Abelton Live : I Dont Get It?

Pitch Black · Post by **Pitch Black** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 2:15 pm

Its because we're a bunch of rabid Live Evangelicals and he is a soul CRYIN' OUT for indoctrination!

Don't let him get away, brothers!

[cue brimstone, thunder]

Goran@Irrupt · Post by **Goran@Irrupt** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 2:23 pm

Breaka wrote:See, all I'm really interested in is loop manipulation or somthing like that cause I've got everything else covered with Logic, Reaktor, Reason and all that. So what does it do with regards to just loop manipulaion?

hey, why don't you post some of your music and we'll let you know how to make it in Live

w

djsynchro · Post by **djsynchro** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 7:10 pm

dazzer wrote: ps Ive heard Live can timestretch, is this true?

yes but it's easier in Logic or Cubase

djadonis206 · Post by **djadonis206** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 12:54 am

If your not into loops, it's probably not your cup of tea - I don't think anyone can convince you of the power until you actually get up in the program and try some stuff

do a search on the forum, read the manual, try some weird shit - if it still doesn't float your boat cool - sell it to someone

Just because literally everyone and their mom raves abouts it doesn't mean it's your slice of the pie

I like it alot personally - I have better luck writting beats linearly in a more traditional sequencer - but rewiring reason into the arrange page of Live is cool

anywayz, blah blah I just bought Cubase for the hell of it and I feel weird

late

a

MrYellow · Post by **MrYellow** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 2:18 am

Checkout Sample Offset, clip envelopes, impulse, etc etc etc.

Can't "get it" unless you try it.

Want to manipulate loops?
The whole program is nothing but loop manipulation features with a bunch
of real-time cool stuff.

-Ben

Breaka · Post by **Breaka** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 3:31 pm

What I'm working on a proper proper Breakbeat record. Full on James Brown style drumfunk track but with a sliced up Paradox style twist. Also cutting in loads of random fills and samples, florida breaks style. Basicly loads of different breaks cut up and triggered to sound like a mix between a Dj and a drummer.

What would you say is the best loop slicer out there? I reckon I might just dust off Reason and Dr Rex it. Alternatively I guess I could just assign different slices to different keys with a sampler. I was just hoping there was somthing a bit quicker and hands on.

Angstrom · Post by **Angstrom** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 4:00 pm

I dont use a loop slicing tool in Live, it seems redundant.
Try this:
get your drum loops and duplicate a few clips of them up in session, then edit the start and end points (not the loop markers) so clip one starts on the first kick, clip two on the first snare,etc . Now assign a midi key to each clip (or keyboard key if you like)

make sure the trigger quantization is not set on 'bar' for each clip (tip: you can multi select them and choose 16th, or none if you have some sense of rhythm

).
I also turn loop off for these clips generally, unless it's part of the effect I want for that particular clip Also .. set them to RAM
, otherwise you may get a lag as it gets them from disk.

now play your keyboard to trigger the clips, or even better some midi drum pads and trigger the chunks of loop, record them into arrangement .. tadaa!!!

Option: set the clips to 'legato' mode, this makes the clips not start from the start marker, but 'leap in' at the appropriate time in the clip.

anyway, play about with it. Personally I dont see the need for a loop slicer within Live when using this method. The benefit being that you can set different effects setting sor each clip IE the 'snare' clip can be using tones mode, time stretched and have the reverb envelope ramp up, the alternative snare from later in the bar can have the echo send envelope up.

well, that's enough tips from me .. play around, you'll find this method pretty fun and makes Live much more than a "looping tool" pfffrt!! looping tool my arse

Alien Leg · Post by **Alien Leg** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 8:17 pm

Thanx for the tip Angstrom, but I have one problem:
I can't play fast note repetitions on the same note that way, no matter what quantization (playback is from Ram)!
Is there a way to cure this? I really would like to kick microdicer

Angstrom · Post by **Angstrom** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 3:37 pm

eh, thats odd ... it should work fine, it does here.

it is the clip quantize you are using, not the one on the top bar?
the clip quantize is located when you click on a clip and click the little L in a circle (for launch) that's where you set quantize to none.

Breaka · Post by **Breaka** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 1:08 am

Could it be? Some actual good advice without any message board geekyness? Whats the internet coming to?

Cheers Mr Angstrom, great stuff. I reckon a bit of that with some loop offset and a bit of crossfader action and we'll be slicing it up in no time.

Thanks again
B

Angstrom · Post by **Angstrom** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 1:42 am

I should say, before you kill yourself trying ... it only works if you record your clip triggering into Arrangement

You cant record the actual notes of your jams into session clips due to the stupid limitation in Live where you cant record any assigned midi keys!

Specifically : I mean you can't record midi keys (or controllers) that are assigned to Live functions.

I hope one day I will be able to jam of clip triggering into midi session clips ... then see and edit the notes, like some kind of really useful follow actions. But not yet

. You can only record the breakbeat pattern changes, not the midi control, it's still good of course.

You can have a taste of what it would be like in Session by installing a virtual midi device (such as LoopBe on XP, I think it's built in on OSX Tiger ) You can program tricky breakbeat pattern changes from a midi clip in another track (IE dont use a keyboard use a mouse) .

It really is cool watching those session clips trigger a bazillion times a second like that , but like I say due to Live's limitations on recording assigned midi - you cant record into session this way.

nearly a great function!