Mareq Live Control

Pacer Edition

version 1.1
date 30.8.2021
Workflow Mode

Workflow Mode defines the behavior of Mareq Live Control. This chapter is fundamental for
understanding the looping possibilities that the Mareq Live Control device provides and gives the basis for
the next chapters.

Light
In this mode, clip slots of the selected scene are managed. Pacer’s stomp switches 1-6, A-B represent
the first eight tracks of Live and trigger clip slots of the selected scene. Pacer’s stomp switches LED lights
represent the playing status of clip slots of the selected scene. This behavior is called Scene Mode.

Stomp switch Short press Long press

1-6, A-B trigger track’s clip slot of the play only this track’s clip slot / restore playing of all
selected scene previously played tracks (clip slots)

Down (C) select next scene undo

Up (D) select previous scene play all scene clips

Complex (Full version only functionality)

In this mode, clip slots of whole tracks are managed, rather than of the selected scene. Pacer’s stomp
switches 1-6 represent six tracks of Live. If there was a previously played clip slot of a managed track,
this last played clip slot is triggered, regardless of which scene is selected (if there was no previously
played clip slot, the clip slot of the currently selected scene is triggered, as in Scene Mode). New clip of
the particular track is recorded into the first empty clip slot downward the selected scene. This provides a
convenient way of gradually recording new clips of the tracks while the song is evolving, without a need of
selecting scenes.

Managed tracks are identified by their names containing text markers "[1]"-"[6]" (each marker can be
used only once). Therefore, tracks of any position (and in any order) can be managed in Live. If the
managed track is a group track, the stomp switch manages all the sub-tracks of the group track: records
sub-tracks one by one gradually, or triggers all the sub-tracks. This is useful for overdubbing, even of
audio clips.

-2-
This behavior is called Tracks Mode. Short-pressing the Down/Up stomp switch temporarily switches to
Scene Mode (for 3 seconds and until the end of the last metronome bar). Long-pressing the Down stomp
switch toggles between Scene Mode and Tracks Mode.

Stomp switch Short press Long press

1-6 trigger track’s last played clip slot (if play only this track’s clip slot / restore playing
there is no last played clip slot, of all previously played tracks (clip slots)
trigger clip slot of the selected scene)

Track (A) undo delete all managed tracks clips

Transport (B) record one more clip record multiple clips mode toggle

Down (C) select next scene Scene Mode / Tracks Mode toggle

Up (D) select previous scene play all tracks

Custom (Full version only functionality)

Dedicated for user defined custom workflow modes. To edit workflow modes the mareq_live_conf.js file
needs to be edited (javascript format). The file contains all the needed documentation.

Default definition of Custom 1 workflow mode:

Same as Complex, but the first six tracks of Live are managed, rather than tracks identified by text
markers in their names. Operates in Tracks Mode with Scene Mode / Tracks Mode toggle switch.

Default definition of Custom 2 workflow mode:

All stomp switches (1-6, A-D) represent the first 10 tracks of Live. Operates in Scene Mode.

-3-
Configuration

Configure Pacer in Live

● Turn on Pacer and run Ableton Live.
● From Live’s menu choose Live - Preferences…
● In the Preferences window choose Link/Tempo/MIDI tab.
● In MIDI Ports section check the Track checkboxes for both:
○ In: PACER (MIDI1) (or In: PACER on Windows machines)
○ Out: PACER (MIDI1) (or Out: PACER on Windows machines)

● Be sure not to set up Pacer in the MIDI Control Surfaces section, as it can interfere with Mareq
Live Control!!!
● Do not use PACER (MIDI2) (or PACER (Port 2) on Windows machines) in the MIDI Ports section,
as it is dedicated to MackieControl protocol and can interfere with Mareq Live Control!!!

-4-
Configure Pacer track in Live
● Insert new MIDI track in Live.
● Set MIDI From to:
○ PACER (MIDI1) (or PACER on Windows machines)
○ All Channels
● Set Monitor to In.
● Set MIDI To to:
○ PACER (MIDI1) (or PACER on Windows machines)
○ Ch. 1

-5-
Load Mareq Live Control device in Live
● Copy mareq_live_control folder to desired location on your HD or directly to your Live project
folder.
● Show Device View of the Pacer track in Live (see the bottom right tab in Live).
● Drag the file Mareq Live Control Pacer Edition 1.0.amxd from mareq_live_control folder to
the Device View in Live.

Or instead of inserting the Mareq Live Control device into your project, you can use the bundled Mareq
Live Control live set template - see the dedicated chapter below.

