How did you learn ableton live?please share your story.

[Khazul]

Started out on hardware mixing and DJing 20+ years ago, then a very long break from music (normal bboring career etc) until a few years ago - Got back into it through reason, then cubase when it became a pain in the ass to do anything in reason that involved other gear/sounds etc.

Cubase was nearly enough for me to say bollox to using computers and going back to the entirely hardware based production I was used to. (No - Im not computer illiterate - i just hated cubase - fiddly and distracting).

Then heard about live, it was version 6 by the time I got around to giving it a proper try out, and just liked it from the outset. Finally some software other than reason that allowed for hardware-like audio and midi routing flexibility and was as fun to mess with as an MPC.

Actually learning it was easy - more a case of allready knowing what I want, just a case of finding it in the plugins or menus etc.

I do still miss that it doesnt have a conventional mixer workflow at times, and its a real shame you cant open the arrange view in one screen with the session view on another, and perhaps switch in the 8 knobs of the first drum rack/instrument or fx rack etc into the arrange view above the faders and sends like a 'user' channel strip (for eg like Record's mixer controls).

[silveriofunk]

I like to think inside the box so I wondered what it would be like to actually be a clip in Live. If you can visualise then you can contextualise.

So I made a box like a 3d clip, and orange one, then i made loads of empty boxes and arranged them in a grid.

Then i climbed inside my orange one and had someone tape me in.

Once safely inside I warped myself using different modes, triggered myself silly and became the clip.

Be the clip, understand Live.

man, this makes me want to be the clip!

to be honest it took me a year or so to really use the manual, i rather just fiddle around since that makes you discover other bits that you were not initially looking for IMO, however if i'm really stuck i come here first since a quick search will bring someone with a similar situation, so you can learn from it.... then the video tutorials from the zombie or tom cosm, simply because it makes you realize the amount of stuff that you can do with what you already have.

I've been using live for 3 years now and i consider myself a newbie, so still hard at work here...

i will be using Russ' suggestions though

[CloudsOfSound]

I started using Live about 1 1/2 years ago, still I don't feel that I master everything in Live.
It's kinda like learning Photoshop or similar. You never need to master everything in the application,
at least not at once!
Personally I purchased Live Suite boxed edition, so I got the manual in paper form, so I can read it on the bed or wherever...
The manual is prerequisite.
Watched a lot of tutorials from different providers as well, they all focus a bit differently.

The most important thing: Experiment!
There's not like you're gonna break anything. Using the software is key.

Good luck.

[arafel]

Was using Logic 7 for 2 years and just starting to get proficient with its 'logical' insanity (like needing the Environment for a simple sidechain or arpeggiator - wtf?).
But anyways...
Was on a job, way out in northern arizona.. a days drive from homestudio, with only my 13" machbook.
Truly stunning scenery, great partner on the job, done by dusk as we needed daylight to work.. so I had hours of inspiration to use.
And Logic dongle, was left at home.
Got on the internet.
Downloaded Live, and a handfull of free vsts...
And started making music within the evening.

Never looked back - bought full version of Live when I got home and made the transition from Logic.
Everything seemed easier, more enjoyable, more productive... routing, recording, rendering (hello Freeze), sound design, arranging.
Live just fit how I thought a Daw should operate.. and songs started to flow.
Never been happier.

[fcarroll]

Tom Cosm!

[rcpunker]

YOUTUBE tutorials taught me.
I regret buying ABLETON EXPLAINED 1 and 2 from GROOVE3. Wasn't much help for me learning Live..I tried getting my money back, but, no luck.

[perplex]

youtuuuuuuuuubbbbbbbbbbeeeeeeeeeee

also macprovideo groove3 tutorials and quantize something oro other tutorialsssssss

[Hermanus]

that is a necro bump

[heavensdaw]

Was using Logic 7 for 2 years and just starting to get proficient with its 'logical' insanity (like needing the Environment for a simple sidechain or arpeggiator - wtf?).
But anyways...
Was on a job, way out in northern arizona.. a days drive from homestudio, with only my 13" machbook.
Truly stunning scenery, great partner on the job, done by dusk as we needed daylight to work.. so I had hours of inspiration to use.
And Logic dongle, was left at home.
Got on the internet.
Downloaded Live, and a handfull of free vsts...
And started making music within the evening.

Never looked back - bought full version of Live when I got home and made the transition from Logic.
Everything seemed easier, more enjoyable, more productive... routing, recording, rendering (hello Freeze), sound design, arranging.
Live just fit how I thought a Daw should operate.. and songs started to flow.
Never been happier.

This made me cry tears of joy... well ok not quite.. but it is a great 'lil story!

Reminds me of a line an old mate of mine would always refer to... ;No choice is a good teacher'!

Keep on it dudes!

Hd

[xzusa8ky]

That is a long story my friend!

Tears, agressions and mucho love! Takes years to be a skilled person.

Keep it up!

[gurumonkey]

i have to admit, i've spent years roaming around and watching this and that, but i highly recommend picking up a book. I saw earlier mentioned (i didn't read the whole thread though) the book ableton live power. i used that one. The reason i recommend a book is that they can be more thorough than vidoes, and they teach more than just "this does that" like the manual. The other reason that i think a book is very worthwile is that you get to follow one persons thought process through the whole program. The program is soooo super intense and flexible that its very, very nice to just see how one person might really view the thing, then you can expand on that by doing forum stuff, watching other vids, tutorials, magazine articles, and of course the manual.

my 2 cents.

oh, and it's the best 2 cents.

[spacecat]

i did the help menu lessons and i was set... =)

[Forge.]

Im starting this post to see how other producers learned ableton live. I bought ableton approximately 24 days ago and did all the help menu's to the side, i learned a lot.....but i dont feel i know the system fluently at all...I also feel if i learn the rest of it through trail and error i might form bad habits and limit my capabilities of being creative on ableton live. So i decided to ask more experienced producers as yourselfs to share your input and help guide me and other new ableton users a good way to start off, without spending 1000$ on a class.

Any good workshops?
Video's?
or is trail and error not a bad way to go?

well it was vastly simpler when I started with Live 1.5 but at the time the info view helped a lot, but I was familiar with other DAWs so it was more a case of just getting the general concept and where everything was

but I've compiled all those years of experience into videos to help people like yourself, right here below in my sig!

[/shameless self promotion]

[mischif]

I learned through private instruction from a pro who knew what he was talking about. Tutorials helped too but having someone to answer questions on the spot was the most help - http://kidzeromusic.com/kid-zero-music/ ... elton-live