Ableton Forum

Hello, I'm new to Live so pardon my ignorance. I'm wondering if there's a simple way to assign tracks with a contact mic to trigger samples?

is this possible, or any suggestions?
thanks!

Usually people take advantage of contact mics for use as textural generators in combination with things like Resonator. Especially since it is using audio data which uses up more processing than midi data.

Still, with Max for Live you can certainly make this happen.

If you have Live Suite, Ableton has several free packs available on the site which give you tools that work well already or tools for developing your own devices. One tool of interest is one which shows you all available clip properties which can be controlled with Max. Using that as a resource you can construct your own device.

I used the Max Envelope Follower to track my audio input and turn it into a modulator for controls.

Unfortunately, Envelope Follower does not allow you to map to clips. If you can find a way to map it to a clip, or map it to another define that can launch clips, you're in business.

I did a workaround instead. I found a Tom Cosm device 'MIDI Note to any clip slot trigger' and aimed it to a clip.

Now I can launch clips using midi notes.

Then I created a midi rack with two 'Pitch' devices set to a really high and really low value. This filters out all midi notes except for two notes. So now I could have a note that does not trigger anything, and a note that does trigger clips.

Before that I have an Arpeggiator and between those Arpeggiator and the Rack I have a third 'Pitch' device.

The Arpeggiator is set to a really high rate, and set to 'Hold'. Then I trigger a note before starting. If I don't trigger a note, it won't work.

Now the Arpeggiator is generating notes at a really fast rate through that Pitch device. I map the Envelope Follower to that Pitch device. When there is no sound it is quiet. If I clap, or tap, it makes that Pitch parameter jump for a split second, which makes me have the higher value'd note that triggers my clip. So every time I make noise, it triggers the clip.

I think it'd be almost easier to connect a contact mic to a pedal input on a keyboard. But even this is tricky. You are stuck with either sustain control which is either off or on (probably not ideal for a mic), or if you have an expression pedal input you can try that. It's probably not the best idea to be fooling with all that.

One last option which costs money but is probably by far the most effective, would be to have a drum module which accepts contact mic inputs. Those do a good job of converting the audio information to useable midi information.