Hey Low Heat! Been using your original SP404 Ableton rack for a few years now, love your plugins! I just now stumbled upon your RU-vid channel and it's great to know you make other content. Keep up the good work and stay safe!
Hiiii Man Thanks for the great video ! But I have a problem, I still have feedback when doing all the steps correctly. I have a sp404 mkII , focusrite clarett 4pre, and Ableton Live suite
Hey, sorry to hear that. If you did everything correctly, it's probably the routing in your audio interface's internal mixer that's causing this problem. Unfortunately I don't have a Focusrite interface, so i can't help with that.
I also cannot get this to work. MacOS, Ableton 1.13.x, firmware is v3.x, input bus is 1 (neither 1 or 2 work). Enabling/disabling Ext Source makes no difference, it's as if whatever I do it just bypasses all the internal FX and mixes straight out :( I'm thinking of doing a whole factory reset because I must have changed some setting somewhere. So frustrating, lol. Edit: I did a factory reset - then noticed I had Ableton Master Out set to 3&4 which appears to be the line out from the SP, not the mix out (which has the fx busses). Lol. Pretty sure I tried this before the factory reset, but now I am happy! cc. @interpol8994
I'm using my sp as an audio interface, how do you increase the input gain when recording an FX performance? I'm doing the same thing you're doing at 2:33 but the audio it records is very quiet.
Go to Utility - System - Gain and try changing some of the settings. Maybe setting USB out to 0db will help? I can’t say for sure as I haven’t changed any of these settings in a while but try it and let me know.
@@LowHeatBeatsI’m not convinced that after you recorded it that the clip you recorded played with the effects on it by itself. It also looks like a lot of things weren’t explained in detail or a few steps were skipped like the input/output wiring while using usb mode.
@@TheVinylVillains Did you try it though? It only takes 1-2 mins to try it and see for yourself, it's really simple to set up. But yeah, I rewatched the vid and I don't think anything was skipped and I didn't miss any steps - I did show how to create and audio track in Live and set up the inputs, as well as the audio input and output device in Preferences. As for not being convinced about the clip having the effects recorded - you can see that the waveform changes as I apply the effects and I didn't play it back, because I didn't want to make the video too long.
hey man thanks for this tutorial! Great work. Question which is slightly offtopic but perhaps you can help out: When playing sounds through the 404 via an audiointerface & speakers, I have quite a big input delay (when tapping pads on the 404 i get slow response from speakers). Close to half a second. Do you know any ways to solve this?
I talked about ASIO drivers in the video but also I have an old video, explaining all possible reasons for this: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-a-O9s2_qpBY.html Definitely watch it, it will surely answer your question.
2:36 - How are effects being applied to the EXT SOURCE? Normally effects are applied to BUS 1 or BUS 2 when pressing the buttons? When I press effects buttons I hear no effects.
If you’re having trouble check out some of the comments under the video for solutions. I think with the latest firmware on the SP they changed the default value of the USB in setting (don’t remember the actual name as I’m not in front of my SP atm but iirc you have to set it to LINE in or something like that.
im on the second method but when i do the effects on my sp404, i hear the effects being processed but i still hear the original track playing through it
Yeah, Evo8 has its own mixer, I have one but I haven't tried setting it up with the SP. But it's 100% possible, it's just the internal routing (maybe the loopback feature?) that's creating the feedback.
Great video! I've been using the second method with interface for last couple years and it's great. But now i have a macbook for music on the sofa and i was going to plug my sp in and do the first method for fun. I just was wondering about the signal flow using the first method. Say i wanted to use the mkii 303 compressor on the master. Would the first method basically just be ableton mix>ableton master fx> spmkii? Would there be no way to have the spmkii compressor before Ableton master effects? Such as eq and limiter? Thank you for any help, i appreciate this is a little older video!
Hey, no, with the first method you can't put your Ableton master effects after the SP effects because you're using the SP as an audio interface, so it will always be the last thing in your chain.
@@LowHeatBeats hey thank you for the reply! That's okay i guess i can turn off master effects, resample into a new track in Ableton then turn master fx back on i guess lol. Thank you for clearing that up!
thanks for this, as there's not a lot of tutorials on using the 404mk2 with daws. if you wanted to just run your drums through the fx of the sp isn't there a way to use the busses in the sp to achieve this? i think blezz did a tutorial on how to do it with maschine+
Does this workflow work with the SP-404sx as well? Or do I have to use an SD card with that device? Debating if the 404 mk2 is worth it if I just want the fx capabilities… seems like it for the workflow
The SX doesn’t work as an audio interface but using the second method (with your own audio interface) will work exactly the same as with the MK2. I’d say that the MK2 is a bit of an overkill if you’re using it just for the FX, even though it has more of them.
@@LowHeatBeats Hey, I ended up getting the Mk2, and I'm loving it, except when I go to record fx into Ableton using the Mk2 as an interface, my audio comes out super quiet. Any suggestions on how to fix ?
Man, your vids are so dope! I have only one issue, would you happen to know how I’d accomplish this same work flow but using Logic Pro instead of Ableton? This is the perfect set up. But I am new to Logic and don’t use Ableton Live. 😅
Knocking it out of the park between this vid and the SP404 Ableton Rack Vid. This has been super helpful and has made creating soooooo much more easier and fun. Thanks for this, man!
Of course!! One question though. I did follow your method for the second one and am experiencing what seems like a bit of a feedback loop. I'm using the same I/O setup as you, but when I turn say, the filter on, i get piercing feedback. Not even audio just feedback. Is it the monitor or something I'm doing wrong with my SP?@@LowHeatBeats
@@shawndaniel7673 Hard to say for sure. If you're getting feedback then the output is fed back into the input. So maybe you've connected the SP input to the main output of your audio interface and/or you've got the wrong output selected in the External effect device. Either way, it's hard to troubleshoot without seeing how you have it set up.
