Have all the tools, but can't work.

[Pathetic Noob]

I got myself an interface, shelled out cash for Ableton Live 9 (which might not be for me), Addictive Drums 2, with a special sound pack, yet I just cannot calibrate the input lag of my amp to be functional with Ableton. I'm getting better results using Audacity and a metronome app. It's miserable. Also, I'm making rock music, and since Ableton has an event limit, it's difficult to program my own dynamic drum beats without hitting walls.

I want to make rock music with live guitar and vocals and dynamic digital drums. Is Ableton the DAW for me? what do you use? I'm so frustrated and discouraged. I just want to finally record my crappy songs.

 

[ecc83]

I got myself an interface, shelled out cash for Ableton Live 9 (which might not be for me), Addictive Drums 2, with a special sound pack, yet I just cannot calibrate the input lag of my amp to be functional with Ableton. I'm getting better results using Audacity and a metronome app. It's miserable. Also, I'm making rock music, and since Ableton has an event limit, it's difficult to program my own dynamic drum beats without hitting walls.

I want to make rock music with live guitar and vocals and dynamic digital drums. Is Ableton the DAW for me? what do you use? I'm so frustrated and discouraged. I just want to finally record my crappy songs.

First of all, what is the interface? Then what is the specc' of the computer (although it would have to be very puny or well &^%$ed up NOT to run a few tracks!).

I suggest you download Reaper and K.I.S.Sir with that. The support for Reaper, both here and on the net is vast and (so long as you giver accurate and complete info!) it is almost certain help will be forthcoming.

Also download DPClat, run for 20 mins or so and report back.

Dave.

 

[thelowend]

Hi !

1. What do you mean by input lag from the amp ? Do you mean latency in Ableton ? If you're facing latency, just ensure you're using the latest ASIO drivers. Also play around with the buffer size in Ableton's settings to reduce latency.

2. The solution to your drumming part is pretty simple. I use the session view to record all my sound clips with AD. Once all my pieces are ready in the session view, I just record onto the arrangement. This is what I would recommend for you. I record in pretty much the same way. I actually program my midi using a computer keyboard and then quantize.

 

[DM60]

Not sure what problem you are having with Ableton other than a learning curve. Ableton is a good DAW, I've used it for the last several years, but its focus is less on studio linear recording and more with using it as a live recording/performance tool. That being said, using Arrangement view gets you the more standard linear recording interface. Session view is more centered around the live use of the tool and is good for a lot of things, but not regular linear (as I call it) recording. I have grown use to it and it is a good DAW, but it is very unconventional in its approach to recording.

Latency, couple of areas on this. One is using an ASIO supported interface, setting the buffer size as low as it will go when recording (meaning until your computer and interface start to make bad noise) and in Ableton there are additional settings, reducing latency while monitoring.

Not sure how much you spent on Ableton, I am using the full version, so the event limit must be referring to the Lite version. If you've not spent several hundreds of dollars, and feel compelled to get this to work, I recommend Reaper as well.

There is still a huge learning curve with Reaper (recording in general). More than you probably realize, but it is inexpensive, very capable and well supported. Very efficient and just a damn good DAW for the money. I ise it for tracking live bands on a very low end laptop.

I am a big fan of Ableton, and if you ever think of using software live, I recommend learning it, but if you're just going to record, mix and publish, not the DAW I would recommend. Go with Reaper or other traditional DAWs.