Right choice using Ableton Live ?

[J.R.]

Hi

After one year experience with Reaper I am looking for a new DAW on my new Macbook Air 13".
I am between Ableton Live (Std or Suite) and Logic Pro X & Mainstage.

My needs:
I play Acoustic Guitar with Vocals and looking for an environment (DAW) to create backing tracks. Main genre: Pop, Soul, R&B (no Dubstep or Techno). My preferred Instruments (simulations): Piano Chords, Strings, Brass, Bass, Drums. It's recommended to have a function to build (Piano) Chord progressions.

Also I would like to use the backing tracks in live situations (guitar, vocals, Macbook). In the Studio, I want to record acoustic guitar and vocals to the DAW.

Because I have no experience with Ableton Live & Logic X I am interesting what the Ableton Experts say? If Ableton Live is the way, which one to choose: Standard or Suite?

All suggestions are welcome, except Band-In-A-Box

Thank you for your help!

Best regards
JR

[jestermgee]

I have no experience with Logic but have experience with Cubase, Nuendo (same things really), Reason, Reaper, FLS, Buzz Tracker, Psycle Tracker, Fasttracker II and Ableton.

For me Ableton is top of the list mainly because of the cross integration of the Clip and Arrangement views.

Coming from a tracker sequencer background where everything is patterns (and initially operated in a DOS environment with no mouse) I wanted to move to something more professional (14 years ago now) but struggled with software such as Cubase because it seemed to me that you had no way of creating the same "pattern" and building it up. Fruity Loops had the idea I craved but I hated the "candy laced" interface and tiny little controls. Also everything I attempted always had a fake mechanical sound.

I eventually came across Ableton which I had never heard of 5 years ago and after installing the Demo (thank god for fully functional demos) I found it just fit my needs.

I love being able to sit at a blank canvas and start "mixing my palet" so to speak in the clip view and just jam out a heap of ideas and test melodies and instruments against each other before doing any actual writing at all. It makes it super easy to sit at a session, generate dozens of different ideas then come back another day and start writing the ideas into an arrangement (just by playing the patterns on a launchpad) then switching to editing.

For me the software makes it very easy to separate the different processes of designing sounds, structuring a track, sequencing/arranging and then final editing and tweaking without getting too overwhelmed at what to try and tackle.

I have L9 Suite and if you don't have much experience the suite can get you started quickly by just having a lot of content and patches ready to go. Saves you having to come up with too many samples and ideas yourself you can use it as a start point. Also helps to see how things like multi-sample instruments and racks fit together.

Live to me is quite fun and that is something DAWs have not really done for me since I first discovered them back in the mid 90s.

[nathannn]

Im not an expert and feel the title expert should not exist because it implies a person knows everything there is to know about a subject, there is not enough time in the human life span for anyone to know everything about any single subject.

Now that that's out of the way you should just download a demo and try it for your self. Your requirements are pretty simple and all of the well known daws are going to be able to do what it is you want to do. Other than biased opinions,I feel most users with a good amount of experience using Ableton Live will tell you the same thing.

[balva]

LOGIC X.

[H20nly]

I agree with jestermgee's post above, but Logic is much cheaper and can do a lot... all of what you're asking.

you should definitely try Ableton's fully functional demo though.

[re:dream]

If you go for Ableton Live --> Standard should do the job. Suite buys you M4L, which you don't sound like you need, and heaps and heaps of sample libraries, and is probably way overpriced for what you require.

[david.barker]

Hi there

I been using Live for nearly 2 years now,and recently upgraded to the Suite ,after I sat down and worked out some costings,against buying individual instruments and sound packs,to bump up the Live 9 package

If you don't need M4L and the other great live packs features, within the Suite,go for the standard Live 9 version.

I use a fair bit of the other additons in the Suite version,that is when I'm on a rest day,lol

For me ,Live is great for quick song developments,and ease of adding instruments and lots of other features,besides.

