comb v1.0.1

Comb is a dockable, multi-track midi editing device for Ableton Live 11+.

Some features:

• Dockable device popouts, each with their own settings, MIDI editing grid, undo/redo history
• Root note and scale selection per device
• Subdivision—or beat length—selection per device
• Note selection and manipulation tools
• Pattern-based masking to speed up note selection and manipulation
• Shape drawing tools for chords, arpeggios, and random patterns for sound textures
• Import MIDI from Ableton clips into comb's grid
• Export MIDI from comb's grid to:
  • New scenes
  • Empty clip slots
  • Existing clips
• Swing—both negative and positive
• Adjustable loop length for polymeter, isolating sections, etc.
• Supports multiple copies of device on a single track
• PDF manual detailing usage, concepts, and other features

Some use cases:

• You want to be able to access your MIDI editor from multiple tracks while dialing in the parameters on one of your devices.
• You want to limit your midi editor grid to the notes of a chosen scale starting on a chosen root note. (This is done on each device instance. For example, you can edit track 1 in C Major and track 2 in C Lydian at the same time.)
• You want to transpose to different modes or keys. Switching root notes in Ableton's MIDI editor is easy to do by selecting the notes and dragging them to the desired spot on the piano roll. What's not so easy is transposing from one mode to another. The notes on the grid in comb are not tied to any musical intervals, and the rows of the grid can be mapped to musical intervals by selecting from the modes or scales in the dropdown.
• You want to draw the notes played by the left and right hands on a piano track. (You can add as many instances of this device as you want to a track. Try using two—one for the left hand, one for the right.)
• You want to mess around with polymeter. (Adjust the loop length of each track to different values and let it rip)
• You want to draw drum patterns quickly. (Check out the pattern controls for getting the notes onto the grid, then using masking to quickly adjust their velocities)
• You want to create a few copies of the same midi clip with minor changes. To do this in Ableton, you'd need to make the pattern in a clip, copy the clip however many times you want, then open each one and make your changes. With comb, you're not editing a clip, but the notes in your editor can be exported to any clip slot on the track. To do this, you'd create your pattern on the grid in comb and export to a clip slot, make changes on the grid in comb and export again, etc. It's a similar workflow, but with fewer steps.

There isn't a wrong way to use the device. Experiment and get weird with it.

Important note: Zooming the UI is computationally expensive. At higher zoom states this device may experience input delays on older GPUs. To reduce these delays, lower the zoom state.