Multi-Project mode - A quest to keep 50+ .als song project files all "the same"

General
1

The following question is really more of an Ableton question, but has direct influence on how to approach maintaining 50+ .als files, all called and controlled by Ableset’s Multi-Project mode.

First off, I hope it is safe to say, we all prefer to minimize background “maintenance” tasks as much as possible. And, “if one is to maintain 50+ project files, keeping them all designed and functioning the same, and all called by AS Multi-Project”, it is essential to keep all projects using the same format.

So for this discussion, let’s say all 50+ projects would use the same “x” dummy clip.

And since CHANGE always occurs, it is not fun, nor risk-free, to open 50+ project files to tweek all of them, every time there is a small change to “x” dummy clip.

To this end, I want “x” dummy clip, in all 50+ project files, to reflect my most current update of the clip. So I thought, “I will use dummy clips only located in the User Library, right?” Well, NO. The use of User Library dummy clips works, until the NEXT change or refinement is necessary to “x” Dummy Clip (which has already been loaded into 50+ projects).

(do you see where I am going with this?)

I was hoping that, the moment I SAVED an edit to “x” dummy clip in the User Lib (and Ableton’s browser warns, “I am about to overwrite an existing clip with the same name”), that I could overwrite the clip, and any time I would go to any of the 50+ projects, that BOOM, the newly saved parameter in the updated “x” dummy clip would be reflected (eliminating the not-fun task of opening all 50+ projects to re-performing the manual update).

So I found out, of course, this is not how clips (or anything) in the User Library work.

At this point, I am hesitating to use the Multi-Project AS mode until I have more tools/tricks in my Ableton bag. What I am looking for in Ableton, is, essentially, the equivalent of a truly “global library” of “objects” (clips, presets, etc etc), and these “global” dummy clips are not actually stored in the .als project, rather, every time a project is opened, the most updated current global “object” is “called” or “referenced”…and the most current, saved, parameters are used (making maintenance and upkeep far far easier).

I am probably not explaining this very well. But if you have read this far, thank you.

Thoughts? Guidance? Have I missed a hugely obvious solution? Do I have to become a python or M4L programmer?

(hope it is ok to post this in this General Ableset forum…maybe it will help me, and others, to flush this out).

all the best
nw

2

Hey @nevillewhitemusic,

This is a good point, and I’m not sure how to approach this best, other than opening each project file and making the change, unfortunately.

Do you have a few examples of cases where you’d need to make a change to the structure of all project files, and what changes you’d need to make? That might help to find a solution :slight_smile:

I’m looking forward to your reply!

3

Well, let me float 2 possible Use Cases.

1> Maybe in every project I am using a dummy clip that sends “x” MIDI note (via IAC buss or LooperBe1) to accomplish some Ableton task during performance. But then, due to new equipment a change is needed to “z” MIDI note (perhaps now the new MIDI controller, or a new outboard guitar pedal with MIDI, has a conflict with “x” note).

  1. Another possible Use Case is “Global Instrument Racks”. Clearly, we are always!!! tweaking racks.

Envisioned CHANGE Existing Object Solution: Instead of changing all 50+ projects, the user simply opens one of the projects with the “global” dummy clip (or Global Instrument Rack), edits the “global” object (perhaps it visually looks different than other Objects, it immediately shouts “I am Global”), the object is saved with the same name (and Ableton warns the user that they are about to change a “global” object), and boom, in the future, 50 projects will now behave differently when they are opened.

Envisioned CREATE NEW Global Object Solution: How does a “global” object get created? Well the same way any object gets created, but the user could optionally toggle a “global” flag in its properties (or perhaps the act of dragging the object to a “Global” User Library folder would flag it “global”, and immediately change its appearance).

Envisioned STARTING a New Project Solution: So when creating a new project, a user would (like today) drag objects from the regular User Library, but also have the option to drag objects from the “Global” User Library folder.

So, I am no architect, and if I were to guess, this “global” functionality seems like something that starts down in the bones of Ableton source code. From a distance, right now I see a current parallel design in Ableton…Project .WAV files (stored in the project “Samples” folder) are loaded from disk into project memory every time a project is opened, thus, maybe Ableton would someday create a User Library “Global” folder, and anything (dummy clips, instrument racks, etc) in that folder would behave like the above Use Cases.

Well, I know this is wishful…and… it never hurts to ask.

thanks as always
nw

4

That would indeed be a useful feature! Maybe you can reach out to Ableton to request this :slight_smile:

In the meantime, for the first use case, I could imagine a workaround using a tool like MIDI Translator Pro which would allow you to receive MIDI from Live and translate it to the appropriate MIDI for your gear.

Let me know what you think!

5

Re BOME Midi Translator Pro, yet, that would de-couple things…make MIDI decisions less hard-wired across 50+ projects. That is helpful architecture.

Re: requesting Ableton to add this functionality to a feature request list, I will do that.

And, I also wonder if you, as an established owner of a key Ableton Plugin, used by key performers, also has connections, which may also get such a request on their radar. …just an idea.

thanks for everything,
nw

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