Ableton midi setup

Alright, what i'm trying to do is use ableton as a midi clock master for various hardwares and trying to be able to sequence notes for my synthesizers at the same time. Essentially, i want to be using my hardwares as 'plug-ins' for ableton. My set up basically goes like this: Ableton>usb-to-midi cable>TR-909>Electribe EA-1>Yamaha RX5>Roland sh-201>microkorg>kaoss pad. In the end, i assume i would need to send the midi back to the usb (the cable has both in and out). The current arrangement of the equipment doesn't matter, i can move shit around, but i need help with what to do, please

if you just want to use ableton to control the hardware then you do not need to go back into the computer at the end. if for some reason you want the hardware to send some sort of information to ableton then you would.

Alright, which i would probably want to do (in order to record notes via keyboard)

So..what about the other things. Anyone?

No but seriously. I really need help with this. I don't care if i have to use a different program, i need help with this. I can not find ANY resources that help me, none at all. At least point me in the right direction, someone

http://www.philrees.co.uk/thruq.htm

i'm not sure exactly what the specs are on each piece of gear, but that's how you would wire it, then you would have to go in and set the "sync" on each device to "external", and that would at least get everything timed properly. as far as audio goes you will either be routing through a mixer or an audio card with enough dedicated inputs (or maybe both).

i don't know if you plan on doing any sequencing with ableton (programming the notes in the software and sending them out to the devices) but setting everything up like this is going to be limiting in that area. if you just want a sync loop that's fine but anything more and you might want to look at a midi interface that has multiple ins and outs.

get a MIDI thru box instead of chaining all that external gear (MIDI lag is noticeable after two units especially with clocks) and set the MIDI clock compensation (or whatever its called in Ableton) to sync as close as you can get it

Ya, wouldn't every device in the chain respond to every signal that it could without multiple MIDI in's and outs?

*head asplodes*

also, i'm sure this is a what if scenario. you saying you have a 909 and not quite sure how to use it?

Lemme explain my situation just so we're clear. Okay, i used to have an alesis mmt-8 midi sequencer. I liked it because i could hit start on it and all my machines would start and assign different sequences to different midi channels thus playing different sequences on different synths. But as some of you may probably know, recording a sequence on an mmt-8 is a fucking bitch. So i basically want to do the same thing but on the computer. I want to write a big 15 minute sequence in which the synths will be playing whatever i sequence and the drum machines will be playing in sync. I want to do the same thing that i did on the mmt-8, buuuuuuut i want to do it on the computer because it's easier and more convenient. It doesn't have to be ableton, i just figured that was one of the most popular softwares for that type of shit

So once again, HALP PLEASE

  On 1/21/2011 at 3:17 AM, yek said:

you saying you have a 909 and not quite sure how to use it?

I lol'd

Ideally you want your synths on their own chain and the drum/groove machines on their own. Then you can treat the synth chain as one big multisynth mapping your 16 instrument channels, and the other chain only has to worry about play and stop messages. Of course you need a midi interface for that but its probably worth it if you want to run all your gear at once. Otherwise, on a single chain you'll have to make sure the kits aren't being triggered from the note data going to the synths, and also the lag problem.

Sent from my MB200 using Tapatalk

you it's not ideal to multi chain anything MIDI especially stuff that has to respond to MIDI clock as when you get three units down you really start to notice MIDI lag, you need a midi thru box and have everything on its own channels

Why is a midi thru box required? Why can't we just use different channels like we used with our old sequencer?

  On 1/21/2011 at 3:41 PM, Hoodie said:

Why is a midi thru box required? Why can't we just use different channels like we used with our old sequencer?

  On 1/17/2011 at 11:08 PM, BoomTssPhace said:

My set up basically goes like this: Ableton>usb-to-midi cable>TR-909>Electribe EA-1>Yamaha RX5>Roland sh-201>microkorg>kaoss pad.

  On 1/21/2011 at 11:13 AM, soundwave said:

it's not ideal to multi chain anything MIDI especially stuff that has to respond to MIDI clock as when you get three units down you really start to notice MIDI lag

we never noticed lag with our old sequencer.

