First set-up on Mac
Conductr Server software set-up on Mac:
- Go to conductr.net/downloads.
- Download the server software “CONDUCTR OS X SERVER” on your computer.
- Double-click on “ConductrServer.dmg”.
- Double-click on “Install Conductr Server”.
- The installation assistant will guide you step by step.
- During the installation process, the assistant will automatically locate your Ableton Live software in order to install the Conductr scripts. You can install them in all the Ableton Live versions you have.
- The installation wizard will ask you if you want to enable automatic updates.
- During the installation process, the assistant will ask you if you want to automatically launch the Conductr Server each time you boot up your computer. If you do not want to, remember that you will have to launch it manually each time you use Conductr.
Conductr set-up on Ableton Live for Mac:
- Launch Ableton Live.
- Open up the preferences panel (on the menu bar: “Live” > “Preferences”).
- Search for and select Conductr in the pull-down menu that will appear when clicking on any empty cell in the “Control Surface” list.
Control Surface (choose Conductr).
Input (choose ConductrLive).
Output (Choose ConductrLive).Also, go down to the section for MIDI Ports. The Input and Output ports for Conductr should be selected by de facto. If not, please make sure you select them ON and turn OFF the Traktor ports.
MIDI Ports:
Input: Conductr Input (ConductrLive) / Track (ON)
Input: Conductr Input (ConductrTraktor) / Track (OFF)
Output: Conductr Input (ConductrLive) / Track (ON)
Output: Conductr Input (ConductrTraktor) / Track (OFF)
Connecting your iPad to your Mac
In order to use Conductr, you must connect your iPad and your computer to the same WiFi network.
Conductr works with a regular WiFi network, even with an Internet connection.*
For a more stable connection, we recommend you create an Ad Hoc connection between your computer and your iPad. In order to do that, you must create a network with your computer and then connect the iPad to it.
* NOTE: If you are using a domestic WiFi network, you will probably have to disconnect the preset firewall provided by most telecom companies.
Ad Hoc network set-up on Mac.*
- Click on the WiFi icon (upper right on your OS menu bar). A menu will pull down. Select “Create network…”
- Name your network, choose a channel and add a password (optional).
- Select your new network on your iPad (“Adjustments” > “Wi-Fi”).
Once Ableton Live is running with Conductr as the selected controller and the server is enabled, you can run Conductr on your iPad.
* NOTE: You will probably have to disconnect the preset firewall provided by most telecom companies.
USB CONNECTION
The USB connection currently works for Mac OS X (10.7 or higher) users only.
- Connnect your iPad to your computer with the iPad cable BEFORE selecting the server.*
- If you want to make sure that the USB connections is running, click on the server icon in your computer and select your iPad name.
* If you connect the cable after selecting the server, you have to refresh the servers list and select it again.
NOTE: If you disconnect the USB while running the app, it may not detect the wifi connection when returning to the Set Up screen. If this happens, shut down Conductr and relaunch it.
First set-up on Windows
Conductr server software set-up on Windows:
- Go to conductr.net/downloads.
- Download the server software “CONDUCTR WINDOWS SERVER” on your computer.
- Unzip the “ConductrServer.zip” file.
- Double-click on “setup-conductr.exe”.
- The installation assistant will guide you step by step.
- During the installation process, the assistant will automatically locate your Ableton Live software in order to install the Conductr scripts. You can install them in all the Ableton Live versions you have.
- During the installation process, the wizard will ask you to close some running applications.
- The installation wizard will ask you if you want to enable automatic updates.
Conductr set-up on Ableton Live for Windows:
- Launch Ableton Live.
- Open up the preferences panel (on the menu bar: “Options” > “Preferences”).
- Select the “MIDI Sync” tab on the preferences panel.
- Search for and select Conductr in the pull-down menu that will appear when clicking on any empty cell in the “Control Surface” list.
Control Surface (choose Conductr).
Input (choose ConductrLive).
Output (Choose ConductrLive).Also, go down to the section for MIDI Ports. The Input and Output ports for Conductr should be selected by de facto. If not, please make sure you select them ON and turn OFF the Traktor ports.
MIDI Ports:
Input: Conductr Input (ConductrLive) / Track (ON)
Input: Conductr Input (ConductrTraktor) / Track (OFF)
Output: Conductr Input (ConductrLive) / Track (ON)
Output: Conductr Input (ConductrTraktor) / Track (OFF)
Connecting your iPad to your Windows PC:
In order to use Conductr, you must connect your iPad and your computer to the same WiFi network.
