The Ableton Q&A Thread

[lushman]

yeah, just been looking through it now http://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=54296 thats the link - apologies if its a repost

[djake]

grrr, need to get back into ableton.

just waiting for my hd to come and then boom, i will back in my home.

i feel lost without it.

[continuumdnb]

Was wondering if ableton has anything like FLstudio's parametric EQ 2 (it's basically a parametric EQ with a built in spectrum analyzer) or if anybody could recmomend a free vst that does the same job? At the moment i'm just sticking an EQ and spectrum analyzer next to each other, which is fine, but parametric EQ 2 is literally the only thing i'm still missing about fruity loops, and it'd be nice to completely kill my cravings.

[contakt321]

Was wondering if ableton has anything like FLstudio's parametric EQ 2 (it's basically a parametric EQ with a built in spectrum analyzer) or if anybody could recmomend a free vst that does the same job? At the moment i'm just sticking an EQ and spectrum analyzer next to each other, which is fine, but parametric EQ 2 is literally the only thing i'm still missing about fruity loops, and it'd be nice to completely kill my cravings.

I would love this too. Anything like this?

[corpu5]

hey guys how would i go about doing parallel processing in ableton using busses, ie like in the depone tutorial on drums compression using parallel processing, also can the the same thing be done by splitting basses and affecting them using somthing like camel phat? cheers!

on the parametic eq thing, i dont think there is one for ableton, we've only got the spec analyser and eq8 to go on.

[corpu5]

bump!

[contakt321]

hey guys how would i go about doing parallel processing in ableton using busses, ie like in the depone tutorial on drums compression using parallel processing, also can the the same thing be done by splitting basses and affecting them using somthing like camel phat? cheers!

on the parametic eq thing, i dont think there is one for ableton, we've only got the spec analyser and eq8 to go on.

You can do this two ways:

Create an instrument rack, and create duplicate or triplicate of your VST w/ the same setting in the same rack, effect/process differently

OR

Use the Autopan as a splitter (I know you can do this, but not the specifics of how) and process separately.

[Elkie]

came across this today, thought id share it:

Whenever you drop a sample onto a Drum Rack pad, Live automatically loads the sound into a Simpler. However, the default Simpler settings are not well suited to most drum applications. As described elsewhere in the article, you will probably want to set a longer Release time so that samples are played in their entirety from any MIDI trigger. You will also usually want to add velocity response, and set the voice assignment to monophonic.
Live 7 has a largely undocumented feature that enables you to save default actions and settings for a number of different operations and devices. In Live's file Browser, navigate to Users / <username> / Library / Application Support / Ableton / Defaults (Mac), or C:\Documents and Settings \ <username> \ My Documents \ Ableton \ Library \ Defaults (Windows). You will see a number of folders for Live's instruments and effects, and also for Dropping Samples and Slicing. Open the Dropping Samples folder, and then the subfolder 'On Drum Rack'. You can save a default Simpler patch here with your preferred settings, and Live will apply these to any samples dropped in the future. The easiest way to save your default patch is drag a Simpler that you've already set up in a Drum Rack to the folder in the Browser.

taken from http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar08/a ... e_0308.htm

nice little tip i hadnt really thought about before!

[mks]

hey guys how would i go about doing parallel processing in ableton using busses, ie like in the depone tutorial on drums compression using parallel processing, also can the the same thing be done by splitting basses and affecting them using somthing like camel phat? cheers!

The trick to parallel compression is to blend the compressed signal with the original audio that is unaffected. This means that you need to have the compressor come into it's own channel, not to use it like an insert where the processed signal comes back into the original the channel. There are 3 ways to do this in ableton.

The first is to just make a copy of your audio and apply compression to the copied audio and mix the processed and unprocessed signals together. This gets a bit messy if you have a lot of tracks to deal with.

The second is to insert a compressor and eq on a send and bring it back to a return channel and mix the dry audio with the wet audio.

The third way, and this is what I use, is to buss all of your tracks that you want to compress together and then compress that channel by using an Audio Effect Rack. Insert your compressor and eq and create one chain. Then right click below that and create a new chain. The first chain will be your processed signal and the second chain will be your dry unaffected signal. Adjust the volume relationships to taste by using the level settings in the chain or macros.

EZ

[zonetrooper5]

Was wondering if ableton has anything like FLstudio's parametric EQ 2 (it's basically a parametric EQ with a built in spectrum analyzer) or if anybody could recmomend a free vst that does the same job? At the moment i'm just sticking an EQ and spectrum analyzer next to each other, which is fine, but parametric EQ 2 is literally the only thing i'm still missing about fruity loops, and it'd be nice to completely kill my cravings.

I would love this too. Anything like this?

As far as I know in Ableton Live there is no EQ with a built in spectrum analyzer, couldn't you just copy the .dll for the parametric EQ into where you put your VST's folder?

[xx773xx]

Considering I'm a total n00b when it comes to making music via a computer. With that said Ableton has been a fucking godsend. A quick question though - to make a REAL fat synth would it be best to layer a bunch of different samples in an instrument rack or would I be better off with an external plugin. After screwing around with a demo for Massive it feels kind of odd not having the 3 or more OSC right in front of you, but I guess if you treat three different samples in an instrument rack as 3 different OSCs it's the same thing. I have Live right now for your info.

