Nektar Pacer Tutorial: Ableton & DAW Integration
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- Опубликовано: 18 сен 2024
- Learn to use customized presets for templates with Ableton and other DAWs. Some creative workarounds to give you 4 programable foot switches per Preset!
For a complete Guide to setting up your Pacer with Ableton (or any DAW), go here:
sound-economix...
You can purchase the data to copy to your Pacer there if you don't feel like going through all these steps!
Order your own Pacer here [Amazon affiliate links]: amzn.to/330gmPS www.thomann.de...
I like these expression pedals: cheap-n-good: M-Audio EX-P Expression Pedal
from Thomann: www.thomann.de...
from Amazon: amzn.to/3jTv3uA
Ableton Live (Green, basic version)
Ableton Live: www.thomann.de...
Amazon: amzn.to/3m26eyG
See my other Nektar Pacer Tutorials:
* "Setting up your New Nektar Pacer for Mac": All you need to set up your Nektar Pacer. From installing new firmware to downloading and installing these 5 presets, this is all you need to get rocking with Pacer. • Setting up Nektar Pace...
* "Nectar Pacer Programming: Ableton Live [Tutorial 1]" (2019) Earlier video showing physical customising of Pacer's presets and foot switches. This is a guide to setting up individual Presets so you can give different CC values to each of the 6 pedals, in 5 presets, giving you 30 options, all on one foot board. • Nectar Pacer Programmi...
* "Programming LEDs to Respond to DAW Changes": How to get LED lights on your Pacer to turn on and off in synch with the changes in your DAW. • Nektar Pacer: Make LED...
* "Fast Customisation Using a Web-Application": Using a web-app instead of manually programming in each of your options for the foot switches. • Nektar Pacer Tutorial:...
* "Nektar Pacer Tutorial: Customising and Integration with Ableton and other DAWs" : Learn to use customised presets for templates with Ableton and other DAWs. Some creative workarounds to give you 4 programable foot switches per Preset! • Nektar Pacer Tutorial:...
Music in this tutorial:
/ narcis-dirty-piano-and...
Thank you so much for this Brandon... Saved me a lot of googling... Very straight forward to understand...
Thank you so much for putting all this time in and sharing the videos. Nektar is missing out on a HUGE market by not spending a few more minutes to cleanly integrate with Ableton right out of the box. Your videos are helpful in getting a headstart on mapping things to Ableton, so thank you!
Glad to help! Check out this page that goes through the process step by step: sound-economix.com/pacer-ableton/
Thank you!!! Now I know how to make the midi light correspond to the plugin state! So helpful for me using ableton as a guitar pedal!
Thanks for sharing all this info. I will dive into this stuff you shared. As a new Nektar Pacer user this will be very helpfull!
Have a Launchpad Pro and I hope I can do a next scene launching function just like that controller has but now to do that with my feet.. Looking into that :)
Thanks Brandon - Also working out the bugs for my system since I gave up being a lifetime musician to be Alacarte Hardware Programer...... lol (Window 10 and had to stand in line forever to get a Pacer, which arrilved with the lite version of Bitwig (a Nektar product that boasts integration with tons of DAWs as well as their very own Bitwig Studio. I find it incredible how companies like Behringer (who make the XR-18, which I have) and boast about what their software will do, and then don't actually implement it upon release. I have been drowned in the Rocktron MidiMate forever trying to get it to do what I want..... such a Clunky layout to program. I was excited by all the claims of the Pacer, and it is really pretty cool, I just wish they would do what they say they will out of the box. I have still been wainting for Behringer to update things they should have done 5 years ago, such as effects that have knobs that do absoulutly nothing. OK enough rants. I will check out your other videos even though they geared for the Mac, the concepts should crossover for me. I was hoping I would get off easy and find some presets to download to work for me.... Much Regards Thanks you for your time.
Yes, Nektar *really* needs to update their firmware. It's a bit ridiculous. And a lot of the integration they advertise (e.g., with Logic) just isn't true.
Still, it can be customized a good deal, so we have to do it ourselves for now.
Check out sound-economix.com/pacer-ableton/ for some further info on customizing. I can also make a custom preset for you if you need...just get in touch! brandonxshaw [at] gmail.com
very interesting. good review man. been thinking about getting this and i wanted to see the functionality with FL but it seems with that program you can set up whatever you like to each button so that would make my life way easier. especially having an undo
Yes, it should work with any DAW where you can MIDI map.
@Brandon Calleja Shaw good news! The Pacer cant send Mackie Control Protocol directly, BUT you can change Mackie Control from Port 2 to Port 1. Port 2 transport/track presets are just sending CC and Note messages. So the Pacer is just tricking Ableton by using the Mackie mapping and sending it normal midi messages. Whats this mean? You can copy the controls of Transport/Track onto your own customizable presets. Also, the Transport and Track buttons just recall other presets onto the other pads for quick access.. so you can make your own presets, then recall them directly from a button of another preset for quick toggling. Fyi google "mackie control map" to find charts that show what each mackie midi message does in Ableton. Since we can do this with Mackie, we could probably trick Ableton into thinking this is a Launchpad too.
