how can a midi track output data to multiple midi channels

Discuss music production with Ableton Live.
bencodec
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how can a midi track output data to multiple midi channels

Post by bencodec » Thu Sep 24, 2009 6:25 pm

Is is possible for lives midi tracks to handle multichannel midi?

I want to sent some CC's out to a machinedrum which means having to send them on separate midi channels.

anyway to do this without needing multiple midi tracks?
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Tone Deft
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Re: how can a midi track output data to multiple midi channels

Post by Tone Deft » Thu Sep 24, 2009 6:39 pm

each track can be sent to a specific port, a specific midi channel or all midi channels. look at the options in the output routing drop down box to see what you can do.

definitely something that would be easy to do with max4Live.
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hoffman2k
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Re: how can a midi track output data to multiple midi channels

Post by hoffman2k » Thu Sep 24, 2009 7:25 pm

Even M4L can't get around the limitation that Live only handles one channel at a time.
You would require a workaround such as collecting the MIDI in a normal Max patch or application that can output unrestricted MIDI. Which will add some latency.

Tone Deft
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Re: how can a midi track output data to multiple midi channels

Post by Tone Deft » Thu Sep 24, 2009 7:59 pm

I don't have Live with me to check... on the output of a midi track can you set it to 'all channels'? does it specify one specific midi channel at the output? does it just specify the port?
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Re: how can a midi track output data to multiple midi channels

Post by hoffman2k » Thu Sep 24, 2009 8:24 pm

Tone Deft wrote:I don't have Live with me to check... on the output of a midi track can you set it to 'all channels'? does it specify one specific midi channel at the output? does it just specify the port?
Single channel output.

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Re: how can a midi track output data to multiple midi channels

Post by Tone Deft » Thu Sep 24, 2009 8:30 pm

gotcha, thanks!
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crumhorn
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Re: how can a midi track output data to multiple midi channels

Post by crumhorn » Thu Sep 24, 2009 8:32 pm

Tone Deft wrote:I don't have Live with me to check... on the output of a midi track can you set it to 'all channels'? does it specify one specific midi channel at the output? does it just specify the port?
No, only 1 - 16 and only if you select a MIDI port for MIDI To.

If you select another track in the input or output choosers the MIDI chanel chooser changes to Pre-FX, Post-FX, etc.

I've always had the impression that once MIDI data is recorded in a clip the channel data is lost forever.

To answer the OP - no you can't have a multi channel track. You will have to use one track per channel. It's worth setting up a multi channel MIDI recorder set and saving it as a template. I have to do this quite often when capturing MIDI output from a friends hardware sequencer.
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Tone Deft
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Re: how can a midi track output data to multiple midi channels

Post by Tone Deft » Thu Sep 24, 2009 8:37 pm

^thanks.

I guess you'd have to send that midi track to 16 midi tracks then have max4Live sort out each channel.

Live really is missing lots of little midi details like this, of which there are hundreds, thousands?
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bencodec
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Re: how can a midi track output data to multiple midi channels

Post by bencodec » Fri Sep 25, 2009 12:54 am

Yeah I was hoping it would be possible to control a Machinedrum with a M4L patch, but it seems like this is a limit that there will be no easy getting around.
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crumhorn
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Re: how can a midi track output data to multiple midi channels

Post by crumhorn » Fri Sep 25, 2009 12:29 pm

It would be nice of Ableton if they could store the original MIDI channel with every note recorded and then add MIDI channel as a rack chain selector and have various utility functions like "Split to multiple tracks"

But I guess there would be endless little tweaks needed throughout the program to support it properly - Like exporting Type 1 MIDI files for example.
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Re: how can a midi track output data to multiple midi channels

Post by SubFunk » Fri Sep 25, 2009 12:35 pm

crumhorn wrote:It would be nice of Ableton if they could store the original MIDI channel with every note recorded and then add MIDI channel as a rack chain selector and have various utility functions like "Split to multiple tracks"

But I guess there would be endless little tweaks needed throughout the program to support it properly - Like exporting Type 1 MIDI files for example.
use logic for that, oops :oops: i should not have said that, my bad! sorry.
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heavensdaw
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Re: how can a midi track output data to multiple midi channels

Post by heavensdaw » Fri Sep 25, 2009 1:05 pm

Question: Why would you not want to use multiple channels..? Is it purely to save on cpu power and less mapping nightmares?
Or am I missing something here?

Hd

Lord Kahn
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Re: how can a midi track output data to multiple midi channels

Post by Lord Kahn » Fri Sep 25, 2009 1:26 pm

Bit of a hack, but if you midi map controls on an effects rack to the correct CC and channel then the values and channel are echoed out to the midi outputs set to Remote On.

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Re: how can a midi track output data to multiple midi channels

Post by SubFunk » Fri Sep 25, 2009 1:46 pm

heavensdaw wrote:Question: Why would you not want to use multiple channels..? Is it purely to save on cpu power and less mapping nightmares?
Or am I missing something here?

Hd
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crumhorn
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Re: how can a midi track output data to multiple midi channels

Post by crumhorn » Fri Sep 25, 2009 3:29 pm

heavensdaw wrote:Question: Why would you not want to use multiple channels..? Is it purely to save on cpu power and less mapping nightmares?
Or am I missing something here?

Hd
<edited to quote the correct post>


Do you mean channels or tracks?

To record from my collaborators hardware sequencer I need a live set with 32 tracks each set to a different combination of port and MIDI channel. Normally there are only about 8 or so with anything on but it's never the same twice. Then I have to go through deleting all the unused tracks.
Last edited by crumhorn on Fri Sep 25, 2009 6:19 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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