Variation Bundle

Six devices for elaborating on ideas. Maybe the thing I love most about making music with MIDI Tools in Live is the ability to create variations on a theme - make a beat more dense, or more sparse, add some melodic decoration, or swap some elements in or out. These devices are a toolkit for making music that evolves.

Generator

Polyrhythm

Polyrhythm is a multitrack algorithmic sequencer for generating a quick beat or melody. I really like using it with a drum rack to get a beat started. The length of each pattern can be set independently, which makes the rhythms it generates feel a lot less boring and loop-y.

Transformers

Pattern Transform

Pattern Transform is a multi-function MIDI clip manipulator that is fantastic for creating variations on your ideas. It is probably the most powerful of all of my MIDI Tools. Want to take a beat but just thin it out by removing some of the notes? Or increase the freneticity of the beat by adding more notes? Or create some controlled melodic variation (in key, of course) within the course of a bassline. This device can do all of that, and more.

Condition Transform

Condition Transform is a multi-function MIDI clip manipulator that helps you create variations on existing MIDI Clips. Like Pattern Transform, it allows you to selectively transform some notes in your MIDI clip while leaving others untouched. Notes are selected based on the note's pitch, velocity, duration, or chance value. I built this tool to allow me to do ratcheting and subdivision precisely with complex MIDI clips.

Draw

Draw is a MIDI clip transformer for Ableton Live. It allows you to change pitch, velocity, and chance super quickly with your mouse. It's basically a bit like using the mouse in the piano roll or velocity and chance sections of the MIDI clip, but way faster (and a bit less precise...which is a good thing!) I use this thing all the time to create quick variations of MIDI clips for my tracks.

Shift

Shift is a MIDI clip transformer for Ableton Live. It allows you to remix a clip quickly by rotating each attribute of the notes independently. This simple device has lots of power for creating subtle or dramatic variations on patterns and melodies.

Develop

Develop reduces or increases the complexity of your MIDI clip over time. Say you have a pattern that you want to "build up" to by just playing fragments of the pattern, then, finally, at the end, the whole thing. Or the opposite - you want to remove an element from the mix, but not by bringing the fader down. Instead, just selectively remove notes each time the pattern loops. That's what Develop does.

NOTE: You must have Ableton Live 12 Suite or Live 12 Standard with Max for Live to use this device. MIDI Tools are a new feature of Live 12.