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Looper's Delight
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> -----Original Message----- > From: Jonah, Jim [mailto:Jim.Jonah@compuware.com] Hi Jim, > I hope this isn't too off topic, but... I'm trying to use > Ableton Live and the FCB1010 midi foot controller to do basic > looping/recording on the fly. That's a set-up I'm using too :-) (among other set-ups) > I'm running into a few issues with setting up the midi > mapping between Live and the FCB1010 > > > Let's say I have a percussion loop in track 1 - scene 1. > > I'd like to use track 2 - scene 1 to record a simple bass > loop and use the fcb1010 to start/stop the record. Here's > where I'm running into a problem. I've tried programming the > fcb1010 to have cnt1 (footswitch 6) send out a controller > message (preset 1). Then I've set up the midi mapping by > hovering the mouse over the record button for the slot in > track 2 scene 1, select Midi Mapping, then step on the > fcb1010 preset 1. I'm doing it another way by starting out with putting all tracks into "record enabled mode". Then I assign the FCB midi messages to the clip slot. What happens then is that the FCB pedal will start recording into a slot, if that slot is empty. If the slot is not empty (i.e. I have already recorded a loop into it) the same FCB button will start or stop the clip/loop. To the same FCB button (pre-set) I have also enabled (in the FCB programming mode) one of the expression pedals to send a certain continuous controller (1-90 instead of 1-128 to stay away from overloading the Ableton mixer output) that is set to control the Ableton track volume fader. By this I can step one button on the FCB and go directly into recording and adjusting that track's level with the pedal. One drawback is that when I have a some loops going in a bunch of tracks (let's say clip 1,2,3 and 4 of scene 1) I can't activate the track volume pedal without also stopping that loop for a while. But for the music I perform this is not a big problem. > Also, as I think about how the fcb works and how Live midi > mapping works it seems as if I'd really only be able to have > each preset send out one midi message. Is that correct? No, luckily not ;-) As you might know you can program each FCB preset to send out midi data for all "switches" (as Behringer calls it) that are activated in that preset. And you can also program Ableton Live to react with many actions to such a "multi-midi-msg" command sent out from your FCB. But it's a bit special to program since the Ableton Live midi learn function can not hear a row of midi messages, it will only register the first. So what you have to do is to send those "FCB-multi-msg's" separately one after the other while working the Live midi learn to assign each controller msg to the Live function you want. This is done with the FCB in programming mode. Here's the complete procedure: Go into FCB programming mode and turn off all switches except for the one sending the midi data you want. 1. Press the button you want to program 2. Hold down the down button until programming mode is entered 3. Press up button Now a bunch of buttons will light up. These are the switches being active in the preset of the button you pressed above at stage 1. You can now turn them off by a long press or you can go into a specific switch to set the actual controllers (by pressing it shortly so it will start blinking and then you go through the menus with the up/down buttons). If you do this the actual midi value for that midi parameter ("switch" in the FCB manual) is being sent out when you do the last arrow-up push, and this is when Ableton Live Mid Learn gets to learn that midi. I have not found any way to save a set of assigned midi controller's as a template in Ableton so when you have finished this procedure you must not forget to save an empty song to use as template. I'm setting this file to "non-writable" file status (or whatever it's called... This is different on Win and Mac but you know what I mean). > Let's > say I wanted a preset that disarms the current slot that's > recording and jumps to the next track and arms the slot for > recording all at the same time. Is that possible? No. You cant assign a midi controller to "jumping to the next track" in Ableton. I was also looking for this ;-) You have to map directly to the clips. Just map them up on your pedal - clips of all scenes! And you can also map buttons directly to a certain scene in Ableton. If you have mapped an FCB button (preset) to let's say scene 2 this will start all clips in scene two to play, but only if they were playing the last time you were in scene 2. Muted/stopped clips will still be muted when you call up that scene again. On very usable thing I found out is that if you step on the button for a certain scene when you already are in that same scene the effect will be that all playing clips will be muted and all muted clips will start playing. This is a typical example of the how smart Ableton is designed (the guys are musicians themselves, I have heard). When you know about this you can use it musically to switch between two sets of loops in the same scene. Another option you have with Live is to use it as an effect processor by monitoring your instrument through the track (inserted fx plug-ins included). However this demands a low latency soundcard. Otherwise you can deselect "Monitor through Live" in the preferences and split your instrument input for one direct (house PA) and one Ableton input signal. When programming FCB/Ableton for this "multi-fx-preamp" function you need to add to the button addressing the clips, also a midi command addressing each Ableton track's monitor button. This midi msg have to be included in all FCB presets that do address clips on the same Ableton track. Personally I'm waiting with this until I can find a laptop with firewire and a low latency firewire mobile interface. Right now I'm using the cheap M-Audiophile USB which would give phase out my instrument sound if monitored through Live and also sent directly to the PA. Best wishes Per Boysen __________________________________ www.boysen.se www.looproom.com