I have never been so stumped by a software program. I build computers, I have used them for years, I use all kinds of programs and have used video processing and other audio programs, but this one stumps me. I have a Casio electronic peiano with a USB out and I want to record some music using Live 7. I also want to hear the tracks as I record through the computer. I cannot figure this out. If I can simply lean hove to record a bawsic track, I think I could get started on this.
One complication I have is poor vision, so it kills me looking at the small font. But I could love to get a start on this software. I have it running through a i7 system I built, so I have lots of horepower. My system works well, I have very good Logictech 5.1 speakers. Thanks.
marty
I cannot seem to learn this software, versions 7 and 8
-
channelite
- Posts: 472
- Joined: Sat Sep 15, 2007 8:25 pm
- Location: Nevada, USA
Re: I cannot seem to learn this software, versions 7 and 8
The Ableton movies helped me in the beginning. Read the manual for fun, like when you're bored at work.
http://www.ableton.com/movies
http://www.ableton.com/movies
-
BassTooth
- Posts: 362
- Joined: Sat Feb 04, 2006 4:59 pm
- Location: New (where the weak are killed and eaten) Jersey
- Contact:
Re: I cannot seem to learn this software, versions 7 and 8
if you go into Live's Preferences: "ctrl" + ", " on PC "cmd" + "," on Mac ,click on the Look/Feel tab, from there you can adjust the Zoom Display slider to increase size of text and objects on the screen.
the Preferences page also has a tab for MIDI/Sync from there you can setup control surfaces and MIDI routing.
make a new MIDI track by pressing "ctrl" + "shift" + "T". arm your track by pressing the switch below the "S", near the bottom of the track. you can see the tracks I/O by pressing "ctrl" +"alt" + "I". by default your MIDI in/out "from" should be set to "All Ins". you should be able to record clips in Session view now. (click the circles in the clip slots). or you could record into Arrangement view, by clicking the Global Record button at the top on the transport and then pressing play.
when you plug in your USB MIDI keyboard, hopefully your device shows up in the MIDI I/O chooser. if it didn't maybe you need to install drivers(i'm not really sure, i'm on a Mac).
maybe someone will chime in and give extra support.
+1 for reading the Ableton user manual: tells you how to do all this stuff.
the Preferences page also has a tab for MIDI/Sync from there you can setup control surfaces and MIDI routing.
make a new MIDI track by pressing "ctrl" + "shift" + "T". arm your track by pressing the switch below the "S", near the bottom of the track. you can see the tracks I/O by pressing "ctrl" +"alt" + "I". by default your MIDI in/out "from" should be set to "All Ins". you should be able to record clips in Session view now. (click the circles in the clip slots). or you could record into Arrangement view, by clicking the Global Record button at the top on the transport and then pressing play.
when you plug in your USB MIDI keyboard, hopefully your device shows up in the MIDI I/O chooser. if it didn't maybe you need to install drivers(i'm not really sure, i'm on a Mac).
maybe someone will chime in and give extra support.
+1 for reading the Ableton user manual: tells you how to do all this stuff.
Re: I cannot seem to learn this software, versions 7 and 8
If you have a lot of experience with computers or other complicated systems, I strongly urge you to read Chapter 4 of the Live manual carefully, several times, until you understand it completely.
Re: I cannot seem to learn this software, versions 7 and 8
Thank you all for thye responses. I acvtually plugeed in a guitar today via an old Tascam 4 channel recorder and was able to finally hear my instruemnt while in Ableton, albeit with a lot of echo. I tried to record but could not seem to find the results of hte recording.
I will look up the zoom text features. I also will go thorugh chapter 4 carefully. I will need a pdf version, as I cannot read text anymore from hard copies, or at least wihtou much difficulty. I should explain, I have macular degeneration, early onset (I'm only 60, diagnosed a few years ago). I treid playing with this back in early 2009, version 7. Recently bought my 14 year-old son a Fender amp for his birthday, and it has usb out, and it came with Ableton 8. Hence my renewed interest int this. I seee it's such a rich program, I ave perused the internet and you tube for tryly numb nuts beginner's videos, and I have yet to find one that teaches you how to make a simply audio file (.wave or whatever) withoutr comploicating it with all the features of the program somehow.
My initial goal is simply to learn how to make an audio file with the program that I can import as a clip and then go from there. I've played aroudn with some of the drum effects and such. I play acoustic guitar and some keyboard. My son is learning both acoustic and electric guitar. This could be a lot of fun together. I am more technically inclined than he.
