To those who yearn to infuse a whiff of chaos into their Ableton Live sessions, the Probably 1.0 by roygbiv should be the next tool on your list. Available as a free Max4Live MIDI effect, Probably brings a stirring element of chance right into your Ableton workflow. Want to have your MIDI notes slip through your arrangements at their own will? Probably makes it happen.
Taking the quintessential concept of a MIDI Effect, Probably 1.0 hinges its mechanism on calculated probability. Put it in your MIDI track, and experience the fascinating unpredictability it bestows upon your patterns. Your device's value can be set to either send or receive from other instances, thereby enabling you to control your global probability through the twist of one knob.
Probably employs a charm in its simplicity. Its primary function rests on a chance parameter which lets you determine the probability of MIDI notes passing through it. In essence, the higher the chance value, the higher the frequency of MIDI notes finding their way into the mix. Conversely, a lower value equals fewer notes coming into play.
While Probably ensures excitement in your patterns, where it truly shines is in its ease of networking. Assign one instance of Probably 1.0 to 'send' its value, and let any other instances 'receive' from the sending instance. This spells out a global control of probability across your entire Ableton set with the mere rotation of a dial.
Despite its apparent simplicity, the power it commands is irrefutable. Whether you're involved in live performances or holed up in your studio engaging in voluminous experimentation, this device holds tremendous possibilities for creating meticulously orchestrated chaos in your music.
To take full advantage of Probably 1.0’s features, ensure that your software is updated to Ableton Live version 12.1 and Max version 8.6.4. Also, due to its popularity among users, the probable outcome of incorporating this device into your Ableton toolkit is a significant evolution of your sound textures.
Having been made available on August 20, 2024, Probably 1.0 has already found its way into 17 downloads at the time of writing and garnered an average rating of a perfect 5. The license associated is an Attribution ShareAlike, which provides users the freedom to share and adapt the copyrighted material provided the creator is fully credited, and any derivatives are shared under the same terms.
To dive into the world of controlled MIDI chaos, grab your own Probably 1.0 Max4Live device free of charge from the following website: https://maxforlive.com/library/device/10939/probably. Explore the tumultuous waves it can bring into your musical landscape, and profoundly enhance your MIDI patterns with this absolute gem of a device.
Example Usage
To begin exploring the potential of the Probably 1.0 Max4Live device in your Ableton Live session, start by creating a new MIDI track. This track will host an instrument of your choosing, perhaps a software synthesizer like Ableton’s Wavetable or a sample-based instrument like Simpler, which will be the sound source for the MIDI patterns you'll generate.
Once you’ve decided on the instrument, it’s time to add Probably 1.0 to the MIDI track. You can do this by simply dragging the device from the Max for Live category in your Ableton Live Browser and dropping it before the instrument on the signal chain.
After adding Probably 1.0, you’ll see that the device has a simple interface. Central to the device is the probability control that determines the chance of any MIDI note passing through. By setting it to 50%, each note has a coin flip's chance of triggering a sound. You’ll get an immediate sense of interactivity as you adjust this knob while playing your MIDI keyboard or triggering a pre-recorded MIDI clip.
Now for a practical usage:
- Record a MIDI clip with a consistent pattern, such as eighth notes over a single bar. This will be your starting point.
- With Probably 1.0 placed before your instrument, start increasing the probability from 0% towards 100% as the MIDI clip loops. Notice how more notes start to pass through and trigger the instrument as you increase the probability.
- Adjust the probability in real-time or automate it to create dynamic changes in your MIDI pattern. This can serve as an effective tool for creating build-ups or breaks in your music.
- If you have a specific section of your song where you’d like a uniform probability change, simply set the device to send its value and link other instances of Probably 1.0 on different MIDI tracks to receive from the master instance, ensuring they change in tandem.
This simple example shows how you can introduce variety and surprise into an otherwise repetitive MIDI pattern using the Probably 1.0 device, making your compositions more engaging and less predictable without manually editing each MIDI note.
In this intermediate usage example of the Probably 1.0 device, we're going to explore how to create a dynamic and nuanced MIDI pattern for a deep house bassline. The beauty of Probably 1.0 lies in its ability to inject variability into predictable MIDI sequences, making them more alive and interesting.
