Meyer Devices MIDI Tools Volume 1

Designed by Max Certified Trainer Philip Meyer, MIDI Tools Volume 1 supercharges your creativity directly in Live 12’s MIDI clips.

What's Included? 10 in total

• Blocks

• Condition Transform

• Develop

• Divs

• Draw

• Feel

• Pattern Transform

• Segment

• Shift

• Turing Machine

The Devices

Generators

Blocks

Blocks is a rhythm generator for Ableton Live that uses proportions to create uneven divisions of the MIDI Clip. It can be thought of as an additive or proportional rhythm tool.

Turing Machine

A MIDI Tools interpretation of the Music Thing Modular Turing Machine sequencer. Uses randomness and a 16-bit shift register to generate pitches and rhythmic patterns in a highly musical way.

Transformers

Condition Transform

A versatile MIDI clip manipulator designed to create selective variations. Notes are targeted based on pitch, velocity, duration, or chance value. Enables precise techniques like ratcheting and subdivision—even in complex clips.

Develop

Modifies the complexity of a MIDI clip over time. Ideal for evolving a pattern by gradually introducing or removing notes in each loop cycle. Great for adding build-up or stripping down without adjusting volume or arrangement.

Divs

Subdivides notes in a MIDI clip to create ratchets, tuplets, or nested rhythms. Particularly effective for adding intricate rhythmic flourishes or rolls to patterns.

Draw

Enables rapid editing of pitch, velocity, and chance using the mouse. Works similarly to editing in the piano roll but is faster and intentionally less precise—making it a powerful tool for quickly introducing variation.

Feel

In Basic mode, Feel functions as a swing control. In Advanced mode, it becomes a microtiming editor for detailed rhythmic adjustment.

Pattern Transform

A highly capable MIDI clip manipulator for generating pattern variations. Whether the goal is to thin out a beat, add density, or create melodic shifts within a scale, this tool offers robust, musical transformations.

Segment

Combines features of Divs and Condition Transform. Uses a histogram to display notes by duration, allowing selective subdivision and transformation based on note length. Includes quantisation and a Division Mode to maintain rhythmic cohesion.

Shift

A remixing tool that independently rotates note attributes such as pitch, velocity, or timing. Simple yet powerful for producing both subtle and dramatic variations in melodic and rhythmic phrases.

Where should I install my MIDI Tools?

Your Live 12 User Library should include a folder called MIDI Tools, and that’s the best spot to store them. If you don’t see that folder there by default, no worries — you can manually add it yourself. 

Once the MIDI Tools are in there, give Live a minute or so to detect them. After a minute or so, they should appear in the corresponding MIDI Tool panel of Live’s MIDI clip note editor.

Please note: MIDI Tools are not the same as devices: they work directly in the note editor and cannot be dragged onto tracks like devices can.

What Is Max for Live?

Max For Live is a powerful platform that allows producers to create custom instruments and audio effects from a vast library of tools. It boasts intuitive workflow and performance capabilities, allowing producers to quickly create and share their work. With Max For Live, producers can take their creativity to the next level.