Try the Live demo out for yourself,then decide.

[J.R.]

Dear All,

Thank you for getting back to my post.

As an acoustic guitar player – and the guitar & voice are my main instruments - I work with loops to add some beats and a bassline to my (live-)performance. From the manual and some youtube videos, I understand Ableton Live is the right thing working with patterns & loops.

Ten years ago, I’ve worked with Steinbergs Cubase a lot, but all inspirations ‘had flown away’ , because I was focused on the DAW and not my guitar….
Please don’t get me wrong. The DAW is a ‘tool’ to complete my performance, but that’s me. Above all I am looking for fast workflow to the DAW and invest into playing guitar.

My biggest lack: I need a tool to create chord progressions (bassline, some piano chords, etc.) and I am not sure, Ableton Live can do this with ease? Also not sure, the current Macbook Air 13" (2x 1.7Ghz, 8GB Ram) is stable enough for Live 9 and screen-resolution fits to Live 9?

By the way: M4L == Music For Live (Performance)?

Greetings
J.R.

[H20nly]

Ten years ago, I’ve worked with Steinbergs Cubase a lot, but all inspirations ‘had flown away’ , because I was focused on the DAW and not my guitar….
Please don’t get me wrong. The DAW is a ‘tool’ to complete my performance, but that’s me. Above all I am looking for fast workflow to the DAW and invest into playing guitar.

Cubase and Logic are still the same old hat in this regard. after reading this, i change my answer... Logic may be much more affordable... but definitely go with Live.

My biggest lack: I need a tool to create chord progressions (bassline, some piano chords, etc.) and I am not sure, Ableton Live can do this with ease? Also not sure, the current Macbook Air 13" (2x 1.7Ghz, 8GB Ram) is stable enough for Live 9 and screen-resolution fits to Live 9?

Ableton Live has an effect called Scale that is really cool. if you place an instance of it on a MIDI track (with a piano for example) every note you play will be in the correct scale

http://www.ableton.com/en/manual/live-m ... nce/#scale

http://www.ableton.com/en/blog/explore- ... e-presets/

http://vimeo.com/11666854



M4L = Max For Live. It's an addon that is developed by Cycling 74 who make a program called Max. with it you can create devices that Live does not have... it's programming though and requires some dedication... having said that, a lot of users have the time and patience to spend and the kind hearts to share their creations:

http://www.ableton.com/en/live/max-for-live/

[miekwave]

Hi

After one year experience with Reaper I am looking for a new DAW on my new Macbook Air 13".
I am between Ableton Live (Std or Suite) and Logic Pro X & Mainstage.

My needs:
I play Acoustic Guitar with Vocals and looking for an environment (DAW) to create backing tracks. Main genre: Pop, Soul, R&B (no Dubstep or Techno). My preferred Instruments (simulations): Piano Chords, Strings, Brass, Bass, Drums. It's recommended to have a function to build (Piano) Chord progressions.

Also I would like to use the backing tracks in live situations (guitar, vocals, Macbook). In the Studio, I want to record acoustic guitar and vocals to the DAW.

Because I have no experience with Ableton Live & Logic X I am interesting what the Ableton Experts say? If Ableton Live is the way, which one to choose: Standard or Suite?

All suggestions are welcome, except Band-In-A-Box

Thank you for your help!

Best regards
JR

Locic wins here
Logic has a better UI workflow for linear songwriting like you. NI Komplete or EWQL offers suites that cater to your genre.

Ableton is a good choice as well, but the UI and workflow is not too friendly for linear composing style, but t is excellent for doing electronic music and controller-ism.

[Tone Deft]

there's nothing unusual with what you want to do, try the demos and see what you like. these guys don't know you or how you like to work.

seeing as how you play guitar and have simulated instruments you don't need more with Suite. we can talk ourselves into wanting all kinds of stuff, you could buy more instruments but it sounds like you need a DAW for now.