Ableton + Real Mixer

Tommysham · Post by **Tommysham** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 7:28 pm

I was wondering is someone can tell me how i can use my mixer with ableton

mercyplease · Post by **mercyplease** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 8:56 pm

get a sound card with multiple outs
send single tracks to outputs from your live mixes
give your self a treat with real faders and a warmer sound
providing your not using a total crap mixer

Tommysham · Post by **Tommysham** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 5:18 pm

Ok...the problem is that i can't assign any midi controller...i have a gemini pmx 04...please help me

smutek · Post by **smutek** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 5:38 pm

Tommysham wrote:Ok...the problem is that i can't assign any midi controller...i have a gemini pmx 04...please help me

To assign to a midi controller you will first need a midi controller. The gemini pmx 04 is a dj mixer.

Ritzi Lee · Post by **Ritzi Lee** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 5:40 pm

Ok, I understand you like to use Ableton Live as a DJ tool in combination with the DJ mixer. Then you still have to get an audio interface with a minimum of 2 stereo. And for instance combine it with an Evolution DJ-X-Session or something for controlling Live.

Tommysham · Post by **Tommysham** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 7:16 pm

The mixer is working...it show the track you are playing in Live...but I can't control it from the mixer...for example i can't turn down the Low or the Mid of each track.

difference · Post by **difference** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 7:29 pm

Tommysham wrote:The mixer is working...it show the track you are playing in Live...but I can't control it from the mixer...for example i can't turn down the Low or the Mid of each track.

That's right. You can't.

This is someone on a wind up, right?

Tommysham · Post by **Tommysham** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 7:33 pm

Are you sure??? because I see some videos in youtube with guys mixing with the support of the pc...

Komplex · Post by **Komplex** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 11:34 pm

^ they're faking it.

Briden · Post by **Briden** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 11:38 pm

no, they aren't faking it.

you can set up live to output audio to more than one channel, and send it to seperate channels on your mixer, then use the mixer to control levels and EQ.

what you can't do, is trigger clips, adjust SOFTWARE settings (like for example the EQ3), or anything like that. for that you will still have to use the mouse, but you CAN use a regular mixer with ableton in this way.

Komplex · Post by **Komplex** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 11:56 pm

Briden wrote:no, they aren't faking it.

Tommysham · Post by **Tommysham** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 7:59 am

I don't think they are faking it because here in Italy in a famous radio program called m2o the djs use Ableton and a real mixer for mixng in their radio spot.
Now i'll post step by step wht i do

1-I switch on the power
2-I connet the white rca cable into one channel and the second into the other channel
3-I connect the only jack into my audio card and i set it like "line out"
4-I open Ableton and I "set 1 Audio" with this feature: Audio from(ext.in-1/2),
Audio to (ext.out-2)
5-Then I set Audio 2: Audio from(ext.in-1/2), Audio to (Ext.out-1)

Please help me!!!

Patch · Post by **Patch** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 11:33 am

Looks like you've got a soundcard with 1 stereo in and 1 stereo out, and your splitting the single stereo out to 2 mono outs. This is fine - but to use your DJ mixer you'll need a splitter. This splits your single stereo out from your sound card to 2 mono outs (like the Ipod connectors you can buy that let you plug 2 pairs of headphones into a single Ipod).

Then, you need 2 cables that have a 3.5 jack on one end, and twin phono/rca on the other (the red/white ones that you've already mentioned).

Now - pan one of your channels in live hard left, and the other hard right. Select the hard left channel, and set Ext Out 1. Select the hard right channel and set Ext Out 2.

What you now have, is two sets of phono/rca leads, with each one representing a channel in live - just like having 2 turntables. Plug 'em into your mixer (White=left, Red=Right). Now all your mixer controls should work as normal.

BUT WAIT! Are you using speakers that are connected to your computer? Or connected to your DJ mixer??? For the above method to work you HAVE to have the the audio coming out of your DJ mixer straight to your speakers.

chrysalis33rpm · Post by **chrysalis33rpm** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 12:03 pm

Tommysham, what you don't understand is the difference between a regular DJ mixer and a midi control surface (which can also be a DJ mixer, but not necessarily).

You have a regular DJ mixer. It will not control any of the settings on the SOFTWARE.

However, you can use your EQ and faders to affect the audio coming out of your soundcard and going to your speakers, just like you would do with turntables or CD players. In this case, you want a soundcard with at least 2 stereo outs.

The signal path goes ABLETON to SOUNDCARD to DJ MIXER to SPEAKERS.

A midi control surface is physical knobs and faders which send messages to the computer to change the values in the software. Again, that's not what you have, but it's what a lot of people use with Ableton. OK?

smutek · Post by **smutek** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 1:48 pm

Call me cynical, paranoid, whatever - but there's a big part of me that is reasonably certain that Tommy Sham is running a Sham on us....

I started getting suspicious after the second time it was explained to him that he needs a midi controller for midi control....

Anyway, don't mind me.

Carry on.