Live setup

AngusHastie · Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2005 8:06 am Post subject: Live setup

I currently use sequencer patches on my G2 in my band, and I have built a small click generator patch that goes to an outboard mixer for our drummer to plug phones into.
I also want to start using Ableton Live and Absynth (controlled via a MIDI footpedal) in gigs at the same.
Does anyone have a recommendations re. setup so that all the devices are tempo synched? And is it worth getting a separate clock generator hardware device?
Sorry for such an open-ended question, but I'm a bit clueless about working with lots of devices like this.
Angus

egw · Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2005 9:31 am Post subject:

Use the G2 as your master and send midi clock to the software.
You don't need a separate device to act as a clock.

Kassen · Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2005 10:22 am Post subject:

Using a seperate clock and syncing both the G2 and Live to that instead of one to the other means you can load patches or livesets and the one that´s not loading will be able to keep playing and the same clock can be preserved the whole time. That´s a advantage in a performance situation.

mosc · Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2005 11:46 am Post subject:

Does anyone make a MIDI Clock module. Just a box with maybe a big tempo knob, START, STOP, and a few other functions. Something very simple would be very usefull.

Kassen · Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2005 12:19 pm Post subject:

I occasionally use my tr-505 for that. Somehow having a nice round knob to controll tempo is different from setting it on schreen.

davep · Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2005 4:16 pm Post subject:

A basic drum machine will provide this midi clock function and give you some extra features too. You could use something like an Alesis SR-16, which is very simple & small, about the size of a paperback book. You can usually find them cheap on E-Bay.

AngusHastie · Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2005 5:45 pm Post subject:

Excellent - I'll check them out on ebay.
I think having a separate clock is the way forwards - I've tried synching Live to my G2, but it's not a great solution because running external sync on Live means that you lose control over the transport functions in Live.

Kassen · Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2005 6:11 pm Post subject:

A nice trick I sometimes use; if you can spare a slot, sync a clock lfo that runs by itself to the midi reset. Set it to the same bpm as your set. Now make a little logic construction that detects wether a midi clock pulse has lately been received. If none has been there for half a second that construction throws open the volume of the patch. Of cource the patch will hold some structered noodle/track. Now if your laptop should crash the patch will instantly take over at the same bpm and in sync with what was playing, alowing you to reboot without silence on the floor.

Because of murphy´s 83rd law of thermo-dynamics this construction will magically prevent your laptop from ever crashing as long as it´s loaded for the mere price of a slot!

I think it should be a standard option everywhere. You should be able to set all synced stuff to continue if the master catches fire, it´s not that hard....

rnp · Joined: Sep 14, 2004 Posts: 55 Location: germany

what a cool and elegant idea! thanks for that.