Custom Ableton Live Remote SL MK II RemoteScripts
I have put together some Ableton Live RemoteScripts for the Novation Remote SL MK II using the Ableton Live Framework. This changes some of the functionality to work better for my Live PA setup and also enables using the RemoteSL as a Max For Live control surface, which opens possibilities for it to have custom devices
made for it.
The changes from the scripts that ship with Ableton and these is the top row now control “Track Select” rather than reset Device Parameters and I changed the Record Arm buttons to Track Solo buttons.
Currently missing are transport controls and scene select and launch controls. I do not use them because I have a Launchpad and those can be manually midi map-able so if you need those you can map them.
These are still very basic, I will add features as needed in my Live setup and will update this page.
INTRODUCTION
This set of Python MIDI remote scripts provides custom automapping for the Remote SL MKII, and changes some of the functions. It uses the Ableton Framework which will provide for adding more functionality in the future with updates to the scripts and Max For Live devices. It is compatible with Ableton Live 8, version 8.2.2, on PC or Mac.
To install, simply copy the RemoteSL_20 folder into Ableton’s MIDI Remote Scripts directory:
Mac OS X: /Applications/Live 8.x OS X/Live.app/Contents/App-Resources/MIDI Remote Scripts/RemoteSL_20
PC: C:\Program Files\Ableton\Live 8.x\Resources\MIDI Remote Scripts\RemoteSL_20
After installing, turn on the Remote SL, start Live, and then select RemoteSL_20 from the MIDI Preferences dialog drop-down menu.
Thanks to Hanz Petrov for his amazing work documenting the Ableton Live Framework and his tutorials on getting started scripting for Live. Check out his scripts and documentation at remotescripts.blogspot.com.
Thanks for trying these scripts out and feel free to suggest new features or fixes.
Thanks,
Chris
If you appreciate the time and effort put into these scripts, feel free to donate so that I can continue to work on similar projects! Thanks!
Hi there, great work, would there be any possible chance you could edit a super simple script for the SL mk2 that just uses the 8 rotary led knobs for macros and leaves out all other parameters (just leaving them as bog standard assignable ccs) but will also update the names for the macros in the led display? Id like to leave all the other buttons basic cc. (A major annoyance is that the default ableton script doesnt allow you to create it as a “page”, it doesnt leave a single button free for a page change to another template – Id love the default script on one page and just midi assignable buttons on another but this isnt possible.)
Hi Joe,
Thanks for your comment!
I’ll see if I can put together a kinda “Device Control Only” script for the SL MK2 sometime soon.
That would be amazing if you could. Really appreciate it!
+1 on the only 8 rotaries and all the rest free for cc …
I’m gonna try to get this done next week and I will post it on my new site: http://www.midicontrolfreaks.com.
Thanks,
Chris
Really looking forward to this – its so simple an idea I wonder why Novation didnt try it.
But if youre able to do this Id be really grateful.
Really cant wait! Seems like such a strange/obvious thing for novation not to implement themselves. It seriously would be amazing if you could do this. Even though its (what seems like) a simple functionality mod, it both simplifies and opens up the possibilities of the SL MK2. On the most basic level – You can then shift through pages of SL custom presets with the included 8 x macro/map functionality plus a large amount of standard midi asignable controls. Thanks Chris.
All done! Check them out!
http://midicontrolfreaks.com/2012/04/requests-basic-mappings-for-remote-sl-mkii/
I left the sliders mapped to the mixer just because of the way the displays work, it makes more sense. If you still want to remove that mapping so you can custom map them, you could just comment out Line 61 “self._setup_mixer_control()” by placing “#” before it.
Thanks Chris for your help – really appreciate it – theres just one small problem with the layout – its missing a function I really wanted – The P1 up and down controls are still assigned to “device page up and down”. Thats part of the problem and the reason I dont like the ableton template. If it was possible to change these to “sl template up and down” (as they are in the basic midi assignable templates) this means I can page through different templates with macros enabled. (which you cant do with the device pg up/down where they are). If u could give me a tip to change them myself even – Id give it my best shot! Thanks again!
That would require editing the Ableton template in the Remote SL which I would rather not do because that would make it not backwards compatible with the original Ableton scripts. What I would recommend doing is setting up some user templates in Automap and use the “User” button to switch to those templates and the automap button to switch back. I haven’t done a lot of testing of going back and forth in automap, but it worked everytime I tried it.
Thanks,
Chris
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Looks very promising, thanks for all the work you put into this. It’s a shame that the track select functionality is missing from the built-in script.
I’ve been testing this a bit with a Remote 61SL MK I and Live 8.2.5, and discovered a bug: the device parameter rotaries seem to get “stuck” on the device I first controlled with them. The display is updated with the parameters of the newly selected device (Auto Filter), but the rotaries still control the first device (Compressor). Does this also happen on MK II controllers or is this MK I specific?
Also, it would be nice to be able to navigate across devices on the same track using two buttons on the controller. Any plans to implement that?
Hey Zolt,
I am not sure why you are having that problem with the rotaries, I’ll have to play around with it but I don’t have a MK I to test with.
I think I will be adding a Prev/Next Device control in the next iteration. Right now I am finishing up my album project and once that is done, I will be building a new Live PA set so I’m sure I’ll be tweaking the scripts a bit for that.
I’ll post any updates I make.
This is truly amazing work, I can’t tell you how happy I am to have found this. I’m astounded you have got the LEDs to work as well… effin genius!
The fact that I can call the lock to device function from M4L is brilliant, It’s what I really found lacking in the original remote script.
Can’t thank you enough!
Thanks so much! Please let me know how you end up using it with Max For Live…
precision: i want use your script on an other SLMKll’s template
Ah yeah, that’s the beauty of using remote scripts over manual mappings, the remote scripts only apply to the device you select in the MIDI Preferences drop downs so you shouldn’t need to change the channel. But if you do, you should be able to by changing that SL_MIDI_CHANNEL
Nice !!
do you think it’s possible to change the channel of you script to we can use both script (Novation’s and your’s) ?
thanks for your job !!
I’m not quite sure what you’re trying to do to run both scripts at the same time but if you want to you can change the Channel by changing :
In consts.py:
SL_MIDI_CHANNEL = 0
Awesome mod, thank you!
By the way, where did you find the Live 8 decompiled python scripts for the SL Mk II? On http://remotescripts.blogspot.com/p/support-files.html there are only the Live 7.0.18 scripts.
Also, do you know how to control the LED of the dials and backlit buttons of the SL Mk II? And send messages to the LED display?
Thanks again for you work!
Hey Mime,
Thanks for the comment! I actually created the Live 8 scripts myself using some of the Live 8 scripts for the other controllers on remotescripts.blogspot.com. The LED of the dials are controlled in the RingedEncoderElement.py file and the LED display is controlled by the PhysicalDisplayElement and LogicalDisplayElements. I created the “FixedPhysicalDisplayElement” and “FixedLogicalDisplayElement” objects to deal with some of the limitations of the RemoteSL display.
Okay, it makes sense considering the mod is missing transport and scene controls. I will look at the cited python file, thanks!
Best regards