Tag: instrument racks

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Ableton Live APC40 Contollerism Midi/USB Keyboards & Controllers Novation Remote SL

Video Tutorial: Ableton Live 8 + APC40 + Remote SL Controllerism

I’m the proud owner of the new Akai APC40. I’ve already integrated it into my workflow along with my Novation Remote SL. I’ve put together a video of how I’m using these controllers with Live 8.


Watch the video on YouTube:




This video is a step-by-step tutorial describing Ableton Live 8’s new custom parameter mapping methodology. The video illustrates how to map select parameters from VST plug-ins into devices and then control these parameters via the Novation Remote SL and the new Akai APC40. The video also discusses how to add and access more than 8 parameters. Lastly, the video covers use of instrument racks and macro controls to map parameters from multiple devices to an 8 knob group.


Stay tuned for more posts on controllerism and the Akai APC40.


Mark Mosher
http://www.modulatethis.com
http://www.markmoshermusic.com
http://www.twitter.com/markmosher


Categories
Ableton Live Synths & Instruments (Virtual) Video Tutorials Videos

Video Tutorial: How To Use Ableton Live Racks To Create Multi-Sampled Instruments

Watch Video: How To Use Ableton Live Racks to Create Multi-Sampled Instruments

I’ve seen questions recently in Modulate This comments, and on the Ableton Live forum regarding the creation of multi-sampled instruments in Ableton Live. This video tutorial is  step-by-step how-to video that walks you through the creation of a velocity switched multi-sampled instrument using Ableton Live, Ableton Simpler, Instrument Racks, and Drum Racks.

Mark Mosher
www.modulatethis.com
www.markmoshermusic.com
www.twitter.com/markmosher

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(Modulate This) Ableton Live

Ableton Live 6 – Uses for Instrument Racks

The concept of creating a patch with splits and layers is missing, or
is difficult to configure on a lot of software-based virtual studios.
With Ableton Live 6 this is now easy to achieve by using Instrument
Racks.

What can you do with this feature? Well you can create a patches that are made up of a combination of instrument sounds that are layered and split across the keyboard. This allows you to play multiple sounds without having to switch patches in mid-performance and is a must for live gigging.

For example, you could assign a bass instrument to the bottom third of the keyboard, a piano/string layer to the middle keyboard, and a synth lead to the top third. You might want to set the middle piano/string layer so that that it uses velocity cross fade so when play lightly only the strings sound,  if you play with medium velocity both the piano and the strings sound, and if you play hard only the piano sounds. Another use for layers is to build lush, fat, and or rhythmically complex sounds by layering a lot of instruments over the same keyboard zone.

Ableton_burton_splitLets checkout a presets created by Ableton so you can hear this for yourself.

Go to the Device Browser-> Instruments -> Instrument Rack -> Performance. Then drag Burton Split  into a track or onto the clip/device drop area. This Instrument Rack has bells on the top-half of the keyboard, and a metallic/breathy choir sound on the bottom half of the keyboard.

There are a lot of other presets to listen to and experiment with in the device browser – so have it it!

Categories
(Modulate This) Ableton Live

Ableton Live 6 – Overview of rack types, rack presets, and how to insert a preset

Rack_presetsOne of my favorite new features of Ableton Live 6 is the new "rack" feature. According to the manual, there are three different types of racks:

  • MIDI Effect Racks contain only MIDI effects, and can only be placed in MIDI tracks
  • Audio Effect Racks contain only audio effects, and can be placed in audio tracks. They can also be placed in MIDI tracks, as long as they are downstream from instrument.
  • Instrument Racks contain instruments, but can additionally contain both MIDI audio effects. In this case, all MIDI effects have to be at the beginning of the Instrument Rack’s device chain, followed by an instrument, and then any audio effects.

Ableton has provided some interesting rack presets in Live 6. You can access them via the Device Browser.

To insert a preset, just drag it from the Device Browser into a track or onto the clip/device drop area.