PRO SECRETS IN ABLETON LIVE

BY VESPERS

www.Vespers.ca

Vespers

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Is This You?

This book is not intended for total newbies to Live. It is not an intro to Live. If you are a brand new user, this

book will quite likely confuse you. This book is for users who have read the manual and understand the basics of

the program, but are looking to take their knowledge and skill to the next level. It’s not a comprehensive list of

every pro technique, but a collection of some of my favorites. In the following pages you’ll learn some mid and

advanced level Live techniques.

What Version of Live Do You Have?

This book is written for users of Ableton Live 8 and Suite 8. Due to limitations in Live Lite and Intro, some of

the techniques may not work in these and earlier versions of Live.

Shout Outs!

I’ve had an abundance of support and guidance in the creation of this e-book. Some of my first mentors and

influences were Ill Gates, Myagi, and Rennie Dubnut Foster. They taught me a lot about electronic music. Huston

Singletary, Ableton’s Lead Clinician, and the other trainers in my certification group: Tommy Faulds, Jake Perrine,

Joaquin Jiminez, Will Dogget, Christopher Schlyer, and Brett Davis. Some of these techniques were inspired by

them. And, finally, my Youtube subscribers, Twitter followers, and Facebook fans. Your questions and comments

fueled me to create this. Thank you!

pro

tips

What makes the pros different from the amateurs? During my time as a computer music producer, I’ve had the

opportunity to network with and learn from some top notch producers. I’ve always been fascinated by what the difference

is in their mindset and patters that makes them exceptional, so I studied them carefully. Here’s what I’ve learned.

The core secret of the pros is that they spend the time to master their tools and reduce or automate repetitive tasks.

This allows them to stay in the creative flow when inspiration occurs. Think of your workflow as a road and your inspiration

is a Ferrari. If you’re going to cruise at 200 mph and achieve all you’re capable of, do you want to be going over

speedbumps or riding on a nice flat highway? Pros invest the time to eliminate the speedbumps.

When I first started producing music, I recall having many moments of inspiration where I’d be excited to start writing,

but then I’d get on the computer and I just didn’t have the skills and workflow to get the ideas out of my head fast enough.

The program felt cumbersome...like it was getting in my way and holding me back. This wasn’t the program’s fault, of

course; it was the fact that I hadn’t yet taken the time to master it. Now that I’ve invested (and continue to invest) the time

to master it, the program feels like an extension of my mind and empowers me to create with ease. I am able to flow ideas

effectively from conception in my mind to reality in the computer.

Rather than have you invest the years of time I spent exploring the program, reading manuals, and studying pros, I’d

like nothing more than to give you the straight goods right here! This e-book is all about removing the speedbumps and

teaching you all the knowledge I’ve gained in the last 7 years as a music producer.

PRO SECRET #1: GET ORGANIZEDBy default, Live’s user interface uses shades of grey. Everything tends to blur together and it can be difficult to

visually identify various elements quickly. I’m a big fan of organizing as you go. This way you don’t waste needless time

searching for things. Here are some ways Live provides for you to get organized.

Name Your tracks

The first step to getting organized is renaming your tracks. Do this by pressing Command + R (Mac), Control

+ R (PC). I name everything, as I create it. One of my fellow producers told me this was a waste of time, so we

opened one of his projects and I asked him to show me where his hi hi hats were, watching as he spent about 2

minutes soloing various un-named elements until he finally found them. They turned out to be a grey track named

Audio 26. 2 minutes may not seem like that long, but imagine now that you’re in the peak of a creative flow and

you have an idea you want to get down. 2 minutes would seem like a lifetime. Also, add up those 2 minutes over

years of producing and you have a very bad habit, wasting a lot of precious time and inspiration.

Color Your tracks

Live allows you to color your tracks, allowing quick, visual identification, rather than scrolling through a sea of

homogenous grey. Use the color scheme below to add color by Right / Control clicking and selecting a shade

from the color panel.

Color Different Versions of Your Clips

On the same track, I often create several versions of clips. Say, for example, I have a change in my MIDI

percussion pattern. I color these clips differently for easy visual identification during sequencing.

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ELEMENT COLOR

Atmospherics & Effects

Vocals

Synths

Percussion (additional percussion elements)

Main Beats (kick, snare, hats)

Bass

Sub Bass

PRO SECRET #2: BROWSER POWERThe Browser is the area we go to most frequently when adding new devices or content to our sets. Given the amount

of time we spend in there, it makes sense to master this area.

