Rock band using Ableton for backing tracks

[styxcb]

Hello,

My band has been using ProTools to play our live tracks for years and want to make the switch to Ableton because of it's dynamic timeline abilities.

Here are some of the things we've used ProTools for:

- play to a click
- play multiple channels of audio to enhance our sound live
- switch my guitar sounds and pedals via MIDI CC and program changes
- control our lighting show with MIDI dimmers

This all seems very easy in Ableton, but the reason for the switch is to be able to trigger an indefinite loop in the middle of a song and then exit the loop on command. Can the timeline trigger this loop rather than an external source?

The one thing that confuses me about Ableton is Session and Arrangement view. Arrangement view seems to be just like ProTools, but Session view works very differently. Are they two separate DAWs under one roof? Can they work together to make a full concert or do I have to stick with one view for the whole show? I'm planning on having one Set for all 8 songs.

Thanks for your time,

Steve

[rbmonosylabik]

The way I'd do it is using Session View and Follow Actions. Check the manual for those.

The idea is splitting your backing tracks in, for example, 3 parts: Main, Loop, and End. Then you'd set up your follow actions so the Main part plays for as many bars as needed, and when done automatically start playing the Loop. Then you could set up a midi controller for someone in the band to push a button or key so the arrangement jumps to the End when needed.

The downside is that Session view isn't as graphic about where in the arrangement you are (unlike Arrangement view or ProTools), but once you learn how Session view works and know your tracks it isn't an issue.

[styxcb]

This is definitely something I should explore.

ShelLuser, I should mention that I'm using Ableton EXCLUSIVELY for our live show, so recording stuff doesn't apply. It all has to doing with the program's play functions.

rbmonosylabik, The Follow Actions thing is interesting. Can I take the long waveforms that I expoted in ProTools and chop them up in Ableton to make the Main, Loop, and End clips you mentioned?

Thanks!

[rbmonosylabik]

Yeah, that's the idea. Render your music out of ProTools, load into Live's Session View. There you can make 3 copies of each audio and use the clip's Start, End and Loop markers to do the parts splitting. You could do this over many tracks if you need your backing tracks to be multitrack, and use MIDI clips automation to do the lights sequencing.

[styxcb]

Cool....and how about for multiple Program Changes at key moments in each song? I need that to change patches on my Eventide pedals.

It was very easy to do this in ProTools.....I would go to the part I wanted the switch and program one. Is there any way to integrate Arrangement view into this "Main, Loop, End" setup or is Session View the only way to trigger indefinite loops?

If I can solve the MIDI CC and Program Change problem, then I am set!

[rbmonosylabik]

I haven't worked much with Live and external intruments, but Clips can send Program Change when launching a clip. You could sequence the Program Changes you need this way.