Again, thanks all for the suggestsion. I will follow them. I think a pdf of the manual is built into the program. I'll look around.
marty
I will look up the zoom text features. I also will go thorugh chapter 4 carefully. I will need a pdf version, as I cannot read text anymore from hard copies, or at least wihtou much difficulty. I should explain, I have macular degeneration, early onset (I'm only 60, diagnosed a few years ago). I treid playing with this back in early 2009, version 7. Recently bought my 14 year-old son a Fender amp for his birthday, and it has usb out, and it came with Ableton 8. Hence my renewed interest int this. I seee it's such a rich program, I ave perused the internet and you tube for tryly numb nuts beginner's videos, and I have yet to find one that teaches you how to make a simply audio file (.wave or whatever) withoutr comploicating it with all the features of the program somehow.
My initial goal is simply to learn how to make an audio file with the program that I can import as a clip and then go from there. I've played aroudn with some of the drum effects and such. I play acoustic guitar and some keyboard. My son is learning both acoustic and electric guitar. This could be a lot of fun together. I am more technically inclined than he.
Again, thanks all for the suggestsion. I will follow them. I think a pdf of the manual is built into the program. I'll look around.
marty
Re: I cannot seem to learn this software, versions 7 and 8
Okay, found the pdf version of manual, reading chapter four, and first off, it refers to Demo Sets in the libarary. Now at risk of sounding like I'm whining, where the heck are the Demo Sets. I cannot locate them. This captures my frustration with this program. One step forward, one back.
I'm determined to learn this. Arrgh. I'll keep reading.
marty
I'm determined to learn this. Arrgh. I'll keep reading.
marty
Re: I cannot seem to learn this software, versions 7 and 8
Get yourself on a mixing course - once you understand fundamentals of audio production - then live will make sense.
Nothing to see here - move along!
Re: I cannot seem to learn this software, versions 7 and 8
I'm not sure what you mean by "mixing course".Khazul wrote:Get yourself on a mixing course - once you understand fundamentals of audio production - then live will make sense.
Also, I am in session view, i copy over two drum files into the same track. In session view, they are on top of each other. I switch to arrangement view, where did the drum files go? Should they now be side-by-side on the same horizontal track? I don't see them at all.
I reallly appreicate all the feedback so far, I mean that. Sorry to be so dumb here. This is just not very intuitive at all to me thus far.
Re: I cannot seem to learn this software, versions 7 and 8
In order for anything to appear into arrangement view, you need to record it. When your in session view, Press the record button (top middle toolbar), then launch the clips you'd like recorded. Now they're in arrangement view. You could also copy paste them into arrangement view from session view if you like.
It seems like your having a hard time understanding the general work flow of Live. This is a common problem for many people new to audio production and Live. Read the manual. The entire manual. Then, read it again. Then watch every video tutorial you can find on youtube. Once you grasp the essentials of how live is designed to work, you're in the clear.
It seems like your having a hard time understanding the general work flow of Live. This is a common problem for many people new to audio production and Live. Read the manual. The entire manual. Then, read it again. Then watch every video tutorial you can find on youtube. Once you grasp the essentials of how live is designed to work, you're in the clear.
Re: I cannot seem to learn this software, versions 7 and 8
Well - you were stumped by a basic and general recording issue that has applied historically since tape machines when recoridng audio and applies in all daws too.
So that suggests that you might benefit from understand some general non-daw specific basics of audio recording and mixing - might make you life easier as the problems you encouter change from 'what to do', to 'how to do in live' (as you know what feature to look for when you know the basics).
The same applies to anyone trying to start out with audio production - regardless of their eventual intent (dabbler/hobby/pro or whatever) - can save you a long and random-walk style learning curve.
So that suggests that you might benefit from understand some general non-daw specific basics of audio recording and mixing - might make you life easier as the problems you encouter change from 'what to do', to 'how to do in live' (as you know what feature to look for when you know the basics).
The same applies to anyone trying to start out with audio production - regardless of their eventual intent (dabbler/hobby/pro or whatever) - can save you a long and random-walk style learning curve.
Nothing to see here - move along!
Re: I cannot seem to learn this software, versions 7 and 8
Okay, several responses. First, thanks to everyone again. I'm fairly blown away by the quick and supportive responsews.
That one must record clips before they will appear in arrangement view explains why I could not see those clips (but why did tney not say that in the man ual??!!).
Several poeple have suggested I read and re-read before doing anything. I can do that, but it's not tyupically the way I learn. I prefer hadns-on while I read manuals. That's the way I learned MS-DOS, SPS-PC, and Excel years ago, for example, or more recnetly PowerDirector9 (64-bit version) fo video processing.
Anyway, I'm more or less sick in bed this weekend, so I'll copy the pdf of the manual to my ipad and read it in bed.