Quickly Clean Things Up

When browsing through various folders, looking for sounds, it can get pretty messy. For example, I often find

myself deep in the depths of the Instrument Racks folder, but then I may want to add another type of device like a

Gate. Rather than scroll up and down or close all the folders individually, simply double click on the Live Device

Browser icon and it’ll instantly close all folders. You can achieve the same thing by Right / Control clicking in the

browser window and selecting Close All Folders. Then you can click on the word Name in the browser to reorder

the contents alphabetically from top to bottom.

Bookmark File Browser Locations

When in one of the three File Browsers, you

can click on the Bookmarks bar and add a

Bookmark by selecting Bookmark Current Folder.

Now you can easily go back to your most

frequently used locations by using the Bookmarks

bar.

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PRO SECRET #3: TOP KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

When producing music, you do some common functions over and

over again. One of the main habits of power users is they have

mastered the keyboard shortcuts so they are blindingly fast with the

program and move much more quickly than the average user. When

inspiration hits and you’re in a creative zone, you want to be able to get

ideas out of your head fast and just flow. Before I learned the shortcuts,

I felt like the program was getting in the way of my inspiration and

holding me up. Now that I’ve mastered them, I feel like the program is

an extension of my mind and body.

Live has tons of built-in keyboard shortcuts. In this section I’ll explain not just what they are, but also how to use

them. Getting to know them is the best way to get faster with the program. Shortcuts allow you to spend more time

making music and less time navigating menus.

Essential Shortcuts1. Duplicate

1. Shortcut: Command + D (Mac), Control + D (PC)

2. What it Does: This command will Duplicate virtually anything fast. Audio clips, MIDI clips, tracks,

devices etc. I use it most frequently in Arrangement View when copying loops out across the sequencer

window, or when editing audio / MIDI clips with snap to grid on to create beat repeat style glitch effects.

I also use it to Duplicate whole tracks if I’m layering up synths or if I have created a chain on a track that I

want to use on another one.

2. Click + Drag Duplicate

1. Shortcut: Option + click and drag (Mac), Control + click and drag (PC)

2. What it Does: Holding the Option / Control key, then clicking on an item, you can easily drag to

Duplicate and place MIDI and audio clips or MIDI notes wherever you release the mouse. This is best

used when you want to place a clip or a note in a specific place, rather than just create a Duplicate right

next to the original. I use it frequently when editing MIDI notes.

3. Toggle track / Clip View

1. Shortcut: Shift + Tab (Mac), Shift + Tab (PC)

2. What it Does: This quickly toggles between clip and track view without having to click on the clip

overview and track view selector in the bottom right of the screen. I often want to edit device settings on

a track, then shift over and work on editing the clip contents. This is a super fast way to switch between

them.

4. Toggle Pointer & Pencil Tool

1. Shortcut: Command + B (Mac), Control + B (PC)

2. What it Does: Toggles draw mode on and off (the pencil tool). The draw tool is used in Session

View to modify envelopes and MIDI, or in the Arrangement View for modifying automation.

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5. Group

1. Shortcut: Command + G (Mac), Control + G (PC)

2. What it Does: This command groups items together in different ways, depending on what you’re

grouping. If you have MIDI or audio tracks selected, it’ll put them into a group track (busses them

together into a track you can expand or collapse). If you have devices selected, it’ll group them into a

Rack (an instrument or audio/MIDI effects Rack, depending if your selection contains an instrument or

not). If you are in a drum Rack and you select multiple chains in the chain list, this command will group

them to a new Drum Rack within your Drum Rack.

6. Insert MIDI Clip

1. Shortcut: Command + Shift + M (Mac), Control + Shift + M (PC)

2. What it Does: This will quickly insert a MIDI clip onto a MIDI track. In Session View it inserts a 1

bar MIDI clip. In Arrangement View, you must select a section of time with your mouse and it’ll insert a

MIDI clip the same length as your selection.

7. Grid Control

1. Command + 1 (Mac), Control + 1 (PC) narrows the grid setting

2. Command + 2 (Mac), Control + 2 (PC) widens the grid setting

3. Command + 3 (Mac), Control + 3 (PC) toggles triplet grid on and off

4. Command + 4 (Mac), Control + 4 (PC) toggles snap to grid on and off

8. Loop Selection

1. Shortcut: Command + L (Mac), Control + L (PC)

2. What it Does: This is a big time saver when writing and looping a section for editing in the

Arrangement View. Simply select a clip or section of time, then hit the shortcut and your Loop Brace will

automatically snap to your selection and looping will be activated.

