Hey all, I know this may sound like a stupid question, but I'm completely serious. I've always wanted to be in a band, but seeing as I never learned the "conventional" jam instruments, I instead picked up Ableton and a few controllers (including a keyboard). So, how do you "jam" with friends/create new song ideas while using Ableton?
Do you guys just usually carry around your comp, keyboard, and an amp? Do you guys usually have beats/synth line set up beforehand, or do you do it impromptu after you've already met?
Does anyone have experience jamming with a guitarist/bassist/drummer? Does it work out well usually?
Thanks guys. As you can tell, I'm a total newbie to this scene, but I'm really looking forward to learning and becoming more experienced!
How do you jam using Ableton? Tips please?
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FutureJosh
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Re: How do you jam using Ableton? Tips please?
i have jammed a fair few times using ableton, usually with one or two others on synths/guitars.
my advice would be to come prepared with as many loops/sequences/effects as you can, and try have them laid out in session view in such a way that you can trigger them on the fly and know what it's going to sound like.
The biggest trap of jamming with computers or samplers involved is you can get too caught up writing beats/seqencing and fucking up the groove for everyone else, especially true when the computer is providing the beat for everyone.
Also, if you have a soundcard with a few inputs, its definitely worth plugging your mates instruments in and recording some/all of the session. That will allow you to both manipulate their sound on the fly, if you want, but most importantly you will have something to take away and work on, or come straight back to the next time you jam.
As with any instrument it will just take practice to improve your speed and technique, when you get very familiar with how to use your setup in a live context, you will be able to be more creative and spontaneous.
my advice would be to come prepared with as many loops/sequences/effects as you can, and try have them laid out in session view in such a way that you can trigger them on the fly and know what it's going to sound like.
The biggest trap of jamming with computers or samplers involved is you can get too caught up writing beats/seqencing and fucking up the groove for everyone else, especially true when the computer is providing the beat for everyone.
Also, if you have a soundcard with a few inputs, its definitely worth plugging your mates instruments in and recording some/all of the session. That will allow you to both manipulate their sound on the fly, if you want, but most importantly you will have something to take away and work on, or come straight back to the next time you jam.
As with any instrument it will just take practice to improve your speed and technique, when you get very familiar with how to use your setup in a live context, you will be able to be more creative and spontaneous.
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Warrior Bob
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Re: How do you jam using Ableton? Tips please?
The few times I've tried this there are a couple of patterns I fall into.
One is "have a bunch of loops set up ahead of time," and then you improvise by triggering, modifying, and effecting them.
Another is "Play a softsynth through Live, and record whatever comes out. Loop as necessary." I'm not very good at this since I'm a terrible keyboard player.
A variant on this is "load up some drum sounds, make a few empty clips. Use the OVR switch and play MIDI into them. By all that is good and holy make sure the other players can hear your metronome."
I think where I've had the most fun though is where the other musicians have some kind of connection to Live - either microphones, or direct. Then you can put all kinds of interesting effects over what they're doing, and I find if you don't overdo it, people sort of play to them. The "Fade to Grey" effect over inspired guitarist with an amp modeler (so, recording direct) sounds really cool
The downside to all of this is that it's really hard to sync Live to someone else's tempo. You can tap the tempo to get started, but once it's going it's hard to naturally follow someone else since it's a machine. So the humans will have to follow Live. I understand you can get around this a little bit with Looper, but I'm not that that familiar with it and have never tried.
Some kind of MIDI controller for triggering and looping clips is a godsend for this. I use a Launchpad myself which I like a lot, and I also use a BCR2000 for effects sends and track levels if I ever have multiple tracks.
Keep in mind I'm REALLY amateur at this kind of thing - I've only done really simple jammings with Live. But hopefully something here will give you a good idea!
One is "have a bunch of loops set up ahead of time," and then you improvise by triggering, modifying, and effecting them.
Another is "Play a softsynth through Live, and record whatever comes out. Loop as necessary." I'm not very good at this since I'm a terrible keyboard player.
A variant on this is "load up some drum sounds, make a few empty clips. Use the OVR switch and play MIDI into them. By all that is good and holy make sure the other players can hear your metronome."
I think where I've had the most fun though is where the other musicians have some kind of connection to Live - either microphones, or direct. Then you can put all kinds of interesting effects over what they're doing, and I find if you don't overdo it, people sort of play to them. The "Fade to Grey" effect over inspired guitarist with an amp modeler (so, recording direct) sounds really cool
The downside to all of this is that it's really hard to sync Live to someone else's tempo. You can tap the tempo to get started, but once it's going it's hard to naturally follow someone else since it's a machine. So the humans will have to follow Live. I understand you can get around this a little bit with Looper, but I'm not that that familiar with it and have never tried.
Some kind of MIDI controller for triggering and looping clips is a godsend for this. I use a Launchpad myself which I like a lot, and I also use a BCR2000 for effects sends and track levels if I ever have multiple tracks.
Keep in mind I'm REALLY amateur at this kind of thing - I've only done really simple jammings with Live. But hopefully something here will give you a good idea!
Re: How do you jam using Ableton? Tips please?
Oh wow, thanks so much! Your thoughts answered a lot of my questions!
Yeah, I bet beat-matching with others must be tough when you're just hammering ideas out. I was planning to play my MIDI keyboard through an amp using Ableton's built-in instruments so I wouldn't run into this problem. Though I'm a pretty awful keyboardist too, so I'd have a list of effects ideas for my MIDI on the side to spice things up. My keyboard playing may not be synced exactly to a specific tempo, but it would flow with the people with whom I'd be playing. I'd only add beats if the other people with whom I'm jamming will wanna strictly stick to my tempo.
I know that's largely a mix of what you guys said, but do you think that's a good plan?
Yeah, I bet beat-matching with others must be tough when you're just hammering ideas out. I was planning to play my MIDI keyboard through an amp using Ableton's built-in instruments so I wouldn't run into this problem. Though I'm a pretty awful keyboardist too, so I'd have a list of effects ideas for my MIDI on the side to spice things up. My keyboard playing may not be synced exactly to a specific tempo, but it would flow with the people with whom I'd be playing. I'd only add beats if the other people with whom I'm jamming will wanna strictly stick to my tempo.
I know that's largely a mix of what you guys said, but do you think that's a good plan?
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Warrior Bob
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Re: How do you jam using Ableton? Tips please?
It sounds like you're really using Live as a synthesizer and effects box - so there's nothing that really requires a certain tempo. In that sense, it's just like a nice synth keyboard. So yeah, there's lots of precedent for jamming with that kind of thing
As with most plans in music, the best way to find out is to try it!
Do you happen to have some kind of MIDI controller with some knobs on it? Most of the Ableton presets in the Instrument Rack section of the devices browser are enclosed in an instrument rack and have the macro knobs assigned to something interesting. If you have a controller that automatically maps these knobs (or if you use remote scripts/quick MIDI mapping to set it up like that) there's a lot of fun to be had there.
As with most plans in music, the best way to find out is to try it!
Do you happen to have some kind of MIDI controller with some knobs on it? Most of the Ableton presets in the Instrument Rack section of the devices browser are enclosed in an instrument rack and have the macro knobs assigned to something interesting. If you have a controller that automatically maps these knobs (or if you use remote scripts/quick MIDI mapping to set it up like that) there's a lot of fun to be had there.