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Ableton Live 9 Create, Produce, Perform Keith Robinson

First published 2014 by Focal Press 70 Blanchard Road, Suite 402, Burlington, MA 01803 and by Focal Press 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN Focal Press is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2014 Keith Robinson The right of Keith Robinson to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Notices Knowledge and best practice in this field are constantly changing. As new research and experience broaden our understanding, changes in research methods, professional practices, or medical treatment may become necessary. Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in evaluating and using any information, methods, compounds, or experiments described herein. In using such information or methods they should be mindful of their own safety and the safety of others, including parties for whom they have a professional responsibility. Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Robinson, Keith, 1977– Ableton Live 9: create, produce, perform/Keith Robinson. pages cm 1. Ableton Live. 2. Digital audio editors. 3. Software synthesizers. I. Title. ML74.4.A23R63 2014 781.3′4536—dc23 2013030324 ISBN: 978–0-240–81789–7 (pbk) ISBN: 978–0-240–81790–3 (ebk) Typeset in Myriad and DIN By Florence Production Ltd, Stoodleigh, Devon, UK

Contents

About the Author Acknowledgments

Scene 1

Scene 2

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Live 9: Create, Produce, Perform

1

1.1 1.2 1.3

1 2 2

Introduction Approaching Ableton Live in Three Intuitive Ways Immersing Yourself in Live 1.3.1 How the Book Has Been Constructed 3

1.4 1.5

1.3.2 General Scene Layout How to Use This Book Summing It All Up

1.6

Taking Advantage of “Hot Tips”

4 5 6 6

Overview: Live 9

9

2.1 2.2

Introduction The Concept

9 9

2.3

Important Preference Tweaks 2.3.1 2.3.2

2.4

11

CPU Load 11 Disk Load 12

2.3.3 Track Freeze 12 2.3.4 Audio Preferences 13 2.3.5 MIDI Preferences 13 2.3.6 Record, Warp, and Launch Preferences The Live Browser 2.4.1 Browser Layout 17 2.4.2 The Browser Concept 23

15 16

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Contents

Scene 3

The Quick Way to Start Making Music!

29

3.1

Introduction

29

3.2

Starting a Project

30

3.3

Audio in Live 3.3.1 Importing Audio 33

32

3.4

3.5

3.6 3.7

3.3.2 Recording Audio 37 MIDI in Live

56 56

Exporting Your Audio 57 Set versus Project 57 Managing Files 60

Global Recording: Arrangements “On-the-Fly”

65

4.1 4.2

Introduction The Global Recording Concept

65 65

4.3 4.4

Music On-the-Fly User Interfacing: Two Parallel Worlds 4.4.1 Arrangement View 68 4.4.2 Session View 68

66 67

4.4.3 4.4.4 4.4.5 4.5

4.6

Clips 68 Scenes 72 Session View as a Mixer

The Linear Approach 4.5.1 Create 74 4.5.2 Produce 76 4.5.3 Perform 80 The Non-linear Approach 4.6.1 Create 81 4.6.2 Produce 81 4.6.3

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48

3.5.2 Adding Effects 52 Performance to Arrangement Finishing Your Work 3.7.1 3.7.2 3.7.3

Scene 4

40

3.4.1 Importing MIDI 41 3.4.2 Recording MIDI 47 Essential Operations and Tasks 3.5.1 Looping Your Loops 48

Perform

82

73 74

80

Contents

Scene 5

Session View Concepts

85

5.1 5.2

85 86

5.3

5.4

5.5 5.6

5.7

5.8

Scene 6

Real-time Launching Base Layout 5.2.1 Tracks 86 5.2.2 Session View Mixer 89 5.2.3 Drop Areas 91 Clips 5.3.1 Clip Slots/Session Grid 92 5.3.2 Launching Clips 94 5.3.3 Basic Editing 96 Tracks versus Scenes 5.4.1 Launching Scenes 99 5.4.2 Select on Launch 100 Track Status Display Working in Session View 5.6.1 Audio Clips 102 5.6.2 MIDI Clips 107 5.6.3 Crossfader Section 108 Sessions into Arrangements 5.7.1 Capturing a Session Performance 110 5.7.2 Playing Back a Performance 110 Musical Concepts 5.8.1 Produce: Submixing with Return Tracks 112

Arrangement View Concepts 6.1 6.2 6.3

6.4

6.5

Musical Timeline Layout Navigating 6.3.1 Scroll and Zoom 117 6.3.2 Transport 120 6.3.3 Locators 121 Working in the Arrangement View 6.4.1 Launching 123 6.4.2 Looping 124 6.4.3 Selecting 125 6.4.4 Editing 126 6.4.5 Fades and Crossfades 130 Arranging Concepts 6.5.1 Create 132

