Hi everyone - fairly new Elektron user here. I got a Syntakt and Digitakt II and am currently scheming live setup possibilities.
My question is: Is it realistic to imagine running several separate channels from both machines over Overbridge and using VST plugs on the Ableton sends? I’m thinking Ableton won’t
be running any synths or sound generating devices or VSTs, only VSTs as effects on the sends. Ableton would also be launching audio clips that’ll also go through the sends, plus it would sequence a few external midi devices. I then have a few midi mixers that would control mainly clips, track volume and sends in Ableton.
Is there any chance this would work without too much latency or be somehow unstable or overly CPU heavy?
Yes. Latency would be dependent on CPU and Audio Interface/s. I’m running Syntakt (which I’ve had for about 4 weeks), M1 MacBook Pro with a PreSonus Quantum 2626 thunderbolt interface. My overall latency is about 3.45ms and I throw whatever plugins I feel like into Ableton - I haven’t hit the edge at all.
Unfortunately, I am realising I may have the glitch bug with Overbridge and M1 processor, discussed here. But I can tolerate for now as I’m mostly in studio - not doing any live performances.
I’m hoping to go for a DAWless setup: Overbridge on iOS (but forums indicate this is unlikely - one can hope). I’d jump to a more nimble setup using AUM, some plugins and probably A&H XoneK2 for midi mixing and audio out.
1 Like
Keep in mind your real latency is probably much higher. Hover over your OB device and you will see Ableton reporting the plugin latency, which in my experience is around 20ms or more. I am using a Macbook M2 Pro and 3rd Gen Scarlett, CPU usage was never an issue, but OB will introduce a LOT of latency anyway.
2 Likes
@aaristim, do you think the latency ceiling is USB2.0 interface, or OB itself?
OB itself. I tried everything, and it’s not possible to get decent latencies. There’s a lot of info on this forum
A lemon handles latency compensation pretty well.
If it feels OK for you, don’t get mad on those numbers.
Edit. A lemon. Sure. An ableton lemon.
5 Likes
I’ve performed live doing exactly this.
I found using the DT as master (which iirc the manual says “don’t do”) actually more effective.
disclaimer: I was kinda dub mixing stuff into ableton FX and triggering a few Simplers, not trying to play any live parts in, so maybe that’s where what latency there is starts to get pretty annoying. Basically just had DJM Filter on every track and a send set up to simple reverb and this delay - Musical Entropy | Spaceship Delay
none of which is probably as intensive/latency inducing as some big name plugs I guess.
1 Like
if i remember right (it was a while ago!)- for some reason with DT as the master, the clips in ableton would trigger in time, with ableton as master they wouldn’t.
1 Like
Thank you (everybody) for the replies!
When you say DT as Master, you mean in terms of MIDI clock or something more? And you can still stop and start stuff from Ableton via controllers with DT as Master? I’ll definitely look into it! 
I guess there’s nothing else for me to do than just test it and push it and see how far I can take it (I realize the DTII doesn’t have OB yet) - but the stuff I’ve been messing around with so far with individual Syntakt tracks and sending stuff to VST fx was pretty amazing imo.
The thing is I don’t really have a “feel” for how resource consuming or stable it is, I just get this feeling like I’m waiting for everything to crash any minute, like “this seems like pushing things too far, this can’t be a stable scenario.” I think that’s also just my latent fear of fatal crashes that pops up every now and again. Maybe it’s not all that crazy, I just get this initial perception that many individual digi-audio channels running thru that one usb cable being FXed in real time in Ableton feels risky somehow.
Yeah I meant midi clock, although I was triggering the Ableton clips from the Digitakt MIDi channels too. Can’t see why it won’t work using a controller to trigger them though.
1 Like