Ableton Live Tips

Welcome to the Live Tips! Below you’ll find a big list in chronological order from the day I started writing them. You can also navigate using the tag cloud or search box at the right.

• 365 Ableton Live Tips?
• Sets and Projects
• Back to arrangement, pt. 1
• BACK TO ARRANGEMENT, pt. 2
• MASTER THE BROWSER
• GET YOUR BUFFER RIGHT
• GET MIDI SET UP RIGHT
• ROCK THE DELAY MODES
• USE THE INFO VIEW
• ONE SONG, MULTIPLE CLIPS
• SIMPLIFY YOUR SETUP
• ONE KNOB, MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS
• ADDING AUTO-BYPASS
• BI-MODE FILTER
• BUTTON THAT KNOB!
• BEAT REPEAT: 1 BAR LOOPER
• ABLETON LIVE: GUITAR FX BOX
• HIDE THE VELOCITY LANE
• OK FINE, SHOW THE VELOCITY LANE
• DUPE THAT LOOP
• START IN THE ARRANGEMENT VIEW`
• START IN THE SESSION VIEW
• RETURN OF THE SESSION VIEW
• GRAIN DELAY AS PITCH SHIFTER
• USE THE FRIGGIN’ MOUSE
• OK FINE, DON’T USE THE MOUSE
• RACK VS. DEVICE PRESETS
• ORGANIZE YOUR PRESETS, pt. 1
• ORGANIZE YOUR PRESETS, pt. 2
• FREQUENCY SHIFTER: SUBTLE MODULATOR
• THE NAME GAME, pt. 1
• THE NAME GAME, pt 2.
• TRANSIENT ENVELOPE: WICKED GATE
• TRANSIENT LOOP MODE: WICKED GLITCHA
• PITCH UP TO GLITCH UP
• AFTER THE GLITCH
• PRINT STEMS
• PRINT STEMS, OLDSKOOL
• STEMS: WHY BOTHER?
• WHAT ABOUT MIDI?
• SENSITIVE SAMPLES
• SLOPPY CLAPS
• SLOPPIER CLAPS
• THE SOUNDS PROJECT
• COLLECT FILES ON EXPORT
• GETTING AROUND ARRANGEMENTS
• A FEW GOOD SAMPLES
• SHAPE THOSE SOUNDS
• KICK THAT KICK
• KICK THE MIDS
• KICK THAT SNARE
• ONLY THE BEST
• GRAIN DELAY: STEREO-IZER
• THE BEST PRESET EVER
• SYNTHETIC PERCUSSION
• SIMPLE BASS
• ROBOT NINJA ASSASIN BASS
• IN THE MIX
• OSCILLATOR FEEDBACK
• LOOK MA, NO FILTER
• LAYER IT UP
• DROP THE BASE
• DJ EQ
• BOOST THE CUT
• CUT THE BOOST
• FILTER DELAY: DJ LOOPER
• SAVE A COPY
• IMPORT A TRACK
• MASTER OF IMPORTS
• SAVE A (SUB)SET
• ABLETON LIVE: NOT SO MUCH
• TRACK STATUS
• LOOP IT LIVE
• THE BIG NUDGE
• THE LITTLE NUDGE
• SILENCE!
• SILENCE BY NUMBERS
• AUTO PAN: CHOPPER
• PUNCH IT!
• LOOPIN’ AND PUNCHIN’
• PREPARE TO MORPH!
• CONTINUE TO PREPARE TO MORPH!
• MORPHING FILTER
• ONE BUTTON, STATUS AND CUE
• SEND TO CUE
• THE (UN)LIMITER
• CROSSFADE WHAT?
• INSTANT BEAT JUGGLE
• SHIFT THE BEAT, KILL THE KICK
• FLIP IT, DUB IT
• INTERFACE POLL RESULTS
• INTERFACE REFLECTIONS
• GO WITH WHAT YOU KNOW
• RACK SWAP
• DRAG AND SWAP
• THE OTHER NUDGE
• WHY SCRUB?
