Map multiple MIDI controllers to same functions for same Set

[piotto]

Hi!
I Dj around with ONE main Live Set.

To avoid flying mixers and heavy equipment around, I often use the gear which i find available on spot.

Everytime I change my MIDI controllers though, I have to re-map all the functions from scratch (filters, effects, samples, EQ...)
Examples: DN-X1700, Xone 4D, Nocturn, Trigger Finger, customized Apc and so on...)

The thing that gets me crazy is to have to REMAP (reassign) everything from scratch everytime I change controllers...
(Of course that happens for the audio interfaces too, but in a way that is a simpler process than remapping all of the MIDI controls)

Is there a way to save different "gear configurations" for one unique Ableton Live Set?

Thanks much

[JuanSOLO]

my guess would be, IF at all possible to save the maps for various controllers. For example, my novation Remote SL61, is capable of exporting a file. Same goes for some Korg controllers. APC40, does not.

HOWEVER, what if you created identical sets to pair with various controllers.

So you have an APC40 set, mapped to an AP40
You have a Novation Set mapped to some Novation stuff.

Everytime you use a different controller on your identical set, Save out a version mapped for that controller. This paired with what I said above. Should at least ease the task some of the time.

[S4racen]

And if you use the manage files option and export all files to library you'll avoid having duplicates of things on your harddrive....

Cheers
D

[piotto]

Thanks for the quick answer.

I have already tried to save a DN-X1700 set, a Xone 4D set, an APC set, and so forth...

But my "current" session is not "static" though.
I keep adding files, cuts, underlying textures to it...

So, when I re-open a previous saved Set, it will not have all of the last material I have updated from its last opening to the present.

Is there maybe a way to "update" all of the different Set versions, once you modify the original "current" Set"?
S4racen mentions the files option export all files but I'm a bit lost...!!

Thanks much

[S4racen]

Is there maybe a way to "update" all of the different Set versions, once you modify the original "current" Set"?
S4racen mentions the files option export all files but I'm a bit lost...!!

No sorry, the manage files option you'll find in the Live Menu, you can then Manage Project and export all of the presets for devices, the audio files etc. used by the template to the library so they can be easily used by every other template.

Their is no master template / children option in Live however ALS files can be opened from Lives browser and then expanded to allow just clips to be copied out into your different templates, i do this all the time with my mega set when i've made a change....

Cheers
D

[Coupe70]

Well, you could program your different controllers to output similar
MIDI data. So you could change controllers, but the MIDI data Live
receives will always be the same and match the one mapping you made
for all of your controllers.

Another way would be to work with ClyphX clips and the rack functionality
of ClyphX. You can have a simple text file with variables in ClyphX - so
you can have different configurations in different text files.
Just check out the ClyphX manual to find out if it's for you:
http://beatwise.proboards.com/index.cgi ... thread=716

[piotto]

Their is no master template / children option in Live however ALS files can be opened from Lives browser and then expanded to allow just clips to be copied out into your different templates, i do this all the time with my mega set when i've made a change....

thanks s4arcen, i'll give it a try!
we should put this master/children option as a next release improvement/wish!

Another way would be to work with ClyphX clips and the rack functionality
of ClyphX. You can have a simple text file with variables in ClyphX - so
you can have different configurations in different text files.

Coupe70: wow, i do use ClyphX, it helps me so much with my keyboard shortcuts, it's simply great!
I'm excited now! What do you really mean by "different configurations in different files"?
Like to duplicate some "Clyphxes" in the Set and assign the different controllers to them?
So it will be like having all controllers possibly working at the same time, and therefore using them working on different MIDI channels?

[Which is kind of the opposite suggestions you gave in the first part of your post (programming different controllers to output to the same MIDI data), which will be likely very hard to achieve, and a lot of programming, and difficult to set-up on a new controller on-the-fly]

Thanks much for your inputs!

[Coupe70]

Coupe70: wow, i do use ClyphX, it helps me so much with my keyboard shortcuts, it's simply great!
I'm excited now! What do you really mean by "different configurations in different files"?

Well, ClyphX let's you work with variables. Variables does not only mean values/numbers, but
also commands. These variables are stored in a certain text file. If you exchange this text file
with another one (containing different values&commands) you can change the behaviour of ClyphX
clips without changing anything in your Live set. That was my main point, haven't thought about
how excately this could help you. Or if...

Like to duplicate some "Clyphxes" in the Set and assign the different controllers to them?
So it will be like having all controllers possibly working at the same time, and therefore using them working on different MIDI channels?

You could have one track with all the ClyphX clips mapped to one controller.
Copy that track, map the clips on this track to another controller and so on.
So you would have all the mappings for all controllers in one set.
Different MIDI channels would be an option to avoid conflicts.

[Which is kind of the opposite suggestions you gave in the first part of your post (programming different controllers to output to the same MIDI data), which will be likely very hard to achieve, and a lot of programming, and difficult to set-up on a new controller on-the-fly]

Yes, my other suggestion is facing the task from the other side.
If mapping the new ClyphX track or reprogramming the controller is easier and faster
depends on the controller i would say...

Third option would be to have one mapping in Live and using Bome MIDI translator
to translate the MIDI data from the different controllers to this one mapping.
Could be one template for each controller or one big template for all controllers.
Free version of Bome should be ok for this.

[piotto]

awesome! thanks Coupe70!
the third option is very interesting! a kind of interpreter in the middle!
i'll dig into it and eventually post back any way-out.

thank ya'll for your precious help and time, big up

[Coupe70]

awesome! thanks Coupe70!
the third option is very interesting! a kind of interpreter in the middle!
i'll dig into it and eventually post back any way-out.

Yeah, please post back.
You can also PM me if you get stuck, I'm always interested in discussing
such workflow puzzles. I had a quick look at Bome and would say that mapping
a new controller to a new ClyphX track might be faster and does not
need any additional tools, but with Bome it is all very clearly arranged
and does not clutter up your live set. A matter of taste...