AfroDJMac has released Master FX Rack, a free library for Ableton Live.
So, I use this rack to do high and low pass filtering, add some reverb, bit crush the signal a bit, and put a subtle flanger over the mix for movement. It also has a control for a beat repeater, which is nice for glitches and stutters. And the final component is a combination high pass filter and delay. As you turn up that knob, the signal is simultaneously hi passed with a delay on top. Turn it all the way up and you only hear the delay and none of the original tracks. I find this useful for ending one song and beginning another. These effects are great for keeping a groove interesting. Sometimes just some movement in certain frequencies or little effect can be enough to keep the audience engaged without disrupting the flow of your songs. Now of course this rack has the ability to completely mangle your audio, so if that’s what the situation calls for, let her rip! I have found its true strength lies in a subtle dose. Have fun and enjoy!
The Master FX Rack for Ableton is available as a free download.
AfroDJMac has posted the Justin Bieber Super Fun Ableton Pack, a new free sample library for Ableton Live.
Surprisingly over the course of NAMM so much awesome new gear was released and discussed, but no one mentioned the groundbreaking Justin Bieber Keyboard Guitar by Paper Jamz! Fear not however, I’ve got the scoop on this $15 treasure :) !!
This week I took the Paper Jamz Justin Bieber Keyboard Guitar toy, which boasts a synth engine, drum samples and Bieber vocal snippets, and sampled them into a couple of very usable Ableton Live Racks. This download contains a synth that functions very nicely for ambient tones, a drum rack of some seriously lo-fi drum sounds, a drum rack loaded with some entertaining Justin Bieber samples that can be mangled via the macro knobs, and also a slice to midi preset that I find pretty useful.
One thing I have discovered is that Bieber is capable of stirring up the emotions of not just 7-13 year old girls, but also those of Ableton Live producers and electronic musicians and artists everywhere. So, with this release I ask that you open your minds and enjoy this exercise in interesting-sounds-can-come-from-anywhere, and I think you will be pleased with the results :)
The Justin Bieber Super Fun Ableton Pack is a free download at AfroDJMac.
Voltage Disciple has announced the release of the AfroDJVolt Glich Pack, a sound library for Ableton Live in collaboration with AfroDJMac.
This pack contains unique and original glitch type drum sounds derived from the Moog Little Phatty as well as original AfroDjMac and Voltage Disciple samples of found sounds and pure generative drum sounds.
The pack also contains the Impulse Sequencer which is a Launchpad based drum sequencer that can be used with the included Impulse Kits to produce on the fly drum patterns. A Novation LaunchPad is required to use the Impulse Sequencer.
The pack also contains a sample folder of up to 400 24bit wav files of all the samples used in the pack to help you produce further sounds in other productions.
Also included is the AfroVolt Impulse Pack with 11 Impulse kits for you to use with the Impulse Sequencer.
This Pack is a large and extensive set of tools for use within Ableton LIVE and represents our mission statement of hi quality and value for money for the LIVE user.
AfroDJVolt Glitch Pack features
4 Ableton Live Drumracks Sets with over 20 sounds in each drumrack with macro controls for each drum sound in the rack as well as a global set of macro controls for extensive effects and customisation.
40 midi clips , 10 in each Drumrack set to help get you started with the sounds.
400 24 bit drum and percussion samples.
The Impulse Sequencer, plus 11 Impulse kits for you to use with the Impulse Sequencer as well as your own productions.
The AfroDJVolt Glitch Pack for Live (requires Live 8.2 or higher) is available to purchase for $20 AUD.
AfroDJMac has released the Snake Drum Synth, a free Ableton Live Rack.
It was created with an instrument I believe to be called a snake drum (at least that’s what it says on the bottom of it!) Basically it’s a hollow wooden box with slots cut into it, which are hit with a mallet to create a musical tone. The sound is similar to a marimba.
I’ve sampled it and stretched out across the keyboard, expanding its playability from its original six notes. Being that the samples are stretched to the extreme at the higher and lower octaves, some interestingly unexpected things happen to the sound. Expect some surprisingly deep and heavy sub bass sounds and odd glitchy chirps at the higher octaves. As usual, I have added some audio effects to further alter the capabilities of this sound.
But that’s not all!
While experimenting with the instrument, I recorded some especially bizarre and far out sounds and resampled them into a drum rack for a little special bonus :)
The Snake Drum Synth for Ableton Live is available as a free download from AfroDJMac.
Using the same sample from the original Zebra Attack Rack, I’ve set this one up to be a bit less random and offer you more control over the different sounds. What permits the wavetable to be played as a melodic instrument is the very short loop of the sample. I’ve set up a control that allows you to alter the starting point of the sample, which lets you to severely alter the timbre and harmonic structure of the sample. There’s another macro knob that controls which portion of Mark’s wavetable you will be hearing. I’ve added a bit crusher, chorus and flanger, which can be added to taste. Finally I’ve stacked this synth with Ableton’s Operator.
The device allows you to control the Operator’s waveform as well as volume. This will allow you to mix in another layer of sound until you achieve your desired sound. The resulting instrument is one that is dramatically different from the original Zebra Attack Rack, and is also one that can yield an extremely wide array of sounds. At one time soft and mellow and at other times, harsh and biting, I think you’ll find the Zebra Attack Rack II an exciting instrument to play with! Enjoy!
AfroDJMac has released a new free Ableton Live Rack: Christmas Tree Synth.
I just put up my Christmas tree and put on some lights that play Christmas songs. The songs are comprised of very simple monophonic melodies, coming out of a tiny little speaker, but as soon as I heard it I was transported back to my youth sitting around the tree late at night. Naturally I had to sample it. So I put my AKG C3000 right up to the speaker and let it play. I selected four different notes to use in the instrument. The lights only play notes ranging just over an octave, so there’s not a lot of choice. From there I placed it into an Ableton Live Device Rack and went to town.
I put some reverb and delay in a separate rack, inside the main instrument, to allow you to mix in some space without drowning out the original note. There’s an arpeggiator hooked up to the macro knobs, as well as Sampler’s Shaper control for some added grit. The different samples can be played all at the same time, three at the same time, two at the same time or just one, if you are a purist like me. I’ve also looped one of the samples so that you can play the instrument with some sustain; the original notes are just short bleeps and bloops. The result is a very lo-fi quaint little synth, but at least for me, it has a lot of charm.
The Christmas Tree Synth is available to download at no cost from AfroDJMac.
AfroDJMac has also announced a 50% off sale at the AfroDJMac Store:
My OP-1, VL-1, RapMan and Super Value Pack are all going to be available for special Holiday prices until January 1st.
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