Ableton Forum

Is it possible to play a synth live with automation?
There is some automation in my arrangement and i want to play it live

Thank you for Help!

OK This should work. Let me know if you have problems. You gotta make a blank midi clip (ctrl-shift M) then draw in the envelopes in the envelopes tab of the clip (the thing with the E on the bottom left). When you play it live, activate that clip (or in arrangement view it should work too). BUT THE KEY IS: you have to have the "overdub" button enabled. This should allow you to play into your blank midi track yet keep the automations.

Should work?

sounds and works easy - thank you very much!

there is another question - is it possible to have automatic instrument changes in the arrangement?
when i have 2 synths and i want, that the sound changes, without clicking somewhere... possible?

Yes, you can programme midi clips to send program change messages.

how?
is there any tutorial or help provided through ableton? i have just less experience in midi-programming...

In the notes section of the clip: bank, Subbank, program. This will send changes to your midi synth

i read something about it but i don't know how to programm it or i don't think it's the thing that i need maybe...

i have two vst's on 2 channels -
i want to play the one vst and then there is a midi-event which keeps playing
while the midi-event begins, i want to switch to the other vst on the second channel and play
it live - now i want that ableton changes the channel automatically and i don't know how to programm it

sorry for my bad english =)

Why dont you just use different MIDI channels?

i just want to switch between the vst's -

now i am able to control the "arm" button of one synth with a button on the keyboard and the other synth with another button but everytime i want to change the synth i have to press the one button again to "un-arm" the synth...
the best case would be, if i could programm a midi-event which changes the synth automatically!

Use instrument rack, insert all your vst's there, hit chain, then map a controller to the chain selector.

so there is no way to let instruments change automatically?... would be sad

You could use dummy clips. Mac or PC?

Just map a midi event from the midi clip to the instrument chain, or Arm (2 midi events in this case), IMHO you would be better using the Instrument Rack.

To Use Dummy clips you need to turn on IAC driver (MAC) or MIDI Yoke (PC)

Mac

i installed an instrument rack, way better...
but the thing with the dummy clips - what information do i have to insert to the clip, that controls the "solo" button in the instrument rack?

Inside the instrument rack, there is a chain button. When you click on it, you see to the right an orange line that can be move from 0 to 127. This is where you need to map a controller.

Turn on IAC driver in your Mac's Audio Midi setup
open a midi track in Live, assign the midi output to IAC driver. (Make sure that in Live's preferences, IAC driver midi in is set to remote and out to on)
Create a midi clip, click on the small e to see the contriller window.
Use an unassigned controller (Like ctrl 14)
draw a line so the value is set to 1, 2, or 3, etc...
play the midi clip, hit spacebar to pause it
open midi mapping (Cmd-M)
click in the chain selector then hit space bar again. You should see 1/14 appearing in the chain selector window appear as a midi mapping
Cmd-M again.

It might seem complicated, but once you'll do it a couple of times. you'll get used to it.

you'll be able to create different midi clips with different values in order to select different VST's

Yeah- that was what i've been looking for! Thank you very much for helping out!