Re: ableton live questions

["Doug Cox" <dougcox@pdq.net>]

Hi Per!

Sorry for the delay in responding - been busy this week.

Comments below:
> > I posted a while back (a month or so?), detailing my approach
> > to using Ableton Live as a live looper.
>
>
> Hi Doug,
>
> That one was a great post! It sure helped me to understand Live better.

Thanks.  I didn't see any responses, so I could only hope that it helped a
few people get started.

> Are you using the latest version 2.1? I was thinking the some of tje
> "limitations" you listed might have been fixed in the new update?

Yes, I'm using 2.1.  I'd have to go back and read my post re: limitations,
but really, the biggest (vs. my EDP mindset) is the inability to set tempo
on the fly by recording the first loop or cycle.  This is what you mention
below....

>
> I intend to use Live as a midi clock slave to the EDP and I guess your
> this, your note, doesn't apply then?
>
> > One thing
> > about LIVE is that you can't currently define the loop length
> > (and therefore the tempo of the piece) on the fly. Gotta set
> > the clock, and start the piece playing.
>
> Let's say I keep a bunch of Live tracks set up to record clips of
> different lengths. Then I guess the EDP loop can serve as "matronome" to
> record liv into Live?

Again, I really need to go re-read that post, but if I didn't say it there,
I'll say it here - I use Live both ways:  as MIDI slave and MIDI master
(kinky!).  The EDP works great as a MIDI master to Live, and it will do 
what
I think you're asking here.  If you set Live to synch to external clock and
feed it the EDP clock, it will "start" in tempo with your EDP loop or 
cycle,
once it is finished and the MIDI clock starts.  "Start" can mean that it
starts playing any pre-recorded loops you have in the first scene, or it 
can
simply mean that the clock starts and you can start recording live clips
(quantized, of course!).

Hope that helped.  I will go re-read my first post and see if it inspires 
me
to do a quick update.

I just bought an Event EZbus (thanks Steve Ginn!), and with that and my
laptop tied into my 2 EDP/1 GMajor rig, I'm at just the right level of
gadgetry vs. capability (for me, of course).  Other peoples' milage may 
vary
:)

Dig