How do you get tracks/songs out of Ableton and onto disc etc

graceslick · Post by **graceslick** » Fri Nov 21, 2008 5:41 am

Hiya

I just then tried to do that export audio/video thing, but all it did was ask me to save it and then nothing happened. Weirdness.

What do I do after I export the song? (I selected all tracks. There are only 3 tracks on this test song)

Thank you!

jamers · Post by **jamers** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 5:20 am

there's a 'render to disk' option in the File menu. It will render your set to whatever format you have chosen in your preferences, and you can save it to your desktop, or right into the project folder, which is what I always do. From there, you can copy your rendered set (or song) into iTunes (if you have it) or whatever other music player you have. iTunes has a 'burn to disc' option when you put a blank cd into your drive. Other players should have something similar.

Hope that answers your question right...

graceslick · Post by **graceslick** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 7:15 am

Heya

Thanks for the reply. It did help and make sense until I actually went to Ableton and tried to do it.

I can't find anything about rendering to disc in any menu, and definitely not in the File menu. There is no "render to disc" option anywhere.

Also, I went to look in the Preference folder to see what format I've got selected for the files, and I can't actually find what that might be. I know they're automatically als files cause they're in Ableton, but how do I find out what format they'd be saved to outside of Ableton or whatever?

Do you mean that if I render to disc, the song would be saved independent of Ableton and saved as some other type of format? Like a wav or something?

No, I don't have i-tunes. I don't have an iPod (I have an iRiver). I use Windows Media Player and that's it.

jamers · Post by **jamers** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 11:09 am

Ok, sorry, it wasn't the preferences tab where you choose the format it is rendered as.
It's in the 'rendering options' box that comes up after you select 'Render to Disk' from the file menu (believe me, it's there). Check page 40-42 of your manual.

You will be able to save the song (or set) as a wav or as an aiff (I prefer aiff's, better quality I believe).
There are a few other options;
Make sure you select the full time range (made that mistake before, hehe) and the master track to render, assuming that's what you want.
What you end up with is an independent song file. Assuming you also had it set to create the analysis files, your als will automatically go into your project folder. The song file will go wherever you decide to save it to, it should ask you... (again, I like to save it into the project folder, and copy out from there so it's all together)

I'm a mac user with iTunes, but I would assume you can save it to desktop on PC and when you insert a disc you can burn it on the same way you burn anything else on your PC. You should definitely be able to import it to your WMplayer as well.

The only reason I can think of why 'render to disk' wouldn't be in the drop down menu from File is if you're in demo mode or not unlocked or something...

ollyb303 · Post by **ollyb303** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 11:37 am

jamers wrote:'Render to Disk' from the file menu (believe me, it's there).

The only reason I can think of why 'render to disk' wouldn't be in the drop down menu from File is if you're in demo mode or not unlocked or something...

Believe me, it's not!

The "Render to disk" disappeared when Live 7 came along (which is what the OP is using).

The option is now called "Export Audio/Video".

graceslick · Post by **graceslick** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 11:45 am

AHHH, yes!! I knew that was there. Export audio/video. I've already tried that. It doesn't seem to work for some reason. I'm not sure why...

I select it, choose what I THINK is right (possibly I'm not making the bars long enough though), and then it saves it, but I'm only ever able to open it using Media Monkey. I don't want to use that! I want Windows Media Player.

Anyway, but even when I try to play it through Monkey Media, it doesn't work. (other songs in there do) When I press PLAY, nothing happens. It's as if nothing's there. *glum*

graceslick · Post by **graceslick** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 11:49 am

Oh, and also, how exactly do you know how many bars, etc to put in to export??

And you know how it gives you the choice of which track to export? Master or all? Which do you pick?

If you pick "all", will it do all of them, but as separate files? I think it does.

If you pick "master", do you have to have done something prior to doing this?

Right now my song is all in different tracks in Ableton. I press Play up the top and they just start. If I export the master track, will it work? Or will nothing be on it (yet)? I think this may be what's happening. How do I "record" my song onto the master track?

ollyb303 · Post by **ollyb303** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 12:15 pm

graceslick wrote:Oh, and also, how exactly do you know how many bars, etc to put in to export??

Just highlight the bars you want (e.g. the whole song) before you export

And you know how it gives you the choice of which track to export? Master or all? Which do you pick?

I usually use master

If you pick "all", will it do all of them, but as separate files? I think it does.

Yes.

If you pick "master", do you have to have done something prior to doing this?

No.

Right now my song is all in different tracks in Ableton. I press Play up the top and they just start. If I export the master track, will it work? Or will nothing be on it (yet)? I think this may be what's happening. How do I "record" my song onto the master track?

It will work. You don't record to the master track.

What format are you saving as? Is it .wav? WMP will play .wavs.

ollyb303 · Post by **ollyb303** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 12:18 pm

Hang on....

Just a thought... Have you actually recorded anything into arrangement view???

Re-reading your posts it strikes me that you might be trying to export from session view!

Sorry if I'm wrong, but if that is the case, that is your fundamental error!

jamers · Post by **jamers** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 10:43 pm

hehe, yeah sorry guys, I'm still with Live6, which is what all my advice was based on...
I wonder why they changed the render to disk selection? It seems so much easier compared to what you are going through now

I also assumed you were recorded onto arrangement view, as I almost never use session myself. There I go assuming again,

There's got to be an explanation to this somewhere in the manual, you'd think...
...so you are using full version7 then?

ollyb303 · Post by **ollyb303** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 10:53 pm

In Live 7, "Export Audio/Video" does exactly the same as "Render to disk" did previously, so it's no more complicated and everything else you said still stands.

I really think the OP is trying to "Render" from session view having re-read everything.

@graceslick- you can't export from session view - you need to record your tune/song into arrangement view (see the manual/lessons for help with this), then export from there, having highlighted the selection you want to export first.

graceslick · Post by **graceslick** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 6:26 am

Oh, I see. Yes...I think I am in session view when trying to do everything. I always find it more comfortable and easier to see/feel what I'm doing in session view. I hardly ever use arrangement view.

I have read the manual, but still just have major trouble getting my head around this recording into arrangement view.

To me, when I record something (all midi tracks in this particular case), I click the button within that track (in session view), and record. I do this on all the tracks I need.

If ever I go into arrangement view for whatever reason, nothing is there of course. I mean, it plays still and everything obviously, but nothing shows up.

So...for me to record it in arrangement view...how do I do that? Do I just click the global record red button up the top of the screen? I know that in the past, if I do that, and then hit Play, everything I've recorded in the midi tracks that previously "wasn't there" appeared...is that all I have to do?

ollyb303 · Post by **ollyb303** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 10:26 am

graceslick wrote: So...for me to record it in arrangement view...how do I do that? Do I just click the global record red button up the top of the screen?

Yup. Global Record, play. Hit tab to flip over to arrangement. Edit if necessary, export.

graceslick · Post by **graceslick** » Mon Nov 24, 2008 2:34 am

YAY! It worked! How exciting! The one I tried was a fairly complicated session with about 13 tracks all starting at different times, and I just did the global record thing, and all good.

Now I just have to try and work out how to upload the wav file to a website so I can post the link here! Anyone know about this? lol

ollyb303 · Post by **ollyb303** » Mon Nov 24, 2008 8:57 am

Seriously?