FC-300 plays Drums in Ableton Live

Started by Elantric, March 09, 2013, 05:45:19 AM

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Elantric

Rolandvg99 wrote >
Quote. . . with Ableton Live 9 using my new drum playback technique using the FC-300 as a remote for triggering patterns using pedals to adjust Hi-Hat and velocity. Guitars and Bass from the VG-99. Drum sounds from Superior Drummer.



Care to share more details on your FC-300 MIDI assignments that allow you to perform Drum tracks in Ableton Live using your feet?

rolandvg99

#1
Sure.
FC-300 side:
I'm using CC Mode with an MIDI cable going from the FC-300 to the VG-99 parallel with the RRC-2 one. Using an extra EV-5 to control the Hi-hat. Exp-2 is controlling velocity. Exp-1 is routed to the VG for Wah.
Pedals are assigned to CC's 20 to 29.

Ableton side:
This is where it's getting a bit complicated.

- First make a track with a drum plugin (named "Superior Drummer" in the pic") and route "MIDI-from" to the VG-99 Midi channel setting "Monitor" to "In". You need to alter the midi mapping for Hi-Hat control inside Superior to the CC you've chosen on Your pedal. I'm using CC#4 for this one. I've also added the MIDI velocity plugin from Ableton controlling "Drive" using a CC assigned to EXP-2.

- Second you make a midi-track feeding it to the input of track one "Monitor" to "Auto". This is the Clip track where you add loops and such.

- Third thing I did was to make separate tracks for the drums from Superior and group them under "Drums" to record single instruments. These tracks are routed to "Drum mix" so I can record the whole set if desired.

- Fourth i downloaded some amazing midi utilities called midiPiz from here http://www.thepiz.org/pizmidi/ and added "midiCC16Router" to a new Midi track. Taking input from "all MIDI inputs" and "Monitor" to "In".

- Fifth it was time to assign. Assigned FC-300 pedals to CC in 1-16 and CC's out to unique CC per clip. To do this You need to send the MIDI out of Ableton using a new track and the "External instrument" plugin assigning it's output to the "IAC" midi driver.

- Sixth, bring ext back into the midi clip track using remote in Midi setup.

You know what? I'll post my templates. Both for 8 and 9.

Tip.
You can record the Midi clip channel. This records your clip triggerings. The way I've set things up gives the opportunity to play this recording back using the expression pedals to replay hi-hat and velocity for different feel and dynamics.
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Elantric

#2
QuotePS. The template is for Ableton 9. If you need it for 8 I'll set one up if you want me to.

Please do!

I have Live 8, just upgraded to Live9 a few days ago, hope to install this weekend.
I see you already posted the zip file

Thanks!!!

baatkarlo

I simply assign a guitar string to a MIDI channel using MONO and use Ableton Live to use that channel, then drop the Easy Drummer VST onto it. Playing various frets on this string will trigger various parts of the EasyDrummer assigned drum kit, and trigger drums as you pick the string. Recording this track yields the MIDI pattern of your live drum playing, as well as sending audio out to another audio track yields the audio track if you want to record it too.

However, the ability to trigger pre-recorded loops in EasyDrummer from the FC300 is something I want to explore using the approach described above. Thanks for posting the Ableton Live 9 project! Will give it a look!
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