Skinnerbox Time and Timbre 2 for Ableton Live

The updated Time & Timbre comes crammed with devices for integrating its unique groove capabilities throughout your music-making process. It’s now compatible with the new Push – but whatever way you use it you’ll be brimming with rhythmic ideas.

In the process of updating their Time & Timbre for the new Push, Skinnerbox have ramped up the toolkit's creative capabilities. Now you can use Time to experiment with intricate polyrhythms, subtle variations and unique swing – then apply all that groove throughout your productions.

Here’s a rundown of Time & Timbre’s features:

Time is great for complex polyrhythms, subtle rhythmic variations and adding a unique swing to drums. For each of its six channels, you can define sequence length and beat divisions freely and independently. Apply swing to any notes in your pattern (not only 4ths, 8ths and 16ths) or add accents and rolls to individuals steps.

Timbre consists of five drum synth modules. They’re great for synthesizing punchy, crisp drums – and equally as good for making completely unconventional sounds. Add to your patterns any degree of subtle variation or chaos: randomize each drum voice, or modulate its parameters using the Time’s internal LFOs or the external TimeLFO device.

Time Sting is a sequence generator – great for firing up ideas for leads and basslines with any soft or external synth. You can randomize sequences or take detailed control over parameters, as well as export from the sequencer into MIDI clips. And as the smiley face suggests, it’s happiest making acid-style lines.

Time Delay uses Time’s groove engine to create a rhythmic delay that fits perfectly alongside a swinging groove. Instead of on-the-grid echoes, you can sync the effect to Time for an effect that’s full of rhythmic complexity.

Time LFO lets you control any MIDI parameter with polyrhythmic, groove-induced modulations. Or slave it to the Time sequencer to modulate parameters with the exact same swing peculiarities.

Time LFO.CV outputs a control voltage through your audio interface to control your external analog hardware. The device also sends out a clock signal, so if you have sequencers with clock input TimeLFO.CV can send them groovey signals (Note that you will need an interface with DC-coupled outputs for proper operation).
Integration with Push

Time & Timbre can take over Push’s sequencer with a completely customized layout. The setup reimagines how to use the unit to build beats and trigger patterns.
Free devices for modular setups

Available for free on the Skinnerbox site is another pair of creative CV devices. CV4Live lets you control any Live parameter by translating an incoming audio signal into control information, while Clock4Live allows you to use analog clocks and triggers with Live. Use Live as an extension of your modular synthesizer: control Live’s tempo, modulate samples with your hardware LFOs, fire one-shots using your Eurorack sequencers – let your wires run wild!