Using Ableton to create midi clip

BeatBuddy Help, Questions and Bugs
1

Hi everyone!

I am not sure I am posting in the right part of the forum, sorry for that!
I have red eyes spending hours on my computer to try to understand how to create my own song…
I watched the tutorials but what is explained is not easy to apply…
I am eager to learn but I need something explicit.

I created some midi clips in Ableton. I have a Mac and version 1.3.3 of the BB Manager. I used the tool Impulse to create drum loop I like, for those who know this. I exported the clips using the function #export midi clip#.
So I have files .mid. I open the Beat Buddy manager. I create a drumset with all the .wav I need.
Then I import the midi files into a song and when I click play…nothing happens.

As I understand from the hours I spent on the forum, the beatbuddy manager does not seem to recognize the assignation of the wav. files to the different #events# in my midi clips. But how to do that, remapping or something like that???
It is like the midi clip says: play X at that time, play Y at another time. But my wave files are Z and H for example. (Sorry I am not a programmer).

If someone is using Ableton to make midi clips and manages to create his/her own songs with his/her own drumset, please take some time to explain the procedure to me, it would be great! My eyes would be grateful!

Thanks for your time

Niko

2

Well, it is definitely cool that you are already able to create/edit MIDI files. This is the first solid step for the win.
Let’s say, you have a MIDI file that looks like this:

Let’s take note of which MIDI notes this sample consists from. We see that only MIDI notes 36, 40, 46, 49 and 57 are used.

Thus, in order for this sample to be correctly played by the BeatBuddy, the drumset needs to cover exactly these notes - 36, 40, 46, 49 and 57.

Now let’s examine what BBManager can show us:

Success! We can see note 36 is covered!
Scrolling further:

Note 46 is covered as well! Scrolling further down, you will see notes 49 and 57 are covered as well.

But what about note 40?! This. Is. A FAIL… We see it was uncovered.

Now if we try to play that MIDI file with the Metal drumset, all MIDI notes 40 will be omitted, as they have no sounds linked to them in BBManager.

In order to fix that, you will need to add MIDI note 40 to your drumset (we use Metal drumset in this example). The process is really easy but not (yet) as intuitive as it should be.

You will need to use menu item Organize > Add Instrument:

You now need to left click “0-Instrument blah-blah” caption:

There are some other parameters here, but I personally treat them like “add salt an pepper to taste”.

Now you simply add WAV files to your newly added note 40:

Well, that’s embarassing… I hope you get the idea while I am fixing this :slight_smile:
Use Browse button to set WAV files.

So, now you know how the binding between MIDI file notes and WAV sounds is done in BBManager.

1 Like
3

GREAT! Thank you for your reply it gives me hope again:)

The only thing is my Midi clip does not look like this.

It looks like that:

4

GREAT! Thank you for your help!!! It gives me hope again! The only thing is that my midi clips do not look like what you showed me.
They are like that (When they are read by Ableton): [ATTACH=full]1073[/ATTACH]

I checked in Ableton but I did not manage to find what are the numbers of the MIDI notes…
It is the last step before success as what you explained me is crystal clear.
Can you help me to determine what are these numbers? I do not know if you are familiar with Ableton…

Thank you and I cross the fingers!

Niko

5

Well, you will need to do some homework then! But I’ll try to help you as much as I can.

You will need to learn the mapping between C4, G#2 and other unreadable stuff and simple MIDI note number.
Here is the picture that might help you:

6

C2 is normally bass drum note 36

7

Cool! I am ready for all homework needed!
I made a basic midi clip to learn but it still does not work…Something is broken in my brain???
I show you the basic midi clip:
[ATTACH=full]1074[/ATTACH]
If I understand well, I have two different midi notes, C1 et E1. According to the chart, they both respectively correspond to 48 (C1) and 40 (E1).
I save the midi clip.
I open the BB manager and I create a drumset with 2 wav files. I assign the note 48 to one and the note 40 to the other:
[ATTACH=full]1075[/ATTACH]
I upload the clip midi in the song part of the BB manager:

[ATTACH=full]1078[/ATTACH]

I click on the button play on the upper left corner of the #test midi# file…AND instead of having a good old Boom Boom Tchac, Boom Boom Tchac, Boom Boom, I have only Tchac Tchac…

What’s wrong with this? Is my wave file impossible to read? In the drumset window, I click on play to test the two Wav files and it’s fine…
Have I miss something?

