Automating With Performer - Ableton Live & NI Massive

Take a look at how helpful the Performer tool in NI Massive is when creating a more complex sequence for bass instruments or lead synths in your projects.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTetX2CDuvY[/youtube]

[aside title=”Performer Magic!“] In just a few minutes you can create insane sequences with NI Massive’s Performer![/aside]
Now, this video describes the process shown as a form of resampling, and discussions of whether or not this is actually correct aside, it is nicely done and very helpful in showing how you can use Performer to achieve a lot of movement and development in your songs in a very small amount of time. It also shares a very quick and intuitive way of recording a number of different sequences, without too much back and forth between Massive and Ableton Live, or whatever DAW you prefer to use. This allows you to save the more tedious, and sometimes less inspiring task, of editing until after you have had the chance to get all your ideas into your timeline.

Breezing through the actual sound design portion of the tutorial, YouTube user L7dev spends the bulk of his time showcasing one of my all-time favorite parts of Native Instruments Massive, the performer. A very unique modulation controller, in that you have the ability to meticulously build your own sequences from scratch from the various curve styles made available to you form the selector, or you can take advantage of the very cool randomize features for unexpected and truly unique and surprising results.

The one thing not shown here in this video that I happen to use all the time, is the ability to set your curves to a lower value in any given step of the sequence. I personally try to create a much more organic, and therefore less manufactured sound, by changing things up and adjusting the amount of control/amplitude of each curve from one step to the next. Sometimes it may be barely any difference than the value set in the steps before and after, if any difference at all. But in the end, these subtle changes generate a much more human element and invite the audience to take a more active role in listening to your work. Just something to consider when taking this approach to songwriting with NI Massive.

Cheers,
ΩhmLab