mayrp2001

Hey, I was wondering can anyone help me, I am new to max for live but have used max for a short while. I want to use live.step object to create a step sequencer, I want the sequencer to play pre loaded samples that I have. For example I have individual samples of bass notes and would like the sequencer to play these. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

live-step-help-noob

for your issues you need to realise some basic principles.

what you are trying to do involves two different things. 1, data, 2, audio. data in this case we can call 'midi'. what live.step does (or any midi sequencer) is create a musical intuitive interface for sequencing midi data ('notes') in real time. typically for your wishes, what would then happen is this midi notes data is sent downstream to a device which then accepts incoming midi notes and uses this information to trigger audio samples based on various programme and user decisions. the 'live.step' object is only the former (midi notes 'maker').

in live, the typical scenario would be to put a midi device containing live.step on a midi-track, then after that device place another 'sampler' device (an 'instrument' in live terminology) that you load with your samples. in live a typical down-stream audio device would be, for example, 'impulse' (not just a 'drum machine') or 'simpler'.

so, it is very possible to programme your own midi and 'instrument'/audio devices in max-for-live in this way. however, for a self-confessed noob, it might be easier for you to study ready-made setups that are available to you first. for example, there is a 'step sequencer' device that uses 'live.step' that comes with your max-for-live installation. it is in the 'MIDI Devices' > 'Max For Live' folder. drop this device on to a new midi track. then, after it, drop a copy of 'simpler' (in the 'instruments' section of the live browser). drop one of your 'bass samples' into the 'simpler' device.

now, the key to this set-up is that you must always tell the receiving device ('simpler' in this example) what 'data' ('notes') to receive from the sending device (step sequencer / live.step), and also how to interpret these 'notes'. there are many different ways to do this. in the example set-up i describe, it is very intuitive and easy.

once you have played around with this set-up and understood how it works, you are ready to make your own. what i have described is just one (very simple) way of thinking about it. as ever with these things everything i describe is right/wrong, simple/complex. there are two excellent videos which very clearly go through this sort of set-up and it is worth watching them if you are confused / wanting to learn more:

that is my good deed for the day. hope that helps and was not too condescending / whatever.

It was far less condescending than the things I had written and decided not to post.

mayrp2001, I normally find "read the manual" replies really tedious and not helpful, but the way your question is presented suggests you have very little background with this stuff, and in this case I really feel it has to be said: you've got to put in the time to learn this stuff. There's just no other way. Someone could say, "Ok, plug this into this into this, and presto," and answers like that are good when someone has a specific question and they need to be shown how to approach it. But your question is so vague and general that I just don't think there's any answer (besides pid's, who must be some sort of saint) except "do the tutorials".

Seriously, the tutorials for Max are better than any tutorials I've seen elsewhere. Run through them. They're fun. And then learn how to use the help files and reference guides. And then if you hit a specific stumbling block, I'd be super happy to help you with it. And I understand that right now it's probably super hard to tell what is a good question and what is not. That's cool too. I don't mean to give you too hard a time. But you've got to do the tutorials.

If you have done the tutorials, and are still asking this, apologies. Your choice of words suggests you have not. If you have done them, maybe you could be a bit more specific about where you're lost.

*one thing: I'm not sure what the tutorials look like if you own Max for Live without Max. I'm assuming they're the same. I could be wrong.

mayrp2001, I normally find "read the manual" replies really tedious and not helpful, but the way your question is presented suggests you have very little background with this stuff, and in this case I really feel it has to be said: you've got to put in the time to learn this stuff.  There's just no other way.  Someone could say, "Ok, plug this into this into this, and presto," and answers like that are good when someone has a specific question and they need to be shown how to approach it.  But your question is so vague and general that I just don't think there's any answer (besides pid's, who must be some sort of saint) except "do the tutorials".  

Seriously, the tutorials for Max are better than any tutorials I've seen elsewhere.  Run through them.  They're fun.  And then learn how to use the help files and reference guides.  And then if you hit a specific stumbling block, I'd be super happy to help you with it.  And I understand that right now it's probably super hard to tell what is a good question and what is not.  That's cool too.  I don't mean to give you too hard a time.  But you've got to do the tutorials.

If you have done the tutorials, and are still asking this, apologies.  Your choice of words suggests you have not.  If you have done them, maybe you could be a bit more specific about where you're lost.

*one thing: I'm not sure what the tutorials look like if you own Max for Live without Max.  I'm assuming they're the same.  I could be wrong.


Live.step Help NOOB