-6-
Operation

Preparation
● Show Pacer’s track’s Device View with a loaded Mareq Live Control device.
● Choose desired Workflow Mode (see the dedicated chapter Workflow Mode for detailed
description).
● Press Preset stomp switch on Pacer.
● Choose Configure Pacer button in Mareq Live Control device - will load preset configuration to
Pacer, configure Pacer’s stomp switches functions and LED colors. Track stomp switches LED
colors are set according to Live’s tracks colors.

Current Preset is configured in the Pacer’s operational memory; nothing is stored to the Pacer’s preset
banks memory. The Current Preset will remain configured also after Pacer is turned off/on. When you
switch Pacer to a different Preset, the Current Preset is overwritten by the new Preset loaded from
Pacer’s bank memory. To store the configured Current Preset to a Pacer’s bank memory (e.g. in case of
switching Presets live), follow these instructions on Pacer:
● Move the Data Encoder wheel on Pacer to Save and confirm it (press Data Encoder wheel).
● Then using the Data Encoder wheel choose Store, specify a destination bank (A1-D6) and
confirm it.

Complex mode manages Live’s tracks, whose names contain the text markers “[1]”-”[6]” (left angle
bracket, stomp switch number, right angle bracket). Just edit corresponding tracks’ names in Live - add
the text marker at the end of the track’s name. (Full version only functionality)

-7-
Pacer’s stomp switches LED lights feedback
Pacer’s stomp switches LED lights indicate the state of respective managed tracks in Live.

LED light Status

off empty clip slot, track not armed (not record-enabled)

alternating every eight note empty clip slot, track armed

blinking rapidly triggered for recording/playing/stop

on clip recording/playing

blinking every quarter note existing clip in clip slot, stopped

As Pacer currently does not offer the possibility to change the stomp switch LED colors during the performance, red colors are not
used for recording clips. We hope this feature will be added in the future.

Indicate track arm status toggle can be used to disable track armed LED light indication. Suitable when
more tracks are manually armed in Live, to prevent distraction by Pacer LED lights in live performance. In
such a case, “clip not playing” and “track armed” LED statuses could be confused.

Automatic track arming (record-enabling)

The Mareq Live Control device automatically implicitly arms the actually selected track. Also, when used
in conjunction with a Push device, it prevents actually selected track to be implicitly unarmed by the Push
device (usually done when exiting Note mode on Push).

-8-
Reset
When changing tracks positions, adding a new or deleting existing track, or otherwise changing tracks
layout or parameters in Live, Mareq Live Control device needs to reinitialize its internal logic and
assignments to function properly. Therefore, the Reset button of the Mareq Live Control device needs to
be chosen.

Also use this button in case of any anomalies.

Recording and triggering clips, recording more clips

The standard flow of recording and playing clips:

● Press track stomp switch on Pacer - selects the respective track in Live.
○ If the track was already armed, it starts recording a clip in the clip slot.
○ If the track was not armed, implicitly arms the respective track - so the next subsequent
press on the track stomp switch will start recording a clip.
● The clip is recorded in a specific clip slot according to the active Scene / Tracks Mode (see the
chapter Workflow Mode).
● Pressing a track stomp switch again triggers the just recorded clip for playing.
● Pressing again triggers the clip to be stopped.
● And so on.

If the Scene Mode is active, clip slots/clips of the selected scene are triggered.

If the Tracks Mode is active, the Mareq Live Control device remembers which clip slot of each managed
track was last played, and triggers this clip slot, rather than the selected scene clip slot. (Full version only
functionality)

To record one more clip in a specific track: (Full version only functionality)

● Press Transport (B) stomp switch on Pacer - toggles record one more mode.
● Press the desired track stomp switch on Pacer.
● Actual playing clip of the track is being stopped and a new clip is to be recorded into the first
empty clip slot of the track (searching for the first empty clip slot downward the selected scene).
● Record one more mode is toggled to standard mode.

-9-
 Record one more clip can be triggered also while recording a previous clip - this will stop
recording the previous clip and trigger it to be played, and simultaneously starts recording a new clip into
the first empty clip slot. This is useful in conjunction with group tracks for immediate overdubs (see also
chapter Group tracks).

To record multiple clips of any tracks: (Full version only functionality)

● Long-press the Transport (B) stomp switch on Pacer - enters record multiple mode.
● Press the desired track stomp switch on Pacer - records one more clip in the respective track.
● Repeat.
● To exit the record multiple mode press the Transport (B) stomp switch on Pacer again.

