Ableton Live Tips and Tricks Part 3

Tips
Tricks
Tutorials
Showing and Hiding Views
Loop Brace and Start/End Markers

Macintosh
Macintosh
Toggle Full Screen Mode
Move Start Marker to Position
Toggle Session/Arrangement View
Click
Nudge Loop Left/Right
Toggle Track/Clip View
or
Move Loop By Loop Length

Halve/Double Loop Length
Hide/Show Detail View
or
Shorten/Lengthen Loop
Select Material in Loop
Click Loop Brace or
Hide/Show Info View

Hide/Show Browser
Session View Commands
Hide/Show Overview
Hide/Show In/Out
Macintosh
Hide/Show Sends
Launch Selected Clip/Slot
Hide/Show Mixer
Select Neighbouring Clip/Slot
Open the Preferences
Select all Clips/Slots
Close Window/Dialog
Copy Clips
Arrow Keys
Drag
Add/Remove Stop Button
Adjusting Values
or
Insert MIDI clip

Double-Click Slot
Macintosh
Decrement/Increment
Insert Scene
Finer Resolution for Dragging

Return to Default
Insert Captured Scene

Move Nonadjacent Scenes
Type in Value
without Collapsing
Go to Next Field (Bar.beat.16th)
Drop Browser Clips as a Scene
Abort Value Entry

Confirm Value Entry
Arrangement View Commands
Browsing
Split Clip at Selection
Macintosh
Macintosh
Consolidate Selection into Clip
Scroll Down/Up
Create Fade/Crossfade
Close/Open Folders
Loop Selection
Set Selected Folder as Browser Root

Load Selected Item from Browser
Insert Silence
or Double Click
Pan Left/Right of Selection
Preview Selected File
Unfold all Tracks
Activate Browser Search Mode
Scroll Display to Follow Playback
Unfold button
Jump to Search Results
Commands for Tracks

Transport
Macintosh
See also editing commands
Macintosh
Insert Audio Track
Play from Start Marker/Stop
Insert MIDI Track
Continue Play from Stop Point
Insert Return Track
Play Arrangement View Selection
Rename Selected Track
Record
While Renaming, Go to next Track
Back to Arrangement
Group Selected Tracks
Activate/Deactivate Track 1..8
Ungroup Tracks
Show Grouped Tracks
Hide Grouped Tracks
Move Nonadjacent Tracks
+ arrow keys
Without Collapsing
Arm/Solo Multiple Tracks
Add Device from Browser
+ Click
Double-Click
By holding down an additional modifier key, some of the
Editing
commands across can also be applied to:

Macintosh
Macintosh
Cut
Clips and Slots Across all Tracks
Copy
Time Across all Tracks
Paste
The Selected Part of the Envelope
Duplicate
Delete
Undo
can be used to move from one track or scene to

another while renaming.
Redo
Rename
Select All
Original manual @ http://www.ableton.com/de/pages/downloads/manuals
Commands for Breakpoint Envelopes
Grid Snapping and Drawing

Macintosh
Macintosh
Finer Resolution for Dragging
Toggle Draw Mode
Enable Dragging Over Breakpoints
Narrow Grid
Widen Grid
Key/MIDI Map Mode and the Computer MIDI Keyboard

Macintosh
Triplet Grid
Snap to Grid
Toggle MIDI Map Mode
Fixed/Zoom-Adaptive Grid
Toggle Key Map Mode
Bypass Snapping While Dragging
Computer MIDI Keyboard
Zooming, Display and Selections
Global Quantization
Macintosh
Macintosh
Zoom In
Sixteenth-Note Quantization
Zoom Out
Eighth-Note Quantization
Drag/Click to Append to a Selection

Click to Add Adjacent
Quarter-Note Quantization
Clips/Tracks/Scenes to Multi-Selection
Quantization Off
1-Bar Quantization
Click to Add Nonadjacent

Clips/Tracks/Scenes to a
Multi-Selection
Follow (Auto-Scroll)
Pan Left/Right of Selection
Clip View Sample Display
Working with Sets and the Program
The shortcuts for zooming and loop/region settings also
17
work in the Sample Display.
Macintosh
New Live Set

Macintosh
Open Live Set
Quantize
Close Live Set
Quantize Settings...
Save Live Set
Move Selected Warp Marker
Save Live Set As...
Select Warp Marker
Quit Live
Hide Live
Move Clip Region with Start Marker
Export Audio/Video
Export MIDI file
Clip View MIDI Editor
Working with Plug-Ins and Devices
The shortcuts for zooming, snapping/drawing and loop/region

settings also work in the MIDI Editor.
Macintosh
Show/Hide Plug-In Windows
Open Second/Multiple Windows with
Macintosh
Plug-In Edit Button
Quantize
Open Mac Keystroke Plug-In Window
Quantize Settings...
with Plug-In Edit Button
Scroll Editor Vertically
Group/Ungroup Devices
Scroll Editor Horizontally

Copy Note
Change Velocity From Note Editor
Drag
Activate/Deactivate All Devices in Group

Click to Append Devices to a Selected
Drag
Device
Add/Delete Note in Edit Mode
Double-Click
Move Insert Mark to Beginning
home
Move Insert Mark to End
end
Load Selected Device From Browser
Device Activator
or Double-Click

Move Clip Region with Start Marker
Original manual @ http://www.ableton.com/de/pages/downloads/manuals
Ableton Live | Technique
One Way Or Another
>
>
Too Much USB
Notes Plus
>
The Effect Treatment
>
10
VIDEO ON
THE DVD
Watch the tutorial
movie on the DVD
63
Technique | Ableton Live
apply Lives MIDI effects to the track;

once again, its just like working with
any software instrument. Check your
synths manual to find out which
messages it will receive. Most manuals
are online now, so if Im wondering
about a particular piece of hardware,
Ill grab the manual and read the MIDI
info. And after shopping, I keep the
PDF manuals on my computer and
iPad, so theyre always to hand during
sessions. Another benefit of PDF
manuals is that theyre searchable!
The audio comes back into the
same track that the MIDI is leaving,
thanks to some neat routing from
Ableton. This is a great way to organise
your hardware for performance, but if
you want to record the incoming audio,
youll have to set up another audio
track, and record into that one, either
directly from your audio input 8 , or by
using the In/Out View to route audio
out from your MIDI track into the
recording track. You can also Freeze and Flatten the MIDI track, to permanently
print those synth parts to audio files. This works in the usual way, but it takes
longer because Live has to play through the song in real time to capture the
audio 9 . You can add any of Lives audio effect devices, or third-party plug-ins,
to the track, to expand on the synths original array of effects. An interesting
development with synths that connect through USB is that they usually have
some kind of supporting plug-in or standalone editor that gives you access to
their deeper features and preset management, directly from the computer. Vyzex
have produced a few of these editors for different hardware synths, including the
Dave Smith Instruments Evolver, and M-Audios Venom synth. The Venom editor
is particularly useful, because the control panel on the actual synth is so bare!
Versatile boxes
Control issues get interesting in other ways, too. Once your synth is hooked up,
you can play it from another connected keyboard, or even the Live Virtual MIDI
Keyboard the computer keyboard, in other words. You could use the knobs and
faders on a MIDI hardware controller to reach out to your synth. A lot of modern
synths also send MIDI out from their controls, so you can use it as a hardware
control surface for Live; very versatile. A modern synth can be a soundcard, a
controller, even an audio processor, if it lets you run external audio signals
through its onboard effects some of those synths have fantastic filters! Where
this will go in the future, nobody can say, but it looks like things are pretty
64
MIDI-to-CV
Converters
There are older, analogue,
synths out there, that
pre-date MIDI (the MIDI
spec was published in
1983). Before that, CV/
Gate signals were used for
communication between
hardware. Companies like
Kenton still produce
MIDI-to-CV converters,
meaning you can include
analogue gear in your
digital rig.
healthy for hardware synths, even with all the great software examples. The iPad
is getting called on more as a control surface for them, and perhaps soon well
see wireless connectivity become common. What I really want every synth to
come with is a plug-in editor that runs as an AU or VST inside Live that would
be a real boost to the workflow.
Sounds On Demand
There is deeper integration available. An obvious

one to start with is getting Live to tell the synth
to load specific sounds on demand as you
launch the clip that needs the sound. This is
quite easy to do, although youll probably need
the synths manual handy! Make a MIDI clip if
you dont have one already, and go to the Notes
box. There youll see choosers where you can
enter Program, Sub Bank, or Bank changes,
which are sent when the clip is launched. Refer
to your synth manual to find out which messages
you need to send.
Soft Synths
The effect treatment
If you dont own any

hardware synths, none of
this concerns you much,
unless you work with
somebody who does use
them. Software synths are
so advanced now that
hardware models arent
the essentials they used
to be. A soft synth and
a controller might do
the job!
One last thing Most of what were

talking about goes for hardware effects
units as well. Look under Lives Audio
Effects category in the Browser, and
youll see the External Audio Effect
Device 10. This device routes audio
to and from your hardware, but you
could also send MIDI from a separate
track to load patches or change
parameters on the hardware. You may
or may not be a synth-head, and
truthfully Im not, but everybody should
have a couple of nice pieces to expand
on their sounds and create a different
mood and Live will make this as
seamless as possible.
Hook Up Your
Favourite Synth
To Live
Get your synthesizer working

with Live, receiving MIDI, and
sending audio back in
01 >
Connect your synth to your computer; how you

do it depends on what connections your synth
has. If its a relatively recent one, it probably
has a USB connection, which makes things
easy, handling audio and MIDI with one wire.
For older hardware, with MIDI ports, youll
need either a MIDI-USB cable, or MIDI cables
into your audio interface, as well as connecting
the synths stereo outputs to your soundcard.
02 >
Once youve connected everything, launch

Live and open Preferences. Under the Audio
tab, make sure youve enabled the soundcard
inputs that youve connected your synths
outputs to. Under the MIDI Sync tab, select
your MIDI adaptor or interface ports as MIDI
Output destinations. Turn on Track and
Remote, and Sync, if you want to sync your
synth to Lives project tempo.
03 >
Create a new MIDI track in your Live set. Go

to the Browser, and from the Instruments
category, drag the External Instrument Device
onto the track. The MIDI To and Audio From
pop-ups will show the audio and MIDI
connections you just made in Preferences, so
choose them. You dont need to configure the
track inputs because the device does it all.
04 >
Play a few notes on your synth, and you

should hear its output coming back through
the track in Live. Draw a MIDI clip in the
track, with some notes, and they should
trigger the synth as well, with the audio
coming back in. Its like a hardware plug-in!
You can even use Lives virtual MIDI
keyboard (the computer keyboard) to play
the synth.
05 >
Now have fun

applying Lives MIDI
and audio effects to
the synth! This is
good for playback,
but to record the
incoming audio, you
still need to set up
an audio track, just
like recording from
any other source.
Once you get a
set-up you like, save
it as a preset so you
can recall it quickly
in future projects.
65
MT Technique Audio & Instrument Racks
Ableton Live Become a Live Power User
UsingAudio &
Instrument Racks
New
Series
Part 5
Many people will recognise a Rack as they are used extensively in Lives library content, but
learning to build your own is essential for fluid workflow. Liam OMullane shows you how.
bleton Live has quite a few features not found

in other DAWs, and Racks is one of them. At the
most basic level, Racks are containers that
enable you to rack together MIDI, instrument
and audio devices. A Rack containing internal/
external instruments is called an Instrument Rack; a Rack
of standalone audio processing devices is an Audio Rack.
However, Racks are more than an easy way to bundle
multiple elements into one easily saveable and therefore
recallable package. Racks give you the option to run their
internal signal paths in parallel or in series, which offers a
Accompanying
project file included
on the DVD
Racksaremorethananeasy
waytobundlemultipleelements
intoasaveablepackage
FOCUS ON USING EXTERNAL HARDWARE
Lives External Audio and Instrument devices enable you to create
default presets for your outboard processors and sound sources
respectively.A sound being triggered by MIDI or passing in and out of
your computer as audio will always incur a little delay time.However,
you can offset this for instruments by setting them to play something
percussive on the beat,then enable Lives metronome and change the
Hardware Latency value to get both playing in time.This is set to
milliseconds by default but you can click the ms box to switch it to
sample increments for a higher resolution of detail.
The same technique can be applied to External Audio Effects by
playing a percussive audio clip that matches up with the metronome,
and the majority of external sources will need some housework
56 | January 2014
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huge range of options. In fact, the only real restriction you

may encounter will be maxing-out either your CPU or RAM,
but this isnt anything that any computer user hasnt had
to factor into their workflow before.
In this tutorial well be using Live-only devices that are
quite economical in terms of CPU requirements. Its only
when you start stacking large numbers of third-party,
resource-hungry instruments and effects that youll
perhaps need to be a bit more conscious about what you
use and why. If processing power does become an issue,
make use of Lives Freeze feature to render the live
processing as temporary audio. When youre ready to
commit to ideas, we encourage you to then Flatten them
into newly rendered audio files. You can then perform any
additional editing in these audio files while freeing up
computer resources (both of these functions are accessed
from the Edit menu).
Racks can be used at any point throughout the
production process, and typical uses include stacking
layers of synths for huge, epic sounds, applying go-to
parallel processing such as compression and distortion,
mid-and-side processing, and building interesting musical
tools for new ideas or exploring intricate audio-processing
chains for sound-design tasks.
As you can see, there are multiple uses for these tools
and well now go on to explain some of the most important
aspects of Rack design. If at any point you get lost or are
stuck for inspiration, we recommend that you have a look
through the Live library for Audio, Instrument and MIDI
Racks. From here its easy to explore and modify
Audio & Instrument Racks Technique MT
MT Step-by-Step Audio Racks: advanced control
Create a Rack by either dragging a preset from the Live Browser

or using Group from the Edit menu when an existing instrument
or effect(s) is highlighted. Each internal audio channel called Chains
will now be visible.There will be only one by default, but more Chains
can be created by clicking in the empty space below and choosing
Create Chain or Duplicate a Chain from the Edit menu.
There are two reasons for parallel processing, the first being to
audition various approaches for processing audio.This approach
lets you try out different techniques/processors and generally explore
the possibilities for each element in your mix. Use Solo to move
between each Chain; when youve decided which treatment to go for,
delete the other Chains to avoid unnecessary processing.
Reason two is for parallel processing, with typical uses being for
compression/saturation.This is set up by keeping the first Chain
as-is and adding a second Chain to process in parallel. Chains can also
be used to split a signal into its components: by frequencies using
multiple Multiband Dynamics devices; by mid-and-side components
using the Utility devices Width control at 0% and 200% respectively.
Chains can also be used to create different sonic states to move

between, such as a lighter verse and heavier chorus treatments.
Create the two treatments, using Solo to focus on each one like before,
then open the Chain Selector Editor by clicking on the box labelled
Chain. Looking like a samplers key-range editor, this allows you to
move the assignment of each Chain to a different area horizontally.
If you move the Zone Blocks for each Chain so they arent
overlapping, the Chain Select Ruler above them (in orange) can
be moved from one sound to the next. When using Zones in this way,
effects with tails like reverb or delays will die out naturally.To blend
between the two, drag the Zone Blocks across the full range, then drag
the Fade Range shapes so they oppose each other to create the fade.
All Racks have Macro controls that you can assign most
parameters within a Rack to. If you right/[Ctrl]-click (PC/Mac) on
the Chain Selector Ruler it can be assigned to a Macro and then
assigned to a MIDI controller. Multiple assignments can be made to
one Macro, so explore different combinations of assignments, ranges
and the directions in which they move.
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Audio & Instrument Racks Technique MT
MT Step-by-Step Instrument and Drum Racks
Instrument Racks work in a similar way to Audio Racks and are

useful for stacking sounds for density and depth, or setting up
different sounds to move between dynamically.To create something
big, take the same approach of using multiple Chains and layering
contrasting sounds.The MIDI Pitch device is useful here for quickly
finding the best octave or harmony for each new Chain.
Instrument Racks have more options than Audio Racks when it

comes to using Zone Blocks and fades. Use Velocity to create
layers with expressive control from a MIDI keyboard, or Key to create
tonal changes up and down the keyboard. Here weve added a bass
layer to the lower keys of a melody line; the fade enables it to blend in
at the bottom of a descending passage.
Macros can be very useful for creating consistency in an

instrument performance. For instance, if you want to use drastic
effects such as a high-pass filter that removes the bulk of the body
from a sound, you can offset any loss in presence by increasing the
volume of a Utility device as the filter cutoff is increased.
Drum Racks have the added bonus of an internal Sends and

Returns setup.This is great for achieving polished production
sounds within your Rack. First enable the Show buttons for Sends and
Returns (at the very left of the Rack). Drag the required effect to the
area labelled Drop Audio Effects Here a Send amount will appear on
the Chain List that can be used to feed the effect.
As these effects are internal, you can sub-process all your drums
as one, helping you to achieve a cohesive sound by processing
both the drums and reverb with tools like compression. If you want to
drive an effect thats already set up in Lives main Return Tracks, right/
[Ctrl]-click in an empty Chain area and select Create Return Chain.This
can then be routed to the relevant Return Track.
A hybrid approach can be used to combine steps 4 and 5 by

initially using Return Chains within the Drum Rack. When youve
decided on your choices, drag-and-drop the internal Return Chains to
the main Return Track area in Live.This wont carry across the Send
amounts, which youll have to reapply from the main Sends section of
the Drum Racks channel in Lives mixer.
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MT Tutorial Producing authentic drum & bass
Powered by
Technique Genre focus
Authentic and original

drum & bass Part2
Following on from the creation of drum beats and bass lines in Part 1, Liam OMullane turns
his attention to the vital elements of melody, atmosphere and arrangement techniques.
his second instalment builds on the knowledge

gained in Part 1 for creating original-sounding
drum & bass tracks. But while the drums and
bass are at the heart of D&B, its also important
to consider the melodic and perhaps not so
melodic parts youll need to create. Depending on the
direction you want to take your work, you may need to create
huge atmospheric soundscapes for a dark, techy, sci-fi
movie-like track; if youre creating a more musically driven
piece, you will need decorative melody information in the
Accompanying
on the DVD
Werearmingyouwiththetools
youllneedtotakecreativeideas
andmakethemworkasasong
form of arp synths, pads and so on. Even the most minimal
forms of the genre have elements that sit in the background
behind the more obvious foreground sounds, and this is
where your mixes can gain a sense of depth.
First well look at the approach (and perseverance) youll
need to take when it comes to sound-design. Using a
multi-layered approach of processing, rendering, editing,
FOCUS ON PERSEVERANCE & NEW SOUNDS

Sound-design is an integral part of D&B and there are many approaches to creating something
unique and engaging for your tracks.Although sound quality is important in all aspects of music
production,sometimes the audio quality of your source
as a trigger for heavily processed audio.In fact,itll often
youll need to take:starting with a selection of sounds,tr
applying automation and exploring whats possible.If yo
processing live and in real time you can always
swap-out the source sounds to see how they are
affected by the processing as you go.
The example audio for this tutorial employs
various stages of processing and should give you an
idea of how you can approach this technique.
Starting with a few randomly chosen bass guitar
slide samples, the source material is processed
three times to create three contrasting results.
These include a combination of reverb, saturation,
frequency-shifting and white-noise vocoding.
Certain parameters are automated and edited to try
to gain the most tonal change for each sound within
the phrase. EQ is used to re-balance the sound and
reduce unwanted frequencies, then all three results
are rendered into a new audio file to be treated as a
new source sample.This is then chopped-up and
edited into something of interest. By listening to
this audio you can hear how these techniques can
yield surprising results that are drastically different
from the source.
64 | January 2014
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reprocessing and re-editing, its important to remember that

although this may bear no fruit to begin with, pushing
forward past poor initial results is the only path to creating
something genuinely interesting. Creating perfect and
unique sounds through sound-design and mix-processing
as well as re-sampling techniques can be slow at times, so
keep an open mind as you work and be patient it can take
anything from 20 minutes to over a day of trying out ideas
until you stumble on that golden nugget!
When youve got your ideas together, start to think about
your arrangement; here well be exploring a few ways in
which you can take your ideas and work them into a playable
structure. Theres no strict form that a D&B song must take,
but do keep in mind that the majority of your audience will
hear your music in a DJ-mixing context, so its important to
make it suitable for both club and radio play as well as
maximising on the moments when the song might be
present in a mix alongside another track.
But as we stated in Part 1, were arming you with the
tools youll need to take creative ideas and make them work
as a song not how to churn out yet another bandwagonchasing club-banger. So turn on that sub, shut out the
daylight and do whatever else you need to do to get into a
creative headspace. MT
This tutorial has been endorsed by ACM, The Academy of Contemporary
Music, world leaders in music industry education. ACMs Audio Production
School provides Diploma (one-year) and Degree (two-year) courses in
Contemporary Music Production, Electronic Music Production, Creative
Sound Design and Tour Production & Management.
www acm ac uk
Producing authentic drum & bass Tutorial MT
MT Step-by-Step Decorative sounds and melodies
Depending on the vibe of your track, you can choose to fill the
background with melodic pads, pitched FX, drones, atmospheres
or a mash of the lot. Weve chosen to create a sinister pad as a tension
layer for the intro by playing discordant notes, layering sequenced
sounds underneath the louder synthetic strings (for movement) and
automating the pan position of the quieter layers for stereo interest.
For atmospheric sounds you cant go wrong with long doses of

reverb, with a mostly wet balance to achieve a diffused tone.
Anything goes for the sound source. We used pitched percussion in the
main section and a saw synth for the intro to create a huge, horn-like
sound. We automated the reverbs Freeze function to extend the tails
and changed the room size, all of which adds detail for the listener.
For radio-friendly styles, melodies usually require straightforward

synth sounds.These are readily available in many synth libraries
and can be customised through layering and editing. For deeper styles,
try working with less conventional sounds. Weve layered a blend of
bells, cowbells and claves and added a tom underneath for continuous
punch and weight throughout.
Once youve created a few background sounds, render them

down to audio for further editing.This is a simple way to create
the much-needed variation within a track and is an economical use of
the sounds youve already spent a lot of time perfecting.These can
then easily go through further generations of manipulation without
taxing your computer too much.
Stabs are useful for announcing new sections or to insert

sporadically to create tonal contrast when everything else drops
out. Stabs are easy to make as they require just a good dose of
layering, spreading of pitch and creative panning if you want stereo
width. Again, explore the most unexpected sounds in your library and
use mistuned layers to give denser, moody and less-musical tones.
As your mix builds up, use a fine-tooth-comb attitude to justify

each and every part to avoid unnecessary clutter. Remember to
replace sounds if needed as you develop the mix to give everything the
space it needs to breathe. We went through various bass sounds, kicks
and snares to maintain clarity as we developed our ideas. If it helps,
save a new project version before making drastic changes.
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MT Tutorial Producing authentic drum & bass
MT Step-by-Step Creating arrangement dynamics
When you want to develop an idea into a good 16 bars or more, a

balance between creating an interesting sonic tapestry while
being sensible about your approach needs to be struck. By this we
mean not keeping hundreds of tracks running with live effects and
automation throughout the project. When you have the sounds you
need, render them down to audio to make your project easier to handle.
Breaks and pauses are needed not only during full breakdowns.
These are great dynamic tools for momentarily throwing the flow
in a groove, creating lifts before a new section, and adding durations of
space to break up a busy track. Focus on short sections to figure out
how many elements can be removed for a drop in energy. Mute send FX
such as reverb and delay through automation to achieve digital silence.
A high-pass filter will lift the low end from single sounds, groups
or the entire mix before a new section to make it seem heavier.
This technique can also be applied to parts in full song sections to
create more space in a mix for busier sections. For example, a lead
synth might have its full frequency content allowed in a breakdown,
but is high-pass-filtered on the drop to accommodate new content.
A D&B tracks arrangement is not set in stone, but the basics of

intro, breakdown, drop, counter sections, 2nd breakdown, drop,
alternate sections and outro is a guide if youre unsure. If you make the
intro rhythmic it will be useful to a DJ for mixing, but a more important
feature is a unique sound or melody.This acts as an audible signpost
for an audience to know that your song is currently being mixed-in.
There are many ways to continue an idea after the first main
drop: exploring bass tones over time; melodic progression; drum
sound switch-ups (switching from one tone to another); stripping back
to a more sparse section or a completely different style to push the
song in an unexpected direction. Explore a few options, save them as
different projects and do some trial arrangements to see what works.
The outro serves the same purpose as the intro but in reverse.
While its tempting to simply copy and reverse the parts in the
intro, try to use it as another dynamic tool.This part of the track will be
the last piece heard as its mixed over someone elses intro, so create
excitement by using a different combination of previous parts and
re-editing or introducing a new element to sign-off with.
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MT Technique Clip experimentation in Session View
Clip experimentation
in Session View
New
Series
Part 7
Session View has numerous uses in Live 9 , both practical and creative.
Liam OMullane explains how you can use and abuse the properties
of audio and MIDI Clips to make music in a different way...
o far in this series weve looked at the various

different tools for creating music in Ableton
Live, most of which can be used in either Lives
Arrangement or Session Views. This instalment,
however, focuses on tools that are available
only when using Clips in Session View. Arrangement View is
a linear overview showing tracks running vertically in rows,
while time goes from left to right. Session View, on the
On the disc
Accompanying
on the DVD
For higher levels of interactive

control its worth investing in a
dedicated controller
other hand, takes a different approach, displaying tracks
vertically like channels on an audio mixer. Slots are placed
vertically down each track, which can be used to
launch MIDI or audio Clips. You can choose to
trigger an entire row of Clips at once referred to
as Scenes or launch them individually. Well first
look at how you can interact with one or more Clips
for experimentation, then explore how to develop
ideas so that Scenes can be expanded into
potential new song sections.
Scenes or individual Clips can be launched
using the mouse, mapped keys on your computer
keyboard, MIDI keys or buttons. Mapping manually
FOCUS ON EXPERIMENTATION
The majority of this tutorial focuses on modifying individual
Clips to create variation. Although some of the techniques will
yield a degree of randomness, they are mostly concerned with
making precise changes through editing. If you want to take a
different approach to achieve new results or, indeed, youre
looking for a different way to sequence Clips Follow Actions
are worth exploring.
Follow Actions are essentially a rule system that you can
apply to any Clip in Session View to dictate how the playback
of one Clip will lead into the playback of another. They can be
applied only to Clips residing on the same track, therefore only
one Clip can play at any one time. The positioning of the Clips
will determine how they are grouped if theyre placed on the
same track and in consecutive Slots ie, if there are 20 clips
running down a track, an empty Slot between the first ten and
the second ten will result in them being grouped into two lots
of ten, and the Follow actions will only ever communicate with
the other Clips in the local group of ten.
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this way is set up using either

