Use the eText plug-in to use the name of clips in your video mix or to send it to other video applications that support Syphon.

Note: You can use this plug-in stand-alone, without the EboSuite application, to send text from Ableton Live to any video application that supports Syphon.

Adding an eText plug-in to your Live set

To add an eText plug-in to your Live set just drag the plug-in from the EboSuite plug-ins folder to a MIDI or audio track.

Editing text

The eText plug-in reads the name of the playing clip on the track it is loaded on. So to edit the text, simply edit the names of the clips on the track.

There are two ways to set the text color. When Color type is set to ‘Clip Color’, the color of the clip is used to set the text color. When color type is set to ‘Custom’, you can use the color picker to set the text color.

Use the eVideoIn plug-in to use live video streams of a webcam, iPhone and/or iPad in EboSuite and to make recordings of live video streams.

Adding an eVideoIn plug-in to your Live set

To add an eVideoIn plug-in to your Live set just drag the plug-in from the EboSuite plug-in folder to a MIDI/audio track. You can use multiple eVideoIn plug-ins in your project to connect multiple cameras or iPhones/iPads.

Selecting the video input source

Use the upper dropdown menu to select the video input source. Connected cameras and iPhones/iPads will automatically appear in this menu. When a selected device is not available anymore, ‘Unavailable’ will appear after it’s name.

Selecting the audio input source

Use Ableton Live’s Audio input selector on the Audio Track (in the IN/OUT section) to select the audio source you want to record, for example the microphone or sound card input or audio from another track. Then set Monitor to ‘In’. In the eVideoIn plug-in enable ‘Include Audio’ to use the incoming audio. Disable ‘Audio Passthrough’ to avoid audio feedback.

When a video input source is selected you can select the resolution of the incoming video stream in the lower dropdown menu. You can choose a High, Medium or Low preset, that will result in a device specific preset value of the resolution. Alternatively you can request a custom resolution, but there is no guarantee you will achieve the exact resolution you request, because it might not be supported by your device. EboSuite will automatically select the resolution supported by your device that is closest to the requested resolution.

Use the ‘Enable Preview’ toggle to activate and open the preview window. You can make it stay on top of other windows (like Ableton Live’s interface) by enabling ‘Preview Always On Top’.

When ‘Background Removal’ is enabled EboSuite will automatically show people and objects close to the camera only and make the background transparent. When ‘Show Only People’ is selected, objects on the foreground are removed too.

When ‘Audio Passthrough’ is enabled, sound coming in on the audio track will be audible. This might cause feedback issues when making recordings. Disabling Audio Passthrough will mute incoming sounds, to avoid audio feedback.

When Link Opacity To Volume is enabled, the volume fader of the track will control the opacity of incoming video stream. Disable this feature to control opacity manually or with track automation.

The eVideoIn plug-in has the ability to record video live. When a recording is made, the video is automatically loaded into eSamplers/eSimplers that have the same recording ID, and ready for use immediately. A great feature to make a live performance a real live experience. After a recording is made, a thumbnail of the newly created video file will be shown in the eVideoIn plug-in’s interface. Drag the thumbnail on an audio track to play the recorded video with an eSession of eArrangement plug-in.

Three video codecs can be used to record video: ProRes, Hap and H264. ProRes is the preferred codec and set by default. ProRes will load very quickly. Hap is the preferred video codec for EboSuite, but less suitable for live recording, because processing a Hap video takes some time, which makes loading slow. H264 is a very popular codec but has inferior playback.

An ID is automatically assigned to the eVideoIn plug-in. This ID is used to connect eSamplers/eSimplers to the eVideoIn plug-in. This way, multiple eVideoIn plug-ins can be present in the Live Set (connected to different cameras), connected to different eSamplers and eSimplers. On the eSampler/eSimpler set the ID to the ID of the eVideoIn you want to record from.

The ID on the eSampler/eSimpler can be changed live with automation or a controller, so an eSampler/eSimpler can record video from any eVideoIn plug-in at any point in time. The ID of the eVideoIn plug-in is taken from the position of the track in the Live Set. When the track is moved to another position in the Live Set the ID changes. The ID on the eSamplers/eSimplers will automatically change as well in that case.

Note: do not add the eVideoIn plug-in on the same track as the eSampler. The eVideoIn is a video source as well, so that might cause issues.

When ‘Include Audio’ is enabled, the eVideoIn plug-in will record the sound coming in on the audio track as well. Disable ‘Audio Passthrough‘ to avoid audio feedback.

Pressing the clear samplers button will clear all eSamplers and eSimplers with the same recording ID.

