00:00In this video we're going to take a look at how you can use
MPE in Ableton Live.
00:07You're now able to use MPE within certain devices
in Ableton Live
00:11and with any 3rd party plug-ins that support MPE.
This is great for musicians and sound designers alike
00:17who want to push the boundaries of sonic expression.
00:21So what exactly is MPE? MPE stands for:
MIDI POLYPHONIC EXPRESSION.
00:28It's an extension of the MIDI protocol used to control
multiple parameters of a single note
00:33of any software or hardware that is MPE compatible.
00:38With MPE, each note is assigned with its own channel
so the input messages received from an MPE Controller
00:45control the parameters of each individual note. To get
started with MPE, ideally you need an MPE controller.
00:53However there are ways of utilizing MPE without the use
of an MPE controller.
00:58And we'll take a look at this later in this video.
With an MPE controller at hand.
01:04Simply make sure to connect your controller
to the appropriate port on your computer.
01:11Now go to Live's Preferences, and under the tab
'Link Tempo MIDI', in the MIDI Port section,
01:17make sure that the MPE checkbox is activated
for your MPE MIDI controller.
01:24With this now set up in your preferences, you can close
the Preferences window
01:28and your MPE controller is ready to use with Ableton Live.
01:34To demonstrate how MPE works in Live, I'm going to use
Wavetable. I've already loaded up the device in track 1.
01:42To start mapping parameters from Wavetable to MPE
simply choose the tab labeled 'MPE'.
01:49Here you'll find the modulation matrix where you can map
parameters.
01:53MPE works along 3 different axis. And 'X' axis
where you can move your finger horizontally,
02:01this is usually mapped to Pitch.
02:15A 'Y' axis where you can move your finger vertically along
your MPE controller.
02:21This parameter is more commonly called 'Slide'. I'm going
to use the modulation matrix and map Slide
02:27to the Wavetable position. As I now move my finger
vertically while playing a note,
02:33I can actually move the Wavetable position
with this gesture.
02:46Last of all, we have the 'Z' axis. This is more commonly
known as aftertouch or pressure.
02:53I'm going to map the aftertouch to the cutoff filter
of the Wavetable.
02:57As I play the MPE controller and press down on the keys,
I can move the filter with this gesture.
03:07So now that you've seen how you can use MPE
in this particular preset, I'm now going to record a clip.
03:45Now that I've recorded my clip, I'm now going to double-
click on the clip so I can have a look at the Detail View.
03:50The Detail View now has 3 tabs. And if I select the 3rd tab
I now have access to the Expression View
03:57where I can see all of the MPE information that has been
recorded to all of my notes.
04:03Let's zoom in on a couple of notes
and adjust the Detail View
04:06so we have a clear view
of all of the data that's been recorded.
04:10If I use a mouse pointer to click on any of the notes,
I have immediate access to all of the breakpoints
04:16that have been recorded while I was recording the clip:
by holding down the Option button on a Mac keyboard
04:22or the Alt button on a PC keyboard.
When I select a breakpoint and drag it
04:27I can simplify the number of breakpoints, I can double-click
with my mouse to add breakpoints.
04:34By holding down the Cmd button on a Mac keyboard,
or the Ctrl button on a PC keyboard,
04:39when you click and drag a breakpoint it will snap
to the current grid of your clip.
04:46Since the MPE information is recorded per note,
this means I can also change and manipulate
04:52the breakpoints of the Slide and Pressure values.
04:56You're also able to edit MPE curves just like any other
automation or modulation curves in Live.
05:03Since the Expression View is available to all notes that are
recorded in Clips and MIDI tracks,
05:08this means that you can access this section and edit MPE
data without having to use an MPE controller.
05:15It's also worth mentioning that when you record notes
with Capture using an MPE controller,
05:21all of the MPE data is also recorded with the notes
that are captured.
05:26When using MPE with a 3rd party VST plug-in
some plug-ins may not already be MPE enabled
05:33when you load them into a MIDI track. With a VST loaded
in your MIDI track, simply right-click on the actual VST
05:40and select the 'Enable MPE' mode from the Context menu.
05:44You may also have to enable an MPE mode
within the plug-in itself.
