We’ve been working with good people over at Liine for some controller/app integration, so when I saw this video from Ohm64 user Dudu Aram (aka Ali Disco B) using the Ohm64, Griid, and Live, I had some questions about integration. His mashups look well conceived and his setup is very compact. He’s using the Ohm64 as his customized “instrument”, which is precisely why we created it in the first place. I thought it might be beneficial for me to share our discussion publicly, and turn it into a QA session.

I recently saw your video mashups on the forums using the Ohm64. Looks like you were using Griid, and Live? Can you tell us more about your setup?

Well before that setup I tried a lot of different gear, especially  controllers. I believe i found my favorite setup using a macbook pro running Ableton Live 8 (I like to use only original Live plugins to keep the computer in a good CPU usage), an M-box soundcard using just 2 outputs, and a controller. I love the Livid Ohm64 and the Ipad running Liine Griid. Sometimes i carry a synth with me. The Mopho Keyboard, or for smaller setups, the Korg Monotron.

How do you pick songs for your mashups?

The first thing is i need to enjoy the son. The second thing is a classic song for dancers to understand what a dj can do remixing the tracks live. Sometimes electronic music gets boring for me, and I like to mix it up with Hip-hop, rock’n'roll, pop, disco… and vice-versa. So i decide on tracks and chop only the cool parts that I like. I don’t need to play the full song, just my favorite parts. After that, i analyze the keys using “Mixed in Key” (www.mixedinkey.com).Before using Mixed in Key  i used to find the key with the piano, which is a very slow process. So after choosing, choping  the cool parts, and analyzing the keys, i like to make a very organized session in  Ableton Live. The way I organize the songs it is very helpfull to see the songs on the Ipad running Griid. Sometimes i do need to remaster the pieces i’ve chopped. I like to “equalize” the songs with distortion and use very high compression, this is what makes old songs modern.

How does Griid interact with the Ohm64, or does it at all?

Before working with the Ohm64 i tried TouchOsc with an Ipad, which is really cool for knobs and faders, or note buttons. But when you use  the buttons to play it like a drum machine or an MPC, the Ipad has latency. So, i prefer to use the buttons on the Ohm64 for the drum kits or fx i would  play like a MPC because there’s no latency. Most of the people use those buttons to launch the clips. I like to work  the fx and the percussions, or scratch songs in this space on my Ohm64. I like to launch my clips in Griid so i can read the name of the music I’m lauching. Most of my live  technique takes place on the Ohm64, like live glitches, fx interaction, crossfades, etc… With these two controllers I recreate live remixes and mashups. Both controllers have very cool interactions on the stage. I don’t have  problems with this setup running at the same time. It’s perfect.

What kind of controls are you using the iPad for vs. the Ohm64? How do you find the work flow between the two?

On the Ohm64 i just have controls for mix and fx. I can’t launch clips on the Ohm’s clip bank because i use the buttons for fx and work flow. With the Ohm64 editor i change the 32 central buttons for “Ctl” and the other 32 I still leave in note mode. In Ableton i did my macros with 8 fx chain for channels. So in the buttons 1,2,3,4, 9,10,11,12 (image 1) are the fx chain of my rack in Channel 1. For each of the 4 channels i have one fx chain with 8 fx to push buttons. (Image 2). In that fx chain i just turn on the fx when the button is pressed. When i release the button the fx stops. With this i can make live glitches with a lot of different fx, and play the fxs like  ”percussion”, completely changing the song. The other 32 central buttons i use for samples, which can be drum kits, scratch sounds, or vocal pieces to play and record live loops. In the other side, the Ipad is very helpfull to find the clips I want to build my live mashups. Liine Griid is my sample library, and the Livid Ohm64 in my mixer and fx control.

Where can we see/hear more of your work?

I have this blog about technology, music, video, future, nature… http://alidiscob.com/ and I update it everyday. As Dj producer “Ali Disco B” you can find more things on Itunes, Beatport, and a lot of my tracks can be download for free here in my http://soundcloud.com/alidiscob . Also my Vimeo page http://www.vimeo.com/duduaram is where I upload things I do as Dj and commercially. In my http://www.youtube.com/alidiscob I have my test stuff like my video studies. I’m starting  VJing on the side with my Dj gigs now. So I preparing my live shows using Ableton 8 and Modul8 (www.garagecube.com/modul8/) controlling via Ohm64. In these websites I will upload the stuff I’m producing right now. My page on http://www.facebook.com/duduaram is still pretty new. As you can see i have a life on the web where is easy to find me, so everybody can message me that i will reply.

