Control external synthezisers with live4 (prg change)

famex · Post by **famex** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 10:57 am

I search on the faq, but I've not really found answer to my pb!

I just want to control my hardware synth with live4. The functionalities I don't ever found in Live4 is how to declare my hardware material (as it's done in cubase thrue the "MIDI device management").

For example, I have on E-MU orbit V2, I want to declare it in live4 and could affect it to any midi track and after be able to control it with options like : channel number, program change...

In Live4, it's really easy to manage VSTi, but for hardware it's seem to be not enought flexible! I really found interesting functionalities on live4 (non linear management) I hope external midi hardware management is too easy as it can be in cubase (pure midi user requirement

dom · Post by **dom** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 1:12 pm

what you can do is:
-assign a dedicated midi output for every midi track in Live (midi interface)
-choose a program and bank number in every midi clip in Live to select different sounds from your hardware synth

what you can't do is assigning names to the midi program numbers in Live for every hardware synth in your setup.

regards,
dom
ableton

famex · Post by **famex** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 3:12 pm

Oh Nooooo! this is a real bad new for all the "real" midi users!!! and I really don't understand why an easy management of txt script file has not been developped for that (it's just to affect relation between prg/bank and xt title!!!). the worth is that is done for VSTi!!!!

I hope this fucntionality will be developped in next release!

dom · Post by **dom** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 3:28 pm

regarding "real" midi users: a few months ago before Live 4 was introduced there was no midi at all ;-) keeping this in mind, the midi functionality of Live is imho really nice....

dom
ableton

famex · Post by **famex** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 4:10 pm

I am agree with you that midi was appear with the release 4 and I think it's the real addon of the product! Nowadays, VSTi must be support because they are in full evolution! and midi in LIVE is perfectly support for the VSTi, morover easily! But MIDI is in first THE hardware music language and it's a shame that so basic fonctionality was lost! Hardware must be alive with LIVE

I insist because it's really easy to intruce this functionality!
Another would be to use a special VSTi MIDI device manager. With this solution it would be possible to modelize each hardware machine by a VSTi (managing prg-change/preset name, supported midi channel, general velocity...):
ex: I have a VSTi bassStation and an hardWare bassStation. If I want to use the first one, I drag & drop the VSTi on the track. If I want to use the second one I d&d the VSTi MIDI device customized for hardware bassStation (presets are supported as for VSTi) so in my LIVE session the both are managed in the same way....but the sound is different

isn't it?

If other user are concerned by this fucntionality, I think that it will be iteresting to talk about that!

reggards

MrYellow · Post by **MrYellow** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 10:54 pm

I'm lost here..... I still use Live3...

I thought the whole point of MIDI in Live4 was so that you could control
your set "Live".... Thus changing instruments, channels and stuff
automatically as you progress through scenes......

Pressing 501 buttons to switch various sounds on various devices isn't
fun.... I really thought this was the whole point of MIDI in Live4......

Guess I'm waiting for Live5..... Glad now that I didn't upgrade....

Program change messages, SYSEX......

-Ben

nz · Post by nz » Fri Mar 25, 2005 4:35 am

The other bummer is that a MIDI channel can't control the volume (as in a fader on the channel) of an external unit. Hopefully in a future version...