Does Ableton have an oscilloscope?

maxplanck · Post by **maxplanck** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 7:56 pm

Does Ableton have an oscilloscope? I need a way to look at the waveform coming out of my MIDI tracks.

Freeze then flatten won't meet my needs, because what are you going to do if you're using the waveform as a guide for adjusting effects, freeze and flatten a clip at every setting? That would take forever.

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:56 pm

scope~ in maxMSP stuck inside a pluggo. Quick and easy, really. Alternatively, just start an audio recording and zoom in while recording. I've done that a fair few times when checking for deep DC offsets.

Apart from that I would say leave the scope to the electronics engineers and focus on your own two built in sensors, mounted either side of your head

PolyphonicPressureGroup · Post by **PolyphonicPressureGroup** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:59 pm

http://bram.smartelectronix.com/plugins.php?id=4

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:59 pm

you don't need an oscilloscope, you need a spectrum analyzer, which is called SPECTRUM in Live 7.

max - you should watch the videos here
http://www.ableton.com/movies
you're asking good questions and a lot of them, I think you'll get a lot out of them.

as a new user remember to always leave the HELP BOX open in the lower left corner.

PolyphonicPressureGroup · Post by **PolyphonicPressureGroup** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:00 pm

-double post-

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:04 pm

Tone Deft wrote:you don't need an oscilloscope, you need a spectrum analyzer, which is called SPECTRUM in Live 7.

that really depends on what you are trying to do - for advanced synthesis, for instance, I can see quite a few good uses. I know from reading the max list that mr. Planck definitely isn't a blundering n00b

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:13 pm

very cool to hear. I've learned to never underestimate a n00b, some turn out to be pretty incredible audio fiends, some are, umm... well...

definitely for tone generation, seeing how a square wave morphs as you tweak it connects the eyes to the ears and helps in that sense. if you're trying to adjust the mix of a track, an o'scope will just look like garbage.

I'd like to score a cheap hardware o'scope just for some visual bling in the studio. SCIENCE!! (said in the Thomas Dolby voice.)

PolyphonicPressureGroup · Post by **PolyphonicPressureGroup** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:17 pm

Of course there's a need for oscilloscopes. Especially if you learn to use modular systems. They show you what you deployed with your modulation source(s).

For example: no spectral analyzer displays a mixed lfo&envelope-signal.

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:24 pm

o'scope - time domain
spectral analyzer - frequency domain

displaying envelopes and lfos? wtf are you on about?

o'scope for simpler signals, SAs for mixes and simpler signals.

edited for repetition of snarky remark.

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:26 pm

Tone Deft wrote:very cool to hear. I've learned to never underestimate a n00b, some turn out to be pretty incredible audio fiends, some are, umm... well...

definitely for tone generation, seeing how a square wave morphs as you tweak it connects the eyes to the ears and helps in that sense. if you're trying to adjust the mix of a track, an o'scope will just look like garbage.

I'd like to score a cheap hardware o'scope just for some visual bling in the studio. SCIENCE!! (said in the Thomas Dolby voice.)

I have one in the basement. pop by and pick it up any time, dood.

PolyphonicPressureGroup · Post by **PolyphonicPressureGroup** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:31 pm

Tone Deft wrote: wtf are you on about?

"The waveform coming out of my MIDI tracks."

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:32 pm

PolyphonicPressureGroup wrote:
Tone Deft wrote: wtf are you on about?
"The waveform coming out of my MIDI tracks."

btw maxplanck - thank you for your constant, it rules the Universe.

kaffein · Post by **kaffein** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 12:35 am

Oscilloscopes come extremely in handy when working with a compressor on drums, so you can see and hear what you're doing to the transients. Just one use of course...

DrXparaMental · Post by **DrXparaMental** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 12:50 am

Tone Deft wrote:very cool to hear. I've learned to never underestimate a n00b, some turn out to be pretty incredible audio fiends, some are, umm... well...

I've learned to never under estimate the book smart advanced Ableton scientists. Some (last count, 3 in the world) turned out to be very good musicians, other's, umm... well...

For me, today's quote of quotes comes courtesy of the blog that mbenigni brought to light. Check this out: Peter Neubäcker says

"What doesn't work in theory can still work in reality."

This, coming from one of the heaviest nerdz on the planet.

Marc, if your reading this, please know that your Blog is the only interesting blog I have ever read in my life. I got and learned more from reading through some of your news and subsequent preponderances today than I have gotten from anywhere in a long time. Thanks!

Now I just have to convince Tone Deft to explain the majority of it to me...

aeon · Post by **aeon** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 9:30 pm

freeze > flatten seems a bit clumsy - can't you set an audio track to record then simply watch the waveforms?

regardless... i've been looking for an affordable (hardware) oscilloscope for a while now, mainly for circuit design... any recommendations muchly appreciated!