Conductr works with a regular WiFi network, even with an Internet connection.*
For a more stable connection, we recommend you create an Ad Hoc connection between your computer and your iPad. In order to do that, you must create a network with your computer and then connect the iPad to it.
* NOTE: If you are using a domestic WiFi network, you will probably have to disconnect the preset firewall provided by most telecom companies.
Ad Hoc network set-up on Windows XP*:
- Go to Control Panel > Network Connections. You will see your wireless network device there.
- Right-click it and select “Properties”.
- In the “Properties” dialog, click on the “Wireless Networks” and “Add”.
- Name your network (SSID) and clear the “The key is provided for me automatically” checkbox.
- Enter a 13-digit password in the “Network Key” and “Confirm Network Key” boxes.
- Enable the “This is a computer-to-computer (ad hoc) network” checkbox.
- Click “OK” in order to save your changes. Your network should be correctly created.
- Select your new network on your iPad (“Adjustments” > “Wi-Fi”).
Once Ableton Live is running with Conductr as the selected controller and the server is enabled, you can run Conductr on your iPad.
* NOTE: You will probably have to disconnect the preset firewall provided by most telecom companies.
Ad Hoc network set-up on Windows Vista/Windows 7*:
- Go to the Network & Sharing center.
- Click on “Set up a new connection or network”.
- Select “Set up a wireless Ad Hoc (computer-to-computer) network”. Click on “Next”.
- Name your network and introduce a 5-digit password.
- Select “WEP” as “Security Type”.
- Enable the “Save this network” checkbox and click on “Next”.
- Select your new network on your iPad (“Adjustments” > “Wi-Fi”).
* NOTE: You will probably have to disconnect the preset firewall provided by most telecom companies.
Ad Hoc network set-up on Windows 8:
Microsoft has removed the option to create an Ad Hoc network straight from the Control Panel.
We have developed a specific script to help all Windows 8 users to set up an Ad Hoc network automatically*.
Download Conductr AdHoc Windows 8 script
This script will create a network called “Conductr” with the password: Conductr01
* NOTE: If you know about scripting, you can edit the script with a text editor in order to change the network set-up.
Start playing with Conductr
Launch Conductr once you have launched Ableton Live on your computer.*
Once you have connected Conductr with Ableton Live, you can change your Ableton Live set on your computer as many times as you want.
*NOTE: If you selected “NO” when the installation software asked you to automatically launch the Conductr Server, you’ll have to launch it manually each time you want to use Conductr.
SERVER:
When launching Conductr, first to appear is the CONDUCTR SET UP screen.
Select the server you want to use.*
*NOTE: Usually, only the computer connected to the Ad Hoc network will appear. Other computers can appear eventually if more users are connected to the same network and running the Conductr server.
Other devices can appear if you are working on a regular Wi-Fi network.
CREATE A PROJECT:
- Tap on “NEW”.
- Name your project (it can match the name of the Ableton Live set you’re using, but does not have to).
- Tap on “ADD”. Your project will be added to the list.
- On your first time running Conductr, the project list will appear empty. As you create new projects, they will progressively be added to the list in chronological order (from newest to oldest). You can get back to them or delete them anytime you want to. Your project’s User Modules (see here) and Playgound’s last set up (see here) will be automatically saved when closing it or selecting a different project.
DELETE A PROJECT:
- Tap on the project you want to delete on the projects list.
- Tap on “EDIT”.
- A “DELETE” button will appear beside the selected project name. Tap it and the project will be deleted permanently.
- Tap again on “EDIT” to get back to the project creation and selection mode.
Once you have created or selected a project, tap on the “GO” bar to get to the PLAYGROUND.
SELECTING A DIFFERENT PROJECT:
- If you want to change a project to work with, tap on the GO bottom bar to get into the PLAYGROUND.
- Tap on the MODULE SELECTION icon on any view side menu (see “THE PLAYGROUND” tutorial).
- Tap on the USER MODULES SET UP. You will get into the USER MODULES SET UP screen.
- Tap on the PROJECTS button up right and you will get back to the CONDUCTR SET UP screen.