Key Map or MIDI Map modes
respectively. When enabled from
the Options menu, you can then assign Scene Launch or
Clip Launch buttons to a fixed mapping. This is a good
approach for quickly trying out new ideas or for triggering
specific assignments within a prepared performance,
though youll usually delete the assignments when they
are no longer needed.
When either Map Mode is enabled, four new assignable
buttons appear below the Scene Launch area on the
right-hand side of Lives display. When mapped, these
allow you to select Scenes using either assigned up and
down controls or a rotary encoder to scroll up and down.
You can then use a special Launch button that simply
triggers the scene currently highlighted.
This approach is open to anyone with a standard
computer keyboard or a MIDI controller, but for a higher
level of interactive control its worth investing in a
dedicated controller. Abletons own Push is the Rolls-Royce
of options as it controls Session View and plenty
more, making composition, sound design and
mixing all feasible with minimal computer
interaction. Other candidates include the Novation
Launchpad or an AKAI APC-type product, which
offer different levels of control but still let you
navigate Session View for Clip/Scene launching.
But irrespective of how you want to interact with
Clips and Scenes, the techniques here will
enhance your ability to jam in Session View. MT
The first parameter to understand is the Follow Action
Time, which, like loop length, determines the length of a Clips
playback until the Follow Action is implemented. This
measures in bars, beats and 16ths and will then move to the
Follow Action chosen from the A or B dropdown menu below.
Underneath the two Follow Action menus is a Probability
setting that by default is 1 to 0 meaning that for every use of
As Follow Action, there will be zero uses of Follow Action B; 1
and 1 will make them alternate between each other.
The next setting to explore is the Follow Action itself.
There are too many options to go into here, but there are two
simple ways to achieve unique results. The first is to set all but
the last Clip to play the next Clip using the Next Action, then
set the last Clip to play the first. This will create a playback
loop from top to bottom of all Clips in the group. Experiment
with the duration of the Follow Action Time for changes to
rhythm and time signature. The second approach involves the
Any Follow Action, which sets up your Clips for random
interaction. We like to use this on sound layers that sit further
in the background of a mix for ever-changing layers of detail.
Clip experimentation in Session View Technique MT
MT Step-by-Step Experimenting with Clips
One way to interact with Clips is by changing their Launch mode

behaviour. Unsync the Clips Launch quantization from Lives
Global quantization this gives you more expressive settings, such as
16ths, without affecting Lives global setting. Open the Launch box in
Clip View by clicking on the small L symbol, then select from the
Quantization menu.
There are four Launch modes to choose from. Trigger is the

default mode, simply launching a Clip. Gate gives momentary
launching while you hold the Clips Launch button; Toggle flips between
playback being on/off with each launch. Repeat creates a stutter
effect during playback while the Launch button is pressed, which then
reverts to normal playback (like Trigger) when released.
Experiment with Launch modes to determine which one works

best. If more than one sounds good, duplicate the Clip and give
them custom modes to move between. The next way to manipulate
multiple instances of a Clip is to explore Start Marker positions. These
are the small markers above the waveform/MIDI grid in Clip View and
they too can be customised for multiple instances of the same Clip.
You can immediately rework ideas when three or four duplicated

Clips are set up with different Start Marker positions. The next
level of manipulation comes from experimenting with loops on certain
Clips. With the Loop Switch enabled, resize the Loop Brace above the
waveform by dragging its edges or using the numerical values below
the Loop Switch button.
Start Markers take on a new life here as they can be placed

before a Loop Braces position or at any point within it, so explore
letting normal playback run into a short loop later on in the Clip. In this
way, short plays of this Clip will sound normal; longer runs into the loop
create a sound effect.
If you want to keep the relative Clip playback position as you

move from one Clip to the next, Legato mode can be used in much
the same way that a synthesizer will use legato to move from one note
to the most recent one hit, no matter how many are being held. For
instance, launching a new Clip on the second beat of the bar will
resume playback in the next Clip from the same position.
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Clip experimentation in Session View Technique MT
MT Step-by-Step Developing Scenes into full ideas
You can extend the duration of MIDI or audio Clips for developing
ideas, but they need to be approached in different ways. A MIDI
part can be duplicated using the Dupl. Loop button, then you can
manually edit your new MIDI data to create more interest. Because
audio Clips are single audio events that are played back, a different
approach needs to be taken to create variation within Session View.
To vary audio over a longer duration than the audio itself you need
to create automation loops for variation that can act
independently. By opening the Envelope Box (press the small E symbol
in the bottom left of Clip View), you can choose a parameter to edit
from the Device and Controller dropdown menus. Each envelope can
be given its own loop length by changing the Linked button to Unlinked.
Regardless of an envelopes duration, rounded loop lengths will

allow you to create predictable changes to your Clips. This means
that the envelopes loop will stay in sync with the musical phrase of the
Clips audio. Start by creating a gated sequence select Clip from the
first menu, then Volume Modulation. Use Draw mode (Options menu)
to edit the envelope and turn the sound on and off rhythmically.
A modulation envelope uses the current minimum/maximum

range available from a parameters current position. Because our
Clip volume is at 0dB, our envelope can control infinity up to full volume,
but if the Clip volume is lower, wed be limited to its maximum setting.
For other effects automation, Absolute makes more sense as each
edited envelope will control the parameter.
Warp Markers are a useful tool for adjusting the timing within an
audio loop. These are created after double-clicking above the
waveform display in the Clip View window and can then be dragged
around. Automation that is linked to the original audios duration will
follow Warp Marker manipulation. Explore this for interesting ways to
edit audio and effects processing at the same time.
For less-synced changes to your ideas over time, think of

envelopes as looping LFO. Create an envelope with a less
musically related duration so that it overlaps in different ways every
time the audio loops. For instance, automate the movement of a notch
filter for five beats to create a sense of constant movement in a sound
as it plays.
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MT Technique Collaboration in Ableton Live
Collaboration in
Ableton Live
Power
Series
Part 9
So much can be done with one computer these days that you can forget
that other humans are around to collaborate with. Liam OMullane shares
various ways to get social with Live
ne of the strengths and weaknesses of todays

all in-the-box, computer-based studios is that
you can do it all by yourself. Composing,
producing, DJing, remixing and even jamming
with yourself are all possible, but in this
workshop, were looking at working with others and how
Live can be set-up to do just that. Even when collaborating
in the studio, its easy to overlook the various ways you can
both work at the same time, rather than taking it in turns to
hop on and off the computer. In its most basic form, you
can assign two different MIDI controllers to control an
instrument each. This gets better when theres more than
On the disc
Accompanying
on the DVD
It gets better when two of you

can jam out ideas with one of you
taking an engineering role
two of you as you can collaboratively jam out ideas
together while one person takes the engineering role and
tweaks the sounds. You are then also geared up to
immediately record any ideas as they arise.
The next level of collaboration is to work with someone
else running Live. This can work great in both the studio
and live environments, and its a situation when youll
usually opt for syncing two or more bits or gear together
so they lock together by tempo and, when required,
playback positions. Our Sync Between Two Machines
walkthrough shows you how to sync two computers
running Live. This can be done via 5-pin MIDI cables if you
FOCUS ON MANUAL SYNC

As automatic sync can be less than ideal in certain situations, there may be times
when youd just prefer to manually beat match with another Live user just like a DJ
would beat-match one record to mix at the same tempo with another. If youre jamming
with other musicians who are playing without a metronome, you may also need to
manually sync to their current tempo to take advantage of Lives tempo syncd effects,
or to capture a recorded loop on the fly. The main way manual beat-matching of Live to
another electronic source differs to working with more freeform tempos is that youll
have to micro manage your tempo for the latter, whereas electronic source work
will be more of a set and forget situation.
When matching to another Live user, the simplest
option is to run at the same BPM and after launching the
second computer to sync with the first, use the forwards
and backwards nudge buttons to perfectly align both
computers. These are located to the right of Lives tempo
readout and can be mapped to MIDI for easy control in a
live situation.
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have the interfaces available, or

you can use an ethernet or
Wi-Fi based network. Well
show you the basics of making
a network function as a MIDI
interface for OSX as well, but
youll need additional software
to perform this task on Windows
and this is beyond the scope of this workshop. Help can be
found however at the following link http://www.tobiaserichsen.de/software/rtpmidi/rtpmidi-tutorial.html. Just
download the rtpMIDI software which pretty much mirrors
the OSX interface and follow the instructions.
The final option is to use a manually-controlled form of
tempo sync which will really test your rhythm skills. Some
people will use these manual syncing techniques to beat
match machines, but in most cases its reserved for
working with human performers whose timing can be
much more freeform. On the topic of sync again, the
quality of automatic tempo matching can vary depending
on the gear being used and the way they are hooked up.
Although Wi-Fi is the simplest method, its also
unpredictable and has a less than ideal performance
wed only use this when caught short of other options in
rehearsals or the studio. Working with 5-pin MIDI has
worked fine for us so far and the best results come from
running both computers from an external MIDI clock. But
this is an additional investment, so wed only recommend
going down this route if you are not satisfied with the
results using the techniques discussed. If youre new to
the world of sync, try out Wi-Fi first as it comes at no cost
you can then explore the finer syncs in life! MT
When you want to try and sync with someone elses tempo which isnt known, the
first option to try is the Tap Temp (TAP) button to roughly set Live to the correct BPM.
This alone will be enough to use tempo-based effects if youre using Live as a creative
mixing device. If you want to run Live to launch clips in time with the other performers
then youll need to either then take over in terms of tempo by introducing something
with a beat for them to follow, or you could capture part of their performance to
loop via recording a clip in Session View or using Lives
Looper device.
Collaboration in Ableton Live Technique MT
MT Step-by-Step Sync between two machines
Regardless of how youre connecting up your MIDI data from one

computer to another, the basic set-up of routing MIDI clock from
the master computer to the slave is the same for running between two
instances of Live. Open Preferences on the master computer and
select the MIDI Sync tab. The data will control the slave so enable Sync
from the Output of the MIDI port connected to the slave.
The slave is set up in the opposite way so, under its MIDI Sync
preferences, Enable Sync for the MIDI input to receive the MIDI
clock data from the master. The Clock Sync Delay allows you to offset
the timing of the slave so it can be aligned with the master. Playing the
metronomes on both makes it easy to judge when youve got the timing
right, using a loop like a breakbeat to make it easier to hear.
Two different types of MIDI clock can be chosen for the output:
Song will give out the tempo along with a current position in the
Arrangement View. Pattern gives out tempo and beats which means
changing your playback position on the master wont affect the slave.
Use Song mode so you can move around an arrangement on both
computers. Use locators from the Create menu for easier launching.
The master computer should have an on-the-beat light flash in

the Sync Out indicator. Then after enabling the EXT button on the
slave, its Sync In indicator should flash when pressing play on the
master. Now your two computers should sync. It takes a few seconds
to truly lock together, so sync playback first with no clips playing, then
launch your first clips in unison for a clean sounding start.
MIDI information will appear in Live when using a 5-pin cable, but
youll need to set up MIDI when using Wi-Fi or ethernet. Go to
Applications/Utilities Audio MIDI Set Up. Select Show MIDI Window.
Double-click the Network box for the MIDI Network Set-up window
and click the plus icon under My Sessions. Enable this session in the
top right, then repeat the process on the slave computer.
When the slave is ready, you can connect to it from the Directory
window of the master. Youll know when they are connected as
the computer will appear in the Participants window to the right. The
latency can be adjusted from here as well but its slightly limited as
you have to enter numeric values rather than having the option to click
and drag for easier control like in Live.
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Collaboration in Ableton Live Technique MT
MT Step-by-Step Live jamming and processing
If youre in sync with other people either through a manual or

automated sync set-up, you will be able to take advantage of
Lives tempo syncd Session View and Devices. The first level above
simply cueing clips in Session View is to capture someones elses
audio as one or more clips to play with. To do this, first create a new
Audio Track and name it to be relevant to the source it will record.
Set up this audio channel to record the correct input from the In/
Out settings which you can reveal from the View menu. If you
dont want to hear this input signal until youve recorded it into a clip,
set Monitor to off. But if youre using Live as a mixer youll need to set
the Monitor to Auto so the live input is always heard until a clip is
recorded and then played which then overrides that input.
When recording external sounds, capture a sequence and then

modify it. The other option is to record the sound across a few
clip slots so you can then immediately re-work it to creatively trigger
them. To trigger the slots quickly youll need to set the Global
Quantization setting to a higher resolution like 1/4 and then hit record
on each clip slot one after the other running downwards.
Another way to re-work a freshly captured piece of audio is to use

time manipulation device effects like Beat Repeat. In the Audio
Effects library folder, under Performance and DJ, the Knob 1 Super
Looper is a great device for controlling loop length with a single dial. The
default Live library doesnt have a great range of performance tools like
this so its worth searching online for devices other people have made.
If you need to rehearse before everyone hears it, you can use
Lives Cue function. Set an output on your interface for the cue
output. Then click the Solo mode button to turn it into Cue mode. Now
press the headphone icon for the track you want to preview and
disable the tracks Activator button so its muted from the main master
output until youre ready to play your work to the world.
If you are using Live as a mixer you can be part of a jam by

processing effects in real time. EQs, compressors etc can be left
to their static settings, but Auto Filters, Auto Panner, Redux and delays
are all great tools to manipulate on someone elses sound. If you want
to capture these for use later, set the Monitor to In so the live input is
always heard while you record in the background.
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MT Technique Mixing tools and techniques
Mixingtools
andtechniques
Power
Series
Part 10
When it comes to mixing, Live offers both classic and contemporary mixing
tools for a variety of sonic options. Liam OMullane walks you through his
main choices of devices and editing tools to make your mixes shine
ixing is a process that can happen in one or

two stages of the music production process.
The first stage is creative and composition
based, where people may mix as they go.
Here theyll solely concentrate on mixing as
the track comes together with possibly a separate
tweaking stage at the end.
The second stage is after the composition is complete
and sounds are in place, to then mix with a subjective
outlook. Some people will ignore major mix decisions until
this stage as it gives them the most mix options as
possible while they only have their mix engineering hats on.
On the disc
Accompanying
on the VD
Itisagoodideatotryand
separateyourmixingstage
fromyourcreativestage
Although mixing has creative sound design aspects, it also
has many practical tasks and assessments that need to be
carried out. With your creative hat on, you can find this
difficult to do, so if you stop to take care of these matters,
it can have a negative affect on your creative workflow. So
FOCUS ON EXPANDING YOUR GO O TOOLS

The library of audio effects in Lives browser offers a good range of funct onal and
creative mixing tools to choose from.EQ Eight and Compressor/Glue Compressor are
the most obvious choices for frequency and dynamics control,but there are many
other devices w ich are worth exploring for frequent mixing tasks.
Alt ough you can use a low- and igh-cut EQ to bracket a sounds frequency range
using an EQ Eight,a Cabinet dev ce can ac ieve a similar effect with much more added
character.This is partially due to its narrower frequency bandwidth that creates a
telep one ike effect.But this ca be balanced wit t e orig nal s gnal using the dry/
we control to return a sense of fidelity.The ra ge of the bandwidt estric ion,or
brac et, s selecte through the spea er setting.Transient smear ng is at its mos
affect ve when you se ect a dyna ic mic from t e micropho e
list and exp ore its posit o .
Cabi et ad s a element o
ynamic control as part of its
processing as wel ,bu other
options ike Saturator and Dyna ic
Tube ev ces can do this w i e
of eri g a di feren character. se a
careful balance o drive and out ut
you can eit er go for a
ully-processe an clipped soun ,
or balance t e dry/wet amount or a
balance o t e origina signa to re a n
some ynamics.
Re uxs Bit Reduct o ca be used
to red ce a soun s ynamic range,but it wi l
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there is a good reason to separate these two mixing

processes if you can.
To help commit to this separation, its worth rendering
out all of your tracks to new audio. This helps you decide
when youre truly ready to mix, while also removing the
temptation to tamper with compositional aspects during
the mixing stage. Rendering out your audio also frees up
computer resources which means more processing power
for plug-ins. Finally, if you intend to send your work out to
be mixed by an engineer, this process will create files that
they can use.
To export your projects tracks to new individual audio
files, highlight the duration of the whole song and then
select Export Audio/Video from the File menu. This opens
up a large range of options and we recommend you remain
at Lives native bit-depth of 32-bits, and stay at the same
sample rate youre working at. The sample rate youre
currently using is signified by having a small speaker icon
next to it. The only other option that needs configuring for
this task is the Rendered Track menu (all other options
should be disabled). Select Individual Tracks for rendering
and then select a new, clean, mix project folder to put
them in after clicking the Export button. You will now have
a new file for every track which can be imported into a new
project. Until next time, happy mixing MT
create a dir ,lo-fi c aracteristic.T is ca be usef l or g v ng o e or wo sounds

disti ct to e of the r own i the ix.Harmonics can also be intro uced usi g
Downsample when set o se ts Sof mode.Use a very s all amount to ntroduce a
gl ss so nding top-en for d l sou ds.
Wh tever tool end up e ng your favo rites,save some time nd c eate a
efa lt processing c a n by Rig PC] / Ctr Mac] + c i i g o a tracks name. ere
you can save de u open ng state or future e
IDI or a di tr c s.A ter loa i g
in yo r pre erred m x-too s o track,se ec S v As De u
IDI or A io ra
respe t vely. o al new trac s wi l e reated wit t is chai of
ev ce pre- oaded.
Mixing tools and techniques Technique MT
MT Step-by-Step Processing, side-chaining and automation
Although Lives Compressor Device is perfectly functional, Glue

Compressor can be used to add some character for dynamic
processing. Glue is a great channel, group and mix buss compressor
with its SSL-like smoothing effect. Enable the Soft Clip function and
explore driving the signal using the Makeup gain for a hot sound.You
can always then use the dry/wet dial to make this a parallel effect.
If you need to remove unwanted sounds, try editing the unwanted

portions out rather than using a gate device.This offers a higher
level of individual control to tidy up audio over a more set and forget
approach used with a gate. After highlighting the portions you dont
want, delete them, then select Show Fades from the Create menu.You
can now drag these start and end fades to suit each audio event.
As compression is the process of level control, you can also

control dynamics using Lives editing functions.You can automate
volume, but this limits you for making level adjustments down the line.
Instead, add a Utility Device at the end of the Tracks processing chain,
then automate its gain parameter. For more natural automation
changes, hit Alt on automation lines to drag and create curves.
Use an EQ Eight before any processing to remove unwanted

frequencies. Add another at the end of the chain for re-balancing
the frequency curve of a sound. Check unnecessary bottom-end that
needs removing using the analyser on the first EQ.The second EQs
analyser monitors how your processing is affecting the frequency
content useful when trying to fill out holes in your mix.
Many devices have the ability to be side-chained, so respond to

the amplitude levels of an external signal. Most people only use
these on single or grouped sounds, overlooking the option to
dynamically control ambience effects.Try adding a compressor to
each Return Track and set them to take Audio From the drum group.
This make your mix move with a pumping, rhythmic sound.
Those with Live Suite can get creative with side-chaining using
its Max For Live based Envelope Follower. Place this on the track
to be the source sound for side-chaining, then click map before
clicking a parameter you wish to control.This moves in time with the
audio events on the track with the device on. Use a multimap device to
multiply and started mapping this source to various destinations.
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Mixing tools and techniques Technique MT
MT Step-by-Step Advanced and unique processing
An Overdrive device is useful for thickening up the harmonic

content of a sound. First, find the right frequency area and width
of focus using the devices bandpass filter.Then control the density of
distortion using drive and its brightness using tone. Finally, compress
the signal as required using the dynamic amount, then dry/wet can
blend the processed signal to taste.
Another option for thickening up specific frequencies is the Vinyl

Distortion Device.The tracing model graph can be used in much
the same way as the bandpass filter on an overdrive device. Its the
pinch graph below where things get interesting as harmonics are
distributed across the stereo plane, making it useful for also
enhancing its stereo width.
We discussed setting up mid and side processing using Audio

Racks in Part 5 of this series.This simple process lets you add
different processing to the middle (mono) and sides (stereo difference)
for a higher level of control.To get used to how these sound, after
setting-up, solo each one and play with their respective balance to
hear which part of the sound each chain represents.
If you have a stereo signal, a good way to enhance how stereo it

sounds is to compress both the mid and sides of the signal
separately.This way you can reduce the dynamic range of the sides so
the stereo aspect of the signal is more consistent in volume. Raising the
level of the sides will then make the sound more stereo than mono.
Another good place to consider processing mid and side signals

on their own is for ambience effects.Try using a different reverb
device, or Max For Live Convolution Reverb on each signal with unique
settings.This creates a much deeper and engaging ambience
soundfield. A shorter decay time on the middle and longer on the side
works well for an enhanced sense of stereo spread.
Lives Vocoder device can function as a noise based exciter. With

the carrier set to noise, the reverb-like noise effect can have its
decay time altered using the release value. After setting the device to
40 Bands for the best fidelity along with a maximum frequency range,
explore the depth and formant controls to tune its noise to best suit the
source sound and EQ it to taste drawing into the filter bank.
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> drum programming essentials

> Step by step
3. Programming a drum n bass beat in Ableton Live
Launch Live and press the Tab key to switch from Session to
Arrangement view. We dont need to use the default setups audio
tracks, so select them all and press Backspace to get rid of them. Enter
174 into the tempo field at the top left-hand corner of the interface.
Drag over bar 5 on the MIDI track and press Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+M to

create a MIDI clip, then Ctrl/Cmd+L to loop the region. Doubleclick the MIDI clip to bring up the MIDI editor.
Double-click the title of the second MIDI track to select it, and this
time drag Snare 1.wav onto the channel strip. Add hits on 1.2 and
1.4 that last until 1.2.3 and 1.4.3, as shown. This kind of kick-and-snare
rhythm is the foundation of most DnB beats, but it needs the addition
of a few more elements to make it fuller and faster.
12 / COMPUTER MUSIC SPECIAL
In the Tutorial Files/Drum programming essentials/

Programming a DnB beat in Ableton Live folder youll find some
DnB-ready drum sounds. Select the first MIDI track and drag Kick.wav
into the empty device chain pane at the bottom of the interface to
automatically create a Simpler instrument that we can trigger via MIDI
to play back the sound.
Double-click C3 on the first beat of the bar, and drag the right-hand
side of the note created so that it runs to 1.1.2 this may not be
visible depending on your zoom level, but its half way between the
start of the first beat and 1.1.3. Create another beat of the same length
starting on 1.3.3. When combined with a snare on beats 2 and 4, this
creates a 2-step pattern.
Press Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+T to create a new MIDI track. Drag Hat.wav

onto it to call up a Simpler instrument, and create a new MIDI part.
Put a short note on the first beat of the bar that lasts until 1.1.1, then
press Ctrl/Cmd+4 to turn off snap to grid.
Hold Alt and drag the note over to just past 1.1.2 to make a copy of
it. Again, you can drag vertically on the ruler at the top of the editor
to zoom in and out. We want this hi-hat to be quieter than the first one,
so drag its velocity level in the panel below down to 40 or so.
The hi-hats are quite loud, so turn the Track Volume down to -3dB.
Now our beat is rolling along nicely, lets funk it up a little bit. Add
another MIDI track, drag Snare 2.wav onto it and create a new MIDI
clip. Were going to use this new sound to play some ghost notes.
10
11
We want this snare to be much quieter than the main one, so turn
its Track Volume down to -7.5dB. We can use this ghost snare part
to provide variation to the beat and help it sound less repetitive. Click
the arrow at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen to hide the
MIDI editor. Drag over all the clips created so far and duplicate them.
12
This timing and velocity variation will give us a more natural,

rolling hi-hat pattern that will complement our rigid kicks and
snares. Press Ctrl/Cmd+4 to turn snap back on, then drag over the
area between beats 1 and 1.1.3. Now Press Ctrl/Cmd+D to duplicate the
hats and copy them out so that they last for the whole bar.
A ghost note is a quieter hit on the snare with a different timbre to

that of the main hits, used to make the rhythm more syncopated
and involved. Double-click the MIDI part to bring up the MIDI editor
and add 32nd-note hits on 1.2.3, 1.2.4 and 1.3.2.
Now click the first of the two ghost snare clips and press 0 to mute
it. This very quickly turns our one-bar loop into a two-bar loop
thats easier to listen to for extended periods. Select the entire
sequence by dragging on one of the tracks, and press Ctrl/Cmd+L to
loop it. Another way to keep a dance music beat involving is to add
and remove elements as the track progresses.
COMPUTER MUSIC SPECIAL / 13
> drum programming essentials

> Step by step
13
15
3. Programming a drum n bass beat in Ableton Live (continued)
Duplicate the two-bar section out three times to make an eight-bar

sequence. Add a new MIDI track and drag Ride cymbal.wav onto
it. Create a new one-bar-long MIDI clip at the start of the second half of
the sequence and trigger the ride cymbal sound on eighth-notes. Turn
the Track Volume down to -9dB.
Grouping the tracks enables us to edit them as a single entity.

