Noiselab Things Every Ableton Producer Should Know II

This course will highlight aspects of Ableton Live that will help you develop a more efficient and productive workflow, as well as introduce some unique creative possibilities. This is the sequel to our popular Things Every Ableton Producer Should Know mini-course, so be sure to check that out if you have not already. The concepts and techniques covered in this course are important for any producer that values their time and efficient workflow, and will give you an edge as an Ableton producer by enabling you to work in your projects and execute your creative ideas much quicker.

Here’s an overview of what we’ll cover in each lesson:

Lesson 1 – Top 10 Key Commands
Introduction to key commands
Demonstration of commands in Ableton Live
Identifying the many benefits of using key commands

Lesson 2 – Freeze and Flatten
Explanation of freezing and flattening and how it affects the CPU cycles
Freezing tracks example
How to share projects with users who do not have the same MIDI instruments or effects
Flatten example to make the audio clip permanent (this is a good way to convert MIDI clips to audio)

Lesson 3 – Chromatic Audio Clips
Demonstration of MIDI map notes to audio clips to trigger
Making MIDI map a range of notes to play an audio clip chromatically
Using legato to play the clip chromatically without it starting at the beginning for each new note
Using pitch changes on clip quantization

Lesson 4 – Saving Default Tracks and Devices
Saving default settings for audio tracks and MIDI tracks
Adding the devices on the track and changing the parameters
Saving default effects and instruments

Lesson 5 – Saving Template Projects
Creating different ways of template projects
Demonstration of saving template projects in the preferences and saving the project as a default
Setting up projects in the user library and loading them directly in Live's browser

Lesson 6 - Options.txt file
Discovering the hidden file called Options.txt
Explanation of how to locate the folder and how to create one
Benefits of utilizing this and applying its different features

Lesson 7 - Useful Key Mappings
Common functions mapped to keys and they're advantages
Key mapping keys to transport functions (e.g., play, record, stop, overdub, scene select, etc.)
Demonstration of keyboard key commands and how to save a current set as a template

Lesson 8 - Hidden Device Features
Discussing the many hidden features in many of the devices by right-clicking
Example of delay devices
Example of ping pong delay, repitch, fade and jump
Demonstration of oversampling in EQ eight which allows the user to copy the EQ settings

Lesson 9 - Quickly Inserting MIDI Notes
Drawing notes into the MIDI clips by using the arrows and computer keyboard
Inserting MIDI notes with arrow keys shortcut
How to use arrows in a specific part of the beat grid to make notes longer
Deleting notes quickly

Lesson 10 - Sends and Returns
Placing effects on returns to save CPU
Send multiple tracks to the same effect vs. loading multiple instances of that effect on the tracks
Demonstration of convolution reverb pro device
Automating the send levels to certain parts of the audio