Ultimate Ableton Live 9: Part 3 - Producing & Editing from Udemy

What's inside

Learning objectives

Produce music using ableton live
Use drum samples to edit, arrange, and create unique drum beats of your own.

Work inside ableton live for completing full tracks
Kickstart your productions with my tracks - full sessions included in this class!

Produce music using ableton live
Use drum samples to edit, arrange, and create unique drum beats of your own.
Work inside ableton live for completing full tracks
Kickstart your productions with my tracks - full sessions included in this class!

Syllabus

Welcome to Ultimate Ableton Live: Producing & Editing!

A quick overview of what we will cover in this class.

In this section we will look at working in Arrangement view for editing and producing. I'll walk through some of my favorite tricks and tips for production in Live.

Reversing clips can be an awesome effect - in this video I'll walk you through one of my tracks (you can download the whole session in Lecture 7), and I'll point out how I used reverse crash cymbals for a quick sound design trick.

In this video we will walk through some quick access tricks for looping, adding locators, and key commands. I'll also introduce key mapping in this video.

A few notes about this section before we get started.

Tempo and Time signature changes can be hard to find in Ableton Live - so watch this video and you will be all up to speed on where to find them and how to use them.

In this course I'm going to give you a bunch of sessions for you to play with. This video walks you through how I'm preparing them to send to you - some important file info that you need to know.

Your first session from me! This is a complete track from my latest album, available on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, etc. Feel free to mess with it and have some fun!

Editing and Producing in Session View! A whole new world - with lots of advantages. You might be surprised at how working in Session View changes your workflow, and you come up with some new ideas.

The advantages of working in Session View - a few tips and some info on what we are going to cover in this section.

First things first: Getting everything all setup.

Do not be fooled! All loops are not the same length, nor are they 1 bar. Sometimes a loop of 1 beat, 2 beats, or more is all we need. One of the most important concepts in Session View!

Automating a tempo change in Session View works very differently, but it can still be done. You need to know one super hidden trick to make it work, though.

We do not have a timeline in Session View, so how can we change the meter? The Arrangement view way will not work because it needs the timeline. But there is a way!

In this video we will experiment with adding harmony and basslines. I'll show you a really slick way to find notes that will work with your melody.

The mysterious and often troublesome "back to arrangement" button! Many have tried to understand it, and many have failed. But have no fear - it is often misunderstood, but not too complicated if you follow some simple rules of thumb.

Once we have a good set going, we can "print" it by recording the performance to the Arrangement View. Lets do it in this video.

Another session for you! This is the track I made throughout this section. Download it, explore it, steal it, have some fun with it.

In this section we will create our own beats, modify existing beats, work with one-shot samples, and a lot more tricks for beat making.

A few notes about this section before we dive into making beats.

There are a few more tricks to working with loops, especially as it relates to making beats that we haven't covered yet. So lets get all up to speed with those here.

A great way to make your own beats is to start with a loop, and chop it up into its individual sounds. Re-arranging them is a great way to make your own beats.

After you start dealing with lots of little samples (like we just did in the previous lesson) you will want to get comfortable with Consolidating. Without consolidating, expect headaches!

Wouldn't it be great if Live could just chop up a loop for us and put it into a MIDI sampler so we could play the individual sounds with MIDI? We can!

Racks are the monster sleeping within Live. It is a huge topic that we will work with more in later classes. In this video I'll introduce Drum Racks.

Now that we know what Drum Racks are, lets make our own.

Creating with Drum Racks can be as easy as working with any MIDI instrument, if you know the ropes.

Another session for you to work with!

In this section we will work with some of Live's synthesizers to add melody and harmony to our tracks.

A few notes about what we are going to cover in this section.

Layering synths is a great trick for creating rich sounds without too much synth programming.

You've seen me do this earlier - but it can be especially important when we are working with synths.

This time 2 sessions for you to download and play with!

A few pointers about working with effects, and automating effects.

Some notes about this section - basic audio effect overview.

In this video I'll work with a delay, EQ, and compressor to add some color and motion to our synth line.

Automating your effects will add a huge amount of motion and variety to your track. Lets walk through how to set it up, and find the right parameters to automate.

A few extra tips for making the best production choices. In this section we will walk through Side-chaining, bussing, and resampling.

A few notes about this section: This is just the tip of the iceberg!

One of the most popular techniques right now is Side-Chaining. You've heard it in a million tracks. It gives us that deep driving pulse. Let me show you how to do it in this video.

