If you don't want to look like you're checking your e-mail on stage as
you have your laptop and ableton live up there next to you then you need
to use a MIDI controller. Hey this is Will Doggett. Today I want to show
you how I use my MIDI controller and how I map it to control Ableton Live.
Live on stage for tracks. So let's get started.
Now previously we've talked about how to set up your MIDI controller with
Live specifically for live performance how to connect it adjust things
in preferences. So I've linked to that video below in the description so
you can take a look. But today I want to show you how I use my MIDI controller
of choice and the four things that I,map,to,it,so,that,I,can,have control
over Ableton Live. Now the controller that I love working with and using
is a Disaster Area Designs DMC 6-D. Now,this,is,a,Gen,3,and,the,big difference
between Gen 2 and Gen 3 is the Gen 3 does everything.
So the Gen 2 if you can find one used is refurbished. It's gonna work great
for tracks but the Gen 3 has a lot of extra control especially as a guitar player.
If you're using a lot of pedals with presets and doing special stuff
Now one thing I wanna show you on this guy is when you get your Gen 3 DMC 6D
if you want to use it with ableton Live then hold down the D button to
enter access mode you'll see a X show up and then now this foot pedal is
going to function just like a gen 2 controller and this is how I typically
use it.
Now there's a lot of stuff you could do on this pedal you could add an
additional pedal that has two buttons that allows you to change banks presets
do all sorts of crazy stuff but I keep it pretty simple again four main
things that I map. Occasionally I'll also map my songs to select different
songs and if I do that I use a different bank. So on this pedal the way
it's configured right now is if you hold down one of these buttons it's
going to change to a separate bank. And so I typically would put that on
a different bank and do song One Two Three Four Five Six if I have that
set and I can go higher lower if needed but the typical way I use this
again is four things.
So let me show you what those are. So the very first thing if you're gonna
use this onstage we have to have a play button. So I'm going to hit command M
I going to click the play button on this track and then I'm going to press
the A button and you'll see it automatically maps so if i open up the browser
over here to show you live's MIDI mappings browser you'll see this is
sending down MIDI channel 16 C minus two. So that's play. Now let's do
stop so I'm going to go to my stop button here and I'm just gonna press B.
So I have this to play I'm gonna make this stop.
Now the two other buttons and functions I use that are essential for me
if I'm performing on stage in Ableton Live with tracks is this previous
locator button and next locator that's gonna allow me to jump around my
arrangements super easy without having lots of things mapped to a controller.
So I'm going to click the previous locator button and let's map that to C.
OK and then let's click Next locator will map that to D. So now I'm going
to press command m to get out of mini map mode and again with these four
buttons I have total control over my Ableton Live set.
So the first thing I want to do is press play. Let's press a and you see
our Ableton Live set starts. I want to stop it again. I can press B but
let's keep it going let's press play. And now I want to jump to somewhere
later in the song so I'm going to press the D button so that I can jump
to one of the next locators and jump as far as I want to within a one measure
period because of global quantization which,is,set,to,one,bar.,So as this
is just going let's just jump anywhere in our song I'll jump to the B section.
One of my favorite reasons for doing this and again just using four buttons is often,
I'm onstage with a band and we want to repeat the section or on what I
see people do a lot of times is have a MIDI controller or tons of sections mapped.
Occasionally I'll use an iPad with Touch OSC with all my sections available
to me but I need something really simple I need something that I can quickly
go we need to repeat. I press repeat not very smart. I need it to be simple.
So if I'm on this section that I'm on right here this section B and I know
that we want to repeat it. I just wait to the last measure that we're in
and I just hit the repeat button or previous locator button and I jump
back again.
Super super simple four buttons play stop previous and next locator
So what I would encourage you to do is take this concept and apply it to whatever
MIDI controller you have at least start with those four functions play
stop previous and next locator And,then,from,there,you,can,add your songs
what I do as I typically map my songs to my computer keyboard. One two
three four five and I have my laptop over to the left or over to the right
so that I can select my songs but I also program my set in a way that I
can be very and just use my MIDI controller again to just press play stop
repeat and skip a section.
So if you're interested in using a MIDI controller to perform onstage with
but you're not sure what many controller to get then head to from Studio
Stage dot.com slash gear I put together a free gear guide that offers suggestions
no matter what position what instrument you're playing on stage for MIDI
controllers for audio interface what computer you should get version of
Ableton Live all sorts of things again completely free and I want to share
that with you so you can get started quickly so to get that again head
from Studio Stage dot com slash gear. thanks so much watching this tutorial
and I'll see you next week. Take care. Bye