Novation Impulse enhanced scripts -live performance and arm

[mbakirov]

Hi!

Since having Novation Impulse I've been desperate that there is no way to use it for specifying which tracks to record.

So as Live9 scripts are now opened I decided to try modifying the scripts.
I have no idea of how to program Ableton and python so I just stated moving forward the direction.

So far by analyzing the scripts I've added an option to swicth on or of overdub button on Shift+Rec.

Yes, did you know that Ableton scripts can use Shift button? for example in arrangement view, shift - forward sends you to the last known point and shift+ back send you to the beginning.

So my hope is that I could make recording the tracks you want and I think we can put this on shift+mute buttons. But this all requires extra work and extra investigation.

mostly works for Live 9 and Live 10.

Enjoy!
-------------------
UPDATE
here is the latest source
https://github.com/maratbakirov/Ableton ... n_Impulse2

to download - go here
Ableton 10:
https://github.com/maratbakirov/Ableton ... /_releases

Ableton 9:
https://github.com/maratbakirov/Ableton ... /_releases
Novation_Impulse2_9_1.zip is for older versions
Novation_Impulse2.zip
is for newer versions



UPDATE2:

current version
the functionaliity is kinda stabilized. I've done all that was easy

It might not work well on Novation Impulse 25 as the original scripts were recreated not very well and I do not have impulse 25 to test the stuff.

I think the script is powerfull enough already.

Current Features
Shift + Mixer button 9 = Automation record on/off
Shift + Rec = Metronome on/off
Shift + PLay = Undo
Shift + Stop = Stop all clips
Shift + track mixer button = rec this track..
Mixer button 9 = OverDub
Shift + Clip buttons are now clip stop.

new from 2014.04.12
Shift + Ffwd/Back buttons are now device scrollers - they pick next or previous device in the chain.

new from 2016.10.02
Now if the only one track is armed, it automatically gets selected

new from 2016.10.16
Shift + Loop button enters "alternative mode". for now the only difference is that the mixer buttons are permanently assigned to "ARM" mode (like shift is always pressed).
this helps with changing instruments on the fly during performance when only one hand is available.

Planned features:

add support for toggling arrangement overdub

[mbakirov]

ok fixed few bugs and now mixer button number 9 is assigned to arm selected track!

please test and send me the list of bugs.

apparently the sources provided were decompiled for a more mature version of python. I had to change a lot of thingsto make basic stuff work.

now all looks ok except that when you change the selected track it is not automatically set to arm.

BUT! you can arm it with button 9 on the mixer and moreover you can see the light of the button as a status of current track.

you can get the scripts at the same place.

enjoy!

[mbakirov]

moved here
https://github.com/maratbakirov/Ableton ... n_Impulse2

[mbakirov]

fixed few bugs.
I am desperate as no one commeting this thread.
Anyone needs an extra control on Impulse?
Should I continue my work?

[The Northern Contingent]

Yes please! I've got an Impulse and have been desperate for this functionality - I can't believe you've managed to do it! I raised this over on the Novation forum and, although Novation got back to me promising they would look into it, haven't heard anything since.

I'm away from home at the moment, so can't try it out till tomorrow, but I'll post back up here as soon as I have chance.

Thank you!!!!!!

PS - Just read that you have asked if there is any other functionality people need. Can I be cheeky and ask if you could work out a way of transposing the drum pad notes more easily than on the current setup? At the moment, you have to move each note one by one which isn't very conducive to an effective workflow with Ableton's Drum Racks. It would be much better to be able to shift the Impulse's drum pads in banks of, say eight notes at a time up and down as you needed to.

Thanks again - can't wait to try this!

[mbakirov]

Well, I an not sure that what you asking would be easy.
this will require me to write a MIDI interceptor.
Right now the logic is much simpler - it assigns faders and buttons to ableton functions.
there is a framework that can do it automatically.

I was thinking about functions, putting functions from Nocturn Gulie script. It seems these functions are essential for recording.
1) in clip mode. Shift + drumpad stops the approprate clip.
2) Shift + Master fader = cue volume.
3) Shift + mixer buttons - record the aprropriate track.

4)buttons left for possible assignments with shift operations.
rec, loop, play, stop. Maybe Button 9 of the mixer. We could get rid of record selected track if we manage to make all mixer buttons to be record buttons in Shift mode.
Additional functions
Overdub on/off, metronome on/off, stop all clips, automation arm.

I was thinking of assignments
Shift + Rec - overdub on/ off.
Shift + Stop - stop all clips.
Shift + Loop - automation arm
Shift + Play - metronome on/off.

I do not see much sence in punch in / punch out.

