The Ableton Q&A Thread

[Swelly]

Does anyone feel like the headroom in ableton is less than it is in FL? Been using ableton for about a year, but somehow, my final tracks aren't as loud as they were in fl? Maybe I was just maxing the hell out of my tracks in FL, possibly because I wasn't as knowledgable about mixing down as I am now? Any thoughts on the headroom issue? It has nothing to do with the loudness war, it's just an observation I've made.

[Disco Nutter]

If you really want to compare - make two identical tracks in the two programs. Judging one track against a different one, one year apart in the making, is not really a precise method to make a judgment.

[RandoRando]

honestly yes, all of my older tracks which were in FL have a slightly bigger sound, but its nothing worth switching DAWs over.

thanks dapt about the apc problem fixed!
but now i have another problem, i have a auto filter mapped to one of the pan knobs on the apc (i overwrote it). and i have the knob assigned to on off, 1 & 127 (min and max) so it turns on right when i begin to turn it, and the knob also mapped to the freq. now when i turn it, it turns on then it quiclky jumps all the way to the top (so it closes the hi pass filter all the way so i dont hear anything) and i have to go all the way to the end to "pick up" the fre slider then i can slide it back down, this is making my knob useless cause it jumps all the way to the end when it turns on, any ideas? it was working fine then all of a sudden this, also it works if i go very slowly while turning it, but thats useless

[RmoniK]

No DAW standardly has a "bigger" sound. Maybe the intstruments do, or the FX do, but there's no such things as having more headroom. Ceiling is 0 db in every DAW.

If i had to guess, i would say it's the ableton compressor and limiter. I really don't like the sound of them.

[RandoRando]

No DAW standardly has a "bigger" sound. Maybe the intstruments do, or the FX do, but there's no such things as having more headroom. Ceiling is 0 db in every DAW.

If i had to guess, i would say it's the ableton compressor and limiter. I really don't like the sound of them.

and EQ 8

[RmoniK]

Meh, i think EQ8 sounds pretty nice, especially on Hi-quality mode. Also the inbuilt M/S helps.

[RandoRando]

Meh, i think EQ8 sounds pretty nice, especially on Hi-quality mode. Also the inbuilt M/S helps.

ya i love it too, im just saying its probably one of those things that contributes to ableton's "sound"

[Perej]

Does anyone feel like the headroom in ableton is less than it is in FL? Been using ableton for about a year, but somehow, my final tracks aren't as loud as they were in fl? Maybe I was just maxing the hell out of my tracks in FL, possibly because I wasn't as knowledgable about mixing down as I am now? Any thoughts on the headroom issue? It has nothing to do with the loudness war, it's just an observation I've made.

Yeah, I definately see the same thing when I compare it to Logic.

One tip I'd give to anyone using it would be to use external effects. Since using the lexicon reverbs and FET compressor for example, I've been getting better mixes. People swear down that there is absolutely no difference between Abletons engine and that of FL or Logic for example, yet my ears say differently!

[RmoniK]

the "engine" has nothing to do with it. It's really just the algorithms with which the plugins modify the sound.

[dublerium]

Does anyone feel like the headroom in ableton is less than it is in FL? Been using ableton for about a year, but somehow, my final tracks aren't as loud as they were in fl? Maybe I was just maxing the hell out of my tracks in FL, possibly because I wasn't as knowledgable about mixing down as I am now? Any thoughts on the headroom issue? It has nothing to do with the loudness war, it's just an observation I've made.

Yeah, I definately see the same thing when I compare it to Logic.

One tip I'd give to anyone using it would be to use external effects. Since using the lexicon reverbs and FET compressor for example, I've been getting better mixes. People swear down that there is absolutely no difference between Abletons engine and that of FL or Logic for example, yet my ears say differently!

There's no difference.

Your making different tracks, using different plugs I'm assuming so it's going to sound different.

[RandoRando]

ivve come to conclusion its abletons plugins that make people think its abletons engine

[dublerium]

ivve come to conclusion its abletons plugins that make people think its abletons engine

I think they do sound a bit thin, but in the right combinations you can thicken them up a bit. It depends on the person and what they're making tho.

[Disco Nutter]

I love Live's first party plugins. Light and do the job.

[dublerium]

I love Live's first party plugins. Light and do the job.

Same however I usually pick plugs based on character tho so usually using externals. Lives plugs are great though and the way they sit in the gui is really good.

[Perej]

Does anyone feel like the headroom in ableton is less than it is in FL? Been using ableton for about a year, but somehow, my final tracks aren't as loud as they were in fl? Maybe I was just maxing the hell out of my tracks in FL, possibly because I wasn't as knowledgable about mixing down as I am now? Any thoughts on the headroom issue? It has nothing to do with the loudness war, it's just an observation I've made.

Yeah, I definately see the same thing when I compare it to Logic.

One tip I'd give to anyone using it would be to use external effects. Since using the lexicon reverbs and FET compressor for example, I've been getting better mixes. People swear down that there is absolutely no difference between Abletons engine and that of FL or Logic for example, yet my ears say differently!

There's no difference.

Your making different tracks, using different plugs I'm assuming so it's going to sound different.

In theory there's no difference, but how many studios use live?

Funny thing is, a guy was asking on the ableton forums a while back 'Can anyone give me a list of professional artists using Ableton?' Now, the funny thing was they were all saying 'oh not another one of these threads' and 'loads of people' but none of them actually answered the question, they all just dodged it... why? Cos it's just that.... outside of bedroom producers, there's not many.

It sounds thin. Make a track in Logic and one in Ableton and A/B it. It doesn't sound as warm. Sorry.

[RandoRando]

ableton 9!!!!!!!!!!!! these new plugins look amazing, THAT EQ!

[Hostile Invasion]

In theory there's no difference, but how many studios use live?

Funny thing is, a guy was asking on the ableton forums a while back 'Can anyone give me a list of professional artists using Ableton?' Now, the funny thing was they were all saying 'oh not another one of these threads' and 'loads of people' but none of them actually answered the question, they all just dodged it... why? Cos it's just that.... outside of bedroom producers, there's not many.

It sounds thin. Make a track in Logic and one in Ableton and A/B it. It doesn't sound as warm. Sorry.

http://www.ableton.com/pages/artists/list

Just to name a few pro artists.

If you suck at making something sound good in a certain DAW that's your problem, not the DAW's.

[123kidd]

Live 9 does not look too bad. I hope they make it more efficient in terms of cpu and such or maybe i just need a new computer

Anyway on to my question. I use live for djing and have a simple template set up with all the midi parameters all mapped out. The issue is that I always have to move/touch each button until it "picks up" in ableton. Eg. the faders have to be slid all the way down and up until it finally reads in live. Its not a major problem, its just more annoying than anything. The controller is an mpd32.
Thanks

[puzzlefactory]

If you suck at making something sound good in a certain DAW that's your problem, not the DAW's.

Absolutely! So many people blame a bad sound on the program's and pluggins. The fact is that any DAW can and has been used to create hit music in various genres of music.

A bad workman and all that...

[RandoRando]

Live 9 does not look too bad. I hope they make it more efficient in terms of cpu and such or maybe i just need a new computer

Anyway on to my question. I use live for djing and have a simple template set up with all the midi parameters all mapped out. The issue is that I always have to move/touch each button until it "picks up" in ableton. Eg. the faders have to be slid all the way down and up until it finally reads in live. Its not a major problem, its just more annoying than anything. The controller is an mpd32.
Thanks

thats normal for when live first starts up, but should be happening everytime. in your midi settings tab, make sure only the input is checked for your mpd, and not output