Zoom in on the bar before the ride begins, then drag over the sixth
eighth-note on the group track and delete it. Highlight the fifth eighthnote and duplicate it.
14
16
Drag the right-hand side of the clip out so that it lasts until the end
of the sequence. To make the transition between the sections
more exciting, lets create a fill. Select the kick and ride tracks (hold
Shift) and press Ctrl/Cmd+G to group them.
This creates a fairly subtle variation on the beat that indicates to

the listener that something is about to happen. Another useful tool
for accenting particular parts of a beat is the crash cymbal. Create a
new MIDI track, drag Crash.wav onto it and trigger a single note at the
start of the ride section lasting for an entire bar so that the whole
sound can play. (Audio: DnB beat.wav)
Pick and mix

In these walkthroughs, weve focused purely
on sequencing drum sounds rather than
processing them. The resulting beats might
be relatively simple, but theyre solidsounding and consistent with what you might
expect from their respective genres. An
important element of this is sound selection.
For each tutorial weve specified that you use
a particular set of sounds, and its easy to
hear how differently things can turn out just
load the EXS24 or HALion Sonic SE with a
different kit after youve programmed the
beat. Sometimes the results will be
interesting (for example, the Goa Remix kit
makes a surprisingly cool substitute for the
EXS 808 one), but more often than not they
will be less than satisfying.
Trying to make a particular style of beat
without the right sounds is often frustrating,
and it takes time to learn what kinds of

sounds work in any particular context. It can
be tempting for new producers to always pick
the biggest, baddest-sounding sample or kit,
and then make it sound even more extreme
by heavily processing
it in ill-advised ways. If
you find yourself
falling into this trap,
practice your beat
programming with
the pre-programmed
kits from sample
packs or your DAWs
included library. These will offer a sonic
consistency that makes it easier to
concentrate on learning how to use each
sound and the tricks that you can achieve
with variations in velocity and timing.
Once youve got to grips with creating

beats using preset kits, you can take things to
the next level by selecting each sound
individually and processing it. Get your hands
on high-quality versions of tracks that you
Practice your beat programming

with the pre-programmed kits
from sample packs
consider to have decent beats preferably
ones where the beat plays on its own during
the intro or outro and load them into your
DAW, where you can loop the relevant
sections and study them more easily.
sampled beats <

> Step by step
3. Applying swing to loops in Ableton Live
VIDEO
Because not all loops have exactly the same groove (see Timing Is
Everything on p9), you may need to tweak a loops timing to work
with its accompanying material. There are a couple of ways to do this
in Ableton Live. Drag Shuffle house.wav and Straight castanets.wav
onto separate audio tracks in the first bar of a Live arrangement.
We can adjust the castanets timing by double-clicking the

waveform to bring it up in the Clip View. Double-click the ruler
above the third castanet to add a yellow warp marker. We can now
adjust the timing of the second castanet without affecting the rest of
the loop. Press Ctrl/Cmd+4 to deactivate Lives Snap mode.
This is where Lives Groove Extraction capability comes in handy.

Double-click the warp markers youve created to delete them.
Right-click House shuffle.wav and select Extract Groove(s). Live will
take a few moments to analyse the audio. When its done, click the
wavy button on the left of the interface to bring up the Groove Pool.
Press Ctrl/Cmd+L to set up a loop around the samples. Drag down

on the ruler over the arrangement to zoom in on the waveforms.
Look at Shuffle house.wav. Youll see that the closed hat of the first
beat plays a bit after 1.1.2, but Straight castanets.wav has much more
rigid timing, sitting perfectly on 1.1.3. (Audio: Unaligned beats)
You can now drag the castanets into exactly the right position.
Changes that are made in the Clip View will be reflected in the
waveforms on the arrangement move the castanets to the right until
they sit perfectly under the closed hi-hat. This technique works well for
small jobs, but it would take quite a while to tweak the rest of the beat
in this manner.
Youll see House Shuffle in there this is the groove we just

created. Drag the groove onto Straight Castanets and its timing
will automatically be adjusted to fit the groove. Finally, turn the clips
Transpose parameter up to 3 so that it sits more comfortably with
House shuffle.wav. (Audio: Aligned beats)
programming percussion <

> Step by step
Percussion is a prime candidate for the extreme application of

effects. Take our conga part, for example. Its pretty groovy as it is,
but adding an Auto Filter set to a 2-beat LFO cycle gives it even more
rhythmic motion. A compressor is called for next in the chain, though,
as the movement of the filter introduces some serious volume
variation. (Audio: Conga filter)
Slowing our agogo bells down to 70bpm and treating them to

some ping-pong delay creates an ethereal, monastic-sounding
pattern. Lives timestretch algorithm introduces a weird sucking effect
to the dry signal, while the delays fill the stereo field. Transient-style
algorithms are best for percussion, but its always worth trying others,
of course. (Audio: Agogos delay)
POWER TIP
3. Creative percussion processing
AUTOMATION SITUATION
When automating effects plugins on
percussion tracks, its essential that any
movements are kept in line with the rhythm
being played, unless youre after
deliberately off-kilter timings. Equally, setting
LFOs and delay times to sync with your
DAWs project tempo is usually the way to
go. However, none of the above necessarily
applies to single-hit spot percussion.
Lives Beat Repeat is a glitch plug-in to be reckoned with, and its

worth trying on all manner of material (non-Live users could
substitute Smartelectronix Supatrigga or Livecut). Were not sure what
wed use our processed triangle part for, but wed imagine the
adventurous electronica producer could get some mileage out of it.
(Audio: Triangle Beat Repeat)
We reverse our cabasa part, and its more-or-less symmetrical

attack/decay envelope means it still sounds quite cabasa-ish when
played backwards (but with percussion that has a tail, such as congas,
the difference can be dramatic try it!). We then go modulation mental,
inserting chorus and tempo-synced flanger plug-ins. Much more
interesting. (Audio: Cabasa modulated)
To finish, we treat the timbales with Soft downsampling (good for

introducing extra treble frequencies), modulated frequency
shifting (unlike pitchshifting, this shifts low frequencies more than
high ones, so its also great for retuning percussion) and a Filter Delay,
which transforms our rather thin solo timbale part into an enthusiastic
trio. (Audio: Timbales bonkers)
mixing beats <
> Step by step
1. Mixing a full-on DnB beat in Ableton Live
TUTORIAL
FILES
Begin by setting the project tempo to 174bpm and dragging Kick.

wav, Snare.wav, Closed hat.wav, Ride.wav, Crash.wav and
Angry break.wav onto separate audio tracks. Set up a cycle loop
around the bar containing the parts, and turn all of them down to -6dB
so that they dont clip the master.
Drop the level of the snare track down to -13dB. We can see from
the uneven level meters on the kick and snare tracks that both are
in stereo. We want the kick and snare to sit at the dead centre of the
mix, so drag Lives Utility effect onto the kick track and set its Width
parameter to 0%.
Do the same on the snare track, but this time set the low-cut filter
to 130Hz. The snare could also do with some more high-end crack
we could layer it up with another sound, but using a high-shelf EQ to
boost 2dB at 4kHz works too. (Audio: EQed kick and snare)
In their raw form, these elements sound like a big mess! The
easiest way to get a handle on what were working with is to mute
everything apart from the kick and snare. When we do this, we can
hear that the snare is way too loud for the kick.
Do the same on the snare track. Next, add an EQ Eight to the kick
track. Set the first band to 12dB low-cut mode, and bring up the
Freq knob until youve removed the excess weight from the low end. A
setting of about 80Hz gives us a lighter, less stompy sound that wont
interfere with a bassline as much.
Unmute the closed hi-hat track and add another EQ Eight. Use a
12dB low-cut band at 1.6kHz to take out the messy lows. The top
end of the hi-hat is a little harsh, so use a bell shape to take off 2dB at
10kHz, and a 12dB high cut to take out everything above 18kHz.
> mixing beats

> Step by step
11
1. Mixing a full-on DnB beat in Ableton Live (continued)
The hi-hat is a bit too loud, so turn it down to -10dB. Next, unmute
the ride channel. This is clearly way, way too loud, so turn it down
to -24dB. Add an EQ Eight, and use a 12dB low-cut filter set to 2.9kHz
to tame its lows. This lets the rides mid character through, but stops it
from clogging up the mix so much.
This spreads the ride across the stereo panorama, but the default
settings are far too extreme for our purposes. Turn the Feedback
down to 0.55, then set the Amount to 45% and Dry/Wet to 60%. This
stops the Flanger effect from being so obvious, but still provides the
stereo feel were after. (Audio: Stereo ride)
The addition of reverb makes the snare and indeed the whole
beat start to sound a lot more natural and polished. Lives default
reverb send settings arent perfect for this sound, so bring up the
Reverb effect on the Send A channel and set the Decay Time to 2.25s.
We can see from the ride channels level meter that the part is in
mono. Earlier, we put our fundamental sounds the kick and snare
firmly in the middle of the mix. Less solid sounds like rides can be
moved to the side signal to give the sounds in the middle more room
to breathe. Add Lives Flanger effect to the ride channel.
10
12
The beat is starting to take shape, but it still lacks character. A good
way to give a DnB beat a more organic sound is to add a breakbeat.
Theres one among our tracks, but lets see how far we can take our
one-shot sounds before we resort to using it. Lets add some snare to
the reverb turn the Send A level on the snare track up to -10dB.
This gets the reverb closer to the sound were after, but the tail is
too long. Add a Gate after the Reverb and set its Threshold to
-45dB. Because this parameter is volume-dependent, adjusting the
send level will change how it responds. Therefore, the most practical
way to control the level of the reverb now is to use a Utility effect.
mixing beats <
13
15
Add a Utility after the Gate and set its Gain to -5dB, then use an EQ
Eight to low-cut the signal at 2.5kHz. Now, lets simulate an
overhead mic to get a more cohesive, organic sound for the whole kit.
Add all of the tracks apart from Angry Break to a group. Delete the
default Simple Delay effect on the Send B track, and add Overdrive,
Reverb and EQ Eight effects.
Unsolo the send. Now weve got a decent sound out of our oneshots, lets try adding the break to the mix. Angry Break is very
loud, so turn it down to -20dB before unmuting it. The break has lots of
rumbling lows, so use EQ Eight to low-cut it at 220Hz. We can get a
cleaner sound if we sidechain the break with the kick and snare.
14
16
Set the Overdrive Drive to 87%, the Reverb Decay Time to 410ms
and the Dry/Wet to 100%, and use the EQ Eight to low-cut at
1.5kHz. Turn the drum groups Send B level up to -18dB. Solo the Send
B return channel to take a listen to what this adds its just a smeared,
dirty reverb with no lows, but it helps the drums sound more authentic.
(Audio: Overhead simulation)
Add a Compressor to the Angry Break channel, and set its

sidechain input to the kick channel. Turn the Threshold down to
-19.5dB and set the Release time to 12ms. Duplicate the effect and set
the new instances Source to the snare track. Set the Threshold to -1dB
and the Ratio to inf:1. (Audio: DnB beat)
Making the most of mid/side technique

In this walkthrough, weve used the
technique of placing the kick and snare dead
centre in the mix by reducing their stereo
width, and having the ride sit out on the
edges of the stereo panorama by running it
through a flanger. We call this kind of trickery
mid/side processing, and understanding it is
pretty much essential for getting
contemporary-sounding drum mixes.
How does mid/side work? Usually, we think
about a stereo signal in terms of left and right
channels. We can encode both channels into
a mid signal (the information thats present in
both the left and right channels, and thus
what you hear at the centre of the mix) and a
sides signal (the difference between the left
and right channels, and what you hear at the
very edges of the stereo panorama). In
mathematical terms, we can express this as
Mid=Left+Right, and Side=Left-Right, but a

more practical way to get your head round it
is to download Voxengos excellent freeware
mid/side encoder MSED (www.voxengo.
com). Create an audio track in your DAW, put
a piece of music that you think has a good
mixdown on it, add MSED as an insert effect,
and try muting the sides signal. The sound
will go into mono. Then unmute the sides
signal and mute the mid signal youll hear
that the mono signal disappears, leaving just
the sides.
The advantage of dividing drum sounds
between the mid and sides signals is that it
gives us more headroom to work with. When
we use flanging to make the ride stereo, it
reduces its presence in the mid signal,
making our kick and snare both sound
clearer and thus allowing us to turn them up.
Voxengo MSED is a fantastic freeware plugin for

exploring the mid/side technique
By studying the mid/side profiles of greatsounding mixes with MSED (or other width
control effects such as Lives Utility), you can
get clues as to how to use the mid/side
technique in your own tracks which should
help you to produce bigger and bettersounding drum tracks and mixdowns.
Ableton Live
Gesture Based
Control
them is that there are so many of them

around. Theyre cheap and available, and
there are lots of brave people who have
already done the dirty work of getting them
to function with Mac OS X or Windows. The
Guitar Hero and Rock Band guitars and
drum kits work very well with Live, but to
me the Nintendo Wii Remote Control 4 ,
the Wiimote, is the archetypal game input
device that works brilliantly for music
production and performance, in a way that
most other controllers dont. It has several
buttons, the d-pad on the top, and the
all-important x-y-x orientation, each of
which can be assigned to a separate MIDI
CC message. If you add the Nunchuk
accessory, which plugs into the bottom of
the Wiimote, and takes its power from it,
then youve got more buttons, a little
joystick, and another set of x-y-x orientation
controls too much information!
The Wiimote is a great controller for
synths, for example if you use it as a basic
type of theremin controller for Operator 5 ,
using the buttons to turn the Filter and LFO
on and off, and using the left/right rotation
for volume, and up/down tilts for pitch. An
obvious use for the Nunchuk is for effect
control, while the main unit is dealing with
The Expert
the instrument; the Nunchuk has worked
Martin Delaney,
very well for me with effect devices like
Performer, Producer
Artist and
Auto Filter and Beat Repeat 6 . The
instructor,
Wiimote is incredibly sensitive, and watch
Martin, aka
out, because it can be a bit of a handful if
mindlobster,
has produced Live
you assign too many parameters to the
training material and
orientation; it keeps sending all the time,
was one of the UKs
first certified Ableton
even when you put it down, so its essential
Live trainers.
to plan for an off button in your set-up!
More recently, the game control scene
is still healthy, with Kinect from Microsoft
taking broad-gesture control a little bit more mainstream, although its not as
usable in every day situations as the more console-like hand-held devices.
There are also controllers that arent game controllers, but have been designed
to evoke that old-school vibe while being functionally more suited for live
performance and for MIDI set-ups the MIDI Fighter from DJ Tech Tools
(www.midifighter.com) is probably the best example of this.
Hardware controllers that you can wiggle, swipe,

stroke and squeeze and some you dont have to
touch at all. Martin Delaney gets shakin as he
explores some of the ways to get gesture control
or electronic musicians, piano keys, pads, and buttons work

perfectly well for triggering notes and turning things on and off,
and we have knobs to let us incrementally change values like
reverb or delay levels 1 . But thats not always enough
sometimes we want controls that expand the interface, to give us
different types of expression and articulation, responding to
movements we make with hands, arms, or our entire body if necessary.
Lets get physical

It makes perfect sense if you look at more established instruments, they
usually have something that adds a little flourish to the basic sound. A piano
has pedals, a guitars strings give you a whole catalogue of bends and slides
(never mind the fact that it might also have a tremolo arm), Hammond organs
have their drawbars, Wurlitzer electric pianos have tremolo controls, and
of course synths and keyboard controllers have their pitch and modulation
wheels. Thats enough examples, you get the idea just turning things on
and off isnt enough.
We can use other tactics and change settings inside our software
instruments, such as velocity sensitivity, portamento 2 and aftertouch, but we
still want more physical ways of affecting what we play and how it sounds. With
hardware synthesizers there have been many attempts to provide different ways
of interaction, as the needs of electronically-based musicians departed further
from the traditional demands of players: joysticks (like on the Sequential
Circuits Prophet VS even the rack-mount version has the joystick, which
might be annoying), ribbon controllers (as I used to enjoy on the lovely old
Yamaha SU700 hardware sampler 3 and by the way, you can buy standalone
ribbon controllers such as the Doepfer R2M if you really want to add one to
your set-up), theremin type devices like the Alesis AirSynth, and the Roland
D-Beam deployed on the classic MC-505 groovebox, as well as on their AX-7
and AX-09 keytar style synths. All of these were, or are, cool in different ways,
and they still work! Here Im focused on these other types of input device, and
how we can get some of that action for our MIDI control set-ups.
Use Your Computers Trackpad
Your trackpad is a control surface that lets you

swipe and click and (in many cases certainly
with the MacBook) recognises hand gestures
according to direction and number of fingers.
The simplest way to use it with Live is to apply it
to the XY area that appears in most of Lives
audio effect devices. Click and hold it down at
the left corner with your left hand so it stays
clicked, and swipe around with your right hand.
Take control
Beam me up
What were the first similar interfaces for computers, designed to work with
software instead of hardware, to give us some of that gesture control?
Collectively, we turned on to game controllers quite early; the great thing about
Moving to the other extreme in terms of cost and complexity, we have the
Sound Beam. This is a system of hardware focused on a brain that connects to
a computer via USB, then uses a set of up to four sensors, usually arranged in a
62
1
VIDEO ON
THE DVD
Watch the tutorial
movie on the DVD
>
>
Lets Get Physical
>
Take Control
Controller Apps
>
Beam Me Up
63
circle, to detect body movements. Up

to four foot switches can be added. A
full set-up will cost you around
4,000 but it is a very unique way of
working, equally popular with dance
groups, performance artists, and
organisations for people with physical
disabilities (www.soundbeam.co.uk).
This is gesture control on a big scale;
youll be waving your arms about
more than your fingers!
A joystick-style device I havent
had the chance to try yet is the 3D
Space Navigator (www.3dconnexion.
com) 7 . This expands on the basic
joystick concept, bringing with it
user-assignable buttons and on one
model a screen as well. Its expensive
though, and I would guess it takes
some work to get functioning with
music software. It doesnt advertise
any compatibility at the outset youd have to use something like OSCulator to
get it talking (www.osculator.net).
Theres Always Lemur iOS
Liines Lemur is incredibly usable as a controller

for Live, not to mention any other MIDI/OSCfriendly applications and hardware. Lemur on an
iPad should be a candidate for your desert-island
controller, if you have to choose only one. It
doesnt offer the same physicality or game
controller-like vibe you can get from some of the
other gadgets were talking about here, but it has
enough interface objects to keep you swiping
that screen all day long.
The Nintendo
Wii Remote
Control
I think of the Wiimote as
a classic MIDI controller,
game device or not. Its
powerful, portable, and
cheap. Its easy to set up,
as well pair it via
Bluetooth and then use
a helper application
such as OSCulator to
configure the controls.
Unquestionably one
of the best synth
controllers around.
part of your performance. IK Multimedias iRing gadget currently only works

with iOS devices, and doesnt talk to DAWs running on a Mac or PC, but
hopefully the time will come 9 !
The most everyman gesture controller that works with music applications
without hacking is Leap Motion (www.leapmotion.com). This is a cheap device
that you can buy on almost any high street. Its availability is probably related to
its flexibility instead of being limited to a few basic functions, or tied to
certain apps, Leap Motion has its own online store, Airspace, where you
purchase apps to add the desired functionality. Have a look at our walkthrough
for the basic steps in setting up Leap Motion.
Push it
Abletons Push includes a control strip, and I was happy to see this, being a
fan of those Yamaha hardware samplers I mentioned earlier. As things stand,
however, the control strip options are limited when Push is in drum rack
mode, the strip merely navigates up and down through the available pads in the
rack, and when its in note mode, the strip acts as a pitch bend, or more
specifically, like a pitch wheel, returning to the original pitch at the centre of
the strip when you release it. If you want to assign it to anything else, you can
enter User Mode, and then the strip sends a MIDI CC, which you can assign to
Controller apps
anything using Lives MIDI Map Mode. When you exit User Mode, the strip
iOS apps like Lemur 8 give you bouncing balls and all kinds of other
doesnt retain your mapping you have to return to User Mode to use your
swipeable interfaces, and apps like MIDI Designer let you assign MIDI CCs to
assignment, which is not ideal.
your iOS devices accelerometer, so you really can gesture with your iPhone as
You can get a more useful expansion of Pushs control strip
if you use a software instrument that lets you assign incoming
pitch information to another parameter Operator will do this!
The Skoog
If you have Push around, and Operator installed, try it (if you
The unique Skoog is
havent got either of those, you can still fake it with a regular
primarily a musical toy/
MIDI keyboards pitch wheel, and any instrument plug-in that
interface for users with
disabilities that might
does the pitch remapping). Open Live and load Operator (we
otherwise stop them from
also have an Operator track already configured for Push in our
enjoying an instrument.
example Live set). Click on Operators Global Shell, at the
Based around a bunch of
pressure sensors with an
bottom right of the display, where it shows controls for Time,
accelerometer, contained
Tone, and Volume. The central display now updates to show
within an almost
bombproof rubber casing,
Operators global settings, including Pitch Bend. To the right of
it connects through USB
that is a Pitch value setting, which defaults to +5 st
and uses an intermediate
application to send MIDI.
(semitones); set that to 0. This tells Operator to ignore the
pitch bend information, so when you swipe the control strip,
Operators pitch is unaffected. Now, next to the Pitch Bend
setting, click and youll see a list of every parameter in
Operator that pitch bend can be reassigned to. For our example
set choose F Freq (filter frequency), and set the pitch bend
amount next to it to 100%. Note that you can also set this to a
minus value, which would invert the way the strip works.
64
How To Control
Live Using
Leap Motion
Its not air guitar, its more air

finger. Use Leap Motion and a
couple of apps to control Live
03 >
In Geco, moving representations of your

hands appear as you move them over the
Leap Motion. The bottom of the screen
displays hand icons, and settings for each
recognised gesture. Reading across from the
column at the left, youll see that you can
assign MIDI channels, CCs, and other more
advanced settings to each individual gesture.
01 >
Youll need a Leap Motion, and youll also

need to buy the Geco MIDI application, which
costs 7.99 (there are others available,
including Aeromidi, which costs 23.99
each specialises in different functions, so
you might want to get both). Connect the Leap
Motion via USB, launch Geco from inside the
Airspace application and launch Live.
04 >
Use the left hand for Track 1 and the right

hand for Track 2. Assign CCs from 1
upwards, to these gestures: 1) left hand
present fingers spread; 2) left hand present
fingers closed; 3) left hand roll; 4) right hand
closed up/down; 5) right hand closed roll.
The gestures have solo switches, so you can
send CCs individually.
02 >
Configure Geco in MIDI Preferences, for

Track and Remote inputs. We have an
example Live set ready if you have a Leap
Motion open it now. Track 1 Beats contains
audio clips, Track 2 Simpler contains an
instrument preset. Track 3, Push, is an
Operator preset for use with Pushs control
strip; ignore that for now.
05
Assign the CCs like this: 1) scene launch;

2) track 1 filter on/off; 3) track 1 filter
resonance and frequency (map it twice);
4) Simpler pitch; 5) Simpler volume. Try it
with Live your left hand launches scenes and
controls Track 1s filter, and your right will
control Simplers volume and pitch!
65
> make music now / reverb: the

> Step by step
guide
1. Exploring basic reverb parameters
TUTORIAL
FILES
We fire up Ableton Live, program a

drum pattern (1 Dry drums.wav), then
insert Lives Reverb plugin into its channel.
We turn off everything that can be turned
off, so that it isnt filtered or modulated at
all, and set the plugin to a 50/50 mix of
drums and reverb. Any typical reverb
plugin will do, and your DAW almost
certainly includes one that has very similar
features to the one were using here.
In the real world, early reflections are

the very first echoes to arrive at your
ears, before all the echoes aggregate to
form a more smoothly decaying tail. The
Shape control on Lives Reverb sets the
prominence of the early reflections, while
the Reflect dial sets their volume in the
mix (Diffuse does the same for the tail).
Check out audio of the different settings
for all steps in the Tutorial Files folder.
Rather than a set of specific room

algorithms, Reverb sports a single
room Size control. At its lowest setting, the
drums sound like theyre in a bathroom; at
max, theyre in a stadium. The Decay
Time sets the duration of the reverb tail,
from 200ms to 60s that is, how long the
reverb takes to fade away to silence.
These two knobs set the character of our
reverb tail (late reflections), along with
The time it takes for the first early

reflections to appear is called the predelay, and it can be used to give transients
a bit of space before the reverb kicks in,
and add to the impression of size with
large spaces. Lives Predelay, found in the
very lower left of Reverbs interface, is
typical, ranging from 0.5ms to 250ms.
the Diffusion Network controls.