• UNDERSTAND THE ENVELOPE
• KICK THE LOWS
• SHAKEY VARIATIONS
• RUN THE BETA
• CRATE TRACKS
• GROUP CRATE TRACKS
• (UN)FOLD FROM THE KEYBOARD
• MIDISTROKE IT
• FIGHT THE SUNLIGHT
• SIZE IT, SKIN IT
• CONTRAST CRAZY
• THE SKINNY
• SKIN IT YERSELF
• THE SOUNDS SET
• TEMPLATE!
• UTILITY TEMPLATES
• MO TRACKS MO PROBLEMS
• A FEW GOOD TRACKS
• COPY TIME
• DANGEROUS BUTTONS
• THE DO NOTHING BUTTON
• COLOR THE RECTANGLE
• GO EXTERNAL
• EFFECT IT, PRINT IT
• RENDER IT REALTIME
• DRY/WET? MAYBE
• EXTERNAL INSTRUMENTS
• EXTERNAL INSTRUMENTS – INTERNALLY
• INSTRUMENTEMPLATE
• MAX FOR WHAT?
• MAX FOR LIVE: BIG PILE OF EFFECTS
• SAMPLE IT ALL
• DROP IT IN A DRUM RACK
• WHO’S GOT TIME TO TURN THE START KNOB?
• RE-RESAMPLE IT
• SLICE THE INSANITY
• GRAIN DELAY: PRETTY GLITCHER
• A LITTLE BUZZED
• A LITTLE MORE BUZZED
• CROP AND COLLECT
• SELECTING THE RIGHT WARP MODE
• SELECTING THE RIGHT WARP MODE, pt 2
• BEAT REPEAT: THE SILENCER
• RACK OF REPEATS
• STRATEGIC GLITCH LOCATIONS
• MAPPING THE ACTIVATOR
• UNWARPED TRANSITION CLIP
• DROP THE WARP
• SIMPLE WET/DRY RACK
• SIMPLE WET/DRY RACK, pt. 2
• THE GO-ANYWHERE VOLUME CONTROL
• VOLUME AUTOMATION: UNSPEAKABLY EVIL
• ANALOG: 4 OSCILLATOR SYNTH
• OPEN THE ENVELOPE
• BE SQUARE
• DJ EQ: LESS BOOSTY
• DJ EQ: LESS BOOSTY, DIFFERENT
• DJ EQ: ADDING KILL SWITCHES
• DJ EQ: TAREKITH’S TAKE
• EXPAND THE MIXER
• MANY MINI SETS
• WARPING 101: TURN OFF AUTO WARP
• WARPING 101: NAIL DOWN THE DOWNBEAT
• WARPING 101: ZOOM RIGHT
• WARPING 101: TAP OR TYPE TEMPO
• WARPING 101: SET THE ONE
• WARPING 101: WHAT’S WARPING ANYWAY?
• WARPING 101: THE PLIGHT OF THE ALMOST WARPED
• WARPING 101: USING AUTO WARP
• WARPING 101: BASIC MANUAL WARPING
• WARPING 101: CHECK YOUR WORK BY EAR
• WARPING 101: INTERMEDIATE MANUAL WARPING
• WARPING 101: A LITTLE COMMON SENSE
• WARPING 101: ABOUT SEG. BPM
• WARPING 101: THE SEG. BPM METHOD
• WARPING 101: THE LOOP METHOD
• WARPING 101: THE NEGATIVE BARS
• WARPING 101: EASY ACAPELLAS
• WARPING 101: TRICKY ACAPELLAS
• WARPING 101: MULTIPLE WARPGASMS
• WARPING 101: SIZE MATTERS
• WARPING 101: WRECK THE GROOVE
• WARPING 101: USING AUTO-WRECK
• APPLYING GROOVE
• PARTIAL QUANTIZATION
• USING GROOVE TO QUANTIZE
• UNDERSTANDING SWING
• ADJUSTING GROOVE TIMING
• INSIDE THE GROOVE
• COMMIT IT
• KNOW YOUR VELOCITY
• A FUN FACT ABOUT GROOVE VELOCITY!
