Getting started
Choose menu Window=>Live if you are not already in that
window. Connect your MIDI keyboard controller with an
appropriate interface-cable to the computer and select the
MIDI In connection in the Preferences menu. Then play a
3 fingered chord in the lowest octave of your keyboard. Or
(if you don't have a MIDI controller) press the "chords
& notes" key on the computer keyboard and press a
chord. Play for some time and then read the rest of this
chapter about auto accompaniment or read about the functions
in the Live
Window, Sequencer, Style and Voice Editor .
MIDI keyboard configuration.
If you're using an arranger keyboard with One Man Band, then
you must switch it from "arranger mode" to
"MIDI mode" and set "local off". This
will change it from an arranger keyboard to a synthesizer to
be used with a computer. Look in the manual of your keyboard
how to do this.
First check if your MIDI keyboard is properly connected to
the computer. Then select your MIDI In and Midi Out device in
the Preferences window. If you have a Yamaha XG keyboard or
synthesizer then select "Synthesizer compatibilty"
XG, else select GM.
In the "Live control" pane of the Preferences window select the Chord
recognition method that you
will use. In this pane you can define how to interact with
the program. One of the things you might need to change is
the size of the chord area. Specify the "Highest chord
key" for that. The triggering of variations can be
assigned to all kinds of MIDI messages if you have
buttons/knobs/sliders/wheel/pedals available for that on your
MIDI keyboard controller.
Automatic accompaniment.
In the Live window activities are under control of a
connected MIDI keyboard controller and/or the computer
keyboard. Which actions will be triggered by which MIDI
message can be specified in the Preference window. The
keyboard displayed on screen shows which action is assigned
to each key. A key can also be a menu that accesses a new set
of actions. You can define the action for a key
by right-clicking on that key.
The accompaniment will start when you play a chord. Each
style usually has several variations like intro, main, fill
in and ending. For these variations there may be different
levels available: A, B, C and D. The variation triggers can
be used to switch from one variation to another.