92

97

101 102

109

112

115 115 115 117

123

132

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Contents

6.5.2 6.5.3

Scene 7

Clips 7.1 7.2

7.3

7.4

7.5

7.6

x

Produce 133 Perform 133

135 Musical Building Blocks Clip View 7.2.1 Sample Display (Editor) and MIDI Note Editor 136 7.2.2 Clip Overview and Device View Selector 139 7.2.3 Audio versus MIDI Clips 140 Clip Box 7.3.1 Clip Properties 140 7.3.2 Groove Settings 141 Launch Box 7.4.1 Clip Quantization 142 7.4.2 Launch Modes 142 7.4.3 Legato Mode 143 7.4.4 Velocity Amount 144 7.4.5 Follow Action 144 Sample Box 7.5.1 Sample Properties 146 7.5.2 Edit, Save, Reverse 146 7.5.3 High-quality Mode (HiQ) 147 7.5.4 Fade 147 7.5.5 Clip RAM Mode 147 7.5.6 Transpose 147 7.5.7 Detune 148 7.5.8 Clip Gain 148 7.5.9 Warp, Master/Slave 148 7.5.10 Original Tempo 150 7.5.11 Warp Mode Chooser 150 7.5.12 Sample Start/End 151 7.5.13 Loop Switch, Loop Position, and Loop Length 151 Notes Box 7.6.1 Transpose 153 7.6.2 Play at Half or Double 153 7.6.3 Reverse/Invert Notes 154 7.6.4 Force Legato 154 7.6.5 Duplicate Loop 154 7.6.6 Program Change 154

135 135

140

141

145

153

Contents

7.7

7.8 7.9

7.10

Scene 8

7.6.7 Start/End, Loop Switch, and Position/Length 155 MIDI Note Editor 7.7.1 Basic Commands, Navigation, and Zooming 156 7.7.2 MIDI Note Ruler 157 7.7.3 MIDI Velocity Editor 158 7.7.4 Insert/Edit MIDI Notes 159 7.7.5 MIDI Step Recording 163 Envelope Box 7.8.1 Device and Control Chooser 165 Envelope Editor 7.9.1 Drawing and Editing Envelopes 166 7.9.2 Link/Unlink Envelope, Start/End, and Loop Position/ Length 166 Musical Concepts 7.10.1 Create: Rhythmic Loops with Follow Actions 167 7.10.2 Produce: Dummy Clips 169

Recording 8.1 8.2

8.3

8.4

8.5

8.6

Recording MIDI Clips 8.1.1 Clip Slots and Clips 175 MIDI Overdub Recording 8.2.1 Session View Loop Recording 181 8.2.2 Arrangement View Loop Recording 183 8.2.3 Takes 184 Converting Clips 8.3.1 MIDI to Audio 188 8.3.2 Audio to MIDI 192 8.3.3 Convert Harmony, Melody, and Drums to New MIDI Track 192 Recording Audio Clips 8.4.1 Session Clip Slots 195 8.4.2 Arrangement Clips 197 8.4.3 Comping 201 8.4.4 Punch Record 203 Exporting and Printing 8.5.1 Rendering/Exporting Audio 205 8.5.2 Printing 207 Musical Concepts 8.6.1 Produce: Real-time “Stack Tracks” 210

155

164 165

167

175 175 180

187

194

204

210

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Contents

Scene 9

Working with Scenes 9.1 9.2

9.3 9.4 9.5

Musical Foundation and Structure Scene Launch Preferences 9.2.1 Select Next Scene on Launch 215 9.2.2 Record on Launch 216 9.2.3 Prepare New Scene for Recording 217 Capture and Insert Scenes Tempo and Time Musical Concepts 9.5.1 Create: Multi-track Instruments and Recording 9.5.2 Perform: Mapping Scenes 225

Scene 10 Automation 10.1

10.2 10.3

10.4

Automation in the Arrangement View 10.1.1 Recording Arrangement Automation 227 10.1.2 Automation Lanes 228 Automation in the Session View 10.2.1 Recording Session Automation 229 Working with Envelopes 10.3.1 Draw Mode 231 10.3.2 Editing 232 10.3.3 Commands 234 Song Tempo Automation

Scene 11 Grouping Tracks 11.1

11.2 11.3 11.4

Group Tracks 11.1.1 Group Tracks in Session View 238 11.1.2 Audio Routing 239 11.1.3 Group Tracks in Arrangement View 240 Launching Group Clips 11.2.1 Groups versus Scenes 241 Mixing Concepts 11.3.1 Sub-mixes 244 Musical Concepts 11.4.1 Create: Printing Group Tracks 247

Scene 12 Groove 12.1 12.2

xii

Introduction to Groove Grooves

213 213 214

217 220 221 221

227 227

229 230

235

237 237

241 244 247

249 249 250

Contents

12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6

Groove Pool 12.3.1 Groove Pool Parameters 252 Commit Groove Extract Groove Musical Concepts 12.6.1 Create: Grooving Your Backing Tracks

