Dillon Bastan ChatDSP is a new M4L tool that lets you create any Max For Live device from a prompt in Ableton Live.
There are hundreds of Max for Live devices, both commercial and free. I’m pretty sure everyone can find their desired device.
However, if you can’t find your Lo-Fi enhancer, garbage distortion, shimmer reverb with double shimmer level, or the broken delay from another dimension, then you’ll have to build them yourself. This actually requires programming skills or at least skills in Max.
With ChatDSP, Dillon Bastan has released an M4L tool that lets anyone build Max for Live devices with simple prompts.
Dillon Bastan ChatDSP
ChatDSP is a new M4L device that lets you create any Synthesizer, instrument, audio effect, or MIDI FX from a prompt directly within Ableton.
Simply describe what you want it to make (a strawberry reverb, please) or any edits you would like to make, and the AI agent will create your device. Dillon Bastan says the sky is the limit with ChatDSP.
Yes, the whole thing uses AI and requires additional tools alongside the ChatDSP tool. You need to have an Anthropic or OpenAI account and purchase credits there to use them. The cost depends on the settings and complexity.
Dillon Bastan states here that he does not sell credits himself and that this is handled through the respective AI agent providers. It only offers the ChatDSP tool as an M4L device. Plus, it does not require any subscription.
Prompt Your M4L Device
Once you have created your device, you can save it and keep it forever without paying for it again. The steps to do this are very simple and are within the device itself and its resources, says Dillon Bastan.
He also says that it’s experimental software. Therefore, the quality of the results can vary greatly. The more complex the task, the more often the prompt needs improvement. Each device can have up to 48 parameters
Dillon Bastan ships ChatDSP with three devices for each type, including instrument, audio effect, and MIDI FX. Each type also comes with built-in parameters.
The instrument device comes with portamento, voices, transpose, amp ADSR, sample dropping, and access to pitch bend and mod wheel. Further, the audio FX has a dry/wet mix control and sample dropping for sample-based devices.
First Impression
At first glance, it’s an exciting tool to experiment with. We’ll have to see how good the results are. However, I also fear that this will trigger a wave of new commercial random M4L devices that have never been developed by a human.
There may certainly be some good things in there, but also a lot of unnecessary stuff designed to make money quickly.
Dillon Bastan ChatDSP is available now for $10 and requires Ableton Live 10/11 Suite or standard plus a Max For Live license.
More information here: Dillon Bastan
Be the first to comment