Which ableton is right for me

Ableton might have fewer resources, but what it does have is high-quality resources, especially in the way of YouTube tutorials. They also have a great, comprehensive yet simple manual available for free. Once again, there is no direct phone line, unfortunately.

In addition to educational resources, Ableton has great racks, clips and project files available for purchase or download across the web. The instrument, audio effect, and MIDI racks make sound design a lot easier to learn and sounds a lot simpler to replicate.

Mainly due to the popularity and age of the DAW. In reality, both have enough resources for you to learn the DAW from a beginner level all the way to the advanced level. You might be asking, why did you leave pricing to last? Before looking at the price, know that the DAW you choose is a long-term investment. You might be tempted to make the decision on price alone, but consider what suits your workflow style. Originally I tried out FL Studio because it was cheaper. But make sure to try the demo first, you might be inclined to start on Intro and work your way up from there.

Free lifetime updates. Plus, FL seems to have slightly more consistent updates. Both have pros and cons and require you to make the final decision. The next thing you should do is download a demo of one, or both. That way you can test these things for yourself and make a final decision. The last thing you want to do is commit without experience. Remember, there are other DAWs you might want to consider too.

Well, if you are inspired to grab a demo or go off testing these bad boys, go for it. Also, choosing a DAW is probably one of the most important decisions you will make in your production journey, so choose carefully. Or, this article from our friend Rob at Musician on a Mission. Lastly, what did we miss about Ableton or FL Studio? Let us know in the comments or by dropping me a line at [email protected]. Learn how to master the fundamentals of electronic music production with the best roadmap for new producers.

Free Masterclass. Aden Russell September 9, Download for free. You can tell from the default interface that FL Studio is designed to be customised infinitely. Even though I look at it every day. Adding an Instrument Rack is pretty easy in Ableton. Boom, all your sounds FX are loaded up at once. The only time you will need to save under the same Project folder is if you are saving multiple versions of the same track.

This way of saving projects are important for efficient workflow and to prevent potential problems. After you use Ableton Live for a while you might notice these strange new files appear on your computer. These files are Audio files like MP3s and Wavs. Although these are very small files, they might seem annoying and unnecessary.

They are sample analysis files and contain information so Live will be able to load them quicker the next time you use them. They might also hold saved Warp settings.

The most noticeable hassle is when you navigate to those audio files on your computer. A quick solution would be to organize the files according to type. You should not delete these files, and even if you do Live will create another one the next time you use that audio file. Here you can simply click on anything that is highlighted and then move a knob, fader, or hit a key on your MIDI controller to map that control to Live. You will see an Input and Output for your controller.

We will not go into too specific details about this, but to get everything working correctly, make sure the Track and Remote are on for the Input of your controller.

If not already, eventually you will use plugins to some extent. Plugins are third-party software that you can use inside Ableton Live that greatly expand the capability of your music production machine.

By default, you will not be able to open up more than one window plugin at a time. On the bottom, you will find the Plug-in Window section. Turning off that option will let you open up as many plugin windows you want even if they are on different tracks. You can also upload directly to Soundcloud or use an online conversion service like: Media.

You can even convert from iTunes. Is Push The Ultimate Ableton controller? This article dives into this, by comparing the Push 2 with other. Here are a few tips and tricks to get you going in the right direction with Ableton Live so you can avoid some of my struggles: 1. Ableton Standard vs. Spectral Time New in Live 11 Re-synthesize your sounds and feed them into a network of filters, dynamics, reverb and delay, to add metallic echoes, pitch shifting and space to any sound source.

Freeze the sound to capture and hold a slice of the audio and alter its characteristics in real time. Surround Panner Multichannel Panning device for surround mixing with multi-channel speaker setups. Arpeggiator Takes individual notes from a held chord and plays them as a rhythmical pattern. Melodic Steps A fast and intuitive MIDI sequencer for evolving melodies with an interface designed to encourage experimentation and new discoveries through play.

Rotating Rhythm Generator Create organic rhythms and experiment with modular style beat generation. Unique Session View for quick, intuitive composition, flexible performance and improvisation. Nondestructive editing with unlimited undo. Powerful MIDI sequencing of software and hardware instruments. Advanced warping and real-time time-stretching. Group tracks Use multiple levels of groups to mix with greater flexibility and manage detailed arrangements more easily.

Comping New in Live 11 Record multiple takes of a performance, then combine the best ones. Linked-track editing New in Live 11 Link two or more tracks to edit their content simultaneously. Multiple automation lanes. MIDI Polyphonic Expression New in Live 11 Add bends, slides and pressure for each individual note in a chord, add subtle expression variations, morph between chords and create evolving sonic textures more easily. Tempo Following New in Live 11 Live listens to and adjusts its tempo based on incoming audio in real time, making it a dynamic part of the band instead of the tempo source that everyone has to follow.

