AbleLOM 2 Live API Advanced Explorer 2.0 is an impressive Max for Live device developed by IMable that provides users with a powerful tool to delve into the Live Object Model (LOM) directly in Ableton Live. AbleLOM 2 offers interactive exploration through a graphical and intuitive environment.
In this rebuilt patch, IMable has introduced an exclusive "Observe" mode. This function allows the real-time updating of values, which proves invaluable when adjustments are made to parameters like the tempo, track name, or color. The changes will be instantly reflected in the main result window, offering a dynamic look into the functioning of Live's architecture. This feature can be toggled off or on, with three observation speed modes on offer: slow, medium, and fast.
Navigating AbleLOM 2 is made effortless with the ability to browse directly by clicking on the text. Moreover, a dropdown menu assists in choosing between different child elements. Another convenience feature is the text editor which displays clicked text in a separate window. This useful in instances where the text is larger than the main window or when certain text portions need to be copied to the clipboard.
The Max for Live device also introduces a unique shortcut to the official LOM documentation. A simple "Ctrl/Cmd + Click" on the text in the main window will open the official LOM documentation in a separate browser. This takes you directly to the information that corresponds with the selected text, saving valuable time and effort in cross-referencing between Ableton Live and the LOM documentation.
To help simplify and guide you through the exploration process, the developer has added help and warning message tabs. You'll also spot 'canonical_parent', printed in bright green, allowing you to browse back immediately. Furthermore, the display of names relative to the IDS adds another level of ease to this already user-friendly device.
In keeping with the theme of customization, AbleLOM 2 grants users control over the background color for enhancing result readability. It permits text alignment, enables device size minimization, and even keeps the device always 'on top'. Allowing you to simultaneously monitor CPU average usage and current time.
To get started with AbleLOM 2, you are required to have Ableton Live 11 or 12 with Max for Live 8.5.6 or higher installed. The device is compatible with both Windows and Mac OS. If you find yourself needing assistance, a simple click on the orange '?' reveals a handy usage guide.
The AbleLOM 2 is available for purchase through a commercial license, promising an upgrade to your current Ableton Live setup that will bring an unprecedented level of control and engagement.
To experience the impressive features and integrated capabilities of AbleLOM 2, check out the device at https://maxforlive.com/library/device/10204/ablelom-2-live-api-advanced-explorer. Log in or sign up to download this exclusive Max for Live device and start making the most of your Ableton Live setup. Happy patching with AbleLOM 2 and the Live Object Model!
Example Usage
Imagine you're experimenting with your latest track in Ableton Live, and you want to automate the volume of a specific track over time in a very precise manner. Here's how you can use AbleLOM 2 to achieve this:
- Drag AbleLOM 2 into a MIDI track: This doesn't process audio, so it's typically placed in a MIDI track.
- Explore the Live Object Model: Open AbleLOM 2's interface. Here, you can see the Live Object Model's hierarchy displayed. You're looking for the track volume property.
- Locate Your Track: Use the device's browsing system to find the specific track you're interested in.
- Find the Volume Property: Within the selected track's object list, locate the property that controls volume (it might be labeled as something like "mixer_device volume").
- Observe and Learn: Enable the 'Observe' mode to see how changes you make in Live, like moving the track's volume fader, are reflected in AbleLOM 2.
- Copy the Path: Once you've found the track's volume control, copy the path that AbleLOM 2 provides. This Path is what you'll use to tell your Max for Live device exactly where to send automation data.
- Create an Automation Device: In a new Max for Live device, use the copied path to set up a [live.observer] or [live.remote~] object. This object will be the link that allows your device to control the volume of the track.
- Program Your Automation: Now, with your custom Max for Live device connected to the track's volume property, you can use Max programming to create a specific volume automation curve.
- Test It Out: Hit play on your track, and watch as your custom volume automation takes effect, all thanks to the powerful observation and control you've unlocked with AbleLOM 2.
With AbleLOM 2, you've taken control of the deeply embedded properties within Ableton Live, opening up new creative possibilities for your music production.
Imagine you're mid-session, tweaking parameters on multiple tracks, and you wish you had a way to map all low-cut frequency knobs from an EQ Eight on different tracks to a single macro control for a universal mix adjustment. With AbleLOM 2, we can create this setup without writing a single line of code, utilizing the device's ability to navigate and manipulate the parameters of Live's Object Model.
