The Oblique 1.0 Max4Live device was inspired by the iconic Oblique Strategies cards developed by Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt back in 1975. The cards have been a long-serving source of inspiration for musicians, artists, writers, and creative individuals searching for unconventional ways to unlock their creativity or overcome artistic roadblocks.
Designed and crafted with precision by OSTINSOLO, the Oblique 1.0 device imbues the cryptic wisdom nestled within Eno's strategies right into the digital realm of Ableton Live. Mirroring the element of surprise that the physical deck is known for, the device serves its creative prompts unpredictably. With a mere click, users get thrown an intentionally ambiguous strategy or task intended to stimulate lateral thinking.
The device will make producers rethink how they approach their music, and in doing so, break free from the conventions of music production. Its operation is as uncomplicated as its philosophy—'EASY CLICK ON IT', as OSTINSOLO defines it. The beauty of this tool lies in its simplicity. It does not revamp your sound, add extraordinary effects, or manipulate your samples. Instead, it challenges your thinking, nudging you out of your comfort zone, and into untested waters of creativity.
Whether you're stuck in a creative rut, or merely inquisitive about the infinite possibilities that lie beyond your current musical scope, the Oblique 1.0 is an indispensable tool. You click, receive an oblique directive, interpret it as per your unique understanding, and apply it to your music—leading to intriguing sounds that you might not have considered otherwise.
It's worth mentioning that the Oblique 1.0 only requires Live version 10.1.18 and Max version 8.1.5 to function correctly. Additionally, this utility tool is available at zero cost, making it accessible to every music producer who wishes to instill a sense of experiential curiosity into their workflow.
To retrieve it, simply visit OSTINSOLO's website or head to the maxforlive library. There, you'll find a download link for the Oblique 1.0 alongside an impressive array of other devices that OSTINSOLO has created. You can also explore a whole new world of utility tools, synths, samplers, effects, and more—all finely tuned and optimized for Ableton Live.
The Brian Eno Oblique 1.0 is more than just a Max4Live device—it's a bridge between the abstract and the concrete, a conduit for channeling the radiant creativity of Brian Eno's Oblique Strategies into your Ableton Live sessions. It's an invitation to break the barriers, transcend the orthodox, and embark on a journey toward uncharted territories in music production.
So, what do you say? Are you ready to ignite the unexpected and bring the wisdom of Brian Eno into your next session? Visit the MaxForLive library and download the Oblique 1.0 today!
Example Usage
Picture this: you're working on a new track in Ableton Live, and you're feeling stuck on where to take your chord progression. To find a dose of inspiration, you decide to employ the Brian Eno Oblique 1.0 Max4Live Device by OSTINSOLO. Here’s a simple way to start using it:
- Install the Oblique 1.0 device by downloading it from the provided URL and dragging it into your Ableton Live set.
- Once installed, create a new MIDI track and load up your favorite instrument – let's say a soft, warm pad.
- Click on the Oblique 1.0 device to get your first Oblique Strategy card. For this scenario, the card reads: “Emphasize repetitions.”
- Apply the suggestion by taking a single chord from your existing progression and creating a hypnotic, repeating pattern with it.
- Now, tweak the sound of your pad to fit the repetitive nature of the pattern – perhaps adjusting the attack and release of the envelope to make it swell in and out.
- As the pattern repeats, you might adjust other parameters within the pad's synth, maybe modulating filters or adding subtle effects like a slow phaser to give the repetition some movement.
This simple process can unblock your creativity and take your track in an unexpectedly beautiful direction, all thanks to the lateral thinking prompted by the Oblique 1.0 device. Keep clicking the device for new strategies whenever you need a fresh burst of creative thinking.
As you delve into the endless possibilities of Ableton Live's sonic landscape, the Brian Eno Oblique 1.0 Max4Live device acts as a compass to new territories of creativity. Picture this scenario: you have a project open, and the creative juices aren't flowing as you had hoped. Here's how the Oblique device can invigorate your session:
- Initial Invocation: Begin by loading the Brian Eno Oblique 1.0 device onto an empty MIDI track. Ensure your Ableton Live session is saved before you experiment to preserve your original ideas.
- Generating Suggestions: Click on the Oblique device. A randomly selected Oblique Strategy card appears with a suggestion intended to stimulate creative thinking. Let's say the strategy is “Use an old idea.”
- Interpreting the Strategy: Reflect on what "Use an old idea" means for the elements in your current project. Perhaps there's a bass riff from a past session that fits perfectly but you've never considered it in this new context.
- Implementation: Locate that old bass riff and introduce it into a loop on your current track. Warp it, so it syncs with your project's tempo. Now, create a MIDI clip triggering the riff and experiment with effects. Perhaps automate a filter cut-off to add motion to the sound.
- Further Iteration: Re-click the Oblique device to retrieve another card. For instance, it might read "What are the sections sections of? Imagine a caterpillar moving.” Let this abstract suggestion guide you to fragment your bass riff, experiment with arpeggiation, or introduce rhythmic variation as if it's moving in segments like a caterpillar.
- Evaluation: After embracing the strategies from the Oblique device, listen back to your work. Assess the transformation. Is it more compelling, unexpected, or fresh?
- Documentation: Write down the strategies that were most fruitful and consider how they altered your workflow. Use them as references for future creative blocks.
The beauty of Brian Eno's Oblique Strategies within the Max4Live environment is the seamless integration of serendipity into your digital audio workstation, transforming it from a mere production tool into an interactive muse. Remember, the key is not to overthink the suggestions but rather use them as creative impulses to guide your artistic intuition as you sculpt your tracks.
Further Thoughts
Imagine you're crafting an atmospheric soundscape meant for a meditative space, and you find yourself reverting to familiar patterns and textures that feel comfortable but lack innovation. To break out of this cycle, you decide to incorporate Brian Eno's Oblique 1.0 Max4Live Device into your Ableton Live session.
First, you lay down a basic drone using a soft synth with a slow attack and a warm pad sound. It's pleasing but predictable. Now, you load the Brian Eno Oblique 1.0 device onto a separate MIDI track and eagerly await the digital equivalent of an Oblique Strategies card to disrupt your process.
You click on the device, and it presents you with the strategy: "Look at the order in which you do things." This immediately shifts your perspective. You decide to reverse your traditional workflow. Starting with the textural elements that usually come last, you record a series of granular synthesis textures and reversed samples that add a sense of the unexpected to your track.
Next, you revisit your drone. Inspired by the card, you apply automation to modulate the synth parameters in a non-linear fashion, deviating from the static drone to one that evolves unpredictably over time. You embrace a less structured approach to modulation, letting the LFO rates and depths be guided more by intuition than by the grid.
Then, you introduce a percussive element, but this time you treat it not as a rhythm section but as an additional texture, processing it heavily with delay and reverb so that it blends seamlessly into the sonic fabric you're weaving.
As you continue to work, you use the Brian Eno Oblique 1.0 device sporadically to present new challenges and reframe your thinking. At one point, it suggests, "Use an element of chance," prompting you to employ a randomized sample playback Max4Live device, so your carefully chosen samples scatter across the soundscape in unplanned rhythms and pitches, bringing an element of serendipity to your composition.
The session becomes a dialogue with the Oblique 1.0 device, a creative back and forth that pushes boundaries and forges new sonic terrain. The end result is a more innovative and less predictable piece, embodying a true blend of the meditative and the avant-garde, all encouraged by the wisdom distilled into a Max4Live device that pays homage to Brian Eno's pioneering strategies for overcoming creative blocks.