What is Reddit's opinion of
Ableton Live?
From 3.5 billion Reddit comments
100 reviews of this app found across Reddit:
I teach Ableton Live in France.
My advice is like other people around here:
Start with the Online Manual, their Learn Live section, and also Ableton's Videos on their Youtube Channel.
It will help you to understand which tools you have at your fingertips.
Then goes to any Youtube videos about this or that technique.
Most "academical" videos are made to sell "programs" after, and most of these "academical" videos are not made by certified Trainers.
Live is a great product with LOADS of tools, that can be used for many things:
Recording, Editing, Mixing, Mastering, Composing, Hardware Syncing, Making a live set and so much more...
So maybe just look for videos explaining "Basic Recording", "Basic Mixing..."
The orchestral stuff was part of 10 suite (as well as the surround panner afaik). The others are new to 11 suite. (I guess I wouldn’t call any of these free? Unless they’re giving them to standard and intro users which doesn’t look to be the case (https://www.ableton.com/en/live/compare-editions/) but I could be wrong)
Here is a list of the full feature comparison: https://www.ableton.com/en/live/feature-comparison/
In my opinion the biggest differences are:
- Lite having a very limited amout of tracks
- Standard removing that limit
- Suite adding Analog, Operator, Sampler and Max4Live
Honestly you can pull up abletons version comparison and then just type in feature that suite has the lite didn't and you should be able to find a tutorial on that specifically.
There are a number of channels that have done a video explaining every single effect and instrument. Honestly, the new devices are the main upgrade, so learn the new instruments and effects.
That's automation. If you don't know about it, then your knowledge of DAWs is pretty poor (one guessing you're just starting?) & it would be advisable to first try to learn the basics by yourself and then come asking here if you get stuck.
Luckily Ableton has a great video series:
https://www.ableton.com/en/live/learn-live/
...and an even better on-line help:
To answer my own question:
"Live 10 will be available in early 2018."
"Ableton Live 10 will be officially launched in the first quarter of 2018."
And there you have it.
If you haven't already, check out Ableton Live. It's a real popular computer DAW that's used to make all sorts of music styles. You can use it standalone with samples and plug ins to make complete chillwave songs. I use it along side some synths to make some of my music. Plenty of youtube videos on how to use it. If you are looking to get started with just hardware, check out the newer Korg Electribe. It's a fun box that has a real good sound engine and it's portable. There are a bunch of subreddits to help you out with music production. Good luck
The Max runtime is a publicly available free program that runs patches. It will only run the patches, not edit them. This is really cool because if you own Max, you can send patches to people who don't, and they can use the runtime to run your patch. This is also great if you ever build a giant mutli-computer networked art installation running all on Max without having to buy licenses for each computer.
Max is an integrated development environment that lets you edit and create patches. You don't need the runtime if you have Max installed. Max cost $399. If you already own Max4Live, you can cross-grade to this version for $299. You can also get a subscription for $10/month.
Max4Live is a separate license that costs $199. If you already have a Max license, you can cross-grade to add Max4Live support for $99. Max4Live allows you to use the Max editor only from inside of Live, and there are a few features missing. It uses the exact same binary as Max, you install it the same way, but it'll know which features to unlock based on which license you have. If you go to the Ableton site and download Max4Live, it really just sends you to the Max website to download the exact same file that Max owners download.
So, to answer your question, as a Max4Live owner, you get a Max4Live license that works with Max 7. If you don't have a Max 7 license, you can't run Max 7 outside of live without getting a trial or separate license. If you currently own Max 6, you can have that installed along side 7.
Before dropping any cash, I strongly recommend trying the demos/trials for the DAWs you're looking at.
Reaper is by far your cheapest option. I usually hear about it in regards to recording rather than sequencing, but it might work for you.
Logic is only $200, and from what I've heard, is one of the best DAWs in terms of bang per buck. It's basically super garageband (you can even import GB projects into Logic). Mac only.
I don't know anything about Studio One haha.
