Ableton Live 101: An Introduction to Ableton Live 10 (101 Series) (English Edition)

462 Pages·2019·10.638 MB·English

by  Eric Kuehnl, Andrew Haak

Ableton Live 101
An Introduction to Ableton Live 10
Ableton Live 101
An Introduction to Ableton Live 10
Eric Kuehnl
Andrew Haak
with contributions by
Frank D. Cook
NextPoint Training, Inc.
Ableton Live 10
Rowman & Littlefield
Lanham • Boulder • New York • London
Published by Rowman & Littlefield
An imprint of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706
www.rowman.com
6 Tinworth Street, London SE11 5AL, United Kingdom
Copyright © 2019 by NextPoint Training, Inc.
Book design by NextPoint Training, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by
any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and
retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a
reviewer who may quote passages in a review.
Ableton Live and all related product names and logos are registered
trademarks of Ableton AG in Germany and/or other countries. All other
trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
The media provided with this book and accompanying course material is to
be used only to complete the exercises contained herein or for other valid
educational purposes. No rights are granted to use the media in any
commercial or noncommercial production.
All product features and specifications are subject to change without notice.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available
ISBN 978-1-5400-4686-4 (paperback)
ISBN 978-1-5381-3470-2 (eBook)
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of
American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper
for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.
Contents
Cover
Half Title
Title
Copyright
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction. Welcome to Ableton Live
Chapter 1. Background Information
The Ableton Live Digital Audio Workstation
Audio Processing
MIDI Production
Mixing and Automation
Audio for Video Post-Production
Ableton Live History and Evolution
Max for Live
Control Surfaces
Audio Basics: Waveform, Frequency, and Amplitude
Waveform
Frequency
Amplitude
Recording and Playing Back Analog Audio
Converting Audio to Digital Format
The Importance of Sample Rate
The Importance of Bit Depth
Sample Rate, Bit Depth, and File Size
Recording in Digital Format
Ableton Live Configurations
Software Editions
Host-Based Systems Versus DSP-Accelerated Systems
Audio Interface Options
Cross-Platform Issues
Keyboard Commands
File-Naming Conventions
Review/Discussion Questions
Exercise 1. Selecting Your Audio Production Gear
Chapter 2. Getting Started with Ableton Live
Target Systems
Registering Your Software
Software Installation and Operation
Included Devices and Packs
Installing Additional Packs
Ableton Edition Comparison
Ableton Live File Structure
File Organization
Project Components
Starting Ableton Live
Powering Up Your Hardware
Launching Ableton Live
Authorizing Live
Accessing Connected Audio Devices
Optimizing Ableton Live Performance
The Ableton Live Menu Structure
File Menu
Edit Menu
Create Menu
View Menu
Options Menu
Help Menu
Ableton Live Views and Sections
Session View
Arrangement View
The Browser
Detail View
Control Bar
Overview (Arrangement View only)
Rulers and Scrub Area (Arrangement View only)
Adjusting the Display of Views and Sections
Review/Discussion Questions
Exercise 2. Identifying Ableton Live Views
Chapter 3. Ableton Live Basic Controls
Playback in Arrangement View
Clip Editing in Arrangement View
Selecting a Clip
Moving a Clip
Resizing a Clip
Creating Fades
Selecting an Area for Playback or Editing
Zooming in Arrangement View
Zooming with the Magnifying Glass Icon
Zooming with the Arrangement Overview
Zooming with Keyboard Shortcuts
Grid Editing in Arrangement View
Moving and Placing Clips
Editing Clips
Edit Grid Modes
Setting the Edit Grid Mode and Value
Time Scales and Rulers in Arrangement View
Arrangement Position
Loop and Punch-In Start and Length
Rulers
The Scrub Area in Arrangement View
Adjusting the Loop Start/Punch-In Point and Length
Changing the Time Signature
Using Locators
Performance Control Features
Tap Tempo Button
Tempo Field
Meter Display
Metronome Button
Metronome Settings Selector
Quantization Menu
Modifying Devices and Clips
Accessing Devices in Device View
Accessing Clips in Clip View
Edit Mode Versus Draw Mode
Using the Info View
Review/Discussion Questions
Exercise 3. Identifying Primary Tools and Controls
Chapter 4. Creating Your First Live Set
Creating and Configuring a Live Set
Configuring Live’s Audio Preferences
Audio Device and Sample Rate Settings
File Type and Bit Depth Settings
File Size Considerations
Working with Tracks
Supported Track Types
Adding Tracks to Ableton Live
Naming Tracks
Deleting Tracks
Adding Audio to Tracks
Adding MIDI to Tracks
Controlling Playback
Playback in Arrangement View
Playback in Session View
Saving, Locating, and Opening Live Sets and Projects
Live Sets and Live Projects
Saving a Live Set
Locating and Opening a Live Set
Review/Discussion Questions
Exercise 4. Creating a Live Set
Chapter 5. Importing and Working with Media
Considerations Prior to Import
File Characteristics
Import Methods
Live’s Built-in Browser
Importing Audio from the Browser