• GROOVING A GROOVE
• KINDLY ACTS OF RANDOMNESS
• GROOVE EXTRACTION
• FUN WITH EXTRACTED GROOVES
• FUN WITH VELOCITY (AND OPERATOR)
• EVEN MORE FUN WITH VELOCITY
• LET’S GET RANDOM
• LET’S GET RANDOM, pt. 2
• THE SHAKER VARIATIONS
• THE GHOST SHAKER
• RANDOM OCTAVES
• THE ALTERNATOR
• MICROTONALIZE IT
• MIDI FILTRATION
• “SAMPLE” MIDI
• REFLECTIONS FROM THE ROAD
• PRODUCING FOR THE GIG
• GROUP TRACKS
• GROUP TRACK GOTCHAS
• ARRANGING FOR THE GIG
• MASTERING FOR THE GIG
• EXPORTING FOR THE GIG
• (RE)ARRANGING FOR THE GIG
• ABOUT PLUG-IN PARAMETERS
• SAVE PARAMETER CONFIGURATION
• ABOUT COLLABORATING
• COLLABORATING: FREEZE!
• COLLABORATING: EDIT FROZEN MIDI
• COLLABORATING: EDIT FROZEN AUDIO
• COLLABORATING: ANTI-FREEZE
• COLLABORATING: THE COMMITMENT ESCAPE HATCH
• COLLABORATING: ABLETON INSTRUMENT AGGRO
• COLLABORATING: COLLECTING ALL
• COLLABORATING: (NOT REALLY) LOST AND FOUND
• WAVESHAPIN’
• THE BEST FREE COMPRESSOR
• RACK THAT FUZZ!
• TIPS VACATION
• AAAAAND, WE’RE BACK!
• SUPA-TRIGGA: ONE BUTTON GLITCHA
• SUPA-TRIGGA: THE RACK
• THE MEGA-SET
• DJ SAMPLER
• NAVIGATING THE MEGA-SET
• NAVIGATING THE MEGA-SET, pt. 2
• NAVIGATING THE MEGA-SET, pt. 3
• RELATIVE CLIP LAUNCHERS
• STORM GATE: SECRET WEAPON
• STORM GATE: GETTING THE GRID RIGHT
• STORM GATE: THE RACK
• PERFORMANCE RACK COMPRESSION
• THE SAMPLE BUS
• SETTING UP A BUS
• THE MASTER FX RACK
• AMP & CABINET!
• AMP & CABINET ON THE JUNKY BUS
• AMP & CABINET ON THE JUNKY BUS, pt. 2
• THE JUNKY BUS, IN SPACE!
• PRINT THE RETURN
• ARPEGGIATOR: MIDI DELAY
• ARPEGGIATOR: MIDI DELAY, pt. 2
• ARPEGGIATOR: FUN WITH VELOCITY
• ARPEGGIATOR: TAKING STEPS
• EXTRACT CHAINS
• DRUM EDITING WORKFLOW
• GROUP THE EXTRACTED
• GROUP IN A GROUP
• PLACE THE CLIP, SWITCH THE SAMPLE
• ONE SCALE, MANY MODES
• TRANSPOSE VS. BASE
• EDIT GROUPS
• SEE THE REAL FREEZE
• KEY MAP TO A/B
• EQ: CHECK THE GAIN
• GET THE GAIN RIGHT (ALL THE TIME!)
• BEWARE THE MAKEUP!
• LOOKING AHEAD
• SUBTRACTIVE EQ
• MID-SIDE EQ
• MID-SIDE WITH UTILITY
• THE MID-SIDE RACK
• THE BEST THING EVER
• MIDI MACRO CLIPS
• INTER APPLICATION MIDI
• MIDI MACRO CLIPS, pt. 2
• TEMPO CHANGE MACRO
• TEMPO CHANGE MACRO, pt. 2
• ROUND NUMBER TEMPO MACRO MADNESS
• ROUND NUMBER TEMPO MACRO MADNESS – ON ICE!
