Clave Generator is a MIDI device created to help break creative ruts by allowing quick exploration of a wide range of rhythmic patterns. The device uses Ableton Live’s metronome as a clock source to generate clave-based rhythms.
Originally, the device was intended to run in the same meter as Live’s metronome. However, using a different meter for the device produces a polyrhythmic superposition of the generated clave against Live’s root metronome.
The device should be placed on a MIDI track before an instrument or drum device.
- Wide range of clave and rhythmic pattern generation
- Uses Ableton Live’s built-in metronome as a clock
- Independent meter support for polyrhythmic results
- Works with any MIDI instrument or drum rack
- Download this repository
- Place the device in your Ableton Live User Library
- Restart Ableton Live if required
- Create a MIDI track
- Insert Clave Generator
- Place an instrument or drum device after it
- Enable Ableton Live’s metronome
- Adjust the device parameters to explore rhythmic variations
To achieve polyrhythmic behavior, set the device’s meter differently from Live’s global time signature.
- Ableton Live
- MIDI track with an instrument or drum device
This work is licensed under the
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material
Under the following terms:
- Attribution — you must give appropriate credit
License text: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/