Modulate This! - News, Tips and Links for Electronic Musicians and Producers

Percussa Audio Cubes: Lights & Tangible Interface with Ableton Live and Alchemy

I recently added Percussa AudioCubes to my studio and performance rig. While I’m planning a longer post offering an overview of how AudioCubes work, this is a quick post to mention two applications of AudioCube technology I’ve been experimenting with.

First, I’m using them as lights. You can send RGB values to the cubes via MIDI. In the picture above, you can see a color fade being sent to an AudioCube via an Ableton MIDI clip. In a nutshell, you can sequence cubes as multi-color light sources against a timeline.  Controller number 14 is used for Red, 15 for Green and 16 for Blue.

Second, I’ve been experimenting with using AudioCubes+Ableton Live +VSTs to create "performance instruments” that I can play via cubes. In the picture above (click to enlarge), , I’m using Camel Audio Alchemy as a MIDI device with Ableton Live 8. The picture shows crop of a free Percussa app called MIDIBridge which is used to configure the cube settings. I’m using MIDI Yoke ports (I’m on Vista-32) between MIDIBridge and Ableton Live.

I am mapping device parameters to the X/Y of the remix pad in Alchemy. I then MIDI map faces of a an AucioCube in “sensor” mode to the performance parameters. In sensor mode, the AudioCube detects the proximity of my hands to their sides of the cube face and sends out a continuous controller value based on my hand position. So one face controls X, another Y. The same idea would work with Native Instruments KORE2.

Result = radical sonic changes within Camel Audio Alchmy presets with real time control via an AudioCube.

Links:

• Percussa.com
• AudioCubes Getting Started Manual
• Camel Audio Alchemy Posts on Modulate This

Mark Mosher
Electronic Music Artist, Composer, Sound Designer
Louisville/Denver/Boulder

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

Download/Buy my album REBOOT on Bandcamp
Buy on iTunes

Using Ableton Live to Add Velocity to Incoming MIDI Notes from Tenori-On

In this YouTube Video, I demonstrate how to use Ableton Live 8 and the Velocity MIDI device along with a dummy clip to add velocity to incoming MIDI notes that are a fixed velocity. I illustrate this with the Tenori-On but this concept will work with any MIDI device.

Once velocity is introduced into the equation you can then do all sorts of interesting things with modulation. In the video I use velocity to modulate the filter frequency with Circle. Of course you could just as easily use this to play different samples in a velocity split with Sampler and so on.

Mark Mosher
Electronic Music Artist, Composer, Sound Designer
Louisville/Denver/Boulder

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

Download/Buy my album REBOOT on Bandcamp
Buy on iTunes

"Circuit Path" - First in the "One Patch Performance" Video Series

One Patch Performance
Over the years I’ve produced some very detailed step-by-step videos with voice-over on sound design and music technology. To balance things out, I’m launching a new video series called “ONE PATCH PERFORMANCE”. 

In this new series there will be no voice over just sound and music. The videos are intended to show what's possible when you go constrain your tool set to one synth and one preset with many modulation routings mapped for performance. Ultimately I hope to inspire others to extend their craft by "going deep" and transcending technology. I’ll also start showing controller use in future videos.

“Circuit Path”
In this first video I thought I’d start of with a very brief and  simple performance utilizing the fantastic Ableton Operator. The song is called “Circuit Path”.

Programming Notes
The synthesizer used in this video is the FM/Subtractive Ableton Operator.

I create a custom preset. Along the way I set the Volume Envelope Loop Mode to Beat so while I press a note it repeats.

 

 

I loaded Operator along with FX (EQ Three, Chorus, Beat Repeat, and Filter Delay) into an Instrument Rack so I could assign Macro Control knobs making it easy to tweak parameters in real-time. For example “Plastic” increase these level of oscillator 2 which increases Frequency Modulation and changes the character of the timbre.

Plastic Gate is assigned to Osc-B Envelope Rates.

Time Travel is assigned to EQ Three GainH controlling brightness.

Performance Notes
I went into Arrangement View in Ableton Live, hit the global record button, held down a note then started performing with the Macro Control knobs. In the video you can see my knob movement in the automation lanes.

Start Tweaking
Hopefully my brief notes are enough to get your creative juices flowing. So what are you waiting for, fire up your DAW and drop in a Synth and start tweaking!

Links

• Modulate This post on Ableton Operator

Sound Design in Ableton Live: Operator by Nick’s Tutorials 

Operator Mini-Pack by Ultimate Ableton Tutorials

Official Ableton Operator page

Mark Mosher
Electronic Music Artist, Composer, Sound Designer
Louisville/Denver/Boulder

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

Download/Buy my album REBOOT on Bandcamp
Buy on iTunes

Ableton Live 8.1 Now Online - New File Format Introduced

I just saw this on the Ableton Forum:

We just released the latest Live 8 version, Live 8.1.
The main focus of that 8.1 version is the release for the "Max for Live" product. Additionally, Live 8.1 contains a bunch of bugfixes compared to Live 8.0.9. (A corresponding change log will follow soon).
Please ONLY update to Live 8.1 if you own a Live 8 full or suite license, as 8.1 does not yet support Lite and Intro licenses. Live Lite and Live intro support will be included in a later bugfix release.

I also saw the following note on this download page:

Live 8.1 introduces a new file format - documents saved with Live 8.1 or newer will not be able to be opened in older versions of Live.

