User Manual

CHAPTER 17. INSTRUMENT, DRUM AND EFFECT RACKS 230
17.1 An Overview of Racks
17.1.1 Signal Flow and Parallel Device Chains
In any of Live's tracks, devices are connected serially in a device chain, passing their signals
from one device to the next, left to right. By default, the Track View displays only a single
chain, but there is actually no limit to the number of chains contained within a track.
Racks allow (among other things) additional device chains to be added to any track. When a
track has multiple chains, they operate in parallel: In Instrument and Effect Racks, each chain
receives the same input signal at the same time, but then processes its signal serially through
its own devices. The output of each of the parallel chains is mixed together, producing the
Rack's output.
Drum Racks also allow multiple parallel chains to be used simultaneously, but their chains
process input somewhat differently: Rather than receiving the same input signals, each
Drum Rack chain receives input from only a single assigned MIDI note.
The entire contents of any Rack can be thought of as a single device. This means that adding
a new Rack at any point in a device chain is no different than adding any other device, and
Racks can contain any number of other Racks. If more devices are placed after a Rack in a
track's device chain, the Rack's output is passed on to them, as usual.
17.1.2 Macro Controls
The Macro Controls.
One unique property of Racks are their Macro Controls.