Ableton Forum

OK, 1st off, a touch screen: http://elotouch.com/
Feeling kinda funny clicking on tracks with a mouse? What about this? Point at the sound! I know this has been brought up here before, but has anyone tried this? This is COOLER than the MIDI matrix box idea... point and drag, etc.

Anyone know how accurate these are? I figure ya need a BIG monitor to make the matrix big enough to be accurate...

Then you attach it to this:
http://ergotron.com/7_Markets/mobile/hdcart/default.asp
(Reminds me of that robot in Short Circut. NEED MORE INPUT!)

(I better go take a cold shower now.. woah!)
peaz..

but how about a pen tablet?, pretty cheap starting at $30, they even have wirless ones, I used one along time ago with acid, it was pretty cool. its gotta be even cooler with live

I use a Wacom graphics tablet myself. (Bought it for Photoshop many years ago -- now I have one 6x9 tablet on each computer.) Totally rocks. Very comfortable and fast to use. Great for RTS games like Starcraft, too! :)

-Josh

Well I'm excited about the technology in the Surface One, isnt it a flexible material threaded with fiber optics like a grid, so when you press on it the lengths of the light are broken at that point, it responds to pressure, dragging etc, much like a touch screen although I think a little more advanced.

I have also heard of similiar technology that uses lengths of infrared light instead, works basically the same way but is produced for something like $5 !!! It can be printed out on a flexible surface in any configuration for example a keyboard or whatever you can imagine.

I think the ultimate is the (future?) technology in the movie "Minority Report." Could you imagine if instead of layers of video timelines he was scrolling through with his hands, it was a sequencer instead! You could just dragg around loops throw them around time stretch with a wave of the hand, almost like a conductor (I think thats what he looked like in the movie, they were even playing classical music in the background)

well, last night I lucid dreamed some incredibly amazing music, which of course I will never be able to recreate in waking life. what I want is a firewire connection to my brain...

you know, i've had a pen tablet sitting here in front of me since the dawn of time and it never once occured to me to try it with Live. now i have something to do tonight. i always felt funny using the mouse. maybe the pen will work out.

OK,

I just spent a weekend playing with my new touch screen surface for my laptop! It just velcros on, plugs into the USB port and away we go!
http://www.magictouch.com/addon.html

It removes the extra level of UI (the mouse) and allows you to adjust levels, and click on the matrix of loops with either my finger or any other object. It comes with a felt tip pen (without ink in it) for clicking on items. Here are a few of my discoveries:
1. The little triangles next to each loop are smaller than my finger. Using a smaller pointer is better. IT WOULD BE COOL IF ABLETON COULD INCREASE THE SIZE OF THE CLICKABLE AREA. WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE SO SMALL?
2. You'll need to support the monitor so the pressure of pushing on it doesn't move the screen.
3. It's great for some things like clicking on a bunch of loops and jumping around the screen.
4. It's gets in the way if you're hands are too shaky. (My music gets me really excited )
5. Overall it is very novel but it won't replace my pocket dial because I can still grab a nob faster.
6. It still remains to be seen if it will help in a live situation... Next week....
7. It's cheaper than any hardware controller! (~$150)
8. It does take up another USB port. At this point I have yet to try a USB hub to see if I can have everything (mouse, touch screen, oxygen8,and motu midi box) running into 2 USB ports. I think my MOTU device needs a direct connection.
9. Dragging the mixer levels by touching the screen is creamy.

I am very interested in finding out how it works live - please let us know how it goes!

Same for me - am really interested - let us know how you get on + any other issues surrounding its use.

2 grig and everyone else who can responde

hey man !

Question to you,since you got touch screen

Is it possible to control multiple leves at the same time ?If it would be possible, I will buy it right away, since it would help me a lot working with

Reaktor(tired of my MIDI controller) to move multiple knobs at the same time, in Battery and Ableton & Cubase SX
============

I think the PC touchscreen will work the same way as touchscreen in PDA, pointer would follow you pen or hand, therefore excluding possibility of controlling multiple leves at the same tim

For the ultimate fusion, Wacom (the tablet people) have an lcd screen that *is* a tablet as well. Tad expensive tho...

http://www.wacom.com/lcdtablets/index_18sx.cfm

If you're looking for truly creative MIDI controllers, check out:

-- http://www.infusionsystems.com/

and particularly take a look at the glove and environment interfaces. Very cool stuff for making music that takes feedback from its surroundings.


-Alex