It is as if I am close to the result but it is still unreachable…
Thank you Daef, I hope you can find time to explain me. And also thank you Guitar Stu for your comment.
It is great that you share your knowledge!

Cheers

Niko

8

Well, I gotta admit this two-step mapping is a bit complicated.
The first thing that struck me is probably C1 is 48, but E1 is not 40, but 52 instead.
It’s just common sense - in the Ableton you see the difference between notes is 4 (which is the case for 48 and 52), and not 8 (which would be for 40 and 48). Change 40 to 52 and you are golden.

Looks like what Ableton shows you is an upside-down mirrored image of the picture I’ve posted.

9

By the way, I have a question for you - why do you feel the need to create a drumset? If you are doing it just out of curiosity, then okay. But you can simply use drumsets that were shipped with the BeatBuddy!

10

Hi!

Tried what you said but no results…
I do something wrong but I do not know what.
Again, here is the midi clip:
[ATTACH=full]1079[/ATTACH]
So according to what you said the 2 notes are 48 and 52.
Same process. Here is the drumset:
[ATTACH=full]1080[/ATTACH]
Trying to play the midi clip with this drumset (Note the name of the name of the midi clip:-):
[ATTACH=full]1081[/ATTACH]
And nothing happens…Now I even do not have the tchac…
Erf…
For your question, I have done plenty of records with really great sounds that I would like to use as drumsets. Simple as that. Sounds of the Beat Buddy are great, for sure. But I would like to explore with mine too.

Thanks for your help. If you notice something I did wrong, feel free to tell me.

Cheers

Niko

11

I tried to assign all the midi notes relevant to my midi clip in all octaves according to this chart:
[ATTACH=full]1082[/ATTACH]
I used this: 0-4; 12-16;24-28;36-40;48-52;60-64;72-76;84-88;96-100;108-112;120-124.
Each time I changed the midi notes of my 2 wav files I saved the changes before trying to play the midi clip.
…Nothing happened…

12

I tried to open my midi clip with another DAW just to make sure it is not the clip that is wrong.
The other DAW opens it well and contains exactly the same information as what was defined in Ableton.

Erf…

13

Upload the MIDI file to somewhere, give me the link and I’ll output it for you like in my first response so we can easily see the MIDI notes.

14

Here it is! thanks!

15

Indeed, it consists of notes 24 and 28.

16

I just tried to replicate your issue.

Are you sure you’ve put the check here?

It plays perfectly well when checked, and doesn’t play (and it shouldn’t) when unchecked.

17

Already tested and it does not work…
I tried to close the BB Manager, to reopen it and to upload the midi clip again.
The box is checked.
[ATTACH=full]1084[/ATTACH]
Nothing happens…
I can guarantee there is sound on my computer:-)

18

Perhaps the problem is here somewhere?
[ATTACH=full]1085[/ATTACH]

19

I noticed on your printscreen that you have 2X 24 and 2X 28 written on the section midi notes.
It is written only once on mine. Is it an issue?

20

Hi!
I tried a different way: I have been to beatbuddytools.com (Great ressource!) and I downloaded the cajon drumkit.
I loaded it in the BB manager and see that, for example, that midi notes 36, 37, 38 and 39 are used.
I did a midi clip using the notes 36,37,38 and 39. Loaded in the BBuddy Manager…And it works!
Sounds assigned to these midi notes are played as indicated in the midi clip! Youpi!
I assume procedure is good!
So I kept the same midi clip knowing that notes 36, 37, 38 and 39 are used.
I created a drumset and assigned wav. files to these notes. I checked the box to indicate the drumset will be used for this song. I play the midi clip…It does not work.
I should forget one step but I do not know which one.
HELP!!! (And thanks :slight_smile: