The best Abelton tips and tricks for beginners.
Ableton is an easy-to-use tool that is difficult to master. But thankfully, there are quick fixes and workflows that separate the novice from the pros. For example, using shortcuts, processing multiple samples in one go, fast transposition, and more. All here. Top advertisements
So, if you’re a beginner, struggling with a slow workflow, or just curious, here are Ableton beginner tips and tricks that you won’t want to miss.
Read: Best Free DAWs for Windows and Mac
Ableton tips and tricks for beginners
1. Use the keyboard like a piano
You may want to consider buying a MIDI keyboard or piano when you start using your DAW. But I object to that because you are just getting started and spending so much on one gear is not the best option.
Don’t worry, if you’re just starting out, you can use your laptop keyboard as a controller.
For versions prior to Live 9, this feature is enabled by default. If you have Live 10, you can turn it on in the upper right corner with the keyboard button, or simply press M. All white keys are assigned to the middle row (A, S, D) of the keyboard, and the black ones are on. top row (W, E).
You also have the option to change the octave by pressing the Z key, which lowers the octave, and the X key, which raises it an octave. With the C, V keys, you can also adjust the incoming note speed in twenty increments.
2. Using Simpler
If you are into electronic music, you already know how you can use almost any sound in a track. For example, you can record a dog barking or even a shaving kit, streamline it, and make a distinct sound. Let’s talk about Simpler, which is Ableton’s primary sample editor.
This way you just drag and drop the audio or open it easier.
Tip. Not all sounds have the pitch, use the built-in Ableton tuner, and change the pitch in the controls tab.
To tweak the sound, you have the pitch, volume, envelope filter, and so on. It also borrows some of the usual clip features, such as warp parameters, which maintain the tempo, so you don’t have to worry about getting out of rhythm. You can further customize the sound by adjusting the frequency, amplitude, and more.
Note: When dragging, only the selected portion of the entry and exit of the clip will be used.
3. Warping more than one path
Chances are you have drums and percussion on several tracks, but you need to process them together. While many of us have used Warp Mode, using multiple clips together to get the timing right is not only convenient but also saves us time. Here’s an easy way to combine multiple tracks.
You have to select several tracks, now if they are the same length you will have no problem, but even a small difference will show you: “The selected clips are of different length.” To make all of these tracks the same length, just press Ctrl + j for Windows and cmd + j for Mac. This is it. Now, whether it’s syncing beats or syncing multiple microphones together, you can easily save a lot of time and energy with multiple warp functions.
4. Quick switch
I recently switched from FL Studio to Ableton and I use the grand piano a lot. Playing notes and melodies is easy, but being able to layer tracks with harmonies and shift notes in different octaves requires more steps, which I think wastes my time. Is there a faster way to do this? Yes. Here’s how.
Access the grand piano, select all notes or the ones you want to transpose, and press the Shift + Up arrow. This will cause all notes to shift rapidly in octave. It is useful not only for transposing notes in the Pian Roll but also in effects, for example, in the Pitch plug-in.
5. Save your audio settings
Ableton is known for its interface that allows you to customize the sound and make it unrecognizable. But every time you drag and drop audio onto a track, it gives you a fresh sample to work with, rather than preserving all of the properties you configured. So? Is there a way to save all this?
Let me tell you that he was always there and looked right at you. Select a sound, change it, try changing the pitch, adjust it, and click Save. Remove the sound and drag it onto the track again. This will give you the exact sound you configured as the information is now saved in the audio file. Pretty convenient, right?
6. Shortcuts
You can save a lot of time by using shortcuts, namely almost eight days a year. I’ve already talked about the typing accelerator, a text, and now it’s time to talk about Ableton shortcuts.
Show In / Out
| Shortcut | Windows | Macintosh |
| Full Screen | F11 | CTRL CMD + F |
| CTRL ALT + I | CMD ALT + I | |
| Settings | CTRL +, | CMD +, |
| Return to default settings | Delete | Delete |
| View Session / locations | Tab | Tab |
| Hide / Show Detail View | CTRL ALT + L or Shift + F12 | CMD ALT + L or CTRL Shift + F12 |
| Hide / Show Submission | CTRL ALT + S | CMD ALT + S |
Final Words
Tips and tricks won’t make you a better musician, but it will certainly make you smarter. Using features such as distorting multiple tracks, saving sound settings, and using shortcuts can save you time and energy. These tricks are so personal and individual that you can find them yourself. Until then, I hope the ones I share will help you, and of course, feel free to share your tips with me!
The best Abelton tips and tricks for beginners
The best Abelton tips and tricks for beginners.
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