Update Dec. 2011:
Version 1.2.5-2 fixes a bug when connecting multiple MIDI Remote Scripts to the same device.

Update Nov. 2011:
Version 1.2.5 adds fold/unfold automation lane in Arrangement.

SelectedTrackControl is a MIDI Remote Script (a.k.a. Control Surface) for Ableton Live. It adds support for controlling the currently selected track and device as well as other global controls via simple, common MIDI-messages. Among them are:

  • arm (record-enable), solo and mute the selected track
  • control volume, pan and send levels of the selected track
  • navigate devices and control parameters
  • toggle monitoring from On, In, Off on the selected track
  • toggle metronome, overdub, punch-in/-out, record without manually assigning them
  • tempo control: in-/decrease; tap tempo (Live 8 only)
  • navigate session-view without it having focus (up/down, left/right, first/last)
  • launch scenes and clips: next/previous, next/previous available (what is this?)
  • … and lots of other stuff …

For full reference see the MIDI implementation chart.
 

How can I use SelectedTrackControl?
Several ways to make it work for you

  1. If your MIDI device can be programmed: SelectedTrackControl defines a default set of MIDI messages on which it reacts to. Programm your MIDI device to send the MIDI messages defined in the MIDI implementation chart.
  2. If your MIDI device can NOT be programmed (or it bothers you to do so): the MIDI messages, that SelectedTrackControl reacts to, can be customized by editing its settings.py file. This is a Python-file, but basic programming skills should be enough to get started; documentation is inside this file.
  3. Use it with Kimidi to add keyboard shortcuts to Ableton Live: Kimidi transforms global keyboard shortcuts into MIDI messages, which are sent to the SelectedTrackControl MIDI Remote Script. This makes it possible to control the currently selected track in Live with keyboard shortcuts – e.g. hit ctrl+R to arm, ctrl+S to solo, etc. See the full list of keyboard shortcuts.

 

Update Nov. 2011:
Version 1.2.5 adds

  • fold/unfold automation lane in Arrangement

Update Nov. 2011:
Version 1.2.4 adds

  • crossfader assignment and control
  • cue volume
  • fixed navigation with folded tracks

Update Sept. 2011:
Version 1.2 adds

  • device control with the possibility to control more than 8 parameters at once as well as banking through sets of parameters, custom best-of parameters
  • view control to control what is visible in Live’s GUI
  • keyboard shortcut-app is now stand-alone (called Kimidi) to make the distinction between the MIDI Remote Script and the app more clear

Update Jun. 2011:
Version 1.1.8 adds:

  • auto-arm track on selection
  • scrubbing in Arrangement-View
  • select playing clip-slot in Session-View

Update Feb. 2011:
Version 1.1 adds several highly requested features, such as:

  • Auto-arm on selection arms a track automatically – as a default this is turned off
  • Solo kill deactivates any active soloing on any track
  • Mute flip mutes active tracks and unmutes muted tracks
  • Tap Tempo (Live 8 only)
  • Support for absolute and relative MIDI CC values (7-bit only)
  • Control unlimited number of sends (there are 8 predefined, but settings support more)

Download and install
SelectedTrackControl

Download STC (1.2.7)

for Live 8 (most of it should work in 7 too)

 
Note: the download only contains the MIDI Remote Script for Live. If you want global keyboard shortcuts to control Live, have a look at Kimidi below.

Kimidi ['ki:mi:di]
Extended keyboard shortcuts for Live!

Kimidi is an extension to SelectedTrackControl and adds keyboard shortcuts to control the currently selected track in Live – e.g. hit ctrl+R to arm, ctrl+S to solo, etc.

Kimidi transforms global keyboard shortcuts into MIDI messages, which are sent to the SelectedTrackControl MIDI Remote Script inside Live.

Download Kimidi (v1.2.7)

Intel+PPC, Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) or higher

Not on Mac? Check out Windows integration


License / Get source

SelectedTrackControl is licensed under the
Simplified BSD License / FreeBSD License.
You can find the source code on github.


Feedback, Bugs, Ideas

If you have ideas for further controls or how to improve the software, please use this thread at the Ableton Forum.

If you like this software, please consider making a donation via PayPal in the top right corner of this page.


Credits

Credits go to Pete Yandell for providing PYMIDI for free and Manuel from Ruin & Wesen for getting me started on MIDI Remote Scripts with this great blog post.