As an avid music producer, you understand the critical dimension that human elements bring to your tracks. It's that elusive intangible quality that can truly differentiate a robotic sounding loop from a riveting musical sequence that breathes life into a production. The Group Humanizer 1.7 Max4Live device aims to inject that human factor into your tracks, and it is precisely what we're diving into today.
Primarily developed by humanize, and founded on the research of Holger Hennig around synchronization in human musical rhythms, the Group Humanizer suite puts forward an innovative method to humanize MIDI. The idea is simple yet profound: make multiple tracks sound as if they are being played by musicians in the same room, in synchrony, perfectly attuned to each other's tempo fluctuations. This is achieved using a strategic group of plugins that form the Group Humanizer suite.
The suite encompasses several standout plugins, closely structured around core functions. First, we have "group humanizer SETTINGS.amxd," the plugin that sets the tonality for the suite. This module allows you to control the desired extent of humanization for your chords, percussive elements, and riffed basslines.
Next is "group humanizer PLAYER.amxd," which tunes into your settings and brings in the human touch, subtly lacing your sequenced MIDI patterns with random tempo alterations. This tricky balancing act of precision and randomness brings a certain liveliness to your tracks.
For the more audacious producers, they introduced "group humanizer PLAYER + velocity humanisation.amxd." This little innovation takes another stride in humanizing your MIDI, not just by shifting the timing of your notes, but by fluctuating their velocity as well. Mimicking the technique of legendary drummer Jeff Porcaro, it generates intelligent variance in your MIDI note velocities to reflect a musician's dynamism.
Rounding up the suite is "group humanizer HUMAN INPUT.amxd." Although still in an early beta version, it has shown promising results by capturing human performance data and integrating it with your tracks. Incorporating the "HUMAN INPUT audio version.amxd" adds even more lifelike dynamics by using audio signals as input, although this requires the installation of the bonk~ external.
Getting started with the Group Humanizer is as straightforward as it gets. You primarily need the SETTINGS and PLAYER plugins. First, fire up the SETTINGS module and tweak the humanization intensity to your liking. Then load the PLAYER plugin onto your selected track. The suite leverages Max's robust communication pipeline to ensure the SETTINGS and PLAYER know what the other is doing, cultivating a kind of symbiosis that spells magic for your MIDI sequences.
The 1.7 update, the latest in the Group Humanizer's evolutionary journey, addresses a crucial communication issue between these plugins. The SETTINGS module now continually talks to the PLAYER plugins, ensuring they're all on the same page and parameters are dutifully followed.
Bear in mind that this versatile suite comes with an attached documentation—"group humanizer documentation.txt" for any detailed queries you might have. For the tinkerers and experimenters who want to push the boundaries, variants of the MEAN FOLLOWER plugin and HUMAN INPUT plugin with audio versions can take the experimentation even further.
Finally, do note that the HUMAN INPUT module is a bit experimental, and while it can inject extra 'human-ness' into your tracks, it isn't strictly necessary for basic humanization operations. The SETTINGS and PLAYER combo can get you an impressively long way, as is evidenced by more than 36,000 downloads and a remarkable average rating of 5.
Unleashing the potential of Group Humanizer 1.7 is like having your own virtual band, intricately linked and responding dynamically to one another in real-time, their combined energy lifting your music to new heights. Commence your humanization journey today and revolutionize your music production workflow.
Example Usage
For this example, let's imagine that you have two MIDI tracks in your music production project: one for a bass sequence and another for a drum sequence. You want to give them a more humanized and natural feel, as if they were played together by musicians in the same room. This is where the Group Humanizer 1.7 Max4Live device comes in.
- First, download and install the Group Humanizer 1.7 Max4Live device into your Ableton Live setup.
- Open the device by dragging and dropping the "group humanizer SETTINGS.amxd" device onto the MIDI track containing your bass sequence.
- Adjust the settings in the Group Humanizer device to your liking. You can experiment with parameters such as "Humanize Strength" and "Swing" to achieve the desired humanized effect. The "Humanize Strength" controls how much the timing of the notes will be adjusted, and the "Swing" parameter adds a subtle groove to the sequence.
