10 more functional and creative devices initially inspired by the scripts used by Brian Eno, refined and updated for full MPE compatibility. LDM Design has yet again brought another selection of useful but simple devices to alter the course of your MIDI streams and introduce a little chaos into your Live creations.
The Chance Pack FOUR includes devices for splitting and randomizing based on velocity or pitch bands, filtering and modifying notes, quantizing velocity values and triggering clusters of notes. Each of the devices is designed specifically to allow MPE data to pass through, and is fully optimized for controlling using Push or mapping to any midi controller.
What began as simply updating some of the Chance and Midi Filter devices to be used with MPE, quickly turned into a complete redesign from the ground up, rethinking and combining the ideas behind probability and filtering, and evolving into unique and useful devices. Here we have 10 new devices which enable us to introduce more controlled chaos and midi filters that are great for routing midi into various tracks and filtering and modifying the results to expand our artistic creations.
The 10 devices are –
Play Pro – The concept of using probability in blocking a percentage of notes has been redesigned in order to give a consistent density of notes coming through. Instead of tossing a coin at every note, instead a definite proportion of a set number of notes will always come through. 50% of 8 notes will always play exactly 4 of every 8 notes coming through.
One Two – Using the same probability algorithm as Play Pro, here we use probability amounts to trigger 2 possible notes. The probability amount then acts as a balance to choose what consistent proportion of the notes will be either pitch.
Cluster – Don’t sleep on this highly flexible and creative must-have tool. Using Cluster we can trigger groups of notes together to create anything from glitchy effects to highly realistic and natural playback of multiple samples. If we have just a handful of individual one-shot clap samples, for example, we can easily trigger the group of claps and create endless unique variations. Shape the playback by shuffling hit order, warping time distribution, and varying velocity levels and duration of the cluster.
Note Filter – A simple note filtering device for passing or blocking either a selection of up to 6 individual notes, or a range of notes, including probability amounts for the notes. Route midi to a new track, and now filter so that only specific notes will get through to accent and compliment musical lines.
Force Note – Quite possibly the first Max for Live device ever created using a meme as the GUI, this simple device will replace the pitch of all incoming notes to one specified pitch
Velocity Band – Much like we can split audio into frequency bands for processing, here we transfer the same concept to the MIDI realm. Here we split incoming notes into 3 velocity bands, and apply a probability filter for each band. Of course we can also simply block or pass specific bands by using 0% and 100% probability
Pitch Band – This device also splits the MIDI notes into 3 bands, but this time based on pitch. Only want 50% of bass notes coming through and to block high notes, we can easily do that.
Vari Press – When we use Live’s piano roll to create a midi clip, we can add a variation amount to the velocity level of each note, which can create less robotic sounding loops. Using the same idea, since we can now input MPE data for the notes, this device will add a variation amount to the Pressure or Aftertouch of all MIDI notes coming through
Humanize – A simple yet effective device, this one is a simple update. We can add a random delay amount to each note to make it sound more humanize
Quantize Velocity – Inspired by the note accents of the 303, this device will quantize velocity levels of incoming notes. Simply set a threshold, and any notes above that can trigger a 127 level velocity, while anything below will trigger a value of 1. This means that high velocity notes can have a dramatic difference of sound depending what we map in our synth.