Different reverbs will offer different
controls with which to adjust the density
and smoothness of the tail here, we have
the Density and Scale parameters in the
Diffusion Network section. Your reverb
may well let you modulate the tail to
impart a bit of wobble, too Reverbs
Chorus module gives control over the
speed and depth of its LFO.
Our reverb spans the frequency range,

but in a mix, you may want to rein in
the highs/lows. Some reverbs have filters
for this Lives has them on the input and
in the Diffusion Network (the latter acting
as reverb damping controls, to control
bass/treble tail length). Your reverb may
also have a stereo width control for
narrowing/widening the signal. Again,
hear it all in action in the Tutorial Files.
Four of the best algorithmic reverb plugins
2CAudio Aether
156 10/10 $250

2CAudio are true masters of reverb
design, and their flagship, Aether, is
surely a contender for greatest reverb
ever made, hard or soft. With its
extensive control array, under-thehood randomisation and lush,
scintillating sound, it simply doesnt
put a foot wrong.
www.2caudio.com
Eventide Blackhole
181 9/10 $199

A powerful reverb for creative sound
design rather than the emulation of
anything even approaching realworld spaces. It sounds truly unique,
and the morphing Ribbon Controller
and Hotswitch enable smooth or
sudden transitioning between two
complete parameter setups.
www.eventide.com
36 / COMPUTER MUSIC / August 2014
UVI SparkVerb
200 8/10 $199

A beefed-up version of a reverb
algorithm from their UVI Engine
instrument, SparkVerb might put
its novel Preset Voyager patch
generation system at the top of
the marketing blurb, but the real
draw is its fabulously musical sound
and ease of use.
www.uvi.net
eaReckon EAReverb
164 8/10 129

Beautifully laid out and packing seven
size variations on its core algorithm,
EAReverb is at its best generating
small-space ambiences, which it does
supremely well. A max decay time of 3.8
seconds does make it something of a
specialist proposition, but advanced
early reflection controls make up for it.
www.eareckon.com
W orldmags.net
> make music now / modern mastering
12 mastering tips
HANDS-OFF MIXING
Weve gotta say it again Dont expect mix
problems to be solved at the mastering stage!
EQ clashes, dynamic issues and other errors
are all best addressed from within the mix
project. If youre applying drastic amounts of
processing, revisit your mix or if youre
mastering for someone else, explain the
issues and see if they can remix.
KEEP IT FRESH
Dont over-listen to a track! John Paul Braddock
explains: What I dont want to do is to listen
all the way through the track for six minutes,
because as soon as Ive done that, Ive got
used to how it sounds, rather than being
objective. Its crucial that we dont spend too
much time listening to the music. This might
sound counter-intuitive, but were not mixing
it any more. Were not trying to listen to the
detail; were trying to get an overview to
sample the overall tone of the song.
CONSIDER IT
Try distributing a plugins workload over several stages for a potentially more transparent effect
DOES IT CANCEL OUT?
STAGED LIMITING
Several gentle stages of limiting or
compression can help take the load off one
single plugin. For example, three limiters
with a gain reduction of 1dB might sound
more natural than a single 3dB limiting stage.
It depends on the plugins used, so give it a try,
and listen objectively.
MAKE IT UP
Use sum difference testing (also known as a

null test) to hear if a plugin is passive. Get to
know which plugins add gain boosts or
frequency changes in their default state.
John Paul Braddock discusses: Many plugins
will actually apply a tonal or level change
even before any settings are dialled in. Ive
noticed that, after analysing several types of
plugins, youll load up a plugin with no
processing, but the actual output might be
louder. Perhaps those plugin manufacturers
know what we now know that louder
sounds better or maybe thats just a side
effect of the plugins design. The important
thing is that you analyse the tools youre
using, and dont make assumptions. Be
critically aware of your own tools.
For transparency, try to use as few EQ or

excitement stages as possible. So, if a track
has too much bass and not enough treble, try
using a single broad shelf to cut bass, then
re-level by increasing the EQs makeup gain.
This will shift the tracks weight towards the
treble more naturally than two EQ bands.
Remember to compare your final processed

master with the unprocessed session mix at
equal level to see if youve actually achieved
the outcome you intended. If not, dont be
afraid to start again from scratch.
Once youre ready to master a track, dont

just dive in and start processing. The aim is to
gently improve, not mix. Take a more
considered approach. Briefly compare the
mix to a reference track at equal level, plan
exactly what correction or enhancement the
mix needs, try it out, re-level, then evaluate.
ON THE KNOBS
Type in parameter values and use stepped
plugins (with fixed 0.5dB-1dB notched
controls) where possible. Its easy to just
crank up a knob, but typing in values makes
you think about what youre entering. Stick to
0.5/1dB steps at a time, as half a dB will make
a significant difference when mastering.
REFERENCE WITH EQUALITY
MID/SIDE DIY
A plugin with an unlinked left/right mode can
also be used to process in mid/side. Simply
load Voxengos free MSED on the channel and
set it to Encode. Now load your plugin after
MSED and unlink the left and right channels.
Place a second MSED last in the chain, and set
it to Decode. The left side of your plugin now
processes the mid (mono) part of your signal,
and the right affects the side (stereo).
MORE THAN AVERAGE

Regular downwards, full-band compression
can clamp down on peaks and transient
detail, ruining dynamics if not applied
carefully. If your track needs extra average
weight, consider blending it in through the
use of parallel compression you can bring
up the average level of your track while
keeping the detail intact.
COMPRESS GENTLY
A touch of downwards compression can pull
(or gel) the overall mix together, but keep
attack times slow so you gently clamp down
on the mixs sustain and not the transients. A
low ratio and around 1-2dB of gain reduction
should be all thats necessary.
LIMIT LAST
Evaluate your mastering success by comparing your processed master with the unprocessed
version remember to set both tracks to equal loudness for a fair comparison
60 / COMPUTER MUSIC / January 2015
Many think of limiting and loudness as the

main staples of mastering, but this attitude
often leads to amateur results, flattened
mixes and distortion. Final peak limiting
should only be tackled when a tracks overall
tonal, dynamic and stereo balance are in
order. So leave limiting till last!
Technique | MIDI Effects
From speedy timing solutions to creative

compositional devices, MIDI processing
tools are the overlooked weapons in your
plug-in arsenal. Learn how to correct,
enhance and expand your performances
with our guide to MIDI effects
he invention of synth manufacturer

Dave Smith in the early 80s, MIDI
(Musical Instrument Digital
Interface) is the industry standard
data type sent back and forth between
various electronic musical instruments,
enabling devices to communicate trigger
messages and control signals relating to
musical notation, timing, level and more. Its
a standard protocol that youve almost
certainly used already whether its to
connect and control outboard gear, or to
trigger software instruments with your MIDI
keyboard or DAWs piano roll and is still a
hugely important (and often misunderstood)
form of musical communication.
72
As MIDI is a collection of commands

sent between devices, we can easily
manipulate this data with dedicated
software tools before it reaches its
destination (usually a synth or sampler). Just
as a traditional audio effect plug-in takes an
audio signal and alters it in some way, a
MIDI effect receives MIDI information,
processes it in real time, then outputs the
result and, as with audio effects, it can be
tweaked, re-ordered and bypassed at will.
Musical assistants
MIDI data is synonymous with electronic
music performance, and we use a MIDI
keyboard to input musical notes into a
computer, so its no wonder that many MIDI
effect processors act as musical assistants.
A plug-in can instantly take in large amounts
of MIDI notes, then funnel that data into
specific musical scales, effectively
preventing the entry of wrong notes. Chord
processors, triggered by only a single input
MIDI Effects | Technique
Generating Percussion Patterns

We all recognise 80s-style arpeggiated synth riffs, but modern MIDI devices can
take the concept much further. Lets take an unusual route to sequenced beats
Arpeggiators divide
up a chords notes
into a single stream
of ordered notes.
Once fixed within a
synthesizer, we can
now take the concept
and apply it to any
MIDI data stream.
Here, weve
assigned several
drum hits across a
drum samplers
pads. By stacking
chord notes, then
arpeggiating them,
we create a round
robin sequence of
percussion hits,
automatically cycling
through the multiple
drum samples. The
arpeggiators are
then adjusted,
providing speed and
timing alterations
that would take ages
to draw in by hand.
Its a technique
thats great for the
buzzing closed hi-hat
repetitions heard in
Hip-Hop and Trap, or
even for robotic
drum rolls and
pre-drop build-ups.
Weve used
Ableton Live 9s
Drum Rack and
Arpeggiator here, but
you can use any
DAW, drum sampler
and arpeggiator
plug-in combination
to achieve a similar
result. Download
audio examples from
vault.futuremusic.
co.uk, or find them
on the DVD with the
print edition.
A variety of percussion and noise samples have been loaded into a

drum sampler. Weve programmed the samples MIDI notes on top of
each other this chord plays back all of the samples at the same time.
Touches of delay add character and rhythm.
An arpeggiator divides up the individual notes of incoming chords into

a monophonic sequence. Live 9s Arpeggiator device is added before
the Drum Rack in the chain its listening to our stack of incoming MIDI
notes and triggering each sample in turn.
Changing the arpeggiators Rate parameter will speed up or slow down

the sequence, cycling through more or less of the percussion hits to
create different rhythmic patterns. Slower speeds mean less samples are
triggered; a rate of 1/16th gives us a rolling Techno-esque groove.
The arpeggiators Offset value shifts the start note of the sequence,
changing the playback order of the percussion hits; in this context, this
can be used to choose the first sample in the pattern. Its now easy to try
out various rhythms and percussion combinations at the current speed.
By retriggering the sequence from the start (via the Retrigger section),
odd repetitions and interesting patterns can be discovered. Faster
settings create short loops for build-ups and rolls; 3/16ths and 3/8th
settings offer more interesting broken sequences.
The various arpeggiator styles define note order, changing the feel of
the pattern. Gate shortens or lengthens each note lower values give a
stuttering feel. Get creative with quick pattern variation and improvisation
by sequencing percussion patterns on a single arpeggiator interface.
73
Your DAWs Stock MIDI Effects

Most software workstations are
bundled with a decent collection
of note-processing effects, so
you should already have access
to a heap of MIDI-mangling
tools. Being hard-wired into
your hosts architecture, they
can usually just be inserted
directly on a MIDI or instrument
track in the same way as audio
plug-ins (though often loaded
in their own dedicated MIDI
effect slot or position at the
beginning of the signal flow,
located before the channels
instrument in the chain).
Logic users have traditionally
had access to a configurable
audio and MIDI routing network
in the form of the enormously
powerful Environment, but even
basic routing configurations
could be laborious to set up.
Luckily, Logic Pro X users have

been rewarded with a new
bundle of MIDI effect plug-ins,
loaded in their own MIDI effect
slot with a few simple clicks.
Cubase still houses an array of
flexible and functional MIDI
plug-ins, many of which remain
from the programs SX days.
Ableton Lives MIDI effects are
also highly regarded, and feature
a distinct advantage: chains of
MIDI, Instrument and Audio
Effects can be grouped together
into a composite Rack, and the
grouped devices parameters can
be mapped to the Racks global
Macros. Once assigned, multiple
parameters can be altered
simultaneously along every stage
of a channels signal path,
expanding sound design and
live performance opportunities.
note, can output the multiple notes of a

chord (which are either entered manually or
chosen from pre-existing chords), giving the
less musically-gifted access to plenty of
musical progressions. It can be thought of as
cheating for the musically-ignorant, or can
provide the trained musician with extra
flexibility and performance control.
MIDI processing also grants you the
ability to generate riffs and patterns at
speeds and complexities impossible to play
by hand. Usually associated with 80s
electronic music, an arpeggiator takes the
multiple notes of a chord and sequences
these notes into a repetitive (and usually
monophonic) stream. The user then defines
the characteristics of this sequence, such as
speed, pattern order and note length.
Previously found only within a synths
architecture, there are now plenty of plug-ins
that allow you to arpeggiate incoming MIDI
notes before they hit your instrument of
choice and, as youll find out, they arent
only useful for musical sequences.
74
Were not going to outline

each hosts MIDI plug-in
selection here, as there really
isnt a whole lot of variation
from DAW to DAW. Youll find

bread and butter effects that
correct MIDI timing, pitch and
velocity; chord and arpeggiator
Cubases MIDI
Plug-ins
MIDI effects bundled
with Cubase include
workhorse plug-ins
like Quantizer and
Transformer to keep
stray MIDI data in
check, and more
creative tools
such as Chorder,
StepDesigner and
Beat Designer, which
handle sequencing.
Lives MIDI
Effects
Live features basic
Pitch, Velocity and
Note Length devices,
plus Scale, Chord
and Arpeggiator
tools. These can all
be collected into a
MIDI Effect Rack to
create custom
MIDI processing
combinations.
Performance enhancers
MIDI data also communicates information
relating to the velocity, timing and swing of a
performance, and these parameters can all
be altered with plug-ins before they enter a
synth or instrument. Quantise tools lock
incoming notes to a specified grid; MIDI
compression restricts (or even expands) the
velocity values of input notes to within
certain ranges; MIDI echo tools can repeat
notes for unusual delay effects. Although
this data is traditionally manipulated
destructively within the piano roll, an insert
plug-in can be bypassed or changed,
The Sequential Circuits

Prophet 600 was the
first commercially
available MIDIequipped instrument
plug-ins; tools that process

and modulate other MIDI
parameters; humanisation
devices; plus much more.
offering a quick way to experiment with

various parameter settings and outcomes.
MIDI effects arent just for existing
performances, either: theyre just as useful
at the composition stage, and can generate
exciting performances that would never be
discovered through traditional means. You
can use a MIDI effect to modulate the CC
parameters of multiple synths with LFOs,
envelopes, sequencers and other control
signals. Several MIDI plug-ins can be placed
in series, so the output of one can feed into
another. Randomising effects take
incoming notes and spit out unpredictable
MIDI data streams, which
can be printed to a new
MIDI file and applied to
other instruments in your
project with ease.
But why not just
program data into a MIDI
event? Well, insert
plug-ins promote a
different approach,
especially if youre used
to drawing in MIDI data straight into the
piano roll. You end up with results that
would take far longer to program by hand,
while still being able to tweak the
destination instrument in real time. They
speed up your compositional process,
improve your workflow, and force you to
approach the music-making process from a
different angle. Over the course of this
feature, well show you just a few tips and
techniques for getting the most out of your
MIDI whether you choose to use stock
devices or third-party tools.
You can generate

riffs and patterns at
speeds impossible
to play by hand
Time-Efficient Composing
Whether youre a musical maestro or a novice to notation, MIDI effects can be
called upon to speed up your music-writing
While theres no
replacement for a
solid knowledge of
music theory, chord
generator plug-ins
are fantastic for
starting off a track
idea or musical
progression,
especially when time
is tight. Load one
before a synth, fire
up an interesting
patch, and find
something that hits
the right notes.
Were using Xfer
Records Cthulhu
a tool jam-packed
with both preset
chord progressions
and detailed
programming
features. After
finding a suitable
sequence of chords,
weve recorded the
effects output to a
new MIDI region,
rendering the notes
as you would bounce
an audio signal. By
doing this, you can
easily alter individual
notes, duplicate
the part over to
other tracks in a
project, then create
accompaniments
in a flash.
Again, take a listen
through the audio
examples for each
step, found with this
months download/
DVD content. Youll
hear the initial preset
chord sequence, our
note adjustments,
then further musical
developments.
To begin, weve loaded Xfer Records Cthulhu on a MIDI track, then

routed this tracks output to the MIDI input of a software instrument.
After selecting one of the preset progressions, a string ensemble sequence
is arranged using only single MIDI notes.
The third chord in the sequence could do with a little adjustment, so

we record Cthulhus output to a new MIDI region, printing our chord
sequence to its own new MIDI file. We now adjust the notes of this chord to
better suit the progression.
The corrected MIDI file is now duplicated to a new instrument

channel, and a second part is layered over the first. Its a washy,
evolving synth pad from Sylenth1, adding melodic character and movement
over the static string chords for thickness and interest.
Our MIDI progression is duplicated to a third MIDI channel, and we

delete the majority of chord notes to create a monophonic bass part.
Rob Papens SubBoomBass is used to generate a weighty Reese bass,
underpinning the other chord elements for solidity in the low-end.
For an interesting arpeggiated riff, we return to our original Cthulhu

channel and route its output to a new MIDI channel containing an
instance of Synapse Audios Dune 2 synth. Cthulhus flexible arpeggiator
generates a fast riff sequence from our original chord progression.
The arpeggiated notes are too predictable, so we delve into Cthulhu to

add variation to the pattern. Steps are shortened via the Gate section,
injecting rests into our synth sequence. We can again print Cthulhus output
to a new MIDI region for more detailed MIDI adjustments.
75
Corrective Note Processing

Workhorse MIDI tools, like the older MIDI plug-ins that remain in Cubase, are ideal
for fine-tuning a performance in real time
Many of Cubases
older MIDI plug-ins
are no-nonsense
tools that can tidy up
inconsistencies
directly on the
channel itself. To
correct the MIDI
information directly
inside the event
itself would be a
destructive process,
requiring several
undo steps to revert
back to the original
performance. By
applying real-time
MIDI processing, you
can bypass and
re-order plug-ins,
with the original
MIDI file still intact.
Its also easier to
experiment with
different quantise/
swing settings,
velocity variations
and note length
adjustments.
Heres a basic chord progression thats been recorded to a MIDI file. As

you can see, the notes timings and velocities vary wildly. While some
natural expression is often a good thing, we need to correct the notes of this
sloppy performance.
Now we use a Compressor effect to even out the notes differing

velocity values, in exactly the same way as a regular audio compressor
would. Our notes are now more consistent, with each having a more even
level in comparison to one another.
In Cubases first MIDI Insert slot, weve loaded a Quantizer effect. As

the name implies, this device quantises MIDI notes to a user-defined
timing although, unlike applying quantisation settings destructively inside
the piano roll, this effect is working in real time.
Our performance has been corrected, but in a non-destructive way, so

we can mute or change the MIDI inserts settings to fine-tune our
adjustments. Now were happy with the alterations, weve arpeggiated the
chords notes using Cubases Arpache SX effect.
Third-Party MIDI Plug-Ins

While there isnt as plentiful a
selection as with their audio
processing counterparts,
commercial third-party MIDI
plug-ins are available, providing
more in-depth features than your
DAWs stock solutions.
Xfer Records Chluthu,
dubbed the chord and arp
monster, combines two MIDI
processing concepts. The first,
a chord generator and
programmer, lets you assign
chord combinations across
MIDI keys to create complex
progressions from basic one-note
76
patterns. The second is a

feature-rich arpeggiator with
tons of step sequencer
functions. If youre an
arpeggiator fiend, check out
Kirnus Cream, a highly-regarded
plug-in with chord memory slots,
pattern sequencing, multiple
outputs and more.
For a different kind of MIDI
programming, investigate
Cableguys MidiShaper a
device that can modulate any
MIDI CC (or MIDI Learn-enabled
device) via its customisable
LFOs and breakpoint envelopes.
Cableguys
MidiShaper
Kirnu Cream
Kirnus Cream is
crammed full of
useful notesequencing features
such as four
independent tracks,
per-step parameter
adjustment, 16 chord
memory slots
and more.
While your host may

offer some kind of
MIDI modulator,
MidiShaper gives you
even more scope for
complex routing. Its
four LFOs and four
envelopes can
modulate any MIDI
CC parameter.
MIDI Tips
Shake up your patterns, progressions and
sounds with these MIDI effect tricks
MIDI experimentation
Once youre accustomed to

the flexibility of MIDI
plug-ins, you can begin to
use them for less common
purposes. As they transform note
data before it reaches a synth or
samplers input, its fun to play
around with unusual sound triggering
and pattern sequencing. In our earlier
walkthrough we sequenced beats, but
you can just as easily use this
method to quickly scan through FX or
vocal samples. For crazy buzzing
effects, unlock the arpeggiators
speed from the host tempo and
adjust its rate in Hertz.
enough to add space throughout the

sequence. As an alternative, try
setting the rate to a completely
different time division.
Record your MIDI
Weve discussed this a

couple of times already, but
its worth repeating again: if
your MIDI plug-ins are
generating an interesting sequence or
chord progression, remember to
record that channels MIDI output to
a new region (in the same way that
youd record audio to a new track).
This saves the output of your MIDI
plug-ins to a permanent MIDI file,
which can then be easily adjusted or
copied to other tracks in your project.
Back to basics
Spice up sequences
The traditional up-down

arpeggiated sequence is
somewhat tiresome these
days, so dont stick with a
standard setting. The more flexible
arpeggiator plug-ins allow you to
fine-tune note lengths, velocity,
transposition, harmonies and other
CC values on a per-step basis. Often
the simple removal of a few notes is
MIDI effects are brilliant at

creating complex melodic
elements, but remember
that you can also perform
very basic functions with ease.
Instead of transposing a synths
multiple oscillators up or down an
octave, slap a simple MIDI
pitch-shifter on its channel and
adjust the pitch that way. Instead of
adjusting multiple velocity values
inside different regions, use a single
device. The benefit to this method
is that plug-ins have a one-click
bypass function, helping you A/B
changes quickly.
Remix Tricks
iOS Sequencing
While plug-ins are convenient, a tablets

touchscreen is the perfect interface for
arpeggiation and sequencing, providing
instant visual feedback as you send MIDI data to
your DAW (or hardware) and back. Genome,
MIDI Pattern Sequencer and Thesys are just
three examples of iOS apps devoted to this task,
taking MIDI programming away from the
computer screen and putting it firmly back
within the realm of physical control.
Combine to succeed
Combine chord generator

devices with an arpeggiator,
to create impressive
musical sequences with a
When putting together a remix, try taking a key

melodic audio part from the original and
converting it to MIDI. Once youve got the note
data in front of you, hook up a few MIDI plug-ins on
the channel and seek out a new hook or phrase. Youll
maintain the vibe and character of the original track,
but likely come across a whole new direction to base
your remix around.
single key press. Use a chord

generator plug-in to map chords to
single MIDI notes, then load an
arpeggiator next in the chain. The
chord devices output will feed
multiple notes into the arpeggiators
input, which sequences these notes
into an ordered monophonic pattern.
MIDI accidents
Often the most inspiring

moments are created
through accidents, so be
prepared to abuse your
MIDI effect chain. Interesting things
happen when you place two or three
arpeggiator plug-ins in series, each
feeding varying sequences into the
next. Quickly turn your effects off and
on, causing gaps in the MIDI data
stream. Steep, short automation
curves can twist MIDI changes in
strange ways, causing glitches and
odd occurrences.
77
Technique | Minimal Beats, Maximum Impact
When it comes to making

your beats bang on systems
both big and small, less is
definitely more. We show you
how to trim the fat from your
sounds and get your biggest
mixdowns yet
common mistake made by new

producers is to try and cram as
much as possible into a mix.
This might seem like common
sense (more sounds equals a better tune
simple!) but sadly there are two very
important things wrong with this approach.
Firstly, having a large number of sounds
playing at the same time means our ears
have to work harder to pick out individual
elements. Generally we dont like to have to
strain to hear things: it makes listening to
56
music too much like hard work. Good

mixdowns do that work for us, making the
important elements easy to hear and enjoy.
Secondly, adding too many elements
eats up headroom, resulting in mixes that
sound muffled and messy rather than loud
and proud. In fact, the trend in commercial
electronic music over the past few years has
been to get rid of anything extraneous. Take
the drop in Martin Garrix Animals its just
kicks and a synth lead. As both elements
have so much room to breathe, it sounds
huge on everything from laptop speakers to
its native big room environment.
Nowhere to hide
The lesson we can learn from young Garrix
doesnt just apply to balls-out big room
bangers, although it is particularly important
in pared-down Dance music styles. The trick
with minimal music is the paucity of sounds
Minimal Beats, Maximum Impact | Technique
Processing Your Kick

