Using my RM1X with Ableton

scottwallis · Post by **scottwallis** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 7:48 pm

Hi

I would like to know if i can use my yamaha rm1x along with ableton....and if i can then 1. How do i do it? 2. Is it worth doing? 3. What would be the benefits of doing this?

The thing is when i started with production i used my rm1x, then after a few years bought my stucdio PC....everything now is computer based, obviously i have a midi keyboard etc but its all softsynths, plug ins im using at moment.

Now though im wanting to get a bit more hands on and ive been thinking of getting a midi controller, my mates been using the behringer bcr 2000 and thats wicked, he uses it for djing with but i think it could easily be itegrated into a studio set up.....anyhow i was wondering if i could use my rm1x as a midi controller..plus what else could i do with it side by side with ableton...........could i like make sounds in it then send em to ableton...???

Im into electro house music........even if i could set it up for my percussion then send the parts to a track i ableton....or sync it somehow u know??

Any advice would be great......thanks in advance

S

RePeter · Post by **RePeter** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 8:39 pm

the RM1x rocks.... still use two together to control visual sequences!

you can use it as a controller in live but it is a bit limited.

only 4 of the knobs transmit midi, the other 4 are hard wired to sequencing tricks in the RM1x itself.

and there is little point in using the internal sequencer to trigger clips, since ableton has can do all this itself.

you can still have some fun with it though... like live, it's built to play with and have fun with....

Lo-Fi Massahkah · Post by **Lo-Fi Massahkah** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 9:13 pm

Synced to Live you could use the RM1x sequencer instead of:

a) programming your sequences

b) playing your sequences on a keyboard

I guess it's a matter of preference. But step sequencing tends to be rather "hands-on". Something a lot of soft synth users ask for.

-M

mediashow · Post by **mediashow** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 2:49 am

I use the two all time, both ways, midi in midi out, the step sequencer, whats really fun is using the preset midi patterns and sending them to simpler/ or Operator patches that are out of context to start new ideas, you know the spark of inspriration. The RM1x also is a great GM sound module which can help take load off your CPU when running to many samples in live. Even though the RM1 keypad isn't velocity sencetive I like using it for bass grooves, Today it's all about mix and matching your gear that you have access to, to get your own sound. They work together and its Fun, what do you got to loose? Your Record Deal?

Johnisfaster · Post by **Johnisfaster** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 3:01 am

to be honost i always thought the rm1x sounds were just awful. you can layer them and make them good if you spend alot of time but if I'm gonna layer stuff up I'd much rather be using something that has alot more flexibility of sounds. it's like a machine that ecourages you to blend sounds but doesn't give you a whole lot of power in doing so.

thats just my mind though, I've heard good stuff done with it. but to me I just never could get into it. the drums were flat sounding. the synths were thin sounding. some of the clap sounds sounded like wet cardboard.
bleh...

GREAT SEQUENCER THOUGH! thats the thing. I dig the sequencer. I just hate the sounds.

freqn · Post by **freqn** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 1:17 pm

I realized today that you can map each note button of the rm1x
to trigger clips in live whether they be loops or whatever. Thats 26 total buttons to individually map to launch clips in live, or whatever else you may want to use them for. It would be nice if all the knobs were mappable.

scottwallis · Post by **scottwallis** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 7:43 pm

Thanks for the advice guys,i think im a litle clearer now what the rm1x can do....when synced wit ableton...!!

Im still not sure whether its still worth using it with ableton, because i would need more than 4 controllable midi knobs for controlling stuff like cut off etc, although it would be a start....And yeah it does offer me a more hands on approach whch is always good.

Im still unsure of the concept of using the sequencer in my rm1x with ableton though..im going to study these posts see if i can suss it out!!!

Cheers for the help

Scott

Komplex · Post by **Komplex** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 3:55 am

all the knobs are mappable guys, jump into pattern mode and hit the setup button twice, there you can assign your knobs to whatever parameter you want...

