IntroductionWelcome| 00:00 | (music playing)
| | 00:04 | Hi! My name is Mike Kiraly and welcome
to Ableton Live 9 Tips and Tricks.
| | 00:09 | In this course we'll look at some of my
favorite techniques to take your Ableton
| | 00:13 | skills to the next level.
(music playing)
| | 00:17 | I'll start by showing some of the best
uses for Live's clip envelope feature.
| | 00:25 | Then I'll walk you through how to
develop complex effects and arrangement
| | 00:29 | sequences with follow actions.
| | 00:33 | Lastly, I'll introduce you to dummy
clips, a powerful production tool that you
| | 00:37 | won't even find in the Ableton Live manual.
| | 00:39 | I'll be covering all of this and more,
so let's get started with Ableton Live
| | 00:44 | 9 Tips and Tricks.
| | Collapse this transcript |
| Using the exercise files| 00:00 | If you're a Premium member of the
lynda.com online training library or if you're
| | 00:05 | watching this tutorial on the DVD-ROM,
you have access to the exercise files
| | 00:09 | used throughout this title.
| | 00:10 | If you open the Exercise Files folder, you'll
see everything you need, laid out in chapter order.
| | 00:16 | Within each chapter folder are project
folders organized in the same order as
| | 00:20 | each video, and inside are the Ableton
project files which will allow you to
| | 00:25 | follow along with the course.
| | 00:27 | Double-clicking on these project
files will open them in Ableton Live, and
| | 00:30 | you'll be ready to go.
| | 00:33 | If you are Monthly member or Annual
member of lynda.com, you don't have
| | 00:37 | access to the exercise files, but you can
follow along from scratch with your own assets.
| | 00:42 | So let's get started with
Ableton Live 9 Tips and Tricks.
| | Collapse this transcript |
|
|
1. Pushing the Envelope: Getting the Most Out of Clip EnvelopesUnderstanding the differences between clip envelopes and automation| 00:00 | Clip envelopes are a powerful tool
which allows Live users to embed time-based
| | 00:05 | device or plug-in parameter
modulations within an audio or MIDI clip.
| | 00:10 | However, people might easily mistake
clip envelopes for clip automation.
| | 00:14 | This is understandable, since at first
glance it would appear as if there is
| | 00:18 | little difference between creating a
clip envelope and creating clip automation.
| | 00:23 | Both of these processes create a user-
defined change in a parameter over a
| | 00:27 | specified period of time.
| | 00:29 | But there are a few key differences,
and those differences are what give clip
| | 00:33 | envelopes their unique power.
| | 00:36 | Automation breakpoints in envelopes,
such as the ones you would create within a
| | 00:39 | clip in Session view, are defined
values tied to a fixed moment of time.
| | 00:44 | For example, in this clip, I've chosen
to automate the Frequency parameter of
| | 00:48 | an instance of auto filter so that it moves
from low to high over the span of two measures.
| | 00:54 | All points on this automation envelope
are absolute values, meaning that the
| | 00:58 | automated parameter--again, in this case
Frequency--will strictly adhere to the
| | 01:03 | values indicated by this line.
| | 01:05 | Once this automation has been written,
the device control will not be able to be
| | 01:10 | changed during that time period.
| | 01:11 | (music playing.)
| | 01:15 | Unless you override the data. At this
point it would just stay in the last input
| | 01:22 | value until I rewrite or
re-enable that automation.
| | 01:25 | (music playing.)
| | 01:28 | Clip envelopes don't
behave in exactly the same way.
| | 01:31 | Like automation envelopes, a parameter is
altered over a period of time, but clip
| | 01:36 | envelopes output relative
values, not absolute ones.
| | 01:40 | Clip envelopes modulate or change
device control over a user-specified range.
| | 01:46 | This clip has the same envelope, but
it's controlling a clip envelope instead of
| | 01:50 | an automation envelope.
The result sounds the same.
| | 01:53 | (music playing.)
| | 01:59 | But it's not forcing a defined value
like automation would, and therefore the
| | 02:03 | device control can still be freely
manipulated to enable further variations.
| | 02:08 | Listen as I change the Frequency value.
| | 02:10 | (music playing.)
| | 02:16 | No matter what I change this value to,
the sweeping motion is still occurring,
| | 02:20 | but over a different range.
Making these changes doesn't override the Envelope.
| | 02:25 | It may seem like a subtle difference
with limited applications, but I find that
| | 02:30 | the ability to continually alter
device control while maintaining a
| | 02:34 | predetermined parameter change effect
affords users additional layers of
| | 02:38 | control and flexibility not
offered by traditional automation.
| | 02:42 | In the next video, I will demonstrate
this process and provide practical examples
| | 02:47 | to employ in your Live projects.
| | Collapse this transcript |
| Creating clip envelopes and putting them to work| 00:00 | I'd like to venture beyond the
theoretical discussion of clip envelopes from the
| | 00:04 | previous video with a practical example.
| | 00:07 | To do so, I'm going to attempt to
re-create the same basic filter cutoff effect
| | 00:11 | by utilizing a clip envelope.
| | 00:13 | I'll start by opening Envelopes
box by clicking on this E button.
| | 00:18 | The Clip View area expands to show all
of the available options and parameters
| | 00:23 | for working with clip envelopes.
| | 00:24 | It's important to note an important
change in Live 9 with respect to how
| | 00:29 | this editing area works.
| | 00:30 | In previous versions of Live, clicking
on this E would open up the Envelopes
| | 00:35 | box and clip envelopes were
instantly available for editing.
| | 00:38 | Clicking on this E will
still open up the Envelopes box,
| | 00:42 | but now the editing area
defaults to Clip Automation.
| | 00:45 | This is a new feature found only in Live 9.
| | 00:48 | Clip envelopes are now accessed by
selecting the appropriate parameter
| | 00:52 | automation option in the control
chooser and then right-clicking in the Clip
| | 00:57 | view and selecting Show Modulation.
| | 01:01 | The parameter will now show in
the control chooser drop down.
| | 01:05 | The word Modulation will be added
just so it can be distinguished from clip
| | 01:08 | automation for the same parameter.
| | 01:10 | By the way, you'll notice I
keep throwing the words modulate or
| | 01:13 | modulations around.
| | 01:15 | A modulation is simply a change that
continually cycles between a high value and a low value.
| | 01:21 | After selecting the Frequency
parameter for modulation, the Clip view will
| | 01:25 | display a horizontal red line
in the middle of the waveform.
| | 01:29 | This visually represents the audio clip.
| | 01:31 | If I create a breakpoint at the start
and drag it all the way down, and another
| | 01:36 | at the end and drag it all the way up,
it would appear, at least visually, as if
| | 01:43 | I've created the
ascending sweep I was looking for.
| | 01:46 | But take note of a very small but very
important detail: the breakpoint values
| | 01:51 | are not shown as frequency values as
they would if it were an automation line;
| | 01:56 | rather, the display indicates percentages. Why?
| | 01:59 | Because clip envelopes do not change
the specific value of the Frequency
| | 02:03 | parameter; rather, it modulates the
Parameter value up or down using the
| | 02:09 | Parameter value I've chosen as a starting
point. Allow me to break that down further.
| | 02:13 | I'll hit back to the Auto Filter device and
change the Frequency value to around 500 Hz.
| | 02:19 | Now I will double-click on the clip
and look at the clip envelope again.
| | 02:25 | Remember that line I started with in
the center before we added breakpoints?
| | 02:29 | That line represents a 0%
change in the Parameter value.
| | 02:34 | So if I delete these breakpoints and
return the line to its starting point
| | 02:41 | in the middle, there would be no change in
the frequency, and it would stay at 500 Hz.
| | 02:45 | (music playing.)
| | 02:50 | Now, if I add the breakpoints back and
raise the N1 to its highest level, you'll
| | 02:56 | see that the value shown is 50%,
meaning the ramp will increase the frequency
| | 03:01 | value by 50% of the total frequency range.
| | 03:04 | Similarly, if I take that breakpoint
and move it below the line to its lowest
| | 03:08 | possible value, it will show a value of -50%.
| | 03:12 | This means the frequency value will
start at 500 Hz and drop 50% of the
| | 03:17 | total frequency range.
| | 03:19 | At first, this might seem confusing,
but it's actually a very powerful tool,
| | 03:23 | because I now have the ability to
program a parameter change while still being
| | 03:27 | able to alter the parameter's base value.
| | 03:30 | Look at the Auto Filter again.
| | 03:31 | This time I'm going to change the
Frequency value to its maximum value of 19.9
| | 03:36 | kHz. Returning to the Clip Envelope view,
| | 03:39 | I will restore that second
breakpoint to a +50% value.
| | 03:46 | Now I will play the clip.
| | 03:47 | (music playing.)