Drop a folder in the ‘Drop Record Folder’ drop zone in the eVideoIn plug-in’s interface to select a folder where all recording of that plug-in will be stored. Use the ‘Show Folder’ button to show the folder with the recordings in the Finder. If no folder is selected, recordings will be stored in the recordings folder in the EboSuite plug-in folder.

Note: The eVideoIn plug-in creates a ‘tempRecordingFile.aiff’ file in this folder automatically. This file is necessary to make recordings instantly, so please don’t remove this file.

The eISF plug-in enables you to use ‘ISF shaders’ in your Live set. The eISF plug-in is optimised for generative shaders. The eFX-ISF plug-in is optimised for filters/FX shaders.

To add the eISF plug-in to your Live set, just drag the plug-in from the EboSuite plug-in folder to a MIDI/audio track.

It is very easy to download ISF shader files. Goto the Interactive Shader Format website’s ISF shader browser. Look for an ISF shader you like. You can easily try out the shaders on the ISF website. When you found an ISF shader you like, press the download button in the top menu bar to download it (in a .zip file).

ISF shaders in the ISF folder will automatically appear in the file browser of the eISF and eFX-ISF plug-ins. Use the shader browser in the ISF plug-ins to find and load a shader into the ISF plug-in. The shader browser consists of four sections:

Set the render resolution

Use the Render Resolution Menu to determine at what resolution the ISF is rendered. You can choose to match this with your current render resolution of the EboSuite output window or choose a lower or higher resolution. ISF shaders can be demanding for the GPU to process, so try out different render resolutions for optimal performance.

The eISF and eFX-ISF plug-ins will automatically generate an interface that suits the ISF shaders behaviour.

All interface elements can be automated or controlled live. Hoover over de parameter name to see the name as it will appear in the automation parameter menu.

You can edit the ISF shaders easily within Ableton Live. Each time you save your edits they will be applied directly, so you can check the effect of your work immediately in Live. You can edit the shaders in two ways:

• in the ISF plug-ins themselves
• in the ISF Editor developed by VIDVOX (the creators of ISF)

When the code viewer is opened a few new interface elements will appear in the ISF plug-in’s interface.

Use the ‘Save’ button to save your edits. The shader will be reloaded and your changes will be applied directly. This means that added interface elements (like sliders, buttons, menu’s etc.) will appear in the ISF plug-in’s interface directly and new functions or altered variables, constants etc. in the code will be used immediately to generate the image.

Note: the code viewer doesn’t give feedback about errors and there is no undo function. Use the ISF Editor (see below) for more advanced editing.

Use the ‘Copy UI code’ menu to copy the code necessary to add a slider, toggle, menu, color selector or button. Once a menu item is selected the code is copied to the copy buffer and you can paste it into the shader code using the CMD-v keyboard shortcut. Once the altered shader is saved the interface elements will immediately appear in the ISF plug-ins interface.

Use the ‘Save as new’ button to save a copy of the shader. This newly created copy will be placed in the same location as the original shader and will be loaded in the ISF plug-in.

We recommend you to use this ‘Save as new’ feature to create a copy of your shader before editing it.

Click on the ‘Open in ISF Editor’ button to open the shader in the ISF Editor developed by VIDVOX, the creators of ISF. To use this feature you’ll need to have version 2.9.9 (or later) of the ISF Editor installed. Click on the ‘?’ button to download the latest version.

The ISF Editor is a separate application, but each time to you save your edits the shader will automatically be reloaded and updated in the ISF plug-in. Your changes will be applied directly and the interface will change according to your edits. This way, you see the effect of your work immediately in Ableton Live.

Use the ‘Make Duplicate’ button to create a duplicate of the shader. This newly created copy will be placed in the same location as the original shader and will automatically be loaded in the ISF plug-in.

We recommend you to use this ‘Make Duplicate’ feature to create a copy of your shader before editing it.

Standard ISF shaders

You’ll find other shaders developed/remixed by EboSuite on the EboSuite channel and the OLAV channel on the ISF website. You can easily download these shaders and add them to your EboSuite ISF library (see description above).

Tutorial (version 1.6)

Tutorial Quick-tips (version 1.6)

To add an eSimpler plug-in to your Live Set, just drag the plug-in from the EboSuite plug-in folder to a MIDI track. An eSimpler plug-in can only be used on a MIDI track.

Using the eSimpler in combination with the Simpler

When the eSimpler is placed in front of a Simpler on a MIDI track, the eSimpler will automatically check if a movie file is loaded in the Simpler. When a movie is loaded the eSimpler will automatically load the movie file and set the playback position correctly. When a MIDI note is received, the eSimpler will playback the video, while the Simpler plays the audio, effectively turning the Simpler into a video sampler.

