20 Ableton Live Tips & Tricks in 8 Minutes

[kcearl]

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[dintymoore]

Thanks for posting that.

Truthfully I didn't get a whole lot out of it... I never use Live in that window. I always use it in the "other" main window that runs vertically - I forget what it's called. I use Live 100% for playing live. I never and never probably will use it for recording as I've been recording on Cubase so long.

I actually have a lot of complaints about Ableton Live. That is one fucked up company - they might take the record. Ableton Live still (after me hounding them for over a year and them promising yes) does not completely comply with the 1983 MIDI standard that every other MIDI app I know complies with. It will not accept CC 123 for instance. It ignores all but the first PRG change in a clip. The list goes on but basically I think the program shows hope but it needs a lot of work. They haven't finished it, there's tons of loose ends in the MIDI department.

I've gone on their site and often they have job opportunities for pretty much every position it would take to run a company so I always wonder if the will be around in 6 months. My impression is that the original people who made the company sold it to some kids who are struggling to keep it afloat, and are just barely hanging in there.

What I like about it is that it gives me the ability to stretch songs on stage and that has been incredible. But it has lots of problems, probably most people don't experience it like I do because I don't use loops and don't use any audio tracks, just MIDI, so I'm not their typical target user and you could argue that the program wasn't designed for me.

 

[kcearl]

Thanks for posting that.

Truthfully I didn't get a whole lot out of it... I never use Live in that window. I always use it in the "other" main window that runs vertically - I forget what it's called. I use Live 100% for playing live. I never and never probably will use it for recording as I've been recording on Cubase so long.

I actually have a lot of complaints about Ableton Live. That is one fucked up company - they might take the record. Ableton Live still (after me hounding them for over a year and them promising yes) does not completely comply with the 1983 MIDI standard that every other MIDI app I know complies with. It will not accept CC 123 for instance. It ignores all but the first PRG change in a clip. The list goes on but basically I think the program shows hope but is needs a lot of work. They haven't finished it, there's tons of loose ends in the MIDI department.

I've gone on their site and often they have job opportunities for pretty much every position it would take to run a company so I always wonder if the will be around in 6 months. My impression is that the original people who made the company sold it to some kids who are struggling to keep it afloat, and are just barely hanging in there.

What I like about it is that it gives me the ability to stretch songs on stage and that has been incredible. But it has lots of problems, probably most people don't experience it like I do because I don't use loops and don't use any audio tracks, just MIDI, so I'm not their typical target user and you could argue that the program wasn't designed for me.

I think its recognised as trailing the other "big boys" when it comes to midi...but that doesnt affect 99% of us probably...you just highlighted that..

Ive never had to deal with them as Im a fairly new user and recorder...but your description doesnt sound like typical German efficiency...must have been their New York office


this is a pretty good link for tutorials..dunno if any will offer someone of your experience anything....why did you choose ableton when you describe yourself as not their typical user? (I have to admit I use it in the arranger view like you most of the time too, I also dont use loops)

http://www.macosxaudio.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=25164

 

[dintymoore]

why did you choose ableton when you describe yourself as not their typical user?...

Because I wanted a program that could extend the songs on stage, mainly for people dancing. Ableton Live does that better than any other program I know of. I end up using Ableton Live and QMIdi at the same time live. If Ableton was $300 then QMidi should be $3000, but it's $15. QMidi is a program that no one gets, they think "ya, it plays MIDI files, so what?", but that is an incredible live app, the best, least-fucked up music program I have ever seen.

... your description doesnt sound like typical German efficiency...must have been their New York office ...

No, all my contact with them has been in Germany. There was one point where they wouldn't answer the phone for about 3 days, other times they answered the phone right away. They have always been very nice on the phone, except they won't live up to what they've been telling me that they would do over a year ago.

It's pretty lame that a music app that claims to be MIDI compatible is only partially MIDI compatible. I know of no other music app that picks and chooses which MIDI commands it will comply with, all the other programs comply with the 1983 standard that every program on my Commodore 64 complied with!

Ableton Live has the potential capability to comply with the 1983 MIDI standard, they just haven't paid a programmer to write it. They freely admit that and every month tell me "ya, we're gonna do it on the next version" but so far zero results.

I do not see MIDI the way anyone else does. I see it as a robotics/artificial intelligence program that has not seen it's potential in the slightest, kinda like a Stratocaster before Hendrix came a long. Also, it solves the problem the Beatles had when they stopped playing live because their songs were made in the studio and they couldn't really play them live.

Someday someone like Hendrix will come a long and say "no, you idiots, this is what you do with MIDI" and everyone will go "Oh... I thought it sucked!".