axe fx 2 as an interface live on stage with ableton?

yes, it's all possible. put the looper on a track that's being fed audio from the axe fx. put backing tracks into the layout as one shot clips. put the click into the layout as a i bar loop of cowbell (or whatever the drummer prefers)

it's all possible, but you have two obstacles to overcome....sync and control

you'll probably need a separate footswitch to use with the looper - the logidy umi3 is ideal for this
you'll also need to be able to trigger the backing tracks...perhaps the akai nanokontrol...?

to sync everything, work out the tempo of the backing track and force ableton to use that tempo when you trigger it. you do this by entering the bpm in the master area over on the right hand side and using the play button there to start. the looper will then sync to the master clock and the click clip will also run in sync

you put a each backing track into a separate scene with it's own click and it's own tempo.

you set the backing track to be a one shot with no warp, so it doesn't loop and always plays at the same tempo. when the track stops, you stop the transport from the nanokontrol, or whatever you're using and that will stop the click and the clock

it's pretty complicated. it took me a couple of weeks of testing different methods to find one that worked for me and a lot of research on the web. it's pretty difficult to explain it all here...
 
simeon said:
yes, it's all possible. put the looper on a track that's being fed audio from the axe fx. put backing tracks into the layout as one shot clips. put the click into the layout as a i bar loop of cowbell (or whatever the drummer prefers)

it's all possible, but you have two obstacles to overcome....sync and control

you'll probably need a separate footswitch to use with the looper - the logidy umi3 is ideal for this
you'll also need to be able to trigger the backing tracks...perhaps the akai nanokontrol...?

to sync everything, work out the tempo of the backing track and force ableton to use that tempo when you trigger it. you do this by entering the bpm in the master area over on the right hand side and using the play button there to start. the looper will then sync to the master clock and the click clip will also run in sync

you put a each backing track into a separate scene with it's own click and it's own tempo.

you set the backing track to be a one shot with no warp, so it doesn't loop and always plays at the same tempo. when the track stops, you stop the transport from the nanokontrol, or whatever you're using and that will stop the click and the clock

it's pretty complicated. it took me a couple of weeks of testing different methods to find one that worked for me and a lot of research on the web. it's pretty difficult to explain it all here...
Click to expand...

Thanks heaps man, exactly the sort of info i was after :)
 
The only questions i have left is the best hardware to connect the devices(axe fx and midi controllers) into ableton (macbook PRO)
Also, is it possible to use the mfc-101 for the looping functions and/or to have them automatically start/stop/overdub at certain points in the main clip..?
 
Pasc22 said:
can i just run from the midi in/out to the usb of the mac? and it will still run back through my axe fx?
Click to expand...

yes, if you set ableton up to recognise the usb as the midi in and out

chain standard midi devices into the axe or use multiple usb ports if they have usb connections (use a hub if you need to)

you might be able to use the mfc to control the looper if you can program it, but remember that ableton doesn't recognise PC midi commands...only CC and notes. you may be able to get the looper to record, play and mute automatically if you create a string of commands in a midi track and route that to the looper via the looper channel "midi from". i haven't tried this, but it should be relatively easy to test
 
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simeon said:
yes, if you set ableton up to recognise the usb as the midi in and out

chain standard midi devices into the axe or use multiple usb ports if they have usb connections (use a hub if you need to)

you might be able to use the mfc to control the looper if you can program it, but remember that ableton doesn't recognise PC midi commands...only CC and notes. you may be able to get the looper to record, play and mute automatically if you create a string of commands in a midi track and route that to the looper via the looper channel "midi from". i haven't tried this, but it should be relatively easy to test
Click to expand...

Cheers mate! Good to see someone understands what im going on about lol
 
ps - if you can't route midi from a midi track to the looper track directly, you can use the iac bus (which is the mac internal midi router). enable it in the mac midi prefs and then send to it from the midi track and receive from it on the looper track. i use the iac bus to pass midi around to control some of my plugins in my looping sets
 
Pasc22 said:
Cheers mate! Good to see someone understands what im going on about lol
Click to expand...

Sorry pasc22, as I suppose that's aimed at me.

I was confused at your question in relation to the advice you'd been given before; to play the Axe into your Mac and Ableton via USB, then control Ableton using a midi controller via USB.

But Simeon is definitely the expert on this. But if he says it's difficult, then it's difficult!!

Which is why I've opted out of integrating Ableton with the Axe; and instead as I'd said earlier, use a separate midi USB controller to control Ableton. In my setup, the Axe comes to backline via Output 2, and FOH via Output 2. The guitar loops and pre-recorded loops etc from Ableton play separately via a 2626 via USB from the Ableton/Macbook into FOH, and back to me on a monitor. This includes synth pads, percussion, weird noises etc - to augment me when I'm on my own, and with some track muted, when playing with the band.

So it's two separate systems. Less to go wrong - I hope, and leaves the Axe / MFC as is, avoiding programming problems with the MFC.

Hope this helps. If not, another apology.
 
Hugomack said:
Sorry pasc22, as I suppose that's aimed at me.

I was confused at your question in relation to the advice you'd been given before; to play the Axe into your Mac and Ableton via USB, then control Ableton using a midi controller via USB.

But Simeon is definitely the expert on this. But if he says it's difficult, then it's difficult!!

Which is why I've opted out of integrating Ableton with the Axe; and instead as I'd said earlier, use a separate midi USB controller to control Ableton. In my setup, the Axe comes to backline via Output 2, and FOH via Output 2. The guitar loops and pre-recorded loops etc from Ableton play separately via a 2626 via USB from the Ableton/Macbook into FOH, and back to me on a monitor. This includes synth pads, percussion, weird noises etc - to augment me when I'm on my own, and with some track muted, when playing with the band.

So it's two separate systems. Less to go wrong - I hope, and leaves the Axe / MFC as is, avoiding programming problems with the MFC.

Hope this helps. If not, another apology.
Click to expand...

Its all good mate, its a pretty confusing topic. I think i have enough info to give it a crack now, but i will almost certainly be back here with more questions once i get started with it :)
 
just to clarify a bit (or muddy the water)...if you're not using conventional cabs, there's no reason why you can't connect the laptop via usb and feed the audio to and from the axe. you'll have a mix of axe+laptop on all outputs, which i guess if fine if you have a way to easily mix the levels on the fly as needed and you don't mind monitoring the laptop through your guitar speakers (which would need to be frfr for the best sound). the advantage of using a separate audio interface is that you have a separate parallel system that has it's own outs which can go to the desk. the soundman would probably prefer this, as he can get hands on with the balance of the laptop against everything else
 
simeon said:
the advantage of using a separate audio interface is that you have a separate parallel system that has it's own outs which can go to the desk. the soundman would probably prefer this, as he can get hands on with the balance of the laptop against everything else
Click to expand...

Yes. So even though you're playing loops live (maybe also along with other loops), you don't have to worry about mixing them in as you play, plus you can adjust vol levels of what you're actually playing - which is when monitor level really does count. All Ableton loops can be monitor mixed as well as FOH loops (which is soooo much better than backing tracks.....
 
yeah i get that but i am running with a conventional cab setup, and im definitely going to be using a full backing track as it will be pretty full with different sounds haha.
ill be happy just mixing each loop as i play it.
 
just realised another problem in that the ultra only has midi in/out, is there a way to still use my MFC and connect through ableton live?
 
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