Calling all Ableton Live pros: I love using the Elektron LFOs to randomize any parameter in the box on trigs by setting the LFO to Random and the mode to Trig.
How in the world do I do this in Ableton?
I’ve tried different LFOs (I have Max for Live) and I can get a random MIDI LFO, but not one that randomly jumps to a new value on each MIDI trig. I see there is a Randomize plugin (but it only applies to velocity). I’ve tried to create a simple Max for Live script, but after two hours of Googling, watching terrible YouTube videos from 10+ years ago, and trying to read the docs, I wanted (and still want) to throw my computer through the wall. I’ve tried searching high and low for any existing scripts out there that send a random value to a mapped parameters on a trig. Seems simple? But alas I’m striking out terribly with this silly quest of mine.
Looks like you can assign the output to CCs then map them to parameters in Ableton. I don’t have the plugin but just came across it while looking to see of Xfer’s LFO Tool could modulate external parameters (which I don’t think it can, sadly).
Edit: Just reading into MIDI Shaper more and it looks hella good! I think it would do exactly what you’re looking for.
Replace the word trig with the word note and you might find it in your ableton devices.
Example, abletons analog has LFOs, which have note retrig function. This means the LFO is synched to a note on, or ‘trig’ in elektron speak.
Then you can find the same thing on other abelton devices.
Beyond that you can probably make a rack containing LFO and map it to whatever, then i guess youd need to figure out a way to get it to follow note on commands, a midi plug is probably the answer. @nedrush will know.
Is that what you were looking for? Or have I misunderstood your question?
Well, the exact details depends first and foremost on the Live version you are using, but just to modify the pitch of a MIDI note you won’t need an LFO at all.
In Live 10 the simplest method to randomize the pitch of midi notes is the Random effect.
Thanks @d4ydream I checked out the demo version, and it’s definitely a possibility.
@Microtribe this helped point me in a good direction to see what devices have various built in LFOs. While I can’t randomize any parameter on a trig, it does get me halfway there (eg on a drum rack, I can randomize pan, or filter, or volume [pan is the big one I use a lot]). So, I think this is a good stopgap solution so I appreciate it!
@tnussb “randomize any parameter” not just pitch I tried that random pitch plugin in my research but moved on quickly as I wasn’t looking to limit myself there, but rather looking to randomize the resonance of a filter, or the envelope depth of a random synth plugin I have, or even the color of the noise, etc.
@nedrush in your example, is the velocity changing anything other than the note velocity? Meaning is it interacting with the LFO Midi at all? Is there a way I can target other operations other than velocity?
I can’t remember if the first device is a native Suite device or if it’s one that I downloaded but if you can find a multi-stage envelope generator (MSEG) you could map it to one of the ControlChange8 devices parameters then out to a synth parameter. My example just uses a normal EG. I’m sure there’s MSEG for M4L out there if you looked. I’m working right now so I can’t dig into it too much.
Edit: ControlChange8 is a free, third-party device but the person is no longer hosting the plugin:
If you can find the modulator then you can map it to a ControlChange8 parameter and do what you need. I would recommend an MSEG device with looping or at least looping segments. You could go nuts with CC8 and an MSEG. This device might not even be required anymore but I think I was looking for a way to modulate CCs and send them out to hardware. There was some Ableton quirk I was trying to overcome and this was the solution. And not too long ago either.
If you need the device I can likely send it to you or you can try contacting the dev as per the landing page above.
You can do something like this with a Max Envelope and LFO.
Use the settings in the pictures above.
Map the envelope to the hold button on the Max LFO.
When you play a note it turns the hold off then back on very quickly (because of the reversed envelope values).
Make sure to set the envelope to happen as quickly as possible (notice the -100% and 100% settings for attack and decay?). Also using 99% is the closest value to turn the hold off (so faster).
If you get any small jitters at the beginning of the change, use smoothing on the LFO to get rid of those.
edit: Oh and don’t forget to assign the LFO mapping to whatever you want to control
You can use those two devices the other way round for different options too (you get the held-note value randomization but you also get control of attack, decay and release, sort of like param slides):
– Map the LFO to the Envelope’s Sustain value
– Map the Envelope’s 8 destinations to whatever you wish
You can just plop it in a forum post right here if you’re looking for an easy solution.
For example.
If the parameter you’re controlling is causing clicks. I just threw together a really basic MIDI delay.
Rack up your modulators and on a separate chain use this device to delay the MIDI notes going into the instrument. This way the modulation change happens slightly before the notes.
It’s almost too random at the moment though (!) - the negative values generated are out-of-range for the mapped param, which ends up staying at 0 much of the time.
A value of 50% for both Depth and Offset seems to be the most reliable full-range randomisation. Maybe the values generated could be unipolar-only?
(What does the ‘green down-arrow’ mode do that’s different to the ‘sine’ mode?)
Yeah, that’s why I didn’t share the device, I would not consider it as shareable as is. It’s just stuff I did once for a particular case and was too lazy too make it clean.
(Edit : looking at the device now, I must have been drunk when I made this.)
The ‘green down arrow’ mode doesn’t do anything. Pay no attention to this number box that was just supposed to monitor the random signal.
I’ll make a clean device.
I get it that. I don’t like sharing unfinished works either, even if they basically work. It’s always a mess where I was chasing some idea and had no idea what I was doing. Stray blocks of things that do nothing. It just doesn’t feel like a real representation of what we can do.
There’s not a ton of Max builders here though (very few, plus some dabblers). Not many will care about those things you and I do.
I forgot about this one til just now… the Live 11 beta’s Expression Control device has been updated with extra goodies, one of them a Randomiser - map whatever you want to it and its param will be changed on note-on/trig…
I tried that random pitch plugin in my research but moved on quickly as I wasn’t looking to limit myself there, but rather looking to randomize the resonance of a filter, or the envelope depth of a random synth plugin I have, or even the color of the noise, etc.
