Chiastic Slide is a Max for Live device that acts as a crossfader to a multi-chain device such as a Group Track, Instrument Rack or Audio Effect Rack. It can handle up to 32 chains, with control over the crossfade width.
Chains or child tracks are shown as colored balls on the perimeter of a circle. You can control a virtual mic with the Direction control. The "pickup pattern" of the mic can be controlled with the Width and Curve controls.
This allows you to have multiple chains of parallel material, instruments, or effects and fade between them while time marches forward.
I created this plugin when I saw that the Abelton's Rack devices (Instrument Rack, Audio Effect Rack) Chain Selector parameter only controlled input rather than output. I was looking to have any number of sounds playing simultaneously, but be able to smoothly fade between them without disrupting time.
Traditionally, you can use this to fade between several different tracks, instruments, or effects chains. Load up a few different pads in an Instrument Rack and give it a try by adding Chiastic Slide right after the rack.
If you're interested in this, then you may also be interested in my other device called SimulScrub.
Download the .amxd file from the latest release or clone this repository, and drag the ChiasticSlide.amxd device into a track in Ableton Live.
- 2024-09-13 v5 - Track changes in track/chain colors and children adding/removing/reordering.
- 2024-09-10 v4 - Re-imagine UI as a circle, add a Curve control.
- 2024-04-27 v3 - Support group tracks. Provide a visual for volumes.
- 2024-01-15 v2 - Pretty big rework to fix an undo buffer flood bug.
- 2024-01-09 v1 - Initial Release (download disabled).
Add this device to a Group Track or immediately after an Instrument Rack or Audio Effect Rack device.
Direction - Controls where the virtual microphone is pointed.
Width - Adjust how many adjacent sources are audible, i.e. the "pickup pattern" of the mic.
Curve - Adjusts the falloff of the pickup pattern. Low values raise the volume of adjacent sources.
Min Vol - The minimum volume level.
Max Vol - Maximum volume level.
Rescan - Click this if you add, remove, or change the color of tracks/chains.
- Improve the visual display of the 'Curve' value.
- Automatically rescan if tracks/chains are added, removed, or recolored.
- ...
I'd love it if others extended this device. If you would like to contribute, simply fork this repo, make your changes, and open a pull request and I'll have a look.