Ableton Forum

Hey guys i am trying to get some of my synths going in ableton but cant find a way to use cc in the automation lanes such as controlling filter cut off lfo etc etc. Any one know if this is possible or other ways around it. thank you.

you cant use automation for midi CCs, ie have them in an automation lane in arrangement view.
What you can do, is draw a clip envelope which sends absolute values (as opposed to the percentage values for vst envelopes) so you get the same result as with automation.

Only difference is you can only view it in the clip view. If you only have a short loop and want the automation/envelope to change over a longer time than the loop goes, click the "Linked" button under "Region/Loop" and set the Start/end or loop length to the length of the song. So you can then have a 4 bar loop of notes being played, a 16 bar loop for one cc and another cc continuously changing for the whole song.

I'm pretty certain that one can record automation using the actual knobs and controls on the synth while recording in Arrange view. I'm not positive, and I don't have my synth here where I am currently writing. But if you have the synth hooked up via External Instrument and it's sending and receiving MIDI appropriately, you should be able to dial in the filter knob and it sends the appropriate midi signal which will then be recorded in the arrange view as automation.
Furthermore if one has a midi controller set up, one might be able to have one of the knobs of the controller send the correct midi CC to live and record the automation that will then be sent back to the synth.

Or am I imagining this?

Automation
possible for vst's and ableton plugin - Absolute value

Clip Envelope
When used for vst's or ableton plugins you get Percentage of the value thats currently set.
When Midi Ctrl is selected you get absolute values like with automation. Only you can only view 1 parameter at a time.

Dexes, thanks for posting that. Perfect explanation of the difference between clip envelopes and automation. But the point I brought up, which you may or may not have been responding to, is when you have your hardware synth running MIDI into Live and as Live is playing that synth via a track in arrange view, what happens when you adjust parameters on that synth? Say you're turning the filter cutoff knob. Does Live record these turns? If so, does it record them as a midi CC from the synth, or somehow pick up that this is the "filter cutoff?"

It's been a while and a few versions of Live since I tried this.

should be no problem if your synth can send midi data. Hook up the midi out of the synth with an input on your computer, turn on the input for "track" in midi tab of the preferences and it will send midi messages to be recorded in live just like any controler would.

In most cases you'll only be able to record midi CCs in the clip envelope (though some synths do come bundled with a vst plugin). Check the synth's manual for finding out which cc controls which parameter, or just record a move of the cutoff knob and then scroll through the parameter list and check which one recorded the automation

would be good to have the midi ctrl in automation lanes and see them all
something for the next version of live?

or is there an AU/VST that could or assist?