| | 03:50 | Nothing happens to the frequency. Why?
| | 03:53 | Because the clip envelope starts at a
0% change, which represents 19.9 kHz, and
| | 03:59 | moves up 50%, but 19.9 kHz is the
maximum value, so it can't move up 50%--or
| | 04:06 | even 5% for that matter.
| | 04:08 | But if I push that breakpoint back down
to -50%, I will hear the clip start at
| | 04:14 | 0% change--again, 19.9 kHz--
and move down 50% appropriately.
| | 04:20 | (music playing.)
| | 04:25 | The filter doesn't close completely;
| | 04:26 | it will stop halfway between the
entire range of values, so halfway between
| | 04:31 | 19.9 kHz and 26 Hz.
| | 04:34 | If I reset my breakpoints to their
original locations, I now have a program
| | 04:40 | filter sweep, but I can continually
change where the sweep begins and ends by
| | 04:44 | editing the center value.
| | 04:45 | (music playing.)
| | 04:55 | I'm not locked into anything.
| | 04:57 | I can spontaneously adjust the center
point and therefore the range of the
| | 05:00 | frequency sweeps at will.
| | 05:02 | It's this feature that can allow
for increased creative freedom over
| | 05:05 | traditional automation.
| | Collapse this transcript |
| Using clip envelopes to create and manage alternate variations of clips| 00:00 | In the last video I demonstrated a
quick and useful way to create parameter
| | 00:04 | modulations through clip envelopes.
| | 00:07 | I'd like to build on that foundation by
exploring this tool further, to help make
| | 00:11 | your music increasingly dynamic and compelling.
| | 00:14 | Here is the drum loop I
worked on in the first video.
| | 00:16 | (music playing)
| | 00:20 | To illustrate the concept behind
clip envelopes, I created an envelope to
| | 00:24 | modulate the frequency parameter of an
instance of Auto Filter placed on the track.
| | 00:29 | The original intention was to create a
transition effect as the filter's cut-off
| | 00:33 | increased and more high frequency
content was allowed to pass through.
| | 00:37 | While I like the impact of this effect,
I would like to test out different
| | 00:41 | variations of this cut-off modulation
without overriding or losing the original idea.
| | 00:46 | Essentially I want to create an
alternate take so that I can exploit
| | 00:51 | Session view's biggest strength: the ability
to spontaneously trigger any clip at any time.
| | 00:57 | I'll copy the clip to the next slot
within the same channel and quickly rename
| | 01:00 | it to distinguish it from the original.
| | 01:06 | If I look at the Clip Envelope view,
I will see it that envelope I drew before
| | 01:11 | is still here. Conveniently, clip
envelope data is retained when copying a clip.
| | 01:15 | I listen as I revised this envelope
to create a different filter cut-off
| | 01:20 | pattern that appeals to me, and
which could fit within the context of the
| | 01:24 | track I'm working on.
| | 01:25 | (music playing)
| | 01:35 | After a few quick adjustments,
I think I found a new envelope that I like.
| | 01:39 | Now I have two clips, each with a different
variation of the filter opening and closing.
| | 01:43 | (music playing)
| | 01:53 | I can now trigger either slip while
jamming in Session view to audition each
| | 01:56 | of the variations against each other,
or other elements in my track. And it
| | 02:01 | doesn't have to stop here.
| | 02:02 | It's easy to make another copy
and create another variation.
| | 02:05 | (music playing)
| | 02:11 | Now, let's push this one step further and
add another clip envelope to modulate a
| | 02:16 | completely different device.
| | 02:19 | I'll start by activating another
effect plugin instantiated on this track--
| | 02:23 | in this case Ableton's Grain Delay.
| | 02:26 | Grain Delay can be a pretty aggressive effect.
| | 02:28 | (music playing)
| | 02:34 | It can often transform the audio into
processing a bizarre spaced-out shadow
| | 02:39 | of its former self, but only if the Wet/Dry
Mix control is above its minimum value of 0.
| | 02:46 | I'd like to add this effect into my
existing clips so that I have variation
| | 02:50 | in both the Filter Frequency and the Wet/
Dry Mix percentage of the Grain Delay effect.
| | 02:55 | Remembering that that control
selection process for clip envelopes has been
| | 02:59 | changed in Live 9, I will select Grain
Delay's Wet/Dry control in the control
| | 03:04 | chooser, and then right-click in the
Clip view and choose Show Modulation.
| | 03:10 | Now I should pause here and point out
a part of this process that is slightly
| | 03:13 | different from the filter
frequency example from the previous video.
| | 03:17 | When I created the clip envelope to
modulate frequency, the range of values was
| | 03:22 | displayed as a range of -50% to +50%,
with the default being the middle value of 0.
| | 03:29 | Now take a look as I create a clip
envelope for Grain Delay's Wet/Dry parameter.
| | 03:36 | The range is 0% to 100% with the
default being 100%. Why is this different?
| | 03:43 | Well, the short answer is that Ableton
looked at each available parameter and
| | 03:47 | made a judgment call as to which ones
are best suited to be modulated positively
| | 03:52 | or negatively from its chosen center
value--often called bipolar modulation--or
| | 03:57 | best modulated from a low value to a
high value, generally referred to as
| | 04:02 | unipolar modulation.
| | 04:04 | Some of these determinations might be
considered subjective, but more often
| | 04:08 | than not, the choice between these
two options reflects the nature of a
| | 04:12 | parameter's default value.
| | 04:14 | For example, a virtual pan knob's
default position is in the center. 50% of the
| | 04:20 | overall range is to the left, and 50%
of the overall range is to the right.
| | 04:24 | This is a perfect
candidate for bipolar modulation.
| | 04:27 | Now look at a typical Wet/Dry Mix knob.
The range is typically expressed as 0%
| | 04:33 | to 100%, with default value usually at 0%.
| | 04:38 | Generally speaking, you would be
inclined to modulate this kind of parameter
| | 04:42 | from a minimum to a maximum, and
therefore in a unipolar fashion.
| | 04:46 | But when it comes to clip envelopes,
the end result remains the same.
| | 04:50 | Regardless of the range decided upon by
Ableton, clip envelopes always modulate
| | 04:56 | the parameter relative to the
current value on that control.
| | 05:00 | I'm going to set the Wet/Dry Mix to 20%.
| | 05:04 | Notice that 20% is not the
maximum value on this control; 100% is.
| | 05:12 | But anything over 20% is
too pronounced for my tastes.
| | 05:16 | If I add two break points to create a
ramp from 0% to 100%, the Wet/Dry Mix will
| | 05:25 | change from the control's minimum value
at 0 up to my chosen full value of 20%.
| | 05:30 | (music playing)
| | 05:38 | I want to drive this point home.
100% of this clip envelope represents 100%
| | 05:45 | of the control's current value or 20%,
not 100% of the control's potential
| | 05:52 | value, which is 100%.
| | 05:54 | I know that this can be very confusing,
so just try to think of it this way:
| | 05:59 | the control's current value becomes the
maximum value attainable by the clip envelope.
| | 06:05 | So I will now repeat this process so
that I have a few variations of the Grain
| | 06:09 | Delay effect added to the existing
variations of the frequency modulations.
| | 06:13 | (music playing)
| | 06:20 | This process can go on forever, and it's
only limited by your creative impulses.
| | 06:24 | Develop as many variations as you like
across as many parameters as you can think of.
| | 06:29 | This will take your jam sessions in
Session view to a whole new level.
| | Collapse this transcript |
| Unlinking clip envelopes for increased control| 00:00 | In the last video I demonstrated just a
fraction of the power and flexibility of
| | 00:04 | clip envelopes by creating multiple
parameter modulations that progress over the
| | 00:09 | length of a clip or its loop length.
| | 00:12 | But what if the modulation I want to
achieve is meant to develop over a time
| | 00:16 | frame that differs from that of my clip?
| | 00:19 | What if I want a 4-bar effect modulation,
but my audio clip is only 2 measures long?
| | 00:24 | In this video, I'm going to delve
deeper into clip envelopes and show how to
| | 00:28 | create a modulation that is a different
length than the clip it's embedded in.
| | 00:33 | And to achieve this, I'm going to
explore a feature known as unlinked envelopes.
| | 00:38 | I'll head back to my initial Drum loop
where I've created a short transition
| | 00:42 | effect by modulating the
Frequency parameter of Auto Filter.
| | 00:46 | Notice that the clip envelope is the same
length as the drum loop: 2 measures long.
| | 00:51 | That's because clip
envelopes default to a linked state.
| | 00:55 | Simply put, the default envelope
length is dictated by the clip length.
| | 01:00 | But what if I don't want the
filter to open up that quickly?
| | 01:04 | I think that the transition could have
a greater impact if the high-frequency
| | 01:07 | content of the loop increased
slowly over the span of 4 measures.