When ‘Velocity to opacity’ is enabled, the opacity of the video will change simultaneously with the velocity of the incoming MIDI note (and therefore the sound).

1-Shot

The eSimpler will notice when the Simpler is set to 1-Shot mode. The eSimpler will automatically switch to 1-Shot as well and use the same duration time as selected in the Simpler.

The eSimpler will notice when Warping is enabled in the Simpler. The eSimpler will automatically read the Warp Markers of the file (in the .asd file) and Warp the video.

Because the eSimpler relies on the default information stored in the .asd file you can not use the :2, *2 and ‘warp as’ buttons. This limitation is due to the restrained access Ableton gives to the Simpler’s parameters.

Use the Freeze dial to freeze the last or first frame of the sample when playback is finished. The last frame will freeze when the dial is set to a positive value (freeze 0 to 1000 ms). When the dial is set to the maximum positive value the last frame will freeze indefinitely. The first frame will freeze when the dial is set to a negative value (freeze 0 to 1 second). When the dial is set to the maximum negative value the first frame will freeze indefinitely.

It is also possible to load a different movie file into the eSimpler. In this case the eSimpler will not automatically set the start position. The start position should be set manually using the ‘Start’ dial.

The eSampler is a fully functional video sampler. Drag audiovisual clips into the sampler and produce video beats and melodies, trigger videos live, simulate video scratching or use it in ‘Video only’ mode to visualise your own sounds.

Adding the eSampler to your Live set

To add an eSampler to your Live set just drag the eSampler plug-in from the EboSuite plug-in folder to a MIDI track. An eSampler can only be used on a MIDI track. You can use up to 127 eSamplers on one track using a Drum Rack. The eSampler can be used in both Arrangement View and Session View.

• Drag a video file directly from the Finder into the drop zone of the eSampler.

• Convert a video file with EboSuite’s eConvert plug-in to the Hap of Hap Alpha codec and then drag it from eConvert’s interface into the dropzone of the eSampler.

• Load video file into an audio track in Arrangement View. Make sure an eArrangement plug-in is loaded on that track. Edit the start and end point to select which part you want to load in the eSampler. Simply drag the video clip into the eSampler’s dropzone. This is a great way to cut a video file into shorter video samples to save memory.

• Load a video file in a clip slot of an audio track in Session View. Make sure an eSession plug-in is loaded on that track. Edit the start and end point to select which part you want to load in the eSampler. Simply drag the video clip into the eSampler’s dropzone. This is a great way to cut a video file into shorter video samples to save memory.

• Tuning off
• Basic
• Monophonic
• Rhythmic
• General
• Efficient
• Granular

• Basic
• Good
• Better
• Basic + Formant
• Good + Formant
• Better + Formant

If a warped clip is dragged into the eSampler the warp option appears (this will not appear when you drag a file from the library or finder). A copy is made of the warping information that is stored in the .asd file at the moment of dragging. Engaging warp means that it will time stretch the video, so that it plays according to the current tempo (please note that changing the tempo while a note is held is not supported yet). Tuning must be on to enable the timestretch/ pitching engine, and the tuning mode that is chosen will affect the sound (and cpu load) of the warped result.

• Normal Playback – Samples will play without looping and stop when a note off message is received. Note: warping is only possible in this mode.

• Looped Playback – When this mode is selected a portion of the loaded sample region is repeated. The start of this region is indicated with the LoopStart parameter and the loop end is determined by the LoopLength parameter. The LoopStart cannot be changed during a note, it is applied at the start of each note. The LoopLength can be changed immediately if the LoopStart is zero, otherwise it is also applied at the start of the next note (the label of the parameter will become grey if it cannot be applied immediately). The LoopLength and the LoopStart can be set by changing the parameters with the mouse or by dragging the triangles in the waveform view. You can choose between three Loop Modes which determine the range/values of the LoopStart and LoopLength parameters:

  • Absolute: This allows you to set the Loop parameters in milli seconds with a maximum of 2000 ms.
  • Relative: The value of the Loop parameters is now presented as a percentage of the available time. This means that changing the start time will change the LoopLength (and that changing the LoopStart will also change the LoopLength)
  • Synced: In this Loop Mode the LoopStart and LoopLength is linked to the current tempo (please note that changing the tempo while a note is held is not supported yet).

• OneShot Playback – When this mode is selected the note length is defined by the Duration parameter instead of the note off message. The grey area in the waveform display visualizes the duration time (see below). The duration time can be edited using the dial or by dragging the end of the grey area. Duration time is defined as a percentage of the sample’s area between start point and sample end. Note that when Legato is enabled, samples loaded in different eSamplers (in a drum rack for example) will cut each other off, which is useful for different applications (finger drumming for example).