First, load AbleLOM 2 onto a MIDI track and ensure the device is visible on your screen. We’ll need it to identify the paths to the EQ Eight low-cut frequency knobs on various tracks.
Step 1: Identify Low-Cut Controls - Select the first track with an EQ Eight and locate the 'low-cut frequency' parameter. - With AbleLOM 2's live path observer enabled, click on the low-cut knob; it should display the live object pathway in the main window. - Copy this path into a text document for later use; it will look something like live_set tracks 2 devices 0 parameters 1.
Step 2: Repeat for All Relevant Tracks - Do this for each EQ Eight across your session, ensuring you keep track of each unique path.
Step 3: Set Up a Universal Control - Create a new Audio Effect Rack on a separate track and map a macro knob to control an arbitrary parameter—we will reassign this shortly. - Right-click the macro knob and select ‘Edit MIDI Map,’ and note the CC number assigned to it.
Step 4: Using Max for Live API - Create a new Max for Live device with Max's MIDI capabilities. - Inside this, we’ll write a small patch that listens for the CC from our macro knob and sends out changes to all the parameter paths we copied using AbleLOM 2.
Step 5: Connect and Test - Once the Max patch is set up, map the incoming CC to send out to each live path you've identified. This links directly to the low-cut frequency knobs on all your EQ Eights. - As you turn your master macro knob, watch each EQ’s low-cut frequency move in unison. Adjust the scaling in your Max patch if required.
Here’s what we achieved: Without diving into the intricacies of Max for Live programming or Ableton's Control Surfaces, we've created a universal controller utilizing AbleLOM 2's robust path identification. With AbleLOM 2, you can easily bring together controls from across your project for a tighter integration and control surface that suits your workflow.
Further Thoughts
Imagine you’re constructing an evolving soundscape that sonically represents a day in a city. You want to transition from morning to night seamlessly and introduce various elements like traffic noise, weather changes, and crowd sounds that grow denser at rush hour and then fade away into the quietness of the late evening. Using AbleLOM 2 in Ableton Live, you can script these changes meticulously without manually adjusting parameters in your session view.
Let's take a real-world example where we use AbleLOM 2 to automate the process.
Firstly, you lay out your audio tracks—a mix of ambient recordings, synth pads for weather changes, and rhythmic elements mimicking the hustle of city life. Now, with AbleLOM 2, you navigate to the 'Master Track' within the device, observing its properties in real-time to influence the overall journey.
You decide to manipulate the global tempo to reflect the day's pace: it's slower in the morning, increases around noon, and gradually slows again as the night approaches. With the 'Observer' mode in AbleLOM 2 set to 'mid', you monitor the 'tempo' property within the Live Set object. You construct a Max for Live patch that dynamically modifies this 'tempo' in relation to the time of day you've programmed into a separate 'time control' track.
As the day progresses, you want the weather to shift from sunny to overcast. AbleLOM 2 allows you to find the 'Chain Activator' for the track holding your weather synths. By employing the LOM path displayed in AbleLOM, you script interactions with those Chain Activators in a separate Max for Live device, crossfading between clear sky tones and more ominous, cloudier textures.
For the rush hour crowd escalation, you strategize a gradual volume increase across a group of tracks, each representing different crowd clips. Via AbleLOM 2, you locate the parameters of each track's 'Mixer Device'. Using the 'live.observer' object in your custom M4L patch, you automate their 'volume' properties in response to a spline curve you've created in a 'crowd intensity' timeline. This allows a nuanced swelling effect that mimics the natural ebb and flow of city life.
To ensure that every Creative and Arrangement decision reflects in real-time, AbleLOM 2's 'Observe' mode is invaluable. Elements like muting tracks when a simulated thunderstorm rolls in or panning traffic noise from left to right to emulate a passing vehicle are directly browsed and scripted within AbleLOM 2. This provides an unparalleled level of detail and immersion, giving life to your urban soundscape.
Finally, to ease the listener into the night, you utilize AbleLOM 2 to control scene launching within Live. You pinpoint the 'Session View' object and observe the 'selected_scene' property. By preparing a sequence of scenes that progressively enter a state of tranquility, you script scene triggering in harmony with your 'time control' track.
At the end of your composition, AbleLOM 2 not only enhanced the creative potential of your project but also served as an educational tool, giving you deeper insight into the inner workings of Ableton Live’s Live Object Model (LOM) for future endeavours.