| | 01:12 | I'll start, as always, by double-clicking on
my audio clip to open the Clip View area.
| | 01:17 | Again, clicking on the E will open
the Envelope Editor if it's not already
| | 01:21 | showing. Because I already have a clip
envelope established, I can choose to
| | 01:26 | view it by selecting the proper
device in the Device Chooser and then the
| | 01:30 | appropriate parameter in the Control Chooser.
| | 01:32 | In this case, I'll return to the
Frequency Modulation control of Auto Filter.
| | 01:36 | While I have your attention in this
area of the screen, I'd like to point
| | 01:40 | something out that might save you
some head scratching in the future.
| | 01:43 | It's really, really important to
double-check that you have selected the
| | 01:47 | appropriate device in the Device Chooser
dropdown box, and here's the reason why:
| | 01:53 | some devices may have
identically named parameters.
| | 01:56 | For example, if I had a ping-pong
delay and a reverb on the same track, both
| | 02:01 | effect processors will show a Dry/Wet
parameter available in the Control Chooser dropdown.
| | 02:07 | Notice the box in the bottom-left labeled Loop.
| | 02:11 | Clicking this button will toggle between a
linked envelope and an unlinked envelope.
| | 02:15 | But what does that even mean?
| | 02:17 | Linked, which is the default state,
means that the duration of my clip envelope
| | 02:22 | will match, or be linked to, the
duration of my clip's length.
| | 02:27 | If I have a 1-measure clip and the
clip envelopes are linked, then my clip
| | 02:31 | envelope will be 1 measure.
| | 02:33 | If I adjust the start or end points
of the clip, the clip envelope will
| | 02:36 | be edited accordingly.
| | 02:38 | The same goes for a clip with loop engaged.
| | 02:41 | If you clip is looping every two
beats then a linked clip envelope will
| | 02:45 | loop every two beats.
| | 02:46 | It's as simple as that. But I want a
4-bar filter sweep over a looped 2-bar clip,
| | 02:52 | and that's where the
Unlinked option comes into play.
| | 02:55 | I'll toggle this button to Unlinked.
Then I have complete freedom to set the
| | 02:59 | clip envelope's length and loop
options independently from the clip itself.
| | 03:03 | It's kind of like having two clips in
one: an audio clip and a control clip.
| | 03:08 | Notice that once the button gets
switched to Unlinked the controls on the right
| | 03:12 | side have suddenly become available for editing.
| | 03:15 | These boxes, which look exactly like
their counterparts in the middle section of
| | 03:19 | Clip view, allow you to set the
clip envelope's start and end points.
| | 03:23 | The duration of my parameter
modulation is now totally up to me.
| | 03:28 | You'll also see that the audio
waveform has disappeared. Don't worry.
| | 03:31 | That's completely normal.
| | 03:33 | The waveform was only there to provide a
visual guide while drawing your envelope,
| | 03:37 | but now the envelope is unlinked and
therefore a reference to the length of the
| | 03:41 | original audio is relevant.
| | 03:43 | Now, it's time to change the clip
envelope's length to 4 bars by increasing the
| | 03:48 | End value to the beginning of the 5th measure.
| | 03:51 | If I head over to the sample display
area and try to zoom out, I can still
| | 03:55 | only see 2 measures.
| | 03:57 | That's because the clip envelope's Loop
option is still engaged and set to 2 measures.
| | 04:03 | I need to change that as well.
| | 04:07 | Now I can zoom out and see the area
available for drawing envelopes has
| | 04:10 | increased to 4 measures.
| | 04:12 | I can now edit my envelope as I see fit.
| | 04:18 | I'll trigger the clip to test it out.
| | 04:19 | (music playing)
| | 04:30 | Notice that the audio region continues
to loop every 2 measures, just as it has
| | 04:34 | been set up originally, but the clip
envelope follows its own path and performs
| | 04:38 | the filter sweep over its own 4 measure length.
| | 04:41 | And just like the clip envelope's
length, once unlinked, the clip envelope's
| | 04:46 | Loop settings are also
independent from the audio clip itself.
| | 04:50 | This quick example represents the
fundamental concept behind unlinking the
| | 04:54 | envelopes, but this is
just scratching the surface.
| | 04:58 | I could add clip envelopes for as many
parameters as I can think of, in as many
| | 05:02 | clips as I want, with any duration I choose.
| | 05:05 | This allows me to develop
extraordinarily complex sounds from just a single
| | 05:09 | boring 1-measure audio clip.
| | Collapse this transcript |
| Creating evolving elements by offsetting region and clip envelope length| 00:00 | Previously, I created a looping 4-bar
filter sweep over a looping 2-bar audio clip.
| | 00:06 | Although the clip envelope in the
audio are different lengths, it still
| | 00:10 | results in an endlessly repeating phrase.
| | 00:12 | I don't want to bore my audience, so
I'll create a few clip envelopes that have
| | 00:17 | different lengths from the original
clip and different lengths from each other.
| | 00:21 | And to make it truly special, I will
use clip envelope loop durations that are
| | 00:26 | not mathematically related to each
other. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
| | 00:30 | Let's start from the beginning.
| | 00:32 | I'll start by adding another effects
processor, and in this case, I've chosen the
| | 00:36 | Rome preset in Resonators.
| | 00:39 | Once active, you'll hear that
the effect is pretty intense.
| | 00:43 | (music playing)
| | 00:47 | I'm searching for something a bit
more subtle, and I'll get there by using
| | 00:50 | the Wet/Dry control.
| | 00:51 | (music playing)
| | 00:56 | As always, to get a clip envelope
started for a parameter, I need to choose it
| | 01:01 | in the Control Chooser and then select
Show Modulation in the Clip View area.
| | 01:07 | As I start drawing envelopes,
notice that I'm creating more or less
| | 01:11 | random modulations.
| | 01:16 | I want the Resonator effect to
have some movement that's not linear.
| | 01:20 | I'm hoping to generate musical interest
by forcing the listener's attention to
| | 01:23 | follow the seemingly random changes.
| | 01:25 | (music playing)
| | 01:31 | But at the end of the day,
the combination of this new 2-measure clip
| | 01:34 | envelope with the 4-measure filter
wweep and the 2-measure audio loop is
| | 01:39 | still a repeating phrase.
| | 01:40 | It might be a more interesting,
complex repeating phrase, but it's a
| | 01:44 | repeating phrase nonetheless.
| | 01:46 | So how can I force continual
variation without constant interaction?
| | 01:50 | Easy. First, I'll unlink the envelope
and set the clip envelope end point to
| | 01:55 | something completely unrelated
to the other looping components.
| | 01:59 | Then I'll activate the Loop button and
increase the length so it corresponds
| | 02:03 | to the new end point.
| | 02:05 | I've randomly chosen to extend this clip
envelope's length to 3 1/2 measures long
| | 02:09 | and a loop length to match.
| | 02:11 | But I've only altered the
clip envelope for the first bar.
| | 02:14 | I need to fix that first.
| | 02:16 | I'll zoom out to make sure that the
entire clip envelope editing area is within
| | 02:20 | view and return to my crazy
haphazard envelope drawing technique.
| | 02:27 | Again, the randomness here is to
force continuous variation in the audio.
| | 02:32 | So what have I actually done?
| | 02:34 | I've created another clip envelope,
but this one doesn't repeat after 1 bar or
| | 02:38 | even after 4 bars or even after some
number that is a multiple of those lengths.
| | 02:43 | So the combination of the Filter Sweep
and the Resonator Mix Loop will almost
| | 02:48 | never sync up in a repeating fashion.
| | 02:49 | (music playing)
| | 02:57 | I'll keep going and modulate the
Resonators to K parameter over another random
| | 03:02 | and unrelated length--in
this case 5 1/2 measures.
| | 03:14 | I'll start drawing some
additional random envelopes.
| | 03:18 | Now, I have 3 effects modulating over
three completely different unrelated
| | 03:22 | durations, pushing my clip farther
into continuously evolving territory.
| | 03:28 | The more clip envelopes I add which are
unlinked and have durations unrelated to
| | 03:32 | each other, the less often my
listeners will be confronted with repetition of
| | 03:36 | the same character or timbre
of that element within my track.
| | Collapse this transcript |
| Modulating the pitch content of loops using clip envelopes| 00:00 | Most often, clip envelopes are
associated with the modulation of audio effect
| | 00:05 | device parameters, but Ableton allows
the modulation of clip parameters as well,
| | 00:10 | including things like volume and transposition.
| | 00:13 | The actual parameters available for
modulation are dependent on the warp mode
| | 00:17 | selected within the clip.
| | 00:19 | So, you have to choose your warp
mode carefully to enable clip envelopes
| | 00:23 | for certain parameters.
| | 00:24 | For more information on warp modes,
make sure you check out lynda's Ableton
| | 00:28 | Live Essential Training.
