Electribe + Ableton = ????

Xenocore · Post by **Xenocore** » Tue Aug 17, 2010 12:16 am

I'm still planning on getting an EMX. Is anyone using this with Ableton, or should I duck the tribe all together if i'm using ableton? I'm going for 8-bit/chiptune/Game music rearrangement angle.

I'm not looking to use existing midi files, i want to be able to do it on my own. I used the EM-1 a bit before returning it (bad effects knob). I like the way it works. But i'm starting to think a lot of the functionality is duplicated between these two items.

Real talk, would getting the EMX just end up in a duplication of functionality, or is there an advantage for using Ableton with an emx or esx?

chad9477 · Post by **chad9477** » Tue Aug 17, 2010 1:10 pm

I can't say too much here, not being an Ableton user myself, but a buddy of mine who went the Ableton route after using an ESX for many years had a good experience using them together. His livesets seamlessly integrated computer and 'tribe, and he never had anything but good things to say.

As an EMX user, probably your biggest advantage to getting one is the instant gratification, hands-on tweakability factor. You can't load new sounds (as you can with an ESX) and the sound quality/effects options are going to be limited in comparison with Ableton. But if you don't have a good control surface, the EMX will help you sketch ideas fast.

Xenocore · Post by **Xenocore** » Tue Aug 17, 2010 3:31 pm

Can anyone speak about importing midi info from a tribe to a suite like ableton? I did notice i could imput all my drum sequencing, but how is it with the synth parts? when i imported everything, it was a muddled mess.

gil videla · Post by **gil videla** » Tue Aug 17, 2010 9:01 pm

Xenocore wrote:Can anyone speak about importing midi info from a tribe to a suite like ableton? I did notice i could imput all my drum sequencing, but how is it with the synth parts? when i imported everything, it was a muddled mess.

I bought an ER-1, then the EM-1, then and ES-1. Later I upgraded to the newer EMX and ESX. Once I got the ESX, I was so frustrated with the loading of samples being dependent on a computer. I ended up with Ableton because of the computer. I was always a "HARDWARE ONLY" closed mind set. Now, I'm almost all ABLETON. Though I've debated several time ditching the tribes several times, I decided to remove their color (search for MY SILVER ELECTRIBE in the forum for pics) as way to guarantee I couldn't sell them. anyway, none of this answers your question. The reason I bring it up is:

I now rock out on the EMX, when something good comes out of it, a decide if it's good enough, I'll keep it on the EMX, if not, but it's decent, I say "ahh... that's a rough draft, let's get it into Ableton"

EMX can certainly get the midi parts of the synth, but what do you mean muddle mess? Is everything on the same MIDI channel? What does your MIDI filter on the EMX show? You may be sending more MIDI that you need to over to Ableton, read the manual on this, my brain is tired at the moment to get into it. I'm sure you understand the synth parts on the EMX are mono parts, so if it's receiving correctly, what instruments in LIVE are you using that may be making it sound "messy"

Ableton Live + EMX + a kp3 (which I need to get) + NI Maschine (debating on getting this) and a ELEKTRON MD (also debating) is would be my ultimate set up

Xenocore · Post by **Xenocore** » Wed Aug 18, 2010 1:05 am

OK, to clarify. Here WAS my rig

Computer with Ableton Live 8 (the demo version) -- for now.
midi from here to
EM-1
midi thru to this , midi out and audio out to
KPro
midi in and audio from EM-1 to SBlaster X-fi Audio In

At the time I'm just working with the Em-1.

I was probably sending ALL the midi data, both synth parts and all three drum parts were on the same input. figured you had to mute out the parts you didn't want, but It was my first day with the unit. And you know American men don't read instructions.

Since the interface was so clunky, i was fighting to get it to export the data at one time. half the time, I wasn't seeing a response at all on screen.

Blankman8503 · Post by **Blankman8503** » Sat Oct 02, 2010 1:06 am

I use Ableton and the EMX-1 together and love the combination. I use Ableton to sequence my parts on the electribe. What lead me to this is that I was tired of having to create a separate part or separate pattern if i wanted, for example, multiple rhythms out of my Bass drum on the Electribe.

I set the EMX-1 up with sounds loaded into the 9 Drum parts and 5 synth parts. My Drums are set to channel 10 and my Synths are set to channels 11-15. In ableton i setup MIDI channels that correspond to these channels. Now I can use MIDI clips that can sequence my drums and synths (still working on getting the part mutes to work). As far as the synths go this allows me to play the synths via my MIDI controller and ableton, rather than using the 16 pads on the bottom of the EMX.

I love my emx-1 more since i started using ableton to sequence it. In addition to allowing multiple sequences to be switched between for each part, Ableton allows me to use its envelopes to automate parameters on the EMX. So this allows me to have multiple "motion sequences" on a part, as opposed to needing a second part if i wanted to "motion sequence" the same parameters on the same sound.

Riley333 · Post by **Riley333** » Sat Oct 02, 2010 12:29 pm

Blankman8503 wrote:I use Ableton and the EMX-1 together and love the combination. I use Ableton to sequence my parts on the electribe. What lead me to this is that I was tired of having to create a separate part or separate pattern if i wanted, for example, multiple rhythms out of my Bass drum on the Electribe.

I set the EMX-1 up with sounds loaded into the 9 Drum parts and 5 synth parts. My Drums are set to channel 10 and my Synths are set to channels 11-15. In ableton i setup MIDI channels that correspond to these channels. Now I can use MIDI clips that can sequence my drums and synths (still working on getting the part mutes to work). As far as the synths go this allows me to play the synths via my MIDI controller and ableton, rather than using the 16 pads on the bottom of the EMX.

I love my emx-1 more since i started using ableton to sequence it. In addition to allowing multiple sequences to be switched between for each part, Ableton allows me to use its envelopes to automate parameters on the EMX. So this allows me to have multiple "motion sequences" on a part, as opposed to needing a second part if i wanted to "motion sequence" the same parameters on the same sound.

This is exactly how I use ableton live and the EMX-1 together as well. To add a little to this, I will use the EMX-1 Arp to record a solo in live, then go use it with various sounds in live, cut it up, pitch it up and down and use it to create other part all together. Amazing combo.
Riley

Blankman8503 · Post by **Blankman8503** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 7:19 am

I use Ableton to sequence the 4 timbres of my Radias-R too. Have you figured out how to use Ableton program change messages to get to Program Banks C-D on the EMX? I can do program changes within the Banks A-B but not C-D. Also do you sequence your drums via Ableton? If so do you have your Part Mutes working?