Sometimes we don't want our output to go only to the main out. Sometimes we want to send it over to another track as well. In this video, I'll explain why we might want to do that, and how to do it.

Resampling is a handy track, especially for transitions and builds. Ableton Live makes it easy to do if you find the right settings.

One more session for you to play with! Have fun!

A few parting words, and where you can go next!

Thanks for hanging out! I hope you have as much fun with these classes as I do making them.

Part 4: Synths & Samplers

Ready for more?

A few extra goodies!

Two videos from a friend of mine on his secrets for making dance music. Super detailed stuff here!

Lets start talking about the Live Instruments! This is a video taken from the next class, Ableton Live 4: Synths and Samplers. Just to wet your appetite for the next class, lets dive in!

There is so much more to learn!

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Intermediate learners who are eager to further develop their music skills will gain much from this course

This course is solid for current or hopeful music producers who want to explore working with Ableton Live

Students will create as they learn

The instructor has a strong reputation in the music industry and their work has been featured in film, radio, video games, and industrial sound

Students should complete previous courses in this program prior to starting this course

Reviews summary

Exceptional course for ableton live

According to students, Ultimate Ableton Live 9: Part 3 - Producing & Editing is the exceptional in helping learners become familiar with the Ableton Live software. Students are very happy with the course, and say that the instructor is really good

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Ultimate Ableton Live 9: Part 3 - Producing & Editing with these activities:

Complete timing exercises to improve your rhythmic accuracy

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Enhance your rhythmic foundation and develop a stronger sense of timing by engaging in regular practice exercises.

Browse courses on Rhythm

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Use a metronome or online tool to practice playing simple rhythms at different tempos.
Identify the subdivisions of a beat (e.g., quarter notes, eighth notes, sixteenth notes) and practice playing them accurately.

Explore tutorials on warping audio samples in Ableton Live

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Familiarize yourself with the techniques and tools for warping audio samples effectively, enhancing your ability to create seamless and dynamic tracks.

Browse courses on Ableton Live

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Identify an online resource or tutorial that provides guidance on warping audio samples in Ableton Live.
Follow the instructions provided in the tutorial, experimenting with different warping modes and settings.
Practice warping audio samples from various sources to gain proficiency in manipulating time and pitch.

Compose a simple drum loop using Ableton's drum racks

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Reinforce your understanding of drum rack functionality and develop your rhythmic skills by creating your own custom drum loop.

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Open a new project in Ableton Live and add a drum rack to the arrangement.
Load samples into the drum rack and experiment with different combinations to create a basic beat.
Adjust the parameters of the samples, such as pitch, decay, and velocity, to shape the sound of the loop.
Add effects to the drum rack, such as EQ, compression, or reverb, to enhance the overall sound.

Four other activities

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Show all seven activities

Organize a peer feedback session on a track you are working on

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Gain valuable insights and improve your production skills by sharing your work with peers and actively seeking their constructive criticism.

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Select a track that you are currently working on and prepare it for feedback.
Invite a group of peers who are also learning music production to participate in the feedback session.
Play your track for the group and encourage them to provide specific feedback on areas such as arrangement, mixing, and sound design.
Actively listen to the feedback and take notes, considering their suggestions and incorporating them into your production process.

Attend a music production workshop focused on advanced techniques

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Expand your knowledge and skills by attending a workshop that delves into advanced production techniques, providing hands-on experience and expert guidance.

Browse courses on Music Production

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Identify a reputable music production workshop that aligns with your learning goals.
Register for the workshop and make arrangements to attend.
Actively participate in the workshop, engaging with the instructors and fellow participants.
Apply the techniques and knowledge gained from the workshop to your own music production projects.

Contribute to an open-source music production software project

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Enhance your technical skills and make a meaningful contribution to the music production community by participating in an open-source software project.

Browse courses on Open Source

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Identify an open-source music production software project that interests you.
Review the project's documentation and codebase to understand its functionality and development process.
Identify an area where you can contribute, such as bug fixing, feature implementation, or documentation improvement.
Make your contributions to the project, following the established guidelines and best practices.

Produce a complete track that incorporates various music production techniques

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Demonstrate your mastery of music production by creating a polished and well-rounded track that showcases your skills in arrangement, mixing, and sound design.

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Plan the structure and arrangement of your track, including the introduction, verse, chorus, bridge, and outro.
Select and record or create the musical elements, such as vocals, instruments, and samples.
Edit and arrange the elements in Ableton Live, using techniques such as warping, quantization, and automation.
Mix and master the track, adjusting levels, EQ, compression, and other effects to achieve a balanced and professional sound.