| | 00:30 | This clip was warped via Beats mode.
| | 00:32 | Beats mode warps audio in a manner
not unlike a Slice mode in a traditional
| | 00:37 | sampler or the
Propellerheads' ReCycle REX-file format.
| | 00:41 | This means each segment of audio can
be treated individually when it comes to
| | 00:46 | the transposition of its pitch
parameter via clip envelopes.
| | 00:49 | The setup is mostly the
same as in Effects control.
| | 00:52 | I'll head directly to the
Device Chooser and select Clip.
| | 00:56 | The Control Chooser below now
displays all of the available clip parameters
| | 01:00 | which can be manipulated with a clip envelope.
| | 01:02 | Again, the selections in this
dropdown change depending on the warp mode.
| | 01:07 | So, if you don't see what you're
looking for, double-check you have the
| | 01:10 | correct mode enabled.
| | 01:12 | I'll select Transposition.
| | 01:15 | I'll unlink the Envelope and set my end
point and loop length to an arbitrary value.
| | 01:21 | By the way, just as it is all
throughout Live, you can edit these loop and end
| | 01:26 | values by dragging the flag
markers back and forth over the timeline.
| | 01:29 | This is often a lot easier than
entering values into the boxes, especially if
| | 01:34 | you don't need precision.
| | 01:36 | Modulating the transposition can create
a vast range of colors and characters.
| | 01:41 | Clip envelopes that shift between
extreme values will create extreme impact.
| | 01:46 | Conversely, varying the modulation over 1
or 2 semitones will create subtle movement.
| | 01:51 | Of course, this really only applies to
non-melodic content like this drum loop.
| | 01:56 | Modulating the transposition over a
musical region will obviously change the notes.
| | 02:01 | This is a great tool in working
with melodic content, which can lead some
| | 02:05 | inspired composition and arrangement
changes. But when working with a tonal
| | 02:09 | content, there can be greater freedom,
because you aren't constrained by
| | 02:13 | musical notes or scales.
| | 02:14 | I'm going to start drawing my
envelope, and I'm going to vary between small,
| | 02:19 | subtle shifts and huge, sweeping changes.
| | 02:23 | The audible impact is immediate.
| | 02:25 | (music playing)
| | 02:30 | I've managed to push a boring
2-measure drum loop into a glitched-out slice of
| | 02:34 | craziness, and the best part is that the
offset durations of the clip envelopes
| | 02:39 | mean that the audience will be
listening to a new combination of these changes
| | 02:43 | throughout the entire arrangement.
| | 02:45 | I did one more thing to enhance this drum track.
| | 02:48 | I've used the same technique
on the clip's volume parameter.
| | 02:52 | I've made small precise
changes to the volume clip envelope.
| | 02:55 | What I can now hear is a constant change in
the gate or decay of the individual beats.
| | 03:00 | (music playing)
| | 03:05 | So, by adding two basic, easy-to-
create clip envelopes, I've transformed an
| | 03:10 | ordinary drum loop to something extraordinary.
| | Collapse this transcript |
|
|
2. Harnessing the Creative Potential of Follow ActionsExploring Follow Actions| 00:00 | I've got a project here that contains a
song I am working on. Each element has
| | 00:04 | been placed on its own track, and each
track contains multiple clips containing
| | 00:09 | variations of those elements.
(music playing)
| | 00:20 | I am keeping these clips in Session view
so I can trigger them spontaneously.
| | 00:24 | And I have set up a MIDI
controller to help that process as well.
| | 00:27 | Trying out different combinations and
transitions to help guide the arrangement
| | 00:32 | is going to be very, very helpful later on.
| | 00:34 | You'll notice that this drum loops track
has a bunch of clips lined up and ready
| | 00:39 | to go. The same goes for this track over here.
| | 00:41 | These clips are individual
variations of the bass line.
| | 00:44 | I have placed all of these here like
this because I'm fairly certain for now
| | 00:48 | that this is the order I
want these clips to play in.
| | 00:51 | (music playing)
| | 00:58 | It's kind of like a
prearrangement for these two elements.
| | 01:01 | I don't want to merge them or move
them over to Arrange view because I like
| | 01:05 | them here, where I can delete them, copy them,
move them around, really do anything I like.
| | 01:12 | Right now I really want to keep my focus
on experimenting with these clips over here.
| | 01:16 | (music playing)
| | 01:24 | Improvising with this many clips might
not seem too difficult, but it can get
| | 01:28 | busy very quickly, especially if I
also need to launch the drums and bass
| | 01:32 | line clips over here.
| | 01:33 | So, to keep my hands as free as
possible, I am going to tell Live to launch
| | 01:38 | these prearranged clips for me.
| | 01:40 | That's what creating a
follow action accomplishes.
| | 01:43 | Watch what happens when I
trigger this first clip.
| | 01:45 | (music playing)
| | 01:50 | The Launch button on the second clip
starts to blink immediately. A blinking
| | 01:54 | Launch button means the clip has been
triggered and it's going to begin playing
| | 01:58 | when the global quantization value is reached.
| | 02:01 | My project has been set at 1 bar,
| | 02:04 | so a clip with a blinking Launch
button means it's already been triggered and
| | 02:07 | is waiting for the next
measure to start playing.
| | 02:10 | But I didn't actually touch this clip;
I triggered this first one up here.
| | 02:14 | So, why then did this one begin to
blink as if it had been triggered as well?
| | 02:19 | Because it was the follow
action that triggered it for me.
| | 02:22 | Basically, a follow action is a set of
instructions contained within a clip that
| | 02:26 | tells Live what to do after
the clip has been launched.
| | 02:29 | For example, launching this clip right here--
(music playing)
| | 02:36 | --will activate a follow action that
tells this next clip to begin playing
| | 02:39 | after 4 bars. In essence, the
first clip is triggering the second.
| | 02:44 | Now if I trigger the second
clip, it'll trigger the third.
| | 02:48 | This will happen as I
click each clip in sequence.
| | 02:51 | I've created follow
actions in all of these clips,
| | 02:54 | so each one will play until it's
time for the next one to take over.
| | 02:58 | Playing clips in sequence
is a really basic example.
| | 03:01 | Follow actions can be used to generate
all kinds of complex and automated events.
| | 03:06 | And this unique feature is just one of
the many reasons that Ableton Live has
| | 03:11 | become the DAW of choice for
so many musicians and producers.
| | Collapse this transcript |
| Using Follow Actions to create an automated playlist| 00:00 | I am in the middle of a project and I'm
testing out some arrangement ideas with
| | 00:03 | a few of the melodic elements in my new song.
| | 00:08 | (music playing)
| | 00:14 | I am less concerned about the
arrangement of the drums or the bass line.
| | 00:18 | For those elements, I've gone ahead
and laid out a basic playback order.
| | 00:22 | Now I'll create a few follow
actions to automate that playback process.
| | 00:26 | To get started, I need to double-
click on a clip to make sure I open up
| | 00:30 | Clip view. Then I need to make sure that I
expand this area by clicking on this L button.
| | 00:36 | This toggle button opens the Launch box.
| | 00:39 | This area contains options pertaining to all
of the different ways you can launch a clip.
| | 00:44 | It's this bottom area here that I'm
really interested in. Conveniently, it
| | 00:48 | says Follow Actions.
| | 00:49 | There are three distinct types of
instructions that need to be in place for a
| | 00:53 | follow action to occur.
| | 00:55 | It's essentially the when,
the what, and the how often?
| | 00:59 | The first is the when.
| | 01:01 | When do I want to follow action to occur?
| | 01:04 | This information is entered right here
in these three familiar-looking boxes.
| | 01:09 | These boxes are just like the ones you
see over in the Loop section of Clip view.
| | 01:13 | It's where I need to input the length
of time between the clip's launch and the
| | 01:17 | subsequent follow action.
| | 01:19 | Just like in the Loop area, this time is
denoted in bars, beats, and 16th notes.
| | 01:25 | So, right now it's set for 1 bar, which
means that I'm telling Live that I want
| | 01:29 | something to happen exactly 1
bar after the clip is launched.
| | 01:32 | I can change this value to
pretty much anything I want.
| | 01:35 | In this case I want the loop play 4
measures and then move to the next,
| | 01:39 | so I'll change this to 4
and leave these two set to 0.
| | 01:43 | (music playing)
| | 01:50 | As I trigger the clip, it becomes
obvious that I haven't set up a follow action
| | 01:55 | just yet because the next
clip hasn't started to blink.
| | 01:57 | I have input the when, but it's still
unclear to Live what I want to happen next.
| | 02:03 | This is the what.
| | 02:05 | This dropdown box contains all of the
possible actions I have at my disposal.
| | 02:09 | So, after the 4 bars, the clip can either
stop, play again, play the previous, or
| | 02:16 | the next, play the first or the last,
play any clip, at all or any other clip
| | 02:22 | except that clip. Because I want these
loops to scroll through in order, I am
| | 02:28 | going to select Next.
| | 02:29 | (music playing)
| | 02:33 | Excellent! Triggering the clip results in a
blinking clip Launch button on the next clip.
| | 02:38 | So, I know it's queued up.
| | 02:40 | I'll verify that the length is also correct.