Great video, thanks!
do you have a venmo or cash app? i already own the pacer, but would love to support you, cause these videos are very helpful!
Many thanks for your support! there's a donate button for Paypal on brandonxshaw.com. Or to brandonxshaw at gmail.com
Hello, Midi stroke, doesn't work anymore. I downloaded it and it says the "devloper needs to update this software". Just so you know. I wish I could make my foot controller toggle left and right through my instruments (tracks) in session view (doing what the arrow keys do). I can't for the life of me figure out how to do this. So Fustrating. Please help
Hi dear! Tnx for this great video! I bought pacer newly and have a strange problem! I updated with new firmware and also upload ableton sysex file available in nektar site. As they said there switch in track bank should work ok on ableton ( solo, mute, track arm....) but they don't work at all as you said , but the question is that when I use midiox( pc) to check these switches on track bank I see also they don't send any midi data to pc! Is this a hardware problem or firmware?! I mean it looks like it's not about integration with ableton and these swithes( only on track bank) don't send anything to pc! But in transport bank and also in bank A-D presets every switch works fine and send data when checking with midiox program for pc. Is this normal for everyone or my pacer has a hardware problem?!
Very Good , useful content! Have any idea how I could get my pacer to work with an Akai MPC ONE? That is the combo I’m using with hardware synths
i wish someone did that with BITWIG under LINUX.i ordered a PACER...not sure i will get it working.i hope so
You should be able to MIDI map these onto Bitwig...it's not tied to Ableton exclusively.
can I use it with fl studio mobile?
Can you midi map in ableton all buttons? Having troubles doing this...
I have the black star live logic and it isn't working. Will return it asap if it doesn't work out. I can't believe there are no cheap controllers that just work out of the box.
Hi. Thanks for sharing this info, which is hard to get in other places. BTW, I found a hidden functionality, which I couldn't find anywhere in the manual or the internet. Do you know what it is?
If I long-press TRACK(sw a) or TRANSPORT(sw b), the LED displays TRKLP and TRNLP, respectively. In this mode, the sw 1 to 6 sends CCs and they display their unique names, like INS 1 to 6, LOOPB, LOOPF, UNDO, COUNT, and OVRDB. Did you know about this? Any way to change their names?
That's new to me. Does it work under all the presets?
@@BrandonShawCleave Yes, it does.
I remember seeing this comment and today I used this feature to midi map in ableton and trigger different audio clips from session view. So far, this is the only way I've found to skip around to whatever clip I want to play without using any additional app or web program. However, I'd love to figure out how to do this in steps using one trigger. If anyone has any ideas, by all means please let me know! @Brandon, this channel is a great resource. Thanks a lot and I hope you're getting donations for your work here.
One thing I forgot to mention is that when midi mapping in ableton, I noticed that this feature only works directly with the pacer when the buttons are lit white, or "activated". Anyone know how to "activate" controls in the presets menu so they can directly be midi-mapped from ableton?
so far watched a lot of videos on footswitches and very little application as far as daw. what about the armless? these computers are biased towards people with arms and fingers.
Hi Brandon - great videos. I'm having trouble using midistroke with 'preset recall' - when i load my preset i want ableton to do a few things (stop playback, delete existing clips and so on). I've told pacer to send a MIDI CC message and assigned the same number message in keystroke but it's not working. Any thoughts?
Hey Adam, Sounds like you have to troubleshoot to see where you problem is. 1. Does the command work ok when you use it from the keyboard? If not, something's happening with the key-assigning. 2. If it works on your keyboard, be sure that MIDIStroke is sending the correct CC command and that it's being prompted to do so by the Pacer (or sending one at all). Check it through a MIDI Monitor: www.snoize.com/MIDIMonitor/. Chances are your snag is at one of those steps.
Please is this foot controller suitable for use on: Revalver, THU, Amplitube, Guitar Rig 6, Bias Fx DAWS?
yes you have to MIDI map it manually
Are you on Catalina? I'm on OSX 10.15.2 and I can't seem to get MIDI STOKE to successfully trigger Ableton even after exactly copying you :/
UPDATE: I granted accessibility to midistroke 2 BETA for Catalina, which I thought would do the trick, but it unfortunately didn't work.
@@griffinkenna3975 You might want to try www.bome.com/products/mtclassic as it's probably been updated already.
Sorry, i don't understand for example how to set the rec function for multiple tracks to a single pedal without activating them all at the same time, it's a CC setting?
I don't think you can do that with the Record button under the Transport preset. The best I know is to write in that little bit of code to Record Arm a track whenever it's selected. I go into that on my webpage sound-economix.com/pacer-ableton/ under the section "Step 3: Record Arm Automatically."
