Push 3 User Mode Template Updated

Actually Using Push 3’s “User Mode”

 The free Push 3 User Mode template has been updated for Live Suite 12.4.1+ and is available once more!
 (Grab the .alp directly here).

 Push Controllers have an underused feature called User Mode. The problem is that you have to manually set mappings. So i did the work, planned out and made a template of mappings for the Push 3 that make the utmost of the controller’s hidden capabilities.

 The live set comes pre-loaded with the Push 3’s physical controls mapped to Ableton Live functions for use in User Mode, adding to the total capabilities of the controller. It’s totally dope as a creativity launching pad. I spent hours getting lost in jamming while vetting the update!

Feel free to save / print this handy Push 3 User Mode reference image.

Template Features:
 ☞ 8 Audio Tracks, selectable with buttons.
  Use these for general audio work, mixing, audio in, routing, etc.

 ☞ 8 Synth Instrument Tracks, selectable with buttons.
  Pre-loaded with sandbox starting points for Ableton’s native synths. Just start using them! Tweak, hotswap, etc.
   Electric and Operator have been enhanced with Expression Control for added pad expression.

  ~ Analog.
  ~ Collision.
  ~ Drift.
  ~ Electric.
  ~ Meld.
  ~ Operator.
  ~ Tension.
  ~ Wavetable.

 ☞ 6 Sample / Percussion Tracks {ɴᴇᴡ}.
  Use these to drop samples in for sound design and to play drums / percussion.
   Drum Rack is pre-loaded with a Session Drums kit.
   DS Rack is pre-loaded with one of each Drum Synth.
   8x Impulse is set up with 8×8=64 drop slots available.

  ~ Simpler.
  ~ Sampler.
  ~ Drum Sampler.
  ~ Drum Rack.
  ~ DS Rack.
  ~ 8x Impulse.

 ☞ FX Aux Return Track with Return OctoFX.
  Whoah, an FX rack with eight distinct effect chains you can trigger and use on anything whenever? Cool!
  Pre-loaded with eight parallel effects you feed whatever you want into and use individually or combined.
  There are eight buttons, each for one effect, and eight control knobs that alter them all in symbiotic ways.
  Push and hold buttons to trigger effects; twist the knobs to alter them.

   ~ FX 1: Repeat (feat. Beat Repeat).
   ~ FX 2: Reverse (feat. Convolute).
   ~ FX 3: Offset (feat. Delay).
   ~ FX 4: Wobble (feat. Echo & Chorus).
   ~ FX 5: Filter (feat. Filter Delay).
   ~ FX 6: Stretch (feat. Hybrid Reverb & Grain Delay).
   ~ FX 7: Space (feat. Reverb).
   ~ FX 8: Resound (feat. Resonators).

 ☞ Looper Aux Return Track.
  Built-in organic jam Looper with Push controls and foot pedal multi-button.
  Send audio to the looper and manipulate it without ever having to use your mouse. It’s fun.

 ☞ Analysis Aux Return Track.
  Two spectrum analyzers and two glue compressors repurposed as rough VU/peak meters.
  You can choose which audio to send through analysis (all is, by default).

 ☞ Keyboard Mappings Included!
  The template set comes pre-mapped with the Key Map Template for Live 12, for even more instant functions.
  Both midi and keyboard key mappings work together alongside each other.


Modding As You Go:
 Feel free to modify the sets built from the template, deleting tracks you don’t need, duplicating and modifying others, etc!

Conflict & Harmony with Other Controllers:
 The midi messages sent by Push’s User Mode are unfortunately hard-coded and non-adjustable. The easiest way to avoid potential conflicts with other controllers is to make sure that none of them use MIDI Channel 1. When you want other controllers to double the same functions as Push User Mode, however, you can simply program them to output the same value.
 For example, to map Tap Tempo to an additional controller, you would set the desired control to CC 3 of Midi Channel 1, and then both controllers will have that function.


Changelog:
 New Sample & Percussion MIDI Tracks:
 _Blank Simpler, Sampler, and Sampler racks ready to drop samples in.
_64-pad Drum Rack combining the Session Drums kits SessionDry & DirectNatural.
_64-pad DS Rack pre-loaded with Drum Synth slots as well as 505, DMX, and LinnDrum kits.
_64-pad Impulse because we can’t forget about Impulse.

 The Effect Encoders now also control Warp Mode parameters, depending on mode.
 _Stretch affects Transient Envelope & Grain Size, Wobble affects Flux, and Filter affects Formant.

 _Main Track button now focuses on the main track, similar to with User Mode Off (instead of Limiter Mode Cycle).

 _The Plus Button, while held, now temporarily enables MIDI Arrangement Overdub (instead of Select FX Track).

 _The Foot Pedals are now mapped: Pedal 1 to the Looper Multi-Purpose Button &
Pedal 2 to Solo FX Return Channel.

 _The Page Left and Page Right buttons can now be used for MIDI step input (as well as for Clip Scrub).

 _Runaway feedback possibility in FX Return prevented.

 _The MIDI Tracks are grouped and folded by default to reduce clutter.


In other news, i’ll be mastering songs live using the new Finalization template & effects at Brian Funk’s Music Production Club live meeting on Saturday the 19th at 12 noon EST. I hope to see you there!

