Ballata n° 8

Instructions

Ballata 8 is a piece for ensemble and fixed electronics, commissioned by the EOC (Ensemble Orchestral Contemporain), based in Lyon.
The electronics for the piece is made up of a 6ch channels sound file, running throughout the entire piece, plus 1 channel for the clicktrack to be send to the conductor’s headphone. During the performance, the conductor must follow the clicktrack, in order to assure an accurate rhythmical alignement between the fixed electronics and the ensemble.
The 7 channels are output from an Ableton Live Session, in which multiple stereo tracks, containing all the sounds created for the electronics, are routed using aux buses to 3 stereo output pairs: 1-2 (front), 3-4 (middle), 5-6 (back).

Audio and Loudspeakers Setup

The Ableton Live session for the electronics of this piece has 0 input and 7 outputs.
Global Sample Rate : 48 Khz.

The instruments in the ensemble must be amplified with aerial microphones, by families of instruments, in order to allow the sound engineer, from the mixing console, to achieve a correct mix by between the electronic sounds and the acoustic sounds of the ensemble.

The 6 channels of the electronics are organized in pairs, from FRONT (1-2), to MIDDLE (3-4), to BACK (5-6), and they are place around the audience, in a conventional circular form, or square.
The 7ch channel is reserved to the clicktrack for the conductor.

Patch Presentation

Software Installation

• Download and Install Ableton LIVE 11
• Download and install Max 8.5.5 (64 bits!).
• Download and Install Cycling 74 “MIRA”, on the iPad.
• In Ableton LIVE preferences panel, set the output driver for the audio card you’re using (for ex. Yamaha’s DANTE virtual soundcard).
• Set sampling rate to 48Khz.
• In the Audio input Configuration, enable outputs from 1 to 8
• In Ableton LIVE preference panel, go to MIDI preferences, and enable “from Max 1”, as shown in the picture below.

Initialization Routine

• Launch Ableton LIVE 11, then load « BALLATA-8_CONCERT_05_ParisCGP.als ».
• Launch Max, then load “ MasterFader.maxpat ”. Check that, when moving the master fader in the patch, the rotary dials which act as GAIN in the effects space of tracks G (OUT 1-2), H (OUT 3-4) and I (OUT 5-6) move altogether accordingly. If not the case, verify that you have well enabled “from Max 1” in Live’s midi preference panel.
• Create a dedicated wifi network on the computer, connect the iPad to it, and open MIRA. Or otherwise, a better solution is to connect the iPad via USB to the computer, in order to connect to it. Set the MIRA interface in the iPad in order to visualize correctly the Master Fader in the patch you just loaded. Set the desired value for the master fader, in order to begin the piece.
• Solo the clicktrack in the Ableton LIVE session and verify that the conductor can hear it, at the level he wants it.
• Press the space bar in live, in order to start the piece.

Performance Guidelines

A proper mix between the ensemble and the electronics of the piece is the most important aspect of the performance.
The relationship of importance between the electronics and the ensemble should be around 40 to 60. The electronics must complement the ensemble; without overpowering it.

To listen to a very good version of the piece, check out the video made by the EOC in 2023 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHjIp4DDkfM