Ableton Forum

Custom pad layouts are pretty critical to me.

Background ...

I've used an MPD-218 for 4 years to play a number of things in performance, including a complex riff that I spent *weeks* nailing down reliably. It emulates the note layout on one of my Swiss Hang drums, and I don't have to haul the Hang across the Planet to play that riff.

So ... I need one P3S pad layout that has a specific set of notes ...

... End Background

I've carefully sampled my Hang in Sampler (sounds great!) and then hit this P3S "no custom layouts" roadblock. SnarlGrrrPfft ... However ....

Since I'm using Sampler, can't I just move my sound samples to the locations of the notes that correspond to the pads I am hitting?

I standardize on one pad configuration for my custom layout (say, C Major Chromatic), then I can just reconfigure the Zone Map in that one Sampler preset to place the sound sample with the pitch I need at the location corresponding to that MIDI note.

Am I missing anything?

Clint Goss wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 17, 2024 6:03 pm

Since I'm using Sampler, can't I just move my sound samples to the locations of the notes that correspond to the pads I am hitting?

One trick is to use a Drum Rack instead. That will you add cells only where you need/according to your layout.
There might be a trick to use only your Sampler instance by setting it to a "hidden" pad, and do some intense routing to route the other pads to it via External Instrument, but while it works with external multi-channel plugins (e.g SSD and probably EZDrummer) it doesn't work with Sampler. There's maybe a trick but I can't think of anything atm.

It might actually be simpler (and possible for sure) to use Simpler instances (in each pad) instead. You'll have to rebuild your well designed Sampler into single-sample Simplers but until someone else knows about a better trick it might actually be the only solution.

Or routing the drum rack cells to another track containing your Sampler maybe?

If you don't mind about the pads lights layout though, "placing" your samples where you want is just about setting each sample to the desired Key in the Zone, and then pitching them to the note you actually want with the sample's Root value.

Thanks for your ideas!

I have had success with my original scheme. It was straightforward to add a custom 3x3 grid and a custom 4x4 grid within the Push3 8x8 grid using the Sampler interface. Some nigglies:

• I needed to add an additional zone (and Zone Row) in Sampler for each custom pad (9+16 additional zones) since a zone cannot be split into two.

• The scale on the Push3 must be explicitly set to a given, fixed scale, or my scheme falls apart. That includes the Layout, In Key/Chromatic, Scale, and Key settings.

• The range of the keypad needs to be set or my scheme falls apart. In my case, I got to the lowest possible Octave, then come up 3 Octaves. I can confirm I've got it set by a single, blanked-out pad in the upper right (the pad that would trigger the out-of-range MIDI note 128).

• As mentioned, I can't control the pad lighting. A shame. But the scheme does work for me in this much-needed situation.

Care was needed in setting this up - had to build a little spreadsheet to keep all the mapping organized (wish it wasn't such a hassle posting images in these forum messages ...).

Been playing this setup for a few hours and seem to work very nicely.

Thanks again, ALL!