(music playing)
| | 02:43 | This is perfect; this is
exactly what I was aiming for.
| | 02:46 | The first clip launches and then 4
measures later, the second clip launches.
| | 02:53 | This area down here is the
How often I referred to before.
| | 02:57 | I almost never need to edit this,
but let me explain it briefly.
| | 03:01 | It's called the Chance box, and it's the
likelihood that the chosen action will
| | 03:05 | actually occur. But this is slightly confusing.
| | 03:09 | This parameter only needs to be
altered when you choose to have two
| | 03:12 | separate follow actions.
| | 03:14 | You might have noticed that
there is a second set of boxes here.
| | 03:19 | These are duplicates of the first set,
therefore creating an alternate follow
| | 03:23 | action within the same clip.
| | 03:25 | But two different follow
actions can't occur simultaneously.
| | 03:29 | It would be impossible for the clip to
play the next clip and play the previous
| | 03:33 | clip at the exact same time.
| | 03:35 | So, these Chance boxes determine the
odds of one happening over the other, but
| | 03:40 | I rarely need to alternate between two
different actions and I definitely don't need to here.
| | 03:45 | I know that I always want it to play next.
| | 03:47 | I know exactly what I want to happen.
| | 03:49 | So, I'm not going to choose a second
action. And even if I did, it's not going
| | 03:55 | to matter, because the chance of the
second action is set down here, and it's set
| | 03:59 | to 0, meaning it has zero
chance of ever happening.
| | 04:04 | So as long as follow action A is set
to any number above 0, it will always be
| | 04:09 | the one that's chosen.
| | 04:10 | The default value here is 1,
so I don't need to touch it.
| | 04:14 | The Chance boxes are a great way to add
a little unpredictability to your follow
| | 04:18 | actions, and they're definitely
worth exploring further on your own.
| | 04:21 | While it took only a few seconds to
create this follow action, I don't want to
| | 04:25 | keep doing it over and over.
| | 04:28 | I need all of these drum loop clips
and all of these bass line clips set up
| | 04:32 | the exact same way.
| | 04:33 | The great news here is that I can
select as many clips as I see fit and edit
| | 04:39 | all of their follow
actions at the exact same time.
| | 04:42 | I know that I want all of these clips to play
4 measures and then advance to the Next one.
| | 04:47 | (music playing)
| | 04:51 | So, if I trigger the first clips in
each track, I can watch as they cycle
| | 04:55 | through after playing for 4 measures.
| | 04:58 | One last note: follow actions only
work on clips that are adjacent to each
| | 05:03 | other. Even if the clip below the
empty space has a follow action attached to
| | 05:08 | it, Live will ignore it,
and that makes complete sense.
| | 05:11 | If my action is set to Next, for
example, then what would happen here?
| | 05:17 | There's nothing to trigger and so
my actions would be forced to stop dead.
| | 05:20 | (music playing)
| | 05:26 | So, I have set up exactly what I was
hoping for: an automated clip playlist that
| | 05:30 | I can just set and forget.
| | 05:32 | But I can always change my mind and
rearrange these clips if I think there's a
| | 05:36 | better sequence to be had.
| | 05:38 | It's very quick and extremely flexible.
| | 05:40 | With just the few quick clicks, I can
now play around with all of these clips
| | 05:44 | over a pre-sequenced drum part and bass Line;
| | 05:47 | hopefully it will lead to some
inspired decisions when it comes time to
| | 05:50 | arrange my song.
| | Collapse this transcript |
| Creating song arrangements with randomized Follow Actions| 00:00 | Arranging your song can be a
very time-consuming process.
| | 00:04 | This is where follow
actions can be of great help.
| | 00:07 | This entire arrangement was created
using follow actions and with only a
| | 00:10 | single click of my mouse.
| | 00:12 | Let me show you how.
| | 00:14 | Here's my song project.
| | 00:15 | I have created a bunch of elements--
melodies, chords, drums, and a bass line--
| | 00:20 | each on their own track.
| | 00:22 | I love Session view for its ability
to audition various clip combinations.
| | 00:27 | It transforms Live from a DAW
into a performance instrument.
| | 00:30 | (music playing)
| | 00:31 | It's easy enough to make some choices
about a potential arrangement and move,
| | 00:36 | copy, and paste, or otherwise
organize clips to reflect the sequence I want
| | 00:40 | them to play in. But all of the possible
combinations of clips can quickly overwhelm me.
| | 00:46 | I can keep making changes and
making changes and making changes.
| | 00:50 | It gets to be too much.
| | 00:52 | And it means that I put off making
decisions, and not making decisions is the
| | 00:56 | best way to never finish a project.
| | 00:58 | So, I am going to let follow
actions make some of the decisions for me.
| | 01:02 | Let me show you how.
| | 01:03 | As you know, follow actions are
instructions you set within clips that tell Live
| | 01:08 | what to do after a clip is triggered.
| | 01:11 | Essentially, you're going to tell it what to do.
| | 01:14 | In this case, I want to know which
clip combinations sound the best,
| | 01:18 | and I want to hear a variety of
options when it comes to transitions.
| | 01:22 | What are the best segues between the
different combinations of my elements?
| | 01:26 | All of these clips are variations of an element.
| | 01:29 | (music playing)
| | 01:36 | Some are different patterns; some have
different effects; some are different
| | 01:40 | length, etcetera, etcetera.
| | 01:42 | Now normally most users would just
hit Record and start launching clips or
| | 01:45 | scenes, which are transferred
to the arrangement timeline.
| | 01:48 | follow actions can be set up to
accomplish the same thing, but in that case, Live
| | 01:53 | is making all of the clip-arrangement decisions.
| | 01:56 | This doesn't always yield great
results, but it does introduce a fantastic
| | 02:01 | random element to the arrangement
process, which can lead to unexpected
| | 02:04 | moments of brilliance.
| | 02:06 | To make this happen I am going to
select all of my clips in Session view.
| | 02:10 | Then I'm going to instruct Live to play any
clip 4 measures after a clip is launched.
| | 02:18 | So, when I hit Play, follow actions will play
back the clips on each track in random order.
| | 02:23 | (music playing)
| | 02:33 | If I were to hit Record, this process
would create an automated arrangement, and
| | 02:38 | it would be captured on the timeline.
| | 02:41 | I'd usually let this go on for a long time--
| | 02:43 | maybe even 10 minutes or so.
| | 02:45 | But for the sake of time, I'm going
to stop and show you the arrangement
| | 02:49 | I've already created.
| | 02:51 | Here's where I think the
process gets really interesting.
| | 02:54 | I can start moving my way to the
timeline, listening to different areas in
| | 02:58 | different transitions.
| | 02:59 | (music playing)
| | 03:10 | This way I can see what I like or don't
like. At this point, my job title kind of
| | 03:15 | changes from composer to editor.
| | 03:17 | For now, I'll simply delete the sections I
don't like and combine the sections I do like.
| | 03:24 | For me, the advantage here is two-fold.
The first is increased objectivity. If I
| | 03:30 | were to create my own arrangement
combinations, I end up editing my own actions
| | 03:34 | and decisions. Because I am
the one who did the creating,
| | 03:37 | I might not have the necessary
objectivity to make the hard editing choices.
| | 03:42 | Having Live generate it automatically
means I could be comfortably critical when
| | 03:45 | it comes time to evaluate the arrangement.
| | 03:48 | Secondly, this process is random and generative.
| | 03:52 | It's quite possible that it will yield
a combination or a transition that I would
| | 03:56 | not have tried or even come up with on my own.
| | 03:59 | Looking at this arrangement again,
you might notice something unusual.
| | 04:03 | Look at these clips named Empty.
| | 04:05 | If I take a look inside, I can see
that they are named appropriately.
| | 04:08 | There's no audio present within.
| | 04:11 | I purposely created these and
placed them within each grouping of clips
| | 04:14 | within Session view.
| | 04:16 | The reason is this.
| | 04:17 | I don't think it makes much musical
sense for a variation of every single
| | 04:21 | element to be playing back at all times.
| | 04:24 | Parts usually need to drop out and
come back in throughout a song to make the
| | 04:28 | track musically effective.
| | 04:30 | So, I put these in as placeholders to
ensure that silent clips get dropped
| | 04:34 | in periodically too.
| | 04:36 | Remember, clip envelopes only work on
groups of clips that are adjacent to each other,
| | 04:41 | so they must be placed
right with the audio content.
| | 04:45 | The more of these empty clips you use
within a group, the more often it will be
| | 04:49 | likely to come up in the random
playback queue Live is generating.
| | 04:52 | So, if you have a musical element that
you feel should be featured often and
| | 04:56 | prominently, use less
empty clips and vice versa.
| | 05:01 | So, there you have it.
| | 05:02 | This is a great way to use Live
to help inspire you in the song-
| | 05:06 | arrangement process.
| | 05:07 | You're still creating the musical
elements and making the final choices as to
| | 05:11 | when and how those clips will be played,
but you are getting a little help from
| | 05:15 | follow actions along the way.
| | Collapse this transcript |
|
|
3. Turbo-Charging Session View with Dummy ClipsExploring dummy clips| 00:00 | I'm in the beginning stages of a
project and I've already got a few looping
| | 00:04 | elements that I'm happy with.
| | 00:05 | I've been messing around in Session
view, triggering clips to come up with new
| | 00:08 | idea. To add a little polish
and sheen to my spontaneity,
| | 00:13 | I'd love to have some creative
effect combinations and sequences ready to
| | 00:17 | audition when the moment of inspiration strikes.
| | 00:19 | Here are the sounds I've come up with so far.