Start by creating a new MIDI track in Ableton Live and load your favorite deep house bass synth as the instrument. Once done, compose a straightforward one-bar loop with a catchy bassline that you’d normally use in your track.
Next, drop the Probably 1.0 device on the same MIDI track, immediately after your synth in the device chain. Here, you want to initially set the probability to 100% to hear your original bassline without any changes. This will be your starting point.
Now, duplicate this MIDI track with the bassline you’ve just made. On the duplicated track, adjust the probability parameter on Probably 1.0 to around 50%. This will allow for every note to have a 50% chance of playing, which will start to introduce some interesting variations.
To add even more depth, let’s create another duplicate of the original track. On this third track, set the probability even lower, to about 30%. You should now have three layers of the same bassline, with different probabilities affecting the note occurrences.
Here's where the networking option of Probably 1.0 comes into play. On the track with 100% probability, click to set the instance to send its value, then on the other two instances, you'll choose to receive. Now, when you make adjustments to the probability on the original track, it will globally adjust the others. This is perfect for creating builds or drops in your track.
By playing these three variations together, you'll have a bassline that feels more organic, as some notes drop out while others sustain, creating a groovy push and pull effect. Additionally, automate the probability control on the original Probably 1.0 device to fluctuate over time for even more dynamism.
To keep the low end consistent, utilize sidechain compression triggered by a kick drum to ensure that every time a kick hits, the bass ducks, maintaining the rhythmic pulse of your deep house track.
Experiment with different probability settings and automation to discover unique patterns that can arise. The strength of Probably 1.0 is in the subtle, probabilistic changes that keep the listener engaged over extended periods while still respecting the original groove of your bassline.
Remember to save these variations — you might use them as layers in a final production or as idea starters for future projects. With Probably 1.0, the small changes make a big difference in crafting a bassline that dances between certainty and surprise.
Further Thoughts
Certainly! The 'Probably 1.0' Max4Live device opens up intriguing possibilities for evolving MIDI sequences, and given its ease of use, you’re quickly on your way to creating dynamic and responsive patterns that seem to teem with life. Here’s a comprehensive example showcasing advanced utilization of the Probably 1.0 device:
Imagine you want to compose a progressive house track with an ever-evolving lead melody that maintains a listener's interest. Start with a standard eight-bar MIDI clip with a basic melody containing quarter and eighth notes.
- Place the Probably 1.0 device on your MIDI track with the lead melody.
- Set 'Send' on this instance to be the master controller for probability.
Next, you want the rhythm section to interact with your lead melody. Add a MIDI track with a bassline that complements your lead and two more MIDI tracks with different rhythmic elements — one for a percussive stab and one for a hi-hat pattern.
- On each of these tracks, insert an instance of the Probably 1.0 device and set them to 'Receive' to follow the master probability controller.
By tweaking the probability parameter on the master device, you can create variations that affect all instances universally. Now, you'll want these variations to emerge organically over time to build tension and release.
- Automate the probability control on the master instance. Start at 80% to allow most notes to pass through, then drop it to 40% during break-down sections for a sparser melody, before ramping it up to 90% for a fuller sound in the climax.
For an even more dynamic and responsive arrangement, you can map the probability control to a macro knob in Ableton Live and MIDI map that to a physical controller, providing you with real-time manipulation during live performances or recording sessions.
- MIDI map the 'Send' knob to your MIDI controller's knob or fader to have tactile control over the global probability.
To add further complexity, take advantage of the networking feature of Probably 1.0.
- Create another instance of Probably 1.0 on a separate melodic element like a pad or arp track that you want to evolve independently of the master probability controller.
- Leave this instance in 'Send' mode but don't link it to other devices, allowing you to adjust its probability independently, creating a complementary, yet distinct, probabilistic pattern.
Complement the setup with automation curves that gradually increase and decrease the probability value over extended timeframes, such as an entire verse or build-up section.
To finalize the process, record the MIDI output of all tracks affected by the Probably device into new MIDI tracks. This allows you to capture the randomly generated patterns and make micro-edits or keep the ones you find particularly inspiring.
Using Probably 1.0 in this way turns a simple melody and rhythm section into an organic entity where patterns shift subtly over time, delivering a complex, professional sound and ensuring your listeners remain engaged throughout the course of your track.