Note Chance New in Live 11 Set the probability that a note or drum hit will occur and let Live generate surprising variations to your patterns that change over time. Velocity Chance New in Live 11 Define ranges for velocity probability for subtle, humanized variations in the dynamics of your patterns. Automatic plug-in delay compensation. MIDI remote control instant mapping. MIDI output to hardware synths. Ableton Link A technology that keeps instances of Live and a growing collection of iOS apps in time over a wireless network.

Instrument Racks Updated for Live 11 Combine multiple instruments and effects into a single device, allowing for split and layered sounds with customized Macro controls. Scenes Updated for Live Audio inputs Mono audio input channels.

Audio outputs Mono audio output channels. Complex warp modes Advanced algorithms for stretching audio, ideal for working with mixed audio or full tracks. Audio-slicing Slice audio to a Drum Rack or Sampler instance. Max for Live Powers a range of instruments and devices in Live Suite, and lets you customize or build your own devices, change the way Live works, and connect Live with the world around it.

POW-r dithering Mastering quality dithering modes for downsampling audio. Play Analog Emulates the unique character of vintage analog synthesizers. Play Collision Updated for Live 11 Physical modeling instrument for authentic mallet percussion sounds and creative percussion.

Play Electric Updated for Live 11 The sounds of classic electric pianos. Play Operator A versatile synthesizer combining frequency modulation and subtractive synthesis.

Play Tension Updated for Live 11 Physical modeling string synthesizer. Play Chop and Swing Updated for Live 11 A homage to the style that made sampling an art form and put a new kind of groove on the musical map. Play Drum Essentials Drum Essentials is a collection of handpicked sounds selected to cover a wide range of styles.

Play Grand Piano Updated for Live 11 Multiple articulations, sampled from a carefully prepared and programmed piano to capture the virtuosity of the classical grand piano sounds.

Play Guitars and Bass A set of electric guitars and basses, expertly multisampled to cover different playing styles, velocities and articulations - from funky slap bass to gently strummed guitar chords. Play Skitter and Step Updated for Live 11 A sound collection that inhabits the space where growling basses, rinsing pads and jarring melodies collide with jagged, broken percussion.

Play Beat Tools With more than Drum and Instrument Racks, over loops for slicing, tweakable effects chains and more, Beat Tools has all the sounds you need for hands-on beatmaking — especially with Push. Play Brass Quartet New in Live 11 Features a rich blend of trumpet, French horn, tenor saxophone and trombone in your music. Play Build and Drop Build and Drop is loaded with ecstatic leads, enveloping bass, slamming drums and a range of rises, sirens and sounds effects.

Play Drive and Glow Updated for Live 11 Drive and Glow combines swirling synth textures, overdriven guitars and basses and pounding drums. Play Drone Lab New in Live 11 Weave complex, evolving threads through your productions with tonal and textural samples, generative noise, multisampled instruments, plus devices and Effect Racks designed for experimentation.

Play Drum Booth Updated for Live 11 Drum Booth contains carefully curated samples of acoustic kits recorded in a tight, dry room. Play Glitch and Wash This collection explores the contrast of organic texture and precise rhythms — combining precision slices, jagged electronic noise and microscopic snippets of sound with warm ambient pads, textures and soundscapes.

Play Inspired by Nature New in Live 11 Six playful instruments and effects that use natural and physical processes as their inspiration. Play Latin Percussion A collection of acoustic percussion instruments such as congas, timbales, claves, shakers, tambourines and bells from the worlds of Brazillian, Afro-Cuban and African music.

Play Orchestral Brass A thorough set of vivid and colorful brass instruments. Play Orchestral Mallets The true essence of symphonic percussion instruments in pristine quality. Play Orchestral Strings A comprehensive selection of naturally rich and dynamic stringed instruments. Play Orchestral Woodwinds Features a variety of clear and vibrant wind instruments. Play Probability Pack A collection of creative sequencers that introduce probability and chance to your music.

Play Punch and Tilt A dancefloor-ready collection of sounds focused on machine rhythms, weighty bass and dark, hypnotizing melodies, textures and noises — a rough sonic aesthetic that started with a small group of underground producers and has grown into a worldwide scene. Play Session Drums Club A multisampled library of acoustic drums for nuanced play. Play Session Drums Studio A multisampled library of acoustic drums that reproduces the nuances of a recording session. Play Singularities Singularities makes use of single samples and finely tuned, expressive parameters to capture the sound and feel of classic synths and samplers.

Play String Quartet New in Live 11 This combination of two violins, viola and cello has a sound that is immediately intimate, and is also a great starting point for sonic exploration. Play Voice Box New in Live 11 A comprehensive collection of contemporary vocal samples from multiple voices, a set of playable vocal instruments, and Effect Racks designed for vocal processing. Play Amp Emulates the sound and character of seven classic guitar amplifiers.

Play Cabinet Emulates the sound and character of five classic guitar cabinets. Play Convolution Reverb Capture the characteristic reverb of real physical spaces with advanced sound shaping. Play Corpus Updated for Live 11 Simulates the acoustic characteristics of seven types of resonant objects.