Chromaplane For Live

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Chromaplane For Live 〰️

Chromaplane for Live is a Max for Live device that you can use to control external synthesizers and Ableton instruments using the Chromaplane.

It is an device that converts audio from the Chromaplane's pickups into a duophonic digital synth voice. It can also route a MIDI translation of the detected pitches to your MIDI tracks in live.

Getting Started

You’ll need the following to make use of the device:

  • Your Chromaplane

  • Two pickups

  • An audio interface/sound card

  • A computer

  • Ableton Live Suite version 11+

Basic Setup

Diagram of a Chromaplane connected to a sound card and computer, featuring two pickups, labeled inputs, and outputs, with an arrow pointing to the computer.
Music production software interface with a dropdown menu showing options 1, 1/2, and 2, and a soft synthesizer panel labeled 'Chromaplane for Live' with controls for tracking, synthesis, output, and MIDI.

Connect two pickups to two inputs on your interface.

  1. Make a new audio track in Ableton and place the Chromaplane for Live device on that track

  2. Select the two pickup inputs as a stereo input for that track

  3. Playing with the pickups on the Chromaplane should now trigger the internal digital synth voice of the device. Playing with both the input gain on the interface and the threshold parameter on the device will change the sensitivity of the pitch tracking.

MIDI Routing

Screenshot of a digital audio workstation interface, showing two tracks with controls for volume, panning, and effects. The lower section displays a plugin window labeled 'Chromaplane for Live' with options for output, tracking, and modulation settings.
A person's hand playing the Chromaplane with two electromagnetic pickups, with a digital music synthesizer interface displayed above showing controls and parameters for sound synthesis.
Screenshot of a digital music production software interface, showing drum machine controls, labeled 'Pickup Inputs' with '2 Wavetable' highlighted, and a wave table synthesizer with waveform and filter settings.

  1. Make a new MIDI track in Ableton and place a MIDI Instrument there

  2. Select that MIDI track in the MIDI dropdown section of the Chromaplane for Live device

  3. Set the MIDI track to “In” or “Auto” (with recording armed)

  4. Select “No Input” for the MIDI track’s input to avoid routing conflicts

  5. You should notice the MIDI instrument reacting to the pitch tracking of the Chromaplane for Live device (note: you may not see the MIDI data being transmitted, even if the device is working correctly.)

  6. In addition to sending the amplitude envelope of the pickups as two assignable MIDI CC messages, you can also send note pressure by toggling the after touch button. This can provide polyphonic envelope adjustment for each triggered note, so it’s best when used with devices that offer note pressure assignment, like Wavetable shown below.

Screenshot of a digital audio synthesizer interface with controls for waveform, modulation, and sound parameters.

Chromaplane Send/Return

You can also choose to reroute the Max for Live device’s output back through the Chromaplane to make use of its built-in filter and delay, which can help further meld the original instrument’s sound with the processed sounds of the Max for Live device. You’ll need an interface with at least 3 inputs and 3 outputs to achieve this. Because the pickup inputs on the Chromaplane have their gain preset for the pickups, you’ll need to reduce the output level of the send output in Ableton to avoid clipping.

Diagram of a chromaplane musical device showing input and output connections, pickups, and interface to a computer.
Screenshot of a music production software interface, specifically Ableton Live, with various tracks, controls, and an effects device panel labeled 'Chromaplane for Live' at the bottom.

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