(music playing)
| | 00:26 | Now watch and listen to this again.
| | 00:28 | (music playing)
| | 00:38 | After the sounds began
playing, I triggered this clip.
| | 00:41 | It resulted in all of the sounds
being processed by a preprogrammed effect
| | 00:45 | sequence created by this device chain down here.
| | 00:48 | It would be easy to assume that this is
simply the result of clip envelopes or
| | 00:52 | automation, but what really
happened when I triggered that clip?
| | 00:57 | The resulting effects sequence was
processing several tracks simultaneously.
| | 01:02 | Would that even be possible while
triggering only a single clip if I'm using
| | 01:05 | clip automation or clip envelopes?
| | 01:07 | Not really, because those control
features are embedded within individual clips
| | 01:12 | and will only impact that clip.
| | 01:15 | I would've needed to create the exact
same chain of devices on each track, as
| | 01:19 | well as reproduce the same envelopes
or automation for each clip playing.
| | 01:24 | But that's not what occurred.
| | 01:25 | There aren't any effect
devices on these other tracks.
| | 01:28 | And the effect sequence only occurred when I
triggered a totally different clip altogether.
| | 01:34 | So what's going on here?
| | 01:36 | The answer is dummy clips.
| | 01:39 | Dummy clips are regular audio and MIDI
clips that don't contain any audio or MIDI.
| | 01:44 | You did hear that right.
| | 01:45 | Instead of outputting audio or MIDI,
dummy clips process audio or MIDI
| | 01:50 | routed through them.
| | 01:51 | Essentially, they're empty vessels that
contain device instructions which you control.
| | 01:56 | These instructions can accomplish a
variety of tasks, including what you just
| | 02:00 | heard: a sequence of events triggered
by a single clip processing multiple
| | 02:05 | channels simultaneously.
| | 02:06 | Allow me to demonstrate.
| | 02:08 | I have my tracks, each
containing a looping audio clip.
| | 02:11 | And over here, I have a track labeled Dummy.
| | 02:14 | Take notice of two things.
| | 02:16 | First, I've routed the audio of all
of the first tracks to the dummy track.
| | 02:25 | And second, there are several
clips on the dummy track itself.
| | 02:29 | Initially, this might not seem
like it makes too much sense.
| | 02:33 | Routing multiple audio sources to a
single output is certainly a common practice.
| | 02:37 | You can use the Group function to
control mixer and trigger actions for multiple
| | 02:41 | tracks, or you can route multiple
audio sources to an audio or return track to
| | 02:45 | process them together like a bus.
| | 02:47 | But you can't place a clip in a group
or return track, and it wouldn't seem to
| | 02:52 | make sense to place a clip in an audio
track that has multiple tracks routed to it.
| | 02:56 | You can only listen to the
rerouted tracks or the audio clip, but not
| | 03:00 | both simultaneously.
| | 03:02 | So here's the thing:
| | 03:03 | the audio clips on this dummy track don't
actually contain any audio. They're empty.
| | 03:08 | Well, not exactly empty.
| | 03:11 | There isn't any audio present,
but there are actions lurking behind the scenes
| | 03:16 | waiting to be triggered.
| | 03:17 | Listen to what happens when I
trigger the clip 2 Bar low cut to Reverb.
| | 03:20 | (music playing)
| | 03:29 | It creates the effect
transition described in the name.
| | 03:33 | The low end is cut for 2 measures
and then ends up in splash of reverb.
| | 03:37 | Now I want you to listen again while I
trigger another clip named 2 Bar Redux Delay.
| | 03:41 | (music playing)
| | 03:50 | Another transition effect occurs,
but this time with completely different
| | 03:54 | devices, multiple sequences each
creating their own dynamic effects transition,
| | 04:00 | and they all come from
different plugin devices.
| | 04:03 | It is a repository of improvisational
effects tools at my immediate disposal,
| | 04:08 | like preprogramming intricate device
automation for spontaneous use or in
| | 04:13 | automation event macro
that you can trigger on a wim.
| | 04:16 | But here's the really cool part.
| | 04:18 | I can now record a complex track
arrangement on the fly using all of these
| | 04:22 | transitions, all without having to
create automation for each plugin parameter.
| | 04:27 | (music playing)
| | 04:40 | Tabbing over to Arrange view, I can see
that the dummy clips have been recorded,
| | 04:44 | along with the audio clips.
| | 04:45 | I'll jump back and hit Play.
| | 04:47 | (music playing)
| | 04:56 | You can clearly hear that Live plays
back the actions created by the dummy clips.
| | 05:01 | I can now move or cut or paste or
copy any of these clips as I see fit.
| | 05:06 | I can also change the output routing
of the individual audio tracks to remove
| | 05:09 | them from the dummy clip signal path, or
I can route new tracks which weren't
| | 05:13 | previously being processed.
| | 05:15 | With just a little bit of prepwork,
I now have the ability to improvise
| | 05:19 | polished track arrangements
complete with complex effects transitions.
| | 05:24 | This is just one of the many
things that dummy clips can do for you.
| | Collapse this transcript |
| Preparing a project for dummy clips| 00:00 | While previously working with clip
dnvelopes, I set up envelopes to modulate
| | 00:04 | my chosen device parameters and to create dummy
clip actions, clip envelopes do come into play.
| | 00:10 | But there's a key difference between a
normal clip containing a clip envelope
| | 00:14 | and a dummy clip containing a clip
envelope, and that difference is where the
| | 00:18 | audio originates from.
| | 00:20 | The parameter modulation created in a
clip envelope impacts the audio from the
| | 00:24 | clip it's embedded in.
| | 00:26 | But a parameter modulation within the
dummy clip alters the signal of any audio
| | 00:30 | source routed through it.
| | 00:31 | That concept bears repeating: audio
must be routed through a dummy clip for
| | 00:36 | it to process audio.
| | 00:38 | Grasping this concept is the first
step to understanding why I would route my
| | 00:42 | audio in the following manner.
| | 00:44 | You may have noticed dummy clips
reside on their own audio track.
| | 00:47 | So, I begin earlier by creating new
audio track and renaming it dummy.
| | 00:52 | I'll now select all the tracks
containing the audio I'd like processed and set
| | 00:56 | their output to feed this track.
| | 00:59 | Since it's been renamed, it will show
up in the Audio To dropdown as Dummy.
| | 01:04 | If I trigger the clips,
I won't hear anything. Why is that?
| | 01:11 | Because the dummy track is still
behaving as an audio track. It's waiting to
| | 01:15 | receive audio from a clip
placed on the track itself.
| | 01:19 | This can be changed easily enough by
toggling the monitor selection from Auto to In.
| | 01:24 | That enables the track to pass
audio from the input instead.
| | 01:27 | If I now hit Play, I can hear the
routed audio loops from other tracks.
| | 01:31 | (music playing)
| | 01:33 | If I was treating this simply as an
audio bus, it would be easy enough to
| | 01:37 | place a few devices on the track and process the
mixed signal. But this can be somewhat limiting.
| | 01:42 | I want to add multiple devices on the
track and have the option to choose when
| | 01:46 | those effects will be processing the
mixed signal at the input. That really
| | 01:50 | shouldn't be too hard.
| | 01:51 | I could accomplish this by creating a
MIDI or keyboard assignment that controls
| | 01:55 | the device activator buttons on each
device, or I could group several devices
| | 02:00 | and create macro assignment.
| | 02:02 | But then I would have to memorize and
keep track of multiple key commands or
| | 02:06 | controller assignments,
and that can definitely be cumbersome.
| | 02:09 | More importantly, I not only want to
choose which effects are processing the signal,
| | 02:14 | I also want to choose how those
effects are processing the signal.
| | 02:17 | I want to create preprogrammed dynamic
events which will increase the impact of
| | 02:22 | those effects combinations, like this one.
| | 02:24 | (music playing)
| | 02:32 | I have got my dummy track, I have set
my routing, and I've gone ahead and added
| | 02:37 | all the plugin devices I want to use.
| | 02:39 | The key to effectively employing dummy
clips is the use of an audio effect rack
| | 02:43 | to manage different device
combinations and parameter changes.
| | 02:47 | You'll see why this is important in a minute.
| | 02:50 | If you aren't familiar with racks
or how they work, I encourage you to
| | 02:53 | checkout lynda's Ableton Live
Essential Training Course, which contains a
| | 02:57 | comprehensive chapter on racks.
| | 03:00 | However, you don't need to watch it right now.
| | 03:02 | You'll still be able to follow along.
