Ableton Live TR-8 Setup

 How to setup the Roland TR-8 with Ableton Live

Step 1 - Cabling

Connect the TR-8 to your sound card and PC

• Connect a USB cable to the PC and TR-8 for MIDI control
• Connect the TR-8 left and right mix outputs to sound card inputs i.e. channels 1 and 2

Step 2 - Live MIDI Preferences

Next configure the TR-8 in Live's MIDI preferences

 

 

Live's MIDI preferences

 

To be able to record MIDI input from the TR-8 ensure Input: TR-8 Track and Sync are on

To be able to send MIDI from an ableton track to the TR-8 ensure Output: TR-8 Track is on

If you want the TR-8 to start and stop playing an internal pattern when Ableton starts and stops playback ensure TR-8 Output: Sync is on. 

If you only want the TR-8 to respond to MIDI input from Live and not start playing an internal pattern  when Ableton starts playback leave TR-8 Output: Sync off. 

Step 3 - Sending MIDI from Live track to TR-8

To send the MIDI from a Live track to the TR-8 a MIDI track needs to be configured to send its MIDI output to the TR-8 on the correct MIDI channel. To do this in the MIDI track's in/out section set

• MIDI to TR-8
• MIDI channel to Ch. 10 or whatever MIDI channel your TR-8 is configured to

Step 4 - Receiving audio sound from the TR-8 

To hear the audio from the TR-8 in Live an audio track needs to be configured to receive the TR-8's audio as its input.  To do this in the audio track's in/out section set 

• Audio From Input Type to Ext. In (your sound card)
• Audio From Input channel to the sound card input channels e.g. 1/2

Now when you play a MIDI note on the MIDI track configured in step 3 (play C1 for a kick) you should hear the TR-8 audio on the audio track configured in step 4. 

Step 5 - Alternative to steps 3 and 4 - Ext. Instrument

As an alternative to steps 3 and 4 the Ext. Instrument device can be used on a single MIDI track so there is no need for seperate MIDI and Audio tracks.

• Place the Ext. Instrument device on a MIDI track
• Set MIDI To to the TR-8 and channel to Ch.10 (or whatever MIDI channel your TR-8 is configured to)
  
• Set Audio From to the input channels e.g. 1/2

 Now when you play a MIDI note on the MIDI track you should hear the TR-8 audio 

How to record TR-8 audio in a Live track

To record audio from the TR-8 an audio track needs to be configured to receive the TR-8s audio as an input, see step 4 above. 

To avoid a noticable delay in the recording turn the Monitor OFF. The timing of the audio will be much more accurate but the recorded audio will not be processed by any devices on the audio track. 

If you record with the Monitor set to In or Auto the recorded audio will have a noticable delay when played back as the drums will play slightly out of time. This can be manually corrected by adjusting the start point of the clip but the problem can be avoided by setting Monitor OFF before recording.