Pomodoro
A productivity timer for Ableton Live.
The idea behind this device is straightforward — start the timer as a commitment to a short sprint. “Whatever happens, I can and will make forward progress for 25 minutes.” That’s a specific, measurable, achievable goal, whether it’s to limit the time you’ll spend seeking a preset, programming a beat, or improvising different melodies.
At the end of the work period, take a break, no matter what you’re working on or where you’re at. It’s very easy to lose yourself in a marathon session, throwing yourself at the same problem over and over again. Take that moment to step away. Go on a walk, meditate, catch up on email, read an article. A short respite can be just what’s needed to return to the problem with clarity, fresh eyes and ears and ideas.
I’ve been extremely interested in exploring simple tools with universal utility as m4l devices and what opportunities the tight integration with the music-making process might open up. This project is a good example – I have plenty of Pomodoro/productivity apps at my disposal, what justifies it as a m4l device? Personally I think there’s an inherit placebo to the sheer novelty of it, and any small nudge to make use of the system while I’m working is already a benefit. From a technical standpoint, the only Live-related feature in play here is the transport will stop when it’s time to take a break (unless you’re recording). I think there are lot more ways to take advantage of Live API access here, and would love to hear discuss some ideas in this thread.
Requirements
Ableton Live
Max for Live
Download
v1.0.0 - https://patches.zone/max-for-live/pomodoro
Mirror - https://www.dropbox.com/s/gk6i05w6a4nsvlq/Pomodoro%20-%20pATCHES.zip?dl=0