If and when you get the trial for Ableton, realize that you'll be running the demo for Suite (minus most of the 40gb of sounds), but the Intro and Standard versions might not have the features/capabilities that you like. Here's the feature comparison. Also understand that it's very expensive to buy Intro or Standard and upgrade later (you get a big discount if you buy Suite and what it contains all at once). Even with a student discount, Suite is $450. Ableton is my DAW of choice and I love it, but if you're looking for something cheap, it's probably not the best for you.
I went with Suite because:
- I don't have a lot of hardware and it was the most realistic way for me to create a versatile set-up without breaking the bank.
- MAX for Live intrigues me and I hope to explore it someday
It is hard for me to say whether you should get it, but if you want Max for Live you should probably go for it. I know the Suite offers some more robust MIDI option with MAX.
- Start at ableton.com/en/live/learn-live/ and watch every single video that’s there.
- Then, typing "Ableton Live for Beginners" into YouTube search bar reveals hundreds of useful videos. Your pick.
- If you’ll come across any technical issues, contact Ableton or your interface support.
- For at least a year avoid posting questions in forums. There’s answer to any of your questions already somewhere. Most likely right in the manual.
Disclaimer: I use FL Studio so anything I say about Ableton is based on this and random things I've heard about it from other artists.
FL Studio Fruity edition has painfully limited sample editing capabilities compared to Ableton Intro. In my opinion this is by far the biggest pitfall of this software.
Ableton Intro has somewhat limited synthesis and effects libraries compared to FL Studio Fruity edition.
Ableton Intro has a painfully low cap on number of audio and MIDI tracks (16) compared to FL Studio Fruity edition (500, more if they add more in a free update). In my opinion this is by far the biggest pitfall of this software.
My personal advice to either save up a little and go with FL Studio Producer edition ($199, excellent), or as you suggested Logic ($199, excellent), or save up a lot and go with Ableton Live Suite ($749, excellent). All of these options in my opinion have more "bang for buck" even though they're more expensive.
If you can't do this, I would go with Fl Studio Fruity edition or find a different DAW. Honestly I wouldn't recommend either entry-level version for music production.
Whichever way you go, if you're missing out on some bundled software you can find a huge list of alternatives here.
Someone else correct me if there's a better budget DAW option.
This shit is exepensive I'm afraid! There's always going to be a pretty high initial cost just to get a basic setup going. I've not used the JD-Xi myself, but it seems like Roland have made is specifically with the beginner in mind, and I'm pretty sure that it is the absolute cheapest way available right now to get started with synths. If it's all getting a bit pricey though then it might be best for you to take the software route. There are countless free software synths and effects out there which are as good if not better than the real deal in some cases, all you're really missing out on is the hands-on programming that you get with hardware. If you want to get started in software all you need is a DAW (you can pick up Live 9 Intro for about £50) and a midi controller, although that isn't strictly necessary as you can just sequence the synths in the DAW. That should give you a good taste of things, and if you like it you can start blowing vast amounts of cash on synths later on like the rest of us :p Most people start out this way so maybe that's the best thing to do for now... and I'm sure we'll see you in the vintage synth thread in 6 months!
Intro is great for starting out. You aren't limiting to basic workflow stuff except for the number of tracks. See here for the complete feature comparison - https://www.ableton.com/en/live/feature-comparison/
Yes, you can use the same purchase for the later-date installation. No, you will not need to purchase a second license. I purchased Ableton Live 9 awhile back, installed it on my Windows and Macbook. Both work perfectly.
Go through Ableton's tutorial series. You're going to keep running into menial questions if you don't learn through a proper tutorial.
Left of the midi editor in the bottom is a section for clip length. You can edit it there. Your second question will be addressed as you learn how Ableton's workflow works, it's not easy to answer on here. Set apart an hour or two a day to plug through tutorials, you'll be grateful in the long run.
Just for your future reference...
Here's a list of everything that's included in Live Lite.
A full feature comparison between the three different versions.