Could be also useful to have session/recording mode. But there are no more buttons actually. We could use Shift +Mixer button9. But I am not sure this is a right assignment.

Unfortunately to make Shift+Loop work I need to do a major refactoring - ?combine two components together.

What do you think on priorities of the tasks (1-2-3-4)?

[mbakirov]

New version.

Features

Shift + Rec = Overdub

Mixer button 9 - arm selected track

Shift changes mixer buttons to be arm the specific track button.
!!!Yes, arm any of 8 tracks, just press Shift!!!

Known issues
1) After moving track with Shift+Track and sometimes in other cases (like bankup/down) buttons are not returned to initial condition.
Workaround - press and release Shit again.
2) Pressin shift + (mutes/solos) flip button leds to unpredictable results.
Workaround - do not do that, if you have done that, just press and release shift.


Thinking of future features.

I think that we would better use button 9 (as it has a light) for showing overdub and showing automation arm.
Other candidate would be metronome, but....
You can easy hear if metronome is on or off without looking at the display, as for overdub it would be handy to have an indicator on the button.

Do not expect other features soon as to move further i need to do some refactorings - move shift handler and shift flag to the main class, and also combine ShiftableTransportComponent and TransportViewModeSelector. Otherwise it would be very hard to implement handling of loop button.

Any other ideas?

[mbakirov]

ALL THIS MESSAGE IS JUST FUTURE THOUGHT, it is not implemented yet!

just thought that we also need to fit an "undo" button somewhere.

so could someone order the functions by popularity and add some other ideas ?

Undo

overdub on/ off.
automation arm

metronome on/off
stop all clips.
switch session/arrangmenet

we have 6 free buttons. so far it fits but we could have problems later on if we want to add something else .

6 free buttons are
Mixer 9 button
Shift + Mixer 9 button
Shift + Stop
Shift + Play
Shift + Rec
Shift + Loop


I am thinking of mappings.

mixer9 - overdub
Shift + Mixer 9 - automation arm
Shift + Stop - stop all clips.


Shift+Rec - metronome on/off (as metronome has much to do with recording)
Shift + Loop switch session/arrangement (as loop is the button that also changes in this case)
Shift + play Undo (as play is like backspace but turned opposite)

what do you guys think - will this be intuitive?

and yes, we are sacrificing arm selected track which is currently available. But having arm buttons on Shift, this button is not that much needed.

another parallel feature - Shift + drum pad in clip mode - stop the selected clip.

Thank you!

[The Northern Contingent]

Hi - I know this is a dumb question but how do I download the files?

[mbakirov]

https://github.com/maratbakirov/Ableton ... oteScripts

there is a button on a right - download zip.

there are all scripts but just take novationimpulse2

[The Northern Contingent]

Hi - just wanted to say that the script is wonderful - thank you. I can't quite believe Novation failed to put this functionality in themselves but there you go. The SHIFT + Track Number record arm works a dream. In answer to your thoughts above, I agree that the SHIFT + Track 9 button to arm selected track is well worth sacrificing to make way for something else (like overdub for example). Having the ability to record arm the track via the mixer is very intuitive and works well.

I have bookmarked this thread to be notified of any further developments you make. I'd like to say (again) a big thank you for all your hard work with this - your scripts are unlocking what I wanted the Impulse to do when I bought it. Cheers!

[mbakirov]

new version.

Fixes
1) fixed disconnection - appropiate SYSEX was not called and Impulse did not disconnect.
2) There was a bug when Impulse has always moved faders and clips to the last bank when there was more than 8 tracks.

Additions
Mixer button 9 is now Overdub.
Shift+Clip button in clip mode is a clip stop.

Known issues that are not possible to fix
After moving tracks or banks with shift+smth shift is considered to be pressed.
the reason is that Impulse does not send a ShiftOff message after these operations. This cannot be fixed in a script, this is in Impulse hardware level.
Pressin shift + (mutes/solos) flip button leds to unpredictable results.


Workaround for all this is to press Shift on and off one extra time.

Enjoy!

[mbakirov]

Can I be cheeky and ask if you could work out a way of transposing the drum pad notes more easily than on the current setup? At the moment, you have to move each note one by one which isn't very conducive to an effective workflow with Ableton's Drum Racks. It would be much better to be able to shift the Impulse's drum pads in banks of, say eight notes at a time up and down as you needed to.

Thanks again - can't wait to try this!

in ableton on the drum rack you can press alt + up (on a computer keyboard) and your drum assignmens will change to the next row.
is this what you want?

[mbakirov]

Added

Shift + Play as undo button.

Shift + Stop is stop all clips button.

[eyeknow]

I just noticed this thread. I don't have live installed here on this new computer yet, but I'll check it out when I do!