@@BoloDaProducer insert New MIDI Track (Ctrl / ⌘ + Shift + T) . double click sample in browser it will add into a simpler automatically. no need to drag
@@BoloDaProducer For drum samples, you can just right click the sample when you're browsing through samples in the browser pane and select "Slice to MIDI Track"- this chops up the transients for you into a Drum Rack instrument (so it'll chop up your Kick, Snare, Closed Hi Hat, Open Hi Hat, and put them onto different Pads basically). If you already dragged the drum loop into an Audio Track first and then later decide, you know what I want to be able to chop this up to use MPC style, then you can right click the sample in the Audio Track as well and select the same "Slice to MIDI Track"- same as doing it in the browsing folder. This allows you to chop up drum breaks by Transients, Warp Markers, Notes (1/16th, 8th Note), whatever you want.
This is because in the timeline an audio track treats een audio file as audio. A midi track uses an instrument. A sampler is an instrument. So actually to an Ableton user that’s quite intuitive 😁
I spent about 5 years with Pro Tools, then 15 years with Logic. I started using Ableton last year. Within one week I was 10x faster on Ableton with beat making and composition in general. I'm still faster mixing with Logic Pro X, by a small margin, but as I catch on with Ableton, that gap gets smaller daily. I can't speak for everyone, but I think Ableton, specifically using clips/scenes, is a game changer for the writing process. Mixing and effects in a DAW to me is always sluggish, regardless of the DAW. But effects racks and macros with the Push 2 is dope once you get a hang of it.
@@kostoglotowyeah that's called learning, you can't expect to just know everything in the daw right away. You can't make music unless you start getting used to learning things
I'm a long time Ableton user and probably biased, but to make music in a DAW I like Ableton the most. Even though it can do a lot it still feels simple to used. When it come to complex routing and mixing setups, that's the point where I prefer studio one. For me Ableton is more for the creative, fool around part - something like Studio One is for the technical stuff. So basically Ableton is for me what you MPC is for you.
I've tried a few before landing on Ableton like 10 years ago. I tried Reason, Studio One, Pro Tools, Cubase and Ableton. I knew how to use FL Studio, but didnt care for it because it seemed like everybody producing modern Hip Hop/Trap beats were using it and i wanted to be different lol. Pro Tools, Studio One and Cubase all seemed more like DAWs mainly for instrumental recordings and mixing. Reason and Ableton seemed more geared towards electronic music creation. At the time, Reason (It was version 5) was MIDI only and you needed a separate app for audio, so i think that's how i settled on Ableton. I think i have to get more into sampling because im missing a big part of what makes Ableton great.
ASD Files are mainly useful for DJs I feel. Basically ASD Files allow you to save how you want a sample to be played when you drag it into different projects, saving the warping and clip tempo information so that if you're like a DJ and you want to drop the sample in quickly and remix something, Ableton doesn't have to waste time re-analyzing it to auto warp it, its already got that work saved from the ASD File. So if you're a DJ, and you're just improvising and remixing some Cardi B acapella, and you got this three minute drum break and you want to use it immediately in some random tempo, you drag it into Ableton in either the Sessions (Clip View) or onto a Track and it already knows how to warp it without any delays because of your ASD file. Otherwise it has to re-analyze the sample to warp it which takes time, especially if its a really long sample or three minute song. If you don't care about this you can make it stop creating ASD files by going to File at the very top and going to Settings, going into the File/Folder section and turn off "Create Analysis Files"
That's one of the percs of Acidized wav files & Apple Loops... they store all the info you listed in the wav/aif file.. without creating an additional file. Producers use to make them in their sample packs.. back in the day.. then stopped 😅 Ableton doesn't read the Metadata in those files.. so it creates hundreds of files instead 🤦🏾♂️ THX 4 the info on stopping the madness 😆
I use them mainly for presets. Any changes you make to an audio file or midi file are stored there. Just dragging an ASD from another project will copy all the the original work done on that track, clip, instance of a plugin... everything. Do the work once. No need to repeat. It's has so many way to work into anyones workflow, if you are familiar with it. As a technical writer I find the Ableton Help actually pretty good comparatively speaking. If Bolo spent a little more time understanding them, I think his brain would OTT.