251 254 256 257 257

Scene 13 Warping Your Mind! 13.1

13.2

13.3

SLWA|CSLIBM1440403D|1457664680

13.4

Elastic Time 13.1.1 Warping 260 13.1.2 Transients 261 13.1.3 Warp Markers 263 13.1.4 Master versus Slave 266 Warp Modes 13.2.1 Beats Mode 268 13.2.2 Tones Mode 270 13.2.3 Texture Mode 270 13.2.4 Re-Pitch Mode 270 13.2.5 Complex Mode 270 13.2.6 Complex Pro 271 Warping Samples 13.3.1 Loops 272 13.3.2 Contextual Warp Commands 273 13.3.3 How to Fix “Out of Sync” Audio Files 275 13.3.4 Songs/Tracks 277 13.3.5 Adjusting Timing and Quantizing 280 Musical Concepts 13.4.1 Produce: Quantize Audio in Real-Time 283

Scene 14 Loops, Slicing, and More Looping 14.1 14.2 14.3

14.4 14.5

Loops Demystified REX Loops 14.2.1 REX Mode 287 Slice to New MIDI Track 14.3.1 Audio Loop Slicing 290 14.3.2 REX Loop Slicing 292 14.3.3 Re-sequencing 294 Working with Loops Looping in the Arrangement View

259 259

266

271

282

285 285 286 288

295 295

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Contents

14.6

Loops with Unlinked Clip Envelopes

14.7

Looping Concepts 14.7.1 Create: Custom Loop Library

297 298 300

Scene 15 Instruments and Effects 15.1 15.2

Introduction to Live Devices Working with Live Devices 15.2.1 Overview of Devices 304 15.2.2 Device View 305

303 303

15.3

15.2.3 Device Presets 307 15.2.4 Customizing Presets 308 Instrument Basics

310

15.4

15.3.1 Impulse 311 15.3.2 Simpler 316 15.3.3 Sampler 319 MIDI Effects

325

15.5

15.6

15.7

15.8

xiv

303

Audio Effects 15.5.1 Corpus 328 15.5.2 Frequency Shifter

326 329

15.5.3 15.5.4 15.5.5 15.5.6

Glue Compressor 330 Limiter 331 Looper 331 Multiband Dynamics 335

15.5.7 15.5.8

Overdrive 337 Vocoder 338

Max for Live 15.6.1 LFO

341 342

15.6.2 Envelope Follower 343 15.6.3 Mono Sequencer 344 Device Chains 15.7.1 Chaining Effects 346 15.7.2 Interfacing with Device Chains 347 15.7.3 Sidechaining 348 Plug-in Devices 15.8.1 Plug-ins Browser 353 15.8.2 Third-party Instruments 354 15.8.3 Third-party Effects 355 15.8.4 User Interfacing and Layout 355

345

353

Contents

15.9

External (MIDI) Instruments 15.9.1 15.9.2

15.10

359

Routing 359 Rendering External MIDI

361

Working with Devices

361

15.10.1 Produce: Multi-instrument Plug-in

361

Scene 16 Device Racks

367

16.1

What Are Racks?

367

16.2

Interface and Layout 16.2.1 Macros 368 16.2.2 Chain List 369

368

16.3

16.4

16.5 16.6

16.2.3 Macro Mapping 372 Drum Racks 16.3.1 Pad View 373 16.3.2 Internal Routing 374

373

Creating Device Racks 16.4.1 Instrument Racks 377 16.4.2 Effect Racks 384 16.4.3 Drum Racks 387 16.4.4 Drum Racks and Audio Effects Racks in Session View Working with Racks 16.6.1

377

390

Produce: Convert Chains into MIDI Tracks

Scene 17 Controlling Your Universe Remote Control 17.1.1 Setting up Control MIDI Mapping

400

17.2

17.2.1

405

17.3 17.4 17.5 17.6

17.7

396

399

17.1

Control Behaviors

392 396

399 402

Key Mapping The Relative Session Mapping Strip Mapping Browser Dedicated Live Hardware Controllers 17.6.1 The APC 410 17.6.2 Push 410 Musical Control 17.7.1 Perform: Mapping Locators 411

406 408 409 410

411

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Contents

Scene 18 ReWiring the Digital World 18.1 18.2

18.3

Index

xvi

Overview of ReWire ReWire Modes 18.2.1 Master Mode: Host (Mixer) Application 18.2.2 Slave Mode: Synth Application 416 Live ReWired 18.3.1 ReWire Master 417 18.3.2 ReWire Slave 420

415 415 415 416 417

429

About the Author

Keith Robinson is a composer, sound designer, and producer living in New York City. He is also part of the adjunct faculty at The Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, New York University, where he teaches Producing Music with Software and MIDI (Pro Tools, Live, Logic, Reason). Keith’s music has been used in numerous commercials and television shows, and he has composed additional music and sound design for multiple feature films. Currently, Keith serves as vice president and co-developer of the sample library company Sample Logic LLC (www. samplelogic.com). His sample company’s award winning products A.I.R. Expanded, The Elements EXP, Synergy X, Morphestra, Cinematic Guitars 1 & 2, Rumble, Fanfare, Acoustix, Metalix, Tronix, Assault, and Cyclone are heavily used throughout music for film, TV, and the gaming world.

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