just saw Sasha use Ableton!!

Liquid Knight · Post by **Liquid Knight** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 11:31 am

Hey guys,

I just saw Sasha on his Involver Tour in Melbourne a couple of days ago. He was using Ableton, it was fantasic! Really crazy set. Anyways, he seemed to be using a G4 notebook, TC Fireworks effects unit, Allen & Heath Xone 62 or 92, and a U33-e contoller (and of course Ableton!!).

I was just wondering, how would it all be linked up? He was definantly using the filters on the A&H mixer, so I'm interested in how it would of been set up. After hearing him I'm really keen to incorporate Ableton into my sets, however, I dont want to eliminate the use of turntables, CDJs and my mixer (soon to be a Xone 62). Any suggestions? Is there anyone who has a similar setup to what has been described?

P.S. Since the Xone 62 has no MIDI (unless modded) do i have to get a Xone 92 to reap the benefits? It really is a shitload of money more just for a few extras, and apart from MIDI, theres no real other benefit. Anyone out there using a Xone 62 with Ableton somehow?

rEalm · Post by **rEalm** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 12:48 pm

I use a Xone62 with Ableton, though I really don't see how this is any different from any other DJ mixer in terms of hooking it up. I run seperate outs from my Indigo DJ card to seperate Xone mixer channels, which of course you can use the filters on. He's probably using the effects sends on the mixer to send audio to the Fireworx, pretty basic stuff.

Was he using ONLY Live this time, or was he still using records too?

Padraig · Post by **Padraig** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 2:47 pm

Sasha spanks one out over Live.

He stopped using vinyl a while ago. Uses CDJs now as well as Live. What I can't figure out is how he's using the A&H to monitor/pre-listen if he's doing all the mixing in Live via the UC-33e.

EDIT/ OK so he's running the 2nd out from the Audiophile into the mixer.

matt ob · Post by **matt ob** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 2:58 pm

Liquid Knight wrote: P.S. Since the Xone 62 has no MIDI (unless modded) do i have to get a Xone 92 to reap the benefits? It really is a shitload of money more just for a few extras, and apart from MIDI, theres no real other benefit. Anyone out there using a Xone 62 with Ableton somehow?

I tried synching Live to the MIDI output of my Xone92 and then controlling the tempo using the tap tempo and tempo adjust rotary on the Xone. The problem was that the rotary adjusts the tempo in really large steps, so it's virtually unusable in that context. I ended up using the slider on a UC33e to control the tempo with much better results.

rEalm · Post by **rEalm** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 3:09 pm

I think you're assuming he's using the UC-33 to control the volume faders in Live, that could be mapped to anything.

Also, depending on his sound card, he could have seperate channels on the Xone dedicated for cueing up sounds, there's really lots of ways to configure this, and none of them require a Xone mixer to do it. I can take my laptop to any club with a three channel DJ mixer and work exactly like I do at home, though I do miss the Xone for other reasons too

Padraig · Post by **Padraig** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 4:43 pm

Soundcard is an M-Audio FW Audiophile (see middle pic).

MarkH · Post by **MarkH** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 6:40 pm

Liquid Knight wrote:P.S. Since the Xone 62 has no MIDI (unless modded) do i have to get a Xone 92 to reap the benefits? It really is a shitload of money more just for a few extras, and apart from MIDI, theres no real other benefit. Anyone out there using a Xone 62 with Ableton somehow?

I've heard negative things about the Xone:92. Apparently A&H put the LFO on/off in the audio path so when you turn the effect on or off it makes an audible click on the master outputs. All sorts of complaints about this on the A&H forum. Most Xone owners say the work around is to turn the filter off to the beat of the music and it's less noticable. I wouldn't consider spending that much money ($1600 US) for a mixer unless it was flawless. My Pioneer DJM500 has been holding up really well and most clubs use the Pioneem DJ500/600 anyway. Unless you are Sasha I don't see how they are going to let you bring in your own mixer anyway. It's already difficult enough finding room for a laptop and USB controller.

rEalm · Post by **rEalm** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 12:40 pm

I have to agree on the A&H "click" issues, my 62 does that when you enage the filters or EQ sometimes. The workaround as you mention is to just time the button press with the music, but it is annoying on a mixer this expensive....

stallos · Post by **stallos** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 12:55 pm

Wicked Pictures Padraig
where were these taken ?

nice to see Live being embraced in a club setup

Chris J · Post by **Chris J** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 5:29 pm

yeah, and those girls in the front row

the one in red is eating you

kent_sandvik · Post by **kent_sandvik** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 6:36 pm

Some more info about the Sasha setup, supposedly he is only using Repitch Warp mode, this to simulate the variable speed turntable effect of changing the tone based on pitch. I need to check how well that works with remixing myself. And of course, everything is 16-bit AIFF/WAV format. This from one of the Ableton instructors at the recent Remix Hotel in San Francisco. --Kent

unklmic · Post by **unklmic** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 12:29 pm

How was he using Live? Was creating music on the fly with a selection of loops, or did he have entire songs loaded into one or more clips?

I am still unsure how you use Live for DJ sets?

bod · Post by **bod** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 2:46 pm

using live for a dj set just invloves warping a whole track and playing them out as per a dj set.

16 BIT · Post by **16 BIT** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 10:27 am

Cool. Great to see Sasha using Live. Im not a sasha fan but surely this will help get rid of the stigma and stupid snobbyness attitude against djs who use computers.
I wonder if digweed woudl ever use live?. I doubt it. Hes always played it safe and of the two of them i much prefer sasha. he genuinely loves music.

more famous djs using live the better for all of us

16 BIT · Post by **16 BIT** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 11:17 am

Im looking at the Xone mixer but cant see any faders up. The master led lights show something playing. How can there be sound without the faders being up. I thought he was using the mixer??

just saw Sasha use Ableton!!

just saw Sasha use Ableton!!

Re: just saw Sasha use Ableton!!

Re: just saw Sasha use Ableton!!

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