Also would like to thank the folks in this thread and their previous posts - it made learning the program a LOT easier.

[contakt321]

Considering I'm a total n00b when it comes to making music via a computer. With that said Ableton has been a fucking godsend. A quick question though - to make a REAL fat synth would it be best to layer a bunch of different samples in an instrument rack or would I be better off with an external plugin. After screwing around with a demo for Massive it feels kind of odd not having the 3 or more OSC right in front of you, but I guess if you treat three different samples in an instrument rack as 3 different OSCs it's the same thing. I have Live right now for your info.

Also would like to thank the folks in this thread and their previous posts - it made learning the program a LOT easier.

Exactly! Here is a thread I made with an overview of how to do it:

How to make Basses w/ Ableton Simpler:
http://www.dubstepforum.com/making-bass ... %20ableton

[xx773xx]

Exactly! Here is a thread I made with an overview of how to do it:

How to make Basses w/ Ableton Simpler:
http://www.dubstepforum.com/making-bass ... %20ableton

Thank you very much. It takes a little bit of time to get the right sound, but no pain no gain right?

Two other quick questions for y'all:

1.) With five different simplers in my instrument rack, is there a way to link ALL of my LFO rates together so I don't have to make five different automation tracks. I mean I'll do it, just wanted to know if there was a quicker way. I'd like to keep the simplers seperate themselves though, aka not turn the instrument rack into its OWN simpler if you know what I mean. I like being able to screw with different filter automation clips for the different synths.

2.) Can anyone suggest a nice overdrive/distortion in/for Ableton? None of the presets or the effect generators themselves sound that close to what I like. Do the sounds of LeBelge Electrod/16Bit sound as such because of overdrive/distortion or is it something a bit deeper. My knowledge of this side of the effects world is very limited - I'm originally a guitarist (8 years now) so my brain only goes as far as distortion/delay/phaser/whammy/ect.

Thanks for all the help -again!

[damagedgoods]

Two other quick questions for y'all:

1.) With five different simplers in my instrument rack, is there a way to link ALL of my LFO rates together so I don't have to make five different automation tracks. I mean I'll do it, just wanted to know if there was a quicker way. I'd like to keep the simplers seperate themselves though, aka not turn the instrument rack into its OWN simpler if you know what I mean. I like being able to screw with different filter automation clips for the different synths.

2.) Can anyone suggest a nice overdrive/distortion in/for Ableton? None of the presets or the effect generators themselves sound that close to what I like. Do the sounds of LeBelge Electrod/16Bit sound as such because of overdrive/distortion or is it something a bit deeper. My knowledge of this side of the effects world is very limited - I'm originally a guitarist (8 years now) so my brain only goes as far as distortion/delay/phaser/whammy/ect.

Thanks for all the help -again!

1) Assign the LFO rate to a Macro parameter in the instrument rack and automate that
2) Try some of the guitar amp/fx emulation products - NI Guitar Rig, the Line6 or Peavey ones etc...

TJ

[Seda]

Top tip: If your using live 7, and thinking about upgrading to 8...Dont!

For the amount of money there's really not that much extra.

Sure the groove engine is cool, but are you really gunna use it that much? I know i havent.

PLUS ive had about 3 sets that are unable to open in 8 but still open fine in 7 which has pissed me off into continuing on with 7

I am aware that this is a very old post...

I hope you've realized the tools you now have at your finger tips with 8:

-Corpus
-Saturator
-Limiter
-Looper (for DJs)
-Vocoder (for fun)

Soooo worth it.

[Subside]

Is there a way to set up individual tracks for each pad in the drum rack so I can mix/eq or something similar to this? I'm completely new to Ableton.

[contakt321]

Is there a way to set up individual tracks for each pad in the drum rack so I can mix/eq or something similar to this? I'm completely new to Ableton.

Can you explain better?

Do you mean to have effects on certain drum sounds, and not the others? You can, there are sends w/ in the drum rack or you can apply effects to only a certain sample/pad.

If you explain what you are asking clearer I will try to answer.

[Seda]

Is there a way to set up individual tracks for each pad in the drum rack so I can mix/eq or something similar to this? I'm completely new to Ableton.

1. Go into the arrangement mode.
2. Look at the top of each track where their names are.
3. Click on the arrow next to your drum rack name.
4. Use them as individual tracks.
5. Click the arrow again to hide them.

[xx773xx]

I'd assume that this is a pretty stupid question, but is Live 8 pretty incompatible with older versions? I'm running 8.0.4 and happened to be at a friends house for the weekend and he's running a slightly higher version. Now I can't get my stuff to open on my machine at home because it says it was made with a higher version. Should I be looking to download the most current update from Ableton's site? Thanks for the help again guys!

[symmetricalsounds]

yeah, you can't open a set made in a more recent version in the older version. so a live 8 project won't open in 7, or as you've found live 8.1 projects won't open in 8.04. download the latest version to fix this.