Ableton Forum

Hello all,

I am new to Ableton Live, and am just getting started learning the program.
New to Live - but not recording...

My experience comes from many years of playing in bands (playing bass since 1981 and guitar since 1989).

Before I found the computer age (around 1993) I recorded into some cheesy 4-track/8-track cassette machines, using stomp boxes for effects.

Once I got a computer, I soon found Cakewalk (I forget the version number but it was when Windows was on version 3.1 ).

Hard disks were small and expensive then, times have changed alot and I'm very happy with the technology boom.

Ableton Live is very different from Cakewalk Home Studio 2002 and I think I'll be refering to this forum alot for insight.

I notice that alot the Live users here are into house/techno/ambient/looping
stuff, but my interest is in guitar-based rock and pop songwriting.
I hope there are a few more members out there that are into the same.

I look forward to being a part of this community and hope to offer my experience when possible. But as I am new to this program - I may have more questions than answers at first.

Well met,
bottlerockit

Welcome,

and although it does seems like we're a bunch of techno geeks, everyone is aware of the dexterity of live, that's what makes it so cool. Lots of folks here use it for more indtrumental purposes than just electronic production, I;m sure you won't have any trouble finding all the help you need.

Cheers
Emil

bottlerockit wrote:I notice that alot the Live users here are into house/techno/ambient/looping stuff, but my interest is in guitar-based rock and pop songwriting. I hope there are a few more members out there that are into the same.

Totally, I've used Guitar Rig with Live, really cool, you just record the DRY guitar signal and can change your virtual rig any time you want AFTER you've laid down tracks. The built in plug-ins are also fun to use with a guitar. Tip: use the UTILITY plug in to get the gain levels correct on your guitar input, Live also comes with compressors and reverb, delay, chorus....

I've used Live to make my own jam tracks. Lay down some chords and solo over it, add another layer, more chords, key changes, great practice tool. I've also imported midi tracks from Band In A Box to get the same effect.

The one thing people rightly gripe about with Live is using odd time signatures, I don't really go there so I don't care, 4/4, 3/4 the usual is good enough for me.


But we'll get you into making electronica in no time

Welcome,

Oh how I do appreciate a nice introduction. Hope you'll have many nice moments with your new sequencer of choice!

Regards,
Mikael

HOLA from Scotland!!

Welcome from Germany, too.

I do similar stuff like, you:
Bass 1982, guitar 1983, recording 1996, ableton 2004.
writing and producing small silly songs from folk to jazzpunkfunk
Just feel free to ask.

k.

tokyojoe69 wrote:indtrumental

I don't think any of us make electronica, techno, pop, reggeton, or rock.

We all make Indtrumental Music. It's the secret new style

Before I got Live 3.1.3 I had been using Sonar 2. It was like trading a tricycle for a ufo! Never looked back.

Welcome. Good login name, btw... that's my favorite Wes Anderson film.

There are no stupid questions (but there are a few ill-intentioned posters).

lol i only bought live lite for recording my band etc and i must say it is amazig! id say nit was even better than some studioes i have been too and recorded with


serioulsy this is amazing for recording rock music etc

It was like trading a tricycle for a ufo!

This made me laugh!!

Nice too meet you....I'm new to the forum also, I just got live thru an upgrade offer from M-audio...I use Reason and never really thought about Live much... till I started using it!!! WOW what a program. there's much to learn about it but I can see there is no one way to use it...I'm starting to put together a laptop setup and this program is just what I need!!!

Sales Dude McBoob wrote:

tokyojoe69 wrote:indtrumental

I don't think any of us make electronica, techno, pop, reggeton, or rock.

We all make Indtrumental Music. It's the secret new style

Well can you blame me for being a one of a kind pioneer? I'm sorry, I meant inStrumental music. Now if you take a closer look at your keyboard, you'll see s and d located next to each other. Please forgive my mistake

Welcome!

Been playing guitar since '75 and pretending to play keys since '88.

I do record some guitar in Live but it tends to be pretty abstract... recorded my acoustic the other day through Quad Frohmage->MD608->MinimonstaFX, sounded decidedly un-guitar-like at the end of that chain.

I think Live gives you the flexibility to do almost anything you want, but it definitely suits some working styles more than others.

meep_audio wrote:

It was like trading a tricycle for a ufo!

This made me laugh!!

Me too! Quite fitting.

no_barcode wrote:

meep_audio wrote:

It was like trading a tricycle for a ufo!

This made me laugh!!

Me too! Quite fitting.

Thanks a lot guys!

Y'know... I've been thinking of taking a stab at writing and trying to publish articles for MI magazines.