Max/MSP & Ableton - How do I set it up?

JaySmuv · Post by **JaySmuv** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 7:45 pm

I just started playing with Max/MSP by going over the first ten or so tutorials. While I was doing this, I started messing with Native Mode on my padKONTROL. In Max, I am able to light up any of the LEDs, output to the LCD and receive Sysex.

Big thanks to Fat Elvis, Cera and Machinate.

Now what?

I didn't really get into the MIDI tutorials, because I don't have any hardware instruments and I can't seem to get MIDI from Max to Ableton. Is this possible? There was a tutorial on the Cycling 74 site, but that seemed to teach me to get audio from Max into Ableton and send MIDI from Ableton to Max.

I've setup Rewire (ad_rewire) in Max, although the MIDI setup thing is still confusing. When I run Ableton as master and Max as Slave, Ableton receives MIDI, but I can't send Sysex to the padKONTROL from Max (can't enter Native Mode). When I reverse it, Max can send Sysex to the padKONTROL, but Ableton doesn't receive anything.

What I want is for Max to be able to communicate with the padKONTROL (toggle Native Mode, turn on LEDs, modify LCD, etc) and then I want to receive Sysex from the padKONTROL in Max and send something to Ableton that can be used to trigger clips, toggle effects, etc. How do I set up Ableton to receive MIDI from Max?

slatepipe · Post by **slatepipe** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 8:30 pm

hi feller

im just starting to learn the basics of max too.. if you're on pc (i think you are) then you need to download midiyoke (google it) and then in your max settings you have to send the midi out to midiyokent1 and the midi from on a midi track in ableton to midyokent1 too, and turn monitor in to on.

this maybe isnt massively clear but im still at the early stages myself though it should help you on your way a bit

cheers

Michael Hatsis · Post by **Michael Hatsis** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 10:18 pm

Slatepipe is 100% right. But working with Native mode on the PK there is a bit more to it.
To get the pads to actually do something you have to tell max to send a message back to the pads. So you will need to take sysex from the pk then send one message to Live, then another to the pk ( port 1 ).
Also, port 2 on the pk, the pads send out notes, so you dont need to take in sysex and change to notes, you can just work with the notes sent out port 2.

JaySmuv · Post by **JaySmuv** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 7:56 pm

Thanks for the replies guys!

I actually downloaded MidiYoke, but I was having trouble wrapping my head around it. So I basically need to set up Max to output to MidiYoke1 and Ableton to input from MidiYoke1?

There's so much to do with Max that I feel like I'm trying to run before I can walk (sorry about the stupid cliche). I think I have to take the Native Mode stuff out of the equation and just try to send some simple MIDI notes back and forth.

Mike - I had forgotten about the notes going out on port 2. Those will work for the pads, but what about the encoders? Also, what about the setting knob? I'd eventually like to use that to control my tempo, because it is endless!

Thanks again!

Michael Hatsis · Post by **Michael Hatsis** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 8:58 pm

JaySmuv wrote:Thanks for the replies guys!

I actually downloaded MidiYoke, but I was having trouble wrapping my head around it. So I basically need to set up Max to output to MidiYoke1 and Ableton to input from MidiYoke1?

There's so much to do with Max that I feel like I'm trying to run before I can walk (sorry about the stupid cliche). I think I have to take the Native Mode stuff out of the equation and just try to send some simple MIDI notes back and forth.

Mike - I had forgotten about the notes going out on port 2. Those will work for the pads, but what about the encoders? Also, what about the setting knob? I'd eventually like to use that to control my tempo, because it is endless!

Thanks again!

What i have found so far is that only the pads and the x/y pad send out non sysex info on port 2. Everything else sends sysex on port 1 ( possibly 2 as well, I forget ). Im gonna get a lot deeper into this this week ( hopefully ). We'll see how it goes.

JaySmuv · Post by **JaySmuv** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 9:02 pm

What i have found so far is that only the pads and the x/y pad send out non sysex info on port 2.

I guess that makes sense, although I would think the encoders should be sending out something as well.

Im gonna get a lot deeper into this this week ( hopefully ).

I know that feeling, if only I could get a few hours to work on it with no interruptions...

Anyway, last night I was able to get Live and Max to communicate using MIDIYoke. I guees that also means I completed my first ever working Max patch!!

All it does is take MIDI in and then send the MIDI right back out, but it works!

I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

Michael Hatsis · Post by **Michael Hatsis** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 4:29 am

JaySmuv wrote:
What i have found so far is that only the pads and the x/y pad send out non sysex info on port 2.

I guess that makes sense, although I would think the encoders should be sending out something as well.
/quote]

yeah, all encoders send sysex out port I, the Main encoder sends out a message for increment and one for decrement. Youll see after a while that everything ( sysex strings ) are all 9 bytes long...usually you just change bytes 6,7, & 8 as the rest are the same. so a max patch usually starts off with a sysexin object, to a match object, to an unpack object, then you can bang some kind of message to Live and if you want feedback on the PK send a message to that as well.

peace,
Mike

JaySmuv · Post by **JaySmuv** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 9:13 pm

I managed to get a lot of work in this weekend. I now have my pads set up such that when they are triggered once, they will stay lit until triggered again. This one was stumping me forever, for a while I had my match arguments backwards, so I kept toggling the last pad hit.

I then set up a quick Ableton scene with drum, bass and guitar loops and was triggering away. It was outstanding!

Unfortunately, I was having quite a few crashes during this time, so my euphoria didn't last. When it was finally way past my bedtime, the lights were working, but I could no longer trigger Ableton. I haven't had a chance to open it since then, but hopefully, it is something I can get resolved.

In Max, is there any way to lock in my MIDI settings? If I open Max without the padKONTROL on, all of my abbreviations and such get reset. I think that may have been the culprit for Ableton not triggering, because I had the same notein>noteout that I had used previously (unless I made a little, stupid error).

Also, more of a padKONTROL question, under Max and Live, I have (I think that is the name they have or it's something similarly generic):
USB MIDI Device
USB MIDI Device [2]
USB MIDI Device [3]

I have determined that number two is the padKONTROL, because I have that setup as Remote and such in Ableton. Are the other two normal? Do these have anything to do with Port I and Port II? I thought for a minute number three was the port two where the notes are sent when in Native Mode, but thinking about it now that may not make sense. Is there a way to get them to say something more relevant?

Thanks!