little-scale: iPad as Ableton MIDI Controller with Polyphonic Pitch Bend and Modulation

Overview
This is a Max for Live device that uses Mira so that an iPad is used as a MIDI controller for Ableton Live.

This supports pitch bend and modulation for each finger independently, as well as note on / off events with velocity control.

Download here: http://milkcrate.com.au/_other/downloads/M4L/little-scale.Mira.TouchNotes.amxd

Basic Use
Basic use includes:
• The X-axis represents pitch
• The Y-axis represents velocity
• Touch to play a note, release to stop playing a note
• Up to 8 notes can be played at once
• The octave dial sets the range in octaves of the X-axis
• The offset dial sets the pitch offset, and represents the lowest note of the X-axis

Basic setup:
• Use a MIDI track with an Instrument on it
• Add the little-scale.Mira.TouchNotes device before the instrument
• Make sure that the computer and the iPad are on the same network
• Alternatively, connect the computer to the iPad via a USB cable
• Launch Mira, and select the computer under the Max Server settings
• The Mira Frame will load
• Below is a basic setup video

Download an example session for the basic setup here: http://milkcrate.com.au/_other/downloads/M4L/Mira%20TouchNotes%20Basic.alp.zip

Advanced

Advanced use includes:
• All of the basic use features, plus
• Pitch bend is sent for every finger as a horizontal delta value. Each finger is independent.
• The starting point of a touch represents a pitch bend of zero. Moving left and right will increase / decrease the pitch bend
• Modulation control is sent for every finger as a vertical delta value. Each finger is independent.
• The starting point of a touch represents a pitch bend of zero. Moving up or down away from the initial touch point will increase the modulation amount. Moving up or down back towards the initial touch point will decrease the modulation amount.

Advanced setup:
• As pitch bend and modulation data is normally on a per-channel basis (as opposed to a per-note basis), setup is more complicated
• Add the little-scale.Mira.TouchNotes device to a blank MID track. Set Send Via PathMIDI to On.
• Make sure that the computer and the iPad are on the same network
• Alternatively, connect the computer to the iPad via a USB cable
• Launch Mira, and select the computer under the Max Server settings
• The Mira Frame will load
• Create a second MIDI track, and add a Instrument Rack
• Populate the Instrument Rack with a synth or sampler
• Place a PathMIDI.receive device before the synth or sampler. Set the MIDI from Menu to PathMIDI1
• Map any macro controls that require mapping, if necessary
• Duplicate the Instrument Rack chain, so that there is one instance of the synth or sampler as well as one instance of the PathMIDI.receive device per finger / note to be played
• Set the MIDI from menu for Instrument Rack chains 2 - 8 to PathMIDI 2 - PathMIDI 8.
• Each finger will now have an independent synth with the same settings and independent pitch bend and modulation control settings