It *should* be possible for the Pacer to send a CC# (say, 27) to Ableton as soon as a Preset (say, A1) is selected. You could then map that CC# on to the Record Arm button for the track you're controlling with that Preset. I have tried that many times and just can't get it to work. In the mean time, what I show in the video lets you arm a track when you proceed to it, and you can use a right arrow to move to the next track.
Pacer doesn't integrate well with Ableton and won't do so fully until they release a patch (or someone writes one). In the mean time I've made some work arounds that do the job adequately (for many needs, anyway).
@@BrandonShawCleave hmmmm...
This is, so far.. the best video on setting up the Pacer, i have found.
I actually discovered your website first.. looking for a pedal with a specific script for Ableton.
Before my Macbook Pro fried.. i was experimenting with that same app : Midi stroke.. because i had bought a MeloAudio foot controller for the iPad, and i was trying to get it to work with Ableton.
Now... on a PC .. and still looking for a proper Midi FOOT controller that will not make me look for workarounds, out the box..... i bumped into your approach.
The Nektar has been on my radar for well over a year.... but i am still not convinced.
I like the hardware, i like the Boss-looper-like switches (that i can press with barefeet) , the number of switches.. the colour options&scheme, and the I/O. The price is not bad either..
Without a Ableton/Logic script though, i am finding it really hard to spend the money.
I am looking into the Blackstar live logic and the Morning Star MC 3/6/8 series pedals.
I also like the DAtaLooper and the Loop4Live pedals (crowd funded) .
I'm a multi-instrumentalist who needs a pedal to navigate Ableton, specially the Session View.. and to quickly record and play different clips, between the various (mainly MIDI instruments/controllers) that i use.
What do you reckon ?
Any suggestions .. as of Nov 2020 ?
How is the Nektar working, for you?
Would you rather have spent more money in sth more solid (easier to work with) ?
Thanks very much for this video.
It actually made me give the Pacer (yet!) another thought..
Cheers from Portugal
@@duarteestelita7257 Nektar works really well with transport controls on Logic after you install their Logic/GarageBand patch. They also have some integration for MainStage. Now that Logic has Live Loops, I've been moving away from Ableton.
These workarounds I've made for Ableton work pretty well, but I don't have a way to select record among the different clips. As it doesn't have a keystroke/MIDI CC, I don't know how it can be done with a Pacer. Maybe something's possible with Live 11. Best I know to do is to have another piece of gear like a Launchpad or tablet to quickly press by hand.
Bome MIDI Translate will do the same job for PCs as MIDI Stroke.
Pacer is a great piece of hardware that can do anything but one important thing with Ableton! ;)
@@BrandonShawCleave
hey ,
Thanks very much, for the feedback ;)
I'm ordering the BlackStar LiveLogic tomorrow, in order to trying it out, instead of questioning myself...over & over.. if u know what i mean.. hehe..
I'll give it a go...and if doesnt do the job, i'll return it.
Having said this.. before i switched to PC & Ableton, i was a long Logic Pro user (since version 7) . Back then i was using Audio instruments, exclusively. Now, I'm almost always using VSTs + MIDI controllers.
I'm probably going back to Logic, as soon as the 2nd gen M1 Macs come out.. but i dont think i'll be totally abandoning Ableton, though. I think it is still superior to anything else i've experienced whenever one wants to perform in real time, with a DAW. It's just that i have been unable to optimize my setup, for it.
i am actually very curious about your feedback on the Logic live loops feature(s). (Do you find it solid enough, already?)
As for the Foot MIDI controller.. for my setup .. it is really mandatory to being able to drive most things from a pedal board.
I am a multi-instrumentalist..with emphasis on Percussion.
i play Mallet Percussion.. .. drums...hand perc , keyboards&Synths all via MIDI controllers, and Guitar & Bass and an EWI (again MIDI and both hands occupied).
I own a Maschine Jam...which is great, as an Ableton controller.. but i really need a foot actuator/interface .
I might consider going with the Nektar.. following your recommendation..... if :
1. i am able to circumvent the "Recording-among-the-different-clips" issue, u mentioned,
with another footswitch.
One i could perhaps plug in to the Nektar..for eg.
2. Are you able to navigate through the various channels and clips with the Nektar, and select any given clip (like a double click in the mouse will) ?
If you can do that.. perhaps.. you (and i) wont need to activate the individual record button for each clip...and instead rely on the Session View Record button (+ overdub) and record clips with that approach .
What do you reckon ?
PS : my other option is going with the MorningStar MC8.... which is almost 400€ :/
It looks very powerful and feat rich, though. Its even got internal clock.
Hi Brandon, thanks for your videos on customizing Nektar Pacer. Good job! I was wondering if you could achieve something like this: ruclips.net/video/OPNKdfVfH4I/видео.html Would this be able to be done with simple programming? Thank you