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Re: Revisiting Ableton Live, now with Max4Live



Thanks for writing. I've been using the built in looper, and have heavily contemplated switching to ableton for effects processing as well. I love my pedals though, and all of them have either midi or cv that I can sync to live. However, live needs to fix its midi out clock.

M4l would provide me with a number of things I need: random sequencers, folding,  non-linear clip automation, midi routing. I use bidule for midi routing, but i'd like something integrated.

The m4l sale ends soon, but I don't know if I want to stick with ableton or try bitwig. Bitwig seems to be everything that ableton users have asked for, and more. Modular work environment, per note automation, different effects on each x/y axis, having effects within effects, and tons of other options. Something to think about.

On Jan 14, 2012 5:07 AM, "Per Boysen" <perboysen@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi guys,

Just want to share my joy with the current Live version extended with
M4L. I used Live a lot about ten years ago, together with a
EDP/Repeater based rig to send chains of fast action commands to my
loopers. But then Mobius arrived on the scene and I converted my Live
MIDI Control Clips to Mobius scripts and got rid of the hardware
loopers in order to focus more on the music with the more portable
laptop based looping rig. During the years I made many attempts to
include Live again but it never worked out well because Live was so
bad at following external tempo sync - and I rather set the tempo by
playing and looping instead of using a pre fixed tempo "as click". The
Live 8 upgrade solved this issue and now Live follows Mobius (or any
hosted looper plugin's) output tempo clock without loosing it. I think
Live now is as good tempo following host app as Bidule and Mainstage,
that I also like using. In some areas better...

The big slam was picking up the Max4Live extension! M4L opens up Live
and turns it into a modular system like Numerology and Bidule. Finally
I can get rid of the need of dedicating two _expression_ pedals for
"swell pedal function" volume for the two audio outputs of my
instrument. This is because M4L offers a great ENVELOPE FOLLOW
function and what I did was to apply it on the audio input and target
a volume functionality later in the signal chain as the parameter to
be linked with audio signal amplitude. And then I set a quarter note
long fade-up. For plucked and tapped string instruments this means I
can get a violin-like swelling attack if playing a note from silence
but get the normal string attack if playing slurs, hammer-ons etc. And
of course turn it all off at times. Works great! But I had to try some
different solutions for the volume function parameter in the target
position. For example, if using Live's Utility plug's gain parameter I
get zipper noise. Sometimes I targeted a compressor output level
parameter and sometimes a track volume parameter,  those two work well
without zipper noise. Another great use of envelope follow is to
assign audio input signal amplitude to feedback in a delay unit or
time/size of a reverb unit; instant sound cloud freezing with a new
"pocket" being created for any new note you play, making sure you
never overload such a sound cloud. I've been struggling to set up a
noise-less freeze functionality for years but for the first time I
managed to get it working to my standards.

There's a lot more, I don't want to make this post too long. M4L
brings good live surround sound tools that I will probably use a lot
in the future. Another exceptional thing is Kapture. Created by Liine
for Plastikman this patch gives you total recall of everything in the
mixer or the devices! I currently don't use that approach though, as I
favor the traditional pedalboard context (Gordius LG) but Kapture
would be great for doing a directed show or if performing using the
mixer system as your instrument; you would then able to tweak ahead
all the way to sonic hell and keep an instant life line back to where
you started from.

Greetings from Sweden

Per Boysen
www.perboysen.com
http://www.youtube.com/perboysen