Device Details

Device Overview

Name/Version: External Instrument MIDI Control 1.0
Author: prodavid  
Description: Automate MIDI CCs in Ableton's automation lanes like any other device parameter.

This device is designed to get around a limitation of Ableton when using an external instrument. The patch simply maps eight MIDI CC#s to eight Ableton parameters. This allows you to automate MIDI CCs in the automation lanes as opposed to only in clip envelopes, which allows you to program and sequence an external synth exactly like an internal synth.

The best way to use this device is by putting it inside an instrument rack with the external instrument Ableton device. Then you can map the eight MIDI CC dials to the instrument rack dials, which allows you to rename them for ease of use when sequencing.

Please email me if you run into any issues, david@theimpersonalstereo.com		  

Device Details

Downloads: 7871
Tags utility
Live Version Used: 8.1
Max Version Used: 5.1.9
Date Added: Oct 19 2009 15:18:37
Date Last Updated: Jun 07 2012 12:20:58
Average Rating (4) 5
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Device Type: midi_device
URL (optional): http://www.theimpersonalstereo.com
License (more info): None

Device Files

Device File: ExternalMIDIControl.amxd
 


Comments

hi there, great patch, thank you! just obe question: is it possible to assign own paramternames for each controller? like not "controller1", "controller2", etc, but have own names like "decay", "pitch", whatever? this would be cool to be able to define it for each instance of the ExternalMIDIControl. don't know if thats possible at all.
Posted on February 28 2010 by brucewayne (report)

I updated your device so one can rename the macros:

<pre><code>
----------begin_max5_patcher----------
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JmQNotV.G6czDFSLrjOBiI.KkgvXxC4bVPXH0+i.wOMMO27ia9ePJU1Qz
-----------end_max5_patcher-----------
</code></pre>
Posted on April 02 2010 by Prebentious (report)

hi ,

can I control a sherman filterbank 2 with this midi device ?

thanks
Posted on May 02 2010 by julesfromparis (report)

This works perfect with the APC 40 and Reason - thanks a LOT!
I was beginning to despair.

I would also like the custom macro naming though - and I can't convert Prebentious' code to a usable *.amxd.

Any chance an experienced person could compile and resubmit the final "product"?

Thanks.
Posted on May 23 2010 by stxlm (report)

@ stzlm - i dont want to upload this as my own device since prodavid did all the work, but here is a re-compiled version if anyone out there wants it, where you can rename the macros:

http://www.mediafire.com/?g3nrwqdw3wwbfwy
Posted on July 26 2010 by oisin (report)

very usefull thx a lot :)
Posted on August 07 2010 by stereofx (report)

Great stuff....
Posted on August 16 2010 by PHY6 (report)

Hi

I do not have Max for Live. I am going to install it. But before i do so, i had some questions since you have worked on the midi devices in Max.

What i want to do is send Sys Ex msg'es (to send prog cc & bank changes to external devies-like keyboards) in Clips so that i change sounds on my keyboards when i enable the clip in live sessions.

Will i be able to do this or create such a thing using Max?
DO you have a work around sol for this?

Any help will be grateful

Thanks
Posted on April 04 2011 by niharsavala (report)

Works a charm, thanks oisin et al for the updated patch!
Posted on July 19 2011 by LM (report)

Hi Oisin, Is there a way to get your updated version of the patch so I can rename the controller names? I hope you can help me out or send it to me. I would really appreciate it! best of luck. Matthew

matthewdekay@mac.com
Posted on September 30 2011 by mdkrockit (report)

hi Oisin, is there a way to re up the corrected device as the link is dead now and i cant compile it from max4live as it seems to need the full max which i dont have (yet)
Posted on October 22 2011 by ttb (report)

I was wondering, if we could send sysex / program & bank change, messages to External midi devices ?
Posted on March 31 2012 by niharsavala (report)

to julesfrom paris : I don't own the filterbank 2 but version 1. As far as I know, only a few parameters are controllable by midi CCs on the sherman. This is a design choice because of the limited resolution related to MIDI. So I imagine things are the same for version 2 but I may be wrong...
Posted on June 09 2012 by madlab (report)

Hi, again, if Oisin could re-up the device that allows you name the CC's, that would be magic..

Btw, to niharsavala - Program and Bank Changes can be sent via Midi Clips.

Sysex is not an option, since Ableton actively filters it out of the stream - so Sysex using Ableton as the Midi Device is not possible. It may be possible for Max for Live to act as the Midi Interface tho, which would take Ableton's filtering of Sysex out of the equation...

Many synths and effects devices that have deeper parameter control by Sysex strings allow you associate particular CC's to control those Sysex-only parameters, and some synths will store those with the Patch.

Thanks, Eanna
Posted on July 21 2012 by Eanna (report)

Hi, thank you very much for this useful tool ! Can you make new build for Reason Pitch midi message? Only this not working for me (or - are there any solutions ?) 1-127 not working. There are some information here - http://www.gearslutz.com/board/music-computers/584751-pitch-wheel-midi-cc-number.html - but that is not very helpful.
Posted on September 25 2012 by laimisv (report)

Can someone re-up the updated version with the rename-able macros? Pleeeeeeeeeaaaase...
Posted on April 03 2013 by naanod (report)

s1 please upload the updated version..
Posted on April 09 2013 by astral (report)

easily one of my favorite devices on this site. nice work!
Posted on April 28 2013 by whiteb0x (report)

That's really useful, thanks very much.
Posted on November 19 2013 by beansy (report)

Ah, just what I needed. Thanks!

Here's an easy work around to rename the controls... just group it and assign the 8 controls to the 8 macros and then rename the macros.
Posted on November 30 2013 by bechillnow (report)

Just found this, really cool device. Great that you can load more that one for more that 8 controls!
Posted on February 15 2014 by Science (report)

Using with the APC40 and it works like a charm. I can now map CC#'s to knobs and such. I don't know why Live doesn't have this function built-in.

Thank you for sharing this with all of us.
Posted on May 04 2015 by Mathematics (report)

Simple and great patch, thank you! Just bought an old digital synth that sounds decent but lacks realtime control options. I thought of adding a BCR or similar for control than rethought to use my APC for this with a CC control plugin. Exactly what was necessary to twiddle with my new pad sounds. Thanks again, Sven
Posted on August 26 2015 by tonfunk (report)

This is so cool! I use it to control my Microcosm. I ended up using 2 instances of this device and then group them so I can use the Midi Effect Rack's Macros to rename. THANK YOU!
Posted on December 24 2022 by koonvega (report)

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