9. Split Clip

1. Shortcut: Command + E (Mac), Control + E (PC)

2. What it Does: When editing in the Arrangement View, you can select a section of an audio or MIDI

clip, hit this badboy, and it’ll detach your selection and break it out into a new clip. Very handy for quick

editing.

10. Follow

1. Shortcut: Command + F (Mac), Control + F (PC)

2. What it Does: This toggles on and off the follow function in the Arrangement View, allowing your

view of the screen to scroll horizontally and “follow” the section playing, or stay fixed. I usually use

follow when zoomed in pretty close and I want to see the clips or notes as they play.

11. Insert Silence

1. Shortcut: Command + I (Mac), Control + I (PC)

2. What it Does: When editing in the Arrangement View, you can select a piece of time on a track or

using the Loop Brace and this function will insert blank time (silence) immediately before your selection,

shifting the other events to the right.

12. Edit Key Map

1. Shortcut: Command + K (Mac), Control + K (PC)

2. What it Does: Live has the ability to quickly and visually map keyboard keys to certain functions.

When you activate this feature, all the functions that are available for mapping will light up orange.

Simply click on a function, for example a track solo button, and press a key on your keyboard. Then

press the shortcut again and you’ll exit key mapping mode and the key will now toggle on and off solo

on that track. This is particularly handy on laptops when you’re on the road and don’t have a MIDI

controller. www.Vespers.ca

13. Edit MIDI Map

1. Shortcut: Command + M (Mac), Control + M (PC)

2. What it Does: This is the whole reason I started using Live in the first place; the ability to easily

map MIDI controller buttons, faders and knobs to whatever you want in Live. When you activate this

feature, all the functions that are available for mapping will light up purple. Simply click on a function,

like track volume for example, and then move a fader on your MIDI controller. Then press the shortcut

again and you’ll exit MIDI mapping mode and the fader will now control volume on that track.

14. Rename

1. Shortcut: Command + R (Mac), Control + R (PC)

2. What it Does: Renames virtually anything (tracks, clips, devices etc.). I use it to keep organized

and name custom devices that I save.

15. Create Fades

1. Shortcut: Command + Option + F (Mac), Control + Alt + F (PC)

2. What it Does: Opens the fades editor for an audio clip. I use this often to eliminate clicks when

I’m slicing up audio and to create crescendo / diminuendo effects with longer clips rather than volume

automation.

16. Create New track

1. Create New Audio track: Command + T (Mac), Control + T (PC)

2. Create New MIDI track: Command + Shift + T (Mac), Control + Shift + T (PC)

3. Create New Return track: Command + Option + T (Mac), Control + Alt + T (PC)

17. Special Delete

1. Delete Selected Automation Breakpoints: Command + Delete (Mac), Control + Delete (PC)

2. Delete Selected Time: Command + Shift + Delete (Mac), Control + Shift + Delete (PC)

18. Render Loop

1. Shortcut: Command + Shift + R (Mac), Control + Shift + R (PC)

2. What it Does: Renders out your master buss for the area selected with the Loop Brace. I use this

for exporting loops that are selected and soloed, or for exporting my entire mixdown when the track is

complete.

19. Unfold / Fold All Tracks

1. Shortcut: Option + Click (Mac), Alt + Click (PC) the Unfold / Fold track button

2. What it Does: When in Arrange View only, this will unfold or fold all tracks in the set, rather than

just one.

There you have it! This is not a complete list of every shortcut in Live. These are the ones I use most frequently and

some of the more useful ones you may not know about.

DISCLAIMER

I’m exclusively a Mac user. I’ve done my best guess to learn what the PC shortcuts are in my examples, but I can’t

guarantee that every single one is accurate. If you notice one doesn’t work, please let me know, but don’t gripe about it to

me. After all, this book is free. And shame on you for not having Macs anyways ;) (oh, come on, take a joke!). Special

thanks to Tom Laskey for helping me out with the editing and PC shortcuts! You rock bro!

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PRO SECRET #4: MAXIMIZE SCREEN REAL ESTATEA lot of us are producing on laptops with small screens. When editing, you want to clearly see your clips rather than

squint at tiny objects. Even if you’re using a larger monitor, it helps to be able to see a clear overview of your track. Unlike

many programs that use detached windows you can tab through, Live locks all of it’s browsers and mixer in place. This

can really clutter up the screen unless you can quickly de-clutter it. When I’m sequencing or doing detailed edits, I like to

hide as much of this clutter as possible so I can focus my attention on the work at hand. I used to do this by clicking all

the little show/hide buttons for each section, which is time consuming and interrupts workflow. Now, I’ve discovered a

series of shortcuts that quickly allow you to maximize screen real estate.

