Ableton Forum

Hello everyone,

I'm trying to find a simpler way of repitching samples in real time using midi data/automation/a midi controller independent of project tempo. In other words, if a project is set to 120bpm, I want to "play" with a sample's playback rate in order to repitch it, without doing the math against the project tempo because I want to control this as part of a performance. Think of it like a vinyl stop, or slowing down a tape... except playback continues at the new speed only for this sample/track.

I know I can switch a sample to repitch mode, automate the project tempo or map it to a midi controller. This works great. The issue I am running into is when there are other tracks and samples in the project also depending on the project tempo which I do not want to affect.

Currently, my workaround is to start another instance of live and loopback the 2nd instance to the first with virtual channels on my audio interface, essentially resampling. This works great but has a few issues: 1) I would like to have this possibility "inside the box" when I am away from my studio; 2) it feels overcomplicated and I'd prefer to manage all of the samples in a single project; 3) sometimes I want to record the "performance" of this resampling and having it live in a 2nd instance of live (and therefore another project) makes it hard to keep track of (especially if I'm coming back to a project months later); 4) I fear this would get messy on stage where I would also like to use this.

I know I can technically just play with the pitch in the warp settings of a sample, but this cannot be automated or mapped.
I know I could load the sample into sampler and play with the "detune" setting, but this cannot be automated or mapped either.

Is there a way to do what I am describing? Perhaps a M4L device (my searches have not yielded any results).

Thanks in advance!

Depending on the result you're looking for, you could use the Shifter device. Its Coarse pitch parameter is mappable/automatable. It doesn't change smoothly, though: it jumps in semitones from -24 to +24.

However, the Shifter device also has a sidechain option (opened by clicking the little triangle on the left). If you set it to MIDI and point it to a MIDI track as its source, you can program notes in that MIDI track to change your sample's pitch. Increase the Glide parameter for smooth pitch changes for those tape slowing down effects. The Shifter device also responds to pitch bend messages from the sidechain MIDI track, and you can increase its pitch bend range to 12 semitones.

Bonus: on the sidechain MIDI track, if you set monitoring to IN (or AUTO with the track armed), you can actually "play" the pitch of your sample live using a MIDI keyboard and its pitch bend wheel.

The advantage of using MIDI notes (programmed or played live on a keyboard) rather than a generic controller knob is precise musical pitch control (C2 = original pitch, C1 pitches your sample exactly one octave down etc.).

However, this doesn't change the sample's tempo like the warp setting does in repitch mode. So if the tempo changing is part of your performance, the Shifter device is not the solution.

put the sample in Simpler, C3 is here the original pitch/speed of the sample, use pitch bend (either physical or with CC Control device), if I understand correctly what you're trying to do.