@@LowHeatBeats one question, you didnt had any feed back? in FL its the worst, since it doeasnt have those out in options, just drivers and so it gets a lot of feedback
Odd, I can't seem to figure out how to get the fx to work. The audio is routed through my 404 via usb and out to a speaker using the line out ports, and audio comes through but the effects don't do anything when pressed
@@LowHeatBeats For the first method I tried that, did everything else I could think of, have a usb cable specifically for data transfer as I read online, and STILL the audio goes through but the fx never work. Is there something I'm missing?
Sorry I don't know if I missed the part where you talk about the pros and cons of each method, can't find it in the video. So far I've been using the first method since it's an easier setup and it's been awesome.
Yeah, first method is more straight forward. If you're using an audio interface you can process separate tracks in your project or even use it as a return effect. It may also be more convenient if you're already using an interface, since you don't have to change your audio input and output device every time you want to use the SP as an effect in Live.
@@LowHeatBeats Have you tried it as a return effect? I read somewhere that it's not quite well cut out for that since apparently you can't make the effects on it 100% wet. Could be wrong tho.
Yeah, some of the effects work as 100% wet like the reverbs but for me the SP is all about the performance and lo-fi effects which are not made to be used like that. I'm just saying it's possible, but not useful to me.
I just figured this out after banging my head over it for an hour. You have to go to efx settings > other > and set "input bus" as bus 1. Then bus 1 fx will work on all input audio! Not sure why I couldn't find a video mentioning this but looking through the manual did the job
Yeah it's not working for me either, I was getting feedback audio to 3/4 and from 3/4 which means sound is coming in, but then I changed the "audio from" to 1/2 which is what it should be, given my apollo twin setup but still not working... Anybody know how to fix this? I checked the other potential issues but i'm still getting stuck.
@@interpol8994 Unfortunately I can't help with this one. With those more complicated interfaces like the Apollo that have a software mixer you have to be very familiar with how the routing works in that mixer. I always prefer a simple interface like the Motu that I use, as it has all the controls on the front panel and routing is very straight forward.
Glad you got it working! I think they changed the default setting to Mix Out with the latest update, before that (when I made this video) it worked right out of the box.
Much appreciated! But no, I haven’t finished and released this one. Still, do check out my Spotify (from the Linktree in the description) for some similar tracks.
@@LowHeatBeats your music is fire bro been listening all morning 🔥 I came back to this vid just to hear this beat again after I listened to the ones on your soundcloud
the audio comes out of ableton and I hear it perfectly in the headphones connected to the sp404 mk2, but the fx does nothing, I've done what you told me and it's still the same, even if I turn off on and turn on "ext source"@@LowHeatBeats
@@taller513 If ext source doesn't make a difference, and USB IN is set to Line In, then you must be using outputs 3/4 as main outputs in Ableton. These outputs don't pass through the effects. Set Ableton's Master Out to 1/2, which should be the default anyway.
Im following all the steps but there is no sound comming when ext audio pluging is on the track. I can se the meters blinks, but there is no audio. HELP
Aahh, sorry to hear that. One thing that some people in the comments have had to do was going in Untility - System - General and make sure Usb In is set to to LINE IN. If it still doesn't work, please read some of the comments from other users under the video, there are easy solutions listed for most problems you can encounter with setting this up.
@@LowHeatBeats Unfortunately, that's not the problem, it's set to line in. The first part of the video works, what doesn't work is the second one, the putting the effects on individual tracks :(
@@ishtay Does your audio interface have its own mixer/routing software? Some people have trouble getting it to work because they haven't set the routing correctly, which is obviously outside of the scope of this tutorial. On a simple interface without an internal mixer it's pretty straight forward.
@@LowHeatBeats Didn't see this answer. The software was not updated so it was doing weird things, you gave me the clue to check that out. GAAAAAD DAAAAYYYUM It worked! Just came back to show some love
@@LowHeatBeats Analog outputs 2 x 1/4" TRS line out (balanced, DC coupled) 2 x RCA (unbalanced) analog out (mirrored) 1 x 1/4" TRS stereo headphone but here say the motu m2 have 4 outputs x2 Trs balanced ( for my Yamaha hs5) and the x2 Rca unbalanced to my¿¿ sp mk2 ?? I need to record effects on a complete beat, not in separate parts. but I don't want to pass the recorded beat from my mk2 in Ableton, back to the Roland, when I dump it to the mk2 to record effects, I want to avoid this so that there is no loss, I mean keep the first pristine recording that your sampler makes to the DAW. Is it possible to play with the effects with this pristine recording, without having to dump it back into the sampler and record it again? is it possible, having the beat recorded in Ableton? without having to dump it back to the mk2 to use effects? how is it possible to do this on my mk2 and my motu m2? please help me, i would really appreciate it.
@@truesearch69 These are not separate outputs, the RCA on the M2 just mirror the main outputs. They don't appear as outs 3/4 in Ableton. I've explained in full detail what you need and what you have to do in the video. I also said not to ask me if you can do it with a 2 in and 2 out interface 😂 You can just try the first method with the SP as audio interface.
@@LowHeatBeats do you know if it affects anything to lower the gain of the master channel so that your effects don't distort ? how is it possible to get a Lufs of -10 or -9 using the sp effects without distorting... it's a doubt I've always had, since by lowering -3db or -2db on the master channel, you're losing a lot. about the M2 having mirrored outputs, wow... i didn't know that. what a bummer... i'll have to buy an m4 in the summer... but they are so expensive... they have been going through the roof since i bought my m2 about 1-2 years ago. thank you for your willingness to respond to a cement head like me, brother I appreciate it.
