Ableton Blog

Computer Music, via its online portal MusicRadar, has a couple of new free tutorials for getting the most out of Live's effects. In the video below, take a look at how to implement parallel (or New York-style) compression in Live:

Next, review a list of six ways to get more out of Live's effects. Tips here include using high-quality mode in Saturator and Flanger, automating (rather than modulating) the frequency in Phaser, using Frequency Shifter to tune drums, and more.

If you've ever used a controller to trigger effects, then you're familiar with toggling - press the button once to turn on the effect, and again to turn it off. How about making an effect that's only on when you hold down the button, and then turns off as soon as you lift your finger? These kind of momentary effects are great for a live setting or for home/studio jamming, but often depend on whether your MIDI controller has a "momentary" setting.

In a new tutorial, Ableton Certified Trainer Aaron Zilch demonstrates how to set up momentary effects in Live using Dummy Clips - a method which works with any controller, or with your computer keyboard:

We’ve teamed up with our friends at SoundCloud and some of our favorite Ableton Artists to offer a unique new contest to the Ableton Community. Start with a free Live Pack featuring exclusive sounds from M83, Junior Boys and Nosaj Thing. Once you’ve downloaded the Live Pack, you get 24 hours to get creative. Grab these sounds as a starting point for your own original track.

Contest winners will receive big rewards for their efforts: the grand prize package includes a trip to Berlin, lifetime upgrades to the latest versions of Ableton Suite, five years of a SoundCloud Pro Plus account, and more!

Learn more and enter before May 28

Jace Clayton aka DJ /Rupture has a globe-trotting and taste-making reputation that precedes him. Working with Beyond Digital, an artistic collective based in Morocco, Jace collaborated with programmer Bill Bowen, designer Rosten Woo and Hassan Margui, a musician from the North African Amazigh (or Berber) culture. The result is the Sufi Plug-Ins, a gorgeous set of seven free Max for Live devices that bridge the gap between traditional North African music and modern electronic tools. Watch a preview of the Sufi Plug-Ins:

It's safe to say that the Sufi Plug-Ins are one of the most ambitious and unusual projects that we've seen from the robust Max for Live community. Each synthesizer can be played using different selectable North African microtonal scales. Further, the design of the instruments reflects the collaboration, with parameters labeled in Amazigh script (English translations are in Live's Info view). Hover over a control, and you'll likely be greeted with a short passage of Sufi poetry to help inspire you with your music-making.

Download the Sufi Plug-Ins (requires Max for Live)

If you're in Sao Paulo for Sónar Pro, don't miss an exclusive, free Ableton Live workshop from Minus artists Click Box, this Saturday! Learn more about the event.

If you're interested in how Click Box use Live, check out their Live Set, free as part of the Minus Artists Pack.

Sure, it's easy enough to sequence drums by hand - but you're often looking at similar variations of the same rhythmic patterns. How many times have you wanted quarter note kicks, half-note snares, 16th-note high hats and syncopated percussion? In a new tutorial, Point Blank instructor Danny J Lewis assembles the Robot Drum Rack - a way to program common rhythmic sequences for different drum parts using knobs:

You can download the Robot Drums Rack in exchange for tweeting about it - more info at Point Blank.

If you have Max for Live, then chances are you've already spent some time with the wealth of ready-made devices available for it. There's 100+ devices that come with Max for Live, plus over 800 more available for free online.

In a new tutorial series, Anthony Arroyo, the blogger behind The Ableton Cookbook, takes on small introductory projects that are perfect for dipping your toe into creating new devies with Max for Live. In the first entry, watch as Anthony builds a simple arpeggiator from scratch:

You can follow the series, featuring tutorials from Anthony and collaborator Nate Crepeault, at The Ableton Cookbook. 

German web magazine Bonedo recently spent some time with eclectic guitarist Takeshi Nishimoto. From his classical background, Takeshi has made a name for himself both solo and with collaborators including John Tejada, Mike Shannon and others. In this series of videos, Takeshi discusses his background in guitar, then demonstrates how he uses Ableton Live for recording music and for collaboration, film scoring and more. 

Then head over to Bonedo to watch the whole series (the text is in German, and the videos are in English).

The Rhodes Stage 73 and Wurlitzer 200A are classics - from psychedelic rock to jazz to hip hop, these warm electric pianos provide just the right sound for any number of occasions. For Electric Pianos, a new Ableton Partner Instrument, the sampling experts at Soniccouture captured multiple velocity stages of each note from each of these models, and processed them through vintage outboard gear. The result is a massive (over 3 GB), nuanced library that does justice to its lineage. Have a listen:

Learn more about Soniccouture Electric Pianos

Skrillex's meteoric rise has made his rattling, distorted bass drops hard to avoid. In a new tutorial, MacProVideo instructor Gary Hiebner reviews how to get that dirty Skrillex sound using Ableton Live effects. 

Read the full tutorial at MacProVideo

MacProVideo has also released a new iBook, Mashup Essentials by G.W. Childs, a guide to making your own mashups in Live. Read more about it here, then head to Ableton's Twitter channel to win one of 5 promo codes for it.