The Basics: Actions and Triggers - ClyphX Pro Tutorial

This is a script for a video tutorial I will record and edit at a later point after my graduation concert. expect it end of June.

BASIC CONCEPT OF CLYPHX PRO

Before we get into programming a controller, you have to understand the key concept of ClyphX PRO first. Let me explain that with a simple example:

There are two elements. First, there are actions.
An action is something you want ABLETON LIVE to do. For example turning on the internal metronome. In ClyphX PRO that action is called METRO ON.

Then, there are Triggers. A trigger is something which triggers an ACTION. For example a pad on a launchpad or scene or clip when it is launched.
In this example we stick to a clip as a trigger, which will turn on the metronome.

All you have to do is, to tell ABLETON LIVE that the clip is connected to ClyphX PRO.
This is done through the NAME of the clip. You start the clip name with two brackets ´[]´, followed by the ACTION METRO ON

When the Clip is launched, it will turn on the METRONOME.
That is about it for the start.

a deeper look into actions

Now, let's have a closer look at the ACTION METRO. We have a look at the manual:

There is also the option to turn the metronome off with METRO OFF
If you don't specify whether it is ON or OFF and use just the command METRO it will toggle the metronome state on or OFF. Noteworthy is how this action is described in the manual. The order in the description(middle row) is identical to the actions in the right row.
So which action would you use how? Before we get into this, let's have a look at different ways to trigger actions

Trigger Types

X-CLIP

Like shown in the example before, a clip that triggers an action is referred to X-CLIP in the manual.

X-SCENE

Very similar you can do trigger an action from a scene:

X-CUES

You can trigger an action in the arrangement if you rename the locator:

In this example the metronome will be turned on when you start the arrangement and turned off when the arrangement reaches bar 5.

X-CONTROL

An X-Control can be any external MIDI CONTROLLER. It can be connected via CC or NOTE ON/OFF messages.

E.g. You have a Behringer X-Touch mini. Let's assume, that when you press the upper left button it sends out a MIDI NOTE 40(E2) on channel 4. (This could be something else, I will show later how you do it properly.)

The format to assign a X-Control is:
NAME = TYPE, CHANNEL, NOTE_OR_CC, OFF_LED, ON_LED, ON_ACTION_LIST

To link a button to a ClyphX Pro action you have to write into the corresponding text file X-Controls.txt. To assign the METRO command to this button you have to add this line:

example-metro-button1 = NOTE, 4, 40, 0, 127, METRO

The name of the button could be anything. However it is recommended you use a naming scheme that tells you something about the controller

Instead of
example-metro-button1 you better use:
X-touch-mini-button01 = NOTE, 4, 40, 0, 127, METRO

X-OSC

X-OSC trigger work similar to a X-Control.
With OSC you could use any tablet or phone, regardless if Android or iOS, to make a custom surface to send data to ABLETON LIVE.

e.g. You create a toggle button in TouchOSC which sends 0 or 1 on the address /metro

EXAMPLE PICTURE OF AN TOUCH OSC BUTTON

In the text file X-OSC.txt you then would add this line to toggle the METRONOME:

/metro = METRO;

Easy, right?

Now we know how we can trigger desired actions. Let's have a look at some use cases right away and turn a Behringer x-touch mini into a customised midi controller.

go to the Master Research Overview

by schlapmin

Introduction and Overview - ClyphX Pro Tutorial

This is a script for a video tutorial I will record and edit at a later point after my graduation concert. expect it end of June.

Welcome

Hello and welcome to my series of ClyphX Pro Tutorials. My name is Schlapbe and I want to share with you my experiences and techniques with ClyphX and why I think everybody should have tried it. In my opinion it is the most useful extension for ABLETON LIVE that exists.
I am quite fond of technology and I had a very hard time getting started with ClyphX. I think it is much easier than you think, when you got the basic concept and I highly recommend you that you give it a try.

There is a free version available which has basic functionality (and you can download it here

What can it do?

More importantly, why would you need it? I'll give you some examples:

A great feature of ABLETON LIVE is the mapping function. You can map almost every parameter or function to any MIDI CONTROLLER. It can speed up your workflow a great deal and making music more intuitive, which is what we all look for, right?
Wasn't there a downside which made me stop using this feature. Mappings are stored with a project, not with the application. You can't define those controls for general use. Same goes for key-commands. You would have to make a template project from where you start. But if you add mappings etc later, you would have to re-do them on older projects. The result in my case was a total mess and chaos. I often found myself spending time to check if mappings are working and re-mapping them, instead of working on the music right away.
How awesome would it be when you have a launchpad customised to your liking and it works on any ABLETON project, regardless of previous mappings.
That is where ClyphX Pro comes in, it can do this for you. At the end of the video I give some more complex examples, but for a start, let's keep it simple.

EXAMPLE (showing a X-touch mini)
X-CLIPS:
TEMPO CHANGES with Scene triggers
MUTE TRACKS
SRECFIX

You can use the X-TOUCH to
Start/Stop, LOOP, REC, SELECT TRACKS <>, MUTE, CLICK ON/OFF, TAP TEMPO,etc…

Do you want how it is done and want try it out yourself?
Click on this next video right away and get started.
[Basic concept of CXP and get started with simple mappings]

01 BASIC CONCEPT LESSON

But I want to talk about why ClyphX PRO is probably NOT the right tool for you:

• Everything is custom from the very start. There are no pre-made, ready-to-go templates etc.
• You need time to get into it and there is a learning curve for sure.
• You have to make up your mind HOW you want your workflow to be, although this could be a rewarding process in its own right as well.
• The whole package costs about 70€, so you should be sure that has enough additional benefit for you.

If:

• the mapping feature fulfills everything you could possibly wish for, re-mapping and working with template files is fine for you or
• you have a PUSH or a LAUNCHPAD and you miss nothing or
• you don't have any thought like: "It would be cool, if I could this with ABLETON LIVE with just one press of a button":

Then, It is likely you won't gain a big deal of workflow improvement. But you should try it anyway.

some of my use cases:

There are so many ways you could use the midi controller you probably already have. Let me give you some example:

• Name-based binding:
  • CLICK TRACK
  • KICK Track
  • Drum group
  • SENDS

XMODE / SHIFT functionality:
MUTE / BINDINGS
ARM
MIXER RECALL (SNAPSHOT)

LONG PRESS / FAST RELEASE:
- select scenes (FCB1010)
- record loops / stop recording
- disarm - all

go to the Master Research Overview

by schlapmin