keyboard, whatever note you hit will be the new root of the sequence and all other notes will be transposed appropriately.

Then you can use the scale device to keep everything in one key, and then use different launch modes (you'll probably want to turn the launch mode to gate and the launch quantize to none for the clip... you can even turn on velocity sensitivity for the clip if you like). This method basically turns live's piano roll into a completely customizable arpeggiator.

hope this helps. (as far as i remember, the covert operators may have made a video explaining this... have a look on their site if the above isn't clear)

[robfoster]

nice one

[kselbee]

Is it possible to create a loop, a bass loop using a synth for example. And then specify the key as C. Then use that same loop later but specify a different chord such as E minor?

I am trying to understand what it is exactly that you would like to do. Chords and Keys are not synonyms - for example, an E minor chord is in the Key of C. So what would you like to change? Chords or Keys?

Sorry for not being clear. Say I create a little synth loop and I want to piece it together into a song. I declare the loop is in the key of C and the chord C. So I want to play that for 2 measures, then want to play the same loop but make it an E minor so it stays in the key of C. So I'd want it to modulate so the root note becomes E, the 3rd is flatted since E is minor, etc. Make sense?

[oddstep]

chord device. +4 +7. Scale device set to c major. Play lowest note of chord. Using these devices together is simultaneously extending my understanding of music theory and stopping me develop as a keys player.

[zigzag]

chord device. +4 +7. Scale device set to c major. Play lowest note of chord. Using these devices together is simultaneously extending my understanding of music theory and stopping me develop as a keys player.

many thanks for your response!
can you please be more specific for us noobs in theory?
do u imply first to have a chord plugin with +4 +7 and then a scale plugin?
then just change the scale whilst playing the same note?

[outershpongolia]

Yeah, its actually pretty easy.... (but it seems no one knows about this feature)

Make your loop in session view, then go into midi map mode and map the clip containing your loop by clicking on the clip and then pressing and holding the lowest note on your midi keyboard followed by the highest note on your midi keyboard. Now when you launch your clip from the keyboard, whatever note you hit will be the new root of the sequence and all other notes will be transposed appropriately.

Then you can use the scale device to keep everything in one key, and then use different launch modes (you'll probably want to turn the launch mode to gate and the launch quantize to none for the clip... you can even turn on velocity sensitivity for the clip if you like). This method basically turns live's piano roll into a completely customizable arpeggiator.

hope this helps. (as far as i remember, the covert operators may have made a video explaining this... have a look on their site if the above isn't clear)

holy shnikes batman

[oddstep]

chord device. +4 +7. Scale device set to c major. Play lowest note of chord. Using these devices together is simultaneously extending my understanding of music theory and stopping me develop as a keys player.

many thanks for your response!
can you please be more specific for us noobs in theory?
do u imply first to have a chord plugin with +4 +7 and then a scale plugin?
then just change the scale whilst playing the same note?

Yeah, here's the signal flow...
midi note in - chord device adds 2 more midi notes (one that is 4 semi tones higher than the note in, one that is 7 semi tones higher) so you now have the 3 notes that constitute a major chord. Obviously not all the notes created by this device are going to be in the right scale (frinstance - this device would always play a major chord based on the midi note in - in the scale of c major the 'e based chord' is e minor) - so I put a scale device on the end of the chain. This forces the notes into the scale you define.
If you put an arpeggiator after the chord device it becomes quite exciting - especially if you adjust the scale device to taste --- a modal step sequencer.
So I am saying play a single finger melody on keyboard - chords come out of midi devices - these chords are all part of a single scale.

Your idea would have different results. Play single note on keyboard. Create a range of chords coming out of midi devices - most would have the same lowest note - but the chords would belong to different scales.