Once you get past the learning curve Ableton is the business..So many ways you can tackle a beat, Been using it for about 10 years now and have only scratched the surface, yet still i've been able to make so very dope stuff. If there is one thing I can suggest is to create a default template with an instances of your favorite plugins, vst's, and drum racks with any effects you might use for said instrument then save it as the default template so anytime you open Ableton you can just start creating without having to load everything as you go.💯
I couldn't afford the interface for Pro tools back in the days so my first 'kind of' DAW where I initially attempted to make beats was a program created by Sony called Acid Pro way back in 2002 or so. It was a looping software that made it easy for me to produce my own beats and also record my audio at the time. Within a few years I made the transition to FL studio which I felt wasn't professional enough. Somewhere around 2008 I discovered Ableton and I've been making beats on it since. Like you said, the main thing that attracted me to Ableton was the way it handles audio, warping and looping. With Ableton you spend way less time making adjustments to your audio and more time just being creative. When you combine that with the Push 2 or 3, sky's the limit. Very few software/hardware combos work as well as this combo's ecosystem other than maybe the NI & Maschine in my opinion.
I'm not a hip hop producer as I'm making electronic music. What I would say is that you need to keep in mind it was made by electronic music artists and it is heavily geared towards live performances as well. That's why the UI and even the Push is different from anything else in the market. If I had one advice to give you, once you're getting comfortable in Ableton, dive into the world of Max for Live. You'll be blown away by all the effects and instruments created by the community. Also, the drag and drop of samples into a Simpler is exactly how it works actually, the nuance is that you need to not drop it on the grid. Or simply double click the sample and will load in a MIDI simpler (be careful of not having any channels currently selected, it will override the base device).
You get into Ableton Live and think you know what it is quite fast… at some point between 2 and 8 months, it will properly click, then you start to learn the details and then you realise how amazing it is.
You can't play with Ableton. You will whine up making it your main source for creating beats. I was off & on since 4. Around 7 I was full throttle. I'm getting ready to start submitting. You'll see what I mean.
Yeah you can turn it off the .asd extension is the warp file for the clip Just Navigate to the Preference Menu Select the File Folders Tab and click the Create Analysis file option to turn it off
I personally recently switched from Ableton to Logic Pro. For what I do, mashups and remixes, using a lot of acapellas, I find the warping feature works much better in LP than Ableton. Just the way it handles acapellas that aren't so exact on beat. Ableton shifts the pitch in certain parts, way too much. Another huge thing LP has over Ableton, the mixer! I also prefer LP's built in sampler or Ableton's Simpler and Sampler. Drum designer, setting the key of the whole track, LP on iPad, etc. LP is working great for my workflow.
I've experimented with most of the popular DAWS over the years.... Ultimately I gravitated towards Studio One (currently have SO5) and FL Studio... Studio One has a lot of similar features as Ableton . As far as the ASD files you mentioned, That is ableton's way of storing all the metadata pertinent to your session, That way when you reopen it every time everything is still intact
First, is good to see you getting over being such. Great video AND great comments! Almost of your cons have very simple solutions that have been answered here in the comments section. Ableton Live is the answer! Many people are afraid to even try a new DAW or learn something new. You are a real producer!
As someone who started out with the MPC 2000XL, Reason and then Logic, Ableton is the end of the road for me. All of the music I have made since 2016 has been done in this DAW. To echo what a lot of people are saying in the comments, in the beginning it seems intimidating and awkward at first glance but the more and more you dive in, the workflow becomes seamless and fun. Love the channel by the way 👊🏾
Now you must try Bitwig 😁 After Ableton, you will be impressed. This DAWs has many similarities because some Bitwig devs work for Ableton earlier, but in some direction Bitwig is much more better.
I love to color my projects If I got a feeling going on a song the whole project can be blue and shades of red or purple it help my brain process the sound. The UI can be colored any color thats probably my favorite feature other than if your computer has a driver for a piece of hardware then it shows up native to be routed and connected. hook up serato sample and navigate your entire catalog of work in key
Ableton's best feature hands down is the Drum Racks. Best thing i found for easily making Drum kits. And you can drag almost anything into the Pads, Samples, mp3s, soft synths, effects, midi effects, external instruments. Their normal Racks are the same thing but for instruments so you can easily layer stuff. And then you can combine both to create some very crazy stuff. I been using Ableton for 16 years and it has been great for making beats, producing/mixing, and live performances. Their stock effects are also underrated. They might look a bit drab, but they can cover you pretty well for almost any production task. Each update gets better as well. ill admit in 2007, i was pretty confused at first but it is definitely like learning to drive a car. The MPC was like learning to ride a bike. I have FL Studio as well and that program confuses the hell out of me. That is like learning to fly a plane.
