Transform Maschine Kits into ableton live Dumracks

I've been planing to do this for a while. I do not like the Ableton Drumracks/Kits too much but I like the workflow of ableton. And Maschine is just way too limiting but has the better-sounding kits (I also own many expansions). Although there might be plenty of workarounds for the issue that you cannot use Maschine Kits as drumracks they still feel half-baked and I hate the hustle with additional windows (maschine).
This is why I would like to export all sounds of all kits as wave files and then import these to built drumracks. Perhaps there is a better solution than the one I came up with - Please tell me if there is one as my method will be rather laborious and it also has some other flaws.

I open one kit after another with always the same 1bar pattern: for every sound (all 16) a note on the first 16th.
Then I export using the source option "sound outputs". Additionally I have to manually type in the name of the kit. The export is done within 2 seconds and I get a folder with all 16 sounds of the kits. The obvious disadvantage of this method is that the files get rather large as some drums are short and the silence is also recorded. However, perhaps I will find a tool that is able to cut that out automatically in a batch job.
Then I switch to ableton, generate a new drumrack and just drag the files into it. Finally I just have to save it.

I started this 4 months ago, but was too busy to continue. Actually everything worked fine. However currently Im struggling with the drag n drop - most likely this due to another windows10 update that tries to protect me from the evil (Administrator mode whatever...?). Isn't it possible to drag a whole folder? When I recall it right this was possible before. Im also unable to drag the 16 files by selecting them manually in the browser and dragging them over. I can only drag single files .

Whatever, the main question is whether you think that this is the most convenient method....or is there perhaps a way to sort the original wave files into folders?

 

You can search the samples with file explorer and drag and drop them into ableton.

Uwe

 

That seems awful tedious....why not just use the maschine plug-in inside an Ableton drum rack ? You can route the individual audio outputs from each of the pads so that you have separate audio tracks in Ableton. And by using the +ROUTING feature in Maschine, you can lock the output routings anytime you load a different group/kit. Save the drum rack in Ableton and you've got a template, bam done!. Works like a charm for me. I can also browse/load all my Maschine kits using the controller.

 

Yes or this - or using Battery

 

+1
That's exactly how I do it

 

If all you want is to create a drum rack with Machine sounds. The Maschine library is just all wav files (minus the drum synth ones). NI does not lock them down or put any kind of DRM on them. You can literally just go to the folder where they are located and drag and drop to you hearts content from there. If you want the effects that some of these packs have on kits then yeah bouncing them down is the only, however for expansions, NI has done much of the work already with the new Expansions.

I basically just dragged the whole Machine library including expansion to the external hard drive in my MPC Live. No issues whatsoever loading the sounds.

Also you can just use the Export Audio function to export all sounds in a group into their own files.

 

Thank you for your replies.

Nevertheless, I would like to get rid of the maschine plugin. I don't like working with additional windows and I do not have space on my table for two controllers (Push2 and maschine mk1) in addition to a keyboard. Furthermore it would be great to have the wave files belonging to a kit in seperate folders. This would allow me to make use of them under other conditions (roland tr8s for instance).

You are right mezzurias - The wave files are accessible. However, although it might be beneficial under certain circumstances (e.g looking for a new kick) i would love to preserve the arrangemet of the kits as they are. Furthermore having the drums in simpler facilitates further use of the wave file in live (transformation into a sampler...etc).

 

I get it. The best way to go about it and I just tested this, is to use the Export Audio function I just mentioned.

1. Basically create a 1 Bar pattern in Maschine, Add a note for all sounds in the group at the beginning of the bar.
2. Go to Maschine File Menu. Then choose Export Audio.
3. In the Export Audio dialog set Source to Sound Outputs and you can expand the group with the sounds you want.
4. Make sure all the sounds in that group are selected with a checkmark. Set a destination folder and name. Click Export.

5. Open Finder or Explorer on your machine and navigate to where you exported the audio files.
6. Open Ableton, create an Empty Drum rack.
7. In Finder/Explorer select all audio files and drag and drop them into the Drum Rack. Ableton will automatically place them into the empty slots in the Drum Rack and usually they will be in the order they were in Maschine.

Then crop and edit each drum in Ableton. Maybe add some effects. Done.

One last thing you may want to rename the files tp something more sensible after exporting them Maschine exports the Sounds names fine (like Ultra awesome Hat 1, Super Amazing Snare 2, etc) but adds the sample number scene name, the group name, and then the sound name(e.g. 001 Scene 1 -Most Amazing Kit - Super Amazing Snare 1). You may want to leave the sample number so that when you bulk drag and drop the files in Ableton they will be in the order they are in Maschine.

 

Quickest way is what D-J-K said..piece of piss

 

mezzurias: This is exactly the way I was doing it. I just thought there might be an alternative method to use the information stored in the maschine kit-files. But then I'll just continue and then look for a tool that automatically cuts out the silence in the wave files.
Thank you for your replies!

 

Hi D-J-K. I'm trying to put a Maschine Kit into Ableton 10. I just read your post about this but I'm not having much luck with the Routing. I drop the Maschine plug into the drum rack as an external instrument but from then on I don't know what to do. I've tried lots of ways without success. Please could you explain the steps in simple terms for me. I appreciate it. Many thanks.

 

1. Open a blank Drum Rack in Ableton
2. Drop the maschine plugin into the C2 slot
3. Drop a External Instrument into the C#2 slot
4. Change the "Midi To" chooser to "2-Maschine"
5. Change the "Audio From" chooser to "Maschine Out 2"
6. Repeat steps 3-5 above for all remaining Maschine pads you wish to have routed -- by placing each external instrument in each sequential note and increasing each routing by +1
7. Open up the Maschine plugin, change to the Mixer view and make sure the "IO" view is active
8. Change Midi routing on Maschine pad #1 to "1" and "Host"
9. Change Audio routing on Maschine Pad #1 to "Ext 1"
9. Repeat steps 8-9 for all remaining maschine pads (increasing each routing by +1)
10. Make sure "Routing+" in Maschine is OFF (or unlit)
11. Open a blank Midi clip on the Maschine track in Ableton and enter some notes to test to ensure sound playback is heard
12. Change drum group kit in maschine and re-test sound in Ableton to make sure routings remain intact
13. Click the "save preset" on the Drum Rack to save as a preset in your Ableton library

Enjoy !

 

I just drag the raw samples into drum rack and make 64 pad kits using the best samples of each expansion i have. Some may think its tedious, but I take pride in building my kits meticulously.

 

I think you can even select multiple samples from Maschine browser and drag them all at once in the drum rack

 

Many thanks D-J-K.. And for the other tips. I'm sorted now for decent drum kits.. Happy days..)

 

Not sure what I am doing wrong, I don't have an option in step 3 for the "midi to" to select maschine 2, any idea why I'm not picking this up? Any insight is greatly appreciated!

 

Here's mine, it loads up the 909 kit from Maschine factory library. You can of course load other kits in it, just make sure +ROUTING is disabled or it will clear the routings to external outputs.

 

If I remember correctly these options are on each drum rack channel in the upper mixer view.

P.S. Ah OK Reefius can tell you exactly he is obviously a live user.

 

Thank you so much that was very helpful!

 

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