LC and Ableton Live 6 (your experiences & advices)

[Sasha]

I want to start planning Ableton Live 6 controler based on Mackie Control emulation.

I need some advices and tips from Live-LC users, so I could start planning and drawing Live CS.

1. How is LC supported in Live 6 bacause it is not Lives native controller but I see it is in Lives Control Surface list in V6?

2. Can you jog precisely trough song in arangement view? I couldn`t achive it with KORG MicroControls encoders  :(

I read level meters could eat some presious CPU power, but what about clipping LED somebody mentioned? How is the CPU usage in that case?

3. What should be configured for clipping LEDs?

4. Do I just use last LED of meter on pin 28 SR#4 for clipping indication?

5. What functions is good to map to F1-F8 buttons?

6. How meny LCD caracters belongs to each coresponding section? 8?

7. Do I need the rest of the LCD screen? If not I would like to cut the slot in panel showing only used LCDs section characters. Original Mackie Control have 55 visible characters. I hope you understand what I am triing to say.

Anny addvice and tip is wellcome. ;)  Thanks in advance.

[doc]

Hi,

I don't use Live 6 (Cubase User), but some of your questions are "universal" on mackie emulation.

3. What should be configured for clipping LEDs?

4. Do I just use last LED of meter on pin 28 SR#4 for clipping indication?

You can use the last LED as clipping idedication, but be warned: The LED meters aren't very much of the precicion kind. They are just nice to have, but nit exact indicators.

5. What functions is good to map to F1-F8 buttons?

This depends on the host software. I really like those F buttons and I have assigned all buttons (even with SHIFT) for parameters that I need often without doing a mouse move. For example: Insert silence, Add new track, Open Editor, and so on...)

6. How meny LCD caracters belongs to each coresponding section? 8?

I thing it's 7 per track

7. Do I need the rest of the LCD screen? If not I would like to cut the slot in panel showing only used LCDs section characters. Original Mackie Control have 55 visible characters. I hope you understand what I am triing to say.

You can use it as BPM Counter or indicater for solo or rec. Or you can just leave them out.

I would give my little finger if someone knows where to get those 2x55 LCDs !

If you'll use 2 x 2x40 Displays for 8 channels the space is good sorted. But you lost a lot of space if you like to combine more boxes in one case. (16 channel or 24 channel or whatever).

greets

Doc

[Sasha]

You can use the last LED as clipping idedication, but be warned: The LED meters aren't very much of the precicion kind. They are just nice to have, but nit exact indicators.

So they are not usefull as a clipping indicator eather. I was more concerned about CPU usage. OK than, I better avoid them.

This depends on the host software. I really like those F buttons and I have assigned all buttons (even with SHIFT) for parameters that I need often without doing a mouse move. For example: Insert silence, Add new track, Open Editor, and so on...)

I was more interested how people usualy map F`s particulary with Live. I wish to engrave their functions in panel, and not keep F1, F2...

You can use it as BPM Counter

Do I have to make some customisation in code for that, because I didn`t find enabling that option in code?

I would give my little finger if someone knows where to get those 2x55 LCDs!

I wouldn`t give little finger but I still like them more than 2x40:) It must be custom made especially for original LC because I have never seen them.

If you'll use 2 x 2x40 Displays for 8 channels the space is good sorted. But you lost a lot of space if you like to combine more boxes in one case. (16 channel or 24 channel or whatever).

I will use just 2 x 2x40 but still I dont like them to stick out especially if they are empty. :-\

I really like how Axel`s 2x24 LCDs looks like. Everything is aligned perfectly. I tought I can have same visual efect covering the unused part of 2x40 LCD. Do you advise that? Do you use that part for something Doc?

[doc]

Quote

You can use it as BPM Counter

Do I have to make some customisation in code for that, because I didn`t find enabling that option in code?

No, it's in the code per default. The assignement of the display is in lc_clcd.inc. There you can arrange your display content as you like.

f you'll use 2 x 2x40 Displays for 8 channels the space is good sorted. But you lost a lot of space if you like to combine more boxes in one case. (16 channel or 24 channel or whatever).

I will use just 2 x 2x40 but still I dont like them to stick out especially if they are empty. Undecided

I really like how Axel`s 2x24 LCDs looks like. Everything is aligned perfectly. I tought I can have same visual efect covering the unused part of 2x40 LCD. Do you advise that? Do you use that part for something Doc?

Do you mean the LC as part? I you use my baby almost every day ( http://www.ucapps.de/midibox_lc.html aspirant of the year 2004 ...)

If you mean the leftover space on the displays: I don't use it.

You can use the BPM and rec/solo/mute/status as visual effect, if you like.

The problem is that I have already designed a 48 channel box as my next LC. The only big problem are the displays. I must have the labels assigned to the faders or encoders. Otherwise I can't work with it.

The 2x24 is a good alternative, but it's not optimal for more than 24 channels. You always have a break in the faders after four channels. This is acceptable for 16 or 24 channels. But not for bigger consoles.

Also you have just 6 chars per channel. The host gives you 7 per channel.

At the moment (since two days) I'm fascinated of this parts: http://www.screenkeys.com.

This would be a fascinating feature for the LC. Different back-Colors show you the status, the display is also the select buttun and you can assign graphics to the buttons also. Maybe you can assign this screen keys also for the F-Buttons. They are tellung you directly which functions are "under" them.

No clue until now, if those LCD buttons can be used under MIOS. I will order some of them next week and try a little bit.

greets

Doc

[MEEF]

the F keys are assigned to track mutes 1-8 by default, not sure you change this without using something like autohotkeys

[Sasha]

the F keys are assigned to track mutes 1-8 by default, not sure you change this without using something like autohotkeys

F`s are Mutes? Are you sure? I didn`t tried them yet, but why there are dedicated mute buttons on SR #4? It can`t be Ableton mapped "F" and "Mute" buttons to the same function in Live.