Career center

Learners who complete Ultimate Ableton Live 9: Part 3 - Producing & Editing will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Music Producer

In your role as a Music Producer, you will work with performers to create a musical masterpiece. You will leverage session view for editing and producing. Ultimately, you hope to finalize your recording for your performers. This course teaches you how to achieve the best possible recording. Students who are interested in this course often work towards a career as a Music Producer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Music Producer

Audio Engineer

As an Audio Engineer, you will create, record, mix, master, and edit audio material for various projects and purposes. You will use different editing techniques to achieve the best possible results. This course teaches you the editing fundamentals you need to succeed as an Audio Engineer. Students who are interested in this course often work towards a career as an Audio Engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Audio Engineer

Music Composer

As a Music Composer, you will create, write, and compose music. You will arrange and produce these compositions in order to convey emotions, tell stories, or simply express yourself. This course teaches you how to use Ableton Live for these purposes. Additionally, you will learn how to add harmony, basslines, and other instruments to your compositions.

See salaries and explore the career path for Music Composer

Music Teacher

In your role as a Music Teacher, you will educate students of all ages on music fundamentals, theory, and performance techniques. You will help them develop their musical skills and talents. This course provides you with a deep knowledge of the Ableton Live software, which you may use in your lessons.

See salaries and explore the career path for Music Teacher

Music Librarian

As a Music Librarian, you will be responsible for organizing and managing a collection of musical materials. You will catalog, preserve, and make these materials accessible to patrons. This course may help you to catalog your materials more efficiently. You can also use the skills you learn in this course to digitize sheets of music. Students who are interested in this course often work towards a career as a Music Librarian.

See salaries and explore the career path for Music Librarian

Sound Designer

In your role as a Sound Designer, you will be responsible for creating and manipulating sound effects for various projects and purposes. You will use different editing techniques to achieve the best possible results. This course teaches you the editing fundamentals you need to succeed as a Sound Designer. Students who are interested in this course often work towards a career as a Sound Designer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sound Designer

Music Arranger

As a Music Arranger, your job is to take existing musical compositions and adapt them for different instruments, ensembles, or genres. You may also compose your own original arrangements. This course teaches you how to use Ableton Live for these purposes. Additionally, you will learn how to add harmony, basslines, and other instruments to your arrangements.

See salaries and explore the career path for Music Arranger

Music Performer

In your role as a Music Performer, you will rehearse and perform a variety of musical pieces. You may also collaborate with other musicians to create new works. This course may help you to develop your skills as a performer. You will also learn how leverage software to enhance your live performances.

See salaries and explore the career path for Music Performer

Music Critic

As a Music Critic, you will write and publish reviews and articles about music. You will analyze and evaluate musical performances, recordings, and compositions. This course will help build a foundation that will help you better understand the music you will analyze and interpret. Students who are interested in this course often work towards a career as a Music Critic.

See salaries and explore the career path for Music Critic

Music Therapist

As a Music Therapist, you will use music to help individuals improve their physical, emotional, and cognitive health. You will work with people of all ages and backgrounds, and you will use a variety of musical techniques to meet their needs. This course may help you to develop your skills as a music therapist. Additionally, you will learn how to use Ableton Live to enhance your therapeutic sessions.

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Music Journalist

In your role as a Music Journalist, you will write and publish articles about music. You will interview musicians, review concerts, and report on the latest music trends. This course may help you to develop your skills as a Music Journalist. You will also learn how use Ableton Live to create your own music and share it with the world.

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Music Consultant

As a Music Consultant, you will provide advice and guidance to clients on all aspects of music. You may work with individuals, organizations, or businesses. This course may help you develop a foundation in music technology that will be useful to your clients. Additionally, the skills you learn here may help you manage musical projects and prepare presentations for clients.

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Music Historian

In your role as a Music Historian, you will conduct research and write about the history of music. You may also teach music history courses at universities or conservatories. This course will help build a foundation for your research. You will also learn about how technology has influenced music over time.

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Music Promoter

As a Music Promoter, you will plan and execute marketing campaigns for musicians and bands. You will work to increase their visibility and popularity. This course may help you learn how to use technology to promote musicians.

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Music Publisher

In your role as a Music Publisher, you will acquire and manage the rights to musical compositions. You will work with songwriters, composers, and artists to protect their intellectual property. This course may help you to understand the music industry and the role of music publishers within it. Additionally, you may use the skills you learn here to prepare presentations for clients.

See salaries and explore the career path for Music Publisher