whycantiholdalltheselimes

I have an Idea for an useful Abletonfeature, but I actually have 

clue about programming with M4L, thats why I ask you guys if this would actually be possible.

I enjoy making music using this "microsampling" technique.

That means, you record many little samples of various synths and other samples and put them all in one drumrack to arrange them musically, which gets you this "choppy" sound.

(You can here the technique being used in this song by madeon: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y10sAvOCo9k&feature=player_detailpage#t=68s

-Create your sound using any synth or sampler

-Take the recorded clip and cut out the silent parts

Wouldnt it be much more efficient and awesome, If you just have to holddown a hotkey on your keyboard, play synths or samplers etc. in ableton and all gets recorded in the background? When you release the hotkey, the recorded microsample 

automatically gets stored into a drumrack ready to being arranged

I prepared a graphic, that maybe lets you understand the process better:

Do you think one can actually implement this feature in Live, using M4L or isnt this possible at all?

I have an Idea for an useful Abletonfeature, but I actually have no clue about programming with M4L, thats why I ask you guys if this would actually be possible.

I enjoy making music using this "microsampling" technique.
That means, you record many little samples of various synths and other samples and put them all in one drumrack to arrange them musically, which gets you this "choppy" sound.
(You can here the technique being used in this song by madeon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y10sAvOCo9k&feature=player_detailpage#t=68s )

-Create your sound using any synth or sampler
-Make a new audiotrack
-Record the sound
-Take the recorded clip and cut out the silent parts
-Put microsample into the drumrack
-Delete the created audiotrack
-Start arranging

Wouldnt it be much more efficient and awesome, If you just have to holddown a hotkey on your keyboard, play synths or samplers etc. in ableton and all gets recorded in the background? When you release the hotkey, the recorded microsample automatically gets stored into a drumrack ready to being arranged?

record-sound-with-by-holding-a-hotkey

As I tell my students, the answer is almost always, "Yes, you can. It will take some work on your part. But it's totally worth it."

I'm not 100% sure about the automatically putting it into a drumrack bit, but you can definitely live sample. You should look at the key and keyup objects for getting keyboard ascii codes as well as the help/tutorials on play~/groove~/record~.

As I tell my students, the answer is almost always, "Yes, you can.  It will take some work on your part.  But it's totally worth it."

I'm not 100% sure about the automatically putting it into a drumrack bit, but you can definitely live sample.  You should look at the key and keyup objects for getting keyboard ascii codes as well as the help/tutorials on play~/groove~/record~.


, becajse of M4L's lack of putting things into drumracks? Do you think it would be possible with a third party VST, that you kinda root the wanted channels to and than puts out a perfect sample of ALL recorded samples or something like that? I don't know man ._.

 want this feature, what would you recommend me to do next? Do you have any contacts of good Max4Life-Programmers or Companies, that it would be worth to contact them?

So isn't the feature not possible at all, becajse of M4L's lack of putting things into drumracks? Do you think it would be possible with a third party VST, that you kinda root the wanted channels to and than puts out a perfect sample of ALL recorded samples or something like that? I don't know man ._. 

Since i really want this feature, what would you recommend me to do next? Do you have any contacts of good Max4Life-Programmers or Companies, that it would be worth to contact them?

Perhaps you also need to make your own drumrack....

Mark is right, as far as I know there isn't a way to populate drum racks via M4L. you could easily set something up with buffer~/groove~/record~ that are mapped to particular keys. plus you could have pitch/reverse/looping functionality at your fingertips.

Mark is right, as far as I know there isn't a way to populate drum racks via M4L. you could easily set something up with buffer~/groove~/record~ that are mapped to particular keys.  plus you could have pitch/reverse/looping functionality at your fingertips.


I have tried to make a similiar "Auto-Slicer" in M4L.

First issue, "Auto-Slicing" in Max requires an external "rm.slice" or "A Harker's" descriptors object. (If there is a way to do this without externals, I'd like to know, because these externals don't work in 64bit yet).

Second issue, you would need two M4L devices. One to record the sound, on an audio track. And one to play the samples, on a midi track. They would both reference the same buffer.

If that method interests you, let me know.

I have tried to make a similiar "Auto-Slicer" in M4L.  

First issue, "Auto-Slicing" in Max requires an external "rm.slice" or "A Harker's" descriptors object.  (If there is a way to do this without externals, I'd like to know, because these externals don't work in 64bit yet).

Second issue, you would need two M4L devices.  One to record the sound, on an audio track.  And one to play the samples, on a midi track.  They would both reference the same buffer.

If that method interests you, let me know.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgn-Ugk_BYo

 ... Unfortunately, the company disappeared and I can't find the program online. :(

 include a fully new "drumrack sample playback option". Instead I would be happy if you put the device on the channel you want to record and then it would just record when Midi is received, so you have super compact samples with no silent parts (For instance: Play four notes, Program creates 4 slices). When you're done, just click export and it would export each slice as a .wav to a destination on your harddrive, ready to be dropped into a normal ableton drumrack. I can't believe there isn't a solution on this big world of audioplugins for a little but powerful feature like this.

Should be working something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgn-Ugk_BYo ... Unfortunately, the company disappeared and I can't find the program online. :(
@Mike
I wouldnt mind if the solution, would not include a fully new "drumrack sample playback option". Instead I would be happy if you put the device on the channel you want to record and then it would just record when Midi is received, so you have super compact samples with no silent parts (For instance: Play four notes, Program creates 4 slices). When you're done, just click export and it would export each slice as a .wav to a destination on your harddrive, ready to be dropped into a normal ableton drumrack. I can't believe there isn't a solution on this big world of audioplugins for a little but powerful feature like this.


Never heard of that software, looks pretty cool.

I think you could program most of that functionality with the externals I mentioned. And to correct a previous statement, rm.slice does indeed work in 64bit Ableton! I hope the Harker externals get updated soon, because they are really powerful.

Maybe though, you are not looking to "program" a device, learn about externals, etc. If so, that would be totally understandable.

I think you could program most of that functionality with the externals I mentioned.  And to correct a previous statement, rm.slice does indeed work in 64bit Ableton! I hope the Harker externals get updated soon, because they are really powerful.

Maybe though, you are not looking to "program" a device, learn about externals, etc.   If so, that  would be totally understandable.


I haven't got a hold on max yet, but if you promise that i could get my idea to work with it 100% then Ill get it. Also for me it doesn't matter if its a maxdevice or Not. Is anyone of you into Synthmaker/Flowstone, it seems also like a good Way to program a vst that does it.

I haven't got a hold on max yet, but if you promise that i could get my idea to work with it 100% then Ill get it. Also for me it doesn't matter if its a maxdevice or Not. Is anyone of you into Synthmaker/Flowstone, it seems also like a good Way to program a vst that does it.
Thx for your help so far!!


Record sound with by holding a hotkey?