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Re: changing plugin presets in ableton via midi



Ouch, been there too. It's sad but something computers are really bad
at is switching between presets (from disc, by MIDI Program Change)
while running a music application. There are two two alternative
approaches to achieve the same thing. The first one is to not switch
program setting in the same plugin but rather mute that plugin and
un-mute another instance of the same plugin that is set to the new
program setting (patch). This is how Mainstage is built and how you do
it in Bidule by the renown Audio Switcher patch switching trick. The
reason this approach works so smooth is that all plugins are loaded
into RAM, even the ones on presently in use, and then the host
application will be prepared for the change and doesn't need to
suddenly juggle with resource allocation.

The second approach focuses on host application automation. In Logic
this is perfected for mixing while Live actually offers an awesome way
to apply it in real-time by using *Controller MIDI Clips*. This means
assigning a plugin's parameter to be controlled by a certain MIDI
event (CC# or Note) and then create a MIDI Clip that contains this
particular MIDI event. Finally you assign a foot pedal, button or
whatever to trigger that clip.

In your situation, when wanting to adjust an EQ plugin's settings, you
need to first find out if the specific parameter you want to change
("EQ band 2 gain" or whatever) is available as a target for control in
the MIDI clip editor. If that should not be the case you may get
around by daisy-chaining a number of instances of that EQ plugin and
set them up in a way so that bypassing a certain combination of them
will achieve the preferred total EQ change.

Greetings from Sweden

Per Boysen
www.boysen.se
www.perboysen.com
www.looproom.com internet music hub



On Tue, Aug 2, 2011 at 1:16 AM, FRO DIDDLY <parispro00@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> howdy all
>
> ive been struggling to find a good way to change plugin presets in 
> ableton-
>
> i have a track with an EQ on it. As the song progresses ild like to have 
> the
> EQ change to another preset on receiving a midi command.
> i thought this would be easy but i cant seem to figure out how to do it-
>
> i dont have any VSTi's, but i would imagine they would completely 
> worthless
> if you couldnt change tones during a song... thus there has to be a way 
> to
> assign midi bank and PC messages or something of the sorts to archive and
> access your tones....
> so why cant i do this with effect plugins?
>
> is it the fault of the VST? does the vst have to have a menu or 
> something to
> allow you to link midi to the tone preset? because every basic 
> comp/eq/gate
> plugin-in simply has the load/save options....the waves bundle is the 
> same
> way...honestly ive never seen a vst that has these options
>
> the alternatives ive read thus far are as follows, and im just curious if
> theres any hope for another solution:
>
> 1) use only live's plugins and map parameter or macro controls...... i 
> dont
> like this at all because i want to keep my tones seperate from ableton 
> and
> simply use it as my mixer in hopes of simplifying any issues from 
> switching
> hosts down the road-
> 2) i read there is a way to assign the output of a midi track to the 
> input
> of a VST plugin somehow to send it PC and bank messages...... but i am 
> not
> sure how to connect these messages to plugin presets.....is this option 
> only
> available on certain VST's?.... also, would i then need a midi clip for 
> each
> preset?  that would be several hundred midi clips on a single midi 
> track....
> is that normal? ...and then i would bind a midi message to trigger the 
> midi
> clip to send a midi message to the vst?
> i have not gotten anywhere close to getting this to work as i have yet to
> find a good explanation/walkthrough
> 3) use an elaborate matrix of audio effect racks.... this leads to 
> hundreds
> of duplicated plugins when in reality i only need 1 plugin and hundreds 
> of
> presets.....
>
> am i missing something? take into consideration im an ableton noob......
> any other options?!
>
> how in the heck do you guys changes your tones and fx via midi?
>
> ty
>
> The Wandering Madman