The Playground
The first time you go into the PLAYGROUND, it will appear on a 4 empty views mode by default. Each view has its corresponding side menu.
Each view can contain a module. You can change each view’s module whenever you want, even while playing live. Choose which module you want on each view by tapping the MODULE SELECTION icon.
When getting into a new project’s PLAYGROUND for the first time, you can only load SYSTEM MODULES (Clips module, Mixer module and Master module) until you set up your own User modules.
PLAYGROUND SET-UP:
The PLAYGROUND is ergonomic: it adapts to your needs. The PLAYGROUND interface set-up can be changed at any time to four different view modes:
4 VIEWS MODE
3 VIEWS MODE
2 VIEWS MODE
1 VIEW MODE (FULL SCREEN)
The PLAYGROUND interface is set up using each view control icons menu:
1/2 SCREEN VIEW
FULL SCREEN VIEW
Settings function
The SETTINGS FUNCTION is located in the SET UP screen.
It allows you to:
- Enable a default Hide Mute function in all mixers to avoid accidents.*
- Resize Clips an Faders: Small, Medium, Large.
- Enable a default Link Clips and Mixer horizontal shift.**
- Resize the Z Pinch Radius in the XY-4D pads: Small, Medium, Large.
* When the Hide Mute function in the SETTINGS is ON, it affects all Mixer Modules you may use in your project. If you want to disable it in a concrete Mixer Module, simply click on that mixer Hide Mute button.
** When the Link Clips and Mixer horizontal shift function in SETTINGS is ON, it affects all Clips and Mixer Modules you may use in your project. If you want to disable it in a concrete Clips or Mixer Module, simply click on that module MASTER button.
Clips module
The CLIPS MODULE shows your clips grid like on Ableton Live’s session view. Clips are distributed in columns (tracks) and rows (scenes).
NOTE: In the Conductr freemium version, the CLIPS MODULE is limited to 2 tracks. You can purchase the PREMIUM CLIPS MODULE to control all of your track’s mixer parameters without limitation (see Premium modules & Pack IN-APP Purchase).
CONTROL OF THE CLIPS:
Clips can be controlled in different ways, which can be mixed, like on Ableton Live’s session view:
1. Individual clips control:
- Tap on a clip to trigger it.
- To stop a clip, double tap on any empty clip slot in the same track or tap on the STOP CLIP button on the track’s bottom control bar.
2.Tracks groups control:
- If you have created a tracks group on your Ableton Live set, you can trigger it as a single unit simply by tapping on the GROUP icon.
- You can unfold it by tapping on the group name on the CLIP MODULE top control bar.
- Once the group is unfolded, you can trigger each clip individually (see 1.).
- To stop the group, double tap on any empty clip slot in the GROUP icon track or double tap on the STOP button on the track’s bottom controls bar.
- You can also stop a single clip within the group (see 1.).
3. Scenes control:
- To trigger a scene, tap on its PLAY Icon on the MASTER TRACK.
- To stop a scene, tap on any empty scene PLAY icon on the MASTER TRACK.
- To stop all clips, double tap on the STOP button on the MASTER TRACK.
CLIPS MODULE NAVIGATION:
If your clips grid is too big to fit in the PLAYGROUND, you can navigate it dragging the top control bar horizontally or the MASTER TRACK vertically.
You can also navigate it by moving it in any direction with 2 fingers.
You can link a CLIPS MODULE to a MIXER MODULE or even other CLIPS MODULES.
Double tap on the MASTER button of each module you want to link and all of them will move in sync. To detach, double tap again on the MASTER button of the modules you want to detach.
CLIPS MODULE SHIFT MODE:
The CLIPS MODULE side menu features a SHIFT button.
When tapping the SHIFT button, you get quick access to each track’s volume fader and mute button and to the MASTER TRACK volume fader and LOCK button*.
*NOTE: The LOCK button allows you to lock and unlock the MASTER VOLUME. It can be very useful in order to avoid accidental Master volume changes while playing live.
Master module
The MASTER MODULE features MASTER VOLUME, CUE VOLUME, A/B CROSSFADE and the usual transport unit controls:
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TEMP, FINE TEMPO and BAR values can be modified by dragging their icons up and down.
Mixer module
The MIXER MODULE allows you to control your Ableton Live set mixer parameters:
- Volume.
- Panning.
- Mute / Solo / Rec.
- Sends.