You can turn the asd off. You dbl click the Audio sound in the file browser and it will automatically open a sampler for you and a new Midi track, or if you want it on a specific Midi track just highlight the track then dbl click your Audio and it will open the sampler and load the sample automatically on that selected midi track.
Thanks for this review. I'm a dedicated Ableton producer. In the game of DAWs it's the first one i started on. I was intimidated by the simplistic Swiss Army Knife. The future of more good producers coming over to the DAW is bright! Peace!
The sound thing is cause abelton cuts everything off over 0db in the program unlike other daws where there only cut the audio off over 0db once you’ve exported
I was able to learn Ableton Live way faster compared to FL Studio. AL just feels way more intuitive and the warp features are really clutch. I used to think the UI was ugly too, Dark Mode and customizable colors really saved it for me 😂.
Ableton is fantastic although it's more geared towards electronic and techno music. It's also set up for live performances and jamming on the fly. You can of course directly add audio samples on the audio channels, the simpler instrument is when you want to use audio on a midi channel.
Althought I'm right suprised you're just now trying Ableton for the first time, i'm impressed by by that fact. It explains why it is you are where you are in temrs of music, having big placement and plaques. Being in this industry, be it hobby or as professional hopping around simply does not lend well to completion nor learning. yet, it's we do... salute!
It's funny about the layout, as I once used early days Ableton Lite with PT as my primary DAW setup (MPC, too) but my secondary DAW was Tracktion, now known as Waveform. That has the same flip flopped layout😂. It's also what kicked off the drag and drop fx that Studio One uses. But while Reason's the other beatmaking DAW I use. I may explore Ableton again one day. I always did like it.
Ableton LIVE has its pros and cons and they are unique to each individuals use case. For me personally, I prefer producing in Ableton and tracking and editing my vocals in Cubase. Just gotta find the workflow that helps you make the music you want to create. Ableton make it way easier to get ideas out of my head.
I love ableton. Been using it for like 2 or 3 yrs now coming from Maschine. I respect the creators over at that place. Its a great product and im loyal to the brand.
Regarding the simpler/sampler if you don't want to drag the vst onto the track first and then add the audio. All you have to do is have an empty midi track open and drag the audio right onto the track itself and ableton would automatically place the audio into simpler for you.
Have you tried adding all the dope audio fx into the processing chain? The filter, amp and compression are quite good. Simpler has a great auto splice function as well. Once you get going in Ableton, it’s one of the best DAW’s. It doesn’t have lots of eye candy , but that saves on processing and distraction from musical creation.Finally, there’s Note for iOS to create sketches and then you can continue them in Live via their cloud.
Ableton is my "go to" sketchpad for making beats, arranging and vocal tracking. To each his own, but my ideas flow faster in Ableton. I have all of the major DAWS and IMO Ableton rank#1 for creativity.
Yo Bolo I believe the .asd file is a file Ableton uses to store info about warping. If I remember correctly it's only added to audio files. Because when I would remove the extension I couldn't use the file as a .wav file and if I deleted to .asd file all audio settings used on that audio file were lost. Besides they're relatively small files just containing text in a computer language Ableton uses, and it's saved right along side of your audio file. So if you're going to use that audio file in another app it's best to export that file as a Stem. Because the warping done in Ableton is not written to the audio file until you save it as a new file or export it as a Stem.
Bein a Ableton user since 2008 it’s my go to and the only daw I use,I’ve tried pro tools,Reason and Cubase but Ableton is my fav by far and will always be my go to
It's one of Ableton's paradigms to keep WAV files untouched. So start / stop marks (and other related stuff) will be stored in an ASD file whenever you use a WAV.
