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SS2 for Looping in Live: Toggle/LED for Rec/Overdub/Play

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Faldoe
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri Apr 17, 2015 2:11 pm

SS2 for Looping in Live: Toggle/LED for Rec/Overdub/Play

Postby Faldoe » Mon Apr 20, 2015 7:13 pm

I have my SS2 set up to control Ableton Live's Looper. If you're familiar with Live's looper, it has one main button that can be Mapped to serve the functions of Record, Play, overdub and stop.

I don't like this button so I have each of the individual buttons on the Looper - Rec, Overdub, Play and Stop mapped to 4 separate pads on the SS2.

I currently have the SS2 setup where it is sending "Foot On" Source Data and the Table set to "Linear" so when I hit a button, the LED blinks but does not stay on.

What I want to do is to have the pads set up so that when I hit Record, the corresponding pad LED stays lit until I hit Play, at which point the Record LED turns off and the Play LED stays lit as long as the loop is playing. When I hit Stop, the Play LED turns off. The Stop LED does not need to behave like the others - a simple LED blink (like it is currently set up for) is fine.

With Overdub (OD) , I'd like the LED to behave like the Record and Play, only that while OD'ing, the Play LED still stays lit but the OD is also lit, until I exit OD'ing.

I'd want the Rec LED set to Red - I know that can be done in the LED preferences.

But regarding the behavior of the pads, can that be done?
TheOtherSupport@KMI
Posts: 737
Joined: Fri Jan 31, 2014 5:31 pm

Re: SS2 for Looping in Live: Toggle/LED for Rec/Overdub/Play

Postby TheOtherSupport@KMI » Tue Apr 21, 2015 5:28 am

Yes, it can be done.
There's two options - you can do this all in the editor, by using 'dummy' modlines, that only serve to light the LED, and using the 'X Key pressed' to turn off LEDs based on interacting with other keys.

Another option is doing some M4L programming to observe the state of the looper and send LED info from Live.
Faldoe
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri Apr 17, 2015 2:11 pm

Re: SS2 for Looping in Live: Toggle/LED for Rec/Overdub/Play

Postby Faldoe » Tue Apr 21, 2015 9:32 am

TheOtherSupport@KMI wrote:Yes, it can be done.
There's two options - you can do this all in the editor, by using 'dummy' modlines, that only serve to light the LED, and using the 'X Key pressed' to turn off LEDs based on interacting with other keys.

Another option is doing some M4L programming to observe the state of the looper and send LED info from Live.
Regarding the editor - is there a guide on how to do this?
TheOtherSupport@KMI
Posts: 737
Joined: Fri Jan 31, 2014 5:31 pm

Re: SS2 for Looping in Live: Toggle/LED for Rec/Overdub/Play

Postby TheOtherSupport@KMI » Tue Apr 21, 2015 10:17 am

There isn't a 'guide' per say, but all of the info should be in the manual: http://files.keithmcmillen.com/download ... _v2.01.pdf.

If you run into trouble, let me know. I'd be happy to clear things up for you.
Faldoe
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri Apr 17, 2015 2:11 pm

Re: SS2 for Looping in Live: Toggle/LED for Rec/Overdub/Play

Postby Faldoe » Tue Apr 21, 2015 1:46 pm

TheOtherSupport@KMI wrote:There isn't a 'guide' per say, but all of the info should be in the manual: http://files.keithmcmillen.com/download ... _v2.01.pdf.

If you run into trouble, let me know. I'd be happy to clear things up for you.
Thanks. I've been reading the manual and that is how I setup my current presets. I'm just not sure how to go about doing what you're saying.

I understand you're saying to create additional Modlines but what do I set for the Data Sources, Modifiers and Output Settings?

I appreciate you helping me out on this.
emmett@KMI
Posts: 121
Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2014 1:00 pm

Re: SS2 for Looping in Live: Toggle/LED for Rec/Overdub/Play

Postby emmett@KMI » Tue Apr 21, 2015 2:20 pm

In order to program the LEDs, go to the Advanced SoftStep Editor and click on a pad.

Click on LED Settings to see the hidden right side of the window.

On the "play" pad, have a modline set to turn turn both LEDs off with a source of "other key pressed". Also have another modline so that when the "play" pad is pressed it's green LED is set to true. Foot on should be sufficient.

Do the same for the record pad but set the LED to to red instead of green.

Do the same for overdub although when you hit this key it will turn the play LED off. (Sorry about that)

Do the same with stop but use blink true instead of true for turning on the LED.

