Ableton Forum

Did we ever get an answer on whether the device grouping feature will work for any VSTi or just for the ones built into Live 5?

Not that I know of yet....this is a big question for me. I think they probably will because the Abes know how many plugs we all have.

I am definitely becoming a plug-in slut....so many nice things on the market.

But, here's to hoping for fully functional device chains (aka, with third-party plugs).

Device Groups allow you to save powerful multi-effect creations, effectively adding all the capabilities of Ableton's MIDI and audio effects to Simpler, Impulse and Operator presets.

Say, for example, that you have transformed a simple Simpler patch into a massive lead sound by processing it through a complex chain of Live effects. In Live 5, you can group the Simpler with the effects and save the entire group as one new Simpler preset. Recalling this preset automatically recreates the effects chain along with Simpler and the associated settings.

Seems like it only works with Live devices and FX (for now).

I have a feeling that some feature questions don't get answered, because the answers wouldn't be positive. Just look at the "official question thread", some questions did get answered, others didn't.

I feel it would be a shame, & a little shortsighted if it was the case that only Live's internal fx etc. could be saved as part of one of these 'chains', kind of half a feature really, although still useful there would be times when one would wish to use a third party effect & it would niggle to not be able to.

I have a feeling that some feature questions don't get answered, because the answers wouldn't be positive.

That's what I'm afraid of too. Frank did answer one question with a "no." I'd like to know the answer to my question. It is still a great upgrade in any case, but this would be a damn useful feature.

Rex wrote:

I have a feeling that some feature questions don't get answered, because the answers wouldn't be positive.

That's what I'm afraid of too. Frank did answer one question with a "no." I'd like to know the answer to my question. It is still a great upgrade in any case, but this would be a damn useful feature.

Maybe they'll add the extra functionality in a 5.1 upgrade.
With the competition breating down their necks, I could imagine them releasing version 5 asap and adding some stuff in small upgrades.

diverdee wrote:I feel it would be a shame, & a little shortsighted if it was the case that only Live's internal fx etc. could be saved as part of one of these 'chains', kind of half a feature really, although still useful there would be times when one would wish to use a third party effect & it would niggle to not be able to.

i wouldn't say it is shortsighted - they have to be aware of how useful a feature this is. it just may be a case of not being able to implement this for 3rd party vsts in a reliable fashion at this time,

i mentioned this somewhere else but, this might be covered by the liveclips feature

if you can save track properties with clips, what prevents you from making a track with your favorite effects chain - live, third party vst, whatever -

then making a clip that saves it all for pulling back. the clip should keep all of your effects settings exactly the same way live would if you saved the als and re-opened.

so say you have your favorite eq + compressor combo ... or even reakor (carbon), psp nitro, grain delay, an eq plug ..

give them names and save it as a clip.

ya? no? ableton?
.

Rx wrote: i wouldn't say it is shortsighted - they have to be aware of how useful a feature this is. it just may be a case of not being able to implement this for 3rd party vsts in a reliable fashion at this time,

One would hope that this is the case i.e. Live internal effects use a proprietary code, therefore due to coding restrictions etc. the feature can initially only take advantage of these fx - still very useful (hopefully chains can be saved without having to use a Live instrument as a starting point also).
If this could then be expanded upon in a future release to take advantage of third party fx/vsti's this would truly be a killer feature.
In the meantime for third party fx (especially now that midi out from vstis etc. will be suppported) bidule/ext will be even more of a useful addition to one's arsenal when using Live.