Comments on: Kore: The CPU-Saving Power of X in Live Performance

By: Giorgo De Groof

Giorgo De Groof — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:14:16 +0000

Hi Peter

I would like to switch Kore2’s bank-presets using the FCB1010 from Behringer. Is that possible? This way I would not have to use a mouse or even the Kore 2 Controller.

Thanks,

Giorgo

By: NI Kore Minisite @ CDM » Welcome, NI Newsletter Readers: What’s On Tap?

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:30:28 +0000

[...] Controlling External MIDI Gear, Plug-ins Kore: The CPU-Saving Power of X in Live Performance How to Route Feedback Loops in Kore – On [...]

By: Peter Kirn

Peter Kirn — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 16:10:11 +0000

Ah, good call. Yeah, I had initially hoped the Live chaining function would open up some powerful instrument switching capabilities, but it’s tough to know which instrument is selected and does have that performance tax. So enable/disable is indeed the best way to go for now. I hope that these features continue to evolve over time — in Kore, as well. The developers have to first sort out resource management (which both have in this case), and then refine the user interaction over time. In the meantime, we trick our way into making it work.

By: poorsod

poorsod — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 15:21:23 +0000

ah cheers for the clarification Peter… My personal trick is to map Ableton’s macros to the device on/off switches when they are not in use… That is, fully opening a filter (with a macro) switches it off, etc

By: Peter Kirn

Peter Kirn — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 14:23:35 +0000

@poorsod: I removed that reference because it was confusing and potentially misleading the way I wrote it.

Basically, the way plug-ins *should* work is that they cease to consume resources whenever signal isn’t routed to them. However, because of the specification of the widely-used versions of the plug-in formats, often they *do* continue to consume resources.

If you use the Ableton Live enable/disable setting, that should have the same effect as the enable/disable switch here. The main advantage of Kore in this case, though, is that you can automate those enable/disable switches more easily with Performance Presets. (I guess you could MIDI assign them and use ghost clips in Live or something, but that’d of course be more work.)

What I’ve found does not work in all cases is using the Chain function within a Device Rack, which is ideally how you might set up a performance. That’s not Ableton’s fault; I believe it’s a result of the plug-in spec. It does work with Ableton’s own plug-ins, by contrast. It’s not a big deal in a simpler device rack, but could become a bigger deal in a complex set. So one strategy would be to use Chain to select different instruments in a Live device rack using their instruments and effects, and put third-party instruments and effects in Kore and use its performance presets.

Hope that makes sense. That’s my understanding, anyway; what you’ll find is that this is often isn’t documented because it’s dependent on plug-in operation under the hood.

By: poorsod

poorsod — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 22:46:50 +0000

Peter, could you elaborate on the comment about bypassing third-party effects within Ableton please? I thought switching off the Device Rack was tantamount to switching off all the devices, including plugins, held within the rack.

Empirical study shows that switching off third party effects with the on-off button in the Ableton interface DOES disable the processor and save CPU… although the manual has nothing to say at all.