Is the any tool (in Max ?) for Ableton like MIDI mixer in Cubase? I could control my Roland D20 with System Exclusive messages sent from such a mixer in Cubase on Atari and then in Cubase SX3. I could control filters or envelopes, or any parameter in my instrument via automation in the mixer map. It was a brilliant way. I got Roland D110 recently and I would like to recreate my ancient projects.
Ableton doesn’t seem to have such features to control external instruments. And handling the System Exclusive seems to be an impossible dream.

 

Last edited: Dec 9, 2023

Hmm, Does nobody use SysEx? Any Ableton user with a proven solution?

 

Mostly, no. It's probably a decade or more since I last used it. It's just not that common any more.

 

I used sysex with Max years ago with my DSS1, with max for live I think it's possible, https://docs.cycling74.com/max8/refpages/sxformat You should create a patch with the commands. More specifically if you add an empty midi effect of max for live you can edit it around the sxformat object

 

Last edited: Dec 10, 2023

I thought the SySex could be considered as a outdated system by most of people and developers surprisingly. But this is the only way storing the sounds and settings of the hardware synths on computers. And it is a part of MIDI system. How can I dump my patch or the whole library from my hardware synth to DAW if this sound is a part of the project? It is a shame that Ableton lacks the part of MIDI. I used Cubase in Atari ages ago. I used to use multitimbral synths and still use them. I could store the SySex data of a patch used on every track. It was fantastic.

 

Yeah, it's a bit of a shame, Ableton has never really embraced Sysex at all. Hell, when Ableton first came out, it didn't have midi at all, so we were just happy to get that...

For years many users have been clamoring for it, and they hint from time to time they will deal with it, and do some kinda workaround that is hobbled and shitty with Max4Live, but sadly, I don't think it works very well.

I use (or was using) a lot of outboard and hardware synths and whatnot, and basically I just took good notes as to patches and yeah, it sucked regarding automating parameters, and I would do it by hand and drop it as audio... which is not the answer you want to hear obviously.

I just don't think the people in Germany working on Ableton think there is enough demand for it to devote the resources, (and I wouldn't think it would be that tough, hell their whole thing was kinda nicked off of the back of Opcode's StudioVision Pro etc, and that did it just great back in the 90's.... )

Ableton is great at many things, but unfortunately external midi, in terms of what you are talking about, is not one of them.