Chance Ten by LDM Design

Overview & Inspiration

Chance TEN brings Brian Eno’s legendary probability techniques to Ableton Live through 10 focused MaxforLive devices that introduce controlled randomness into every aspect of your MIDI workflow.

When Brian Eno demonstrated his probability scripts on the BBC, it revealed a compositional philosophy: embracing chance as a creative partner rather than fighting for absolute control. Chance TEN translates this approach into modular MaxforLive devices, each handling a specific function with elegant simplicity. Set the probability of notes passing through, being transposed, repeated, or replaced. Use MIDI input to trigger parameter changes with randomization. The single-function design lets you mix and match devices to build unique MIDI FX chains tailored to your workflow.

The result is music that breathes with organic variation. Patterns that subtly evolve. Hi-hats that never sound mechanical. Basslines that surprise you with occasional octave jumps. Melodies that drift between scales with controlled unpredictability. This is probability as instrument, randomness as musicality.

The 10 Devices (Plus Bonus)

Chance_Play — Probabilistic Note Gating

The simplest concept with profound musical impact. Set the probability of any MIDI note getting through the device. Play a dense pattern in the piano roll, set probability to 40%, and watch sparse, evolving rhythms emerge. The PD (Preserve Downbeat) mode ensures notes landing on the downbeat of any bar always play through, maintaining rhythmic anchor points while the rest of the pattern breathes with uncertainty.

Perfect for creating variation in drum patterns without programming multiple clips. Your hi-hat pattern becomes different every time through the loop, but the kick on beat one stays solid. Subtle enough for minimal techno, dramatic enough for glitch-hop.

Chance_Transpose — Probability-Based Pitch Shifting

Set the probability of any note being transposed by the amount you specify. Your bassline mostly plays as written, but occasionally jumps an octave up. Your melody sometimes drops a perfect fifth. The trigger button gives you hands-on control, transposing all notes when held down, then returning to the set probability when released.

This device shines in combination with others. Follow it with Chance_Note to create melodies that occasionally leap to unexpected scale degrees, or precede it with Chance_Play to thin out the density before transposition adds complexity back in.

Chance_Repeat — Controlled Note Stuttering

When triggered, any incoming note repeats with a delayed copy. Set the delay time in milliseconds or sync times. Control the velocity level of the repeated note independently. Set the probability of any note triggering the device, or use the trigger button for manual control.

Essential for adding movement to static patterns. Your snare occasionally doubles itself with a ghost note. Your chord stabs sometimes stutter. The delay time control means you can sync repeats to musical divisions or use millisecond timing for tighter, more mechanical effects.

Alt_Notes — Intelligent Note Substitution

This device assigns alternative notes to specific incoming MIDI notes, each with its own probability. If an E3 comes in, you can set probabilities for transposing it by -12, 4, 7, 12, -5, -8, or 24 semitones. Transpose amounts can be set within 2 octaves above or below the initial note.

Eight different incoming notes can be given individual alternate probabilities. This creates intelligent melodic variation that respects your composition while introducing controlled unpredictability. Your melody stays in key but explores harmonic alternatives you programmed as possibilities.

Chance_Drillz — Glitchy Stutter and Beat Repeat

Trigger glitchy stutter and beat-repeat effects with probability controls for speed and duration. Set the probability of three velocity modes: level, rising, and falling velocity. The device creates descending rushes, ramping build-ups, and subtle trailing patterns that add texture without overwhelming your mix.

Chance_Drillz was enhanced at user request to include velocity curves, making it perfect for “ghost rhythms” that sit in the background as subtle shadows. Use it on hi-hats for crisp trailing patterns, on percussion for evolving textures, or on melodic content for experimental glitch effects.

Chance_Note — Scale-Aware Random Note Generation

Set the probability of specific notes being triggered by any incoming MIDI. The device doesn’t care what note comes in — it triggers a random note based on probability values you set for all 12 chromatic pitches. Set a scale and root note to automatically adjust probabilities so only scale notes can be triggered, then fine-tune individual note probabilities from there.

The octave randomization control adds vertical range. Your single-note input can trigger melodies spanning multiple octaves, all constrained to your chosen scale and weighted toward the probabilities you’ve set. Perfect for generative composition where you want harmonic control over algorithmic randomness.

Chance_Parameter — MIDI-Triggered Parameter Randomization

Map any parameter in Live, then randomize it within a range every time a MIDI note passes through. The top dial controls the parameter directly. The bottom dial sets the randomization range, shown as a modulation ring. The white indicator moves randomly within that range each time a note triggers the device.

The smoothing slider prevents sudden parameter jumps. Use it on filter cutoff for evolving timbral movement, on reverb size for shifting spaces, on delay feedback for unpredictable echoes. Because it’s MIDI-triggered, the randomization stays musical and rhythmically locked to your performance.

Chance_ParaTrigger — MIDI Envelope for Any Parameter

Any MIDI note triggers a simple envelope that changes a mapped parameter. Note-on and note-off signals cause the parameter to rise and fall. Set the on/off values using the range slider. Add smoothing for both note-on and note-off triggers independently. The minimum velocity threshold means only notes above a certain velocity will trigger the device.

Different from Chance_Parameter’s randomization, this device creates predictable envelopes tied to note duration. Use it to open a filter when notes play and close it when they release, or modulate reverb wet/dry amount based on how long notes are held.

Midi_Panner — Automatic and Triggered Panning

This device automatically connects to the track panning in Live. The panning is then modified either by LFO or by incoming MIDI notes. Set a relative center, panning range, smoothing, and randomization amount.

