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Ableton Live controler/audio mixer


Sasha

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yeah i use live but i haven't done as much with routing audio out thru a send to a compressor and back, etc.  i would mostly make loops in reaktor and put them together in live and i didn't go much further than that.  i see how to add more sends now.

Those are basics. I advise you to do some more reading about Live, as you might be missing something you mihgt like to have. I hope your controller will not be too much based on my idea. I might make some mistake too so you will make it too.  ;D

i've been trying to find some of the functions you're using in live.  i can't figure out how to assign session and arrangement view to midi, and left/right for the navigation buttons.  also the fast forward and rewind buttons on the transport.

You should check the LC specification for Live to see what is supported and what not. I think Live needs much more mappable controls than it has now. I think for programmers it is same if 2 controls can be MIDI mapped or all.

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only the basic layout is based on yours.  as i work on it, it's changing a lot to be my own.  i haven't really looked into lc at all because i was going to write a program from scratch and only control what i can via midi.  i'll look into lc more and see what it's all about, thanks.  perhaps this is the route to go if it gives me more control.

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nice work Sasha - looking forward to seeing the finished version!!

And yes learning LC is a must! At least until I can find a way of becoming a Ableton affilated developer and get access "under the hood", I've discounted the Python route as not being workable at the moment and there is a lot more I'd like to control that LC won't allow.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Here are some news...

I soldered all pots. I tried to do it  as best and neat as I can mostly inspired by LX work. I can say, it really pays off. It is not just aesthetics, it is very easy to see what goes where. At the end of the flat cable i put DIL connectors so I muct use one of those beautiful smashTV PCBs. I just need to find a way to get those.  ::)

img0970lf3.th.jpg img0988ia0.th.jpg

I put 2nd level sub-panel over the pots for extra strength and to support the modules. I`m planing to stack 2 modules which will add a little more hight but will free alot of room for other modules and hopefully midi mixer too.

img0990kw1.th.jpg

It is always a challenge to have all the controls in same level on top panel so it takes alot of sub leveling. Planing this is worst part of designing for me. Only to get pots and encoder knobs aligned at top and to hide bolts I needed to add encoder sub-panel so if I run screw from common hole I`m creating leveling problem on other places. So, I needed to create acrylic spacers, glue the regular spacers and also glue the small washer at top to fine tune it for button PCBs. It is alot of extra work, but there was no way to solve the problem other way. OK, If I did bit more testing I can avoid using those washers and make illuminated buttons 0.5mm higher but there is a 20 % tolerance on acrylic thickness so I could ended using those washers anyway.

img1006du8.th.jpg

More multi leveling... ::)

img1007dt5.th.jpg

This is the buttons PCB and LEDs in place. Caps will be mounted just before mounting to the panel. These LEDs are just great... 4.8mm high, bright wide angle... perfect for my buttons. But wide angle created another problem to my dense packed buttons - light leaking. I will probably be forced to create light blockades and maybe even painted sub-panel black because of this.

img0997sl5.th.jpg img0999bt8.th.jpg

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Soldering headers backwards was great discovery for me! I`m not sure from whom I stole that idea, but it is great.  :)

I also use this method in my latest controller design, i don't know where the idea came, naturally i guess.

Sasa, this is a really nice work you did, very patient indeed! Post it on your Flickr photo stream!

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I used the upside down header trick on the dB Live - I don't remember seeing it anywhere before I did it, but I don't think I was the one to invent it...

BTW: I noticed you've removed the plastic bit from the headers - I didn't do this - I soldered in upside down and then used a flat head screwdriver (wide bit) to push the plastic down to the pcb - means less chance of bending pins.

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BTW: I noticed you've removed the plastic bit from the headers - I didn't do this - I soldered in upside down and then used a flat head screwdriver (wide bit) to push the plastic down to the pcb - means less chance of bending pins.

No, I didn`t removed it. You can clearly see it on this image.

img0997sl5.th.jpg

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After I etch the PCBs I always wash it with abrasive detergent, but this time I had one extra step. I used PCB protective spray - Plastik 70, and I love it!  :) It is fairly inexpensive and can even be soldered trough it as solder melt the spray on soldering spot. I will use it from now on for all my DIY PCBs  ;)

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Not sure what you mean... How do you position it for soldering? Do you have some picture?

It is pretty easy to align pins to plastic holder and just slide pins trough hole. Once it`s soldered, plastic can be removed, but there is no point doing it.

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  • 1 month later...

I`ve been struggling with this optical encoder for a while. At first I used 80 steps acrylic laser cut ring. But as it was PITA to adjust I cut new one half of original resolution (40 steps). For adjusting I used MIDIO128 as I can clearly see LEDs activity for each optoelement. In MIDIO128 everything looked right, but after I upload MB64E it don`t work as it should. When connecting the buttons to MB64E ins and emulate quadrature it acts right no matter how I differ the timing as long as the sequence is right so I figure out perfect timing isn`t critical. I shoot this video to show you the sequence. To me it look right. ::) What should I do?

encoder_thumb.gif

2856_encoder_gif383f3cb41c6975da282f71e8

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Well, sometimes it don`t move at all, sometimes it moves to 127 and automatically starting go backwards. Sometimes it moves as should back and forth but only when it is not on 0 or 127. It is strange to describe, as it not the same all the time. Does this video looks right to you? To me it does. I see same thing as when I use buttons to emulating the quadrature.

I tested different parts of ring to make sure it acts the same to eliminate possibility of misalignment or wobbling. The whole rig is firm and precise. LEDs looks blink in steady rate if rotating the disc same speed. Some oscilloscope could probably be very helpful here. :-\

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