Results for Max for Live

Ableton has updated its Live music production software to version 8.2.5.

Live 8.2.5 now officially supports Mac OS X 10.7 Lion – please make sure to check that all of your third-party plug-ins and audio/MIDI hardware are Lion-compatible before upgrading your OS.

Live 8.2.5 introduces significant improvements to MIDI sync, in addition to other feature changes and bugfixes.

Changes in Live v8.2.5

• Improvements and feature changes
  • MIDI sync has been improved when Live is a MIDI clock slave.
  • Imported tracks (from the Live Browser) now route to Master if their original output routing can’t be resolved, instead of “Sends Only.”..
  • The default for the Takeover mode in the MIDI Preferences is now Value Scaling instead of Pick-up.
  • We now prevent choosing the root of the system hard drive (or the Windows system folders on Windows machines) as the third-party plugin location. Doing that would crash Live on startup, because these folders contain files that are interpreted as third-party plugins.
• Bugfixes
  • Live would freeze and crash on OS X Lion when sending MIDI data to any MIDI port.
  • Under certain conditions, quantizing transient markers could lead to overlapping warp markers, which would cause various problems when editing the warp marker or its segment BPM value.
  • Under certain conditions, the “Transient”-based Beats warp mode would play double attacks. With this bug fixed, it is possible that some clips sound different.
  • Excluding a plug-in from the scan process didn’t work if Live crashed because of the first scanned plug-in, after enabling the VST plug-in source via Live’s Preferences (Mac only).
  • Rendering a Live Set containing an EQ3 at sample rates below 44.1 KHz would result in an audio file containing pure silence.
  • Fixed a crash when loading a Live 7 Set with invalid clip color information in Live 8.
  • Detail view appeared empty after Hot-Swapping an unfolded Rack, because devices were scrolled out of view.
  • Infinitely long clips would be created if rewinding the global transport while making a new recording.
  • Track names could be incorrectly displayed when unfolding a Live set in the Live Browser. This only happened for “automatic names” that tracks get from the Instrument they contain. For Live Sets saved in earlier versions, names of tracks containing Racks, Max for Live devices or third-party plugins may still look wrong. Re-saving the Sets will fix the problem.
  • Some Operator presets could sound different when loading them, and then creating or moving a track.
  • The Frontier Design Tranzport was not getting updated when switching tracks.
  • The green zoom button was sometimes disabled when using Live with Mac OS X.
  • Resuming a clip in Session view while the track is armed but OVR is OFF could result in the clip not playing its notes.
  • Toggling OVR ON and OFF doesn’t create an UNDO step anymore..
  • Certain Library content wasn’t usable for Live Intro users since version 8.2.
  • Enabling a clip loop via the loop switch or the Set Loop Length button would sometimes stop the clip.
  • Fixed a crash which could occur when hot-swapping a certain Drum Rack pad.
  • Eleven additional crashes were also fixed.
• Known issues
  • As of 10.7, Java is no longer installed by default on Mac OS X. In addition, there is a bug that can cause applications that require Java to crash. This affects Max for Live; when a user tries to open a M4L device that requires Java, first Max, and then Live, will crash. We have worked on a fix for this on our side, which is available in this latest build, but the fix is not yet available in Max. Cycling ’74 will release a Max update shortly with the fix. For now, users with Max for Live should install Java separately if it is required by their devices, to avoid the crash.

More information: Ableton

AfroDJMac has released FirecRACKer Synth, a free Ableton Live rack created with recordings of fireworks.

Fireworks light up the sky with beautiful colors and patterns for the eyes. But can they do the same for the ears? We are about to find out… This weeks Free Ableton Live Rack, “The AfroDJMac FirecRACKer Synth, “ was made entirely from the sounds of the fireworks screaming through the sky over Long Island, New York on July 4, 2011.