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interviews by Jay

We recently got an email from user Boaz van den Ban asking if he could use a second Code in his setup that already included an Ohm64 and Code. I was really interested in seeing what his setup looked like and he send me some pictures. It was pretty obvious that he had a very specific vision for his creation and his website is all in Dutch, so I put together a little interview for him to see how he uses it. You can see from the pictures that there is a lot that went into the design and execution of his controller from the case design to the mass amounts of tool in his workshop.

The build quality on your custom creation looks really thought out, can you tell us what exactly you use it for?
The computer is meant for light control via dmx. I use it as a light artist at al kinds of events, mainly parties and club nights. The case design and choice of hardware was made based on the demand for high reliability, small size, and safety in transport and adaptability for different purposes.

What is your background in?
Originally I am a theatre light and scenery technician. A few years ago a friend of mine ask me if I was interested in helping him with lights at a party. One thing led to an other. Now I run a small company which organizes lights and decorations for interesting and challenging events. I design, build and operate the sets.

Why did you decide to put it into one case?
The fact that my setup is prefab in the case saves me time, inside are more than fifteen connections and eleven devices. It makes a more complex setup possible. The case protects the valuable gear and is great in transport together with my lights which are also in flight cases.

It looks like a totally custom build, did you do all the work yourself?
Yes, I made the entire case. I did use some standard issue elements like the connector panel on the back. And in the non visible division, I had help with a max patch on the mac inside.

Why did you choose the Ohm64 and Code?
This is not the first custom light controller I’ve build. Before I used a kaos pad and a separate faderbank from different brands. The ohm64 gave me the possibility to put the two machines into one and the build quality is significantly better. The merge saves me space and makes changing of the controllers more intuitive. And off course it looks much better. The code gives me a lot of extra control. I use it as an auxiliary fader bank and to control an audio filter patch to isolate sounds in the spectrum to control chases.

I usually find after I am done building anything, I want to make revisions and create version 2. Is there anything you’d like to add or change in this unit?
This is version 2! Off course there are always more dreams. In the future I would like to add a second code controller so I don’t have to switch between the aux faders and the sound module during an event. Also I would use it to have direct control over as much dmx as possible for programming purposes. Furthermore I would like to ad an Ipad as a remote.

Where can we see you using it?
My next gig is dnb rave the 21st may in Amsterdam. In may and June there are some festivals and in July I go to Berlin for a three day gig in a big club. Keep track on my website:www.boazconstructies.nl, soon also available in english.

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interviews by Jay

Our favorite minimal techno group from Germany, the Naked Pilotz just released their Native Instruments Traktor template to share with the rest of the naked (and or clothed) world. The Naked Pilotz have been using the Ohm64 almost from its inception, and I first heard of them from their very incriminating facebook photos where I think an Ohm or two may have been taken advantage of. Their name isn’t schtick either, they are the real deal. I first saw them in this youtube video, playing “industrial” techno music in this video, and I have been watching them ever since. Aside from their fantastic photoshoots and word play, they have spent a lot of time working on their “perfect tsi file” for Traktor Pro and want to share it their work with the community. They have documented it with this overlay file, with all of the assignments from their template. You can download their template here. The boys also have also printed an overlay, which hopefully we will be able to share as well.

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news by Jay

Renoise is a tracker based software application for music production that is completely different then anything else out there. We have seen some great videos by Ohm64 user Hitori Tori for quite a while now (which I am personally a big fan of). Hitori Tori is really using the controller as an instrument here…

Ok, back to Renoise. With their new version the so-called “Renoise Geek Edition”, they have introduced templates including support for the Ohm64. There are a lot of great things you can do with this version as they have released an open API hence the Geek naming, so really the sky is the limit. So what does this mean for Ohm users? Well first of all it contains native support for the Ohm64 by way of a template so if you don’t care about hacking it for your own coding purposes and just want to create music, the template makes it totally plug and play. If you are the type that like to hack, well the scripting lets you create things with renoise that it doesn’t even do yet. Our friends over at Create Digital Music did a comprehensive post on the details, so I’ll leave the reporting to them. I encourage Ohm64 and block users to visit renoise.com and try it for yourself.

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news by Jay

After almost a year scratchworx.com finally gave us a review and some awesome pictures of the Ohm64. While this was the first generation Ohm64 (powder coated not anodized faceplate, no countersunk screws, and numbered buttons) the review is good and the pictures are awesome.

“If you want a workhorse, something designed for a single job, such as an Ableton Live or Logic or Traktor controller, there are plenty of other things on the market. If, however, you find yourself and your creative urges heavily influenced by all that surrounds you and get inspiration from the rewards proffered from not only personalising and customising things until they’re uniquely yours, but, admittedly, overcoming the shortcomings of a device and truly learning your equipment, I cannot recommend the Ohm64 highly enough.”

You can read the full review here.

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reviews by Jay