aurora + max5 + ableton live 7

windows xp & os x setup guide
www.auroramixer.com
document version 1.0.1
Introduction
This guide helps you setup aurora using either Windows or OS X.  Currently the windows version is either bundled as an installer or as a separate application.  No installer exists for the OS X version, it is application only.  Note: this compiled version is for the "preset" version of controlling the RGB LEDs.

Lastest Manual [here] or http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgrv829m_6cb9zztrd

For technical support visit the forum and if the issue can't be resolved please email auroramixer@gmail.com

Setup
Required Download (windows xp)

Two options are available.  If the installer + application was downloaded no additional files are necessary to install.  If just the application was downloaded several files must be downloaded.  All source files are included in the max5 source directory.
windows installer+application     

 

windows application only     

 

 
aurora224 Control unzipped (xp)
 
Required Download (os x)

os x application only 

 

 

 


Application Setup
Configuring IAC (os x only)

Ensure that IAC is enabled (Device is online).  This must be configured before you start the aurora224 Control application.  You may also rename the port to make it easier to see in the other applications.

Configuring IAC for OS X

Configuring Live 7 + Max 5
These next instructions show how to setup Ableton Live 7 and the Max5 executible.  The ambient lighting engine is compatible with Live 7 and has been tested with Live 6 as well.  Previous versions may also work.  The ambient lighting engine is not compatible with any Live Lite version as the rewire engine is not fully supported in Ableton Live Lite versions.
  1. Setting up Ableton Live
    Assuming basic familiarity with Live, start the program and bring up the preferences menu (ctrl + ,) (apple + ,) and click on the Midi / Sync menu option.  Assuming that Midi Yoke has been installed, and that you are using no other control surfaces or other midi ports, configure your midi settings like the image below.  This tells Live that it will listen to MIDI data on virtual Midi Yoke output 1.  The number of the virtual MIDI port is important, we will set our MIDI output in Max5 to the same port.  You can now close the preferences and leave Live running.
 
Ableton Midi Preferences for aurora + max5 (xp)

Ableton Midi Preferences for aurora + max5 (os x) (value scaling can be off)
 
  1. Starting up aurora224 Control 
    After setting up Live, you are ready to run the control program set up the MIDI and serial port.  If the aurora mixer is not plugged in already, do so now.  When loaded the program automatically finds all MIDI and serial ports on the computer.  After setting the up ports, it saves them as defaults so that configuring the ports can be skipped next time.  A debug window can be brough up by pressing (ctrl + m) or (apple + m). 

Max5 Aurora Control Screen (xp+osx)

  1. Configuring the MIDI Output

    Click the menu below "refresh midi" to pick the output you wish to use.   For XP select "Out to MIDI Yoke: 1"  For OS X select "IAC Driver Bus 1"  If you named your IAC bus, you should see IAC Bus "name".  Now Max and Ableton are able to share MIDI data through the a virtual MIDI port.  See the image below:
 
 
 
 
Configuring the MIDI output in the software (xp+osx)
 
 
  1. Setting Up the Serial Port
    The next step specify which serial port to listen to.  The software will receive and transmit information on this port.  When the program starts up, it will find all available serial ports on the computer.  Click "Find Ports" will refresh the available serial ports.  Click "Check Open Port" to have the menu display what serial port you are connected to.

    On windows, aurora is connected to a COM port, on OSX it will register as a USBSERIAL-XXXXXXXX device where the last eight characters are a serial number.
Configuring the aurora Serial Port (xp+osx)

  1. Setting Up the Ambient Lighting

    One last step is required if you wish to use the LED lighting while you use aurora with Ableton Live.  Live shares tempo information with the software using the rewire engine.  No extra configuring of Live is required but program needs to know that it is being used as a rewire slave.  The order in which you start the programs is important:
    1. Start Ableton Live first, before you start the software, doing so allows Ableton Live to function as a Rewire Master
    2. After you have restarted Live, restart the aurora224 Control program.  Double click the [dac~] object (next to the start and stop buttons in the patch) to tell Max that you will be using the rewire driver.  If you double click the object, a DSP Status menu will pop up.  If Live is running you can change the Audio status to "On." Pressing the stop button on the patch will turn it off.  Select "ad_rewire" next to the driver menu on DSP Status menu, this tells Max to use rewire.  The ambient lighting engine only works when Live is running, to test the setup, press the play button in Live, the LEDs should start changing colors.

      If there are rewire wires, bring up the debug window (ctrl+m, apple+m) to show the rewire errors.  If restarting the program does not work, try downloading the latest rewire driver from Propellerhead Software.
 
 

 
 
Configuring the Ambient Lighting and DSP Status of Patch (xp)
 
 
MIDI Mapping In Ableton Live
 
The setup is now complete.  aurora is now configured to work with Live, now configure your rack anyway you like.