- Once you're happy with the settings, drag and drop the "group humanizer PLAYER.amxd" device onto the drum sequence MIDI track.
- The Group Humanizer Player device will now synchronize the timing of the drum sequence with the bass sequence, creating a more natural and humanized feel. The timing adjustments will be based on the settings you configured in the Group Humanizer Settings device.
- Play your project and listen to the difference. You'll notice that the bass and drum sequences now interact and adapt to each other's timing, as if they were played by musicians live.
- Feel free to tweak the settings in the Group Humanizer device to further refine the humanized effect. Experiment with different parameters until you achieve the desired musical result.
By utilizing the Group Humanizer 1.7 Max4Live device, you can revolutionize your music production by adding a human touch to your sequences and making them feel more organic and lifelike. Embrace the power of group humanizing and elevate the quality of your music.
To use the Group Humanizer 1.7 Max4Live device, follow these steps:
- Download and install the Max4Live device from the provided link.
- Open Ableton Live and create a new MIDI track.
- Drag and drop the "group humanizer SETTINGS.amxd" device onto the MIDI track.
- Configure the settings in the device according to your preferences. This includes adjusting the timing and velocity parameters.
- Create another MIDI track and drag and drop the "group humanizer PLAYER.amxd" device onto it.
- Repeat step 5 to add more MIDI tracks.
- Connect the MIDI output of the "group humanizer SETTINGS.amxd" device to the MIDI inputs of the "group humanizer PLAYER.amxd" devices on each track.
- Configure the settings in each "group humanizer PLAYER.amxd" device to match the corresponding MIDI track.
- Start playing MIDI notes on the tracks, and the Group Humanizer 1.7 Max4Live device will humanize their timing and velocity, creating a more natural and organic feel.
Experiment with different settings to achieve the desired humanization effect. Remember, only the "group humanizer SETTINGS.amxd" and "group humanizer PLAYER.amxd" devices are required to group humanize multiple tracks. The "group humanizer HUMAN INPUT.amxd" device is still in beta and may not be as stable but can be used for further experimentation.
Have fun revolutionizing your music production with the Group Humanizer 1.7 Max4Live device!
Further Thoughts
Imagine you have a drum sequence and a bass sequence that you want to humanize together to create a more natural and organic feel. With the Group Humanizer 1.7 Max4Live device, this process becomes seamless and effortless.
First, ensure that you have the Group Humanizer SETTINGS.amxd and PLAYER.amxd plugins loaded in your Live Set. These are the essential plugins needed for the group humanization process.
Next, select both the drum and bass tracks that you want to humanize. In the SETTINGS plugin, specify the desired synchronization mode and adjust the timing parameters to suit your preference. You can experiment with different settings to find the perfect balance between precision and human-like variations.
Once you have configured the SETTINGS plugin, activate the PLAYER plugin. This plugin receives the synchronization information from the SETTINGS plugin and applies the humanization effects to the selected tracks. Immediately, you will notice a subtle shift in timing that adds a natural groove to your sequences. The timing of the drum hits and bass notes will adapt to each other, as if played by skilled musicians in the same room.
You can further enhance the humanization effect by using the PLAYER + velocity humanization version of the plugin. Based on the research of Hennig et al, this version introduces variations in velocity to mimic the subtle dynamics of a live performance. By adding subtle velocity variations to your drum hits and bass notes, you can achieve an incredibly realistic and expressive sound.
It's worth mentioning that the Group Humanizer 1.7 Max4Live device also includes the HUMAN INPUT plugin, which is still in its beta phase. This plugin allows you to introduce human-like input in real-time, enabling you to play and record your sequences with a natural feel. Although in early development, this plugin has shown promising results and can be a valuable tool for adding that human touch to your compositions.
In summary, the Group Humanizer 1.7 Max4Live device revolutionizes your music production by effortlessly humanizing multiple tracks in a synchronized and natural way. By emulating the interaction between musicians playing together, this device adds an extra level of realism and musicality to your compositions. Whether you're looking to breathe life into your drum and bass sequences or create dynamic and expressive performances, the Group Humanizer 1.7 Max4Live device is a must-have tool for any producer. Give it a try, and prepare to be amazed by the authentic human touch it brings to your music.