I could do a master course in both Ableton and FLstudio as I have used both for so long. I will say Ableton once you get used to the shortcuts, workflow, and work arounds. It is such a great daw for getting what is in your head out very fast. Give it time, such as 4 months, it will be a blast.
asd files are analysis files containing information on audio files for things like time stretching, speed, tempo and pitch. Analysis files are created when an audio file is brought into Ableton for the first time. It is safe to delete analysis files, and you can stop them being created in Ableton preferences.
asd files are analysis files containing information on audio files for things like time stretching, speed, tempo and pitch. Analysis files are created when an audio file is brought into Ableton for the first time. It is safe to delete analysis files, and you can stop them being created in Ableton preferences.
in 2020 I took a class on Ableton Live.I started making beats on there last year. I made beats on Mpc s and Synthesizers through protools. Ableton can be opened inside of Protools. You would need 2 monitors. I have some beats i made on my page i uploaded this weekend. I have used Ableton to record audio but I wouldn't recommend it only because I havent mastered it. Protools would be my preferred DAW but Ableton is very powerful in my opinion. The sound level is pretty high. Thats my opinion.
Do Not Delete the .asd files. They are analysis files that contain all of the information Live uses for time stretching, tempo, pitch, loop settings and warp markers - basically, all the stuff that makes Live such a great app. If you've spent hours perfecting a loop, all of your work gets saved along side of the original .aif, .wav or .flac file in a format that only takes up about 1 Mb of space on your drive. Any time you open that sound file with its accompanying .asd file, it will open exactly how you saved it, will all of that extra information. The file volume, tempo, every warp marker, the pitch - all of your hard work exactly how you wanted it.
@@BoloDaProducerI personally switched the creation of asd files off. It still memorized all that stuff, it just takes a fraction longer to load a session. To me it’s wel worth not having the clutter. But that’s personal preference
Bolo sending you mad love from the UK. What took you so long with the Ableton LIve man??? It's the DAW that I swear by. Big ups to you man and wishing you continued success.
Instrument Rack is a godsend when using library software like Analog Lab and Kontakt and you don't use their respective midi controllers. Definitely recommend learning how to use, (and save) them.
I'm more of an FL Studio user, but I do like some things about Ableton. It has some tools and intricacies that made me eventually buy a copy of it, but I still use FL mainly. Sometimes I'll use FL as a scratchpad, then convert my stems to WAV and continue working on the project in Ableton. Ableton's time stretching and warping is one of the best, and I love their stock plugins.
I feel it's good he came up with some issues that are actually features. A little investigation would reveal some workflow jems. I sold my Machine for Push 2. I still have the Komplete 14, but use more of the workflow aspects with the DAW.
Go to options , file folders tab & turn of analysis file option. You can actually create default templates for any idea or setup by dragging setups to the far left browser. Get in those options Bolo. I think you are about to crossover big bro. Once you get comfortable... get a Push controller. It's actually going standalone but just Live without a CPU. Have fun bro. Cause it is going to be fun &get well big dog. 💪🏽
I usually use drum racks, external instrument rack, and sampler. The drums you can explode, but even before that they are all routed to separate audio channels. Simpler I never use cuz sampler does everything as far as needing to just manipulate a single oneshot. I'm not too big on the stock instruments, but the effects in Ableton you don't really need much. Maybe some tape stop, guitar rig type or stuff but very well capable with stock effects.
5:42 that’s how produce all my tracks. I never make a beat in sequence view. I like to make different takes then I sequence live like I’m performing it 8:00
I had the same issue with not getting back to the main screen, I just uploaded studio one back up, but it's been in the back of my mind. The plugins are good.
I have zero knowledge of ableton live , I’m working on pro tools right now but I started long ago with cool exit pro , I feel like it’s mostly preference at the end of the day just finding a formula that works for me everytime so I can get nice and comfy and get stuff done , I’m always happiest after that learning curve
Re the audio selecting and moving around, you have to click the top of the audio file, there are a number of things you can do with the audio file depending on where you click the Audio file, upper half, lower half, right left, etc its actually really crazy some of the stuff you can do.
As a10+ user of ableton, one tip i can give you once you start diving into using audio effects and the stock instruments, is to remember that the initial sound, doesn't have to be the end result. Ableton's workflow when it comes to using effects allows you to take some of the dull sounds that come stock, allows you to turn them into what ever you hearing, you just have to do the processing yourself a few times. You can save your processing chains as Effect Racks or Instrument racks and the amount of effects you can have on any given track is as much as your CPU will handle. It's easy to be fooled by the previews of stock instruments when browsing them. They may not sound great initially every time but you always have the control to make it better in your own way.