The Standard version runs about $500, the Suite is around $700-800. However, Ableton does offer student pricing that gives up to a 40% discount. Just glancing at Ableton's education page, it looks like your son should be eligible if you decide to purchase an upgrade for him in the future.
All that being said, like others have said in their replies, there is a massive wealth of free content available on the internet. The links others have provided are probably enough to keep your son very busy for a long time, but if you ever need to know anything else, feel free to pop back here, /r/ableton, or /r/edmproduction. All three communities are (for the most part) very active, helpful, and friendly.
Finally, the Ableton manual is a fantastic resource that many newcomers skip reading. It's not nearly as dry as some other DAW technical manuals, so your son should be able to grasp most of its contents.
Best of luck to you and your son!
Suite gives you a lot more bang for your buck. Compare them here: https://www.ableton.com/en/live/compare-editions/
The big things here are the number of samples available (1800+ vs. 5000+) and Max for Live. The latter opens up a lot of instrument and effect possibilities, even if you don't do Max programming.
Yes, it's a much higher initial investment. I went with Suite back with Live 7, and have simply paid to upgrade to the next suite version as they've come along, and $250 every few years isn't a huge amount. I spend more than that collecting new VSTs and hardware. Not to mention I believe Ableton lets you split that payment up now.
No worries my g. If you're a student or know someone in school that would want to split with you, you can also get a 40% student discount. Suite comes with a bunch of really powerful instruments that standard doesn't include, like Wavetable and operator. Standard also has less audio effects and sound packs. https://www.ableton.com/en/live/compare-editions/ Check out that link to see the differences, if you haven't already. Suite gives you alot and I haven't found myself searching for many additional instrument or effects plugins.
Depending on how many tracks you use regularly you might be able to get away with the Lite version. It is definitely missing a few effects and whatnot that you might want from the standard or suite versions.
I'm sure you've probably already found this comparison chart.
https://www.ableton.com/en/live/compare-editions/
I'll admit it is a little obtuse on figuring out what is and is not included unless you've used a particular effect/instrument before.
It's not just built in synths between Standard and Suite--there is actually a growing number of audio effects and even a couple midi effects different between the two. Suites also boasts about 60gb more in audio files, be those one-shots, phrases and loops or whatever else.
I assume you've checked out the comparison between Ableton versions? If you're not using the stuff that comes in Suite, then yeah it's not really worth that extra $300. I never ended up bumping up to Suite because Ableton was really basically just a Serum container for me 😂
This is the feature list of Live Lite, which is slightly more restricted than the Intro version https://www.ableton.com/en/products/live-lite/features/
The biggest difference between Lite and the paid versions right now, is there’s no lite version for 11 yet. If you want to cross reference that feature list with what’s available in the paid versions, you can compare here: https://www.ableton.com/en/live/compare-editions/
You'd not have Max for Live, a good amount of the audio effects, and a bunch of Packs. Full list is here: https://www.ableton.com/en/live/compare-editions/
what kind of things are on your list that you don't want to lose?
This lists what comes in each version for side by side comparison. Intro is limited but comes with enough sounds and Simpler to make music. As the other person said theres a plethora of free insturment VSTs around. https://www.ableton.com/en/live/compare-editions/
https://www.ableton.com/en/live/learn-live/
start here i guess
https://learningmusic.ableton.com/
and you can learn how to make songs here. it'll even let you export what you've played around with so you can use it in the daw
Info-tainment is a huge part of online content creation, you are always going to find people make lists of tips and tricks for people to follow, the quality varies *shrigs*
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9 times out of ten, the best people to learn from are the ones who are doing, not teaching.
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I've found myself slinking into a habit of information overload, thinking that the more I know the better I'll be, whereas the same amount of time spent actually working on material is 100x more valuable.
The manual is great, for more visual learners Ableton.com has great tutorials that cover pretty much everything you'll ever need to know about https://www.ableton.com/en/live/learn-live/
Thank you so much for this. It's very helpful. I registered and I'm looking to start working with it tonight.
