One of the most exciting parts of Ableton for me is Max For Live. The sheer amount of creativity that people are putting into creating innovative devices within this program is a constant source of inspiration for me and I often find that many of these devices can inspire a new way of working that can break me out of a rut.
So without further ado, I'll be breaking down 5 of the best Max For Live Devices that see significant use from me.
MK16-185 Sequencer 1.5
http://maxforlive.com/library/device/2833/mk16-185-sequencer
An absolutely fantastic stage controlled sequencer. I was first turned onto this in a post that was trying to explain techno mainstay Surgeon's workflow and it has been a core part of my production setup. This is as close as I've seen a software sequencer functioning similarly to the famous Cirklon hardware sequencer and is a great addition to any techno producers bag of tricks. It is available as a free download be above.
POLYRHYTHMUS
http://www.maxforlive.com/library/device/2431/polyrhythmus-a-modular-euclidean-rhythm-builder
Polyrhythmus is an insanely deep device that lets you easily build polyrhythms and Euclidean rhythms and then spin them through a powerful arpeggiator. Ten minutes with this will have you spawning musical ideas you would have never thought possible. One of my highest recommendations.
Circular Doppler
Uses two virtual microphones to orbit around a sound source to create a feeling of constantly shifting space. It's fun stuff for people who like to experiment with element panning and shifting in and out of the audio field.
Granulator
https://www.ableton.com/en/packs/granulator/#?item_type=free
This should be no surprise to anyone, but Granulator makes this list because it is simply one of the best and easiest granular synths on the market, and this one is free. This device takes field recording and sampling to a next level and is a must own for Max For Live Users.
Group Humanizer
James Holden is the force behind this technically insane plugin that allows you to Humanize the timing of both MIDI and Audio inputs. The details of the construction are almost overwhelming, but this is a fantastic way for musicians to experiment with human timing in an often rigid work environment. Below is an example of James Holden's device in action during a live performance.
Thanks for reading everybody. Be sure to leave your favorite production devices below and let me know what you think.
Well, if I can create ANYTHING like that James Holden live video with Group Humanizer, I'll be downloading that tonight. I have never heard of that plugin, so thank you for sharing.
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Awesome. It's an insane device that is hard to control, but I think when you get a handle on it you can really see how important it is for his live setup and creating unpredictability in his live sets. Results in sounding like Holden may vary. That guy is a madman. I don't know how he does it, but there is a lot to learn from how he deals with timing.
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