If your bassline and kicks dont fit together your track will suffer, particularly on
bigger sound systems. We show you how to strip the fat from your kicks
INCLUDES AUDIO l
A solid-sounding lowend is an essential
element of a Dance
music mixdown, and
this is particularly
true for minimal
styles because
theres less going on
in the mids and
highs to cover up
inadequacies in the
bass frequencies.
Getting the lows
right can often be
the hardest part of a
mixdown, but you
can save yourself a
lot of headaches by
simply preparing
your sounds sensibly
in the first place.
In this tutorial
well show you how
to make your life
easier at mixdown
time by trimming the
fat from your kick.
Once weve got rid of
the excess low-end,
stereo information
and even a little
dynamic range, our
kick is leaner,
punchier and sits
more happily in
the mix.
A particularly
important technique
we use is tuning the
kick to the same
pitch as the bassline.
This is a simple
thing, taking just a
few seconds, but it
instantly makes a
mix sound better.
Getting these
fundamentals right
will only take you a
few minutes, and
will improve the
sound of your
music more than
any expensive
mixing plug-in!
Heres a minimal synth bassline (Minimal bass.wav) that plays between

each beat. The bass plays between the kick of our 4/4 kick part (Big
kick.wav) but its tail is so long the sounds overlap. And the kick isnt tuned
to the same note as the bass, which makes the overlapping sound worse.
Setting the kicks sampler patch to -2 semitones makes it sound much

better, but it will be improved further if we prevent the sounds from
overlapping. So we turn the sampler patchs Sustain and Decay down. Here
weve opted for a Sustain level of -inf dB, and a Decay of 206ms.
Ableton Lives Sampler has a Decay Slope parameter, which allows us

to fine-tune how quickly the kicks volume level drops. A setting of
-23% works well here. Despite curtailing the kicks subby tail, theres still a
lot of low-end energy, so we use an EQ Eight to hi-pass the signal at 40Hz.
The kick sound uses up a lot of headroom; we can scrape a bit back
with a little saturation. Add Lives Saturator effect and set its Drive to
1dB. Set the mode to Waveshaper, and click the triangle at the right-hand
top of the effects interface to bring up the waveshapers parameters.
Set the waveshapers Lin parameter to 80% this gives us around the
same perceived volume at the raw signal, but it doesnt peak so loudly.
The left and right sides of the signal peak at different levels this kick is
stereo. To make it mono add a Utility effect and turn its Width down to 0%.
We can squeeze more headroom out of our mix by compressing the

bassline with a sidechaining input fed from the kick. This will
imperceptibly duck the bass volume when the kick plays. Weve used a
Ratio of 4:1, a Threshold of -22dB and a Release time of 20ms.
57
Making Space In The Mix With Modulation Effects

Modulation-based effects such
as choruses, flangers and
phasers dont usually get a
look-in when it comes to beat
processing. Typically these
effects are employed to imbue
synth sounds with dramatic
sweeping movement in the case
of phasers and flangers, or warm
fuzziness in the case of
choruses. Neither of these
qualities is ideal for drum
sounds in a contemporary Dance
music mix, but when used with
a little finesse these effects can
subtly enhance the stereo width
of your drums, and give you
some added headroom to boot!
The key is to use low feedback
values: feedback is the
parameter that really makes the
textural movement created by
these effects stand out, and by
reducing this we get the same

stereo enhancement, but
without the undesirable, obvious
movement. It also helps to use
slower modulation speeds,
smaller ranges, and carefully
balance the wet and dry signals
so that you get the perfect
balance of solidity and width.
Try this technique on hats, rides
and percussion sounds itll
move them into the side signal,
making more room in the mid
signal for your kicks, claps and
snares, and giving you that
essential extra bit of headroom
it takes to make your mix loud
and punchy.
If youd really rather not have
any kind of movement on your
percussion sounds then theres
always the old standby of the
Haas technique, where one side
Flanigan/FilmMagic
means that theres nowhere for mistakes to

hide: poor sounds are easier to spot, and
mixing mistakes will be more glaring.
Therefore, its very important to get things
right from the ground up.
This philosophy of only using whats
absolutely necessary isnt just confined to
entire tracks, and extends to individual parts
themselves. These days most of us have
access to large numbers of well-produced,
super-fat samples and patches, but this can
be a curse as well as a blessing. The
amazing kick sample youve picked for your
track might sound incredible on its own, but
is its huge subby tail going to work with the
pattern youve created, or fit with the big,
bad bass sound youve chosen?
Getting low-end sounds to work together
properly can often be the hardest part of
making a Dance track, as these are the
58
of the stereo signal is delayed by

around 10-20ms to create
width. Alternatively, you can try
detuning either side of the
signal to get a similar effect.

Its important to remember
that many devices and club
systems sum to mono, so
Phaser
These effects use
LFO modulated
all-pass filters to
create a sweeping
movement that
sounds great on
pads, but applied
more subtly can work
wonders on hat and
percussion parts.
Chorus
Some choruses wont
give as much control
over rate or depth as
flangers and phasers,
but they can still be
useful when applied
subtly. Use the Dry/
Wet mix parameter
for an exact amount
of stereo width.
frequencies that less than perfect monitoring

set-ups can struggle to produce effectively.
Unfortunately getting them right is super
important because its the low frequencies
that give a track its weight, and its the lower
frequencies that help give the listener an
idea of pitch. Both the kick and bass are
hugely important drivers especially in
minimal tracks so getting the balance right
is essential.
Less is more in a
mix, as Martin Garrix
proves with his big
room banger Animals
whatever technique you use its

sensible to test your mix in
mono to hear how the phase
cancellation sounds.
Everything in its right place

For each sound to have its own place in the
mix a compromise will be necessary and its
important to understand which part of each
sound needs to be preserved, and which
parts can be discarded. By knowing where
and how to trim the fat, we can get an ideal
balance of sounds with plenty of headroom
left over for a nice loud master.
Specialised tools and complicated,
drawn-out procedures
arent required for this
kind of processing, and
you can use your DAWs
stock plug-ins to follow
along with all of the
techniques demonstrated
in the following tutorials.
Well also look at how you
can use these familiar
effects in unexpected
ways, including using a stock compressor to
enhance the transient of a drum sound. By
getting the most out of each sound in this
manner you can avoid adding extra layers,
which avoids phasing issues, saves
headroom, and makes your mixdowns easier.
Well also see how stripping sounds to the
bone can be used to create interesting new
percussive noises, perfect for minimal House
and other abstract Dance music styles.
Although were focusing on minimal
House in this guide, no matter what kind of
music you make, taking the time to consider
whats important about each element you
add will help improve your sound design,
composition, mixdowns, and help your
tracks sound better all round.
Getting the low-end

sounds right is super
important as they
give a track its weight
Minimal Beats, Maximum Impact | Technique
Rework An Over-Processed Clap

Sample libraries are packed with sounds that have been processed to death, but
you can breathe some life back into them with these cunning tricks
INCLUDES AUDIO l
Weve all felt the
frustration of
stumbling upon a
sample that would
be perfect if its
creator hadnt gone
over the top with
their compressor or
reverb. While it
makes a lot of sense
that the developers
of soundware
libraries process
their material so
much it makes
them sound more
impressive and
polished this often
renders the samples
less usable.
However, all is not
lost: its possible to
use some very
standard effects to
perform simple audio
restoration on these
sounds. Believe it or
not, simple dynamic
processors have the
power to strip away
the excess
processing these
sounds have been
subjected to.
In this tutorial
well see how you
can use the humble
gate to remove
excessive reverb
(which can then be
replaced with your
own effect), and
how over-the-top
compression can
be countered with
some remedial
compression of
your own. By using
these effects in
conjunction you can
turn flabby samples
into tight, punchy
sounds that will fit
into your minimal
mixes much
more easily.
Our clap sound (Reverb clap.wav) sounds great, but its got a huge,
noisy reverb tail. This doesnt really work with the minimal vibe were
creating, so lets get rid of that reverb, and replace it with our own effect.
Start by adding a gate as an insert on the channel.
Here were using Lives stock Gate with the Threshold of -24.7dB. This
reverb tail is too quiet to pass through the gate, so were left with just
the dry clap sound. We can take this opportunity to process the dry signal
on its own, using a compressor to enhance the claps transients.
With a low Threshold value (-inf dB), adjusting the Attack time controls
how hard the transient hits. With automatic make-up gain mode
activated this can result in very loud output be careful! Use the Dry/Wet
knob to balance the processed and unprocessed versions of the clap.
Now its time to add our new reverb. This shouldnt be too big as we
want to just stop the clap from sounding so dry. With Lives Reverb, a
Decay time of 1.2 seconds and a Dry/Wet level of 12% is enough. You may
want to change the Quality mode to High to get a more pristine sound.
To control the tail of this new reverb, we add another Gate. Turning
down the Threshold until youre in the right ballpark for the amount of
reverb you want to let through, then bring up the Release to stop the reverb
tail from ending so abruptly.
Our clap is still basically mono. Lets move it into the sides of the mix
with some chorus Togu Audio Lines TAL-Chorus-LX (downloaded
free from kunz.corrupt.ch). Add it after the final Gate, and turn the Dry/Wet
knob down to about 8 oclock. Check out New clap.wav to hear it.
59
Turn Toms Into Minimal Percussion

Sculpting sounds into new shapes can have creative applications too. With some
basic repitching and envelope processing we can make unique minimal sounds
INCLUDES AUDIO l
Typically 4/4 styles
of Dance music have
a familiar lexicon of
drum sounds, but to
get the minimal feel
it helps to throw in
some abstract
percussion thats
not quite as
recognisable. There
are plenty of sample
libraries catering to
minimal styles, but
making your own
sounds is quicker
and more fun than
trawling through
endless loops.
The secret to
getting authentic
minimal House and
Techno sounds is
probably easier than
you think. Use
material that has a
good solid transient,
then use a fast
envelope to isolate
this part of the
sound. You can then
adjust the pitch of
this to take it out
of its usual range,
and this combination
of truncation
and transposition
results in a new,
more abstract
sonic character.
We start with a very straightforward low tom sound sampled from D16s
excellent TR-808 emulation Nepheton: Low tom.wav. This is a very
recognisable sound, but by tweaking its amplitude envelope and pitch we
can turn it into something else. Turn down the samplers Sustain to -inf dB.
Sequence a pattern to accompany our existing beat (Minimal beat.

wav). Here were playing a very simple rhythm on G6 that gives us a bit
of interplay between the kick, the bass, and our new percussion sound. The
percussion sounds unnaturally dry, so lets add some reverb.
Try playing the sound on the upper reaches of the keyboard this gives
us punchy, tonal percussion sound. Turn down the Decay time to
between 20 and 50ms this just lets the transient through before the
volume diminishes completely.
Here were using Lives Reverb with a Decay Time of 360ms, and a
Dry/Wet level of 18%. However, the reverb is too wide, so we need to
rein it in with an instance of Utility. A Width setting of 22% helps the
percussion sit with the other elements in the mix.
Spicing Up Your Hats With Delay

A quick and convenient way to
add a funky human feel to your
hat and shaker parts is to use a
little delay. While simply
slapping a delay preset on these
type of sounds is a recipe for a
messy mix, more judicious
application can work wonders.
Start by turning the feedback
level all the way down, setting
the Dry/Wet mix to 50/50, and
unsyncing the timing from the
host tempo. If your delay has
multiple taps ensure that theyre
linked and, assuming youre
working at around 120bpm, set
60
the delay time to 120ms or so.

This delay will turn a straight
8th note hat part into a 16th
note pattern, with the delay time
controlling the level of swing.
Play your track back and turn
the delay time up gradually until
you get the groove you're looking
for. You can set the balance
between the original 8th notes
and the swung 16ths with the
delays Dry/Wet knob you may
find that turning the wet level
down slightly helps, especially
if youre going for a more
natural sound.
Delay
Turn down the delay
Feedback level so
each hat is delayed
only once. Use a
delay that can be
unsynced from the
host tempo so that
you can fine-tune the
level of swing that
the delay imparts on
the hats.
Straight 8ths
Programming a
straight 8th note
pattern in your
DAW and then using
delay to swing it for
you can be quicker
than fiddling with
your softwares
groove settings.
Ableton Live
Lifelike Live MIDI
Programming
Live is full of tools to help you get a realistic vibe
with programmed tracks a few tweaks make a big
difference. This month Martin Delaney gets his
groove (and velocity) on
ooner or later youll want to program MIDI parts of your own,

and youll want them to sound realistic. Even if you work with
purely electronic productions, there might be times when you
want a more organic part for the mix and you cant find a
sample that fits, or you cant get somebody to play it for you.
Im not really talking about programming tips as such the
placement of notes inside clips. Im talking about what comes afterwards, after
youve conceived a basic MIDI part for your drums or bass or piano, and added
more clips containing the little breaks and fills that a real musician adds.
Because, even if youve diligently programmed the notes that make a great
part, they wont sound like they belong to a performance until you work them a
bit harder. Theyll be too consistent and predictable, too clean theyll sound
more like an old game soundtrack, or a karaoke backing track.
Go to the example Live set on our DVD and youll see we have four MIDI
tracks in a before group: a drum track, a percussion track, an upright bass
track, and a piano track. These are all completely flat, with no effects apart
from limiters, and no velocity variations at all. Then play the same clips in the
after group these are the same clips, after being processed further to make
them sound more real. Hopefully you can tell the difference! Live has all of
the tools we need to make our programmed parts more organic. There are the
multi-sampled instruments and drum kits, Grooves (look under Swing and
Groove in your Core Library), the Velocity MIDI effect device 1 , and the
Reverb effect devices 2 .
Are you sensitive?

The single most important thing in this process is to use velocity-sensitive
instruments. If youre using instruments like Simpler or Operator or Electric,
this means locating the instruments velocity-sensitive controls and raising
them up from zero. For drums, pianos, and other complex instruments,
ideally youll be using multi-sampled instruments made from many samples
that reproduce the tonal changes over a range of velocities. This is the most
accurate way to recreate the vibe of playing a real instrument. With one of
these, youll really get the benefit of dynamic changes in the performance.
Load a Sampler multi-sampled preset, and unfold it so you can see the
multi-samples, then play some notes from a keyboard or trigger a clip with
velocity changes youll see Sampler selecting different samples according
to the changing velocities 3 .
62
The little things

Grooves are like presets that contain small
variations in note timing and velocity.
Theres a long history of groove templates
in hardware drum machines as well as in
software. In Live, we can extract grooves
from audio or MIDI clips, and apply them
to either, editing them along the way 4 . If
I have a number of tracks that I want to
share a common groove, so it feels more
like a band playing together, Ill copy the
groove between them all, so they all have
the same basic vibe, but I still use the
Velocity MIDI effect device to tweak the
settings slightly for each, for a bit of extra
variation across the tracks. The Velocity
effect has a different level of control, and
creates a different result because, unlike
the grooves, it doesnt affect note
placements. There are also times when I
use a groove but leave the velocity setting
at zero, and use the Velocity effect instead
see our walkthrough.
Keeping It Real(ish)
The most important thing

in making a MIDI
The Expert
programmed part feel
Martin Delaney,
real is velocity. If youre
Performer, Producer
trying to replicate the vibe
Artist and
instructor,
of a real instrument
Martin, aka
mindlobster,
performance, played by an
has produced Live
training material and
actual person, you need to
was one of the UKs
first certified Ableton
use this. Velocity is MIDIs
Live trainers.
way of expressing how
forcefully an instrument is
played. This equates to a
change in volume, but also in tone, and a true
multi-sampled sound, or a software synthesizer
thats emulating a real-world instrument, will
allow for these variations.
Convolution revolution
Reverb can be used to create lush sounds that have no connection whatsoever
to the real world but sound fantastic, but it can also be used to recreate the
atmosphere of particular types of space, or even sometimes very specific
locations. Live has the Reverb audio effect device, which provides many
presets and is a handy tool for general reverb duties, adding a bit of depth to
your sound. I do have other options that I prefer, however. I use the PSP
Audioware EasyVerb and 5 PianoVerb plug-ins; I find they are better than the
standard Ableton one for simulating real tools. I also use a hardware reverb, a
Lexicon MXL400 not a particularly high-end piece. I wouldnt say the MXL
sounds better than plug-ins, but it sounds different, and some of the presets
are better than some of the plug-in presets. Its just another flavour of reverb.
However, the most important reverb tool for making programmed parts
sound more real is the Convolution Reverb (and Pro version) thats included in
the Live 9 Suite. As well as a lot of weird (good weird) effects, it has a great
collection of real ambiences, including bathrooms, yards, rooms, chambers,
churches, and houses. Convolution reverbs are the business if you want real
spaces. Theyre made by sampling the original space usually by firing a test
2
1
>
Are You Sensitive?
The Little Things
>
Convolution
Revolution
Analogue Filth
VIDEO ON
THE DVD
Watch the tutorial
movie on the DVD
>
>
63
Take A
Dip In The
Groove Pool
Groove templates, which
you find in most
hardware sequencers,
are another way to
humanise a programmed
performance, as they
combine velocity and
timing variations. Live has
grooves in the Library
they have .agr after the
name. Top tip: use the
groove pool controls to
customise the settings for
better results.
Bass guitar usually stays in the middle with drums those are
instruments that just sound wrong if you pan them. I dont like
to use stereo effects with toms in a drum kit; it sounds more
fake to me, and the average listener in front of a drum isnt
really going to hear that much of a difference as the drummer
plays across his toms. Also, its a sound that I associate with
drum machines from the 90s. To me they sound more fake
than anything I hate them!
Stereo Panning
Most real-world instruments are

mono, but Lives track pan controls
can organise the different instruments
virtually across the stereo field. Think
about when youre watching a band.
The drums are central, the vocals are
coming out of the PA, the bass and
guitar, in most typical band formats,
are going to be left and right physically,
but where should they be in the mix?
You dont want all of your bass coming
out of just one channel!
Analogue filth
You can take this further and distance your sounds even more
from the original clean MIDI programming. This is good if you
want to fake a dirtier, lower quality sample mood. There are a few tools you can
tone sweep and recording back the incoming signal the impulses. An
use. I usually start by grouping the tracks that I want to process that way its
important thing to remember with Live 9s Convolution Reverb is that you can
easier for me to apply common effects across all of them, and it binds them
drag your own samples into it to create really unique sounds, and with the
together sonically, as well as making it easier to control their levels with one
included IR Measurement Device 6 you can create a true custom convolution
fader. This procedure involves combining effects, you cant just do it with one.
reverb based on the sound of whatever space youre in.
One of my favourites used to be Izotopes VInyl, a free brilliant vinyl simulation
Our example set has a regular Reverb on return A, and the Convolution
plug-in. Its still available but is 32-bit only, so frustratingly I cant use it with
Reverb on return B. Stereo imaging has a role to play in this, although how
my 64-bit versions of Live 9 or Logic Pro X. Live has its own Vinyl Distortion
much of a role depends on what instruments youre programming, and what
effect device, which can be useful but isnt as deep as the Izotope version; Im
genres youre working with. For a lot of classic band type situations, I keep it
still holding out for a 64-bit version one day!
very simple: drums in the middle, different percussion sounds with a bit of
I have been doing this recently in real-world mixing situations. For one
stereo width, as if the percussionist is moving round a big set-up; and guitars
project I had a speech sample I wanted to age, so I used EQ Eight, Glue
and synths I usually pan either left or right, wherever there is room in the mix.
Compressor, P&M Vinylizer 7 , Waves RS56 EQ, and PSPs
MicroWarmer. All of those together got me in the ballpark. I
automated the Vinylizers on/off where needed so I didnt get
Recording
fake crackle through my whole tune. On another project I was
MIDI In
after a similar result with strings I used Waves NLS Buss
Real Time
plug-in, Compressor, EQ Eight, Waves PuigTec EQP 8 and
The best way to begin
CLA-76, and another EQ! In the past on other projects Ive
with a realistic MIDI
resampled, rendered as audio and reimported and warped,
piece is to record it in,
instead of using a mouse.
captured to other devices and played back in, even recorded
Use a MIDI keyboard,
from my studio monitors to an iPhone and then imported that
drum pads, Push you
can even use your
anything that gives that little bit of sonic distance and
computer keyboard,
distinction from the original clean sound.
although it wont capture
the note velocities.
I wouldnt use this process with every track in a song, and
Experiment with different
not on every song, because its just going to make the whole
record quantisation
thing sound rough, but used in balance with other more
settings before you start!
polished sounds, its a great textural tool. I know its adding
another level of stuff you have to deal with, but no matter how
harmonically or rhythmically refined your programming is, and
no matter how good the source sounds are, you will definitely
raise the level of your finished programming by putting some
effort into getting away from the MIDI file playback
syndrome. Its one of the biggest and best changes you can
make when youre creating your own programmed parts.
64
Liven Up Your
Programmed
MIDI Drums
Youve programmed a bunch of

MIDI drum clips but theyre still
not rocking. Start from there
03 >
Over time youll be able to hear the kits

velocity changes clearly. Lets add a Groove
as well try the MPC 16 Funker 55 in the
Core Librarys Swing and Groove folder. Lives
grooves contain both velocity and timing
information, but as weve already loaded the
Velocity effect, leave the Grooves velocity
setting at 0.
01 >
04 >
Use the MIDI drum beat in the before group

in the example Live set on the DVD. Well try a
few techniques to make this sound more like
real drums. There are three other MIDI tracks
in there for you to practise on as well
percussion, upright bass, and piano.
Experiment with all of them.
02 >
Our example beat has a constant velocity of

127; not realistic for an acoustic kit. You
could draw velocity changes, but that wont
sound right either, because the variations
simply loop around. Load the Velocity MIDI
effects Add Some Random preset, set the
Out Hi control to 110, and the Random value
to around 12/13.
One thing with grooves is that you cant edit

the controls for individual clips; changes
apply to every instance of that groove in your
set. This is another reason why I use the
Velocity effect device, with slightly different
settings for each instrument track for
example 110 drums, 113 percussion, 101
bass, and 80 piano.
05
A good reverb transforms drums, putting them

in a realistic space. Lives Reverb device has
some good presets; try Storage Space. If you
have Max for Live, you get much better results
with Convolution Reverb; try Real Places/Wood
Room Small. Our example set contains both
reverbs on separate return tracks.
65
Dr
Beat
with Ronan Macdonald
#02
The flam
DOWNLOAD
Its time to give your drum fills a shot of rudimental power