One note, the latest write-up on Live 10 Lite says it allows 16 Audio & MIDI tracks. https://www.ableton.com/en/live/compare-editions/
Wow yours is really good! I've made a couple horrible VST's with JUCE, and I'd like to get into it seriously in the future, but I know how hard that is. Obviously its subjective, and I think some people like the minimal appearance of reaper. I don't have any JS plugins to link if that's what you mean.
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I came from Ableton, and I prefer their FX chain to Reaper's window based system. All the Ableton 10 stock effects look really nice IMO. As far as VST's, I think Izotope makes really good looking stuff that is consistent with the theme of their brand. Waves is more of a mixed bag, but I like the plugins that look like the analog equivalent...Where as I think most Reaper fans don't.
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Off-topic lunch rant: I think audio plugin developers owe it to themselves to make great UI's. I think one of the reasons Reaper isn't way more popular is the aesthetic. As this thread shows many JS plugins are amazing, but they don't get the attention they deserve. People want to FEEL like they are using top-notch plugins, and if the UI looks terrible it will bias how producers perceive the plugin. Even if it actually sounds just as good, they may not perceive that to be the case.
https://www.ableton.com/en/live/compare-editions/
The main differences between standard and suite are the effects and synths included in each package. But even if you get intro that will be more than enough to start producing as a beginner imo. It’s a huge investment to jump right into suite but that could be used as motivation to actually learn how to produce and make music using Live 10.
Ableton 10 has amp, cabinet, and drum bus(transient processor, good for basses), and pedal. Coupled with Echo, erosion, vinyl distortion, and others, you can get some really tasty effects.
https://www.ableton.com/en/live/
Enjoy!
Edit: scroll down for sound demos
Ableton Live is probably what you're looking for. I'm not sure exactly what you can do with separate applications, but typically you'll have all your source files within an ableton session and you can set up a variety of different triggers for them. You'll need to get some sort of interface to do any multi-channel stuff, though.
Lite does not come with Gate. See https://www.ableton.com/en/products/live-lite/features/#audio-effects
I think your screenshot is for Live Intro. https://www.ableton.com/en/live/feature-comparison/
Ableton has a pretty solid series on setting up an interface and external gear.
And usually everyone’s first mistake is mixing up the MIDI cables. Make sure the MIDI OUT on the interface goes into the MIDI IN on the Minilogue. Then you’ll be able to use Ableton’s piano roll to sequence your synth (I think that’s what you want).
Specific to Ableton is Ableton Export. Only 6 apps currently support it, listed at the above link. Of those, only Gadget and Patterning export MIDI. Elastic Drums is Export-enabled, and not listed at the above site, tho only does Audio. From there it's approach-based, you want iPhone/Midi clip export/beats/synths - so you can either pick up a DaW complement it with apps to record in and export, or go with individual synths/beat-making apps with MIDI export options. Gadget might be your best first look.
Ableton has a pretty comprehensive list of the differences:
https://www.ableton.com/en/live/feature-comparison/
To me, I would really miss Analog, Operator, and EQ8 which don't come with Lite. But for simple things (and especially if you have plenty of 3rd party instruments/effects), Lite should be fine.
Live Lite: https://www.ableton.com/en/products/live-lite/features/
Live Intro: https://www.ableton.com/en/live/feature-comparison/
Main differences that I can tell: Lite has 8 tracks, Intro has 16
Intro has more effects (Looper, Flanger, Gate, Ping Pong Delay, Grain Delay, Phaser, Effect Rack, Saturator, Limiter)
Intro has one more instrument than lite - Instrument Rack.
Lite is not designed for use with Packs / partner instruments; some may work / YMMV.
Programmer and bedroom-producer here. Although I think your vision is really cool (I would love to hack on a DAW), my intuition tells me that this wouldn't work well.
This comes from the fact that DAWs, at their core, are sequencers and they have huge enemy in latency. I think that is why most major software packages (like Ableton) are built with low-level languages like C++ and provide you with ways to monitor I/O latency and CPU usage.
Since you'll essentially be building a DAW as a web-application that will be run through the V8 engine, I feel like latency would become a major issue (especially when doing I/O with external interfaces).