Ableton is the fastest production DAW on the market IMHO. It is really cool to record MIDI in Session view. You can use audio and MIDI loops together of various lengths and then record the arrangement you create into Arrange view.
Yes. My first PC MIDI sequencer was Passport Trax in the 90s. It's per track looping of midi tracks was very similar to Ableton. I then went MPC which only had whole sequence looping which is how most DAWS work. I always missed the Passport Trax feature until I started using Ableton.
That’s funny because I just got the trial of Ableton last week. And I noticed that my drums hit harder I kept hearing Timbaland talking about it. And you are right about the look. It looks a little dated.
I think it is one of the better looking programs though. It looks clean and neutral (kind of like my old light beige mpc 2000) and that way I can focus on my music. It's instruments can look pretty bleak though but once you get past that, they have some good stuff.
You could turn off the asd file thing. So in the preferences go to the file/folder tab and turn off "create analysis file". It might let you have that all in one folder of choice. I haven't touched it in a while. All it is a file that contains warp, BPM, and key info. If your computer is fast enough you don't really need it on to notice a difference.
asd FIles are used to store Informations from the Clip, they are Analysis FIles containing Things like Clip Gain, Warp Settings and other Settings from the Clip Panel. But you can deactivate them in the Preferences (File/Folder-> create Analysis Files), if you don't need them.
There is this little Save Button you can use to save the current Clip Settings in the asd File, so when you import the Sample into a new Project it already has all your Settings applied.
I'm curious, what do you like about Ableton over Studio One? Also using a program like Studio One, why did you feel the need to even want to try Ableton Live?
Nice. I'm a Studio One user with a license of Ableton Live Suite installed on my MacBook Although Live is a great daw, I'd created a web in Studio One that I can't escape with customizable keyboard shortcuts, macros and just learning the daw inside and out.
Oh! I forgot to comment about the Drum Rack! It has an MPC-like work flow. Ableton has at least 4 ways to make beats Session view Arrangement view Drum rack Simpler/ sampler
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yea if u double click the sample in the browser it will automatically create a simpler track with it and that .asd you can turn off in preferences where says create analysis file.
Looking forward to watching this! I went whole hog on Ableton years ago and burnt out on it. Try it every now and then and realize how unintuitive it is --- at least to me! Currently using MPC standalone and MPC 2 DAW.
Hi 👋🏾 I’m representing @Royallmuzikproductionz 🇬🇧 🇩🇲 . I’ve been using Ableton from 2010,I’ve used logic a little bit, Cubase was my first DAW and Luna. I’m die hard Ableton , like if Bruce Willis was a producer typa way😂. I use Luna to mix for the past 6 months and I love the sound I’m getting. I’ve stuck to Ableton cause it’s easy to put ideas together and external audio devices are great to fit into your project and get a sound from hardware. You guys are serious on the mpc and like you rightly said Bolo Ableton is a beast when it comes to audio manipulation or creation on a whole.. I wish they’d just hear my voice and put a button to bypass all plugins and also to see plugins in mixer view or clip view.. inspite of that I use Reason rack (dope) within Ableton and maschine mikro mk3 . I mean I gots so much sauce like it’s unreal!!! 🫡
Bolo, just found out through a quick google search .asd files are for audio files that give information about 'time strech, tempo pitch etc similar to exporting a track on fl that has 'time stamps' and so on) and i get what you mean with the selecting/highlighting at times is strange and the ui also. however with the shortcuts it makes stuff so easy, ctrl and J i believe is consolidate, ctrl e is cut i think but yeah its just quick and easy once you get past the strangeness of the ui. being from fl and finding it frustrating im glad i switched.
it doesn't just drag files in with a simpler just in case you want to put samples directly on the grid but if you want you can make so that when you put in a midi track it loads an can have the simpler already on it
Hola senor Bolo. Wishing you well on health. I haven't tackled Ableton yet seems to have all the bells/whistles for dj/musicians. Overwhelmed for a 61 year old 🎧🧠
