The $10 Ableton Footcontroller

This is a proof-of-function documentation of a QWERTY keyboard I modified to be used as a footcontroller for Ableton Live.

You can record/trigger loops with your feet while playing guitar, bass, etc., and the program keeps it all tempo-synched with any MIDI programming or sampling going on.

Two or more people running a similar system could synchronize via MIDI to record loops simultaneously, all locked to a master tempo.

The complete how-to article can be found at:
http://createdigitalmusic.com/2007/08/02/get-loopy-with-the-diy-10-ableton-fo...

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• DIY
• ableton
• live
• footcontroller
• loops
• looping
• guitar
• bass
• harmonica
• electronic
• music
• createdigitalmusic

[opticmovies]

could you use this easily live? Like on stage, to trigger backign tracks?

[michaeluna]

You can. I do.

[friguy1]

How do you hook everything up and make it play like that? you got any videos on how to hook everything up?

[michaeluna]

In the "more info" section above and to the right, I've got a link to an article that lays the whole thing out, step-by-step.

[leroyluck]

great vid, i have a few questions tho: how do you hook up all the instruments? (i have a 2 channel dj mixer, could i plug instruments into that then that into line in on a pc??(im not familiar with LIVE)) someone asked if the original keyboard is usable, and you said it wasn't, does that cause problems if you want to make adjustments?? i had another but cant remember right now.

cheers in advance

[michaeluna]

Hi Leroyluck, to answer your questions:

1. All the instruments run thru a mixer, then into my sound card's line in.

2. Since I removed most of the buttons on the keyboard and threw them away, the keyboard itself can't be changed. However, the scripting software I use to assign functions to the keys is always changeable.

You'll find a more in-depth explanation of what's happening here at the link provided in the "more info" section of the description above.

[toshonetime]

@oscarsstuff oh thats so sad :,(

[oscarsstuff]

@toshonetime too late, I don't play anymore :/

[toshonetime]

@dragonzith if you still dont kwno... use scene-launch mapping 8-)

[toshonetime]

@oscarsstuff hey i know this is 6 months old, but just buy a usb or blootooth keyboard and ur golden 8-)

[Penkytheone]

@jstandsforlove The delay you have is pretty normal, it's because you are using windows with a cheap sound card, but, thank's god, we are in the 21st centuary, and it's the crise, so you are not alone in that case :D. So people created a software called "ASIO FOR ALL", You can download it for free on google, it's an amazing software deleting delay. <3

[oscarsstuff]

fuck I have a laptop :/

[Phads]

great idea!! thank you!!!

[jstandsforlove]

ok, i'm new to ablive and managed to pulled the trick, BUT there's a delay (<0.5s, wich is already too awful) between my guitar/violin playing and the computer playing the sound. there's also a little delay before recording function loads and stuff.

is there anyway of getting rid of it besides upgrading my pc? (i'm running it on a vaio 2.2ghz 4gbRAM with intel dual core processor).

i'd really appreciate some halp.

[ironbirdhouse]

@dragonzith yeah the space bar is already a shortcut to stop the song and if you hit the key map button or ctrl-k, click on any of live's controls, and then hit the key on the keyboard you want to control them it maps them automatically. In live's session view you could map a set of keys to control each of lives "scenes" which are groups of clips which could contain your verse and chorus, and live would launch them the bar following when you clicked on them. Great software.

[dragonzith]

how could I use this other then loops, can I use the key to change from the vers to a chorus in between songs? and stop it?