1. Show / Hide Browser: Command + Option + B (Mac), Control + Alt + B (PC)

2. Show / Hide Detail View: Command + Option + L (Mac), Control + Alt + L (PC)

3. Show / Hide Overview Mode: Command + Option + O (Mac), Control + Alt + O (PC)

4. Show / Hide Mixer: Command + Option + M (Mac), Control + Alt + M (PC)

5. Show / Hide Returns: Command + Option + R (Mac), Control + Alt + R (PC)

6. Show / Hide I/O: Command + Option + I (Mac), Control + Alt + I (PC)

You’ll notice that all the shortcuts use the Command + Option (Mac) or Control + Alt (PC) keys. When I want to quickly

maximize my screen real estate, I just hold down Command + Option, type in BLOMRI and voila!...the screen is maxed out.

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AFTER

BEFORE

PRO SECRET #5: CONSOLIDATE CLIPSWhen editing and slicing up audio and MIDI clips on the timeline in Arrangement View, things can get messy really

fast. There’s a simple feature in Live, Consolidate Clips, that can help you kill the clutter and stay organized. When writing

dance music, things move in 8 bar phrases in 4/4 time, so it’s best to cut your clips to 8 bars for easy sequencing.

During your experimenting and creative brainstorming it’s okay to move fast and create some chaos, but when you

move to your sequencing and mixdown stage, you’ll benefit greatly from having things all cleaned up. I don’t know about

you, but during sequencing I like to have things set up in nice clean sections that can easily be moved around on the fly,

visually.

Enter the Consolidate Clips function! To use it, simply highlight all the clips you wish to “glue” together into a single

new one, and press command + J (Mac), control + J (PC). It will take a second to process and then create a new, single

clip the length of your selection. Note: When selecting audio clips, if

you are playing the project it will need to stop the audio to

Consolidate Clips (Live will prompt you first). MIDI clips can be

consolidated on the fly while playing the project.

Trust me, this will save you a load of time when it comes to

sequencing out your projects. Enjoy!

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PRO SECRET #6: TEMPLATE SETEarlier we talked about keyboard shortcuts and how much time they can save you. Now you’ve been rescued from

the world of browsing menus and right clicking, can you imagine ever going back? Many people never take the time to

fully explore all the features of Live; they just keep grinding away in the studio without mastering their main tool of music

creation. Yes, it takes time to learn this stuff, and it may not seem as fun as writing music, but it accelerates your ability to

finish music and stay in the creative flow.

The next evolution in your productivity is using a template track as your starting point for every project. Think back to

every time you started a new project and all the setup required. Most of us use a chosen set of common tools in every

track. How much time do you spend on every single project doing things like this?

1. Adding EQs and compressors to every track

2. Adjusting the volume sliders of your tracks so you don’t redline the mixer

3. Setting up return tracks with effects like reverbs and delays

4. Setting up a quarter note kick drum track to sidechain from

5. Naming, coloring and grouping tracks for organization

Live has the ability to use a template track with these things set up for you already.

To Create a Template Set

1. Open a new Live set

2. Set everything up exactly as you’d like it to appear for your template

3. Open Live’s Preferences

4. Click on the “File Folder” tab

5. Next to “Save Current Set as Default” click the “Save” button

6. Now, whenever you load Live, this set will load automatically as your starting point

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MAKING YOUR TEMPLATE SETI’ve made quite a few template sets in Live and in this section I’ll explain some of the features and functions I’d

recommend you include in yours. If you’d like to save yourself the trouble of setting this all up, you can buy my Vespers

Master Template set by clicking here.

Channel Strips

There are some common tools that I use on every single track. These are a compressor, EQ Eight, and

spectrum. The EQ Eight is set to high quality mode and has the first EQ set to low cut at 30 hz because a low

frequency rolloff is something that I found I was repetitively doing on every element. The compressor is set up

with attack, release and ratio settings the way I would most commonly start off, then I’ve turned makeup gain off

and set the output gain to -15.0 dB. This is an important time saver, called gain staging. I found that with all

Live’s volume faders set to 0 dB, things would quickly start to redline. I prefer to start with much more headroom

in my mixer, so I gain stage down all my compressor outputs by 15 dB to ensure my mix stays nice and clean.

Next, I’ve grouped these effects together into an audio effects Rack and named it Vespers Channel Strip. As

a final step, I’ve used the Rack’s macros to control Low Cut on the EQ Eight and Output on the compressor. This

gives me easy access to the most common controls on my channel strip. Then I saved the Rack so I can easily

drag it in to future sets, and copied it onto every track in my Live template set. Now I have channel strips on

every track.