Super Awesome Sounds

We’ve got a new pack for you, Super Awesome Sounds, featuring samples of the Casio SA-20 Keyboard. This was my first instrument as a kid and thus has a very nostalgic place in my heart, so i recently re-acquired one and went nuts sampling its 100 patches and making instrument and drum racks for ableton live out of them (plus audio effect racks inspired by them), using the amalgamation of my accumulated knowledge over the years to create the most refined PerforModule instrument pack to date.

The SA-20

Since it seemed to fit nicely with his existing collection which includes quite a lot of 80s- and 90s-esque sensibilities, i’ve teamed up with Brian Funk to release the pack. We talked about it as well as various other random topics on his show, the Music Production Podcast. Many thanks to Mr. Funk for having me on, always an interesting and insightful time.

There is a free version of the pack as well as the full version linked below, which can be currently had for just $6 by joining Brian’s Music Production Club this month (along with a bunch of other cool stuff). That’s a sweet deal! The MPC is a great way to acquire a constant influx of goodies into your inbox every month for a very accessible sum, so that even poor, cheap bastards like me can afford it. It’s rad! The price for Super Awesome Sounds is otherwise $15, itself a tubular deal considering the vast assortment of wonderful gadgetry it contains within.



Click to check it out at Brian Funk’s site.


Read ON FOR NERDY TECH DETAILS…

New Free Microcassette Tape Instruments

20160604_162304
SO my friend mobdividual lent me a couple of microcassette players in order to import an old microcassette tape i found. It turns out the cassette was the very same used to record samples on this classic record. Neato!
BUT THEN i decided to also record the sound made when the tape player was playing a blank tape through the larger tape transcriber. It’s a nice, warm, rich, subtle hiss and hum. By varying the tone and speed controls in a methodical, timed manner, and crafting a sampler rack to play slices according to their timbre, you have a variable instrument you can use to recreate a range of tonalities. For extra swag, you could, for example, match the root note of the hum (by ear) to the key of your song.
I also created an instrument which plays in-pitch with whatever MIDI note you play, allowing for tape noise which follows a melody, hybridizing past/analog and future/digital techniques.
Lastly, there is a “stop clicker” percussion rack which can be used for nice analog clicking noises when you need them.

These instruments are available absolutely for free via Subaqueous, who also makes a vast assortment of mysterious and useful Ableton Live tools, from MIDI tools for compositional purposes to crafty effects and exotic instruments, as well as some deliciously tasty music.

Grab three microcassette tape instruments for Ableton Live 9 for FREE via Subaqueous.

 

Vinyl Snackler

 

NEW free pack available via AfroDJMac: Vinyl Snackler
“Instrument with 128 Unique Analog Vinyl Noise Loop Samples.”

This is a sampler instrument which is designed to play a loop of background vinyl noise which you can select from 128 unique samples, each with their own character. Some of the samples are primarily background hiss, but some also have pops, clicks, and other artifacts which can be useful as percussion elements. Big thanks to the one and only AfroDJMac for hosting this device.
afrodjmac vinyl snackler
(It’s free! Go grab it!!)

PS…. if you are not already a member of the ADM Music Production Club, then you are missing out on a crazy-affordable source of insanely cool, high-quality, monthly awesome stuff delivered to your face. If you are interested in steadily building up your ableton library full of production and performance assets to be able to more quickly dive in to making your own bizarre unique sounds and developing your own twisted techniques, this is one of the most practical possible methods you can consider, especially if you’re a fan of the more odd and innovative side of things (which, if you’re reading this here now, i’m guessing you probably are).

Free Device- the Subaqueous Kick Selector

Need kicks? Here we have for you this free Kick Selector courtesy of http://www.subaqueousmusic.com/  ~ the (aqpm) Kick Selector, chock-full of sweet kick samples.
Subaqueous sent me the rack and i tweaked it to be able to harmonically match whatever key your song is in.
It’s always nice having more kick drums to choose from, as the kick drum is a very important component of almost any song.
This rack includes a tasty selection of kick samples, all set to the same pitches and volume levels for easy swappability (is that a word?).

This rack works well playing as just an isolated kick drum when you need one for your song, or you can replace the kick on the drum rack you are working on with this (just drop it over that slot to replace), if you’d like to change it up.

Download it for FREE immediately by CLICKING HERE.

subaqueous kick selector image

Macros_

“Kick Selector” – select your kick from amongst 9 choices
“Velocity” amount kick’s volume is affected by input strength
(set this to zero if you want your kicks always at full volume.. higher if you want input pressure to affect volume)
“Pitch” – sets the root note of the kick sample from C0 to C1. At default of 64 it happens to be a G#/Ab. Set it to an important fundamental pitch of your song’s key for harmonic swagger.  You could even modulate it to switch to a different root note for different song sections.
“Saturate” – sets the amount of saturation and limiting. If the kick sounds weak in the mix to you, turn this up. If it sounds too distorted, turn it down.
“Attack, Decay, Sustain & Release” – your standard ASDR controls. If you’re yet not familiar with what the heck “ADSR” envelopes are, check out http://audio.tutsplus.com/tutorials/production/an-introduction-to-adsr/

~`~