I instaled LC on SEQ platform I`m curently building so I can test it a little bit and I`m sure Mutes buttons have Mute function.  ???

What do you think is good use F`s for?

[Sasha]

Hey Doc yuo said I can display BPM on the display. I checked the lc_clcd.inc and it seams pretty understandable  :) but I think BPM is not supported. I can find only this elements:

rcall LC_CLCD_Print_STATUS_Digits

rcall LC_CLCD_Print_SMPTE_BEATS

rcall LC_CLCD_Print_MTC_Digits

rcall LC_CLCD_Print_Msg

rcall LC_CLCD_Print_Meters

rcall LC_CLCD_Print_RSM

rcall LC_CLCD_Print_SEL

Can somebody confirm I can show midi clock/BPM on display?

[doc]

Hi,

sorry for being unclear.

I mean  SMPTE_BEATS or MTC-digits.

Out of lc_clcd.inc

;; --------------------------------------------------------------------------

;;  Page0:

;; --------------------------------------------------------------------------

LC_CLCD_Init_Page0

;; print status digits at position 38/2

SET_CLCD_STATUS 1, 38, 2

;; print "SMPTE/BEATS" at position: 28/2

SET_CLCD_SMPTE_BEATS 1, 28, 2

;; print MTC digits at position 27/3

SET_CLCD_MTC 1, 27, 3

;; print host messages at position 12/0, (0=normal spacing)

SET_CLCD_HOST_MSG 1, 12, 0, 0

;; don't print meters

SET_CLCD_METER 0, 0, 0, 0

;; print rec/solo/mute status at 0/0

SET_CLCD_RSM_MSG 1, 0, 0

;; print select status at 0/1

SET_CLCD_SEL_MSG 1, 0, 1

return

You can assign the counter to the display if you don't built external digits for this.

just the wrong term for it.

Another thing:

The F buttons should be function-buttons I think.

don't know the assignment in Ableton, but under Cubase I can assign any function to the F buttons I like (Normal function and a additional shift+function). In my opinion, thats the purpose of an F button, or not?  ???

Can you assign the LC as a Mackie-Controller under Ableton? In this case you should also be able to assign the desired functions!

Mute is done by the MUTE buttons on each track. The V_POT buttons are controlling the monitoring under cubase. Perhaps you mean that function analog in Ableton?

greets

Doc

[Sasha]

sorry for being unclear.

I mean  SMPTE_BEATS or MTC-digits.

Out of lc_clcd.inc

I tought I just can`t see it, but after some scrollings I was sure there is no BPM support.

You can assign the counter to the display if you don't built external digits for this.

I think I am going to build external display. Much easier to see.

The F buttons should be function-buttons I think.

I agree, but I would like to permanently asign those buttons for some usefull functions and engrave the panel with coresponding lables. I don`t need the function buttons as so.

don't know the assignment in Ableton, but under Cubase I can assign any function to the F buttons I like (Normal function and a additional shift+function). In my opinion, thats the purpose of an F button, or not?  Huh

Can you assign the LC as a Mackie-Controller under Ableton? In this case you should also be able to assign the desired functions!

It is posible In Live also, and I supose in anny other software (I tried Reason also)

Mute is done by the MUTE buttons on each track. The V_POT buttons are controlling the monitoring under cubase. Perhaps you mean that function analog in Ableton?

I was confused because MEEF said "the F keys are assigned to track mutes 1-8 by default"

[cheater]

Sasa,

I don't remember what those F keys were for, but I'm pretty sure the Live manual exactly outlines how the mackie works with it. There's even a special chapter if I'm not mistaken. I vaguely remember those keys to be solo/cue buttons but I'm probably wrong.

As for the LCD buttons:

Maybe the Midibox LC could store icons, each icon paired with a text string. Then, it would show text on the buttons - BUT if it received one of the special text strings it would show an icon instead. This would probably have to be handled by a second core. What do you think about this idea?

What I'd really love would be an MB emulation of the novation controller (the one with LCDs).... Mmmm...  8)

Cheers,

Damian

[Sasha]

Maybe the Midibox LC could store icons, each icon paired with a text string. Then, it would show text on the buttons - BUT if it received one of the special text strings it would show an icon instead. This would probably have to be handled by a second core. What do you think about this idea?

That would be really great, but I dont think TK ever suport it as those buttons must be expensive as hell. If it needs another core just to handle it that wouldn`t  be problem, but price of buttons. I have never wanted to know it`s price.

What I'd really love would be an MB emulation of the novation controller (the one with LCDs).... Mmmm...  Cool

Which one? Novation ReMOTE SL? I like that controller very muck even I don`t know is there something speciall about. It looks great and which is better it is compact. Those sliders seams small but after I tested 100mm and 30mm i figured out that 30 is not hard to use at all, even better than 100 for some cases.

But, I don`t think ReMOTE SL offers something speciall compared to LC. I am testing Ableton Live with LC emulation on SEQ platform I am curently building, and I am very satisfied with it. I use regular 100mm faders which is too long for my taste and if I find the 30mm I will use them instead.

Damian, what do you like on Novation controller except look and those displays?

[cheater]

The Remote SL has this cool thing where it automagically shows you the names of parameters you're editing, and this stuff changes when you select different plugs in your host. It has some sort of memory, but I hadn't played around with it enough to know how exactly that functions on the user side of things.

I know the remote uses special drivers in the VST host that does the magic.

Another cool thing:

cracked Remote SL driver = connection over midi..

Speaking of "cracking drivers"... has anyone ever looked at MIDI interface drivers...? Midisport, mackie, etc?