Playing with Ableton+VST

[Frantz]

Just for fun, the idea is to have an easy combo "piano + rhode + b3 + analog synth".

Here is an attempt :

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The "instrument rack" at the bottom layers and splits the virtual instruments, velocities can fade on each others ...
All items can be controlled via midi, just for fun I mapped the NS2 to it ( piano volume to piano volume and so on ... drawbars and rotary slow/fast as well ).
I turned down the NS2's master volume, and played :

• ElectricAbletonVB3.mp3

.mp3

The E Piano is "Electric", made with http://www.applied-acoustics.com/ by Ableton
It sounds like AAS's VSTs : Lounge Lizard and Tassmann.
The effects are Ableton's.
The B3 is "VB3"
The piano is Ableton's.

This setup lacks an analog synth, and a better acoustic piano.

[Frantz]

Ableton comes with a synth called "Analog" , 2 osc ..., Here it is :

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I still play & control with my usual setup (the NS2), I have nearly the impression that the sound comes from the Nord

• ableton Electric Vb3 Analog.mp3

.mp3

Compared to the NS2, having a dedicated reverb for the synth part is usefull.

I don't think it is comparable but ... let's do the exercise :

Ableton Live : 349 €
Ableton Electric : 99 €
Ableton Analog : 99 €

At this point I should take : Ableton Suite 549 € instead
or Ableton Live + Electric + NLogPolySynhth = 349 + 99 + 29

Still need to add a piano : ivory + iLock ~ 399 €

Total Soft = ~ 950 €

+ Apple Mac Book Pro 13" i7 2.8 Ghz : 1149 €
+ Akai MPK 88 : 695 € (and 27 kg)

Total = 2800 €

[Frantz]

The laptop I use for now is a PC under windows 7 , core i5 2.4Ghz, 4Go RAM, USB sound card MOTU Microbook.
The latency is Ok.
The CPU came up to 65 % with this patch.

I am very interested to know about someone else's experience in making a "laptop+vst+ controller keyboard" Live setup.

[Johannes]

well, had a similar attempt some time back for recording purposes, but in terms of immediacy its nowhere near a hardware instrument, But of course you got sequencer HD recording, tons of possibilities etc.
BTW, woud you mind sharing your Ableton file/setup (I think its called als or so, probably needs to be zipped)??

[Frantz]

I only have some trial licences.

http://www.ableton.com/download-suite-trial

"Electric" (Lounge Lizard) worth a try ! ( maybe Nord could add more options to the epiano module, having some "physical model parameters" is nice ).

This "Ableton + VST" approach is more like a laboratory, it's fun but at the end of the day it's more time spent to deal with technical / compatibility / settings than music.

I haven't found anything that could beat an integrated gear like the NS.

[mon8169]

..... it's fun but at the end of the day it's more time spent to deal with technical / compatibility / settings than music......

This is what made me buy a NS. Some sounds could be better but I'm playing more than ever!!

Ramon