Add Audio and MIDI tracks

A typical one of my songs includes about 30-50 tracks when complete. Rather than adding one of these

manually, every time I need one, I add them to my template. I start with about 15 audio tracks and 5 MIDI tracks,

each with Vespers Channel Strips on them. If I need more, I simply select an existing one and Duplicate it.

Side Chain

Side chaining is a common element I use in every set. Rather than wasting time setting it up later, I integrate

it directly into my template. Add an Audio track and lay a heavy kick drum sample on each 1/4 note for one bar.

Duplicate them so they run for a full eight bars, then use the Consolidate Clips function to create a full phrase,

eight bar clip. I copy this for the entire duration of a typical song (say 5-6 minutes), using the Duplicate function,

then deactivate the track so the kick is not audible. This will be the “Audio From” source that will drive all my

Compressor Sidechain inputs. Rename this track Sidechain.

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MAKING YOUR TEMPLATE SETReturn tracks

Return tracks are something I use in every set. Through the use of common effects like reverb and delay as

returns, you can really speed up your production while reducing your processor load by avoiding using multiple

instances of them as inserts. I use the same set of returns on every set because it’s easy to memorize them this

way. For example, I always know that return A is my short delay. Here’s my return setup:

A. Short Delay (return track A)

A. I always EQ my return channels so they fit in the mix better, so this chain has an EQ Eight with EQ

one set to low cut at 500 hz. This removes any low end that could muddy up your bass frequencies.

Then I have a Simple Delay with link activated and sync to 1/4 notes with the 4 button depressed. I

ensure Dry/Wet is set to 100% as it’s not an insert and the amount of processed signal is controlled by

the send level from the track. Feedback is set to 50% and can be adjusted from there to your liking.

B. I’m big on panning my returns as well, so they sit nicely in the mix and don’t conflict with center

panned elements. Use either an Auto Pan effect or Utility effect with the width at 150% to add some

stereo spread.

C. Next I group these into an Audio Effects Rack, rename it Vespers Short Delay Return, and macro the

lowcut frequency of the EQ Eight, feedback of the Simple Delay, and Width of the Utility, then save the

Rack for future use.

D. Then I rename the return track S DLY for easy reference.

B. Long Delay (return track B)

A. Sometimes called dub delays, this delay is meant to feedback for much longer for spacial effects.

First, I start with the Vespers Short Delay Return I just saved, then make the following modifications.

B. Change the Feedback to 80%.

C. Add a slight high frequency rolloff. Approximately -5 dB at 9 kHz.

D. Add a Compressor after the Utility and mess with the Threshold to extend the delay longer or make

it more audible.

E. Experiment with adding Saturation and a synced Auto Pan and macro mapping their parameters.

F. Then I rename my Rack Vespers Long Delay Return and save it for future use.

G. Finally, I rename the return track L DLY.

C. Short Reverb (return track C)

A. Sometimes called room sound, short reverbs are essential to create space around your elements.

Start by adding a Reverb and grouping it to an Audio Effects Rack. I macro decay time, room size, pre

delay, and the lo cut EQ frequency.

B. I take Hi Cut off, Lo Cut on and set it to 400 hz with the Bandwidth all the way down to 0.5. I set

global quality to High, Size to 50, and decay time to 350 ms (these are my personal preferences and will

vary depending on your style). Ensure Dry/Wet is set to 100%.

C. I rename it Vespers Short Reverb Return, then save it for future use.

D. Finally, I rename the return track S RVB.

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MAKING YOUR TEMPLATE SETD. Long Reverb (return track D)

A. Start by adding the same short reverb we just created. Set the Size to 400, Stereo to 120, and

decay time to 5 seconds (again, these are my personal preferences).

B. Add a Compressor, macro the threshold, and set it low enough to compress the output of the

Reverb. I do this because I want the Reverb to be a very audible effect in this case, rather than room

sound.

C. I rename it Vespers Long Reverb Return, then save it for future use.

D. Rename the return track L RVB.

E. Exciter (return track E)

A. Exciters add buzz and sizzle to the top end of your mix. I use them extensively on a lot of my

elements, so I find it best to set this up as a Return track. Exciters in Live can be created by using a

combination of an Auto Filter, Saturation, Redux and Compressor. Add each of these effects and group

them into an Audio Effects Rack.

B. Macro the Autofilter frequency, Redux downsample, Saturator drive, and Compressor threshold.

C. Set your Auto Filter to Highpass mode, add a bit of resonance (say Q = 1.25) and crank up the

Frequency to around 4 kHz.

