Live 6 multiple instances, never said thanks...

mikemc · Post by **mikemc** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 4:23 pm

I can run two instances of Live 6! And sync them. This is so cool, thanks Ableton.

Why is this cool? For one, it is cool because I can load up two sets at once and go from one to the other. I can play both at once, sync them. (Can't load while one is playing, though, sound hiccups, this seems likely due to lower level interrupt issues).

I'm not so much into the voluminous sets, I think of the sets as songs or frameworks I build on, so this is why I'm happy about this.

It is cool because I can use one as a kind of "synth framework" to put midi into and the other as a "set framework" to play beats/trigger clips out of.

ethios4 · Post by **ethios4** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 4:44 pm

Just saw that in Preferences the other day....nice!
Funny that no one's mentioned this yet, considering how many people were pushing for it in v5.

The v6 update has been so massive, I've actually learned a lot from reading the manual again. The file management tools rock my world!!

Spiralgroove · Post by **Spiralgroove** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 4:46 pm

you can sync them to each other?
what!?!

mikemc · Post by **mikemc** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 4:59 pm

Spiralgroove wrote:you can sync them to each other?
what!?!

More accurately, one to the other, but yes.

Spiralgroove · Post by **Spiralgroove** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 5:01 pm

it does it automatically or what?

cant wait to mess w/ that...

mikemc · Post by **mikemc** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 5:01 pm

ethios4 wrote: The v6 update has been so massive, I've actually learned a lot from reading the manual again. The file management tools rock my world!!

ha, yeh

it is funny how that works. The Abes might save considerable effort by releasing v7 as 'too complicated to explain briefly, must read the manual' and not actually *adding any* new features.

anti-banausic · Post by **anti-banausic** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 6:27 pm

Yes,

A little more info on the syncing, as I will have to try this later on tonight. Do you mean by pressing the space bar in time, or is it through time-clock/MIDI or whatever?

Thanks in advance.
AB

LOFA · Post by **LOFA** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 7:30 pm

This news just changed a dynasty of dirty diapers.

mikemc · Post by **mikemc** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 7:41 pm

anti-banausic wrote:Yes,

A little more info on the syncing, as I will have to try this later on tonight. Do you mean by pressing the space bar in time, or is it through time-clock/MIDI or whatever?

Thanks in advance.
AB

Through MIDI sync, yes, as I described. [edit] didn't really describe it, did I ? thought I did: what I recall i did was MIDI sync out from the primary to midi sync in on the secondary, using a 'virtual MIDI cable/yoke', clicking the "ext" button on the secondary, the little metronome lites flash in time. Space bar will start the one with window focus only, I think. I'll set it up again later as well and write up the exact description in this thread now that so many diapers have been soiled

. I think it also sees the other Live app as a rewire master.

corygilbert · Post by **corygilbert** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 8:05 pm

how did i miss this?
thanks mike.

mikemc · Post by **mikemc** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 11:55 pm

corygilbert wrote:how did i miss this?
thanks mike.

sure thing-- here's the precise set up:

0) In Preferences under "Look Feel", set "Allow Multiple Instances" to yes.
1) You are now in 'instance 1'. In preferences, set MIDI sync output to your MIDI cable/yoke software.
2) Start instance 2 In preferences, set MIDI sync input to the same MIDI cable/yoke software.
3) Click "EXT" in the instance 2 toolbar.
4) Start instance 1. Instance 2 starts in sync.

You'll need to resize windows, etc, to make them fit side by side on the screen.

DeadlyKungFu · Post by **DeadlyKungFu** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 12:00 am

Could be a cool Live 6 performance test, run the Live 5 test TWICE.

melocoton · Post by **melocoton** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 12:12 am

Wow, this is kinda like Dual Monitor support. Sorta

Can you drag stuff from one to the other? I'm too lazy to try it for myself at the moment. Is there a lot of additional processor overhead or pretty much just whatever the song normally is times two?

The more I think about this the more I'm annoyed that they can't let us split the Session and Arrange out into separate monitors

melocoton · Post by **melocoton** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 12:15 am

And as I think about it even more this just seems like a crazy useless feature. Let's see, should we allow the user to open two projects at once? No wait, I know — let's make them open two separate instances of the app and sync them together

But maybe I'm missing something here. Please enlighten me.

mikemc · Post by **mikemc** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 2:10 am

I'd agree it's not a 'primary' feature and not as widely useful as many other features. It depends on your workflow as to how useful you see it being. I tend to think of a set as a track with some empty parts that I will improvise into, not so much a whole night's worth of music, so I see it as giving me more available choices. I don't think there is a sense of "making them do something", more the opposite, it provides another use mode.

I'm not sure how many instances you can start at once, but I think that several could be started to have 'at hand' without too much cpu overhead, I'm willing to experiment to find out what that is.

It is kind of 2x regarding CPU, I'm not on dualcore, which may do better with balancing the load.

I'd guess there are a bunch of conflicting things that you could probably do in this setup to screw things up, that are ill advised-- for example, I'm not sure what happens if you load an identical set in each one and try to save it in one or the other.

There are potential advantages between splitting the work between two processes in a multitasking operating system, and moreso on a dualcore. You cannot drag and drop between the two. If you are using envelopes to automate other stuff, also, you can have one set for those in one instance and one for music in the other.