Ronan Macdonald
Having
previously
served as Editor
of drummers
bible Rhythm as
well as
Computer
Music, Ronan is
clearly the right
man for this
particular gig. Hes been playing drums
for over 30 years and making music
with computers since the 90s.
>Step by step
The humble flam. Surely the most

elementary of all drum rudiments, yet also
probably the most frequently deployed and
cetainly the most hard-hitting. Nothing more
than a pair of hits, the second a little bit louder
than the first, so close together as to almost
sound like a single stroke, the flam is easy to
play, easy to program, and makes an effective
tool for accenting and adding emphasis.
Perhaps the most famous example of the flam
in a rock drumming context is the intro to Guns N
Roses Paradise City, in which drummer Steven
Adler nails the backbeat to the floor with both
hands. At first, the flam is used simply to lay down
beats 2 and 4; but they continue to crop up
See it in video and get the

tutorial files on your PC/Mac at
vault.computermusic.co.uk
throughout the track within fills; and were going

to look at just that: how flams can be used to
make drum fills more interesting and dynamic.
Flams are mostly played on the snare drum.
The key to realistically emulating flams is making
sure the hits dont sound identical ie, avoiding
the machine gun effect from using a sampled
sound source with no round-robin multisampling.
If your drum kit ROMpler suffers from this, find a
secondary snare sound similar in tone and pitch
to the main one, and use that for the first hit of the
flam. Beyond that, its just a matter of getting your
positioning and velocities right, and making sure
you dont double your flams up with anything
else that would require the drummers hands.
Using flams in drum fills
TUTORIAL
FILES
Heres a four-bar programmed drum

groove triggering Battery 4 (the
Session LE Kit, specifically). Im going to
use flams as the basis for a simple fill at
the end of bar 2, and to greatly increase
the impact of the three climactic snare hits
at the end of bar 4, which are currently
sounding a bit half-hearted.
The snare hits at the end of the phrase

will sound much more powerful as
flams. Repeating the process described in
steps 2 and 3 for all three hits does the
trick, and shifting their timings separately
ups the realism. Simultaneously struck
hi-hats need to be removed again,
although the hats in between can stay.
82 / COMPUTER MUSIC / April 2015
Placing a hit immediately before the

last snare hit in bar 2 creates the basic
flam. The first stroke of a flam is slightly
weaker, so I lower the velocity of the newly
added MIDI note a touch. This kit doesnt
feature round-robin multisampling, so I
use a different (but similar enough) snare
sound from another note.
Hitting the kick drum a 16th-note after

a flam is always a winner (Nirvanas
Smells Like Teen Spirit stands as definitive
proof), so I move the kick drums in
between the snares around and add a
few more. A final kick at the very end of
the bar tops off what is now a muscular,
driving fill.
The placement of the two hits on the

timeline can have a huge effect on the
groove, so play around with their spacing
and positioning until you get a feel you like.
A flam requires both hands, so deleting
simultaneous hi-hat hits is essential for
realism. Adding a couple of snare hits after
the flam finishes off this intermediate fill.
Flams can sound awesome split

between two drums. Moving the first
stroke in each flam down to the floor tom
and maximising the velocity adds even
more weight. Moving all of the hi-hats in
that section down to the floor tom
replicates the way a drummer might ride
the drum in this kind of fill.
NEXT MONTH Programming linear drumming for clear, mixable beats
MTF Technique The Ultimate Guide to Ableton Live Part 1
Ableton Live The Ultimate Guide to Ableton Live, Part 1
Ableton Live:
the inside track
Ableton Lives popularity continues to grow, and if youre a recent convert

and want to get a quick handle on it youve come to the right place, as
Martin Delaney is here to demonstrate its power
bleton Live has been around for over ten years

now, but sometimes it still feels like the new
kid on the block, remaining fresh, innovative
and deceptively simple to use. The Session
View and warping are what make Live truly
unique the competition has had a decade to try and
catch up, but still hasnt really managed to.
Live keeps growing in popularity, too, with new users
coming on board every year, so now seems like a good time
to go right back to the start and write a guide that unearths
the reasons for the softwares popularity while exploring its
hidden (and not-so-hidden) depths.
On the disc
Accompanying
on the DVD
Live can be easy to learn, and

is a fully functional tool for music
creation and performance
Live can be easy to learn and its a hell of a lot of fun,
but its not a toy this is a fully-functional tool for music
creation, production and performance. Youll see Live on
stages and in studios around the world, and this series will
explain why it has become such a force in the DAW world.
All in one
Lives single window design contains all of the elements
that you need to get going, and most of them can be
shown/hidden by keyboard shortcuts to make the best of
your available screen space. (Live also supports dual
displays, where you can view Arrangement and Session
Views simultaneously.)
The triangle at the top left of the screen toggles the
Browser, which is where you need to be to load samples,
instruments and effects. Other elements include the
Mixer, the Overview, Sends, Return Tracks, In/Out View
(signal routing) and the Detail View, which is where youll

see either clip contents or instruments and effects. The
keyboard shortcut you need for all of these is alt-cmd
followed by the appropriate letter for the element. So
alt-cmd-m toggles the mixer, alt-cmd-i toggles the In/Out
View, and so on (though its l for the Detail View I guess
they ran out of letters!).
Just looking
Ive already mentioned the Browser, and on a day-to-day
basis this is your one-stop shop for software instruments
and effects and their presets, as well as audio sample
content. Live will install with tons of content anyway, but
you can add more at any time.
Of course you can record and program your own
content, but Live Packs are a great way to gather more
material. (Theyre like Ableton-specific .zip files, and Live
Packs from Ableton or other suppliers will install their
contents directly into your Library, appearing in the Packs
section of the Browser.) You can also create shortcut links
to your own folders outside of the Live Library, which is
useful if you like to keep your full-length songs in iTunes,
for example.
Once you have a lot of material in there sometimes its
faster to search for what you want instead of scrolling
through huge lists and sub folders (as long as you have an
idea of what its called). For those times you can use Lives
search function, the Browser doesnt even have to be open,
just hit cmd-f and begin typing the name of what youre
looking for the Browser will open, and a list of results will
begin to filter itself as you type. Then use your
keyboards arrow and
FOCUS ON VIEWS
When youre new to Live, the first thing thatll trip you up is the Views.
With other DAWs (digital audio workstations), theres a timeline,
where the music flows left to right from beginning to end, and thats
it. Live has that too the Arrangement View but the most unique
thing about Live is the Session View, which is a vertically scrolling
grid. This busts you out of the timeline constraints so youre free to
improvise with the material inside the grid, ie, your clips. Actually, you
can use both Views at once, for ultimate power, but well talk about
that another time
18 | Ableton Live 2015
MT143.tut live.indd 18
FOCUS
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The Ultimate Guide to Ableton Live Part 1 Technique MTF
MTF Step-by-Step Set up your soundcard and controller
You probably have a MIDI controller and an audio interface

(soundcard) that you want to use with Live. The specifics of
setting them up varies according to which ones you have, but here are
the basics.
Connect your controller by USB. Install any drivers needed (most

controllers are class-compliant, though), launch Live and go to
Preferences/MIDI Sync. Select your controller as a MIDI input source
for Track and Remote.
Click on the Control Surfaces list at the top if your controllers

listed in there it will have a certain amount of built-in control over
Live without you having to configure anything further.
Close Preferences, and type cmd-m to enter MIDI Map Mode.

Anything blue can be controlled by MIDI. Click a parameter then
move a knob or fader on your hardware to assign it.
Use cmd-m to exit MIDI Map Mode when youre done. Now when
you move your hardware control the on-screen one moves too!
You can assign one hardware control to multiple objects in Live.
Connect your soundcard while your speakers are turned off, and
install any necessary drivers. Open Lives Preferences and select
it as Input and Output device in the Audio tab.
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enter keys to select and load the item you were looking for.
Its a very fast way to get around!
As an Ableton Certified Trainer I spend a lot of time
dealing with buying advice to do with soundcards and
controllers. I dont want to be a party pooper, but usually
my advice is to wait as long as possible before choosing a
controller, because your ideas about whats right for you
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will change fast as you get to know Live. So for now, if

youve got an old MIDI keyboard lying around, work with
that to get started.
Switching sides
Live isnt only picking up new users, its gathering converts
from other DAWs such as Logic, Reason and Pro Tools. If
FOCUS Ableton Live 2015
| 19
11/02/2015 15:35
MTF Technique The Ultimate Guide to Ableton Live Part 1
MTF Step-by-Step The basics of launching clips
Open the example Live set on the MusicTech DVD its called
TUGTAL1. Make sure youre looking at the Session View with the
grid use the tab key to move between Views.
Track 1 contains a white clip called Beat, which is a drum loop.

Click on the small triangle at the left of the clip to launch it. Now
itll loop forever unless you stop it!
Stop it by clicking the square in any empty slot below that clip, or
on the track stop button at the bottom of the track. Control the
volume by moving the volume fader up and down.
You can change the clips launch behaviour from the Launch box.
If you cant see it, double-click on the clip and click the small
black L button near the lower left of the screen.
Experiment with different Launch Modes as you launch and

re-launch the clip. Mix and match with different quantization
settings from the box below that and you start to see how clips can be
quite organic!
Change the project bpm at the top left of the screen, and your
loop speeds up or slows down without changing pitch or tripping
over itself as it loops round. This is warping (timestretching) at work.
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youre coming to Live from another application, youll need

to undergo a period of adjustment. Live is like those
programs in some ways, but very different in others, and it
can be frustrating at first. But be patient, itll be worth it!
Live comes in three flavours: Intro, Standard and Suite
(currently at version 9). Increasing in price, each version has
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different features, so check the handy comparison chart on

www.ableton.com. Theres an upgrade path, so if at any
time you want to step up you neednt pay to start all over
again. Prices are also lower if you purchase the download
versions rather than boxed discs. Occasionally youll find
other versions of Live bundled with third-party hardware
FOCUS
11/02/2015 15:35
The Ultimate Guide to Ableton Live Part 1 Technique MTF
MTF Step-by-Step How to program a simple beat
Live also enables us to work with MIDI, programming our own

parts as well as using audio from other sources. Lets add some
more electronic-sounding drums. Track 2 contains Lives Core 808
drum kit.
Double-click the clip slot at the top of the track to create an

empty one-bar clip. Launch this, even though its empty. Your
Track 1 clip will play too, unless you stop it.
Double-click the clip to view the MIDI Editor. The left side of the
editor displays the names of the sounds in the kit. The grid is
numbered with beats and 16th notes.
Preview the 808 kit sounds by clicking the preview button

(headphone icon) at the top of the list, and clicking in the boxes
next to each sound. Turn off preview when youve done this, though.
Lets add a kick part. While the clips playing, double-click in the
grid on 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4 in alignment with the kick on the left.
The notes will trigger as the clip loops.
Draw a snare at 1.2 and 1.4, and cowbells at 1.2.3 and 1.3.3. Scroll
if you cant see the entire kit. Click the Dupl Loop button in the
Notes box, then draw another snare at 2.4.3.
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such as keyboards and so on and branded with the

manufacturers logo, so be aware that they might have
different features as well. This is mostly a thing of the past,
as I believe Ableton has standardised these bundled
editions. If you cant decide which version you want, or
whether you want to buy Live at all, download the demo
and give it a spin its fully functional for 30 days,
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effectively making it the Suite version.

Our walkthroughs take you through the simple
process of configuring your controller and audio
interface, launching your first clip, and programming your
first beat. Have fun with these first steps youre entering
an exciting world! MTF Martins Ultimate Guide To Ableton
Live continues over the page.
| 21
11/02/2015 15:35
MTF Technique Part 2: Beginning a Live project with drums
Ableton Live The Ultimate Guide to Ableton Live, Part 2
Beginning a Live
project with drums
Ableton Live is fantastic for drum programming; it has all the tools you
need, and its easy to get started. Martin Delaney counts you in
ast time round we gave ourselves an

introduction to the basics of Ableton Live the
interface, key commands, clip launching
before programming our first little MIDI drum
beat, using Lives Core 808 kit. Now were
moving on to a new project, one that we can work on over a
few simple instalments, building it into a self-contained
set that will include all the tips and material referred to in
the tutorials.
Well begin by going back to drum programming, to
create a beat thatll be the foundation of our new project.
Most music projects begin with a beat, even if its simply
On the disc
Accompanying
on the DVD
No matter how focused you

are on electronic beats, youll still
work with acoustic sounds
acting as a glorified click track for the recording of live
instruments. Were going to use an acoustic drum kit, in
the shape of Lives Kit Core Session Dry.
No matter how focused you are on electronic beats,
youll still be working with acoustic sounds, and their
playing and programming techniques. A clean acoustic kit
is also a better way to illustrate MIDI programming tweaks
and audio effect usage, instead of one that loads with a lot
of effects in place before you start.
Our tutorial will skim through the fundamentals of Live
beat production including creating clips, programming
beats, customising drum racks and adding audio effects.
For this, were working in Session View because the
loop-based workflow is ideal for programming beats at
times like this you just want the part in focus to keep
looping round while you edit it, which makes things a lot
more simple by freeing you from thinking about structure

at this early stage, so you can concentrate on the job in
hand: making the best beat possible. A benefit of working
with MIDI is that you dont really have to commit to a fixed
tempo until a long way into the production process and
with Live, even when youre working with audio, youve got a
lot of freedom with tempo changes thanks to the wonders
of warping. Its also important to remember that you can
automate BPM changes in the Arrangement View if you
want your music to breathe a bit.
Get kitted out

In the interests of compatibility, Im using one of the
standard Live library drum kits for the tutorial, but theres
no need to limit yourself to this as there are many more
Live Packs available which feature great sounding kits,
whether youre looking for acoustic or electronic sounds
youll find some on the Ableton website (the Session
Drums pack is a good example), as well as through
third-party providers.
When youre browsing the Library drum kits, you can
audition each kit without loading it; either click the Preview
button that sits just below the Browser, or simply
right-arrow on your computer keyboard to hear a brief
sample of the kit sound (this only works with the Live
factory sounds). Along the way well be adding two little
samples just to let you know that this is possible!
We set Record Quantization to Sixteenth-Note, though
youll change this on a project-specific basis depending on
the part youre recording. If you forget to enable
quantization, you can use Cmd-U to quantize the
recorded notes, so you
DO YOU REALLY NEED DRUM PADS TO

PROGRAM BEATS?
In a word, no! But a sensible answer takes longer you can program
MIDI beats perfectly well using a computer mouse or trackpad, but
that doesnt always get you in the mood. We can play in drum hits
using Lives computer MIDI keyboard for starters, then the options
ramp up after that: from MIDI keyboard to MIDI drum pads,
culminating in a more dedicated device such as Abletons Push. Never
mind the funny keyboard-in-a-grid gimmick, if theres one thing Push
is good for, its creating drum parts! Velocity-sensitive pads, step
sequencing, device control its all there.
MT144.TUT Live2.indd 22
FOCUS
11/02/2015 15:37
Part 2: Beginning a Live project with drums Technique MTF
MTF Step-by-Step Making a beat with Ableton Live
Open our example set TUGTAL2. Look at the Session View: a

timeline gets in the way when youre building beats (we want
them to loop indefinitely) and there are some clips there!
Enter a bpm value in the tempo box near the top left of the
screen. We could use any value from 20-999 bpm, but lets agree
on 126 for now a little bit upbeat.
Type Cmd-F to search, and start typing Kit-Core SessionDry.

When you see the kit in the ever-updating list, navigate to it with
the computer keyboards down arrow and hit Enter to load it.
This is an acoustic drum kit, as youll hear when you audition the
sounds from your MIDI controller (arm the track first), or from the
triangular preview buttons in each cell in the drum rack.
We want to add one electronic sound now, so drag the audio

sample weve called Noise on to the Conga cell in the drum rack
thatll replace the original sample. Drum racks contain 128 cells.
Double-click in the top clip slot in your drum track. This

automatically creates a 1-bar MIDI clip. Turn on the metronome
as well. Launch the empty clip. All youll hear is the metronome.
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dont have to record them again, with an Amount control

that lets you blend in the amount of correction.
When youre working in the MIDI Note Editor, you can
navigate note pitches by simply clicking and dragging up/
down on the piano roll at the left, and you can zoom in and
out by clicking and dragging left/right at the same spot. You
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can also expand the editor upwards by mousing over the

border at the top, where youll see the pointer icon changes
into a dragging tool and you can scale the editor upwards
so it fills the screen, which makes it easier to work with.
The way I like to work when Im creating a drum track is
to add variations and breaks in the programming of the
| 23
11/02/2015 15:37
MTF Technique Part 2: Beginning a Live project with drums
MTF Step-by-Step Making a beat with Ableton Live contd
You should now be viewing the MIDI Note Editor grid. If not, click
the device view selector at the bottom right. Time to draw the
beat. Enter the notes by double clicking in the grid.
As the clip loops around, draw kicks at 1, 1.1.3, 1.3, and 1.3.3. Refer
to our screenshot draw the hi hats, noise and snare as you see
there. Thats a 1/16th note grid.
Now we have enough activity, we dont need the metronome

turn it off. Drag our Tambourine clip onto the Cowbell cell in the
rack. Lets record the tambourine in real-time, just for the practice.
to the Edit menu and find Record Quantization. Set it to

10 Go
Sixteenth-Note Quantization. This will tighten up the timing when
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09
Arm the track (the red button lit at bottom), then find the key or
pad for the tambourine. Click the Session Record button in the
Control Bar, and playback begins; the clip play button is red.
11
notes, but to use the Velocity MIDI Effect Device for

dynamic variations this keeps them randomising across
the length of the track. Well offset the snare hits a bit,
which is what real (good) drummers do to vary the feel of
what theyre playing. This is part of what Lives Grooves do
as well you can find them if you look under Packs/Core
Library/Swing and Groove. If you use these carefully you
08
we play in our live tambourine part it saves editing time later!
Now youre recording! As the loop plays, add a tambourine hit on

each beat. Theyre overdubbed over the other parts, nothings
overwritten. Because Record Quantization is on, the timing of your
tambourine is corrected automatically.
12
can impart a human feel in your beats. Most of us will

probably be working in 4/4 time, but dont forget that Live
can easily handle more complex time signatures, and even
time signature changes can be automated, so dont limit
yourself to the ones that feel safe.
Lives drum kits are usually based on drum racks, but
its worth remembering that the good ol Impulse drum
FOCUS
11/02/2015 15:37
Part 2: Beginning a Live project with drums Technique MTF
MTF Step-by-Step Making a beat with Ableton Live contd
Press Stop or the spacebar. Now we have a 1-bar beat, but if you
click the Dupl Loop button in the Loop Box, you get an instant two
bars! Add some more kicks at the end of bar 2.
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We can tweak the beats timing, to take the edge off the tempo.
Drag the snare hits to the right, but only a tiny bit, so they sound
like theyre dragging behind the beat.
15
sound flat unless theyre located in some kind of room

17 Drums
space, so add the Audio Effect preset Reverb/Room/Ambience to
the track after the rack. Set the Dry/Wet mix to 30%.
sample player is still there. This is a basic beat-making

tool, but its great if youre building your own electronicallyoriented kits and you want to limit your options.
Making tracks
Next time well be treating beats more aggressively
taking audio samples of drum loops and slicing and
For live-sounding drums you need velocity changes. Find the

MIDI Effect preset Velocity/Add Some Random, and drag to the
drum track. These variations are too extreme, so raise Out Low to 110.
14
the Simple Delay from the Audio Effects Browser straight on

16 Drag
to the drum cell that contains the noise sample. Set the Dry/Wet
to 20% this gives a little extra rhythmic value to that sound!
We can use a compressor to fatten up our beat (well be coming

back to compressors later). Find the preset Compressor/Mildly
Aggressive and drag it on to your track. It should sound punchier
18
processing them, and laying that on top of the beat weve

created. In part 4 well then be adding bass and keyboard
parts to the project to create an entire track.
And dont forget to look at our example Live set on the
DVD this issue, which contains the raw material that weve
used in this tutorial plus the remaining four tutorials
coming up! MTF
| 25
11/02/2015 15:37
MTF Technique Part 3: Processing your beats
Ableton Live The Ultimate Guide to Ableton Live Part 3
Processing
your beats
In Part 2 of the Ultimate Live Guide we built a nice,

clean MIDI beat with a few realistic variations, but
now Martin Delaney explains how to dirty it up!
n our last tutorial, we began a new Live project and

created a beat using one of Lives more acoustic,
natural-sounding kits. All good but now were going to
cannibalise that beat in two different ways - well
duplicate and process it to create a new tuned
percussion part that plays over the top, and well also
convert that original beat to audio, before slicing it up for
yet more processing, removing some of the slices
On the disc
Accompanying
on the DVD
Theres no right or wrong with

the beats you use as long as they
are right for the project
completely and replacing them with totally different
sounds.
Theres no right or wrong about the type of drum
sounds you use; what matters is theyre right for the
project youre working on at the time. Truthfully in most
genres these days, youll be working with many drum
tracks playing in parallel, combining acoustic and
electronic sounds. Dance music tracks are typically based
on core drum kits derived from the classic drum machines
of old, the Roland TR-808 and TR-909, but these sounds
will be customised, processed with audio effects, and
often layered alongside more realistic percussion sounds
for a richer texture. As well as mixing and matching source
kits, theres a lot of leeway with sample resolution and
sound quality; you can build a kit that includes nice high
resolution drum hits alongside grungy little samples that
youve grabbed from an MP3, YouTube, or youve
resampled from a little dictating recorder. Mix and match
- thats what its all about.
During the tutorial we talk about freezing and
flattening tracks - this retains each separate clip within
the track, which is incredibly useful. Just be aware that

Flatten is destructive - your original track is gone! What I
usually do is duplicate the track, then create a group track
called Spare which I use to contain all of the original
versions of my frozen tracks.
Youll notice that every clip in a flattened track is
double the length of the original source clip - this is a
feature not a bug(!), designed to accommodate effect tails
at the end of loops - this makes sense because its quite
annoying to hear a reverb tail cut off and begin again as a
sample loops. If youre obsessive about house-cleaning,
which I am, you can use the crop sample command to put
your clip back to its original length.
We added the Resonator effect to our new percussion
track. I love the Resonator, it has quite a distinctive sound,
although that means that sometimes you have to tweak it
somewhat to get something different. Its very important
to use that Note control though, and make sure its pitched
correctly to fit in with your other parts - things can get a
bit discordant otherwise.
Having programmed and customised a beat earlier,
were now converting it to audio and beginning the process
all over again, slicing it up and adding different sounds
and effects. Were doing this because I want to show you
the very cool Slice to New MIDI Track command, and also
because its another interesting creative step you can take.
Even when youre working with something youve
programmed yourself, you can give it more of a sampled
vibe by converting it to audio and slicing it up. It makes you
use different tools in different ways. Slice to
New MIDI
FOCUS ON QUANTIZATION
Sometimes Live treats audio and MIDI in similar ways. An example of
this is quantization. We discussed this for MIDI already, but we can also
do it with audio samples a very powerful feature. Try the sample in
our example Live set, Loose Beat. Double-click the clip to see the
waveform youll see its not exactly in time and we can fix this.
Right-click inside the waveform and type Cmd-U. Youll see the peaks
in the waveform snap to the grid. Cool! To change the quantization
values, use Shift-Cmd-U to access the quantization settings.
MTF38.TUT live3.indd 26
FOCUS
12/02/2015 12:22
Part 3: Processing your beats Technique MTF
MTF Step-by-Step Processing your beats
Open our example set - TUGTAL3. Select the drum track and type
Cmd-D to duplicate. Right-click the new track, choose Freeze
Track, then right-click again and choose Flatten, creating an audio
version of the track.
Freeze and Flatten makes double-length audio clips this helps

handle effect tails and the like. Use the Loop Brace, Start Marker,
and Crop Sample command to cut the clip back to the original length.
Set the new drum audio clip to Beats Warp mode if it isnt already,
then go down to the bottom of the Warp controls and choose the
top arrow icon, pointing to the right only.
This deactivates the Transient Loop mode, which determines how

the gaps between slices in Beats mode are handled. While the
loops running, click and drag downwards in the adjoining box to
reduce the decay between slices.
It sounds cool, yes? Its gating the waveforms transients. Drag

right down to 0 for a delicious clicky part, then use the Transpose
knob at the left to raise it by 24 semitones or two octaves.
Go to the Audio Effects category in the Browser and add the

Resonator preset called Berlin to the track. Set the Note inside
Resonator to E2, then try setting the Dry/Wet mix at 35%.
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Track is great if you have a beat from another record, and

you want to edit the arrangement, or tweak or even replace
some of the sounds in the sample; putting a compressor
on the kick in a sample loop is a good example. I also like to
use lo-fi effects such as Redux, Erosion, and Cabinet to
dirty things up a bit. The correct technical term for the
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slices made by this command, as theyre created and

placed in a rack, is chains. Dragging samples or
instruments to replace slices is a big thing; you can take a
loop from an old record and totally replace the kick or
snare with another sample. Or as we touched on here, drag
in an instrument. The slice will be replaced, and the
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12/02/2015 12:22
MTF Technique Part 3: Processing your beats
MTF Step-by-Step Processing your beats... contd
Now youve created a melodic percussion part by tweaking your

original beat. Live is great for recycling your audio and MIDI parts!
It is definitely possible to make an entire tune from one source sample.
Uh, maybe were getting bored with the original beat now it
sounds quite flat against the Resonator percussion track. Lets
put it through the wringer taking it on a gratuitous journey of sonic
dismemberment.
Right-click the track containing that original beat and choose

Freeze Track. Right-click again and choose Flatten. The MIDI
tracks disappeared! Freeze/Flatten is destructive thats why we
copied the track when we did it before.
This is just a fun way to mess with your parts as we want a

different vibe. Crop the new clip down to only two bars. Rightclick on it and choose Slice To New MIDI Track.
Choose the 1/8 Slicing option from the new window. Now you
have a new MIDI track and clip. Perverse, isnt it? Launch the clip
it should sound pretty much the same as the original.
This operation has sliced the audio clip, and made a new drum
rack, with a different instance of Simpler for each slice. Its also
automatically created a MIDI clip, with a note for each slice.
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instrument will play as the clip loops. You can build really
interesting loops by adding soft synths, audio effects
really taking it on to another level.
If youre ever following a drum rack tutorial and youre
not seeing everything, make sure to click on the black
buttons at the bottom left of the rack these will show
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and hide the various elements that make up the rack,

including input/output routing, effect sends and returns
(yes you can have these in a drum rack), and of course the
macros, chains, and devices.
If you really want to go big with elaborate evolving
beats, you can start using automation as well. This is a real
FOCUS
12/02/2015 12:23
Part 3: Processing your beats Technique MTF
MTF Step-by-Step Processing your beats... contd
Audition the slices from your MIDI controller, or from your

computer keyboard (Shift-Cmd-K to activate that), or enable
Preview for the clip (the headphone icon) and click on each note to
hear it.
Effectively weve sampled ourselves. Experiment with dragging

the notes around the editor grid, to see what happens; you can
take any beat and reorganise it to fit your song, this is one of Lives
top features!
Not only can we reorganise the notes, we can tweak each slice.
Give the kick a little bump by dragging the Compressor preset
Brick Wall onto slices 1, 5, 9 and 13 in the clip.
Now we turn our attention to the snare. Drag the Ping Pong Delay
onto slice 3, the first snare in the clip. Wow! Thats too much. Dial
the Dry/Wet control down to 30%.
Delays are a great way to change the rhythm of your beats.

