Velocity For Autechre Type IDM Sequences In Ableton

Welcome to our guide to making Autechre style IDM sequences using the SQ sequencers in Ableton Live 12 and velocity to modulate Operator.

Here’s a preview of the sequence over a drum loop, bass and chord. You can get the Ableton rack for this sequencer free in the downloads section below and there’s a whole video of it in action below too….

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How to set up an Autechre style IDM sequence in Ableton… Step by step..

Here’s our step by step guide to setting up an IDM sequence like Autechre in Ableton Live. You do not need to do it yourself, you can download the rack in the Downloads section below, and then follow along. And if you need any further info there is a video of it in action below too.

Basically we’re going to set up the new SQ Sequencer to control Operator. I’m going to set up lots of velocity modulation in Operator, then use the Velocity row of the sequencer to sequence this modulation…

Step 1 – add an SQ Sequencer and Operator to an empty channel

Open up a channel and add in an SQ Sequencer, and Operator.

Step 2 – make each note a chord

I want to add the Chord midi effect. This will make every note in the sequence a chord. We want to make them into a minor chord for that melancholic sound. So between the sequencer and the Operator add a Chord unit and set it at 0 and +7.

You can add any chord you like really, I tried 0,+3,+7, but with all the modulations and FM it can get too thick.

Step 3 – add the Velocity midi effect

And I add a Velocity unit too and turn up the Random to 41. This adds random velocities on top of the ones that we will program into the sequencer, so there’s always lots of random changes to the sequence.

Step 4 – set up the Operator patch

Then I set up the Operator patch. I set the routing ‘(the tetris icon’ thing!) so I have Oscillators A, B and C all independent from each other, and D to add FM to them all. I like this as I can get 3 subtractive / analogue style oscillators and detune them a bit like a analogue synth patch. And then add FM too and get the best of both worlds. They’re all sinewaves, which are great for IDM. And I set the Osc<Vel for each oscillator to different values. This means that each notes will detune differently according to velocity and I can control this from the sequencer (and make it random too with that Velocity midi effect I added).

I also set up a filter envelope with a tight decay (189ms). And a low, LP. I set the Time<Vel to -38% so the envelope changes with Velocity. And I set Freq<Vel too which means the cutoff moves for each note in the Velocity lane of the sequencer too.

Now the Velocity row of the sequencer is going to result in a lot of movement in the sequence.

I also set up the pitch envelope to give it that wonky pitch bend sound, I also set the pitch envelope Time<Vel to -49% so again it changes with Velocity.

Step 5 – set the sequencer up

Set the sequencer up… I set the global sequence length to 7 so the loop is less than the bar and you get rolling sequences. But then I change the loop length for some of the parameters so they are all running at different loop lengths, and you get that constantly changing ‘modular’ effect.

I add some values to Octave so the note jump up an octave, and change the loop length to 6 so it’s different and off from the others. I then set the Velocity lane’s length to 5 so again it is off from the others and results in constantly changing sequences.

I then draw in values for Pitch and Velocity that sound good.

Step 6 – tweak everything

Then go back and tweak the synth and sequencer settings until you get something you like. I change the Random on the Velocity midi effect if it’s too much and all the Velocity modulation amounts in Operator. And obviously all the sequencer settings and Operator’s filter envelopes etc. There’s a lot of different things affecting the sound and it’s important they work well together.

Step 7 – set up effects processing

Set up the effects chains… I add a Phaser-Flanger effect after Operator with lots of feedback to for those alien/like feedback tones. Then an Overdrive unit for some drive. Then a Beat Repeat to chop and stutter the signal.

After that I add an Echo unit to delay the chopped up sequence. I set it to Ping pong for that nice stereo spread. I add an Autofilter after that to slightly low pass the very top end to soften the sound a b it. Then I add another Beat Repeat for more chops that include the previous chops and delays. Then an EQ8 to shape the sound. And last of all a Reverb unit with a 2.52s decay time for big IDM reverbed sound.

Step 8 – set up macros so I can ‘play’ the entire rack

I set up the macros so I can control everything in one place. You can see these in the free rack… I set up Random (the amount of random velocity in the Velocity midi effect), Strum (the pitch slur on the Chord midi effect), Time (opens or shorted all Operators envelopes in one go ), Pitch Env (the amount of Operator’s pitch envelope), Filter Freq (Operator’s Filter Cut Off), Filter Res (Operator’s Filter Resonance), Phaser (the phaser amount), Beat Rpt Chance1 (the chance of it repeating/stuttering), Beat Rpt Chance2 (the chance of it repeating/stuttering), Reverb Decay (the length of the reverb decay – great for builds).

I hope you found this useful, you can get the patch for free in the Downloads section below and you can see a video of it in action too.

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See also: our other IDM guides. You can find all the free Ableton presets here.

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The entire IDM rack:

Here’s the entire rack in 4 screenshots so you can see it in one go….

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Autechre Type IDM Sequences In Ableton Live – Video:

Here’s a video tutorial and run down of the rack on our Youtube channel….

Please subscribe to the youtube if you haven’t yet: youtube.com/@studiobrootle 

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