I’ve recently made a major switch in my use of loops on stage. I’m now using ableton live as a software sampler instead of the sampler built in to the roland spd-s sampling pad. I still use the spd-s but only for triggering the loops in ableton.
I’m calling this a work in progress because for now i am still working out bugs and leaving hogan’s rig untouched until we decide if this route is stable enough to rely on full time. Hogan and I talked about eventually having his rig minimized with maybe a 303 sampler for a few sounds and loops he needs to run with the turntables and his synth setup. So far I am pretty impressed as ableton has not had one glitch or foul (any errors so far have been mine (sweet!)).
One of the biggest advantages to using ableton is having my click and loops locked in at all times. I can bring loops in and out of songs and all the while the click never changes. Also, ableton’s editing and clip features makes any changes to loops or arrangements quick and painless.
I’m using an edirol fa-101 as my audio and midi interface as well as my monitoring system and mixer. The hardware monitoring feature allows me to mix any of the four stereo inputs (eight if mono) with any audio from ableton to the headphone out. So my monitor mix from the engineer goes into inputs 1/2 and loops from hogan are in 7/8. I’m sending the loops from ableton out of 3/4 and the click out 5 using aux sends in ableton. Doing it this way I can monitor the loops directly and still have control of the amount i’m sending to the band both for loops and click. The spd-s is sending its midi into the edirol fa-101 to control ableton.
The little silver device is a griffin powermate. It is basically a simple usb volume knob, but I’ve implemented it as a scroll wheel and launch button for live. In its preferences you can have it send keystrokes so i used that to cursor up and down through scenes in ableton. The controller next to that is an original oxygen 8 that i’ve cut down to just the controller section and recased in plywood (kind of a temporary solution inspired by frugalpole’s stimey controller). I also removed the spring from the pitch bend wheel so i could use it as a volume fader along with the mod wheel. Eventually i want to make it a little smaller (maybe an electronincs project box) and replace all the knobs with faders and turn the key inputs into launch buttons.
Here is the back of it…
edit: i forgot to mention that i’m using a lexar lightning jump drive to hold the samples which makes latency from the drive practically nothing. copenhagen talked about this in another thread so i tried and it worked great. i got the lexar lightning because it boasts the most bandwidth, which is important for streaming audio. at this point the only latency i’m dealing with now is about 7ms of midi latency from the drum controller.
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Bwack, don’t you ever have used Logic Pro??.. I enccouage you (jejeje) to tyr it, then we can talk, jejeje, Blessings man!!
hey!!!!!!!! i am your fan!!!
i from mexico city.. and want know of programing, loops. and etc.. plis awnser me…
garydrums08@hotmail.com
thanx!!!
Instead of using a Lexar USB flash drive, have you considered installing an SSD in the MacBook? Same idea, but less gear to accidentally disconnect during performances.
furthermore, i have decided that the “mystery box” only controls the “one-e, a, e-and three, a-four-e-and” sample near the end of the song. and thats all. otherwise, it would not be so mysterious! no?
an explanation of construction and function, i think, is necessary.
respectfully and lovingly,
thomas
thats what i thought i saw. i just watched the club tour dvd and i thought i saw that you have the loops for each song loaded as a whole clip in session view. how resourceful! and convenient for the engineer, im sure.
So I did it, I finally bought the SPD-S. I can’t rely on my computer to not flake out so I use my SP-404 to hold the loops/sequences. I can figure out all the technical stuff via info sharing but how did you physically create your rig set up. I like how you have it close to everything. Can you help me?
man, I found your blog just in time it seems. I’m trying to learn a little more about ableton and hello there.
hey bwack…
i really wanted to try out your guitar hero thing, so…
i got a xbox360 (usb) guitar hero controller.
i plugged it in to my mac, and got it working with Live to send keys.
in Live:
C – scene 1
̤ Рscene 2
Ã? – scene 3
on controller:
stum – c
button 1 – shift
button 2 – option
button 3 – shift+option
is there a certain key combination that will let you user fn or ctrl modifiers?
thanks…
BWack and others…I’m curious what midi controller do you use to trigger Abelton Live, or what have you found out there that is good?
I found a great foot controller that is built like a tank and outright performs with no programming. Its called the “aBility Controller” (www.abilitycontroller.com) by a company known as YounFX. Looks solid.
Are you having latency issues from the pad to triggering ableton? We have been trying to get our alesis control pad to activate the impulse instrument in ableton but still seem to have heavy latency issues. What does that lexan jump drive do anyway?
i’ve had my spd-s for almost a year… the idea was to trigger synth pads with it but i’m stuggling with putting a click to it that only i can hear. is this ableton setup the answer?
bwaaaaack!
answer my email for the concert tix! =P
Hey Bwack– I’m a 17-year-old worship leader in TN, and I love your music. I’ve been diving deeper into electronic stuff lately, trying to wrap my head around it all, and was wondering if you could give a few pointers… maybe? I’d like to know all about using loops live, and how it all works. Thanks!
So how do Live and Reason fit into the picture together? It sounds like (by having the audio files on a jump drive) you’re not using Rewire?
that’s really neat. it gives me some good ideas. i’m mostly curious though, what skin are using for ableton? 😀
well the computer is still processing the audio and running ableton.
cool. i like the new set up. you trigger through the spd-s, load the ableton live file on a flash card, so are you just using your mac as a display?
i think i just did an ebay search with buy it now. there were a lot to grab.
Sweet setup. I have been looking for a cheap place to pickup a Griffin Powermate but all the good prices get snatched. I tried http://stores.ebay.com/carmel-station but they were out the last time I checked. Where did you pick yours up?
this is great! it’s about time. i think ableton will serve you well and you’ll really appreciate the versatility you’re going to have with it. bravo! can’t wait to see if ableton frees the DC*B up to try even more loop/noise/sample implementation into the live setting. ABLETON LIVE RULES!
yeah, i think i’ll continue to butcher the oxygen 8 till i have just what i need. i look at the novation. its really nice but the oxygen 8 will only cost me parts.
That is cool! I’ve been using live for a bit. The midi mapping and key mapping is awesome. I like the way you are scrolling between clips. Check out novation ReMOTE SL for a switch from your frankentstein Oxygen 8. or you could always butcher the M-audio Axiom 25 which has trigger pads maybe replacing the Roland has well. We all appreciate you sharing this tech stuff. Thanks and keep pushing that digital revolution!