LFO mode provides sync’d automatic panning with various waveform types. Note mode alternates panning left to right upon each incoming MIDI note, perfect for percussive sounds that need movement. The smoothing control is essential for sustained sounds to avoid clicks from sudden panning changes. Randomization adds unpredictability to both modes.

Chance_MIDIlay — Polyphonic MIDI Delay

A polyphonic MIDI delay where delay time can be set in milliseconds or sync times. The feedback slider sets the relative velocity drop of each successive delayed note, creating natural-sounding decaying echoes. Set the probability of notes triggering the device, or use the trigger button for direct control.

Unlike audio delays, MIDI delays create new note events that trigger your instrument again. This means the delayed notes can have different timbres if your instrument has velocity-sensitive parameters, round-robin samples, or envelope retriggering. The polyphony means chords delay as chords, not as blurred reverberations.

Velocity_Seq — The Bonus Device

Not based on chance, but too useful to leave out. Velocity_Seq allows you to set a sequence of velocity values from 2 to 16 steps. Any incoming notes take on the velocity level of the current step in the sequence. The range slider sets minimum and maximum velocity levels. The randomization dial adds controlled variation to each step relative to the values you’ve set.

This device instantly adds movement and life to flat MIDI performances. Your quantized drum pattern suddenly has dynamics. Your sustained pads breathe with velocity variation. Combine it with the Chance devices for evolving rhythmic and dynamic complexity.

Features & Highlights

Brian Eno’s Creative Philosophy — Inspired by the BBC documentary showing Eno’s probability scripts in Logic, Chance TEN brings these techniques to Ableton Live with clean, intuitive interfaces.

Modular Single-Function Design — Each device does one thing exceptionally well. Stack them, chain them, combine them in any order to build custom MIDI FX chains that match your creative vision.

Probability and Trigger Modes — Most devices offer both probability-based operation and manual trigger buttons for direct control during performance.

Clean, Consistent Interface Design — LDM Design’s signature minimal aesthetic makes these devices approachable for newcomers while remaining efficient for experienced users. Controls are clearly labeled, visual feedback is immediate.

Parameter Mapping Integration — Chance_Parameter and Chance_ParaTrigger can map to any parameter anywhere in Live, including third-party plugins, making the entire environment responsive to controlled randomness.

Musical Probability Controls — Percentages, smoothing amounts, velocity ranges, and timing divisions keep randomness musical rather than chaotic. You define the boundaries, probability explores within them.

Real-Time Visual Feedback — Modulation rings, moving indicators, and clear percentage displays show exactly what’s happening, essential for understanding and tweaking probability behaviors during performance.

Organic Variation Without Programming — Create evolving patterns that never repeat exactly the same way twice without programming multiple MIDI clips or complex automation.

How to Use

Drop any Chance device (or multiple devices) onto a MIDI track before your instrument. Each device passes MIDI through with its particular flavor of controlled randomness. Start simple: try Chance_Play on a drum pattern, set probability to 60%, enable Preserve Downbeat, and listen to how the pattern evolves while maintaining rhythmic anchor points.

Build complexity through chains. Try this signal path: Chance_Play (thin out notes) followed by Chance_Transpose (occasional octave jumps) followed by Chance_Note (replace some notes with scale alternatives) followed by Velocity_Seq (add dynamic variation). Each device adds a layer of controlled unpredictability.

Use trigger buttons during performance for manual control. Hold the Chance_Transpose trigger to force all notes up an octave during a build. Tap the Chance_Drillz trigger to add stutter fills at precise moments. This hybrid approach combines probability with performance control.

Experiment with extreme settings to understand each device’s character, then dial back to subtle amounts. Even 10-20% probability on Chance_Play creates noticeable variation without disrupting the fundamental pattern. Small amounts of randomness yield organic results.

Ideal For

• Electronic music producers looking to escape overly quantized, mechanical patterns
• Brian Eno fans who want to apply oblique strategies and generative techniques in Ableton Live
• Live performers who need dynamic, evolving arrangements that never sound exactly the same twice
• Beat makers who want organic variation in drum programming without manual editing
• Experimental musicians exploring controlled chaos and probability-based composition
• Anyone who’s heard that BBC documentary and thought “I want to do that in Live”
• Producers who love happy accidents but want to define the boundaries where accidents can happen

What’s Included

• Chance_Play — Probabilistic note gating (.amxd)
• Chance_Transpose — Probability-based transposition (.amxd)
• Chance_Repeat — Note repetition with probability (.amxd)
• Alt_Notes — Alternative note substitution (.amxd)
• Chance_Drillz — Glitchy stutter and beat repeat (.amxd)
• Chance_Note — Scale-aware random note generation (.amxd)
• Chance_Parameter — MIDI-triggered parameter randomization (.amxd)
• Chance_ParaTrigger — MIDI envelope for any parameter (.amxd)
• Midi_Panner — Automatic and triggered panning (.amxd)
• Chance_MIDIlay — Polyphonic MIDI delay (.amxd)
• Velocity_Seq — Velocity sequencer, bonus device (.amxd)
• Comprehensive PDF user guide
• Mac and Windows compatible
• Requires Ableton Live 10/11/12 Standard (with MaxforLive) or Suite

Technical Notes

All devices are MaxforLive MIDI effects that process note data before it reaches your instruments. They work with any instrument in Live including native devices, third-party plugins, and external hardware via MIDI routing. Devices can be chained in any order, and multiple instances can be used simultaneously on different tracks.

Parameter mapping uses Live’s standard MIDI mapping system, meaning Chance_Parameter and Chance_ParaTrigger can control any automatable parameter. The devices add no latency and use minimal CPU resources, making them suitable for live performance and large projects with many instances.

Explore More from LDM Design

Chance Pack FOUR | LP Pack | FRAKTOR | ADD | View All LDM Design Products