I have seen tidal cycles from your video with Jason and got interested immediately. I play some instruments and was curious about your setup with Ableton. Like how do you connect tidal cycles-super collider to ableton and be able to use plugins/vsts within ableton via tidal cycles. Anyway love your work!
Ahh great questions! On a mac i use the IAC drivers as a virtual midi bus. SuperCollider routes the MIDI. This is an example of a supercollider server to help set that up! gist.github.com/dqgorelick/13b58e4f56a0c7c24dfd64357bfeb002
This is so cool!!! The explanations of building blocks piece by piece was really interesting and helpful, especially since we can hear it in real time, well done!!
In this case I had set these as variables to make it cleaner. Maybe not the most helpful thing for people who are trying to follow along! let kick = midinote 36 # "IAC Driver synth"
Hi dan thanks for your video ! I was trying to set my ableton 11 with tidal. Are the instrument that you are using in your ableton tracks vst ? how you have to set super collider for to be able to recognize directly the vst inside ableton?
Hi! Yes I am using SuperCollider to send the OSC messages from TidalCycles and turn them into MIDI signals that are received by Ableton! The code for this is in the description. I think I will make a future video walking through this :)
Both are great! I have only experimented with the basics of Sonic Pi and it is great for creating compositions. Everything is also "in-the-box". TidalCycles feels like a scratch pad for me to explore different sketches on-the-fly. TidalCycles also has less syntax, and is built around "terse-ness" (being able to have a lot of expression with very little written out code). I'd try both! Now you can also use the web version of TidalCycles called Strudel (strudel.cc/)
I love that you are doing this Dan and you’re showing people how to do this. Question - you mention Tidal Cycles as a REPL framework. But is it possible to use it without the loop? I want to apply effects on a single set of notes and stop … then move on to another set of notes and different effects. Is Tidal Cycles the best way to live code through Ableton if I am not looking to loop? Thank you.
thanks for the kind words and question! re: not looping - I am not sure if I understand your exact use-case, but you can run this to play just one cycle: once $ sound "bd hh sd hh"" vs: d1 $ sound "bd hh sd hh"" re: "best way" to live-code through ableton - there are other frameworks that are not as quantized as tidalcycles. Sonic Pi is another flavor that might offer more options for planned composition. There is also SuperCollider which is way more in-the-weeds (less abstracted), but lets you be very experimental!
Very cool, seems like an interesting way to approach composing. though supercollider is cool I don't really know what benefits it has over my many various current tools. Cheers! :)
Hi Dan, are you controlling multiple effects on your Ableton tracks at once (for example, maybe filter and delay) and if so, what MIDI controller do you recommend for that? (I can't tell which one you are using in this video) I have a nanokontrol2, which has one fader and one knob for each track. Ideal would be one fader and multiple knobs (for effects)? UPDATE: this looks good Novation Launch Control XL Controller, might get that. I like that it has longer faders than the nanokontrol2 and the Novation stuff is great. BTW this is a great one to try to copy to learn how things work like struct, stack, Euclidean rhythms, etc. In the process of doing that now. Sorry one other question: why do the instruments sometimes need quotes around them and sometimes do not? For example, piano does not but "synth" does. I guess maybe you set a variable = to an instrument and use that without quotes? I'll have to mess with that. In my Live project I name things live1 live2 live3, etc, not knowing what instruments would be on each track. So perhaps in Tidal I can do something like synth = live3 so that I can use synth in Tidal and not live3 which would be nicer.
re midi mappings: yes sometimes i map knobs to multiple MIDI CCs - for live performance especially I think having ~16 knobs max is what I can keep track of when being expressive. re variables: very perspective! I wish i showed this in the video, but this is the code setting variables to make the code cleaner. ``` let piano = "grain" # gain "1.2" let vox = "donna:2" # legato 1 let midi = midinote let s = struct let kick = midi "36" # "drums" let highhat = midi "42" # "drums" let snare = midi "38" # "drums" let clap = midi "39" # "drums" ```
Hello Dan, this was such an interesting video. Im livecoding for a while now and im also active in the Toplap Community. Like the others in the comment, i dont get how you make ableton realize how you trigger the Drum Rack. Could you give further instructions to that topic?
Hi! Thanks for the question! If you have Ableton successfully receiving signals from TidalCycles, then the Drum Rack convention in ableton is to have the following: kickdrum = midi note 36 rim shot = midi note 37 snare drum = midi note 38 clap = midi note 39 ... so on and so on This is not the "best" way to do things, but this is just "convention". If you are using a Mac then you can use the built-in IAC Drivers as a midi bus. I will make my next video on this :)
Hi Dan. I've started tidalcycling for a while. I've watched some of your videos with great interest and enjoyment. Great stuff! Question regarding this one. A interesting/key point missing in your explaination is how to connect SuperCollider with Ableton. Any reading to suggest on this? Also, is there a way to use both Live (for synth, effects, ... like you are doing here) AND SuperDirt synth/samples? Thanks!