D. Set the Redux to Soft mode and Downsample to around 5.0.

E. Set the Saturation drive to 4.00 dB.

F. Crank down the Compressor threshold (adjust later).

G. Then I rename the Rack Vespers Exciter Return and save it.

H. Rename the Return track Exciter.

To start using the Vespers Master Template with all these custom Racks now, click here to buy.

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PRO SECRET #7: CREATE YOUR OWN UNIQUE SOUND

Each of the pros I’ve had the opportunity to observe has a well developed and unique sound. Most of them have

achieved this by creating their own custom samples, patches and techniques. Often times I'd find when I was making a

track, I’d invest a lot of time in creating a specific sounding patch or drum kit, then move on to a different track and forget

I’d ever created it. If, in the future, I did remember it and wanted to use it in a track, I had to re-create it from scratch.

This, obviously, is not the best approach.

Now, every time I create one of my sounds I save it. If it’s percussion, I export the samples to audio and make a drum

kit or save a Drum Rack. If it’s a synth or effect, I save it as a patch. If it’s a collection of instruments and effects, I group

them together and save them as a Rack. Here’s how you do it:

1. After you get your sound perfect, select all the instruments and effects you want to include in the Rack by holding

down Command (Mac) / Control (PC) and clicking on each one.

2. Press Command + G (Mac) / Control + G (PC). This creates a Rack.

3. Give the Rack a name selecting it and pressing Command + R (Mac) / Control + R (PC) and typing in a new name.

4. Click the Save Preset button to save the Rack in your Library. It will now appear in the Live Device Browser under

Instrument Rack (if it contains an instrument) or Audio (or MIDI) Effects Rack (depending on if it contains audio or MIDI

effects). This will appear in any future project you open. Just open the Live Device Browser, navigate to where they

were saved and drag them into your project.

Setting aside regular time for experimentation and sound design, and saving your results will enable you to build your

own unique set of tools, sounds and Racks.

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PRO SECRET #8: MACROSThe main feature that attracted me to Live was its easy MIDI mapping. The ability to quickly map a hardware

controller to a parameter in the program is appealing. There’s a lot more to Live’s MIDI mapping features than having one

controller move one parameter though. Macros expand the possibilities significantly.

Macros appear in Racks as a series of eight knobs. By default they don’t do anything, but you can map them to any

number of parameters on the devices contained in the Rack. The beauty of macros is the ability to control multiple

parameters on multiple devices. For example, you can have one single macro knob that simultaneously controls Reverb

Decay Time, Reverb Dry/Wet, Compressor Threshold and Auto Filter Cutoff. When you spend some time to get into it, the

possibilities with this modular device Racking and flexible MIDI mapping are exciting.

Racks have their own internal mapping system, that’s different than using the regular MIDI map mode. To map within

a Rack, press the Map Mode button. Every parameter that can be automated will light up green. To map, simply click on a

green parameter from one of the devices in the Rack and drag it onto the macro knob. Try dragging multiple parameters to

one knob. I rename my macro knobs once I’m done mapping by clicking them and pressing Command + R (Mac), Control

+ R (PC). You can even add color to them by right / control clicking on them. When you’re done, you can then use regular

MIDI map to map the macro knob to a hardware controller.

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PRO SECRET #9: ADVANCED MIDI MAPPINGThere’s more to Live’s MIDI mapping than may initially be apparent. At the basic level, you can map a MIDI control

(rotary knob, fader, button etc.) to control almost any parameter within Live. This is very useful, but you’ll quickly find that

more advanced control is needed in certain situations. Here’s how to take things to the next level.

Min / Max Value Editing

When you enter MIDI map mode, the Mapping Browser opens. You can enter values in the Min and Max

fields. This will limit the range of the parameter you’re controlling. It’s useful when you want to have a knob,

fader, or other hardware control only move a specific range of the parameter in Live. I use this feature in several

common ways:

Device On / Off

Let’s say you have a hardware control mapped to an Autofilter, controlling the frequency cutoff. I

only want the Autofilter to be on when I’m tweaking the cutoff, not all the time. So, in MIDI Mapping

mode, I select the Device Activator, move my controller to map the parameter, then click in the Min box

and enter 1 and the Max box and enter 0. This will ensure the Autofilter is only on when I turn the knob

controlling cutoff up.

