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Use Ableton Live 11 for Music Production - Learn the Basics in This Tutorial
Use Ableton Live for Music Production - Learn the Basics in This Tutorial
Ableton Live is software for creating and performing music. It comes with effects, instruments, sounds, and all sorts of creative features, giving you everything you need to create all kinds of music in a fast and flexible way. Ableton Live 12 is the current version of this popular music production software. Read through this illustrated Ableton Live tutorial and start to understand how to produce, compose and interpret music creatively with your computer. We'll cover topics such as technical requirements for installing Live, Session View & Arrangement View, setting up an audio interface, setting up MIDI interface, and finally playing and recording a MIDI instrument.
How To Get Started With Live
To use Ableton Live keep in mind the following system requirements:
- A Windows or Mac computer with a version of Ableton Live installed (the newest version currently available is Ableton Live 12). The teacher uses the Suite edition, but you can also use the Intro edition and the Standard edition.
- Consider using a MIDI controller and sound card so you can get more out of the course.
- A 30-day trial version of Ableton Live 12 Suite is available to download on the official Ableton website.
What Are The Most Important Ableton Live Features?
Session View
You can create traditional linear arrangements or improvise without timeline limitations in Live's Session View. It's possible to move freely between musical elements and play out your ideas without stopping the music or interrupting the flow. Ableton's Session View is a big plus for Ableton compared with other DAW programs. It gives you the freedom to mix and match musical ideas without being constrained by timelines. It's a great place to start for a beginner's first project. Just drag and drop your musical ideas, and they'll be absorbed in lightning speed, making it an ideal place for improvisation. You can create new sounds, use audio effects and play around freely in this mode. Using this creative tool, play any combination of MIDI and audio loops of varying lengths without stopping the music. Now you understand the origin of Ableton: a performance-focused sequencing tool designed for live performances and DJ sets.
Arrangement View
You'll find an Arrangement View as well, which allows you to get into details and look at your composition in a linear view. Other DAW applications use this feature too. The Arrangement View lets you organize your music along a timeline. It records multiple runs of audio or MIDI notes and performances in one take. Simply click and find the best parts of each and stitch them together for the cohesive end result you want.
Develop your initial idea or organize the parts to create the right musical flow for your track. You can also improvise an audio track by recording what you do in Session View into your arrangement.
Ableton Tutorial: How To Set Up an Audio Interface in Ableton Live
When you have the right Ableton tutorial, it's easy to learn to use this interface. Start by setting up your audio settings. This will allow you to connect your primary audio interface, allowing you to connect monitors, microphones, and other recording devices.
Just follow these steps:
Preferences > Audio, then select > Driver Type “CoreAudio” for Mac OR “ASIO” for Windows.
The next step is selecting your Input and Output Devices. In most cases, these are the same. Most interfaces do not require drivers to be downloaded, so you should automatically see your device listed. Otherwise, you can always check the company website to make sure no drivers are needed.
Making sure you configure “Latency” properly is an important step. It’s especially crucial for DJs or in case of any live performance. You’ll see a parameter called “Buffer size” which determines Ableton’s responsiveness while processing audio. “Low latency” means faster responsiveness when you want to create MIDI. It’s more taxing on your CPU though. “High latency” causes more lag but lower CPU usage. So it’s recommended for the mixing stages when you’re adding multiple plugins. When you perform live, it’s advised to use a lower buffer size — for example, 128 or 256 samples — to minimize latency. For mixing with heavy plugin loads, a higher value such as 512 samples can help prevent audio dropouts.
Ableton Tutorial: How to Set Up a MIDI Interface in Ableton Live?
Open “Preferences” and choose the “Link MIDI” tab to set up your MIDI controller keyboards and pads. The majority of the controllers will automatically get configured to Ableton when you plug them in. This will allow you to select them from the dropdown menu called “Control Surface”.
The next step is setting the inputs for your chosen controller. Probably you’ll find your device easily but if you have any trouble, you can check the company website for any drivers or the MIDI preferences in your computer’s system settings.
Ableton Tutorial: How To Play and Record a MIDI Instrument?
Start by enabling the record for the MIDI channel (find the circular button at the bottom of the screen). Make sure that your MIDI devices are all set up already.
At this point, you should be able to hear the drum sounds when playing on your keyboard or pad. If you haven’t set up any MIDI device, alternatively you can use your PC’s keyboard as input for triggering the MIDI. To activate it, go to the top-right menu and select the Keyboard icon or simply press the [M] key.
The record and play menu appears in two ways in Ableton: “Arrangement View” and “Session View”. When you’re in “Session View” and you are creating a Clip, you can record MIDI notes for your newly selected drum kit by selecting the “Session Record” button in the top center menu of the screen.
Hit the “Session Record” button when you want to record notes, so the notes you play will be recorded into a new clip. You can enable the metronome from the top-left menu for more accurate note-playing. Or give yourself a count-in just like a performer.
Are you seriously determined to make music with Ableton?
This is just a basic guide to get you going but there are many more in-depth resources on Ableton Live on the internet. You can browse hundreds of YouTube videos and online courses, and you can even schedule live 1-on-1 sessions on Tissimo with the right instructors to get personalized help.
Check out the catalog of available courses in the Tissimo Course Search
