Who uses this combination? What words of wisdom can you offer a newcomer?
I'm trying to get Live and guitar rig 2 to work together. So far things are going pretty well but I have a couple of issues.
I can get plugins to work and I have just figured out how to control GR2 via midi when it is plugin mode. BUT I am using an expression pedal with a Ground Control Pro and when I use it to control a wah parameter, I get crackles. I don't get the crackles when I am in GR2 standalone.
Also, even though I can hear the the wah sound in my audio track (where the plugin is sitting - which I am controlling via a midi track that is being routed to the audio track), it (the wah) is not being recorded onto the audio track. To get this to work I have to set up an additional audio track and route to this new track from the GR2 track. And then the sound seems muddy.
So my problems are twofold:
1) How to avoid crackly expression pedal interference when GR2 is in plugin mode?
2) How to record my manually controlled wah effect in my audio track?
Any help or contact with people doing similar things would be appreciated.
Guitar Rig 2 and Live
1/ Do you mean crackly audio? If so, this is probably due to your audio interface - what are you using? Change the buffer size in the Audio preferences to a higher value (which will mean higher latency, but you have to find a good balance point).
2/ You are quite right to have to set up another audio track to record the Wah effect. GR2 as a plugin is affecting the signal chain after the audio clip that you record on your original audio track if you see what I mean, so you will have to create the other audio track to record the 'Wet' signal.
Another thing i've noticed with GR2 (at least with my setup with a Behringer FCB1010 MIDI foot pedal) is that you have to set up the mapping of your foot pedal to controls in GR2 (eg. Next Preset) when in standalone mode - can't seem to do it when in plugin mode.
2/ You are quite right to have to set up another audio track to record the Wah effect. GR2 as a plugin is affecting the signal chain after the audio clip that you record on your original audio track if you see what I mean, so you will have to create the other audio track to record the 'Wet' signal.
Another thing i've noticed with GR2 (at least with my setup with a Behringer FCB1010 MIDI foot pedal) is that you have to set up the mapping of your foot pedal to controls in GR2 (eg. Next Preset) when in standalone mode - can't seem to do it when in plugin mode.
In this case, I'd think it's more than likely some form of USB issue (I presume you're using a USB MIDI interface?). Try disabling any network adapters and the like. Mac or Windows?fatrabbit wrote:1/ Do you mean crackly audio? If so, this is probably due to your audio interface - what are you using? Change the buffer size in the Audio preferences to a higher value (which will mean higher latency, but you have to find a good balance point).
Why not just resample the clip?2/ You are quite right to have to set up another audio track to record the Wah effect. GR2 as a plugin is affecting the signal chain after the audio clip that you record on your original audio track if you see what I mean, so you will have to create the other audio track to record the 'Wet' signal.
That's because Ableton only allows you to setup the first 128 parameters for automation from Live itself. GR has lots more than 128 parameters, and they all have fixed IDs. The OP's problem with assigning the wah is that the parameter's out of range as far as Live's concerned...Another thing i've noticed with GR2 (at least with my setup with a Behringer FCB1010 MIDI foot pedal) is that you have to set up the mapping of your foot pedal to controls in GR2 (eg. Next Preset) when in standalone mode - can't seem to do it when in plugin mode.
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Thanks for the replies.
I am using maudio's firewire solo. No pops or crackles from it before. I'll try playing with the buffer size though.
I am using a usb interface "mAudio Uno". I suppose its possible that this isn't transmitting the signal change quick enough and that's why the slight crackle when i pump the expression pedal. BUT it doesn't do it when GR2 is in standalone mode, only when it is a plugin.
I have been able to get GR2 to "learn" when in plugin mode. I'm using a Ground Control Pro though, not the Behringer.
Any suggestions as to why the "resampled" or routed clip sounds muddy in comparison to the original?
I am using maudio's firewire solo. No pops or crackles from it before. I'll try playing with the buffer size though.
I am using a usb interface "mAudio Uno". I suppose its possible that this isn't transmitting the signal change quick enough and that's why the slight crackle when i pump the expression pedal. BUT it doesn't do it when GR2 is in standalone mode, only when it is a plugin.
I have been able to get GR2 to "learn" when in plugin mode. I'm using a Ground Control Pro though, not the Behringer.
Any suggestions as to why the "resampled" or routed clip sounds muddy in comparison to the original?
The GR expression pedal problem is not a soundcard issue- it is a bug in Live that I discussed with Ableton tech support way back in the early days of Live 5, and has still not been fixed. I've gotten a "zipper noise" using GR expression pedals in Live on 3 different machines, 5 different interfaces (Firewire) and 2 different pedal boards. GR standalone works fine. It's definitely Live.
So the bug exists, but I do have a workaround (which I hate): every time you open Live, you need to go to your Audio preferences and raise the buffer to its highest setting. THEN pull it back down to your normal setting. For some reason this seems to "reset" something in Live and the problem goes away, until you quit Live. Very inconvenient, but it has worked for me. Weird that the audio buffer would affect a MIDI signal, but that seems to be the case. Hopefully this will get your wah pedal working for you. Afraid I don't have any problems with resampled audio quality, so I can't help with that one.
So the bug exists, but I do have a workaround (which I hate): every time you open Live, you need to go to your Audio preferences and raise the buffer to its highest setting. THEN pull it back down to your normal setting. For some reason this seems to "reset" something in Live and the problem goes away, until you quit Live. Very inconvenient, but it has worked for me. Weird that the audio buffer would affect a MIDI signal, but that seems to be the case. Hopefully this will get your wah pedal working for you. Afraid I don't have any problems with resampled audio quality, so I can't help with that one.
It works!
Thanks pbab, problem solved. Funny workaround but as long as it works.
Seeings as you appear to have some expertise in this, perhaps you could help me with another conundrum. I can control Live using my footpedals. I can control GR2 as a plugin using my footpedals. I cannot control Live and GR2 (in plugin mode) simultaenously via my footpedals. I'm not even sure how to figure out what midi channel GR2 is receiving on (my guess is omni) or how I might assign it a channel of my choosing.
Have you dealt with this?
Thanks again for your post.
Seeings as you appear to have some expertise in this, perhaps you could help me with another conundrum. I can control Live using my footpedals. I can control GR2 as a plugin using my footpedals. I cannot control Live and GR2 (in plugin mode) simultaenously via my footpedals. I'm not even sure how to figure out what midi channel GR2 is receiving on (my guess is omni) or how I might assign it a channel of my choosing.
Have you dealt with this?
Thanks again for your post.
It is possible to control both Live and GR-plugin simultaneously from the same foot controller, but the exact method depends on your particular footpedal and may require a 3rd party extension (I use MIDIpipe) to translate certain foot control signals (Live does not respond to MIDI Program Change, for example). It seems you are successfully sending expression pedal signals to GR, so the plugin apparently is receiving MIDI. I would suggest mapping your MIDI controls (distortion on/off, etc.) in GR standalone mode- it will remember these settings when you load as a plugin. Sorry I don't have a better answer, but since your expression signal is getting through, I don't know why other signals would not be. I'm not familiar with the Ground COntrol units.