Swapping Instruments MIDI or M4L
Hey Guys,
I tried my best to Google this, so I hope I didn't miss anything, but here goes.
I have a client, we're using Max which is sending MIDI messages into Ableton Live via the standard MIDI mapping. She wants to be able to switch instruments in Ableton Live from Max, and more specifically, switch multiple instruments at once from Max. I'm not necessarily even talking about one preset to another of the same instrument (although this would even be an improvement if we could control something like Hot Swap via M4L or MIDI), but in some cases entire instruments. The main thing I wish to keep in mind is that the MIDI mappings need to stay...well mapped from the switch.
One solution I had was to make the track with the instruments that would be used later, then change the MIDI channel from Max so that it's just routing the controls to a different instrument. Is there any other way to approach this scenario (i.e., programmatically changing multiple instruments / presets in Ableton)? Admittedly, I don't know if a task like this is something in ReWire's neck of the woods?
Thanks in advance.
It just hit me that I could map a MIDI control in Max to a Macro on an Instrument Rack that controls the chain selector on each track (forgot about chains). Still wondering what the simplest option there is (I'm sure this can help other people too :)), but this is getting there.
In ableton make a macro rack with the 1st instrument. Then add another midi rack by right clicking in the "chain" zone. Add 2nd instrument. Repeat. You need to use the chain selector to create zones for volume or midi velocity for each instrument you've created .
When you've created 3 zones. Right click on the macro rack add select create macro rack. You now have 3 midi instruments each with its own macro rack nested under 1 master macro rack.
With macro midi mapping you can make an instrument turn off within a certain range. Select a knob in the 1st instrument macro group and right click edit macro mapping. . Set instrument 1 enable to be between 0-63. Instrument 2 enable between 64-127. This is a basic macro toggle.
I would advise just using the chain rack zones to smoothly crossfade between the volumes of instruments.
Ive got a patch with 6 synths each with their macro rack nested with a master macro rack.
I map 3 to 4 parameters to the master knobs. With 8 buttons i can morph between 6 synths and modulate them live.
Just map a macro to a macro. Learn to edit ranged and you'll be there in no time.
Chain selector is the main term your looking for to do this + instrument rack.
Thanks for the tip!