Using Cue Mix

Isaac Cotec
Isaac Cotec

Lesson time: (0min 59sec)

Cue Mix lets us send a click track or other audio to a separate output. This way we can send something to our headphones and hear it over the speakers as we record it. This lesson looks at the Cue Mix in Ableton Live.

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This lesson is part of the course Creating new parts in Ableton Live with MIDI and Audio
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Lesson transcript:

Cue Mix Setup for Headphones and Speakers

So once we have this set up, we gain the ability to use the cue mix.

What is Cue Mix?

The cue mix essentially allows us to send a different sound to our headphones than what is sent to the speakers.

Requirements

To utilize the cue mix, you need at least two outputs:

  • Master Output: Channels 1 and 2
  • Headphone Output: Channels 3 and 4 (or whatever your settings are on your sound card)

Solo vs. Cue

Previously, I would just solo tracks. Now, I can actually change the setting to cue. This means the audio will be sent to my headphones instead.

Cue Volume Control

You will find the cue volume control here, which can be opened and closed using the ins and outs menu.

Upcoming Lessons

We will explore this more when discussing recording within Ableton. For now, remember:

  • Cue: This is for your headphones.
  • Master Output: This is your main output.

About the instructor

Isaac Cotec
Isaac Cotec

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

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