Hi! Good question, perhaps my next video should be on this. TidalCycles sends OSC signals to SuperCollider. You can convert these into MIDI (using the code I put in the description). If you are using a Mac then you can use the built-in IAC drivers, with different ports set up for each instrument. This is just a high-level explanation of what is going on!
I upgraded to the Macbook M1 Max last year. While it isn't necessary to have a computer this powerful, it is helpful for me to perform while doing the documentation. This also allows me to have a buffer size in ableton of 64 samples, so that I have minimum latency when using live instruments.
How did you control Ableton with Tidal? I changed IAC path as "synth" and GitHub code worked but I can not connect Ableton Live 11 and TidalCycles. Could you please explain step by step? Thank you!
I am going to do a more in-depth video soon. on Mac I am using the IAC Driver within Audio MIDI bus. SuperCollider is able to route the OSC messages to MIDI. Check out my comment on this video for more info! th-cam.com/video/qMJEljJyPi0/w-d-xo.html
Dude, I'm so glad I found your music! Big inspiration to many! Especially to those whom suck at playing instruments! 🎶
Very cool! And surprisingly musical, you've got those virtuoso coding chops!
Thank you, Dan! I am a noob and appreciate how you communicate your process.
this totally makes me want to get into tidal cycles.
Give it a try! there's a version now called Strudel that runs in the browser :)
strudel.cc/
Yesss Dan, this is soo good! 10/10 would love to see more tutorials and experimentation like this 😄
Thanks Torin! Stay tuned :) I really enjoy making these
Hi Dan! Oh man this is just what I was looking for! (this is Rick)
I have seen tidal cycles from your video with Jason and got interested immediately. I play some instruments and was curious about your setup with Ableton. Like how do you connect tidal cycles-super collider to ableton and be able to use plugins/vsts within ableton via tidal cycles. Anyway love your work!
Ahh great questions! On a mac i use the IAC drivers as a virtual midi bus. SuperCollider routes the MIDI. This is an example of a supercollider server to help set that up! gist.github.com/dqgorelick/13b58e4f56a0c7c24dfd64357bfeb002
@@DanQG thanks a lot! i hope you will make more videos like this
Dope bangs, dope tutorial and walkthrough presentation. Thanks for sharing this -- a lot of fun to be had here!
This is so cool!!! The explanations of building blocks piece by piece was really interesting and helpful, especially since we can hear it in real time, well done!!
Thanks Sean! I thought of you while doing some of the talking-to-camera moments :P
🥺🥺❤️❤️
How do you define "kick", "snare" etc. to go to a specific MIDI channel/note in Ableton?
In this case I had set these as variables to make it cleaner. Maybe not the most helpful thing for people who are trying to follow along!
let kick = midinote 36 # "IAC Driver synth"
Great tutorial Dan! I got to try this with FL Studio :)
Thanks a mil for this video, wonderful!
Hi dan thanks for your video ! I was trying to set my ableton 11 with tidal. Are the instrument that you are using in your ableton tracks vst ? how you have to set super collider for to be able to recognize directly the vst inside ableton?
Hi! Yes I am using SuperCollider to send the OSC messages from TidalCycles and turn them into MIDI signals that are received by Ableton! The code for this is in the description. I think I will make a future video walking through this :)
Love what you do, really fresh approach
Really cool and helpful, thanks. I'm wondering if you tried sonic pi and if so why you prefer tidal cycles?
Both are great! I have only experimented with the basics of Sonic Pi and it is great for creating compositions. Everything is also "in-the-box". TidalCycles feels like a scratch pad for me to explore different sketches on-the-fly. TidalCycles also has less syntax, and is built around "terse-ness" (being able to have a lot of expression with very little written out code).
I'd try both! Now you can also use the web version of TidalCycles called Strudel (strudel.cc/)
I love that you are doing this Dan and you’re showing people how to do this. Question - you mention Tidal Cycles as a REPL framework. But is it possible to use it without the loop? I want to apply effects on a single set of notes and stop … then move on to another set of notes and different effects.
Is Tidal Cycles the best way to live code through Ableton if I am not looking to loop?
Thank you.
thanks for the kind words and question!
re: not looping - I am not sure if I understand your exact use-case, but you can run this to play just one cycle:
once $ sound "bd hh sd hh""
vs:
d1 $ sound "bd hh sd hh""
re: "best way" to live-code through ableton - there are other frameworks that are not as quantized as tidalcycles. Sonic Pi is another flavor that might offer more options for planned composition. There is also SuperCollider which is way more in-the-weeds (less abstracted), but lets you be very experimental!