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Range Editing

Let’s use the example of the Autofilter again. Say it’s set to highpass mode, but I only want the filter

to sweep from 1 kHz to 10 kHz rather than the whole frequency spectrum. Using basic MIDI mapping,

I’d have to make sure I only twisted my hardware knob part of the way. This is a real pain, especially

when playing a live show or trying to achieve precision. You can control the exact allowable range for

the parameter by using the Min and Max values. Let’s say we type 1 kHz (type 1,000) into the Min field

and 10 kHz (type 10,000) into the Max field. Exit MIDI Mapping Mode and now you can see your knob

only controls the cutoff between those two values.

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Reverse Parameter

Have you ever wanted to turn a knob clockwise or push a fader up, but have it decrease the

parameter instead? This is possible too. Let’s say you’ve added a Saturator device and you’ve mapped

the Drive parameter. By default, it’s range will increase to +36 dB, which is way too much of a boost for

most of my production. When adding Drive, it increases the volume of the track and overloads the mixer.

The Saturator has an Output parameter which can tame down your levels when adding Drive. In this

case, I would enter MIDI Map Mode, map the Output parameter, and type -36 into the Max field and 0

into the Min field. Then I’d map the same control to the Drive function, setting the Min at 0 and Max at

+36.

Now if you watch the Drive and Output parameters when turning your controller knob, when the

Drive increases, the Output decreases accordingly, keeping your levels nicely in check.

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PRO SECRET #10: SAVE CPU BY FREEZING TRACKSWhen our computer’s CPU gets pushed too hard, Live will slow down and get chunky. You want to leave lots of

processing headroom to allow your Live Set to run smoothly. I run a Mac Pro tower with two Intel Xeon Quad Core

processors and eight gigs of RAM, and I still push my system to the limit with some Sets. A quick and easy way to reduce

your processor load is to use the Freeze Tracks function. To access this, Right / Control click on the track Title Bar and

select Freeze Track from the context menu.

This will render out a post effects audio bounce down of the track content and then disable all the Devices on the

track, thus reducing CPU load. The track will turn blue and you will no longer be able to make edits to it unless you Right /

Control click again and select Unfreeze Track. You can select multiple tracks and this selection can contain any type of

track (MIDI, audio etc.). However, if any of your tracks are Grouped, you cannot include them in a multiple selection. You

cannot freeze a Group track, only the tracks contained within it.

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PRO SECRET #11: BOUNCE AUDIO BY FREEZING TRACKS

Committing to sounds you’ve made is definitely a habit of the pros. Pros get the sound they want, and quickly move

on, rather than tweaking into eternity. Getting into this habit has another positive side effect. It will reduce the processor

load on your system because you will be bouncing down your sounds as you go, allowing you to remove the original track

that’s likely loaded up with devices.

Usually we bounce or “render” audio like this by Resampling or using the Export Audio / Video command. This is is a

bit cumbersome as it interrupts our workflow. There is an easier way to do it though. Let’s say we have a MIDI track with

a Simpler on it, playing a MIDI pattern, and after the Simpler we have a chain of devices. We have the sound we want and

we’re ready to commit and bounce it down. Right / Control click on the track and select Freeze track. Live will now

process the audio quickly and in place, turning the track blue to indicate it’s frozen.

Now Right / Control click on the frozen track, and select

Flatten from the menu. This will replace the MIDI track with an

Audio track, which will contain the bounced down audio content.

There’s also another way to do this. Say you don’t want to delete

your MIDI track and it’s chain quite yet. Simply create an Audio

Track, then click on the MIDI Clip’s title bar and drag it down onto

the Audio track. This will remove the MIDI Clip, leaving the MIDI

track and its chain intact, and create an Audio Clip of the bounced

down audio.

I find this is way faster than setting up a Resampling track or

using the Export Audio / Video command.

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PRO SECRET #12: SLICE TO NEW MIDI TRACKThere are all kinds of gems hidden in Live’s context menus (the menus that appear when you Right / Control click on

various items in the different parts and browsers of Live). My favorite of all these hidden gems is the Slice to New MIDI

track function. You can access it by Right / Control clicking on an Audio Clip. In the menu, you’ll see an option for Slice to

New MIDI track. Important Note: This option will only be available if the clip has Warping activated in Clip View. If you

have Auto-Warp Long Samples turned off in your Preferences or Loop/Warp Short Samples set to Auto, your clips will

likely not be warped by default.

When you click this, it’ll pop up another box where you can select how long you want your slices to be and what type

of slicing preset to use. I typically use 1/16th Note or 1/8th Note and the Built-in preset. What this will do is take the audio

file, automatically slice it up, and import the slices into a Drum Rack on a new MIDI track. They key here is

AUTOMATICALLY. Just imagine how much time it would take to manually slice up a 4 bar loop into 1/16th notes and load

each one into a Drum Rack pad! This is a truly awesome feature. If you record arm the MIDI track the Drum Rack is on,

you can easily play each slice with a MIDI keyboard or drum pad controller.