Onwards. We have another sample, called bass note E. Drag it
onto slice 7. It automatically creates a Simpler instrument to contain it!
Doing that automatically replaces the original slice now you

have a bass note hitting alongside the beat. Click on the track
name, type Cmd-R, and rename the track Sliced beat. Thats it for now.
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opportunity to go nuts, because you can automate every

device in every chain in the rack, and that can be hundreds
of parameters. And of course you can separate the length
of the automation loop from the clip length (with the Link
button), and do that individually for each parameter, so
warn your friends and family that youre going to disappear
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for a few weeks!

Thats all we have room for now and we havent even
mentioned the totally awesome Convert Audio to Drums
command. That will have to wait for another tutorial. Turn
to p34 where we use the Simpler instrument and MIDI
Effect devices to add some bass to our beats.. MTF
| 29
12/02/2015 12:23
MTF Technique Part 4: Lets make some bass
Lets make
some bass
On the disc
Martin Delaney thinks its time to add some

bass to our beats, doubled up with a little sub
to make it bounce. Heres his guide
oday were adding a bass part, ideally one that

somehow fits in with our beat from the last
tutorial. Refer to the example set included with
the issue its called TUGTAL4. The set includes
all the steps from the last tutorial as well as a
couple of samples youll need to complete this one.
Bass sounds change considerably across genres;
youve got classic electric bass played with pick or fingers,
Resist the temptation to

make a huge bass sound
because we plan to add
other instruments
analogue and digital synths, and LFO-driven wobble
sounds. Theyre all good and theyre all readily available to
us these days,through real or software instruments and
Live Packs. Were going to build our own bass sound and
program our own part. This is because the Simpler
instrument we use is included in every version of Live. If I
was to do the tutorial using the Operator synth, you might
not be able to follow the steps. You should try Operator,
though its my go-to synth for bass parts. Ill move
on to others only if I cant find what I want in there.
Were spending more time working with
instrument racks as this is a great way to build
deep synth sounds that would otherwise require
complex routing across several tracks. In many
ways theyre similar to drum racks, which weve
already encountered. Were using two chains in our
rack thats two instruments playing together but
you can have up to 128 chains in a rack. Impressive
enough, but then bear in mind that you can have
FOCUS ON REAL BASS

The best thing you can do if you want to program good
bass parts is to get your hands on a bass guitar its a
great way to try ideas against your drum tracks. You dont
have to learn to play properly, it doesnt even have to be a
good bass and it doesnt matter what it sounds like,
because 99 times out of 100 it doesnt even get plugged in.
This is my most common way to create bass parts, noodling
away while the drums loop. To get a bass vibeplay bass. Its
pretty obvious!
Accompanying
on the DVD
128 racks inside another rack, so you can quickly end up

with thousands of chains buried deep within your rack.
When you connect a MIDI keyboard or use your
computer keyboard to play those sounds, youre going to
get a massive sound because all of the chains will play at
once. This can be a bit overbearing, but were only using
two today, so well deal with that issue another time, and
there are various tactics we can use to specify which
sounds play at what times.
Were using a transposed sine wave to create a sub
bass a low bass fundamental tone which fattens up the
bottom end. It can be almost inaudible in the mix at
certain times. For reasons of simplicity, were pairing it
with our square wave sound, but theres no reason why a
sub couldnt be on a track of its own and subject to a
whole other round of editing and effect processing.
After drawing in the notes in our bass clip, we went
back to shorten the bass note in our sliced drum rack from
last time to make sure it didnt overlap with the new bass
part. When youre working with MIDI programming, a lot of
mixing problems can be fixed at the programming stage.
Its the same reason we set the Simpler instruments to 1
voice each, to avoid overlaps that will affect the bass part.
Simpler sampler
Simpler is a very powerful sampler, although it has a
user-friendly interface. It makes it possible to build long,
sustaining notes by loop and crossfading short samples,
but on this occasion we dont need those controls. Lucky
us! Maybe well come back and use them later.
As I mention in the tutorial, its important to
resist the temptation to make a huge bass sound
right now. This is because we plan to add other
instruments, and sonically there wont be any room
for them if we have a bass sound thats riddled with
effects and covering a huge frequency range.
We use clip envelopes to create repetitive
movement of the Auto Filter controls; it makes our
bass sound a bit more evolving and interesting. It
depends on what genre youre working with, but
automated filters can be a huge factor in the mix. If
you dont like the restrictions and mouse-work of
drawing these envelopes, be aware that you can
record them in real time if youre using a
suitable hardware controller. Also I cant stress
enough the importance of unlinking clip
envelopes from the clip length. And remember:
FOCUS
11/02/2015 15:46
Part 4: Lets make some bass Technique MTF
MTF Step-by-Step Making some bass
Open our example set, which follows on from last time. Load
an empty Instrument Rack into a new MIDI track. Drag the
clip square into the rack and itll automatically appear inside a
Simpler instrument.
Arm the track and play your keyboard to audition the sound, in a
low-ish range. Drag the clip sine into the racks drop area,
creating another chain. Now youll be playing both sounds together.
In the sine Simpler instrument, set the Trans (transpose) value to

-12 semi-tones, thats one octave down. Well use this as our sub
bass and the saw as our more immediately characteristic tone.
You might want to rename the chains now, for visual reference
Cmd-R. Good, now lets draw in some notes. Double-click in an
empty slot to create a new MIDI clip, as weve done before.
Refer to the screen shot. Its just E1 then D2 at 1.1.3 then E1 again
at 1.3, D2 at 1.3.3, and A2 at 1.4.3 and E1 at 1.4.4. Match the note
lengths to what you see in the picture.
Theres a bass sample in the drum kit; our bass clip leaves room
for that. But, find the controls for the bass note in the drum rack
and reduce the Release to 1.00 ms, shortening the note.
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each envelope can be a different length. You might notice

that the sine wave part of the bass sound doesnt react
much to the filter, but thats normal sines are not so
responsive compared to other more complex waveforms.
We finished off the bass track with Lives Compressor.
This is perfectly adequate as a clinical compression tool,
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although thats one area where I think third-party plug-ins

or even hardware can step in and do the job better, for
those times when you want a compressor that purposely
adds some character to the sound. If you have the Glue
Compressor from the Live 9 Suite, thats a good place
to start
| 35
11/02/2015 15:46
MTF Technique Part 4: Lets make some bass
MTF Step-by-Step Making some bass contd
While were shortening, set the Sines Sustain to -7dB. This makes
it shorter against the higher, square sound; when you play the
clip, it keeps the punchy low bass hit without cluttering up the mix.
Because were using short punchy notes for this, we dont have to
play with the other Simpler settings for loop/fade, release time,
and so on. Our samples are long enough that it wont matter.
Our simple bass part will be monophonic only one note at a

time so we can set the voices for each Simpler to 1. This means
we cant play or program any overlapping notes by mistake.
We could add effects to each chain and use the Spread control to
make a monster bass sound, but it doesnt leave much room for
other sounds in the song if the bass is too big.
Lets raise the sine volume inside Simpler to 0 dB Simpler and

Sampler always default to -12 dB, I guess to protect us from
ourselves! You can keep tweaking the levels as you go on.
Lets add Auto Filter for some nice filter sweeps. Drag it right after
the rack so it applies to both chains and set the filter cutoff to
170Hz, and the Q (resonance) to 2.00.
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As were adding more elements to our track, weve got

to make sure everything sounds good alongside everything
else. While working with the bass sound, I was starting to
feel the Resonator settings were a little bit too abrasive. To
fix this you can go to the Resonator in our percussion track
and tame it a bit by resetting all of the fine tuning values to
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0 using the white boxes under each Pitch control. That

should sound better!
Thats all for now. Next time well be working on a
keyboard part to layer over our bass and beats. Once
again well take a shot at building our own instead of
loading a preset. MTF
FOCUS
11/02/2015 15:47
Part 4: Lets make some bass Technique MTF
MTF Step-by-Step Making some bass contd
Sweep time. Inside the MIDI note editor, click the envelope arrow
and choose Auto Filter and Frequency from the pop-up choosers.
Click the Link button and type a value of 4 bars next to that.
Click the left end of the red dotted line in the editor to anchor it.
Drag the right end upwards to 1.50 Hz (Cmd-Click-Drag for finer
resolutions). Now the frequency changes as the clip plays.
Choose Resonance now, unlinking it again, anchor it, then draw

an envelope that ends at 2.90. Youll hear that as well. Look at the
Auto Filter and youll see red dots marking the automated controls.
What sounds cool is if you create different length sweeps for

different parts of the song. Once youve clicked that Link button,
you can set envelopes to any length, even with simple one-bar clips.
When youre repeating these nice envelope sweeps, dont

use the same values every time either itll sound more
organic if you vary them a bit. You will hear the difference especially
with the Resonance.
Drop in Lives Compressor/Classical Compression preset. Make

sure it goes right after the entire rack so it applies to both chains.
If youve got Glue Compressor from the Live 9 Suite, try that instead.
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| 37
11/02/2015 15:47
MTF Technique Part 5: Make your own keyboard sound & sidechain it
Make your own

keyboard sound
& sidechain it
Anybody can load a synth preset but its fun to
build your own. Connect your keyboard and
Martin Delaney will show you how its done.
e continue our Ultimate Guide by adding a

simple keyboard part to our ongoing
project, following on from the bass last
time. You like the project? Good. You dont
like the project? Thats fine too as its
merely a vehicle for us to introduce the core techniques of
using Ableton Live.
If youre not great at

music theory Live has a
whole bunch of tools to
make parts sound busy
Once again were using the Simpler instrument device,
with a sample that you can load from the provided
example Live set. This works for us because there are a
few different versions of Live out there Suite, Standard
and Intro, not to mention older versions counting from 9
backwards so using a synthesizer instrument device at
this point could cause compatibility issues with some
folks reading this. Were on safe ground with Simpler
because its in every version of Live it has to be, because
drum racks in particular wont work without it!
Either way its good, partly because we can now say
were using sample based synthesis, a form of sound
design that uses audio samples as well as waveforms
generated by the synth instrument itself. Many synths let
you combine these techniques in one preset, which really
opens up the sonic spectrum.
On the disc
Accompanying
on the DVD
As well as adding a new sample to our set which

again, incorporates the steps from the last tutorial Ive
taken the opportunity to reorganise, rename, and colour
code the tracks and clips. Not only do I get a kick out of
organising everything, it helps me recognise what Im
looking at faster and it avoids accidentally triggering or
selecting the wrong clip or track. I made a spare group
track for unused tracks, and put the original beat in there.
We mentioned this before Shift-Click to select the tracks
you want to group, then type Cmd-G. You can also drag
additional tracks in later.
Our keyboard part doesnt have to be too demanding.
All we need for this project is something basic that doesnt
take up too much room, sonically speaking; weve got
enough going on already. Were just using one note, then
making it move with some sidechaining instead.
Whenever we talk about creating instrument sounds,
make sure youre using a keyboard to audition the sound
constantly as you work on it. If you already have a MIDI clip
and notes in place, you could just keep that playing and
rolling round. But if youre working on a sound that needs
to have some velocity sensitivity some responsiveness
to how hard you hit your keys or pads its better to use
your keyboard or pads in real time while youre testing. As
Ive said before, I like to use the computer keyboard as
well, and when Im doing that, Ill keep tapping on the c
and v keys to change through some different velocity
settings if relevant theyll take you up and down through
the velocity range from 1 to 127 in increments of 20. Dont
forget to keep an eye on your track and master volume
levels as well as we dont want to see any red peaks!
We dont use any notes other than E4 for this clip,
because we want to start with a drone and then find a way
to make it sound a bit more interesting. If youre not great
at music theory, Live has a whole bunch of tools to help
you make even a basic
FOCUS ON THE HARDWARE

In this tutorial were building a keyboard sound based on a sample
from a Waldorf Pulse Plus, a hardware, rack-mount, synth first
released in 1997 (the range is still going strong in a tabletop format).
I used the Pulse for two important reasons: one, because it would
give a different texture than resampling a plug-in, and two, because
it was nearby! One of the great things about Simpler is that it makes
it easy to use almost any sound as a source. Hardware instruments
seem to be on everybodys mind at the moment, so the Pulse it is.
MTF38.tutorial live5.indd 38
FOCUS
11/02/2015 15:49
Part 5: Make your own keyboard sound & sidechain it Technique MTF
MTF Step-by-Step Keyboards and sidechaining
Be sure to use our updated example set for this tutorial. Ive
added a new sample, synth note. This is a synth playing a long C
note (sampled from the Waldorf Pulse Plus hardware synth).
Load the Simpler sample-playback instrument into a new MIDI

track, and drag the synth note sample into Simplers drop area.
Double-click the top empty clip slot in the track to make a clip.
This should sound familiar, because weve done this step before
when we made our bass part. Click the Dupl.Loop button in the
MIDI Editors Notes box twice, creating an empty 4-bar MIDI clip.
When you arm your track and play your MIDI keyboard, you should
be hearing the sampled synth tone playing across the range. We
used a C so itll be correctly in pitch with other instruments.
Draw an E4 note across the entire length of the clip - launch the
clip and then itll play just like a drone over four bars. Keep the
velocity to around 100 or 110 it doesnt matter precisely.
To edit the note velocity, unfold the MIDI Velocity Editor (click on
the little triangle) below the MIDI Note Editor, then drag the
velocity marker up or down until you reach the desired range.
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programmed part sound busy i.e. the MIDI Effect Devices.

Were using the Chord device a little bit here, but dont be
surprised if we come back and look at MIDI effects again in
the near future.
The other thing we do to make it sound more active is to
sidechain it, taking the timing of the drum track (or parts of
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it) and applying it to the keyboard sound to create a

pulsing quality. After youve loaded the Compressor into
the keyboard track, you can choose any sound as a source,
digging deep into drum and instrument racks to find the
exact trigger you want. However, from a workflow point of
view I find it much easier to work with a separate track as
| 39
11/02/2015 15:50
MTF Technique Part 5: Make your own keyboard sound & sidechain it
MTF Step-by-Step Keyboards and sidechaining contd
So far we have a pretty dull synth part so lets jazz it up a bit. At

this stage if you need to do any volume management for this
sound, use the Volume control in Simpler.
Lets make some changes inside Simpler. Start by turning Loop

on and set it to 40%, then turn Snap on and set the Start to
0.30%. Set Length to 14% and Fade to 70%.
Set the Volume envelope Attack to 500ms so theres a bit more to

the tiny little fade-in at the beginning of the sample (as you can
see, it starts quite gradually already).
Now lets add some interest: because weve been lazy with our
programming, lets expand the part with one of Lives MIDI effect
devices. Add the Chord MIDI effect to the track, itll go before Simpler.
Set the Chord devices first two Shift control knobs to +3 and +5
semitones. As the clip loops or as you play your keyboard, youll
hear the extra notes. Set Simplers Spread to 50.
The extra notes make it sound very full too full, in fact. So drag
an EQ Three audio effect to the end of the chain and set the
GainMid to -12dB. This thins it out nicely.
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a source for a sidechain, thats why weve copied the drum

track here. Not only do I then have something that visually
helps me keep track of whats going on, outside of the
drum kit, a separate track for sidechaining, it enables me
to program a totally different kick pattern to trigger the
compressor if I want to, or even to keep the sidechain feed
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going when the drums drop out. You could even automate
that sidechain track and do very weird things with it,
without disrupting your drum beat. As it says in the
tutorial, remember that the sidechain source can be silent
mute the track and it still works!
If youre a musical type of person, who can play
FOCUS
11/02/2015 15:50
Part 5: Make your own keyboard sound & sidechain it Technique MTF
MTF Step-by-Step Keyboards and sidechaining contd
Now we need to add some movement to this keyboard part I

guess youd say its a pad sound; duplicate your MIDI drum track
by clicking on the track name and type Cmd-D.
Inside the rack, solo chains 1, 3, 5, 9, and 13 and deactivate the

track by clicking on the yellow track number. Launch the clip,
though. Yes, thats right. We have a plan.
If you can only solo one item at a time, check your Record/Warp/
Launch Preferences and make sure Exclusive Solo is off.
Otherwise, temporarily override the preference setting by CmdClicking on each item.
Click on your copied drum track and use Cmd-R or the Context
Menu to rename the track Sidechain, then load the Compressor
Brick Wall preset into your keyboard track after the EQ Three.
Click on the small triangle in the Compressor title bar, turn on

Sidechain and choose the sidechain drum track from the Audio
From box. Leave the other settings alone.
Bring the Compressor Threshold down to -50.0dB and set the

Attack to 0.30ms. Play your keyboard and sidechain clips and you
should hear a new rhythmic pulse to your keyboard part.
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keyboards and who understands musical theory, Live is a

great tool for you anyway, especially with alternative input
devices like Push and the forthcoming Novation
Launchpad Pro.
But if youre really confident or even conscious in terms
of theory, Live can really give you a boost with the MIDI
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effects weve mentioned here. Its about as novice-friendly

as it gets, and it doesnt fail to deliver once you get more
knowledgeable. Were making good progress through this
project. Next time well be adding our final element a
speech sample and processing that in a few interesting
and different ways. MTF
| 41
11/02/2015 15:50
MTF Technique Part 6: Recording and manipulating speech samples
Recording and
manipulating
speech samples
Time to do some audio recording. Get micd up
- Martin Delaney will show you how to add some
speech samples to our ongoing Live project.
o far weve used MIDI and weve used existing

audio samples, but we havent covered how to
record our own audio material. Instead of
jumping in at the deep end and attempting to
record fully-blown vocal or instrument takes,
lets make it easy on ourselves by recording a short speech
sample thatll also work inside our ongoing project. To be
I record short speech

samples into Session View
and anything longer goes
into Arrangement View
honest, this is more frequently the type of recording I do
with Live anyway capturing short snippets to use in the
Session View. We aim to record one short sample, then use
it to create three different clips. Note, because this is such
a variable exercise, and I cant hear what youre doing from
here(!), Ive included an after voice track to make it clear
what kind of result youre shooting for.
It might not sway Pro Tools snobs, but Live does a great
job of recording audio. It has the advantage of two views,
so two distinct approaches. As a rule of thumb I record
short clips like speech samples and effects into the
Session View, and anything like a full vocal track for a
song, rhythm guitar parts, and so on, goes into the
Arrangement View. In either View, you can record into
multiple tracks at the same time, and Live has very
On the disc
Accompanying
on the DVD
thorough and immediate routing options, so you can send

and receive audio freely throughout the application.
Theres also the lovely Resampling input option which
provides post-master, post-everything, capture of Lives
output, straight back into the Live set. Live works with
audio samples at different sample rates, mono or stereo,
and combines .aiff, .wav, and .mp3 files in the same
project. Despite what some say, there are no audio quality
issues with Live; youre more likely to experience problems
through user error choosing the wrong Warp mode for
time-stretched material or stretching a clip way beyond
what any reasonable person would do (well be coming
back to that later).
Although Live isnt an audio editor, it covers some of the
basics. Crop Sample, which we use in this tutorial,
discards unwanted portions at the start and end of an
audio clip; and Consolidate available only in the
Arrangement View combines two or more audio clips to
create a new one. These functions are non-destructive
youll find the new samples in the sub-folders inside your
Live project folder.
You probably already have the necessary equipment to
record a voice sample most computers have some kind
of built-in microphone. Then its a matter of scaling up
from there with a dedicated microphone and soundcard
(as far as were concerned, a soundcard and an audio
interface are the same thing). You can get excellent
affordable USB soundcards look at the Focusrite
Scarlett range and a basic microphone for not much
cash at all. Theres an ever-growing number of good USB
microphones, too, although you lose the flexibility
of a soundcard. Theres also
FOCUS ON THE MICROPHONE

Its nice to use expensive microphones and recording hardware but
you should be willing to work with what youve got. Its easier for us
because were recording a simple speech sample here so were not
tied up in the complexities of recording a sung vocal against backing
tracks and creating a headphone mix. What I will say is that unless
you have a very specific idea of what you want, you should always try
to get a clean voice recording, without distortion or baked-in effects.
Other than that limitation, anything from your computers built-in
microphone upwards will do fine.
FOCUS
11/02/2015 15:52
Part 6: Recording and manipulating speech samples Technique MTF
MTF Step-by-Step Recording and editing speech
For this walkthrough we have to make some assumptions about

your microphone and soundcard; read our main text for more
details. Connect your mic and soundcard, launch Live and go to the
Preferences Audio tab.
Choose your soundcard in the Audio Input Device and Audio

Output Device lists then close Preferences. Connect your
headphones to your soundcard (watch your volume) and turn your
monitor speakers off to avoid feedback.
Open our example Live set. Make sure youre using the updated
part 6 version and use the shortcut Cmd-T to create a new audio
track. Were still working in the Session View, of course.
Use Alt-Cmd-I to open the In/Out View. This will display the audio
routing options at the bottom of your tracks. Click on the Audio
From chooser to select your input Ext. In.
Below that is a list of available audio inputs click to view the

list. As you talk into your microphone, youll see a level displayed
alongside one of those inputs. Thats your microphone. Click it.
Set up your microphone and mixer so you get a manageable

volume level. Exactly how this works will again depend on what
equipment youre using but please avoid red peaks anywhere in the
signal chain!
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the Apogee One, which is unique because it has

connections for a microphone and instrument, but also
boasts a built-in microphone. Its a cool tool for the
travelling musician. Im not going further into this
discussion now, because its a whole other tutorial
Well, a whole other book, actually!
Ive suggested that you set the tracks Monitor switch to
Auto, which means youll hear the mic input when you arm
the track, but bear in mind that your set-up might enable
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or require you to monitor somewhere else along the

signal chain. As I said, were not singing along to a backing
track with this exercise, so frankly, accurate monitoring is
not so critical.
There are different ways to initiate recording: you can
use a mouse or trackpad, your controller, or even your
iPhone. You can go into record while Live is already running
or enter record to start Live running. Record start and stop
are quantised so that means if youre using the default
| 43
11/02/2015 15:52
MTF Technique Part 6: Recording and manipulating speech samples
MTF Step-by-Step Recording and editing speech (contd)
Set the tracks Monitor In switch to Auto, and arm the track
click the small circular button in the mixer, it goes red. Stop your
other clips youre not singing along to anything for this one!
As you arm/disarm the track for recording youll see the square
stop buttons in each empty Session View clip slot (in that track)
transform into circles; that means you can record into these.
Well record a short phrase to use as a one-shot sample and a

rhythmic loop. Click a slot button to start recording. Wait a beat or
two, then record yourself saying Please be aware.
Press the space bar to stop Live when youre finished. Note the
clip length is cropped to the nearest bar. Disarm the track so you
cant record anything else by mistake and always save after recording.
Before you launch your other clips again, listen to your voice
recording on its own, checking for distortion and also checking
that you havent chopped the start or end off as its very easy to do.
Double-click the clip to view the waveform if necessary. Lets

discard some of the silence around it. Position the loop brace
around the keeper part and the start marker at the front of that.
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global quantization of one bar, recording commences on

the next bar. Its important to remember this and not start
talking too soon, otherwise you lose the beginning of your
sample. Record ending is also quantised which is great as
it gives you pre-cut loops, rounded off to bars and more
likely to loop in sync with your other content straight off.
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The most important thing when recording is to avoid

overloading and distorting your input levels. Its very rock
to record to tape with everything in the red, and it sounds
cool, but sadly it stinks when you do it with digital
recording. Live has some great distortion effects, so why
not save that fun until later? If youve erred on the side of
FOCUS
11/02/2015 15:53
Part 6: Recording and manipulating speech samples Technique MTF
MTF Step-by-Step Recording and editing speech (contd)
The Loop Brace is that bar above the audio waveform. You can
drag to reposition it and grab either end to change the length. FYI
the Loop Brace dimensions and coordinates are MIDI-mappable.
Make sure the Loop Brace is an even bar length, though.

Right-Click inside the area contained by the loop brace and
choose Crop Sample. Duplicate this clip to the slot below using Cmd-D.
Select the first clip. From the Sample View at the bottom of the
screen, deactivate Warp so itll play just once at its original
speed. Now you have a one-shot, plus a looping version.
Use Cmd-D to duplicate the second clip. Double-click above the

right end of the waveform to add a Warp marker. Grab it and drag
to the right, doubling the length of your original sample.
Make sure you adjust the length of the Loop Brace to

accommodate the stretched waveform. Experiment with Warp
modes the difference between Beats and Complex is very noticeable
(but lets stick with Beats).
Quantize the audio-click inside the waveform and type Cmd-U.