The MIXER MODULE features Conductr’s smart faders: to go straight to 0 dB, double tap near the “0 dB” mark and the fader will automatically move there.
Conductr’s smart faders can also be used to silence a track without muting it: double tap near the minimum volume mark and the fader will automatically move there.
Conductr’s smart faders also feature an acceleration detector to adapt to the velocity and impulse of the user’s touch.
NOTE: In the Conductr freemium version, the MIXER MODULE is limited to 2 tracks. You can purchase the PREMIUM MIXER MODULE to control all of your track’s mixer parameters without limitation (see Premium modules & Pack IN-APP Purchase).
MIXER MODULE NAVIGATION:
If your tracks grid is too big to fit in the PLAYGROUND, you can navigate it by dragging the top control bar horizontally.
If your Ableton Live set features tracks groups, you can control their volume as a single unit using the fader under the group name. You can also fold/unfold them by tapping on the group name on the top bar.
If you do not want to risk accidentally muting a track, you can toggle the Mute buttons with the Mute Hiding button:
You can link the MIXER MODULE to a CLIP MODULE. Double tap on the MASTER button of each module you want to link and all of them will move in sync. To detach, double tap again on the MASTER button of the modules you want to detach.
MIXER MODULE SHIFT MODE:
The MIXER MODULE side menu features a SHIFT button.
When tapping the SHIFT button, you get quick access to each track’s panning, solo and record controls, and to the MASTER VOLUME pan, LOCK* and LIMITER**.
Panning is controlled with Conductr’s smart crossfaders: to get back to 0, double tap near the center bar and the crossfader will automatically move there.
*NOTE: The LOCK button allows you to lock and unlock the MASTER VOLUME. It can be very useful in order to avoid accidental MASTER VOLUME changes while playing live.
**NOTE: The LIMITER button blocks (0 dBs by default) and unblocks (up to 6 dBs) the track’s maximum volume.
MIXER MODULE SENDS MODE:
The MIXER MODULE side menu features a SENDS button.
When tapping the SENDS button, you enable the MIXER MODULE SENDS mode. While on this mode, you can control how much signal is being sent from the tracks to the return channels.
Tap again on the SENDS button to get back to the standard MIXER MODULE view.
MIXER MODULE SENDS MODE + SHIFT:
While on the MIXER MODULE SENDS mode, you can tap the SHIFT button to control each single track sends.
Tap again on the SHIFT button to get back to the standard MIXER MODULE SENDS view.
Default User modules
You can create as many USER MODULES as you want with Conductr. U!SER MODULES can be created as DEFAULT or as XY-4D PADS (see XY-4D Pads).
Each DEFAULT USER MODULE can feature up to 8 parameter controls. These parameters can belong to any device assigned to any track on your Ableton Live set. So you can control different devices, tracks, sends, etc. within the same DEFAULT USER MODULE.
Any plug-in you use in your Ableton Live set can be controlled on your DEFAULT USER MODULES. DEFAULT USER MODULES can be created, edited and deleted live, without affecting other modules running.
NOTE: In the Conductr freemium version, you can only create 1 USER MODULE. You can purchase the PREMIUM USER MODULES to create as many modules as you want without limitation (see Premium modules & Pack IN-APP Purchase)
DEFAULT USER MODULES SET-UP:
- In the PLAYGROUND, tap on the MODULES SELECTION icon on any view’s side menu.
- Tap on the USER MODULES SET-UP icon on the side menu.
- You will get to the USER MODULES SET-UP screen:
- On the left menu “AVAILABLE MODULES”, tap on “ADD” and select “DEFAULT”.
- A new DEFAULT USER MODULE will be added to the list.
- You can start setting up your DEFAULT USER MODULE on the right menu.
SETTING UP A DEFAULT USER MODULE ON CONDUCTR:
- Enter your DEFAULT USER MODULE name on the “Name” field and tap on “intro” or minimize the keyboard*.
- On the right menu, tap on “ADD”.
- Tap on “Not Defined”. A menu will pop up. You can navigate all your Ableton Live set devices inside that menu.
- Select which parameter you want to control with your DEFAULT USER MODULE and tap on “Done”. The parameter will be added automatically to your DEFAULT USER MODULE.
You can add up to 8 parameters to your DEFAULT USER MODULE.