Here's my goal (in addition to assisting my son in using this software): to record guitar, piaon/keyboard, and vocal tracks of my own (and others), and also use some of the effects and various tracks within Live such as the drum tracks, to produce some songs. I wanted to start with actually recording the instruemnts, and that is where I've run into a feew probems here. Also, I'm think that I can plug int the Casio keyboard as an audio input first and then later as a midi. That may make my life a bit easier as well, as I've never worked with midi, that by itself is probably a learing curve.
One final quesiton; should I get wild hair up my ass and want to try recording say the guiar again, is there a way to minimize the delay that I hear through Live? Thanks all. Great forum. BTW, I'm a mod for a PC forum, and I appreciate the positive vibes here. Not all forums are that way.
marty
That one must record clips before they will appear in arrangement view explains why I could not see those clips (but why did tney not say that in the man ual??!!).
Several poeple have suggested I read and re-read before doing anything. I can do that, but it's not tyupically the way I learn. I prefer hadns-on while I read manuals. That's the way I learned MS-DOS, SPS-PC, and Excel years ago, for example, or more recnetly PowerDirector9 (64-bit version) fo video processing.
Anyway, I'm more or less sick in bed this weekend, so I'll copy the pdf of the manual to my ipad and read it in bed.
Here's my goal (in addition to assisting my son in using this software): to record guitar, piaon/keyboard, and vocal tracks of my own (and others), and also use some of the effects and various tracks within Live such as the drum tracks, to produce some songs. I wanted to start with actually recording the instruemnts, and that is where I've run into a feew probems here. Also, I'm think that I can plug int the Casio keyboard as an audio input first and then later as a midi. That may make my life a bit easier as well, as I've never worked with midi, that by itself is probably a learing curve.
One final quesiton; should I get wild hair up my ass and want to try recording say the guiar again, is there a way to minimize the delay that I hear through Live? Thanks all. Great forum. BTW, I'm a mod for a PC forum, and I appreciate the positive vibes here. Not all forums are that way.
marty
Re: I cannot seem to learn this software, versions 7 and 8
If your recording actual instruments into live, your going to need a dedicated audio interface to keep latency low. Also, in the meantime, I would suggest using some form of Asio audio drivers (Asio4All) if your not doing so already.
Re: I cannot seem to learn this software, versions 7 and 8
It is not listed as an audio driver in the preferences/audi/driver type option. The only options are none and MME/DirectX and None. Do I need to download?matthews wrote:If your recording actual instruments into live, your going to need a dedicated audio interface to keep latency low. Also, in the meantime, I would suggest using some form of Asio audio drivers (Asio4All) if your not doing so already.
Also, what exactly do you mean by a "dedicated audio interface"? I do have an old (but still perfectly functioning) Tascam 4-track recorder into which I plug my guitars (and I could plug in the casio keyboard) and then plug into my computer via some RCA inputs I have in my computer (I have a PCI card that connects to this). Howver, using that, I still got a delay. So is there some other audio interace that is recommended for instruments. To me, this is all about recording music and using ableton for that. Not interested in being a DJ (and probably not much of a market for old half-blind honkey DJs).
marty
-
stringtapper
- Posts: 6302
- Joined: Sat Aug 28, 2004 6:21 pm
Re: I cannot seem to learn this software, versions 7 and 8
An audio interface is a piece of hardware that accepts audio signals, usually via 1/4 inch line or XLR mic inputs, and converts them to digital and sends them to your computer via a USB or FireWire cable. You need an audio interface to do any real recording with a computer. The MOTU UltraLite is an example of an interface. Others are cheaper like some of the M-Audio and Presonus models.
Unsound Designer
Re: I cannot seem to learn this software, versions 7 and 8
^^^^
Yup, you'll need to download asio. http://www.asio4all.com. It's a decently powerful audio driver that is very resource friendly. It's essentially the standard in PC audio production.
An audio interface is just a soundcard. Your on-board soundcard unfortunately won't really cut it in terms of creating professional quality sound, and has little if any input capability. A decent audio interface basically ensures the sounds coming in and out are of the best quality. They also significantly reduce the latency, and lighten the overall load on the cpu.
Yup, you'll need to download asio. http://www.asio4all.com. It's a decently powerful audio driver that is very resource friendly. It's essentially the standard in PC audio production.
An audio interface is just a soundcard. Your on-board soundcard unfortunately won't really cut it in terms of creating professional quality sound, and has little if any input capability. A decent audio interface basically ensures the sounds coming in and out are of the best quality. They also significantly reduce the latency, and lighten the overall load on the cpu.