Double-press of the track stomp switch will immediately trigger recording of a new clip while the
previous clip is being recorded. First press stops recording of a previous clip and triggers it to be played;
second press starts recording a new clip into the first empty clip slot.

Immediate recording of clips

First press of the track stomp switch selects and arms the respective track, the second press fires the
track for recording. If you would like to start recording a track’s clip immediately after the first press of the
track stomp switch, you can pre-arm the desired tracks manually (you need to turn off Exclusive - Arm
option in Live’s preferences to be able to manually arm multiple tracks - see the chapter with
recommended Live preferences below).

Play single track clip / restore previously played tracks clips

This technique is useful for playing a single clip and then restoring all previously played clips. Provides a
convenient way of performing song bridges or interlude sections.

● Long-press the desired track stomp switch on Pacer - triggers the desired track clip slot for
playing and stops other tracks clip slots. The Mareq Live Control device remembers which clip
slots of which tracks were being played before playing this single track clip.
● To restore previously played clips long-press the same track stomp switch again - triggers all
previously played clips to be played again. Also, when a different clip of the pressed track was
played before, this previous clip is restored for playing again and the actual clip is stopped.

- 10 -
Group tracks (Full version only functionality)

If the track stomp switch manages a group track, then the stomp switch also manages all the sub-tracks
of the group track. Using group tracks is useful for gradually recording clips of sub-tracks, which is useful
for overdubbing, even of audio clips.

● Pressing a track stomp switch records the clip slot in the first sub-track.
● Then pressing a track stomp switch triggers/stops the sub-tracks of the group track - in this case
only the first sub-track has a clip, only the first sub-track is triggered.

● Record one more/record multiple will record a clip in the next sub-track with an empty clip slot.
● If all sub-tracks have clips in the respective scene, searching for the empty clip slot continues in
the next scene from first sub-track to last sub-track, etc.
● After clip slots of more sub-tracks are recorded, all the sub-tracks with clips in their clip slots are
triggered. Which clip slots are triggered depends on active Scene / Tracks Mode.

- 11 -
Recommended Live preferences
Live preferences, that are good to mention (Live menu - Preferences…).

Audio tab

In/Out Sample Rate Try to achieve as low as possible latency (Input Latency and
Buffer Size Output Latency = Overall Latency) without drop outs of audio.

Record/Warp/Launch tab

Exclusive - Arm Useful to turn off this preference, plus manually arm audio tracks -
pressing the track stomp switch will immediately start recording
the respective track, without a need to first select/arm it.

Default Launch Mode Like it to be Toggle, when used in conjunction with a Push device.
This setting does not change the behavior of the Mareq Live
Control device.

- 12 -
Prepared Live Set templates
Mareq Live Control Light.als - Live set template for demonstration of Light Workflow Mode.
● Works in Scene Mode.
● Three MIDI (piano, strings, drums) and five audio (3x guitar loops, 2x vocals loops) looping
tracks.
● One live mic and one live guitar track.
● Set correct inputs of live mic and live guitar tracks.
● Turn Pacer on, select Pacer IN/OUT track, show Mareq Live Control device, press Configure
Pacer.
● Optional: Turn on Indicate arm status in the Mareq Live Control device.

Mareq Live Control Complex.als (Full version only functionality) - Live set template for demonstration of
Complex Workflow Mode with group tracks overdubbing.
● Works in Tracks Mode with Scene Mode toggle.
● Three MIDI (piano, strings, drums) and one audio (guitar) looping tracks, plus two audio (guitar
loops and vocal loops with overdubbing) looping group tracks.
● One live mic and one live guitar track.
● Audio looping tracks manually armed (record-enabled).
● Managed tracks identified by [1]-[6] text markers.
● Set correct inputs of live mic and live guitar tracks.
● It is highly recommended to turn off the Exclusive-Arm preference in Live (see the chapter
Recommended Live preferences) before opening the Live Set, as more audio tracks are initially
armed. Otherwise only a single track will be armed.
● Turn Pacer on, select Pacer IN/OUT track, show Mareq Live Control device, press Configure
Pacer.
● Optional: Turn off Indicate arm status in the Mareq Live Control device.

- 13 -
On Windows machines, change both “MIDI From” and “MIDI To” fields of “Pacer IN/OUT” track to
“PACER”, not “PACER (MIDI1)”.

- 14 -
Support
Thank you for using Mareq Live Control. We believe it will enhance many of your performances.

Feel free to contact us anytime you have any questions.

www.mareq.com
mareq.tech@gmail.com

- 15 -
Light Workflow Mode Layout

- 16 -
Complex Workflow Mode Layout (Full version only functionality)

- 17 -