How to Use This

I use this feature a lot on drum loops and vocal loops. Often times I start my beat with a drum loop, but I

don’t want to play it as is. My goal is to rearrange it and play it in my own way, then layer other samples on top of

the hits. The best way to do this is with MIDI in a Drum Rack. I also do this with vocal loops to chop them up and

play them on my MIDI keyboard for glitchy / stutter effects and stabs.

Try exploring with the other Slicing Presets. Many of them will slice to Drum Racks that have innovative

effects and routings with Macros already set up. Another cool one is the Slice to Single Sampler. Instead of

laying the the slices out in a Drum Rack, it’ll place them all in a single Sampler, on different keys.

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PRO SECRET #13: MIDI NINJA TRICKSWhen messing about with MIDI, there are some essential tricks that’ll help you move more quickly. Check out these

MIDI ninja tricks!

Click & Drag to Duplicate

When in the MIDI note editor, you can Duplicate a MIDI note quickly and easily by holding down Option

(Mac) / Alt (PC), clicking and dragging the note. This will create a new version and allow you to drag it into the

exact place you want. I use this technique rather than the regular Duplicate function because it allows me to

place the note in the precise location I want rather than having to Duplicate, then click and drag it to a new

location.

Edit Velocity

Usually to edit the Velocity of a MIDI note, you have to go down to the MIDI Velocity Editor at the bottom of

the screen. This interrupts your workflow and there’s a better way to do it. Hold down the Command (Mac) /

Control (PC) key, then hover your mouse over a MIDI note. You’ll now see a double arrow, facing up and down

instead of your regular arrow cursor and a number will appear at the top of the MIDI Note Editor Window (this

number is the note’s current Velocity). If you click and drag your mouse up or down it will increase or decrease

the note’s Velocity and change it’s color. This is very useful for quick edits to MIDI note Velocity without leaving

the MIDI Note Editor Window.

Stretch Notes

In the MIDI Note Editor, select multiple notes and Right / Control click. In the context menu that appears,

select Stretch Notes. You’ll now see two grey markers appear that look similar to Pseudo Warp Markers. If you

click and drag the marker on the right, it’ll adjust the lengths of all the notes as well as their start points so the

pattern stays intact, but its timing changes.

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Velocity Ramps

Occasionally you may want to create an even Velocity ramp, such as when you’re creating a snare drum roll

in a build up. Normally this would be an arduous process of clicking and adjusting each note’s Velocity. There’s

an easier way! Select all the MIDI notes you want to ramp, then hold down the Command (Mac) / Control (PC)

key and click in the MIDI Velocity Editor window. When you move your mouse, it’ll draw a straight line and adjust

all the MIDI Velocities evenly in a perfect ramp.

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Vespers, Certified Ableton Trainer, is

an entrepreneur and musician who’s

chosen Ableton Live as a platform from

which to generate his artistic works and

career. Vespers’ coaching program

focuses on helping computer musicians

make the transition from hobby to

successful career artists. He does this by

showing them how to improve their music

creation skills, build a global community of

fans through online marketing, and master

the art of live performance.

As a producer, he’s currently signed to

Pop + Lock Records and actively releases

electronic music which consistently charts

in the Beatport top 100. His releases have

seen remixes by General MIDI, Myagi, and

The Groove Diggerz.

Having a background as an acoustic

musician has helped Vespers to explore

and understand the recording, DJing and

live performance aspects of Live. His

experience includes 7 years of classical

piano, 21 years of saxophone, 11 years of

DJing and 7years of electronic music

production.

Vespers is heavily engaged in HD,

screencast video education with Live on

his Youtube channel and

video blog. His videos are

routinely posted by some of

the largest music education

blogs in the world.

Having knowledge of the

program that extends beyond

just the studio has been an

asset for Vespers. He uses

Looper to integrate

saxophone and Akai

EWI wind synth

overdubs into his live

performances and

uses sampling

extensively to create

innovative banks of sounds

triggered via MIDI during shows. He is a

creative innovator, constantly pushing the

envelope of what is possible with a fusion

of technology and live instruments.

ABOUT THE AUTHORVespersProducer | Live Performer | Trainer

CONNECT WITH VESPERSwww.vespers.cawww.youtube.com/djvesperswww.soundcloud.com/vesperswww.facebook.com/vesperspagewww.twitter.com/djvespers

Vespers