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Post by Johnkenn on Mar 8, 2015 19:55:36 GMT -6
Anyone use this? Seems like it's got TONS of drum sounds. Might be something really cool for programming more modern sounding drum beats. Downloaded the Demo...and it's freaking confusing...
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Post by bentley on Mar 8, 2015 21:02:35 GMT -6
It seems a bit odd at first but the workflow isn't too hard to learn. Seems like there were numerous workflow videos I referenced at one point (it's been several years and versions ago). The info view in the lower left corner s pretty helpful. I'm not big on using the clips view as I tend to work in a linear fashion. You can really muck around with the audio really quick, highlight sections and drop it into a sampler or drum pad to play. It's a very creative way to play around with your audio but I wouldn't use it for straight up mixing. People bitch about the MIDI in it as well but it's never slowed me down. Anytime I do a remix it's my go to program for writing/creating. That said, I'll often wind up exporting the results to Cubase or Pro Tools for mixing.
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Post by sopwith on Mar 8, 2015 21:20:11 GMT -6
I’m in ableton right now, and to me it’s the greatest songwriting tool of the past decade. But yea, it’s very different from other DAWs – personally, I love the clip/session view. I’m not a “write straight through the song” person, I always have tons of unrelated parts floating around, and Ableton is essential in trying different combinations to form whole songs and experimenting with different drum sounds/beats.
If you want to get some beats going fast, download some free packs from the Ableton site (“Bomblastic” has a bunch of good samples and kits) and import the pack (File > Install Pack). Then you’ll see the “Packs” section in the browser on the left. You can also browse Packs > Core Library > Samples > Loops for the built in drum loops. Some are audio files, some are midi sequences. Just double click one and it’ll put it into the correct type of track. Or you can drag it into a clip slot. ADG files are whole kits, ALC files are midi drum sequences, and AIF files are audio samples (either whole loops or one-shots).
The unique thing in Ableton is the Drum Rack, which is essentially a big sampler filled with audio clips. I usually fill Drum Racks with a kit of one shot kicks, snares, hats, etc. Then you plug your midi sequence into a clip – either with the pencil in the piano roll, or by importing an audio clip and converting it to midi (right click > convert drums to new midi track). I did this with that Jeff Pocaro “Rosanna” shuffle Youtube vid that was posted here. Then once you have a midi sequence, you can swap out the kits either whole or drum by drum. That’s the fun part. Then once you have a kit you like, you can go nuts adding an effects chain (compressors, eqs, filters, etc) to the right of the drum kit at the bottom.
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Post by warren on Mar 8, 2015 22:36:30 GMT -6
Confused me at first too, but like everything else, once you learn a little, it's easy to figure out the other stuff. I'm glad 9.2 finally addressed the automation latency issue as well.
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Post by NoFilterChuck on Mar 8, 2015 23:24:22 GMT -6
I bought it last year (educational edition v9), opened it once or twice and haven't done anything with it since. my workflow is to score stuff out in finale, then sequence it in Logic, so the main draw of Live (triggering clips) doesn't suit my workflow. but it has so many cool included sounds that I'm hoping to get inspired to learn to use it. but the workflow is so different compared to other DAWs and the instruction manuals suck lol. Also ( i haven't updated in a while), they didn't support curves in the MIDI CC drawing windows, and that's a big deal for how I create my horn/string arrangements. if they added that feature, then I'll have to check it out
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Post by tonycamphd on Mar 8, 2015 23:59:19 GMT -6
Confused me at first too, but like everything else, once you learn a little, it's easy to figure out the other stuff. I'm glad 9.2 finally addressed the automation latency issue as well. warren! where you been man? glad your back 8) |
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Post by Johnkenn on Mar 9, 2015 9:40:58 GMT -6
I really like some of the sounds I've heard from it. The drums, really. I'm not versed on programming drum loops - mine always sound pretty white.  Unfortunately, right now, there are a lot of loops in Country music...and my stylus loops are a little stale these days. |
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Post by sopwith on Mar 9, 2015 16:22:33 GMT -6
Try adding an MPC 16th groove and set the quantize to about 40% and the timing to about 80% - instant whiteness reducer.
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Post by Johnkenn on Mar 9, 2015 17:58:39 GMT -6
Is there something called "MPC groove"? I have a limited selection of sounds in the demo...might just buy the $99 version. Already found several sounds I really like even in the demo. It's interesting...I have AD2 Reel Machines and very rarely use any of the presets because there just don't seem to be many extremely relevant ones there.
