Ims20 and Ableton Live 8
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Ims20 and Ableton Live 8
Does anyone know if there is a way to set up the iMS 20 and iElectribe up as an instrument that Live can control?
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disc-chord
- Posts: 23
- Joined: Sat Jan 09, 2010 3:01 pm
I sure do! I've got iMS-20 as my overly-elaborate bass synth in Live!
Here's how I'm doing it.
First figure out how you're getting MIDI in/out of everything. I'm using the M-Audio USB-MIDI Uno connected to the Camera Connection Kit on my iPad 2. This is then plugged into the secondary MIDI I/O on my MPK61. Basically you need 2 MIDI interfaces, one plugged into the iPad and one plugged into your PC.
Step 1:
With that set up you need to tell Live to send MIDI (both Track and Remote) out to whatever you're using as your PC MIDI interface. In my case you see I have MIDIOUT2(MPK61) sending Track and Remote. The Track sends the notes, the Remote sends CC messages. (In my experiments I don't think the iMS-20 has any MIDI out so you cannot go from the iMS-20 to Live, only Live to iMS-20.)
Step 2:
Now we need to set up a track group that includes your Audio Interface input into Live, as well as MIDI tracks for each of the parts that you will be using. In my case I'm using a layered bass with 2 MIDI tracks sending to Channel 1 and Channel 2 on the iMS-20.
Note the assignments. Each track in iMS-20 is on it's own MIDI channel.
Main Synth part is set with: MIDI To - MIDIOUT2, Ch. 1
Secondary part is Drum 1: MIDI To - MIDIOUT2, Ch. 2
Step 3:
Sending MIDI notes on each part is simple. To get at the iMS-20s glorious knobs you need to use CC messages with Live's Clip Envelopes. Make a new clip with your MIDI notes and then hit the E in the bottom left to bring up the Envelopes. Consult the iMS-20 Manual for the MIDI CC you want. (To get out of the Envelopes hit the E again.)
In this case I'm playing with the LPF's EG2 Mod, CC 79. I've found the CC sends to be finicky. I can't tell if this is a problem with the iMS-20 or with my MIDI gear. Sometimes it won't send anything, and sometimes it will only send some. I keep it simple and only use one Envelope. I'd love to hear from anyone who gets it stable with multiple CCs being controlled by Live. Mine seems to crap out after a few minutes if I try more than 2.
From here you can get fancy. I have the iMS-20 Kaosspad set to play with LPF Cut-off and the HPF EG2 Mod. As long as nothing is sequenced (all Gates on the Synth part's sequencer set to 0%, and no drum parts punched in) I just hit the play button on the iMS-20 and let Live do the rest while I can play with the Kaosspad. I can even play it dynamically/improv since Live is routing my keyboard to the iMS-20. One hand on the keys one hand on the iPad!
Here's how I'm doing it.
First figure out how you're getting MIDI in/out of everything. I'm using the M-Audio USB-MIDI Uno connected to the Camera Connection Kit on my iPad 2. This is then plugged into the secondary MIDI I/O on my MPK61. Basically you need 2 MIDI interfaces, one plugged into the iPad and one plugged into your PC.
Step 1:
With that set up you need to tell Live to send MIDI (both Track and Remote) out to whatever you're using as your PC MIDI interface. In my case you see I have MIDIOUT2(MPK61) sending Track and Remote. The Track sends the notes, the Remote sends CC messages. (In my experiments I don't think the iMS-20 has any MIDI out so you cannot go from the iMS-20 to Live, only Live to iMS-20.)
Step 2:
Now we need to set up a track group that includes your Audio Interface input into Live, as well as MIDI tracks for each of the parts that you will be using. In my case I'm using a layered bass with 2 MIDI tracks sending to Channel 1 and Channel 2 on the iMS-20.
Note the assignments. Each track in iMS-20 is on it's own MIDI channel.
