Using ControlRoom VR with Ableton Live

Owned by Ryan Gilligan
Last updated: Feb 12, 2020
7 min read

 

This page covers using ControlRoom VR with Ableton Live.

 

 

 

 

This guide assumes that you have already:

If you have not completed the above steps, please visit the ControlRoom Setup Overview

 

Overview

 

ControlRoom VR connects simultaneously with Ableton Live in 3 ways:

  1. Native Control Surface (VR Console for Ableton’s built-in mixer)

  2. General MIDI Device (Map VR MIDI tools to anything in Ableton)

  3. Direct Connection to ControlRoom AU/VST3 Plugins (Spatial Mixer, Plugin Tablet, Spectralyzer)

 

Detailed Setup Instructions

Please note, ControlRoom Hub must be running to maintain the connection with Ableton Live. It can be minimized, but not closed.

Use the VR Console to control the Ableton mixer

The VR console in ControlRoom is your home base for interacting with your Ableton session. It provides access to Ableton’s built in Volume, Pan, Solo, Mute, and Sends. You can navigate through the tracks in your session using the Nudge and Bank buttons, and control the main functions of the Ableton transport. You’ll also find basic Play and Stop transport control on top of your left wrist!

In VR, press the menu button on your left controller to bring up the menu, then select the Tools page, and turn on the Console.

By using the various sections of the console, you can control Ableton’s built in mixer. Functions outlined below:

Ableton Parameter

Console Control

Ableton Parameter

Console Control

Volume

Large Fader

Pan

Pan Knob

Solo

S button

Mute

M button

Sends

Select Channel Mode A-E for sends 1-5. This will switch each track’s large fader to control the send level.

(Select Vol to return to normal console mode.)

Master Volume

Master fader at the far right side of the Console

Transport

Transport section at the front of the console.

Play and Stop can also be controlled at any time using the large transport button on your left wrist

FF and RW will jump between Ableton marker points

Record will start recording. (if automation record is turned on in Ableton, any control movements will write automation in Ableton)

Spatial Mixer and Plugin Tablet

Every instance of the ControlRoom Channel AU/VST3 plugin can be controlled from VR with the Spatial Mixer and Plugin Tablet. This provides powerful control over the plugin from within VR, including the Compressor, EQ, Spatial Panner, and output level.

The ControlRoom Channel and Master plugins are available for purchase from persp3ctive.com

 

 

Once you have launched your DAW and opened a session file, you’ll need to add an instance of ControlRoom Channel to any and every track that you’d like to control with the Spatial Mixer or Plugin Tablet. We recommend adding it as the last insert in your plugin chain, so that parameter changes in ControlRoom Channel will not affect any processing coming afterwards.

 

Insert only one instance of ControlRoom Master onto your Master track in Ableton. The master volume will be controllable via the Master Fader on the VR Console.

 

  • In VR, press the menu button on your left controller to bring up the menu, then select the Tools page, and turn on the Spatial Mixer.

  • Press the menu button at the lower right of the Spatial Mixer, then toggle on any tracks you’d like to control with the Spatial Mixer. Close this menu when you are finished, and return back to it any time you’d like to display different tracks.

  • Move each track sphere up/down for volume, left/right for panning, and front/back for Proximity.

Map ControlRoom Midi Tools to any parameter in Ableton

There are numerous tools in ControlRoom that can be mapped to control any parameter in Ableton, including your favorite third party plugins. Follow the steps below for an example of how to map the FX Cube to a few plugin parameters in Ableton.

TL;DR

  1. Ensure you have completed all the steps in the setup process

  2. Use the VR Console to control Ableton’s built-in mixer

  3. Use the VR Spatial Mixer to control the Channel and Master AU/VST3 plugins

  4. Use the Hub to manually map MIDI tools to control anything in Ableton