Im just doing this off of memory because i sold my 909 ages ago but this should get you going:
01 make sure you have the 909 connected to the computer both ways (midi in and out) with the computer as master. Set up the 909 to receive its clock from ableton. You have to go into abletons preferences to make sure your set up to send midi clock to your midi interface. You do this because abletons midi timing is much more accurate than that of the 909.
02 If your synced up correctly and you start ableton you should get the 909 running in sync. You do not have to use the external instrument trigger if you do not want to because the 909 will be sending midi note information to ableton in its regular mode. If the notes on the 909s main sequencer and external trigger have different midi note assignments then it works out even better because this means you can run 2 sets sequences at a time. Put the track with your impulse sample on in into record so you can monitor your incoming midi notes.
03 I dont remember the exact note numbers the 909 sends so play a pattern in the 909 and see if you can hear the drum sounds playing in your impulse. If not stick a pitch shifter midi plugin (abletons internal note shifter) in front of the Impulse and change the values up or down until u can hear the 909 trigger the impulse samples.
Record your pattern as desired.
that should do the trick.
ohh before your record your pattern in ableton set abletons quantize value to your desired setting as the inputed notes will be quantized to that value (16th, 32nd, etc).
I use this same technic but with the Kord ER1 - the advantage of using the ER1 to do this is that the midi notes on the ER1 can be freely set so its easy to set up to play any midi note number in ableton.
Hope this helps.
Cy2
