Ableton thread (tips and tricks, q and a)

Re: Ableton Thread?

Yeah i've wondered the same thing!

Mods should start an Ableton sticky!

---------- Post added at 13:15 ---------- Previous post was at 13:14 ----------

Hey roadrunner, check out Tom Cosm for some fantastic tutorials on ableton

http://www.cosm.co.nz/

Also, the sonic academy dance music tutorial is a really helpful starting point as well

---------- Post added at 13:17 ---------- Previous post was at 13:15 ----------

Or just search "tom cosm" on youtube
 
Re: Ableton Thread?

i am an abelton user - so questions- ask away
as far as do you have to make seperate tracks- yes you do- but once you record a midi track to audio- you can then put audio tracks together if you so wish to cut down on the amount of tracks you have in one set
hope that helps
 
Re: Ableton Thread?

vickvega said:
i am an abelton user - so questions- ask away
as far as do you have to make seperate tracks- yes you do- but once you record a midi track to audio- you can then put audio tracks together if you so wish to cut down on the amount of tracks you have in one set
hope that helps
Click to expand...

Alrighty.

Question 1:

How do I set up a bassline over a period of bars?

Question 2: The arrangement view. Wtf and how do I use o_O

I'm finding the step sequencer a bit confusing compared to FL...
 
Re: Ableton Thread?

arrangement view... you need to record in the tracks! (dont worry though, once you have recorded in some midi's it's easier to copy and paste!) hit the record button up the top and hit play in the session view...

once you have the bit you want to sequence in the trackview... just double click the bar and it should open up the piano roll below ;)
 
Re: Ableton Thread?

Is there a simple way to edit audio clips (eg put them in reverse) or do I have to stick them through something like kontakt?
 
Re: Ableton Thread?

if you use simpler, or sampler... possibly both (on a midi track) you can drop in your sample and there should be a reverse button somewhere... sorry i can't be more specific, going form memory
 
Re: Ableton Thread?

you could record your midi to audio, then double click the audio clip and theres a reverse button on there, dont need a sampler...
you dont have to record your clips to get them into the arrangement area, say if you have a synth in session view, create a new pattern etc.. dont even have to write notes on it, just a blank pattern, then click and drag it onto the arrangment button on the top right, the screen will change, and you can drag and drop it onto the arrangement area, or you can simply copy and paste, then you can write and fuck round with midi notes all in the arrangement area, and if you say slice one in half, you can write new melodies on the same midi track, took me forever to learn that.. can do that with audio too. sorry if thats not too clear, if anyone wants some help im happy to draw up some picture tutorials with Mspaint just say the word.


also, a really simple way to edit audios clips, arrangement view > then drop an audio clip onto an audio track, and just slice and cut/copy and paste, how ever you want literally to the clip,(you can highlight a section of an audio/midi clip, and drag it away from the clip and it slices automatically) and double click on indivdual slices to edit them in the clip view, where you have access to a reverse button, and can independantly warp parts.

---------- Post added at 05:37 ---------- Previous post was at 05:26 ----------

also the impulse question from OP, vickvega answered but i dont know about that.. different tracks for each sound? no, you only need one midi track for one impulse synth, which can hold like 6 sounds each or something (from memory), but if you want to layer drums a lot and need more than that, i suggest the drum rack, you can load fuck loads of samples into it, and each sample has its own sampler so you have far greater control over each sound.
 
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Re: Ableton Thread?

Is there a way to set the big red circled play button to play the whole track (as set in the arrangment view) instead of just playing what appears in the selected horizontal line?

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Re: Ableton Thread?

i'm sure there is but i never use it... i think your problem is your looking at ableton like most other daws, where as it's workflow maybe different but when you get used to it, it is soooo good!

what you wana do is just press the individual play buttons on the patterns you have written...

http://www.youtube.com/user/abletoninc?blend=1&ob=4

look here for loadsa good stuff ;)
 
Re: Ableton Thread?

session view is aimed at quickly starting a song with loops, trying different things quickly or performing live, of course you can use it any way you like, but it might be easier for you to get to grips with the arrangement view, it really is fantastic.

you can select your whole tune and just loop it in the arrangement view to play the whole thing :p

i personally find it annoying to bring in new elements using the session view while ive got some of my track layed down in arrangement, so i just stick to one or the other, or one then the other...

and remember with live 8, you can now group as many tracks as you want into one nice clean track which is collapsible.
 
Re: Ableton Thread?

dexter said:
session view is aimed at quickly starting a song with loops, trying different things quickly or performing live, of course you can use it any way you like, but it might be easier for you to get to grips with the arrangement view, it really is fantastic.

you can select your whole tune and just loop it in the arrangement view to play the whole thing :p

i personally find it annoying to bring in new elements using the session view while ive got some of my track layed down in arrangement, so i just stick to one or the other, or one then the other...

and remember with live 8, you can now group as many tracks as you want into one nice clean track which is collapsible.
Click to expand...

he vasicly said what i was trying too, except coherently!
 
Re: Ableton Thread?

Roadrunner21 said:
How do I make automation clips of things?
Click to expand...

well, depends on what you are automating!... if i give you an example using operator, hopefuly you can apply it elsewhere?

so you got operator open, and you want to automate the lfo rate. click on the pencil tool at the top, then click on the lfo rate button.... in the track (going horizontally) you can now draw in your automation!

you can also record it in, and you don't have to use the pencil tool.... but i find it easiest
 
Re: Ableton Thread?

to add to richies answer if it wasnt clear its the big red line you see going through your tracks in arrangement view, by default, usually, the big red line is automating the volume of the track, there are two drop down boxes to the right of each track, where you can select every button thats automatible on that track, including audio FXs, and synth knobs.

you can manually select knobs you want to automate from the drop down boxes, or youll notice the big red line changes up or down as you click knobs on audio Fx's etc, its changing the automation lines automatically so you can just click a knob and then manipulate the line with the pencil tool, or to add bends in the line, double click any where on it.

for an example if that was longwinded, say i want to automate the LFO on operator manually, i click the top drop down box, and select Operator, then the second drop down box is all of operators knobs that are automatable, so ill click LFO rate, and then manipulate the red line. or simply click the LFO knob and ableton grabs the automation line automatically..

phew..

if im pointing out obvious shit please tell me!
 
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