  On 1/21/2011 at 7:03 PM, hautlle said:

  On 1/21/2011 at 3:41 PM, Hoodie said:

Why is a midi thru box required? Why can't we just use different channels like we used with our old sequencer?

 

  On 1/17/2011 at 11:08 PM, BoomTssPhace said:

My set up basically goes like this: Ableton>usb-to-midi cable>TR-909>Electribe EA-1>Yamaha RX5>Roland sh-201>microkorg>kaoss pad.

 

 

  On 1/21/2011 at 11:13 AM, soundwave said:

it's not ideal to multi chain anything MIDI especially stuff that has to respond to MIDI clock as when you get three units down you really start to notice MIDI lag

Hauttle saves the day with the power of the summary!

  On 1/22/2011 at 2:47 AM, Hoodie said:

we never noticed lag with our old sequencer.

talking in plural is creepy dude. reminds of those pink preacher aliens from mass effect.

the USB generation don't quit understand that MIDI was invented in 1982 and hasn't really changed much since

  On 1/22/2011 at 2:58 AM, ryanmcallister said:

  On 1/21/2011 at 7:03 PM, hautlle said:

  On 1/21/2011 at 3:41 PM, Hoodie said:

Why is a midi thru box required? Why can't we just use different channels like we used with our old sequencer?

 

  On 1/17/2011 at 11:08 PM, BoomTssPhace said:

My set up basically goes like this: Ableton>usb-to-midi cable>TR-909>Electribe EA-1>Yamaha RX5>Roland sh-201>microkorg>kaoss pad.

 

 

  On 1/21/2011 at 11:13 AM, soundwave said:

it's not ideal to multi chain anything MIDI especially stuff that has to respond to MIDI clock as when you get three units down you really start to notice MIDI lag

Hauttle saves the day with the power of the summary!

 

  On 1/22/2011 at 2:47 AM, Hoodie said:

we never noticed lag with our old sequencer.

talking in plural is creepy dude. reminds of those pink preacher aliens from mass effect.

i'm talking in plural because the op and i are two different people who are in the same band and therefore share this problem, dude.

i think our issue probably has to do with the drivers for the usb to midi cable or something like that. i can't think of anything else.

  On 1/23/2011 at 12:10 AM, Hoodie said:

  On 1/22/2011 at 2:58 AM, ryanmcallister said:

  On 1/21/2011 at 7:03 PM, hautlle said:

  On 1/21/2011 at 3:41 PM, Hoodie said:

Why is a midi thru box required? Why can't we just use different channels like we used with our old sequencer?

 

  On 1/17/2011 at 11:08 PM, BoomTssPhace said:

My set up basically goes like this: Ableton>usb-to-midi cable>TR-909>Electribe EA-1>Yamaha RX5>Roland sh-201>microkorg>kaoss pad.

 

 

  On 1/21/2011 at 11:13 AM, soundwave said:

it's not ideal to multi chain anything MIDI especially stuff that has to respond to MIDI clock as when you get three units down you really start to notice MIDI lag

Hauttle saves the day with the power of the summary!

 

  On 1/22/2011 at 2:47 AM, Hoodie said:

we never noticed lag with our old sequencer.

talking in plural is creepy dude. reminds of those pink preacher aliens from mass effect.

 

i'm talking in plural because the op and i are two different people who are in the same band and therefore share this problem, dude.

 

i think our issue probably has to do with the drivers for the usb to midi cable or something like that. i can't think of anything else.

lol ok i'll allow it.

#1. disconnect everything except for the first piece of equipment in the chain. the 909.

#2. see if you can get that to work.

#3. upon completing #2, add one more piece, and figure that one out. if you never figure out #2, google your gear's manual, the ableton live manual, and an intro to MIDI, and make sure you have the latest drivers/versions of everything.

Fuck it, i had the in and out in the wrong places. Biggest goddamn face palm of my life

  On 1/31/2011 at 2:24 AM, Braintree said:

I was actually thinking about trying to find the ascii facepalm, but..i didn't

fucking lol