Iftah Sting 2, an expressive acid line generator for Ableton Max For Live and Push

Iftah Sting 2 is an expressive and improvisational acid line generator for Ableton Max for Live and Push 2/3, including standalone operation.

The Roland TB-303 bassline Synthesizer has legendary status in electronic music. Two elements made it so popular: the monophonic analog engine, which was initially not designed for acid or techno music, and the built-in sequencer with slides and accents on the fly.

The latter has already served as a template for many other hardware and software tools. For example, Reason Studios has released the Bassline Generator, a TB-303 sequencer on steroids. There’s also something similar for M4L users, and it just got a significant update. 

Iftah Sting 2

Iftah (ex Skinnerbox) has released Sting 2, a successor to its M4L device that emulates the TB-303 sequencer and takes it to new levels. 

Like the previous version, it’s an expressive and improvisational acid generator device for Ableton Live. It is a Max for Live device that runs in Live and is now also compatible with Push 3 standalone. So, you are no longer tied to the computer.

Imagine someone took the TB-303’s sequencer and enhanced it with new features, making it significantly more intuitive and enjoyable to play. That’s Sting 2, and it’s super simple to use.

Press on the smiley interface, and it generates anything from classic acid patterns to random things with 16-note steps, alongside 16 velocity, gate, and octave patterns. The results harmonize so well because each set of patterns is musically related within itself.

All this magic makes a built-in algorithm possible. Iftah developed a new algorithm with better results in the lower-end type. Alternatively, you can switch to the v1 algorithm at any time.

Controls

There are two main controls. Types is a pattern morph that morphs your patterns on the fly to more random or classic acid results. Then, density controls how “busy” the sequence is. The higher the value, the more lively and energetic the patterns become.

Next, you can adjust the step amount and the starting position of the sequence (offset). Additionally, you can also change the accent and gate values.

In the main interface, you can find more handy features to manipulate the patterns. The root note can be set with a single click or during a performance using a MIDI keyboard. There are various play directions to choose from, as well as a transpose and swing function.

A lovely feature is the clip that automatically generates a MIDI clip in Ableton Live with your sequence. For more traditional adjustments, there is also a pattern editor where you can adjust the individual patterns (note, accent, gate…). That’s not all.

The engine also hosts a modulation matrix in the depths, allowing you to delve even deeper, and with which fully unfolds the expressive character of Sting 2.

With this, you can route aftertouch, slide, and velocity to various parameters, such as type, density, or steps. And there is more to explore. A life section allows you to automate the parameters “organically” and thus bring life to them. Things get really wild when you do this with the morph parameter.

And finally, Iftah Sting 2 also offers a powerful Push 3 standalone mode with the same functionality and even more playability. 

First Impression

Acid pattern lovers who work with Ableton Live can’t miss this device. This is a fantastic device. It’s a powerful and inspiring update to the original Sting device. I’m just imagining Sting 2 in a standalone 303-style bassline Synthesizer. That would be exciting.

Iftah Sting 2 is available for free or as a paid download. Both versions are identical; it’s simply a way to ensure that everyone can access it, regardless of their ability to support the developer’s work.

More information here: Iftah

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