Livestream setup [Oct 2022]
Original setup [Jan 2022]: https://medium.com/@ScruffyFox/livestream-setup-26f39b13d8f0
Setup Update [May 2022]: https://medium.com/@ScruffyFox/livestream-setup-may-1b3b7be8be16
Setup Update [Mar 2023]: https://medium.com/@ScruffyFox/livestream-setup-mar-2023-24fe479fa98a
Setup Update [Jun 2023]: https://medium.com/@ScruffyFox/livestream-setup-jun-2023-eb15d7fc6b4f
Setup Update [Sept 2023]: https://medium.com/@ScruffyFox/livestream-setup-sept-2023-38cf8053c2db
Latest Update [Jun 2024]: https://medium.com/@ScruffyFox/livestream-setup-jun-2024-e5d7285ed527
My radio: https://scruffyfox.fm
Watch me live: https://twitch.tv/scruffyfox
The project (scruffyfox.fm) is an ever evolving project. New equipment being added, different plugins trialed, new and different patches being discovered in my library. This is great for me because it means I can refine my workflow, whilst also keeping things somewhat fresh and progressing.
Since my last post i’ve changed a lot in my setup and workflow, the main thing being that I now use the session view in Ableton Live instead of the arrangement view as described in my last post.
I used to own a Launch Pad mini, but just as I was getting into the swing of things with the project, I tried to use it, but the USB port fried. I really wanted to move over to session view because I knew that it was designed specifically for my kind of use-case, so I went to see if I could find a device that fit the space I had (at the time). Fortunately the Launch Pad mini mk3 was the perfect fit (literally). At the time I purchased it, I had it off-camera, but since my most recent layout change, found a neat space for it mounted (via duct-tape) to my keyboard.
Having now used the session view in Live for the past 6 months or so, I’ve neatly worked it into my workflow and has allowed me to expand my equipment with the introduction of the Push 2 (most recent purchase)
I’m still working on refining using the Push 2 in my workflow, but just the addition of a rich LCD screen with all my track parameters is a big game changer in and of itself for me. But the nicest addition with the Push 2 is a custom patch i’ve been hacking together based off the DropSeq max4live device, and a modified version of the Mute Sequencer. It’s still a rough patch crudely hacked together, but it makes interfacing with a midi gate sequencer much much easier than before.
The previous way I did this was to have a mute sequencer device on a chain and then set streamdeck macros for the chain select macro to switch between them. The mute/gate sequencer device is really useful in my set as it allows me to work in arps or melodies without having to create multiple clips, or toggle notes within a clip.
The last new addition since the previous post is my guitar.
One of the biggest blockers to me adding my guitar (which was originally planned in my set from the very first jam) was latency. I have to run my interface at 512 samples which is NOT ideal for analogue input — especially as I have added latency due to running my audio through ReaRoute. The issue was that monitoring through Live meant that I was running up to about 35ms + 17ms latency in total which is too much. I, however, managed to create a work-around whereby I monitor the guitar through REAPER instead, and only output what is recorded in Live. This means that I cant really do much FX processing as I play through Ableton, but, I’m still able to utilise effects via REAPER and Guitar Rig.
As with my Neutron, I run my guitar through the second input and forward that to Live with monitoring OFF, and also to my master output so I can hear the guitar with low latency. I have a few midi macros in my Streamdecks I use to toggle between different presets on the fly. The downside to this is that I cant event play the guitar truly live like I wanted.
To accommodate the new changes, I tidied up my tracks by consolidating the 2 drum tracks into one with the top row of pads on the Beatstep pro representing drumkit#1 and the bottom row representing drumkit#2 as before
The Neutron still remains the sub synth to my bass track but can now be controlled independent of the track/midi itself with a secondary routing track in Live. This can be controlled either by the midi channel 2 set on my keyboard’s midi mode, or, by the first sequencer track on the Beatstep pro.
The FWD track takes midi from the Beatstep pro channel 2 (sequencer 1) and forwards to the external instrument device directly (thus bypassing the midi clip on the track). An additional gate/midi blocker is required before the external instrument to prevent the track midi from passing. The KK track allows me to program the sequencer on the Beatstep pro from my keyboard.
The last change made in this area is the new addition of detailed marking in REAPER. Previously I would press the “marker” button on the Korg nanoKONTROL, but I figured out a neat way of forwarding midi from Live into REAPER by using my midi loopback channels im already using with the Streamdeck.
Using max4live, I created a simple patch that allowed me to map my Faderfox PC4 knobs. The patch will trigger the given CC and value when the macro knob hits the trigger value. In this case, I send a message on CC 82 when the knob is fully left, and another on CC 85 when the knob is fully right. This is mapped in REAPER to create a coloured marker for “START” and “END” (indicated by red and pink, respectively)
The markers help me quickly identify where I need to cut and the green/blue markers indicate where I may be away or otherwise not changing the sound and therefore ok to cut if the loop needs shortening.
Not much changed on the Launch Control, although I am using the factory template less and less, the user templates are all mapped to each track in the project set to quickly change the sound, although fine-tuning will soon be replaced by the rich LCD screen on the Push 2.
Unfortunately I ran out of space on my desk for these, but still needed them and in the end got the same treatment as the launchpad. Works very well! Not much changed except some of the layout and macros have been replaced by other devices like the launchpad.
The user template on the Launchpad is very useful. Here, for each track, I have some common “sound chopping” style macros. From bottom to top; Midi gate/mute, 1 bar looper, Looper record, Looper play, Looper stop, Looper clear. And then the top 2 rows control quantisation and session clip auto stop length.
