Navigation Review
Lesson time: (1min 48sec)
A recap of getting around Ableton's Arrangement View, from zooming and the Follow button to the beat-time ruler, loop controls and mixer.
Course preview
This lesson is part of the course Building Tracks in Ableton Live
Watch a preview of the full course below.
Lesson transcript:
Music Lesson: Navigating Arrangements
Here's a review of some of the things that we covered in navigating an arrangement:
Zooming In and Out
- We can zoom in smoothly by:
- Clicking the ruler
- Clicking on the Arrangement Overview
- Tapping the magnifying glass icon to zoom in and out
- You can also move left and right within the arrangement.
Follow Action
- An important aspect of arrangement navigation is the Follow Action.
- You can access this by:
- Going over to Options > Follow
- Using the follow button (the yellow button) located here, which will follow along with the playback.
Overview of Navigation Parts
1. Follow Action Button
- This button helps to control how the arrangement plays back.
2. Arrangement Overview
- Here, we can zoom in and out and visualize what's happening in our arrangement.
3. Beat Time Ruler
- The beat time ruler indicates:
- What's happening on the 13th bar, the 17th bar, and so on.
- It can also be used to zoom in and out.
4. Clips
- These are the different parts that make up our song. Each clip represents a section of the composition.
5. Scrub Area
- I demonstrated how to play different aspects of your composition by:
- Clicking in the scrub area.
6. Loop Controls
- You can use this to loop a section or unloop a section.
7. Mixer
- The mixer allows you to control:
- Volume
- Panning
- Sends
- Solo options, and more.
About the instructor
Isaac Cotec is, arguably, one of the best Ableton trainers in the world! While working on his own music, he began teaching recording techniques, sound design, and Ableton Live to private students, and since earning his certification as an official Ableton Certified Trainer he has helped thousands of producers step up their game and succeed as musicians. Isaac started producing electronic music in 2005 with Psyche Sonics, an experimental group working with the science and research of binaural beats and altering consciousness through sound. After touring, he continued writing music under the alias Cotec and later emerged as the artist Subaqueous, blending his electronic past with both future and organic production techniques. To date, he has released 3 albums and 4 EPs. Isaac is also the founder and manager of the record label Invibe Music, which represents some of the Pacific Northwest's best electronic music and specialises in midtempo dance music. In his Ableton Live courses, Isaac shares the production, sound design and songwriting techniques he has spent years refining - the very skills he uses to turn a spark of an idea into a finished track. read more