Hybrid Syntakt Ableton Drum Rack (Live 12)
This is an Ableton drum rack that combines Ableton drum racks with Syntakt for a hybrid ITB and OTB workflow. You can apply Live's effects to each separate audio track coming from Syntakt, while also using Syntak's sequencer to play your own instruments inside the drum rack. Included a flexible Ableton Kick synthesizer for fun on one of the drum pads
INSTRUCTIONS:
Transfer the included Syntakt project file to your Syntakt using Elektron Transfer which can be found here https://www.elektron.se/en/download-support-syntakt
In the syntakt project, patterns 1-12 play the instruments inside Syntakt. Patterns 13-16 have all 12 tracks dedicated to sending MIDI to Ableton so you can use your own samples and instruments inside the drum rack.
Pads C1-B1 in the Ableton Rack are played by the Midi machines inside syntakt (found on patterns 13-16)
Pads E2-D#3 play and individually recieve audio from each track in the syntakt, they recieve post-fader audio meaning you can control each track's level from inside Syntakt. A separate Reverb/Delay and FX chain recieve reverb/delay and FX track audio from Syntakt respectively
The FX track level seems a bit off compared to playing a project in Syntakt without overbridge and I haven't figured out why, so keep that in mind when mixing existing projects you've made with syntakt in standalone.
Use example: Select pattern 13-16 on the Syntakt, trig buttons 1-12 shuld now play whatever instruments you drop on Pads C1-B1 in Live, you can record Syntakt's MIDI sequencer output as a clip in Ableton. Then switch to any of Patterns 1-12 to compose on the Syntakt and the audio from each Syntakt track with will be individually routed to pads E2-D#3 . This way you can have both the Ableton instruments and Syntakt play simultaneously.
If you want to resample the Syntakt into the drum rack to kind-of emulate Digitakt workflow, I can recommend a Max4Live device called Beat-Lab-Instant-Sampler, you can get it here https://maxforlive.com/library/device/4691/beat-lab-instant-sampler Throw it in a macro mapped rack and set one of the knobs to record and drop that on one of the 12 drum pads controlled by Syntakt's MIDI
I've included a user remote script that let's you use the Syntakt's encoders to control whatever rack is selected with the "blue hand", that's the file names "UserConfiguration.txt"
To use it reate a folder labeled "Syntakt" (or whatever you want to name it) in the following folder:
Mac: HD:/Users/[Username]/Library/Preferences/Ableton/Live x.x.x/User Remote Scripts.
Windows: C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Roaming\Ableton\Live x.x.x\Preferences\User Remote Scripts.
Place the included User remote script ("UserConfiguration.txt")inside that folder
In Ableton settings, under MIDI settings select the script corresponding to the name of the folder you made (in this case "Syntakt"), and under input ports check "Remote" and "Track" to be on, under MIDI input next to the Syntakt script you just loaded select "Elektron Syntakt" in the dropdown menu. You should now be able to control whatever rack the blue hand is focused on using the Sytakt's knobs. I recommend kaymapping the racks you want to control to MIDI keys or keyboard keys to quickly select them without using the mouse.
All of the above should allow an almost mouse free workflow. You'll notice a bunch of the pads have empty instrument racks, this is so you can hotswap them easily for your own racks without using the mouse if that's how you prefer to work
I've included a kick synth I've made using Operator on one of the drum pads just for for fun