Once you are done with the set-up, you can go back to the PLAYGROUND by tapping on the “GO TO PLAYGROUND” bottom bar.
*NOTE: This function is optional. If you do not name your DEFAULT USER MODULE, it will be saved with its default name.
SETTING UP A DEFAULT USER MODULE ON YOUR COMPUTER (LEARN FUNCTION):
- Enter your DEFAULT USER MODULE name on the “Name” field and tap on “intro” or minimize the keyboard*.
- On the “YOUR SET NAME CONFIGURATION” menu, tap on “LEARN”. The field will blink while showing “LEARNING”.
- Find what parameters you want to add to your DEFAULT USER MODULE on your desktop Ableton Live set. Each time you move them with the mouse, they will be automatically added to your DEFAULT USER MODULE.
- You can add up to 8 parameters to your DEFAULT USER MODULE.
- Tap on “LEARNING” to finish the set-up.
Once you are done with the set-up, you can go back to the PLAYGROUND by tapping on the “GO TO PLAYGROUND” bottom bar.
*NOTE: This function is optional. If you do not name your DEFAULT USER MODULE, it will be saved with its default name.
WARNING: The LEARN FUNCTION may not work if you try to add a parameter which is already automatized on you Ableton Live project while playing it. If you want to do so, use the LEARN FUNCTION when the project is not running.
EDIT AND DELETE PARAMETERS ON A DEFAULT USER MODULE:
- To delete a parameter, tap on “DELETE/REARRANGE”. Tap on the button on the left side of the parameter you want to delete. A “Delete” button will appear on the parameter’s right side. Tap on it and the parameter will be eliminated from your DEFAULT USER MODULE. Tap on “DONE” to finish.
- To change the parameters list order within the module, tap on “DELETE/REARRANGE”. The LIST ORDER icon will appear on each parameter’s right side.
Tap on the icon and drag the parameter to the position where you want it. Tap on “DONE” to finish.
Once you are done with the parameter edits, you can go back to the PLAYGROUND by tapping on the “GO TO PLAYGROUND” bottom bar.
USING A DEFAULT USER MODULE LIVE:
Your USER MODULES list will appear beside the SYSTEM MODULES list.
You can navigate this list from top to bottom. Drag it to see its content.
Select the USER MODULE, be it DEFAULT or XY, you want to use. You can change each view module whenever you want, even while playing live by tapping the MODULES SELECTION icon.
Like the SYSTEM MODULES, the USER MODULES, be them DEFAULT or XY, can adapt at any time to any view mode you wish (see The Playground).
1. Parameter control interfaces:
There are four different parameter control interfaces, depending on their typology:
- FADERS:Parameters that range from a minimum value (bottom) to a maximum value (top).
- CROSSFADERS:Parameters that range from the center to a minimum value (bottom) and from the center to a maximum value (top).
- SCALES (Step selectors):Quantified parameters.
- BUTTONS:2 position parameters (ON/OFF).
2. Reset and value memories:
- You can recover a DEFAULT USER MODULE parameter’s original values (the values they had when the DEFAULT USER MODULE was selected on the PLAYGROUND) whenever you want. Tap on the RESET icon on your DEFAULT USER MODULE side menu.
- You can save a DEFAULT USER MODULE parameter’s values to memory by dragging the RESET icon into the module. The parameter value will be saved when you drop it*. You can load that parameter value by tapping on the RESET icon.
*NOTE: When a parameter value is saved, the previous one is eliminated. If you save a value after changing the parameter’s original values (the values they had when the DEFAULT USER MODULE was selected on the PLAYGROUND), these will be erased.
GESTURAL MODE:
Conductr features a gestural mode that allows you to interact with your DEFAULT USER MODULE without watching the iPad*.
- In order to have a better experience, set up you DEFAULT USER MODULE on full screen mode. (see The Playground).
- Tap on the MULTITOUCH MODE icon on your DEFAULT USER MODULE side menu.
- The MULTITOUCH MODE assigns a value to each parameter. Counting the DEFAULT USER MODULE parameters from left to right:
- You can control the first parameter with one finger on any place of the screen (except on the side menu).
- You can control the second parameter with two fingers on any place of the screen (except on the side menu).
- You can control the third parameter with three fingers on any place of the screen (except on the side menu).
- You can control the fourth parameter with four fingers on any place of the screen (except on the side menu).
