Hi guys,
Here's a technique I discovered today, to chain projects without audio dropouts , and with a lot more flexibility than just going from project 1 to project 2.
What you will need :
- Ableton Live (for the Looper device)
- A midi controller with on/off switches (keyboard notes, pads, buttons ... )
Let's say that Project1 is playing, and you want to transition to Project2.
The idea is to record Project1 inside Ableton's Looper device (4 bars) > Play this loop, and mute Spark at the same time > Load Project2 > Stop loop and move on to Project2.
This way you never hear audio dropouts.
Part1Config :
Add Looper on your Spark track. Configure as follows :
Quantization : 4 bars
Record : 4 bars, then Play
Song control : none
Tempo control : Follow song tempo
Speed 0.00
Reverse off
Input -> output : Rec/Ovr/Stop
Configure your MIDI controller as follows :
Button-1 : one MIDI button/key/pad for the Multi-purpose transport button (the big button) of the Looper
Button-Clear : one button for the "Clear" function of the looper
Configure Spark as follows :
Everything on Master out, follow host & tempo.
Transition :
Project1 is playing in Spark.
Press Button-Clear to make sure the audio is cleared in the Looper
Press Button1. It will arm sequence, and it will record 4 bars.
Once the recording is complete, the loop will automatically play, and the input will be muted ( because of the [input -> output] parameter of the looper)
Now load your new Project in Spark (Project2)
It will start playing but you won't hear it because you only hear the recorded loop.
As soon as you press Button1 twice rapidly, it will stop the looper, and you will now hear Project2. (Take a look at Live's help panel in bottom left corner under the Browser, to see how the Multi purpose transport button works)
online photo sharingAnd no audio drop was heard at any time!
Press Button-clear to clear the loop, and you can now repeat the Transition process when you want to go from Project2 to a new project!
Here is where it becomes really fun!Part 2Imagine that you want to do a transition between Project1 and Project2, and that for this transition, you want to keep everything from Project1 for a while, and only change the bassline, so that Bassline2 replaces Bassline1.
What you have to do is make sure Bassline1 from Project1 and Bassline2 from project2 are on the *same pad* in Spark. Let's say that Bassline1 and Bassline2 are assigned to pad 4, in their respective Projects.
Now change the output routing of Pad4 to Out2 in *both* Project1 and Project2.
Add an audio track in Ableton Live, configure i/o as follows :
Audio from your Spark track
[1/2-Spark] instead of [Post Mixer]
Monitor : in
Add another looper on this new audio track.
Assign a new midi button for the Multi-purpose transport button (button2)
Assign the same button to the Clear function that you used for Clear on the first looper. (button-clear)
Configure your looper exactly like the first one.
Now when you record your loop, press Button-1 and Button-2 simultaneously, so that it will record both the Bassline track and the Master Spark track, but independently.
In Spark, move to Project2
You still hear Project1 because you hear the loops
Now press Button-2 twice rapidly. It will stop the Bassline1 loop, and it will play what comes out of Spark (Bassline2)
So now you hear Project1, but with the bassline from Project2 (Bassline2)
And when you press Button-1 twice rapidly, it will stop the loop that contains everything but the bassline, and you will hear Project2 coming out of Spark.
Press Button-clear to clear the loops, and you can repeat this process for your next transition!
YOU CAN DO THAT WITH AS MANY AUDIO TRACKS AS YOU LIKE, EACH WITH SEPARATE OUT, AND MAKE SOME VERY CREATIVE TRANSITIONS!
Press button1, your kick changes
Press button2, here's a new snare
Button4, remember that bassline I mentioned?
...
I'll try and post a video if you guys are interested and if this post isn't clear enough.
Cheers!