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Post by sopwith on Mar 9, 2015 18:52:09 GMT -6
The grooves are all the AGR files in Packs > Core Library > Swing and Groove. Pick one, and drag it down to the Groove slot in the Clip section at bottom left when you click on a clip (just below the time signature for the clip). It'll warp the audio or adjust the midi to have that swing. You might need the standard version to adjust the quantize and timing of the groove. FWIW, Live Lite ($99 version) is pretty good. It has a low track count and no groove pool (I think you can still add grooves, maybe not adjust them), but it'll get you started. Live's drum racks totally cured my desire for addictive drums or superior drummer. It's all right there in the software.
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Post by warren on Mar 14, 2015 6:25:38 GMT -6
Confused me at first too, but like everything else, once you learn a little, it's easy to figure out the other stuff. I'm glad 9.2 finally addressed the automation latency issue as well. warren! where you been man? glad your back 8) Busy busy busy haha, but I try to look through here when I can and see if theres any topic I can give input |
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Post by Johnkenn on Mar 14, 2015 9:52:31 GMT -6
I gave up on Ableton...too confusing and I don't have the patience anymore.
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Post by spock on Mar 14, 2015 18:51:55 GMT -6
Anyone use this? Seems like it's got TONS of drum sounds. Might be something really cool for programming more modern sounding drum beats. Downloaded the Demo...and it's freaking confusing... I've tinkered with it, though coming at it as rapid song development tool, if that makes sense; like a sketch pad. However, then I get away from it again. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2015 10:02:05 GMT -6
Ableton's strength is it's live capabilities, i guess.
For dance music productions it seems to be the tool of the trade. Producers can do their stuff, produce an album, take their sessions with them on an ibook and perform live with them, just using some fine pattern and knob midi controllers and are set...
We haven't any of these guys around here?
Wondered, because noone clicked Ableton in the DAW poll...
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Post by NoFilterChuck on Mar 16, 2015 1:04:30 GMT -6
seems liek everyone on here is a rock/country guy. i'm the only jazz/gospel/r&b guy as far as I can tell
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Post by Deleted on Mar 16, 2015 9:55:32 GMT -6
My genres are rock/heavy/(post-)grunge... and electronic music/experimental stuff. Therefore i am the Cakewalk guy, it was a good choice for content creation, lots of good sounding virtual instruments... Ableton and FL are more for the electronic/producing DJ genres. I guess we have some indie rock/metal/whatever guys around here as well, so while it might look like this board is dominated by our country nashvillians, i think there is enough diversity. |
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Post by baquin on Mar 16, 2015 10:30:16 GMT -6
Can't tell personally for mixing, but a couple of friends use it with great success. The way I use it, is on live situations with a macbook pro. It's quick and reliable, have played an hour and a half sets without having any complications. I send a stereo track to the FOH, and for personal monitoring I route that same stereo track plus a click track. I have tried PT and Cubase on live gigs, but they have crashed in unexpected moments. Probably it's me, but they were not that easy to handle in live situations.
A friend uses Live in a more complex way...I started writing how he uses it but it became confusing, I will ask him the details.
Programming drums in Live is a piece of cake BTW.
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Post by sopwith on Mar 16, 2015 15:44:26 GMT -6
I've been putting together a hybrid instrumental/electronic rig with Ableton running on a touchscreen Surface Pro for the past year. Pretty close to finishing - as a multi-instrumentalist, I've been waiting years for the ability to do what it allows me to do. For performance it's great, and it's the fastest, most creative songwriting setup ever.
The rig is basically four streams:
1) PRS Electric guitar > Pedals rig > Pigtronix Infinity hardware looper channel 1 > Vintage blackface fender
2) Midi keyboard > Keyboard VSTs in Ableton (VB3 organ, Pianoteq, U-he Diva synth) > Pigtronix Infinity channel 2 > PA
3) Mic > Ableton
4) All drums in Ableton
The Pigtronix looper is midi clock synced to Ableton's current tempo, so all the layers stay in time with the drums.
It's all controlled with touchscreen interfaces on the Surface Pro: Drum loops, levels, effects, delay pedal patches, VST patches, etc.
I'll be making some videos soon, will post up here for sure!
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Unfortunately, right now, there are a lot of loops in Country music...and my stylus loops are a little stale these days. 