- You can control the fifth parameter with five fingers on any place of the screen (except on the side menu).
- If you want to change the control order (changing how many fingers you want to use), we recommend you to take them off the screen surface first.
*NOTE: In order to use the MULTITOUCH MODE on Conductr, you must disable the “Multitasking Gestures” feature on your iPad first (“Adjustments” > “General” > “Multitasking Gestures”).
PARAMETERS’ PERSISTENCE & THE BROKEN PARAMETERS CASE:
Parameters’ persistence:
Each Conductr’s Default User Module can contain up to 8 parameters. Each parameter can belong to any device featured on any track on your Ableton Live set. This is one of the main innovations brought by Conductr and it’s been a huge technological challenge.
What if a device previously set up on Conductr is changed on the Ableton Live set (i.e. changing its location, moving it to a different track or even deleting it)? Conductr can keep the parameters’ persistence in any of the aforementioned cases in real time.
E.g., if a parameter of a device featured on track 1 is being used on a Default User Module and the user cuts & pastes the device on track 2 while playing live, Conductr notices it and changes its location on real time, so the user can keep on using it without having to modify the set up.
Conductr can also detect these changes and keep the persistence even when a device or a track are modified on the Ableton Live set while Conductr is not enabled. When the user opens up the Conductr project related to that specific Ableton Live set, it will automatically scan the whole project and modify all the required parameters, so the user can keep on playing it without having to worry about the changes done on the Ableton Live set. No need to map it again!
The broken parameters case:
A pop-up notification and an alert icon may appear on the User Modules set-up screen. It can be edited or deleted. This may happen in the following cases:
- When on an Ableton Live set the user deletes a parameter previously mapped on a Conductr’s User Module, it can’t be modified by Conductr, obvioulsy.
- When trying to map a VST or AU*.
- When there are several Conductr projects assigned to a single Live Set (see 6.6.3).
*NOTE: To map a VST, insert it in a Rack and map the Macro parameters.
Working with ID’s. Some suggestions:
The API provided by Ableton doesn’t allow to keep the parameters’ persistence by itself. In order to recognize them, Conductr provides an ID (“cID” for devices and “cIDT” for tracks) that is automatically added at the end of each device’s or track’s name when it features any parameter mapped on a User Module. Because of this, we make some suggestions in order to keep the persistence and not get broken parameters unnecessarily.
- Do not change manually the IDs added by Conductr at the end of a device’s or a track’s name.
- Do not work with various Conductr projects on a single Ableton Live set.
- If a parameter appears broken and it doesn’t respond appropriately, it can be refreshed by moving the device’s or track’s position on the Ableton Live set.
- We recommend to use a different Conductr project for each Ableton Live Set. In order to get an easy and quick interrelationship, we recommend to name each Conductr project as the Ableton Live set it controls.
XY-4D Pads
You can create as many USER MODULES as you want with Conductr. USER MODULES can be created as DEFAULT (see here) or as XY-4D PADS.
Each XY-4D pad can feature up to 4 fx units.
Each unit can control up to 4 parameters. So you can control up to 16 parameters in a single XY-4D pad, and even have up to 64 parameters at your fingertips in the Playground with the four XY-4D pads view mode.
These parameters can belong to any device assigned to any track on your Ableton Live set. So you can control different devices, tracks, sends, etc. within the same fx unit. Any plug-in you use in your Ableton Live set can be controlled on your XY-4D pad. XY-4D pads can be created, edited and deleted live, without affecting other modules running.
NOTE: In the Conductr freemium version, you can only create 1 XY-4D FX UNIT.. You can purchase the PREMIUM USER MODULES to create as many XY-4D pads (up to 4 fx units each) as you want without limitation (see Premium modules & Pack IN-APP Purchase).
XY-4D PADS SET-UP
In the PLAYGROUND, tap on the MODULES SELECTION icon on any view’s side menu. Tap on the USER MODULES SET-UP icon on the side menu.
You will get to the USER MODULES SET-UP screen:
On the left menu “AVAILABLE MODULES”, tap on “ADD”.
Select “XY”.
Enter your XY-4D pad name on the “Name” field and tap on “intro” or minimize the keyboard*.
A new XY-4D pad will be added to the list and a blank fx unit will appear on the right menu.
You can add up to 4 fx units onto your XY-4D pad. Tap on the “ADD FX UNIT” button to add them.