Links

• Link to Ableton Live Updates Page

Mark Mosher
Electronic Music Artist, Composer, Sound Designer
Louisville/Denver/Boulder

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

Download/Buy my album REBOOT on Bandcamp
Buy on iTunes

Video - What Comes with Max for Live

Via AbetonDenver – A new YouTube video that offers a nice overview of what’s included with Max for Live. Here are some highlights:

• Buvfer Shuffler
• Loop Shifter
• Step-Sequencer
• More than 40 Pluggo devices were ported to Max for Live along wth presets!
• Graphic EQ
• Compressors
• Monitoring Tools
• MIDI Generators
• Humanizers
• Building Blocks with annotation
• Live Lessons
• Max Tutorials
• And more …

Mark Mosher
Electronic Music Artist, Composer, Sound Designer
Louisville/Denver/Boulder

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

Download/Buy my album REBOOT

Cycling '74 Video Interview of Ableton Co-Founder and Electronic Music Artist Robert Henke on Max and Max For Live

 

I found these two videos of Robert Henke on the Cycling ‘74 web site. Always nice to hear insights from insiders.

C74 Perspectives: Robert Henke on Max (Watch on YouTube):

C74 Perspectives: Robert Henke on Max for Live(Watch on YouTube):

Mark Mosher
Electronic Music Artist, Composer, Sound Designer
Louisville/Denver/Boulder

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

Download/Buy my album REBOOT

Ableton Live Master Class 11/22/2009 In San Francisco

Laura Escude asked me to pass along information on the upcoming Ableton Live Master Class with Timo Preece, Brian Trifon, and Moldover. The event is from 11am to 7pm on November 22nd in San Francisco. Visit http://www.electroniccreatives.com/san-francisco for more info.

Mark Mosher
Electronic Music Artist, Composer, Sound Designer
Louisville/Denver/Boulder

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

Download/Buy my album REBOOT

Ableton Celebrates 10 years With Announcements, New Prodoucts, Discounts, and Free Live Packs

Ableton is celebrating it’s 10th birthday. Lots of buzz today related to this and many announcements, discounts, and freebies. I tweeted a lot of this earlier today but thought I’d pull together a quick post to summarize.

• Live 8.0.9 released
• Free live packs (require 8.0.9)
• Up to 20% off of Live 8 & Suite including updates (good tilll January 15, 2010)
• New $99 version of Live called Live Intro w/ 1GB of content for download edition, and 7 GB for boxed edition.
• Free upgrade to Intro for LE & Lite customers
• 10 Free Live Packs
• Long awaited Max For Live News. Release date November 23rd, 2009. USD 299/EUR 249. If you already own Max 5, the discounted price is USD 99/EUR 79. Pubic Beta
• Last but not least, Novation Launchpad is now available. CLICK HERE to buy from  Musician’s Friend for $199*.

More on all these specials www.ableton.com/able10. Also, checkout these categorized Modulate This posts on Ableton Live and Max for Live. 

* Help support Modulate This by purchasing via affiliate links

Mark Mosher
Electronic Music Artist, Composer, Sound Designer
Louisville/Denver/Boulder

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

Download/Buy my album REBOOT

The Making of The Electronica Single "They Walk Among Us" Using Ableton Live + VSTs

In this epic post I’m going to share some behind the scenes notes on what it took to compose the song “They Walk Among Us”. If you have any friends who think that all us electronic musicians do is just drop canned loops and hit buttons, have them read this – of course they’ll have no idea what I’m talking about ;^).

About The Song
Here is a fun blurb I put together when I first posted the song that will give a feel for what I was going for:

This song has an interesting story. You see -  I traveled back in time with my music production laptop and a pile of virtual synthesizers to score a 50's Sci-Fi B-Movie. “They Walk Among Us” is the result, Will any humans survive? You’ll have to listen to find out. Extra points if you can tell me the Morse code message in the end of the song. So If you like theremins, 50’s SCI-FI B-Movies, flying saucer sounds, big beats and ear candy I think you’ll really dig this track.

DAW, Synths, Tools, and CPU Usage 
The song was composed, produced, mixed, and mastered entirely with Ableton Live 8 on an HP DV6500T Laptop using Windows Vista 32-bit Premium.

I composed all elements of the song in Session view using a Novation Remote SL controller,Korg NANOKeys, TriggerFinger, and the Qwerty keyboard to play notes. I also used a Wacom Tablet and my Laptop touchpad to enter and edit notes. I experimented with arrangements and created scenes in session view. I then practiced with these scenes to the point where I could perform the song structure live. I did a real-time recording of my work in session view to create the Arrangement view of the song. Then I stayed in Arrangement view and added a few more parts, mixed, and automating.

The song is all digital and no external hardware was used. There are 31 tracks. Most are “MIDI” and most are third party VSTs. As you can see below, I’ve used A LOT of Sylenth1 for this song. While I did use some factory presets, there are many heavily tweaked or effected presets. I also did some custom preset programming from scratch which I’ll describe in more detail below.

Two New Ableton Inc. Videos - DJ Jazzy Jeff & Life as an Ableton Developer

If you are into Ableton Live I think you’ll enjoy the following videos.

DJ Jazzy Jeff on Ableton Live
I saw reference to this on Synthtopia. It’s a an Ableton Inc video featuring DJ Jazzy Jeff on how he uses Ableton Live. At 2:30 he discusses his use of Ableton Sampler to slice segments of entire songs into key zones. Near the end he concludes that “If everyone knew what this [Ableton Live] did, this would probably be the main program that everyone would use.”

Watch on YouTube

Life as an Ableton Developer
The second video via twitter.com/abletonfreaks is an Ableton Inc, video containing interviews with developers that work at Ableton. It's actually a recruiting video and offers a nice behind the scenes view of life at Ableton.
Watch on YouTube

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