urshs has announced a new Max for Live device that takes MIDI from two tracks and uses controlled randomness to decide which one plays.
Merge allows you to set the probability dial anywhere between the two sources, choose how often it re-triggers with the time division menu, and pick Overlap or Choke mode to control how sustained notes behave when a new one comes in.
Instead of writing one fixed sequence, you get a live, shifting blend of two – different every time you hit play, but tunable enough to keep it musical rather than chaotic.
Merge sits on your main MIDI track (Track A) and reads a second track (Track B) through a small companion device called Transmitter, which handles routing the notes across tracks – something Ableton’s native MIDI routing doesn’t make easy.
Merge features
- Probability Dial: Sets the odds between the two sequences, from 100% root to 100% external, with anything in between.
- Time Division Menu: Controls how often the random logic re-triggers, from once a bar down to smaller subdivisions, synced to Ableton’s clock.
- Overlap / Choke Modes: Decide how sustained notes behave when a new note gets triggered: layer on top (Overlap) or cut off instantly, like a drum rack choke group (Choke).
- Root / External LEDs: Visual feedback showing which sequence is currently playing through the device.
Merge is available to purchase for $10 USD.
More information: urshs