• KNOW YOUR “OPTIONS”
• PLUG-IN AUTO CONFIGURATION OPTION
• AUTOMATION THINNING
• AUTOMATION EDITING: BREAKPOINT DRAG & DESTROY
• AUTOMATION EDITING: DELETING
• AUTOMATION EDITING: SUPER MEGA DELETING
• AUTOMATION EDITING: CLEAR AND PRESERVE
• FACEBOOK EDITING: DELETING
• AUTOMATION EDITING: MOVE IT AROUND
• AUTOMATION EDITING: CONFINING MOTION
• AUTOMATION EDITING: LOCK IT DOWN
• THE SIDECHAIN FREEZE
• THE SIDECHAIN FREEZE, pt. 2
• THE SIDECHAIN FREEZE: STUCK IN THE MIDDLE
• THE SIDECHAIN FREEZE: THE CATCH
• BEATING THE SIDECHAIN CLICK
• THE OTHER KICK-BASS SIDECHAIN
• MIDI SYNC: THE HARDWARE
• MIDI SYNC: THE SOFTWARE
• MIDI SYNC: THE TROUBLESHOOTING
• MIDI SYNC: THE SYNC
• MIDI SYNC: THE LOWDOWN
• WE DON’T NEED NO STINKING MIDI SYNC
• MIDI SYNC: WHAT’S THAT OTHER STUFF?
• GRAIN DELAY: MUTANT CHORUS
• PREVIEW W/ THE RIGHT ARROW
• VOCODER: THE SNARERERIZER
• VOCODER: THE SNARERERIZER, pt. 2
• OH GOD, MY BRAIN HURTS
• FOLLOW ACTION FREAKOUT
• FOLLOW ACTION FREAKOUT, pt. 2
• FOLLOW ACTION SOMETHING SOMETHING
• FOLLOW ACTION FUNDAMENTALS
• FOLLOW ACTION FLIP
• ABOUT LEGATO
• FOLLOW ACTIONS: ANY VS. OTHER
• FOLLOW ACTIONS: CUSTOMIZING THE RANDOMNESS
• FOLLOW ACTIONS: NEXT!
• FOLLOW ACTION FREAKOUT: THE SEQUEL
• FOLLOW ACTION FREAKOUT: THE GRIPPING CONCLUSION
• LOOPING WITHOUT WARPING. SORTA.
• LOOPING WITHOUT WARPING. SORTA. pt 2.
• SAMPLER OFFSET SWEETNESS
• SAMPLER OFFSET SUPERSWEETNESS
• PERCUSSIVE SAMPLE AGRESSION
• RANDOMIZING WITH VELOCITY ZONES
• PAT’S SECRET RECIPE
• RANDOMIZING W/ VELOCITY ZONES: ADD MIDI FX
• KICK DRUM WORKSHOP: THE BASICS
• KICK DRUM WORKSHOP: THE BASICS, pt. 2
• KICK DRUM WORKSHOP: PITCH ENV DECAY
• KICK DRUM WORKSHOP: ABOUT PITCH
• KICK DRUM WORKSHOP: FIXED PITCH KICK
• KICK DRUM WORKSHOP: TRIGGER MODE
• KICK DRUM WORKSHOP: THE SWEET SPOT
• KICK DRUM WORKSHOP: WORKIN THE SWEET SPOT
• KICK DRUM WORKSHOP: HIGH PASS FILTER
• KICK DRUM WORKSHOP: FM IT
• ABOUT ALGORITHMS
• ABOUT FM
• EXCLUSIVE
• THOUGHTS ON SELF-MASTERING
• MASTERING: SPECTRUM
• SPECTRUM, pt. 2
• REFERENCING WITH SPECTRUM
• REFERENCING DURING MIXING
• WHAT IS LOUD?
• NO FREE LUNCH
• GETTING IT LOUD
• LOUD – BUT AT WHAT COST?
• LIMITER TWEAKS
• SETTLING FOR LESS
• CUTTING THE LOWS
• MASTER IN THE MIX?
• MASTER IN THE MIX, pt. 2
• COMPRESSOR: THE INSERT A SIGNAL ANYWHERE-ERIZER
• MIX LOW, pt. 2
• LISTEN TO THE STEREO STUFF
• USING PUSH TO STEP SEQUENCE BASSLINES AND LEADS
• SHOULD I MIX IN ABLETON LIVE? THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE GLITCHY
• LP Grit Filter