The Ableton Q&A Thread

[OfficialDAPT]

oh, okay. won't that damage the quality or sth?

not sure what sth is but just make sure they aren't clipping the master and there won't be any distortion if you are just lowering the levels.

[Disco Nutter]

Just make sure to hit "save" on the clips after you set their volume!

[DubMikey]

Lets say that I load a whole note of a bass that I made into a Sampler. How do I set it up to change pitch without stretching the sample when I play different keys? If this is possible that is.

[mks]

Lets say that I load a whole note of a bass that I made into a Sampler. How do I set it up to change pitch without stretching the sample when I play different keys? If this is possible that is.

It works the other way I believe, if I am understanding you correctly. It doesn't automatically stretch in the Sampler as it would behave like in any other sampler. It does pitch up or down when you play the keys, of course the note getting shorter as you play the higher keys. The way around that is to loop the note and apply a crossfade where the loop begins and ends. You can also change the pitch of the original sample of course as well.

[Disco Nutter]

As far as I know, Live's samplers don't have a stretching function, so you'll have to use another sampler or stretch and bounce them manually in the arrangement view and throw them in the sampler afterwords.

[DubMikey]

As mks says, I want it to pitch up and down as I press the different keys, without the sample getting either longer or shorter. Could you explain in depth how to do this? I'm very very new on Live 8, soooo.

[sn0wday]

I'm using Ableton's "Hip Hop subbass" for a bassline of a track, I have this sidechanined with the beat using the compressor. If I solo the subbass, I can hear slight crackles and pops on the beat. how do i get rid of this? I mean I can't hear it when the entire track is playing of course, but this does seem like something I should fix. I've tried bring the gain down, but it doesn't change anything in terms of these pops/cracks.

[nowaysj]

I believe this is from the speed of the attack and release settings in your compressor. If they are too fast, the sub will be turned down or up too quickly (by the sidechain) and so will click. Potentially you can eq out the clicks, potentially transient shape the click (remove the attack, so the attack click will disappear) OR (drum roll) you can increase the attack and release times on the comp until the clicks disappear. Really listen to the mix, really listen for the clicks, if you can't hear them, they're not there In production, we can't always have what we want, we're often trading off one thing for another, and doing our best to cover our tracks when we have to. Sidechaing is one of those things, getting those clicks from a compressor is another, burrying those clicks in the mix is still another. Just listen very closely and make the best call you can.

Again, if these terms don't make sense, look them up on google. Lots to learn.

[Disco Nutter]

When sidechaining sub with Live's compressor, use it's FF1 setting, there won't be any pops.

[Mr_Frost]

Noob question here.

I've got a bass patch in operator with a compressor sidechained to my drumrack. How do I assign it only to the kick drum rather than the whole rack? Or should I just put my kick drum in a separate channel?

[bibbyj]

From the drop-down menu underneath the side-chain button, select your drum rack, then from the drop-down menu underneath that one, you get a list of all the sounds contained within the rack select which ever sound you want to side-chain from.

[Mr_Frost]

From the drop-down menu underneath the side-chain button, select your drum rack, then from the drop-down menu underneath that one, you get a list of all the sounds contained within the rack select which ever sound you want to side-chain from.

Thanks...that's the one..not sure how I missed the 2nd drop down. In general do people run the side chain pre or post effects?

[bibbyj]

I usually use Pre FX, just for as simple a signal as possible, but I'm guessing there are uses for Post, just can't think of any at the moment

[sn0wday]

When sidechaining sub with Live's compressor, use it's FF1 setting, there won't be any pops.

Thank you! This fixed it.

Anby tips on making my kicks a little more powerful? I'm making this silly hip-hop beat for a friend right now, I have an 808-kick side chained with some hip-hop subbass, anything else I can do? They sound flimsy and as if they're made entirely of subbass that gets pretty drowned out.

Also, the side chaining of these kick create a slight bass whistle, does this just mean i should turn down the compressing/subbass a bit?

[sn0wday]

Also! What is the difference between Speaker On, and Track Volume in terms of changing the envelope?

I'm also having trouble with the envelope, if I make two break points like: ------*---------*--------
And i want to lower the section in the middle like:------*_______*------
and I try to drag that middle section it goes like: ____,_______,_____ as in lowering the entirely track disregarding the break points.

[Disco Nutter]

Well, Speaker On automates the On/Off switch of the track, while Volume automates the channel's volume.

[itzDetrimental]

Anyone here have an APC20/APC40? I'm picking up the 20 soon, so I was just wondering how you guys liked them.

[nowaysj]

Love the 40. Best midi controller I've ever used.

[Gusto]

Also! What is the difference between Speaker On, and Track Volume in terms of changing the envelope?

I'm also having trouble with the envelope, if I make two break points like: ------*---------*--------
And i want to lower the section in the middle like:------*_______*------
and I try to drag that middle section it goes like: ____,_______,_____ as in lowering the entirely track disregarding the break points.

You shouldn't automate Speaker On or Track Volume (i.e. Mute and the mixer fader). Better off chucking a Utility on the end of the FX chain and automating that so you can still mute and mix without fucking up your automation.

And for the second part, you need four break points, not two. There's four vertices to make that rectangular null in the envelope.

[nowaysj]

There's four vertices to make that rectangular null in the envelope.

NERD !!!