Ableton 9 for beginners

scottymac · Post by **scottymac** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 4:14 pm

Hello

I have recently decided to jump from Logic to Ableton for the live jamming aspect of it.I have been producing for a few years and know the basic fundamentals now.I am just looking for some advice on some in depth tutorials on how to get the best out of Ableton and get started.I want to start at the bottom and methodically go through it so I can use it to my best advantage.Pleas can you recommend me some sites,tutorials and forums which will help me along my way,that would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

Scott

scottymac · Post by **scottymac** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 4:15 pm

I just purchased an APC 40 too

yur2die4 · Post by **yur2die4** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 4:24 pm

If you start by understanding how to dj (warping, mapping, clips, session view) it'll give you a rundown of almost any challenge you may face.

The next step is djing AND adding your own material. It is unbelievably easy to just sit there and add synths and beats and tinker with everything. Play. Have fun, expand horizons. If your tracks sync, all your freshly made beats and synth/bass lines, loops etc will work too. You can even plug in your guitar, mic or other instrument and record your own loops! Multitudes of loops.

Then figure out ways to improvise and jam without actually using other tracks (djing). Of you've got the dj thing down, you've got warping down. So now you could get the various types of recording down via audio and midi.

Before all this settles in, start rushing things into the Arrangement View. Learn to record etc.

Then there's advanced stuff like racks/chains which could go in one of the first two. Ahh crap now I lost track

One thing I've found essential for myself is to be capable of 'jamming' with nothing but the qwerty and mouse. It helps you really Learn what's going on because you're forced to look at the screen and figure out solutions to potential problems. If you're Only using a midi controller, you might be doing something and have no clue why it isn't behaving predictably. But definitely make good use of controllers along the way too

So much to learn! Have fun.

markwphoto · Post by **markwphoto** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 5:59 pm

I'm a long time Reason user and I just started using Ableton Live 9 in December. A week ago I decided in invest in a subscription from AskVideo.com. They have tons of tutorials on Live and you can unlimited stream any video in their catalog while your subscription is active. It cost $25.00 per month for the subscription and you can cancel at anytime. I've only been watching the videos for a week and I feel I'm getting quite comfortable with Live. You do also have the option to purchase a course out right. This will allow you to download and watch the videos anytime as you'll own the course. Since I"m progressing quite fast I don't think I'll need the subscription for over a month. AskVideo.com and MacProVideo.com come are the same company and have the same videos/cost, so either should work.

I'm also considering buying the book: ABLETON LIVE 9 POWER: THE COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE. I've read quite a few good reviews about the book and I figured it will serve as a good reference manual when I need to know how to do something. I hope this helps!

MarkW

re:dream · Post by **re:dream** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 6:58 pm

A lot of these books are rip offs - you'd be better off just reading the manual.

viewtopic.php?p=1094899#p1094899

In my (still limited) experience, knowledge of something like Live comes most of all from practical learning. Tutorials etc are are very well but the best process of learning comes from setting yourself a task, doing it, and then looking stuff up as you go along.

Yur2die4 is correct: DJ'ing is one good example of such a task.

Or make a song with four tracks, mix it, export it, load it up on sound cloud. Y

ou will get stuck 26 times and learn something each time; and mostly it will stuff you won't even have learned from a tutorial.

To get started --> the lessons in Live itself are pretty good.

Or find someone in your area who knows Live and see how they work.

Learn by doing.

jestermgee · Post by **jestermgee** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 10:11 pm

The Finn is pretty much spot on. Nothing can replace good old fashioned hands on experience.

I am no beginner but I am also no complete expert either. I constantly look through the manual just to keep myself aware of certain things that slip me by and I also search out videos and tutorials on youtube and some of the members websites.

Tarekith has some great writeups on aspects of Live and there is bucket loads of useful information you can get your hands on without spending a penny. I would look at all this until you have seen it all and then consider maybe buying some subscriptions.

The problem with your question on "how to get started" is there is no real indication of what you want to do. DJ/Mix, Compose, Score, Sound Mix, Mastering etc etc. YOu can use Live for a lot of different purposes each will have a completely different area of expertise.

LKB3rd · Post by **LKB3rd** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 11:48 pm

Youtube has tons of tutorials. Dubspot does a whole series of ableton mini lessons on various things.

Tagor · Post by **Tagor** » Wed Jan 22, 2014 1:50 am

It depends also on what you want achieve!

A lot you can learn by Cosm`s free Sets or maybe:

Abletonshare wrote:
I share 60 free templates,project for ableton live 9 (suite)

http://www.abletonshare.com

sneak in and look what you can reproduce or learn

there also some free packs:

Martin Gifford · Post by **Martin Gifford** » Wed Jan 22, 2014 3:05 am

Tom Cosm videos are great for fast enjoyable progress. Maybe more for creating tunes than for DJing. I learnt Ableton 10 times faster with him than with anyone else. All the others seem so slow and boring to me.

re:dream · Post by **re:dream** » Wed Jan 22, 2014 7:12 am

Yes, Tutorial videos are great, in their place

The people I have found best and most empowering are

Madeleine Bloom - http://sonicbloom.net/en

Ill Gates http://illmethodology.com/
Vespers http://vespers.ca/
Tom Cosm http://www.cosm.co.nz/
and of course (if you are on a Mac) MacAbleton http://www.macableton.com/

Vespers, Cosm, and Ill gates have a really realistic and useful approach to workflow and musical creativity.

There are also some good ones here http://www.lynda.com/Ableton-Live-train ... 139-0.html

yur2die4 · Post by **yur2die4** » Wed Jan 22, 2014 3:03 pm

Huston Singletary gives what I think are very patient and informative tutorials on the most basic functions of Live. There is something humble about the manner in which he does it that leaves room to feel inspired. I really enjoy his videos, no matter how much I already know.

Quantize · Post by **Quantize** » Wed Jan 22, 2014 4:25 pm

We have some free video tutorials here : http://quantizecourses.com/category/ableton-tutorials/ The early ones are more suitable for a beginner and then they start to move into slightly more advanced, inspirational (hopefully)

territory.

scottymac · Post by **scottymac** » Wed Feb 12, 2014 1:12 pm

WOW! Thank you so much for all the replies and advice,I really appreciate it and it's given me the pointers and guidance I needed.A lot to check out and work with so I must get cracking.

My main priority is to have fun jamming and recording arrangements for finishing tracks.I have absolutely no problem creating the different sections of my tracks,I just struggled finishing them in Logic because of the pattern switching limitations.I tried jamming and recording automation with a controller but it didn't light my fire,I just wasn't feeling it.One go of pattern switching and jamming using live on my friends computer ignited an explosion inside me.I felt sheer joy jamming away like I was back on my 1210's and DJM 600 like the good old days.It was that moment I knew Live was for me because I'd never had no where near as much fun in Logic anytime.The fun factor for me is so important and I feel blessed to have it back

Thank you again so much for all the responses.

BIG UP!!!!

Ableton 9 for beginners

Ableton 9 for beginners

Re: Ableton 9 for beginners

Re: Ableton 9 for beginners

Re: Ableton 9 for beginners

Re: Ableton 9 for beginners

Re: Ableton 9 for beginners

Re: Ableton 9 for beginners

Re: Ableton 9 for beginners

Re: Ableton 9 for beginners

Re: Ableton 9 for beginners

Re: Ableton 9 for beginners

Re: Ableton 9 for beginners

Re: Ableton 9 for beginners