• Slices – When this mode is selected the eSampler will create multiple start points (slices) and map these slices to different midi notes (from C1 and up). You can always manually add/delete slices by Alt+Clicking in the waveform.

When the slices are created you can add more slices or delete slices by Alt+Clicking in the waveform.

You need to edit transients manually and store them before EboSuite can use them to create slices. This is due to the fact that Ableton doesn’t allow direct access to the transients unfortunately. To edit the transients load the video on an audio track and open the sample section of the clip editor. When Warp is enabled, the transients are visible above the audio waveform. Ctrl+Click on a transient and select ‘Delete Transient(s)’. Deleting a transient and pressing ‘Save’, will update all current transients in the .asd file so EboSuite can use them to create slices.

Change the panning of the sample’s sound by dragging the ‘Pan’ dial.

A PreRoll note plays back the visual part of the sample only, not the sound. Try different PreRoll times to find the right visual effect. If you choose a high PreRoll time, but place the note close to the original note, the visual effect will get more ‘cartoony’ and a visual rhythm will look more ‘snappy’.

Pre-Roll – Tutorial (version 1.6)

The eSampler (and eSimpler) has the ability to record video live. When a recording is made, the video is automatically loaded into the eSampler and ready for use immediately. A great feature to make a live performance a real live experience.

To record video with the eSampler, at least one eVideoIn plug-in needs to be present anywhere in the Live Set.

Note: do not add the eVideoIn plug-in on the same track as the eSampler. The eVideoIn is a video source as well, so that might cause issues.

An ID is automatically assigned to the eVideoIn plug-in. This ID is used to connect an eSampler to the eVideoIn plug-in. This way, multiple eVideoIn plug-ins can be present in the Live Set (connected to different cameras), connected to different eSamplers (and eSimplers).

On the eSampler set the ID to the ID of the eVideoIn you want to record from. Press the button next to the ID number box to set the ID to the ID of the eVideoIn plug-in added to the Live Set last.

The ID on the eSampler can be changed live with automation or a controller, so an eSampler can record video from any eVideoIn plug-in at any point in time. The ID of the eVideoIn plug-in is taken from the position of the track in the Live Set. When the track is moved to another position in the Live Set the ID changes. The ID on the eSamplers/eSimplers will automatically change as well in that case.

When the Manual/Automatic switch is set to Manual, recording is started and stopped pressing the record button manually or activating it with track automation or a controller.

When the Manual/Automation switch is set to Automatic, recording is started and stopped with the record button on the eVideoIn plug-in the eSampler is linked to (with the ID). This way, multiple eSamplers/eSimplers can receive a video recorded with the same eVideoIn plug-in.

Click the arrow in the lower right corner of the eSampler’s interface to reveal the ‘File Region Editor’. Use this editor to increase or decrease the length of the loaded region of the current file, while maintaining the start position and other settings. You can also use the File Region Editor to convert the currently loaded video sample (the loaded region of the source video) to the Hap video codec.

Decreasing the length will free up RAM. This is especially useful when only a small part of the loaded file is used in the composition and you need to free up RAM space to load more samples. This makes it easier to work with lengthy video files in the design phase of the composition process, giving you the flexibility to try out different start points in a file. In a later stage, when it is clearer which portion of the files will be used in the composition you can easily remove the unused parts.

You can also set the region in point before the beginning of the loaded region by entering a negative value in the number box. This will increase the length of the region. Increasing the length will reveal the events that are happening in the parts of the file that were not loaded initially. This makes it easy to search for other parts of the file that might be interesting to use in your composition.

Use the number boxes to set the new start and end point. Clicking the Load New Region button will reload the file with the new start and end time. Clicking the Load Complete File button will load the complete source file. In both cases the start time and other settings will not change. Because the parameter settings remain the same, changing the file region will not affect the composition, except for the behaviour of the OneShot Duration and the loop length in Relative Looped Playback mode, since the length/duration in these two cases is related to the time between the start point and the end of the file.

When the Convert to Hap button is pressed, the eSampler converts the currently loaded video sample to the Hap video codec. This will create a new video file next to the original video file on your harddisk. The eSampler will automatically replace the loaded video sample with this newly created Hap encoded video file.

We recommend you to convert video samples that you use a lot, use for advanced video triggering or combine with many other samples simultaneously. The Hap video codec is optimised for live video and therefore will offer you the best performance and reliability in EboSuite when you are using a Solid State Drive (SSD). You can also use the eConvert plug-in and the AVF Batch converter to convert videos to Hap. Read more about video codecs in this section of the manual.