But having an understanding of the inner
| | 03:06 | workings of racks will allow you to
comprehend mechanics behind where I'm
| | 03:09 | about to do a bit better.
| | 03:11 | Within a rack, each separate grouping
of devices is called a chain. Clicking
| | 03:16 | on this button will expand the
viewing area of my rack to show all of my
| | 03:20 | chains. There are four right now,
and I've name them all in a way which
| | 03:24 | describe their contents.
| | 03:26 | Each chain contains
different effects combinations.
| | 03:29 | Four different chains, four
different effects options. And triggering the
| | 03:33 | corresponding clips in my dummy
tracks switches between them freely.
| | 03:37 | (music playing)
| | 03:49 | While the types of devices and affects
you use for this technique is completely
| | 03:53 | up to you, these are the basic steps
necessary to prepare a project to use
| | 03:57 | dummy clips successfully.
| | Collapse this transcript |
| Creating a basic dummy clip| 00:00 | Session view is my environment of
choice for keeping things flexible and dummy
| | 00:04 | clips are my favorite way of
auditioning complex and creative effect sequences
| | 00:08 | at the touch of a button within Session view.
| | 00:11 | Here's a few that I have already set up.
Let's take a quick listen.
| | 00:14 | (music playing)
| | 00:23 | Now I am going to delete them and
start from scratch so you can see how I
| | 00:27 | created them in the first place.
| | 00:29 | The first thing you need to know about
creating dummy clips is that you need an
| | 00:33 | empty clip to work with.
| | 00:35 | There isn't any Create Dummy Clip
or Create Empty Audio Clip command.
| | 00:39 | So, I'll copy one of my other audio
clips and drag it into my dummy track.
| | 00:45 | It actually doesn't matter which clip I choose.
| | 00:47 | It's not going to produce audio,
even if it has audio within it.
| | 00:52 | The tracks monitor, set to in, will
look for audio coming from somewhere else.
| | 00:56 | Therefore, it's going to ignore
any audio within the clip itself.
| | 01:00 | So, do not place an important track
element on the dummy track thinking you'll
| | 01:04 | be able to trigger and
hear it whenever you please.
| | 01:07 | See, you can't hear any audio, even
though there is audio within this clip. All
| | 01:14 | clips you wish to trigger
need to remain on other tracks.
| | 01:18 | Now that I have a clip, I'm going to
rename it Dummy, just to keep things
| | 01:21 | straight for the time being.
| | 01:23 | I have created for chains
within this rack down here.
| | 01:27 | Each one has a distinct processing scenario.
| | 01:30 | I want each chain to work independently,
just as I'd set them up, and I want to
| | 01:35 | be able to choose when they become active.
| | 01:37 | To do so, I need to create dummy clips
that will contain instructions telling
| | 01:42 | Live which of these effect chains
I want working at any given time.
| | 01:46 | Because the action of triggering
these clips is what's going to lead to the
| | 01:50 | change in the chains, I'll need a
total of four individual dummy clips.
| | 01:54 | I have one already, so I'll copy this
clip three times, and then I'll rename all
| | 01:59 | of them that correspond to the
names of the four chains you see below.
| | 02:08 | I need to return to the Chain List in
the rack for a moment. More than likely,
| | 02:12 | this Hide button will be
illuminated over the Chain List.
| | 02:16 | This option hides the Chain Selector,
something I'm going to need because it's
| | 02:20 | critical to my next steps.
| | 02:21 | So, I am going to turn this off by
clicking on this Chain button, and now we can
| | 02:26 | see the Chain Selector.
| | 02:27 | I'll once again refer you to the lynda
Ableton Live Essential Training course
| | 02:31 | for a deeper comprehension of
chains and the Chain Selector.
| | 02:34 | But I'll help the uninitiated by
telling you that the Chain Selector is
| | 02:38 | exactly what it says it is:
| | 02:40 | it's a way to select the
effect chains within a rack.
| | 02:43 | It's done by assigning a specific value or
range of values called zones to each chain.
| | 02:50 | When received by the rack,
these zone values will activate the
| | 02:53 | corresponding chain.
| | 02:55 | Let me show you what I mean.
| | 02:57 | So, my new dummy clips--or actually, I
should say a clip envelope within each of
| | 03:02 | my dummy clips--will be the carrier for
that control message that I need to make
| | 03:07 | the chain selection process occur;
essentially, it's going to send a Zone value.
| | 03:12 | Look at the Chain Selector again.
See these little blue rectangles?
| | 03:16 | These are what indicate the
zone value assigned each chain.
| | 03:20 | I'll be the first one to tell you that
this editing area is very difficult to
| | 03:23 | see, so you have to really look close.
| | 03:26 | Unfortunately, it doesn't allow for
zooming, so you just have to be careful
| | 03:30 | when you make changes.
| | 03:31 | I have actually already set up my zones
here, but the default state for all new
| | 03:35 | chains is its Zone value of 0.
| | 03:38 | If you look at this first chain,
this is what the default looks like.
| | 03:42 | That means that this chain will activate
whenever a Zone value of 0 is received.
| | 03:47 | Again, it's my dummy clips that we are
going to send this Zone value, and I'm
| | 03:51 | going to show you how
that works in just a moment.
| | 03:54 | Because I want the freedom to select
each chain independently, I'll want each chain
| | 03:58 | to respond to a unique Zone value.
| | 04:00 | So, I've moved these tiny blue
rectangles so that each one is assigned a
| | 04:04 | different number. Because they're so small,
moving these rectangles can be difficult.
| | 04:09 | You need to hover over the zone you're
looking to edit until your cursor turns
| | 04:13 | to a line with two arrows
extended to either side.
| | 04:16 | This is when you can actually move them.
| | 04:20 | You'll notice that the cursor can also
change to the left- and right-facing braces;
| | 04:25 | these are used if you want the
zone to encompass multiple values.
| | 04:30 | Finally now, I get to the
actual dummy clips themselves.
| | 04:34 | I am going to double-click on my first
dummy clip. Then I am going to make sure
| | 04:39 | that the Envelope Editing area is open.
| | 04:42 | This is where clip envelopes come into play.
| | 04:44 | In the Device Chooser, I'm going to
select Audio Effect Rack, and then in the
| | 04:49 | Control Chooser, I'm going to make
sure I've got Chain Selector selected.
| | 04:53 | I can now create Chain Selector Zone
values with the clip envelope, almost like
| | 04:59 | automating the Chain Selector Zone Value.
| | 05:02 | So, how would I do that?
| | 05:03 | I double-clicked on the first dummy
clip which was name DRY. I want to launch
| | 05:07 | that clip and activate my
first chain, also named DRY.
| | 05:16 | My DRY Chain has a Chain Selector
value of 0, so the clip envelope value
| | 05:20 | must also be set to 0.
| | 05:22 | In this case the default value
of the clip envelope is already 0,
| | 05:26 | so I just need to create a breakpoint on
line to make sure it's going to stay that way.
| | 05:30 | I can now repeat this
process for the other three clips.
| | 05:36 | Each clip needs to be set to the
corresponding value in the Chain Selector.
| | 05:40 | Otherwise, it's not going to work.
| | 05:44 | Each time the clip is triggered
| | 05:45 | the embedded clip envelope will
send the value and activate the zone.
| | 05:50 | Now, listen as a hit play
and trigger each dummy clip.
| | 05:53 | (music playing)
| | 06:03 | Each dummy clip activates
the corresponding chain.
| | 06:06 | I can now spontaneously process
multiple audio sources through different audio
| | 06:10 | chains at the click of a single button.
| | 06:13 | As complex as this might already seem,
it's really only a basic usage of a dummy clip.
| | 06:18 | They can automate intricate effect
sequences, scene transitions, mixer
| | 06:22 | automations, and much, much more.
| | 06:24 | Their potential is almost limitless,
and that's why I find them to be such an
| | 06:29 | invaluable tool within Ableton Live.
| | Collapse this transcript |
| Combining Follow Actions and dummy clips to create playable effects| 00:00 | In this project I'd previously
created four dummy clips to control four
| | 00:04 | different states of processing, one dry--
or no processing at all--and three others
| | 00:09 | with different effect device combinations.
