Ableton Forum

Hello,

This is my first post, so I hope I'm posting this in the correct part of forum. If not, apologies and please feel free to re-direct me.

I'm looking for some advice on how to solve a particular key mapping problem, and I've searched the forum for a few days but haven't found an answer yet...I'm hoping someone can offer suggestions.

I'm working on an audio installation of sorts where I'll be using simple USB computer keyboards (NOT MIDI keyboards) as controllers for a Live session. My original plan was to use Live's built-in key mapping function to assign a number of specific parameter changes to each alphanumeric key. For instance, I'd like make the a, s, d, and f keys raise the volume by a few db or % on tracks 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively. (Keys z, x, c, and v, on the other hand, would lower the volume. )

The problem is: Live's built-in key mapping only seems to support simpler "on/off" toggles; I can make the "a" key toggle between on/off or two preset db values, but I can't assign a momentary keystroke to make relative changes to a slider or knob.  

Now, I know can make changes to sliders/knob by clicking on it with the mouse and using the arrow keys, but the design challenge for this particular project requires that I have individual control of each discreet track/channel. No mouse involved.

One possible way around the problem:

Use a some third party application (MIDIpipe?) to convert keystrokes into MIDI CC values, and then use Live's built-in MIDI mapping. The problem with this, however, is that I'd need this program to change CCs relatively; so if the CC controlling track #1 is at 64, to increase or decrease that value by 10 (or whatever number). I'm just starting to play around with MIDIpipe, so I'm not sure yet if it can do this or not.

OR maybe use some kind of software that would create a macro string that would say "select track 1 volume + then the 'up arrow' key" when you press "a." But I don't know what that software or macro commands would be...though I am of course willing to teach myself if someone has suggestions.

Undoubtedly there must be other ways of approaching it that I haven't yet considered...

Does anyone have any thoughts about how else I could tackle this problem?

i ve not tried it but i read somewhere on an earlier thread that something called "i-key" is ok

if you're willing to get a bit down and dirty,
I think you could make a Pure Data patch to pull this off.
(Or Max, obviously, but PD is free)

Hmmm...iKey is very interesting. I played around with it a bit this afternoon and though it looks like I can get it to do more or less what I want, it relies on recording virtual mouse movements in order to select the track's volume slider (then followed by an arrow up or down). As far as I know, there's no way to select the volume slider in Live so it can be modified by arrow keys without using the mouse.

I also can't make iKey trigger a macro with a single key; it only works with the command/shift/alt/control modifiers.

All of this seems to suggest that building a custom patch in Max/MSP (or PD) that turns key presses into MIDI CC changes is the way to go.

I've been meaning to learn this stuff for a while, perhaps it's time to hit the books...