Watch the waveform peaks snap to the grid; youll see Live inserts
yellow Warp markers to achieve this.
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caution and recorded at a low level, use the clip Gain slider
to boost the volume. Do this while the clips playing, so you
can check for the distortion that arises if you go too far!
Were touching on Warping and audio quantization
during our walkthrough; its fun to over-stretch audio
samples and tweak the Warp modes; I cant resist it with
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vocals, which is why were doing it here. A bit of

quantization also adds to the unreal effect, but it can also
make a looping speech sample sit more neatly on the beat.
Thats it for now. I hope that over these six workshop parts
Ive given enough tips to inspire and help your music
making happy producing! MTF
| 45
11/02/2015 15:53
MTF Feature A bluffers guide to EQ
MTF Feature EQ Guide
A BLUFFERS
GUIDE TO EQ
This is what a boost in the highs
looks like. Our node is at about
5kHz, and weve got a very high
Q. Expect seriously snappy
snares here.
The first step in becoming a mix master is getting to grips with the
simplest of tools at your disposal: EQ. Rob Boffard shows you
how to bring balance to your musical force
he Equaliser, or EQ, is the Tetris of audio effects. Youll figure out how
it works in seconds, but it takes an age to master. No other effect, if
used subtly, can make such a dramatic difference to your sound. If you
know what youre doing with an EQ itll make your mixes sound as if
theyve popped out of a top-of-the-range studio. Conversely, there is no
other effect that, when mishandled, can screw up your mixes so badly. A heavy or
badly managed hand with EQ can wreck a good song.
Dont stress, though. EQ may sound intimidating but in practice its not
difficult to get the hang of. Give us a few minutes with this guide and well show
you exactly what you need to know about this powerful effect.
Whats the frequency?

Lets start with the basics. Sounds have frequency, right? Its the part of sound
that is measured in pitch. A high pitch, or high frequency, means that the sound
waves are packed closely together and hit your eardrum more frequently than
sounds with a lower pitch. A low frequency is the opposite, where sound waves
are spaced further apart. That means your eardrum hears those sounds as
low-pitched. If that sounds hard to handle, think of it this way: a violin has a
high-frequency sound; a bass drum has a low frequency.
An EQ enables you to boost or reduce those frequencies. You can make the
MT140.feat Bluffer's Guide.indd 58
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A bluffers guide to EQ Feature MTF
bass louder, the highs

higher. You can also cut
that bass, or remove
some of the high
frequencies so things
dont get too sharp. In a
full song where you have
any number of different
sounds, all with their
own frequencies, this is
an exceedingly
important technique.
Youd be hard-pressed to
find a music session
that didnt have some EQ
Your basic paragraphic EQ. Note the individual nodes (each of them draggable), the frequencies along
the top, and the decibels on the left.
in it somewhere.
Frequencies are
measured in Hertz (Hz), named for Heinrich Rudolf Hertz, who was the first to
Tech terms
identify electromagnetic waves. Humans can hear only a certain range of
FREQUENCY: The
frequencies, from as low as 20Hz to as high as about 20,000. Dogs, obviously, can
vibrations in sound
hear much higher, but since they arent great music fans the 20-20,000 range is
that determine its
what youll see on most EQ displays. This range is known as the frequency
pitch. You can also
spectrum. Again, instruments such as bass drums are down low, violins up high,
use this as a distinct
measurement as in, it
the human voice somewhere in the middle.
has a low frequency, or a
Instruments can possess more than one frequency. Indeed they have ranges of
frequency of 50Hz.
their own. Think of a kick drum. Sure, youve got the big, bassy boom which will
show up at around 200Hz, but youve also got the snap as the beater hits the
surface, which registers much higher in the spectrum at around 2,5kHz to 4kHz.
What youre trying to do is lower or raise the volume of these frequencies to
bring out, or reduce, a sounds desired characteristics.
Heres a pro tip for you: when talking frequencies and EQ, dont talk about
bass or treble. Talk about highs, mids and lows.
Revert to type
So what exactly are you going to see when you bring in your EQ? Well, that
depends. There are a few types of equalisation, some of which are more useful
than others, and its
worth going through
them all.
First, youve got your
fixed EQ, the most basic
of all the types.
Essentially it gives you a
bunch of controls
knobs, usually each
set to a specific
frequency. You cant change that frequency, but you can raise and lower the gain
(read: volume) for each one.
Then youve got your graphic EQs. Instead of the few controls youd get in the
fixed EQ youve now got dozens, usually appearing as faders instead of knobs.
Each one of them is still locked to a specific frequency and you can still raise and
lower the gain as before, but what this EQ does is enable you to create curves by
setting the faders in increments. You usually see this sort of EQ on an old HiFi,
and frankly, theyre a pain to work with.
Paragraphic EQs are what you want. Now you dont have fixed frequencies;
instead, your EQ display will have nodes, each of which can be dragged to any
frequency you want. You can raise or lower each node to change the gain, and
(this is the clever bit) adjust its Q to change the shape of the curve. The lower
the Q, the more space there will be under your EQ curve, which means more
frequencies will be boosted or cut. Itll look like a hump. Raise the Q, and youll
get a spike, with far fewer frequencies affected by the boost or cut.
Instruments can have more

than one frequency. Indeed
they have ranges of their own
HERTZ: The unit used

to measure frequencies.
Named for Heinrich
Rudolf Hertz. Most EQs
go from 20 to 20,000Hz,
and its not uncommon
to see the latter
abbreviated as 20kHz,
or KiloHertz.
GAIN: Simplified,
gain is volume. It can
be raised to boost a
frequency or lowered to
cut it. Its measured in
decibels, or dB.
Q: The width of the
space under an EQ
curve. No, we dont
know why its called
Q. Doesnt matter.
Youll want to pay close
attention to it.
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MTF Feature A bluffers guide to EQ
When it comes down to it thats all the controls

you ever need worry about with EQ: frequency, gain,
Q. Go try it out now. Load a track into your DAW and
start playing. Like Tetris, youll figure it out
straightaway. We promise.
OK, there are one or two more things to bear in
mind. Most of the time EQs will include what are
known as high- and low-pass filters. A high-pass
filter is a specific type of gain cut that removes all
frequencies below a certain point. In other words it
lets you eliminate the lows. The opposite is true for a
low-pass filter, which gets rid of the highs. This is
useful when youre doing things such as EQing
vocals with so few bass frequencies in them theres
often no need to have any lows at all, and so a
high-pass filter will get rid of them for you. Handily,
this can also help eliminate background hum.
You also get shelving filters. Essentially theyre a
stripped-down version of the high- and low-pass
filters, which cut or boost the frequencies in far less
dramatic fashion.
Some EQs provide a subtle colour or warmth to
the sound when used. Its pretty cool. If you dont
want that then consider investing in a linear or
transparent EQ, which will do nothing but boost and
cut your frequencies without colouring your sound.
A high-pass filter. Any and all frequencies under about 700Hz will be cut. This is very useful for
elements such as vocals or strings.
have all sorts of other noises to play with. Sounds

share frequencies, they dont exist in a vacuum. Your
kick drum and your bassline both have low
frequencies, and when they combine one will mask
the other. When your sounds start masking each
other youve got problems. Youll end up with a
muddy, disappointing mix.
How do you fix this? You use the EQ to carve out a
space for each sound. When your vocals start there
shouldnt be anything else dominating those
frequencies, so you can use your nifty paragraphic
EQ on instruments that conflict with the vocal and
lower the gain in their middle ranges.
Now, we cant teach you how to do this. We can
Make room
So youve got your EQ. Youve loaded it up, you
understand how Q and gain work, and youre ready
to go. What exactly do you do with it?
On an individual level, when applied to a specific,
solod sound, youre going to use it to make things
sharper. Youre going to use that EQ to take the sound
from where it is to where you want it to be. You will
boost the frequencies that bring out the sounds best
qualities and cut the ones that muddle it. A big,
booming bass drum will not suffer indeed, will be
improved if you use a shelving filter to remove
some frequencies above, say, 15,000Hz.
But thats not difficult. The tricky part is what
happens when you un-solo a sound because then you
The only way that you get

good at using EQ is by doing lots
and lots of mixing
See that greyed-out mountain range? Its a frequency analyzer. It gives you a visual representation of
your sound, showing you the dominant frequencies useful for EQ.
teach you how it works but the only way you get
good at Tetris is by playing, and the only way you
get good at EQ is by doing lots of mixing. You need
to learn how different sounds work together and
which cuts and boosts you need to bring out their
best qualities. You need to listen to a sound
really listen and discover where its most
important frequencies are, as well as the ones
which you can cut.
That being said, there are a few principals to
abide by. Cut first, boost later often, things can be
improved just by dropping the gain in a few places.
And be gentle. You dont need big Q spikes; and if
youre boosting or cutting over -3dB, then youre
going too far.
Most of all, remember that EQ doesnt exist in
isolation. Youre going to be using a whole whack of
other tools to help you along, such as compression,
which well deal with another time MTF
FOCUS
11/02/2015 14:54
MTF Technique A track from scratch part 1: Dubstep bass
Technique A track from scratch: Part 1
Dubstep bass
Liam OMullane and Christopher Pearson begin a massive tutorial to guide you through
the process of creating the harder edge side of this contemporary genre, their first point of
call being the fundamentals of bass design
ubstep is a genre thats morphed from its

dubbed-out form over the years and since
splintered into two distinct camps. For the more
meditative and deeper experience, artists such
as Burial, Phaeleh and Mala fly the flag, sticking
to the genres original principles of a mix with depth, space
and general musicality. Over the years and more recently in
the mainstream, a louder and more aggressive influence
has taken hold. The driving force behind this new breed of
dubstep include Skrillex, Zomboy, Excision and Flux
Pavillion to name a few. Although terms like EDM and
brostep are often frowned upon due to their buzzword
nature, this is the musical style we are focussing on in this
five-part feature.
On the disc
Accompanying
example audio files
included on the DVD
Set your tempo to 140bpm and

lets explore the components of
the dirtiest of basslines
Like any bass-orientated electronic genre, there are
rules that apply across the board in terms of composition
and production. These aspects will be highlighted when
relevant, but our real aim here is to educate you on the
standard tools for crafting a heavy dubstep track, whilst
offering a variety of techniques you can use to create
something original. It would be pointless to give you a full

how-to on todays sound as the leading artists will have
moved on by the time youve learned your trade. Although
todays sound is of importance, do try to keep an open mind
and fully explore our suggested practice in your own way.
This is key, as a lot of the best ideas and sounds will come
from happy accidents and a pursuit for originality. So set
your tempo to 140bpm and lets begin by first defining the
essential components for the dirtiest of basslines.
Bass: defined
The word bassline when used in bass music may differ to
your own definition, so its important to understand what it
means in the context of a dubstep track. Although a sub
bass is used to pin various instruments and sounds
together so they have an even sense of low-end weight
what people consider to be the bassline can be a large
range of musical, noisy, discordant and SFX sounds. If we
break down the elements that form to make a dirty
bassline, there are no set rules and this is why
experimentation is so important. Though less common in
use today, a single bass sound can be the singular feature
of a track, but this does require a huge amount of creative
programming to give it the variation it needs to hold the
listeners interest. The more common approach today is to
work between at least three separate sounds with
contrasting timbres, then after
FOCUS ON...GUIDE
DRUMS
Though were starting our track off

from bass-design onwards, its good
practice to get some basic drums in
the mix for a guide as you go. The basic
requirements are a kick and snare with
some form of cymbals/percussion to
add a further sense of rhythm.
Anything busier than this could be too
much information at this stage and
influence your choice of sounds, so
remember to try to keep it simple
Though your first drum sounds can be
sparse, they still need to be
appropriate for the genre. Keeping
things simple weve used a quick
double layering technique with an
acoustic sounding drum kit from BFD
edited to add a sense of space and
texture. Weve then layered synth drum
sounds for that much needed weight
and impact using Tremor. Our hi-hat
has been chosen simply to be clean
and minimal. This is all we need to then
start creating our first bass elements.
MT136.tut genre pt1.2aj.indd 74
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A track from scratch part 1: Dubstep bass Technique MTF
MTF Step-by-Step Vowel bass foundation with FM synthesis
Not all FM synthesisers are equal and some techniques might

translate differently from one to the next. The fundamentals
however, are the same. Sytrus is one of our preferred options
because it allows control of individual partials (harmonic frequencies
above the fundamental).
establishing an initial idea, use internal modulation

and automation to twist and take their tone into
different areas for maintaining listener interest.
Though dirty bass might be fierce and in your face, a
constant barrage of a singular distorted synth will lose
the listeners interest quite quickly through monotony.
Bass design is about building the right sounds, but
before you lay down a single note, you need to be
thinking ahead for how youll create bass dynamics.
Our first oscillator begins its life as a sine wave-based sub. Sines are a clean
source meaning frequency modulation is easy to hear and therefore control in
finer detail. The sine is pitched to E1 or 41.2034Hz this will sound much higher when
we apply frequency modulation. The second oscillators pitch is the same as the first,
but slight detuning can be used to create movement.
01
Dynamics
When designing a bass sound, asides from the technical
starting points well discuss next, be mindful of your
options for twisting and turning a sound. When
balancing parameters of a synth or subsequent creative
audio processing, take note of parameters that create
either a subtle or severe timbre shift. These can then be
either internally modulated within your synth or
sampler so they respond to MIDI note information as
you play, or you can program them within your
sequencer through automation or MIDI CC data.
The more common

approach now is to use
at least three sounds
for you bass
In the interests of workflow, make use of macro
options within the instrument itself or your DAW so
multiple parameters can be controlled at once. If you
dont decide on the best parameters to modify, or group
them up in this way from the start, youll soon find
yourself swamped with confusing movement data. This
will always cause problems when it comes to
arrangement and further editing of your track, so do treat
this as an essential part of the initial creative process.
As the parameter combinations of synths and audio
effects are infinite, lets look at the standard options we
always consider when creating a bassline sequence.
The first choice is what register you want a sound to live
in. Even though the sub bass may stay in the same
frequency area, a lot of dynamics can be created by
Our second oscillator is set to modulate the frequency of the first oscillator
using a triangle wave. This imposes new harmonics which thicken up the sine
wave. If you can control oscillator partials, raise the 32nd to add a new fifth octave
pitch to the triangles shape. Otherwise, add a 3rd triangle oscillator up by five octaves
to modulate the 2nd.
02
Moving the modulation amount for the second oscillator will now create a basic
vowel sound. Next add another oscillator to create high information for a sense
of air. Pitch a different oscillator (weve used a square) up by 64 semi-tones and add
modulation depth to taste.
03
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MTF Technique A track from scratch part 1: Dubstep bass
synthesis are used so much in todays production for

dirty-sounding bass. Uneven clusters of harmonic
content that are static or move over time are all used
against each other to create the type of textures the
older generation often dismiss as noise. But its this
contrast of tuned and none-tuned sounds that are
essential in creating aggression, abrasion and a
generally up-front energy that still retains a sense of
movement and depth.
FM design
Bass Processing
There are two different categories you can put

audio processing into when it comes to bass:
creative and mixing. Creative processing can be
a fundamental part of a sound or punched in on
occasion to create a timbre shift for dynamics
and variation. Amplitude modulation is a popular
choice at the moment and can be achieved
through a tremolo effect or LFO controlling a
synths amplitude. At slower rates youll hear a
detectable rhythm, but get the rate above 20Hz
and youll hear a distortion that creates edge
with a soft characteristic
As long as youre processing the mid to high
frequency part of your bass sounds (i.e. not
processing the sub-bass) the options for creative
processing are endless. Dry/Wet reverb control,
strong phasing, guitar distortion and glitch-like
effects are tools which feature in dubstep on a
regular basis. So the more you experiment with
the less common options, the better.
Mix processing involves the use of EQs and
dynamics processing to balance each sound to
fit comfortably within the track. We generally
used multi-band processing that also includes
an element of saturation. FabFilters Saturn,
Image-Lines Maximus and iZotopes Alloy 2
are good examples for their sonic quality and
uniqueness in character. This allowed us to firm

up certain areas of the frequency spectrum and
add harmonic information per-band or mid and
side plane as required. For EQ balancing you
shouldnt need to do any major removal work to
remove brash frequencies. If youve got too much
grit, go back to source and find what element of
your synth or plug-in chain is creating it and tone
it down!
Wherever possible we like to group types of
sound together. Not just for aesthetics and
housekeeping but mainly to give groups of
sounds their own identity and colour in the mix
to help them stand out as a unit. For example,
all bass sounds will go to a bass group and
be compressed, EQd and mastered as a unit.
This solidifies its range and defines its space,
allowing other groups to cut through around
these main bass elements.
Bear in mind that its always good practice to
pick out similar sounds. So rather than grouping
everything musical to a single music group,
think about dividing them by their transient and
timbre nature. For example, we wouldnt group
pads and guitars together as theyre so different
sonically. If picked instruments are grouped, we
can then accentuate frequencies that are plucky
with EQ and add transient processing if required.
The sub is essential as it

carries the weight of the track
and frequencies you want
alternating between a low- and high-pitched
instrument. For instance, one sound can be very
low-end orientated which leaves space in the mids and
top-end of the mix. Another sound can have lots of mid
and top info so its a fuller-sounding part and the third
sound could be scooped in the mids by being a sub with
a thin sound that plays towards the top-end of the mix
very much akin to classical music.
The nature of each sounds frequency content is
another element to explore for dynamics. Fundamental
waveforms sine, triangle and saw waves are pure,
slightly and very harmonically-based respectively. The
harmonics are even so they create a pleasant, defined
musical pitch. Square waves also carry pitch clearly, but
they consist of odd harmonics which means they sound
big and hollow. These waveforms can be used in modern
dubstep, but they will be a point of contrast against
other, much less musical components. These
instruments are a counterpart by being non-musical
and noise like. This is a big reason why FM and additive
To start with a solid foundation, we use a sine wave

based oscillator. A pure sinusoidal waveform is the
most clean, and therefore most powerful wave we
can create and being infinitely smooth, it has nothing
but its fundamental frequency to impart. The sub is
essential as it carries the weight of the track and the
frequencies you want from sub woofers to rattle the
audiences nose cartilage.
On its own, a sub instrument can be nice but our
examples throughout the article contain sub, mid and
high range information. Sometimes well achieve each
bass instrument with more than one layered source, but
its entirely possible to create large and complex
patches within a single synthesizer. In this particular
genre, FM synthesis seems to be the main staple for
Experiment with different processing on your grouped bass sounds

to fill or create space to all sounds as a whole. This will help unify
them and put them in their own space within the mix.
When experimenting with audio processing, or any onboard synth

modulation, its worth trialling a sound to see if it works better when
re-sampled into a sampler or kept live. Playback speed alters when
playing a sample higher or lower and this adds a character of its own
to a bass idea.
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11/02/2015 12:59
A track from scratch part 1: Dubstep bass Technique MTF
Re-sampling and Slip Editing
A good way to get creative with an existing idea is to re-work it as

a new sample. This can be done in various ways depending on the
tools available in your DAW. All DAWs can bounce audio and this is
the simplest way to re-sample. Once bounced, you can chop and
re-edit the sample, or use slip editing to move the start position of
the audio within the audio clip. This changes the content but the
clip itself stays in place on the grid. This is good way to encounter
happy accidents and is most commonly used on long pieces of
audio recorded when jamming with a synth and its parameters.
Though were focussing on FM synthesis for most of our bass design, additive synthesis is a great option
for different textures. It allows complex waveforms to be built from many sine waves just as real sounds
are in the natural world. But its the unique approach it takes to synthesizing sounds and its interface that
will encourage unique results.
Food for thought
bass creation. Because of how FM synthesis works, it

becomes very simple to create complex, warped
sounds. In fact, even when basses are created in other
types of synthesizers, its usually an FM technique that
will make the sound fit the genre. For instance, NIs
Massive, although subtractive, uses phase modulation
to create similar-sounding effects.
FM synthesis allows us to
create warped tones a sine
wave adds more harmonics
FM Synthesis allows us to create very warped tones
by using oscillators to modulate other oscillators. A sine
wave set to modulate another will impart new even
harmonics which in turn create a new waveform at the
synths output. But detuning the modulating oscillator,
or changing its wave type, it will venture into noisy and
unpleasant timbres. Sweeping the amount of
modulation being applied is key to achieving the FM
bass sound used countless times in this genre. So be
sure to explore tuning, waveform choice, waveform
phase and additional oscillator routing to move away
from the norm.
For example, a few of our bass sounds use ImageLines Sytrus with internal modulation amounts being
used for movement. After exploring some strongsounding parameters to automate, we then mapped
them across an X/Y controller within the synth. These
X/Y parameters are then mapped to our host software
as two automation lanes to keep life simple. To find the
sweet spots of where the X and Y best overlap, we
started with random automation data, then fine tuned
the automation until we achieved a groove and
interesting timbre shift against our varied drum track.
To underpin an FM instrument with a clean sine
wave to emphasise bass, we can simply enable another
operator, set to sine and keep it modulation free. This
means we have all elements of the sound available to
play in one instrument.
Musical keys
In this first instalment, weve covered the very essence

of what this genre is about bass! You should have the
tools and basic understanding of FM synthesis to
explore or use to try and mimic our example sounds. You
can explore different styles of guide drums at this stage
to help expose new potential vibes, but lets not get too
committed at this stage. After all, we havent explored
musicality or thought about song structure and
flexibility is a gift at this stage in the process. Well next
explore where our bass ideas can go while also
designing our principle drum sound. MTF
Turn over the page for part 2 of Liam and Christophers
dubstep guide.
Due to the sound-design biased nature of the

more extreme end of dubstep, musical keys
are difficult to decipher and follow. Pitching
sounds, re-sampling them, pitch-bending etc
can result in the end result, often venturing into
non-western scales and microtuning. But an
important factor is the choice of root notes
that you base your sub bass around and its
closest harmonics.
Most club sound systems have a bass roll-off
of around 40Hz which means pitching your sub
bass any lower than this can cause a less than
universal translation from one venue to the next.
In some cases this means youll hear no sub at all
if your choice of key is too low. On the opposite
side of this, going too high can leave your track

lacking in any low impact information when
compared to other music in the mix. Also bear
in mind that sound systems are EQd to sound
pleasant for their environment and genre; boosts
and cuts will be applied in the expected sub
area, kicks, snares and even where cymbals are
expected to fall. For all of these reasons, bass
genre artists have naturally fallen into using the
keys of around E, F and G.
You can test this phenomena by running
reference tracks through a spectrum analyser
to study where their keys lie. Even individual
sounds are becoming standardised to frequency
so mixes tend to have a unified and equally
musical sound.
| 77
11/02/2015 12:59

Ableton Live Tips and Tricks Part 3

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Tips

Showing and Hiding Views

Loop Brace and Start/End Markers

Toggle Full Screen Mode

Move Start Marker to Position

Toggle Session/Arrangement View

Nudge Loop Left/Right

Toggle Track/Clip View

Move Loop By Loop Length

Hide/Show Detail View

Click Loop Brace or

Hide/Show Info View

Session View Commands

Launch Selected Clip/Slot

Select Neighbouring Clip/Slot

Open the Preferences

Select all Clips/Slots

Add/Remove Stop Button

Insert MIDI clip

Finer Resolution for Dragging

Insert Captured Scene

Go to Next Field (Bar.beat.16th)

Drop Browser Clips as a Scene

Abort Value Entry

Arrangement View Commands

Split Clip at Selection

Consolidate Selection into Clip

Set Selected Folder as Browser Root

Pan Left/Right of Selection

Preview Selected File

Unfold all Tracks

Activate Browser Search Mode

Scroll Display to Follow Playback

Jump to Search Results

Commands for Tracks

See also editing commands

Insert Audio Track

Play from Start Marker/Stop

Insert MIDI Track

Continue Play from Stop Point

Insert Return Track

Play Arrangement View Selection

Rename Selected Track

While Renaming, Go to next Track

Group Selected Tracks

Activate/Deactivate Track 1..8

By holding down an additional modifier key, some of the

commands across can also be applied to:

Clips and Slots Across all Tracks

Time Across all Tracks

The Selected Part of the Envelope

can be used to move from one track or scene to

Commands for Breakpoint Envelopes

Grid Snapping and Drawing

Finer Resolution for Dragging

Toggle Draw Mode

Enable Dragging Over Breakpoints

Key/MIDI Map Mode and the Computer MIDI Keyboard

Toggle MIDI Map Mode

Toggle Key Map Mode

Bypass Snapping While Dragging

Computer MIDI Keyboard

Zooming, Display and Selections

Drag/Click to Append to a Selection