New to Ableton, but does it do what I want it to?

[DMX Will]

Hi all,

I'm new to Ableton, so excuse my ignorance! As part of a line up in a band (I'm electronics) I want to integrate Ableton to do the following, the question is, does it do it?! Please bare in mind this will be within a live situation, I won't be using Ableton's recording facilities.

So, the list of things, I'd like to be able to do:-

- Use two midi keyboards to play two different instruments (voices) at the same time and whats the easiest way to flick between instruments/voices in a live situation?
- use it as a sampler
- use it for loops (ok, I know it does is bit!)

For the latter two, I'm thinking of getting an Akai APC40, will I be able to use it as sampler as well as firing loops?

Many thanks!!

Will.

[H20nly]

yes - to all.

Ableton Live acts as the sampler though. the APC 40 is just a "dumb terminal" controller. Its more to avoid having to use your mouse.

[DMX Will]

yes - to all.

Ableton Live acts as the sampler though. the APC 40 is just a "dumb terminal" controller. Its more to avoid having to use your mouse.

Thanks, yeah, I realise it's merely a midi device, with feedback from the software itself, thanks!

How do I go about setting up the two keyboards (both midi) and getting Ableton to play them out with different instruments at the same time?

Thanks all.

[H20nly]

set them each up in Live's "Preferences".

Create a midi track and assign one of the devices to it.

Do the same with the other device.

drop Operator, Impulse, Drumracks, whatever live device you have/want (if needed) on each track.

Arm the record button on each track - ctrl + click.

Start playing...

if you like what you hear, hit Record, press Play, and go until its time to Stop.

[ark]

One undocumented trick for using an APC40 as a looper:

One of the foot switch sockets--I forget which one--acts as a "re-launch current clip" control. The launch takes place at the next quantization interval.

If you arm a track for recording and press the APC40 button that corresponds to a blank clip slot (i.e. a button that is not lighted), it will start recording a clip at the next quantization interval. The clip will grow automatically to accommodate the recording.

If, during the last quantization interval, you press the foot switch, then Live will automatically stop recording that clip and start playing it back, which essentially acts like a looper.

[ark]

In addition to the previous posters (don't have much to add to that): keep in mind that "Live" does not include the instruments.

I think it does have Simpler and Impulse.

[dacoda]

thanks for your info.

[leedsquietman]

Live has Simpler, Drum Racks and Impulse. If you buy the boxed version, you get the EIC2 sample set which works through Simpler/Instrument Racks with a lot of sound content, plus all the stock preset clips, which you can tweak in the midi editor/piano roll. The downloaded version of Live (regular) is a bit thin on the ground and would probably require fleshing out with other virtual instruments (paid or free), rewire Reason, or other customizing of your own samples in Simpler.

Sheluser is correct that going for the Suite gives you a LOT of extra sound possibilities, with the Operator and ANalog synths, Sampler, and then some physical modelling devices (Tension - models strings, Electric - models electric pianos/tines, Latin Percussion and Collision etc plus Drum Machines, a collection of multisampled drum machines such as the Roland 808 and 909, Oberheim DMX, Boss DR55, Linn etc. which works great in drum racks.

Otherwise, if you have a decent vst/au collection of synths already, you can save some cash if the Suite add-ons don't appeal to you.