Do you like the Live Instruments?

[Jekblad]

i think talented people make good stuff, regardless of what they use. Learn to use it etc.

I will say that i'm not super "inpsired" by most of the presets from suite 8. I really need to buy some more 3rd party libraries to beef up the library i think.

I really wish the suite shipped with more really playable bread and butter instruments for rock/pop/non-electronic music, and had more presets that sounded "cool and electronic" that goes perfect IN a rock song. I've been thinking rather than buying a whole set of sounds to try and grab all, just buying libraries for individual instruments as i go. I'd probably end up with a set of patches i knew very well at a much higher quality.

but i like to press buttons and hear nice sounds. presets sell, and they help me make music.

[loquat]

I agree that presets sell. There was a night-and-day difference in preset quality between Live 7 and Live 8.
I recently upgraded to Win 7 and in the process ditched my old VST plugin folder. I'm happy I did so. There is a lot to work with in Live. I agree that it's really about learning the instruments. The 8 knob macro-control makes all the difference. A couple twiddles of the knobs and you can very easily get the sound you want. Pitch-bend, mod-wheel, and your 8 expression knobs are your best friend.

[boomtchik]

I have a lot of problems with live sounds and presets. I thought that was my ears, like a hearing loss.. These sounds have bad stereo - if the balance is in the middle I still hear less on the left or right side depends of sound. Its very annoying maybe its because I use monitor headphones ? I thought I have to return to the Ear doctor but hey hey hey when I listened radio on winamp there wasnt a problem with balance, perfect stereo. In my opinion I have to tweak each sound even if it is on middle balance, like with the live 909 hihats. Am I the only one with stereo problems ? Reinstalling live and or sound drivers doesnt change anything.

[Ed Lektron]

Operator, Sampler = brilliant
Tension, Collision = still learning, but quite impressed
Analog = poor

Presets = generally poor

Effects = generally good bar reverb

I try to use only Ableton instruments and effects but will also use Sylenth (excellent), Massive (excellent), Albino3 (good but hate interface) and IK Limiter & EQ on master.

I think it is entirely possible to make amazing tracks using nothing but Suite

[Grappadura]

Live itself is the instrument

[citizenchris099]

Don't want to offend anyone, I love Ableton Live in general, but I found the sound quality of Live Instruments awful in the mix, compared to NI, Arturia or Korg VST's. They are cool integrated, nice gui, sure one can make excellent music with them, but anyway... Same as with Reason - great software, for learning the stuff, but when just exclusive that software - it sound so toyish, even with high programming/sound design skills. Is not it obvious, anyone agree? Same with some effects. Reverb - it is so big compromise to use it... Though they are CPU very friendly...

I use Electric and Tension all the time and I love them. Quite frankly I don't use many of the other instruments as they don't really fit w/the kind of music I make. I occasionally use Analog as well. I hear lots of ppl dissing Live instruments and fx...I guess I'm too much of a noob/amateur to notice why they are bad...I dig them.