I recorded the sound of neighborhood firecrackers and brought them into The Granulator, a free granulating synthesizer that comes with Max for Live. (I haven’t spent a lot of time with this, but it seems pretty awesome). After messing about, I was able to get some nice grainy sounds and then sampled that sound and brought it into Ableton’s samplers. The result is a nice, textural pad/keyboard sound, as well as a thunderously dirty and fat bass sound.

The FirecRACKer Synth for Ableton is available as a free download from AfroDJMac (email address required).

More information: AfroDJMac

Partikkel Audio has released the Hadron Particle Synthesizer, a free granular synthesis tool.

Partikkel Audio Hadron Particle Synthesizer

It can be used as a synthesizer or an audio effect. It can also seamlessly morph between different sound processing methods, so you can take the plugin gradually from being a synthesizer to an audio effect for live input. This self-modifying morph behavior might give you an idea of exactly how different this plugin is.

Its synthesis and processing engine is extremely versatile. In fact Hadron is such a complete implementation of granular synthesis we’ve renamed the technique to particle synthesis. Once you come to terms with the operating concepts of Hadron, vast new territories of sound transformation opens up.

Hadron is available as a free download (open source) for Windows and Mac, currently in Max For Live format, and as a Csound orchestra. A VST version can be expected during 2011.

Partikkel Audio has also released Time Dilation Effects, an expansion pack for Hadron consisting of reverbs, time freezing effects, pitched delays and more.

This expansion pack contains a number of hadron state and preset files. The focus of this pack is on using Hadron as an effects processor for live audio input, expanding the number of effects available.

The states in the expansion may easily be combined with previously installed Hadron states. Even though the states have been specifically designed for use as audio effects, the user is encouraged to experiment combining them with states designed for other purposes (e.g. synth states), as this kind of combinatorial abuse may reveal unexpected and unheard sounds.

The Time Dilation Effects expansion pack is available to purchase for 29 EUR.

More information: Partikkel Audio

mo-seph has released an update to Simple Max for Live Granulator, a free granulator instrument for Max for Live.

It’s very much inspired by Robert Henke’s excellent granulator external. In particular, the extra audio unit for grabbing source material.

I’ve used the GMEM GMU external granulator as the basis, as a relatively modern and fast granulation external.

mo-seph Simple Max for Live Granulator

Changes in Simple Max for Live Granulator

• Fixed some trigger setting issues.
• Added grain size link.
• Fixed all instances starting in ON mode.
• Interface tweaks.

The Granulator is available as a free download (Grabber audio effect and GrainPlayer MIDI instrument). Requires Live 8.2.x, Max and Max for Live.

More information: mo-seph

Ableton has announced Ableton Live. Maximized., a limited time promotion where you get Max for Live free with a purchase of Ableton Suite 8.

Ableton Suite gives you Live 8 plus the full array of instruments and sounds from the Ableton sound designers. With Max for Live, you tap into an active community of musicians that are creating an ever-expanding collection of customized instruments, effects and extensions made for Ableton Live.

Buy Ableton Suite 8 or upgrade from Live Lite or Live Intro in the month of April and you get Max for Live for free.

The Maximized promotion is available between April 1 and April 30, 2011.

More information: Ableton

Ableton has released version 8.2.2 of its Live and Suite music production software for Windows and Mac.

Changes in Live/Suite v8.2.2

• Added bank names for Amp instant mapping, which in turn fixes a problem with the Axiom DirectLink control surface.
• Fixed problems with the Mbox2 related to non-integer sample rates.
• Added control surface support for Akai Professional LPD8.
• From now on, betas will ask to check for updates only once a week, and starting a week after first run.
• the “Peek” button on the Axiom Pro now works as a momentary control.

Max for Live also received a number of improvements and feature changes:

• Devices inside Racks can now be accessed via the Max for Live API.
• Return tracks can now be observed via the Max for Live API.

Live devices and parameters can now be much more easily mapped to controls in Max devices. Devices can safely be moved within a Live Set without breaking any existing mappings. Also, devices and Sets can be saved and loaded without breaking existing mappings.

Check the release notes for details.

More information: Ableton