SchoolBlog

Ableton Live is a program with serious depth – armed with the right knowledge it can be your all-in-one writing, production and performance tool, using only what comes in the package. It can also host other software effects and virtual instruments, as well as capture physical instruments and environments and control the equipment in your studio. 

How it works is really up to what works best for each artist because it’s so flexible in its use, and so universal in how it integrates with other things.

What an artist uses it for is also a question – for some it’s a jamming tool for creating ideas, others a performance tool for stage use only, while many use it as an end-to-end tool for the whole process of creating, producing and performing.

To illustrate the range of uses, we got the lowdown from some of our Liveschool Trainers and Contributors on how they’re using Ableton Live:

 

SUB-human 

I’ve been using Ableton to since the early 2000’s so when it came time to mix and master it was natural to kept everything in Live. Earlier on I relied on a lot of third party plug ins for mixing, but these days I use the glue compressor as my master bus comp and EQ 8 or nearly anything that doesn’t need dynamic EQ. The soft clipping from the Glue compressor gives really lovely harmonics.

For production I couldn’t image anything else. Live helps me get ideas into the DAW so quickly – even just using the typing keyboard as a piano when you’re on the road can be great to get something out your head.

Ninajirachi


I’m using Ableton pretty much from start-to-finish for everything. I’m not really a hardware person, I often use my computer keyboard to write chords and my mouse to program MIDI. I think this is mostly because I’ve never had a designated music workspace and I learned to produce with just a computer, so now I feel like it’s all I need.

Moss

Communicating and translating emotions are the biggest part of producing for me and freehand automation is the secret. Whether it be on a plane or in the studio, I’m often plauing the QWERTY MIDI keyboard on my laptop like an instrument while recording automation with the trackpad to make the program talk to me. This takes my sound design from robotic and static to this fluid, ever-changing series of moments I’ve captured.

Kucka

For the past couple of years I’ve used a pretty minimal set up. I used to be really into analog gear but since I started touring I got used to using soft synths for everything. I even use the built in keyboard on my laptop for most of my midi.

Goose

 

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For me, Ableton takes different roles, depending on the project I’m working on.

With Hosca (Goose & Hosca), we produce and perform solely on hardware synths and drum machines (also known as DAWless), and when we get a great response for a specific idea, we record it into Ableton for further mixing and arranging.
When I’m not in the studio, I write fully on Ableton, trying to apply some of the concepts that I bring from hardware, such as resampling long takes of synth lines while recording parameter changes, or over-using M4L LFOs mapped to lots of different things, trying to bring a bit of the modular flavor I like to have in my music.
I also use Ableton a lot for dedicated sound design sessions, using randomisation techniques and creating lots of varied short clips which I then filter through, selecting the most interesting ones to fill out my sample library for later use.

Tim Watt

As a mix engineer for multiple acts I need to be multi-platform. I mix in Pro Tools and use Live as a Rewire application for additional production (extra drums, basses etc). With Rewire, the transports are locked so when you press play in one program the other plays too. I find it way easier in Live to test out different sounds and do vocal manipulation/ fx so it’s super convenient to have both programs running simultaneously.

And because I move from studio to studio, I need a portable but powerful rig, so I settled on a new Mac Mini – I carry it in a little silver briefcase that also houses a UAD Octo Satellite, my trackball and cables. That way when I get to a studio I just hook into their screen and keyboard and I’m ready to go.

Roza Terenzi


I generally start a session by jamming around on a few bits of gear, maybe a drum machine or a synth just to get a little groove going, sometimes it might just be a certain sound that inspires me or takes my mind somewhere else. Then once I have something basic going I generally record these parts separately into Ableton so I can manipulate them or use effects to process them, chop them up, basically sampling my own recordings.

Sometimes I might start by creating a midi sequence and sending it out to my hardware to begin, so I can focus more on how it interacts with the rhythms or other elements. Ableton really then takes on a strong editing role for me, considering sound design and blending samples with my hardware to allow the creative process to take new twists and turns and find new ways to push genres.

I always start in Session view to make things more groove based and then record out to Arrangement view – so I can fine tune and work on the structure.

DJ Plead


Ableton is where everything starts and ends for me. I use a lot of third party plugins, but it’s still all in the box.

Brux


I use it from start to finish for everything. I work with mostly audio though, rarely MIDI – so recording my voice, recording my synths or using samples. On the MIDI side my only plugins are Soundtoys for FX and Omnisphere as a backup if I can’t find the sound I’m after on my hardware synths / gadgets.

PARIS


Ableton is my one and only DAW. I use it for the creative parts of my music in conjunction with my Push 2 and hardware synths etc, as well as arranging and mixing my music.

 

Want to learn Ableton Live production techniques just like these artists? Check out our Produce Music course – where you’ll learn from many of the featured artists above!