Lesson time: (7min 3sec)
Isaac Cotec introduces Ableton Live and the course ahead - what the program is, how to get around it, and working with clips and warp modes.
This lesson is part of the course Understanding the Basics of Electronic Music Production with Ableton Live
Watch this lesson for free below.
Lesson transcript:
In this video, I'm going to introduce the course on Ableton Live. The scope of this course is to cover the basics of the program.
We will look at:
By the end of this course, you'll have a solid overview of the program, know where to start, and be ready to build out ideas, music, or anything you want within Ableton Live.
This Ableton Live course is broken up into modules. Think of each module as a class session focusing on a specific concept.
If you already know what Ableton Live is, feel free to skip directly to the navigating section. Even if you feel comfortable with a concept like controlling timing, I recommend watching it all the way through as a good review.
Ableton Live is a digital audio workstation (DAW). Unlike many other software sequencers, Live is designed to be an instrument for live performance, as well as a tool for composing, recording, arranging, mixing, and mastering.
It is widely used by DJs due to its suite of controls for:
Ableton Live was one of the first music applications to automatically beat match songs. It features a user-friendly drag-and-drop nature, allowing you to effortlessly integrate:
While every program has its strengths and weaknesses, I prefer Live for several reasons:
Now, let's look at Ableton Live itself. The Ableton Live set has some clips already loaded. These clips represent audio samples that I can trigger by simply clicking the play button.
To stop all clips, you can hit the spacebar or click the little square representing a stop.
One feature I can utilize is the Arrangement Record located at the top right. When I click that, I can play different parts, adding new drums and beats.
In Arrangement View, everything is laid out in a linear fashion.
Arrangement View allows you to construct your song in a linear fashion, contrasting with the continuous session feel of Session View.
In summary, we have:
In the next few videos, we will go over navigation and other aspects of Ableton Live to help you get started on your musical journey!
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