@@DanQG Thank you, Dan. This was helpful and I appreciate your taking time to make these suggestions. I’ll let you know how I progress. Best. Frank_
Best live coding tutorial I’ve ever seen ! 3Q>
Super cool! I'm learning Rust rn so the idea of making music with Rust cracks me up 😂
Yes I'd love to see this!!
Very cool, seems like an interesting way to approach composing. though supercollider is cool I don't really know what benefits it has over my many various current tools. Cheers! :)
Hi Dan, are you controlling multiple effects on your Ableton tracks at once (for example, maybe filter and delay) and if so, what MIDI controller do you recommend for that? (I can't tell which one you are using in this video) I have a nanokontrol2, which has one fader and one knob for each track. Ideal would be one fader and multiple knobs (for effects)? UPDATE: this looks good Novation Launch Control XL Controller, might get that. I like that it has longer faders than the nanokontrol2 and the Novation stuff is great.
BTW this is a great one to try to copy to learn how things work like struct, stack, Euclidean rhythms, etc. In the process of doing that now. Sorry one other question: why do the instruments sometimes need quotes around them and sometimes do not? For example, piano does not but "synth" does.
I guess maybe you set a variable = to an instrument and use that without quotes? I'll have to mess with that. In my Live project I name things live1 live2 live3, etc, not knowing what instruments would be on each track. So perhaps in Tidal I can do something like synth = live3 so that I can use synth in Tidal and not live3 which would be nicer.
re midi mappings: yes sometimes i map knobs to multiple MIDI CCs - for live performance especially I think having ~16 knobs max is what I can keep track of when being expressive.
re variables: very perspective! I wish i showed this in the video, but this is the code setting variables to make the code cleaner.
```
let piano = "grain" # gain "1.2"
let vox = "donna:2" # legato 1
let midi = midinote
let s = struct
let kick = midi "36" # "drums"
let highhat = midi "42" # "drums"
let snare = midi "38" # "drums"
let clap = midi "39" # "drums"
```
Hello Dan, this was such an interesting video. Im livecoding for a while now and im also active in the Toplap Community.
Like the others in the comment, i dont get how you make ableton realize how you trigger the Drum Rack. Could you give further instructions to that topic?
Hi! Thanks for the question! If you have Ableton successfully receiving signals from TidalCycles, then the Drum Rack convention in ableton is to have the following:
kickdrum = midi note 36
rim shot = midi note 37
snare drum = midi note 38
clap = midi note 39
... so on and so on
This is not the "best" way to do things, but this is just "convention". If you are using a Mac then you can use the built-in IAC Drivers as a midi bus. I will make my next video on this :)
Hi Dan. I've started tidalcycling for a while. I've watched some of your videos with great interest and enjoyment. Great stuff!
Question regarding this one. A interesting/key point missing in your explaination is how to connect SuperCollider with Ableton. Any reading to suggest on this? Also, is there a way to use both Live (for synth, effects, ... like you are doing here) AND SuperDirt synth/samples? Thanks!
Hi! Good question, perhaps my next video should be on this. TidalCycles sends OSC signals to SuperCollider. You can convert these into MIDI (using the code I put in the description). If you are using a Mac then you can use the built-in IAC drivers, with different ports set up for each instrument. This is just a high-level explanation of what is going on!
@@DanQG Thanks for your answer. I will look deeper into this. ...or lazily wait for your video on this...
perfect.
Love it, so inspiring! By the way, what are your laptop specs?
I upgraded to the Macbook M1 Max last year. While it isn't necessary to have a computer this powerful, it is helpful for me to perform while doing the documentation. This also allows me to have a buffer size in ableton of 64 samples, so that I have minimum latency when using live instruments.
Great exposition!
Thanks.
this is so cool!
perfection
Are you playing samples like "vox" directly in tidal cycles with audio routing to Live, or are you triggering them in Live via midi?
This is coming from Live, it is triggering MIDI through Ableton's sampler device!
How did you control Ableton with Tidal? I changed IAC path as "synth" and GitHub code worked but I can not connect Ableton Live 11 and TidalCycles. Could you please explain step by step? Thank you!
I am going to do a more in-depth video soon. on Mac I am using the IAC Driver within Audio MIDI bus. SuperCollider is able to route the OSC messages to MIDI. Check out my comment on this video for more info! th-cam.com/video/qMJEljJyPi0/w-d-xo.html
hahaha was looking for a tutorial and realised this was ur video Dan
:)))