As we round out 2009 (a pretty good year) I want to know what is going on as well as some plans for the future of Ableton in Colorado and the Rocky Mountains.

News and Plans:

• Code clean up pending. The site is running well, but I am a programmer by day and I feel like I should tweak on this stuff.
• Soundcloud+ integration. I think Soundcloud is the winning music sharing app.  Many people out there agree. So, I am working on a t-i-g-h-t integration on sight. There are both free and pay versions.
• Sister sight of [redacted-site-name].com is coming where we will post Ableton-centric music – multiple formats. Suggestions welcome!
• PODCAST – I am seeing a “gap” on Ableton podacsting. Something informative, Ableton-centric but not exclusive. Topics such as new music, technique, tools, software, announcements, and lots of guests! We have a video studio available to produce additional material. Who out there is in love with their voice?
• Feburary Meet-Up  February 28, 2010 – we have at a Controller-ism special.  So far Mark from Modulate This! will be demonstrating Percussa Audio Cubes. Also, Darren Kramer will be sowing off his Lemur. David Henderson presenting  Monome and Lunchpad. I am waiting on a MIDI Fighter . Please contact me if you can fill in any parts or have unique controller-ism to show off!
• March Meet-Up is 14March2010-spring time seems right for “Ableton Out of the Box” – an external processing extravaganza! This is my main research focus using Ableton.  I am looking for more people who are freaks like me, so grab me anyway you can and start talking! This one is NOT set in stone! I am listening to ideas!
• Future Meet Up Idea : Video Integration – Call for ideas and speakers!
• Future Meet Up Idea : DJ Collaboration – Call for ideas and speakers!
• Future Meet Up Idea : Integration of Electronic Music into a Live Band Environment – Call for ideas and speakers!
• Open House at the home for Ableton Denver on 23Jan2009 (a Saturday Afternoon) More on that soon!
• Swallow Hill Class led by Chris Lawhead from Colorado Music Lab presenting “Ableton Live A-Z workshop” at Swallow Hill on Saturday 30January2009 at 1:30. This is an intro to Ableton, if you want to get a jump start sign up! (I will be there assisting Chris).
• Collaboration is starting! Don with NIIO Analog has some ideas. Spark Fun in Boulder does the whole Arduino thing. We have a circle of people communicating already. Contact us and let us know your mad skillz!  There are a few other projects heating up.  I hope we can bring more people together and make good stuff!
• Events Page! I am setting up a submission for events on the site. I r-e-a-l-l-y want to post all the shows in the Rocky Mountain area that feature Ableton.
• Speaking of events: Colorado Bass Music presents Siren at Beta(FB link) 15January2010 – Saturday  http://soundcloud.com/siren-music http://www.myspace.com/sirenheat

That is it for now!  Warp your  world!

–Marc

No post should escape the reminder the Darwin Grosse from Cycling ‘74 (the company producing Max, Max for Live, etc) is speaking at our next meet up!

Now for some business!

Via Ableton Freaks Twitter posted this site- http://www.maxforlive.com/. Good stuff.

Also targeting Max for Live is Novation’s STEPSEQ (via Synthtopia).  The quote:

Conceived as a cool but powerful sequencer to enable Launchpad users to program melodies, leads and basslines quickly in Live, the buttons are configured diatonically (as opposed to chromatically, as with a traditional step sequencer). The degree of the scale and its tonal centre can be set by the user, meaning that, once set up, any note you trigger in your sequence will fit in harmonically with your track, making it really easy to keep within the context of the song.

This is a free download from Novation. The following video is ~9min

Here is something fun from Think Geek:

This is only one of many variants on the LED / programmable interface. There are also a grip of “Macro Controllers” (like the Nostromo Series that I re-program for editing). I would love to talk about the usefulness of something this type of programmable controller.

Here is one example, from my mixing. I have been mapping a standard USB num-pad to may basic transport functions in Cubase for about 5 years. The buttons are always the exact same. I even have a little cheat sheet on the whole thing. The time I save editing via this interface is amazing.

Now I certainly miss the days of a fine console and nice big fat buttons, but I am faster now. Plus, I enjoy distributing my money on smaller quality mixers and other items.

Now, I still very desperately want a Solid State Logic X-Desk very bad. But the nearly $3000US street price makes this a lower priority.

Also if interest – Ableton is spreading. So happy to see this happening.  TC Electronics is the latest to jump on the free distro with gear purchase. The brand new Impact Twin is a new break-out box. It looks like an extension on the Konnekt series (my current break-out box for Ableton). So far I am real happy with all my TC gear. The free Ableton version is “Ableton Live Lite 8 TC Electronic Edition”. I suspect it is like the Launchpad version.