SETTING UP A FX UNIT:
Each fx unit can control up to 4 parameters through 4 coordinates: one horizontally (X), one vertically (Y), one by pinching (Z) and one on/off parameter when tapping (K).
Tap on a coordinate’s “>” button. A menu will pop up. You can navigate all your Ableton Live set devices inside that menu.
Select which parameter you want to control with that coordinate and tap on “Done”**. The parameter will be added automatically to your fx unit.***
Repeat this process on each fx unit you want.
Once you are done with the set-up, you can go back to the PLAYGROUND by tapping on the “GO TO PLAYGROUND” bottom bar.
*NOTE: This function is optional. If you do not name your XY-4D pad, it will be saved with its default name.
**NOTE: The K coordinate is a tap controller and can only control on/off buttons.
***NOTE: You do not have to necessarily add parameters to all four coordinates to make your XY-4D pad work.
SETTING UP AN FX UNIT ON YOUR COMPUTER (LEARN FUNCTION):
Tap on a coordinate’s “LEARN” button. The field will blink while showing “LEARNING”. Find what parameter you want to add to the coordinate on your desktop Ableton Live set. Click and move the chosen parameter with the mouse. It will be automatically added to your fx unit’s coordinate.
Tap on “LEARNING” to finish the set-up.
Repeat this process on each coordinate you want to set up.
WARNING: The LEARN FUNCTION may not work if you try to add a parameter which is already automatized on you Ableton Live project while playing it. If you want to do so, use the LEARN FUNCTION when the project is not running.
Once you are done with the set-up, you can go back to the PLAYGROUND by tapping on the “GO TO PLAYGROUND” bottom bar.
EDIT PARAMETERS AND FX UNITS:
You can change an assigned parameter on a fx unit’s coordinate by simply setting it up again and chosing the parameter you want.
You can delete a fx unit by tapping the “REMOVE” button.
Once you are done with the parameter edits, you can go back to the PLAYGROUND by tapping on the “GO TO PLAYGROUND” bottom bar.
USING A XY-4D PAD LIVE:
Your USER MODULES list will appear beside the SYSTEM MODULES list.
You can navigate this list from top to bottom. Drag it to see its content.
Select the USER MODULE, be it DEFAULT or XY, you want to use. You can change each view module whenever you want, even while playing live by tapping the MODULES SELECTION icon.
XY-4D view modes:
Like the SYSTEM MODULES, the USER MODULES, be them DEFAULT or XY, can adapt at any time to any view mode you wish (see 4.1).
You can select fx units within your XY-4D pad by tapping on the units selector (A, B, C or D).
If you are using your XY-4D pad on full screen, you can deselect your fx units to get a 4 fields view. That way, you can see and control all your units simultaneously.
If you are using your XY-4D pad on half screen, you can deselect your fx units to get a 2 fields view. That way, you can see and control 2 units simultaneously.
The FREEZE button:
When using an XY-4D pad, all parameters will recover their original values by default when releasing the sphere.
You can freeze any given new parameters’ values tapping the FREEZE button. To recover their original values, deactivate the FREEZE function by tapping on the FREEZE button again.
PARAMETERS’ PERSISTENCE & THE BROKEN PARAMETERS CASE:
Parameters’ persistence:
Each Conductr’s XY-4D pad can contain up to 4 fx units. Each unit can contain up to 4 parameters. Each parameter can belong to any device featured on any track on your Ableton Live set. This is one of the main innovations brought by Conductr and it’s been a huge technological challenge.
What if a device previously set up on Conductr is changed on the Ableton Live set (i.e. changing its location, moving it to a different track or even deleting it)? Conductr can keep the parameters’ persistence in any of the aforementioned cases in real time.
E.g., if a parameter of a device featured on track 1 is being used on a XY-4D pad’s fx unit and the user cuts & pastes the device on track 2 while playing live, Conductr notices it and changes its location on real time, so the user can keep on using it without having to modify the set up.
Conductr can also detect these changes and keep the persistence even when a device or a track are modified on the Ableton Live set while Conductr is not enabled. When the user opens up the Conductr project related to that specific Ableton Live set, it will automatically scan the whole project and modify all the required parameters, so the user can keep on playing it without having to worry about the changes done on the Ableton Live set. No need to map it again!
