How do I set up guitar/effects pedals in Ableton to use for production?
hey guys,
I’m interested in buying a few cheap effects/guitar pedals to use for my productions - I don’t care if they’re shitty/poor quality, I want to use them to mash up my drum and synth loops into long audio strips to later cut up and use etc (e.g Glimpse’s style, should anyone have watched any videos of him showing his techniques).
So what I need to know, is how to set up a guitar pedal so that I can record FROM Ableton, through the pedal and back into Ableton, and how I would connect this through my audio interface?
oops - and if I had two, it would be interface plugged in - via usb - to my computer, then the interface to my monitors, then how would the connection work between the interface and pedals?
You;'d go from one pair of outputs on the card to your monitors like normal. Then you’d connect another stereo out from the card, to the stereo inputs on the pedal, from the pedal outputs you would go back to the soundcard inputs. In Live, you could just set a track to output to the same audio output that is feeding the pedal, and to get audio back from the inputs connected to the pedal as well.
Now you could send any track in Live to this special audio track, effectively turning it into a send feeding the pedals.
Ah, so I could effectively have just one audio channel set up routed through the pedal(s), use that track for the warping, use of the pedal effects, then simply drag the complete audio from that to a separate audio track and just leave that to be the permanent pedal channel? I don’t know why this is so hard for me to visualise, I’ve been working on music for a while now, embarrassing how this concept has had me so confused ha!
Instead of creating a sending to say a reverb channel in Live, you’re effectively doing the same thing just feeding an external audio effect. Actually, I just realized I’m doing it old school. Live has an External Audio Effect that you can use for this too. Basically you wire everything up the same way, but use the device to access the pedals like any other audio effect. The manual for that device covers it better than I could.
Some pedals are unique sounding though, just like some VSTs are. My Tera Echo or Strymon Timeline do things no other delay effect plug in I know does for instance.
For normal delay duties though, I’d be inclined to agree with you, it’s WAY easier with plug ins.
Oh yeah this is true, I was just looking for the hands on ability of the pedals, just a thought anyway, I think I’m really going to just use VSTs and a Novation Launchcontrol instead
See I feel like I want to get to a point where I never have to buy another sample pack/loop pack (I know no-one HAS to get a sample pack etc), but I want to be able to create twisted, weird loops from just simple drums lines run through a series of pedals, then just chop up the mangled mess for a totally unique, textured sound!
Well, if it makes you feel any better, if you go the guitar pedal route you definitely won’t be buying another sample pack. Instead you’ll be spending all your money on yet another new guitar pedal.
They’re more addicting than crack, right up there with modular synth parts I’m told Don’t think going hardware will cure you of GAS, it just makes the GAS more expensive. Fun though!
I can already see this! I don’t even have the audio interface capable, but I’m already looking at them on ebay - they look so cool, would love a set of them infront of my computer!
Just using mine today the same way you’re describing ironically!