We’ve seen a lot of iterations with mixing realtime audio and visuals in the past ten years. Our controllers for one are built as generic  ”instruments” for media mixing, and there are many different uses from Live to Resolume. The marriage of visualist and musician in one software package (or one person) hasn’t really materialized on a large scale yet. Up to this point our own VJ software Cell and Cell DNA work well with our controllers and Live, but we wanted to take it a step further and make them work well in Live.

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news by Jay

Part of our mission is to create “living controllers.” What this means is that over the course of what is hopefully a long relationship with your Livid controller, we will consitently provide new ideas, new capabilities, and new ways of being creative. While the industry at large focuses on single purpose and disposability, we think you deserve better.

The Code controller has a bootloader in it, which means you can update the firmware over USB. The firmware is also open source, so if you know how to program a PIC chip, you can alter the source, and update it yourself. But we have our own ideas, and want to incorporate some of the suggestions we’ve gotten over the past 6 months, so we’ve made an update for everyone.

With that in mind, we have a new firmware for the Code controller that adds some cool new features that we think you’ll like.

• Dual Speed Encoders: You can set 2 different speeds for encoders, where this shifted speed is accessed by assigning one of the buttons on the Code controller as the speed shifter. Any button can act as the speed shift, and a convenient macro is in the Encode panel in the CodeEditor to set the Logo button as the speed shift.
• Prettier Lights: LED rings have the options of working as “walk” or “fill” mode. The “walk” mode (default) illuminates only one or two leds to indicate value. The “fill” mode will illuminate all LEDs that precede the current value, eventually lighting all LEDs at the maximum value.
• More pretty lights: The LEDs for the button LEDs have 3 modes for illumination controlled by velocity values.  1-31: LED Blink, 032-063: LED Blink Fast, 064-127: LED On. Velocity 0, of course, turns it off.
• Roll Your Own: Sysex command for independent control of all LEDs in the encoder LED rings. This is a feature that will be enjoyed mostly by programmers and those writing custom software.
• Local Control for Encoder rings lets you take over the LED rings with your own illumination designs.
• Relative mode (inc/dec) has been changed to better integrate with Ableton Live and Native Instruments Traktor.
• Feedback Friendly: The encoders work better with Traktor.
• A new CodeEditor software gives you access to all these new features in the Inspector and the new Encode panel. See the wiki manual for more information http://wiki.lividinstruments.com/wiki/Ohm64_Editor
• Complete technical details of implementation can be found here http://wiki.lividinstruments.com/wiki/Code#Code_Sysex

So how do you get this? First, you have to have a Windows, Intel Mac OSX.5+, or Linux computer. You can download the update zip from our downloads page, then follow the simple instructions in the ReadMe. Here’s a video that show how it’s done:

Now that we’ve made it seem so simple, there’s some things you should know. If you DON’T follow instructions, or lose power during the few seconds this process takes,  you’ll brick your Code, and have to send it into us to re-flash the firmware and bootloader (or find someone with a PICKIT2 programmer, take apart the Code, find the programming pins, and DIY!). We don’t want to do that, and you probably don’t want to lose your Code for the several days it has to travel to Austin, Texas.

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news by Peter

Our friends over at Liine, makers of touch apps for Ableton Live, just released their latest app Kapture Pad. Kapture Pad extends Ableton Live by allowing you to take snapshots of all mixer and device parameters in your set and recall them instantly. The inclusion of snapshot morphing makes Kapture Pad not only an indispensable live performance utility but also a mindbending sound design tool.

How can it be used with Code?

- Be more daring: In the Global Snapshots video you can how Kapture Pad can allow you to be bolder in your live performance with Code. “Perfect settings” of devices controlled by Code can be Kaptured. You can then let loose with Code and try things that you normally wouldn’t risk in a show – knowing that one tap on Kapture Pad is all it takes to jump right to that perfect groove. Of course, Code will track these parameter jumps perfectly! Video example.

- Performance and sound design: Use Code and Kapture Pad in partnership and get acquainted with morphing. Jam with Code and Kapture a killer sound in one corner of Kapture Pad’s Morph Pad. Twist Code’s encoders into 3 more wildly different sounds, Kapturing each in one of the other corners. Then discover new sounds by morphing smoothly between them with Kapture Pad. Video example.

- For other use cases see liine.net

Liine are a group of people passionate about music and technology. They are responsible for creating professional Ableton Live controllers for iPad and iPhone such as Griid Pro and Kapture Pad (as well as the Remiix series of interactive records). Liine are passionate about the possibilities offered by touch technology, but also have a deep understanding of why tactile, hardware control is of utmost importance to many musicians. They aim to develop touch tools which interact with and complement hardware solutions. Kapture Pad and Code is a great example.

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news by Jay

This week is SXSW week in Austin,TX. It is the time of the year when the music world converges on our little city. Every year we seem to get pulled into demos, speaking engagements, parties, events, or showcases. This year is no different. The company has several events and all of our guys have multiple events going on. 

I thought it would be fitting to do a limited Texas edition controller set. The wood choice for maximum Texas flavor? Mesquite of course. Although Ryan Anderson (the head of our circuit board department), insisted that the state tree of Texas is a Pecan, nothing says Texas like Mesquite.

 

Mesquite is an extremely hardy tree that grows in the arid parts of Texas where not too many other trees will. In fact, it grows so well that ranchers consider it a nuisance. Also called “Texas iron wood,” it is hard and very dimensionally stable. In the dry west Texas climate with poor soil quality, mesquite trees usually mature as a large shrub so the supply of lumber is plentiful with very small pieces that have plenty of “character”.

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news by Travis

The South By Southwest Festival, (a.k.a  SXSW ) is a busy time here in Austin, Texas. If you haven’t been to it, it consists of a week of live music, film, and interactive (though the live music part is really the main attraction). Over 2000 bands play in six days in Austin, which is part of the reason we have the moniker “Live Music Capital of the World”. It’s not just bands either, we have DJs, electronic acts, and producers playing all over town.

This year for SXSW we are participating in a bunch of events around town, and have even made a limited Texas Mesquite model controller available until the the festival is over.

First we have teamed up with SwitchedON, Austin’s own vintage synth shop for a “Local Electronic Instruments Manufactures Meet and Greet” where our friend and Create Digital Music Editor Peter Kirn will be speaking. This is taking place at the Victory Grill across the street from SwitchedOn in downtown Austin. There will be a bunch of interesting makers and musicians there, plus I hear rumors of jello shots, so stop on by and say hi! If you can’t make it at least be sure to check out SwitchedON, they have amazing stuff and are a great bunch of people.

Wed. March 16th
4-7PMVictory Gril
l1104 E. 11th St.
Facebook Event Page

Next we are going to be demoing, performing, and probably drinking many Lone Star at the Bwomp x Glitch.FM Showcase on the 17th. This event is presented by Dubspot, Propellerheads, Native Instruments, and Ableton.  The evening features performances by Ill Gates, Mochipet, and many more. There will also be a bunch of giveaways including a controller or two from us, and a workshop by DJNSM from the Ableton Colorado crew. We be demoing Max4 Live, Traktor, Reason, Live, Arkaos, and Cell DNA with all of our controllers.

Thurs. March 17
1PM – 7PM
Deseo Centro Lounge
219 Congress Ave.
Facebook Event Page

If you are in town and can’t make it to either event, you can always drop us a line and maybe get a tour of our shop.

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news by Jay