The broken parameters case:
When on an Ableton Live set the user deletes a parameter previously mapped on a Conductr’s XY-4D pad, it can’t be modified by Conductr, obvioulsy. When this happens, Conductr shows a pop-up notification and an alert icon on the User Modules set-up screen. It can be edited or deleted.
Working with ID’s. Some suggestions:
The API provided by Ableton doesn’t allow to keep the parameters’ persistence by itself. In order to recognize them, Conductr provides an ID (“cID” for devices and “cIDT” for tracks) that is automatically added at the end of each device’s or track’s name when it features any parameter mapped on a XY-4D pad.
Because of this, we make some suggestions in order to keep the persistence and not get broken parameters unnecessarily.
- Do not change manually the IDs added by Conductr at the end of a device’s or a track’s name.
- Do not work with various Conductr projects on a single Ableton Live set.
- If a parameter appears broken and it doesn’t respond appropriately, it can be refreshed by moving the device’s or track’s position on the Ableton Live set.
- We recommend to use a different Conductr project for each Ableton Live Set. In order to get an easy and quick interrelationship, we recommend to name each Conductr project as the Ableton Live set it controls.
Claydr MIDI Keyboard
ABOUT CLAYDR
CLAYDR works as a MIDI keyboard. It doesn’t produce any sound by itself.
The CLAYDR module is located in the System Modules list.
In the Conductr freemium version, you can only use one row in Claydr and one scale. You can purchase the PREMIUM CLAYDR MODULE to get 4 rows onscreen and 58 scales * (see Premium modules & Pack IN-APP Purchase).
HOW TO SET UP CLAYDR
In order to make CLAYDR work, first you have to follow this steps:
- Go to Preferences > MIDI Sync tab and make sure that the Track switch in the MIDI Ports section is set to ON in the MIDI input.
- Create a MIDI track in your Ableton Live set.
- Drag the instrument you want to control with Claydr from the Browser to the created MIDI track.
- Select the CONDUCTR MIDI input in the “MIDI from >All Ins” drop down menu.
- Enable your MIDI track Record button if you want to record what you play.
Select CONDUCTR in the “MIDI to” drop down menu to send MIDI messages from other controllers and use CLAYDR as a plug-in.
You can check the MIDI set up process in the official Ableton Live tutorial video series here:
PLAYING WITH CLAYDR
The CLAYDR interface features a complete 88-key piano-like keyboard at the top and 4 different rows, each one containing an octave.
Each row has its own color (cream, red, green and blue). Select the octave you want to play on each row by dragging the colored octave selector on the keyboard.
Each row can be configured individually on the top menu.
The top menu features 6 different parameters:
- ADD NOTE: Add up to 3 complementary notes to the one you play.
- VELOCITY: CLAYDR features 3 different Velocity Modes:
- Manual Mode (M): velocity varies depending on where you touch a key, from bottom (minimum) to top (maximum).
- Random Mode (R): each time you touch a key, velocity changes randomly
- Fixed Mode: select a fixed velocity in a 1 (minimum) to 10 (maximum) scale.
- Manual Mode (M): velocity varies depending on where you touch a key, from bottom (minimum) to top (maximum).
Select the velocity mode you wish on the Velocity Selector Button.
- SPREAD: Combined with the ADD NOTE feature, the SPREAD feature will spread your supplementary notes on higher and lower octaves. You can select how many octaves you want to spread the notes on with the Spread Selector Button.
- RANDOM: Combined with the ADD NOTE feature, the RANDOM feature generates random complementary notes of the same scale. You can select how many octaves you want to spread them with the Random Selector Button.
- HOLD: Add sustain to the notes you play.
- BEND: The only global feature on the top menu (it affects all rows). BEND allows you to play vibratos by simply moving your finger left and right on a key (at the corners, use up and down to avoid moving out of the ipad screen) .
More parameters can be set using the SHIFT mode:
- Select the kind of scale and chord you want to use.
- Use the KEY mode to see only each scale’s notes.
- Use the CHROMATIC mode to see the whole keyboard.
NOTE: You can also use CLAYDR to control any parameter on Ableton Live, just like you can with any other MIDI controller. To set it up, go to Preferences > MIDI Sync tab and make sure that the Remote switch in the MIDI Ports section is set to ON in the MIDI input.
* If you are a Full Premium Pack owner, you get CLAYDR for free.