Some free plugins anyone? There are a few listed on the Psychic Modulation Plugin Page. Let me know any about any success with these.

Next up – Monome + Max for Live, hell, why write when there is video?

maxforlive: monome integration from stretta on Vimeo.

How about a digital (ly modified) didgeridoo?

Cool, but I wonder if he is getting the same latency issues I had when using Blue-Tooth for audio applications?

Pure Magnetik announces Fuel for Max. The details are coming through slowly, keep your eye on this!

Finally – 10 cool audio gifts for under $100 at Synthtopia.

Migrating from the weekly round up to a few smaller posts all the time.  Easier to make a few 15 minute stops than a 3 hour one every week.

Via Mark / Modulate This! Ableton 8.1 is available. Of note is the introduction of a new file format – the snippet:

Live 8.1 introduces a new file format – documents saved with Live 8.1 or newer will not be able to be opened in older versions of Live.

Ableton Download Page and the Forum Page.

That is major, so beware (and beware*)

On another note, Automap is up to version 3.4, go here for more.

And the teaser… We have a really good speaker lined up for Meet Up #3. Watch closely, the invites and such will hit in the next few business days. The date is 24Jan2010!

Cool new site (again, Mark coming through!) http://music-interface.com/ – all about interfaces (so many out there now!). Check out this video:

*yes, Waking Life Reference

Ableton Denver invites you to join us on November 22, 2009 at the Walnut Room in NoDo (Denver) to go to a special place where Reason flows like wine from the Lake of Ableton.  We will make a quick stop in the land of Rewire and focus on cross program collaboration with a focus on Reason under the control of Ableton.

MEET UP RSVP NOW! Free to all and very helpful resource!!!

James Tobin puts Reason into Ableton.

The evening demonstration and discussion will highlight the power of the Ableton sequencer and the sound engine of Reason working in perfect harmony.

Who is James Tobin? Besides sharing his name with a great American economist he is a premier Ableton guru, Reason ninja, electronic musician, and audio artist.

With old school roots in warehouse parties in and around Chicago James is a consummate vinyl connoisseur (with time spent at Wax Trax here in Denver), established DJ, recording technician for film and audio, and currently enjoying work with Alien Logic providing sound design for game development.

James is weeks away from completion of a masters with Berkley Music after already gaining a specialist certificate in Composition and Production in New Media.

Musically James Tobin is 1/2 of Sound Logic Sound Logic, also known as DJ Radioactive, and the man steering Dorje Records since 2003.

Reason (wiki link) is a powerful product for music production produced by Propellerhead that accepts control from external devices as well as other DAW and similar programs.  Ableton, as many agree, has taken sequencing to a new level with one of the most amazing MIDI sequencers and editors on the market.  With these 2 programs combined you go somewhere special. (enter James)

We have included time for questions and answers from James and a demonstration of the new Novation Launchpad.

Novation formally launched the Launchpad November 4 2009.  That very morning, at  10:05am local time I put one on hold.  As of this writing I still need to pick it up and learn the sucker.  No complaints here! I will do my best to get a grip on the device and provide time for everyone to mess around on this great new device.

There should be quite a bit of shop time after our hour + of talk and demos, so we would love to get everyone trading tips and and cards.

Background information on Reason (wiki link):

Reason 1.0 was released in November 2000.

These modules can be controlled from Reason’s built-in MIDI sequencer or from other sequencing applications such as Ableton

Some Reason contents (wikipedia links):

• Subtractor: a subtractive synthesizer
• Malström: a graintable synthesizer
• Dr Rex: a loop playback device, which slices prerecorded samples into manageable, bitesize units (parallel variant for Ableton warp markers)
• NN-19: a simple sampler, which loads pre-recorded instrumental and vocal sounds
• NN-XT: an advanced sampler, which features the option of tweaking the various modulation, oscillation and filter parameters of a preloaded sample or patch

ReWire is a software protocol, jointly developed by Propellerhead and Steinberg, allowing remote control and data transfer among digital audio editing and related software.

Originally appearing in the ReBirth software synthesizer in 1998, the protocol has since evolved into an industry standard.

MEET UP RSVP NOW!

Media files and press information is located here: http://abletondenver.com/press-kit/2009-11-meetup/

Now with more c.db.sn click http://abletondenver.com/meet-up-this-sunday-now-with-soundtrack/