(music playing)
| | 00:18 | The action produced by triggering each
clip is immediate, but what happens after
| | 00:22 | that trigger is very much dependent on you?
| | 00:25 | The Clip Loop feature is
active on all four dummy clips.
| | 00:29 | Looping the clip means that each
would provide continuous processing until
| | 00:32 | another clip is launched.
| | 00:34 | But sometimes I know in advance
exactly how long I want a certain effect
| | 00:38 | sequence to last--for example, this
dummy clip here called Chorus Verb.
| | 00:43 | Occasionally, I might be inclined to
let this effect go on for a few measures,
| | 00:47 | but more often than not, I just want to
drop it in for a little while to create
| | 00:51 | a transition between sections of my arrangement.
| | 00:54 | As my project is set up right now,
this would require two triggers:
| | 00:58 | one to activate the effect and
another to return to the dry state.
| | 01:01 | (music playing)
| | 01:09 | Instead, I'd like to automate
that process with follow actions.
| | 01:12 | I'm going to open up this clip's Clip view,
and then I will create a new follow action.
| | 01:17 | I am going to set it to 1 measure,
and then the action to First.
| | 01:22 | So as long as my dry clip is
first in the grouping of dummy clips,
| | 01:26 | triggering this Chorus Verb clip will
activate the effect chain for 1 bar
| | 01:30 | and then jump back to DRY.
| | 01:31 | (music playing)
| | 01:37 | All with no interaction from me.
I can now drop that transition in any time I
| | 01:41 | please. So, why is this so great?
| | 01:44 | Because Session view is was amazing for
improvisation, but it can be difficult
| | 01:47 | to manage if you've accumulated too many clips.
| | 01:50 | Setting a follow action to automate an
effect switch means you can trigger it
| | 01:54 | and immediately move your attention elsewhere.
| | 01:56 | There's no need to monitor the action of the
dummy clip or remember to switch it off in time.
| | 02:01 | It frees up your hands and your brain.
| | 02:03 | I can copy this clip and set a
different follow action as well.
| | 02:09 | (music playing)
| | 02:13 | My new follow action is only two beats
long, and then it returns to the dry state.
| | 02:19 | I'd advised renaming clips to something
that will make it easy to know that you
| | 02:23 | have a timed follow action in place.
| | 02:26 | You can then do this to as many or
as few of the clips as you'd like.
| | 02:30 | Here I'll set another follow action for
these two clips, this time for 1 measure
| | 02:34 | again, and set the First.
| | 02:36 | (music playing)
| | 02:42 | I always prefer to set follow actions on
dummy clips when my intention is to use
| | 02:46 | them for effect transitions.
| | 02:48 | If I happen to get lost in the moment,
as long as the follow actions are
| | 02:51 | enabled properly, I don't have to worry about
retriggering the dry clip to return to normal.
| | 02:56 | This is just another reason
that Ableton Live is an unmatched
| | 02:59 | software performance tool.
| | Collapse this transcript |
| Sound designing with dummy clips and Follow Actions| 00:00 | So far, I've kept the emphasis on
utilizing dummy clips and follow actions for
| | 00:04 | creating arrangement transitions.
| | 00:07 | Now I'd like to show you a technique
which combines those processes to create
| | 00:10 | exciting and often unforeseen
audio events of a different nature.
| | 00:14 | First, let me tell you my goal
before I start making changes.
| | 00:19 | I think that utilizing prepackaged
samples is a great way to kickstart song
| | 00:23 | projects, and Ableton comes bundled
with a wealth of samples and clips to start
| | 00:28 | users off in the right direction.
| | 00:30 | But the best way to stand out in the
crowd is to create your own sounds.
| | 00:34 | On this first track I've got
several drum loops that I've borrowed from
| | 00:37 | the Abelson Library.
| | 00:38 | (music playing)
| | 00:44 | These samples are available to
everyone who uses Live, so if I were to use
| | 00:49 | them in their original form, I run
the risk of having the same exact drum
| | 00:52 | sounds as someone else.
| | 00:54 | Creating new sounds from scratch can
be time consuming, so I'm going to make
| | 00:58 | Live do it for me, and I'm going to
use these loops as source material.
| | 01:02 | Just like before, I've got
audio routed through a dummy track.
| | 01:06 | It contains clips set to
trigger different effect combinations.
| | 01:09 | (music playing)
| | 01:17 | The initial focus of this tip
is going to be on follow actions.
| | 01:21 | I've really kept the follow actions
attached to my dummy clips rather boring.
| | 01:25 | It's usually just a measure or two,
and then I return back to the dry sound.
| | 01:29 | But I'd like to push it farther this
time; I'd like to create fast dynamic
| | 01:34 | changes adding movement and excitement.
| | 01:36 | So I'm going to change the duration of
each follow action to something short,
| | 01:40 | like one beat, and then
I'll change the Action to Any.
| | 01:46 | This will create quick automated and
quantized switches between the dummy clips
| | 01:51 | and their corresponding effect chains.
| | 01:53 | Because the action is set to Any,
these switches will be random. Which clip
| | 01:58 | plays next is a matter of chance.
| | 01:59 | (music playing)
| | 02:06 | Already, the underlying drum
loop sounds more exciting.
| | 02:09 | I'm going to take it further, and I'm
going to copy my group of dummy clips down
| | 02:13 | so that I have duplicates. And then
I'm going to change the length of their
| | 02:18 | follow actions to two beats,
just for the sake of added variety.
| | 02:21 | (music playing)
| | 02:29 | I'm happy with this result so far,
but changing the effects doesn't really
| | 02:33 | change the sound of my drum loop.
| | 02:35 | It's still completely recognizable,
and I'm going to change that right now by
| | 02:40 | repeating this same process on
the audio clips on the first track.
| | 02:44 | First, I'm going to select all of the
drum loops, and then I'm going to change
| | 02:48 | their follow action settings to 1 Beat and
then Any, just as I did on the dummy clips.
| | 02:53 | (music playing)
| | 02:59 | Now the drum loops are switching at
random every beat, just like the dummy clips,
| | 03:03 | and hopefully that's going to
create a new mashed combo of all five.
| | 03:08 | It works, but something is wrong. The problem
is in how the drum loops are being triggered.
| | 03:14 | Launching a clip usually means
that it'll start from the beginning.
| | 03:17 | In this case this, results in the first
beat of each loop being triggered when it
| | 03:22 | switches; therefore, there is no
variation in the drum hits themselves.
| | 03:27 | So I need to add an additional
setting to ensure that the audio continues
| | 03:31 | to move forward, even though the clip is being
retriggered and retriggered and retriggered.
| | 03:36 | And this is a setting called Legato mode.
| | 03:39 | Switching this setting keeps the playhead
moving forward regardless of a clip trigger.
| | 03:44 | I'm going to switch this on
for all of my drum loop clips.
| | 03:49 | Now, let's listen again.
| | 03:50 | (music playing)
| | 03:58 | Much better. I'm going to do just one
more thing. Like before with the dummy clips,
| | 04:04 | I'll duplicate these Drum
Loop clips to add variety.
| | 04:07 | But this time, instead of changing
their follow action length, I'm going to go
| | 04:11 | to increase their Pitch parameter.
And I'll do this again, but this time I'll
| | 04:18 | decrease the Pitch parameter.
Let's take a listen.
| | 04:22 | (music playing)
| | 04:35 | How about that? Using follow actions and dummy clips,
I've quickly transformed stock loops into
| | 04:41 | sounds that are distinctly my own.
| | 04:43 | It's very easy to hit Record and edit,
cut and paste, find the loops that you
| | 04:49 | like, and use them in your own project.
| | 04:51 | I really encourage you to push
this technique as far as you can.
| | 04:55 | You'd be amazed at the unheard-of
kinds of sounds you'd be able to create with Live.
| | Collapse this transcript |
|
|
ConclusionNext steps| 00:00 | Thanks so much for watching
Ableton Live 9 Tips AND Tricks.
| | 00:04 | I hope that you find some of these
techniques useful in your own Ableton projects.
| | 00:08 | If you're interested in taking your
knowledge further, I highly recommend
| | 00:11 | checking out lynda.com's
Foundation of Audio series.
| | 00:15 | This series includes courses such as
Foundations of Audio: EQ and Filters and
| | 00:20 | Foundations of Audio: Delay and Modulation.
| | 00:22 | Thanks again, and have fun!
| | Collapse this transcript |
|
|