Main Synth part is set with: MIDI To - MIDIOUT2, Ch. 1
Secondary part is Drum 1: MIDI To - MIDIOUT2, Ch. 2
Step 3:
Sending MIDI notes on each part is simple. To get at the iMS-20s glorious knobs you need to use CC messages with Live's Clip Envelopes. Make a new clip with your MIDI notes and then hit the E in the bottom left to bring up the Envelopes. Consult the iMS-20 Manual for the MIDI CC you want. (To get out of the Envelopes hit the E again.)
In this case I'm playing with the LPF's EG2 Mod, CC 79. I've found the CC sends to be finicky. I can't tell if this is a problem with the iMS-20 or with my MIDI gear. Sometimes it won't send anything, and sometimes it will only send some. I keep it simple and only use one Envelope. I'd love to hear from anyone who gets it stable with multiple CCs being controlled by Live. Mine seems to crap out after a few minutes if I try more than 2.
From here you can get fancy. I have the iMS-20 Kaosspad set to play with LPF Cut-off and the HPF EG2 Mod. As long as nothing is sequenced (all Gates on the Synth part's sequencer set to 0%, and no drum parts punched in) I just hit the play button on the iMS-20 and let Live do the rest while I can play with the Kaosspad. I can even play it dynamically/improv since Live is routing my keyboard to the iMS-20. One hand on the keys one hand on the iPad!
Wow, thanks for the info, was just trying to figure this out. Too bad about MIDI out, I just finished jamming live with the iMS-20 Kaoss pads and I was thinking I would love to use the Kaoss pads on Ableton. That would rock.disc-chord wrote:(In my experiments I don't think the iMS-20 has any MIDI out so you cannot go from the iMS-20 to Live, only Live to iMS-20.)
Please Korg, if not MIDI out, just a Kaoss pad iPad app!
Everything is different. Nothing has changed.
Are you able to play the ims20 from your mpk61 keys and record from there into live? I want to record on the fly into ableton off the ims20 but dont want to have to use the touch keyboard on the screen. I was going to buy a cheap audio interface and connect it that way ,but if i understand this correctly the way u have it set up allows u to use the ims20 just like any other vst or like an external midi instrument... and allows u to use the piano roll....?
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disc-chord
- Posts: 23
- Joined: Sat Jan 09, 2010 3:01 pm
Yea you can record the MIDI and/or the audio into Ableton without ever touching the onscreen keyboard. It is basically a VST with two tracks, one for audio and one for MIDI. This is a good way of working in Live, because when a jam hits you it is easy to get it recorded as either Audio or MIDI or both. With it set up as a group with two tracks, you can easily keep or manipulate either. It is a great way to develop your own library of loops and samples, by just jamming out when you find a sound that inspires you. Personally I find my best music is achieved when I'm in that loose improv mode.Illektrix wrote:Are you able to play the ims20 from your mpk61 keys and record from there into live? I want to record on the fly into ableton off the ims20 but dont want to have to use the touch keyboard on the screen. I was going to buy a cheap audio interface and connect it that way ,but if i understand this correctly the way u have it set up allows u to use the ims20 just like any other vst or like an external midi instrument... and allows u to use the piano roll....?
As for I/O Dock, you would want to set it up in Ableton like I have it here. There is no difference, as far as Ableton is concerned.
This was a great help!!!! Perfect integration of what live was really meant to be used for. Since last post I received a komplete audio 6 which I already had ordered and saved up to buy the rest of the setup, also have a akai synth station on special order. Do the facets knobs and pads work on ur synth or just the keyboard?
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disc-chord
- Posts: 23
- Joined: Sat Jan 09, 2010 3:01 pm
The MPK61 is set to autoassign mappings in Live, so the knobs control Live knobs. That said, I have routed MIDI CC (the knob Control Change) through Live to the iMS-20. It kind of glitches out if I send a lot, but that could just be my cheap MIDI interface.Illektrix wrote:This was a great help!!!! Perfect integration of what live was really meant to be used for. Since last post I received a komplete audio 6 which I already had ordered and saved up to buy the rest of the setup, also have a akai synth station on special order. Do the facets knobs and pads work on ur synth or just the keyboard?