Ableton Forum

I have had one for a while and admit I don't love it. This is prob due to a couple of reasons... I have not really figured out the best way to use it with ableton, any tips on this? Also not a fan of automapping, have not yet found the love.

Anyone using this and loving it? Please share the love!
Thank you!

Ps - do they make an editor for this thing?

dude if interested I can send you an FX rack for each channel tomorrow just to get you using automap. You'll realise how sweet it is. It's 2 am and I'm about to go to bed in a minute. Once you understand how it works you'll realise hpw great it is.

I'll send it tomorrow afternoon

Thanks

looking forward to your next post - thank you for the help!!!

What seem the problem with the automap feature?? I'm just wandering since I'm about the get a hold of one of this controllers. What don't you like about it?

There is no "problem" specifically with the automap feature -- mainly I haven't really figured out how to use it! So in essence the remote is not reaching its full potential.

i did recently update the OS so that's made a big difference in how it is responding to ableton. i can see why people think it's a cool controller. wondering if it is better suited for studio / composition work instead of playing live - could see how if the controller is jumping around to various VSTs, etc., that one could get lost. But again, this is not advice from anyone who actually knows anything about making this controller work with ableton...

hi,

i have a zero sl. I use it a lot live and in the studio. it is pretty good i reckon.

i didn't have my automap set up properly for a while either for the same reasons. i gave novation a call (+44 1494 462246) and i got straight through to a real person who told me what to do. it's actually not that straight forward.

for DJing it's really essential.
for studio i haven't really found it to be essential, but i'm starting to use it more now. i find it helps to keep things fun, which is obviously important in keeping motivation levels up. if you get a loop going with a synth, then play with some of the nobs on the synth until you find some you like, then map these (or use automap) to the zero sl. Then just play around. if you hit on something cool, just record yourself for a bit.
i think it allows you to stumble upon cool things quicker.

hope this helps

tom

what seems to be a big upgrade is in the works at novation/focusrite.
http://mail.focusrite.com/beta/index.php

the new Browser function should be great at keeping track of "jumping around to various vst's"...

check out the pdf file as a guide to read about it...

So what do you guys think would be a great controller for studio production

I Disagree. I have been on the hunt for the right controller for the last month.

I picked the Zero Sl because of automap, and the visual feedback above each channell- essential i thought in a busy live situation.

however, I believe the zero SL is not for a live situation. It is devoid of control, and the automap only works if you select the feature you want to control- how else could you do it?

in a sudio, where you can have a mouse in one hand and a control in another, this maybe fine, but in a live situation you need direct control of your parameters.

I swapped the Zero for A bitstream 3x, and although i have only used it once- Iam well impressed and wont look back.

That bitstream 3x looks nice. How much you got it for? The only thing that I see missing is the piano keys...that's a good add-on in order to produce basslines and whatnot!!!

I don't think anyone added it, but there is indeed an editor. Makes life MUCH easier when setting your template up:

http://www.novationmusic.com/support/so ... remote_sl/

Keep in mind with the SL Zero that you can have both an automap template as well as a custom user created template. You can flip back and forth easily.

Now if I could just get automap working. I've got it setup in preferences correctly I think, but I think I'm missing some key ingredient. Can anyone post as screen shot of their preferences?

Hi,

yeh, I use my Zero SL for live gigs and rehearsals all the time. You have to set up your own template, and more imporantly turn off the Auto map function. That's really just for studio or free (unplanned) jams.

I think it's a wicked controller, especially with the 36 available templates, and the editor - which allows you to save archived templates so you can free up room for new templates without worry about destroying old ones.

I make new templates all the time, so without the screen I think it would be pretty bad really. You don't really want to be starting the wrong song in a live situation.

Tom



The image has appeared really small for some reason (i'm clearly doing something wrong). Anyway, just click on it and it'll pop up big in another window. To turn off automap, just change the Control Surface to None.

What's the point of 'automap'? Surely you'd want to manually select the parameters that the SL is controlling, based on the effects/functions you have set in Live.

I am, however, using only a KP3 and my laptop keyboard to control Live - need to get a bigger controller!

Basically if you selected an EQ Three device, the Automap feature will map the controls to an area of the Zero and then name them above the pots.

logic_user99 wrote:What's the point of 'automap'? Surely you'd want to manually select the parameters that the SL is controlling, based on the effects/functions you have set in Live.

I am, however, using only a KP3 and my laptop keyboard to control Live - need to get a bigger controller!

The great thing about automap is.. when working in the studio or a home computer.... I mean well it automaps..

You click on the device... and boom it is automapped to the controlller.. you can then tweak the knobs.. and come up with sounds very fast... and very very easy.. .

I mean I use this device as my main controller... when comes to all the channel fades and that such...

It prob isn't the best for live control... but I am sure if you set up the templates yourself it would be..


I would never go back to anything else... I mean it is amazing.. it saves soo much time.. and in conjunction with other controllers it works very well...


I really like to set up racks within the tracks.. and then map those racks to whatever parameters I want to control.. then once done mapping.. just click on the device rack.. and boom those are all automapped..


Amazing.. I am soo glad I got this product... I use it for every single aspect of production in my set up.