Make sense?
Faldoe
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri Apr 17, 2015 2:11 pm

Re: SS2 for Looping in Live: Toggle/LED for Rec/Overdub/Play

Postby Faldoe » Tue Apr 21, 2015 3:27 pm

emmett@KMI wrote:In order to program the LEDs, go to the Advanced SoftStep Editor and click on a pad.

Click on LED Settings to see the hidden right side of the window.

On the "play" pad, have a modline set to turn turn both LEDs off with a source of "other key pressed". Also have another modline so that when the "play" pad is pressed it's green LED is set to true. Foot on should be sufficient. (1)

Do the same for the record pad but set the LED to to red instead of green.

Do the same for overdub although when you hit this key it will turn the play LED off. (Sorry about that)

Do the same with stop but use blink true instead of true for turning on the LED.

Make sense?
(1) - What do I do for the Output settings? Do I need the Modline for the "other key pressed" going to the Rec? If so, what Message Type?

Do I need two Modlines both with a "other key pressed" - one for Rec and one for Overdub?
TheOtherSupport@KMI
Posts: 737
Joined: Fri Jan 31, 2014 5:31 pm

Re: SS2 for Looping in Live: Toggle/LED for Rec/Overdub/Play

Postby TheOtherSupport@KMI » Tue Apr 21, 2015 4:48 pm

Here's an example for the play button. In this scenario button 1 is play, button 2 is record, button 3 is stop, button 4 would be overdub.
Screen Shot 2015-04-21 at 8.44.23 PM.png
I have a foot on source triggering a toggle (this is to make sure when you hit play, it always lights the LED and plays the Looper). If stop or record is triggered (keys 2 and 3) then the play LED will turn off. Overdub (Button 4) doesn't affect play because they can occur simultaneously.

For the "X key pressed" modlines, you can set the output to None, because you aren't sending any MIDI data, just controlling LEDs.

Hopefully this gives you an idea of how to setup the other keys.

Good luck.
Faldoe
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri Apr 17, 2015 2:11 pm

Re: SS2 for Looping in Live: Toggle/LED for Rec/Overdub/Play

Postby Faldoe » Tue Apr 21, 2015 9:23 pm

TheOtherSupport@KMI wrote:Here's an example for the play button. In this scenario button 1 is play, button 2 is record, button 3 is stop, button 4 would be overdub.
Screen Shot 2015-04-21 at 8.44.23 PM.png
I have a foot on source triggering a toggle (this is to make sure when you hit play, it always lights the LED and plays the Looper). If stop or record is triggered (keys 2 and 3) then the play LED will turn off. Overdub (Button 4) doesn't affect play because they can occur simultaneously.

For the "X key pressed" modlines, you can set the output to None, because you aren't sending any MIDI data, just controlling LEDs.

Hopefully this gives you an idea of how to setup the other keys.

Good luck.
Gotcha, this seems to be working. There is an issue I'm having and have had in other instances using Toggle. When I hit a pad, the mapped parameter will not trigger until a second hit of the same pad.

So if I have a Modline with a Source "Foot On" and "Toggle," The issue mentioned will occur.

I've added a second Modline with a Foot Off and Toggle both to the same Midi Note/same channel.

That has worked and sometimes it has not and I don't know why it is not consistent.

When the Table is set to Linear, the operation works fine - the parameter triggers on the first hit of the pad. Of course Linear won't work for what I want with the LEDs, needs to be Toggle.

Also. Is there any difference in have the Modline 1 being Foot On and the Modline 2 being Foot Off, versus have those switched?

I have some pads mapped to Live audio effects, turning the effects On and Off and sometimes, the same method of Modlines will not work the same for each effect, and I don't know why.
TheOtherSupport@KMI
Posts: 737
Joined: Fri Jan 31, 2014 5:31 pm

Re: SS2 for Looping in Live: Toggle/LED for Rec/Overdub/Play

Postby TheOtherSupport@KMI » Wed Apr 22, 2015 5:08 am

Notice in the example i posted that the Min and Max values are both 127, this is setup like this in order to circumvent a quirk with Live's MIDI mapping. Live ignores Note OFF MIDI messages when doing mapping, so when you use a standard toggle sending a note value it sends Note On (turns the effect on), Note Off (Does nothing), Note On (Turns Effect Off), Note Off (does nothing), etc.

This can be solved by setting the min and max to 127, or by using CC's instead of notes with the toggle, and with the min and max at 0 and 127. I wouldn't recommend doing the Foot Off thing. it's unnecessary, and can further complicate the issue.

The difference in having modlines switched is the order of execution. The Modlines execute from the top down.

Basically, set it up like i did in the example.

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