Komplex · Post by **Komplex** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 3:56 am

and that means you get 16 X 8 knobs. so 8 knobs and 26 buttons per midi channel (or 127 buttons if you use octave up/down), and u can switch channels nice and quick on the rm1x. now that i think about it, you can do some great stuff with this unit as a controller! thanx for reminding me

freqn · Post by **freqn** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 10:35 pm

I was fortunate enough to pick up a RM1X on ebay for only $150 last year, and in mint condition cosmetically and functionally, with the manuals, original box, and groove disks!!! I guess I logged on at the very moment the person listed it at a buy it now price. pretty crazy. I guess he was desperate for quick cash.

scottwallis · Post by **scottwallis** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 10:57 pm

Cool

Thats a great deal....i payed around 600 for mine about 5 or so years ago i think it was, when they came out.....used to love playing with it. I never really had the know how to really take it to its limits which i why im so keen to use it again.....

I do all my stuff in ableton now and was thinking of buying a controller but thanks to the guys on this forum im starting to get an idea how my rm1x can still come in handy...

Although i must admit there are a couple of things i dont understand. but i suppose its just case of working away u know!!

I think you can make sounds in it, then send it to ableton if im picking this up correctly.....also could be used for for making percussion loops.

Im not to sure on the sequencing part though and how it can take weight off my cpu............i wonder if u can actually use ableton to make a midi pattern then send that to the rm1x and work on it from there, surely if you could though then u could only use the sounds in rm1x on that synth...Doh im a dummy i know..sure ill figure it out!!

Scott

b0unce · Post by **b0unce** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 11:05 pm

If I had one - I'd ignore the onboard sounds completely, and just use it for making midi sequences sent to Ableton, record as session clips, and/or control your vsts. Or other gear, but at any rate as a tactile means of making grooves, using ableton's session view & clips to store, arrange, and rearrange

DJlogik · Post by **DJlogik** » Tue May 12, 2015 10:59 pm

Old forum repsonses, but I thought I'd share a thought or two here. I've been using live since version 3, and had an RM1x since '99. I found it invaluable as a bit of kit for the longest time, and frankly it has the best hardware sequencer I've ever used. Laptops are far more prone to packing it in on stage than hardware, and it's all too easy to often overlook this. Sometimes having a bit of kit on stage that you can play off of while your macbook recovers from whatever hell they did to Mavericks and Yosemitie that causes it to freeze or lose USB connectivity sorts itself out. LOL. I bring two laptops to gigs now because of this.

Yes, you can use it with Live as you can with any MIDI controller. However, it is not a DAW interface, it is musical hardware. Using it to trigger loops, or as rotary control knobs or just transport control is a massive waste.

I use it often as a quick sketchpad to lay down a sequence using grid editing, send the data to ableton, and then I can replace the patch assigned to the midi notes, or use an audio track to record the audio out on it.

People commonly criticize the RM1x for sounds, and I did too when I was younger. It's foolish however, because you can edit it, it has 16 note polyphony, editable LFOs, and real time FX chains. So that's like criticising the alphabet for only having a mere 26 characters when there are so many ideas out there that need to be expressed. Honestly, it's laziness is what it is. People want exactly the sound they expect when first sitting down, not realizing for a second that there are other humans out there that might want different sounds, so what you get is a basic building kit, and frankly, as far as hardware goes, this came with well over 1000 sounds, all of which can be tweaked and run through FX chains without any noticeable lag, which was REMARKABLE for the time, and still means that nobody out there really making production music will ever be able to explore them all in a meaningful way.

Same with live's built in Operator. People moan that the sounds aren't great, but they never bother learning to use the synth controls. It's really very silly, because you pay a great deal of money for that, and it's incredibly powerful.

Honestly, it's worth picking up, and sitting down with the manual and actually learning how to use it, and how to manipulate midi data with it, as well as how to properly understand the tone generator and FX chains. But if you're looking for a DAW control, this is the WRONG way to go. Pick up an APC, Launchpad or Push instead, and you'll be a lot happier.

The RM1x is old, but still viable, and still in use by some pretty great electronic acts. It was the workhorse powering older groups like Apollo Four Forty, Simian Sound Source, Darude, and even Faithless and Dido used it.

The power of combining a hardware sequencer with ableton's interface cannot be overstated. It's just amazing what you can do.

Now that being said, if you're not into old hardware, I might pick up a trigger finger pro these days (2015) instead, but I have both and the RM1x still sits on my desk right beside me and gets regular use.

I have had it long enough I've had to replace the LEDs and switches, but it still going strong.

Happy music making!

<3

Using my RM1X with Ableton

Using my RM1X with Ableton

Re: Using my RM1X with Ableton