Are you familiar with Max for Live? You might find it interesting. Allows you programmatically extend Ableton and create new devices and effects. However, you will notice that even when using Max, your audio latency increases.
But consider this a warning, not a shut-down. I think it could still be an interesting project to pursue.
Most importantly by having only 16 Channels, 2 Returns and less devices. Here is the full comparison chart: https://www.ableton.com/en/live/feature-comparison/
You'd probably get by if all you want to do is some guitar music.
However you could get something like Reaper (65€) or Bitwig (200€) or FL Studio (190€) to get a full DAW at a more reasonable price. Even Cubase has a version for 240€ that is limited, but can be used in much bigger dimensions.
Another option is to get an edu version if you are allowed to. Ableton Live Standard is 230€ with it and Presonus Studio One is 220€.
Here's a feature comparison to the other versions in case you haven't seen it: https://www.ableton.com/en/live/feature-comparison/
It lacks warp mode and you can't have more than 16 tracks and 2 send and return tracks. If that's not a limitation to you than I guess it can work. It also doesn't have some of the native plug-ins so it'd help to have some third party ones. Personally, because of all of that I'd either pirate Suite or get FL for another $100.
Here are the requirements for the educational discount. This is the part that applies to you: > a student currently enrolled in full-time educational studies, ranging from primary school up to advanced degree programs.
You fulfill that requirement, so you're good to go. To verify if/when you purchase, you'll need a copy of your valid government issued ID or driver's license, and a copy of your valid student or teacher ID, or a confirmation letter from your school including a signature and stamp.
Here is the overview for Intro, Standard, and Suite.
With Standard vs Suite, you trade 7 Ableton instruments, 3 Ableton audio effects, Max for Live and its devices, and 11 sample/sound packs (43GB) for $180 (with the 40% student discount).
Buying Suite all together already saves tons of money when compared to buying Standard and upgrading piece by piece, and you also have the student discount (which can't be used with individual add ons). You can certainly produce rock/alt music in Ableton, but if you're planning on adding synths or other digital elements to your mix, then Suite is much more cost effective in the long run than buying Standard and upgrading. Have you used the demo before? I recommend toying around with it to see what you like and if you want the things that are exclusive to Suite.
Wrong subreddit - /r/edmproduction
Anyway, you need digital audio workstation (DAW) software to make music with the Launchpad. Try Ableton Live or FL Studio.
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Your license gives you two activations. You are allowed to have Live installed on two machines at a time. If you ever need to install more than twice (in the case that one machine dies or you upgrade to better equipment), you can email support explaining why, and they will add more activations to your account. I've activated at least half a dozen times due to OS reinstalls and upgrades as well as PC upgrades.
Here is a detailed comparison between the versions of Live. Live Intro is a very capable piece of software and a great place to start. In my experience, the biggest limitation is that of the number of tracks you can use. If you collect some good VSTs, you can get around most of the other limitations. That said, the extras that come with Standard and Suite are well worth the price when you can pay it.
M Audio Fast Track. About $65. Not the best but I used it for years.
I mean seriously, did you even look?
Live Lite is basically a demo/stripped down version of Live. From what I see on their website, it allows a maximum of 8 channels (audio or MIDI) and includes a small collection of loops and samples. You can use your own VSTs as well as a few native plugins that have been included.
The full version of Live includes a lot more, and allows unlimited tracks. There are also two different "full" versions, the more expensive of which is Suite (includes Max4Live, more native plugins, and many more samples and loops).
Here's the page comparing the different versions of Live
Here's the page specifically for Live Lite
EDIT: Fixed link.
What specifically are you lacking in Beatmaker? You said storage space, but that really has nothing to do with the DAW you chose...
Mixing can be done in any ableton version. The Intro version is limited to 8 tracks, and the Standard version is limited to 24 returns (that's a lot)... For me, what really sells suite is Max4Live which is an environment for creating devices (like synths) and modifying Ableton (you can control almost any parameter in ableton with M4L almost like a scripting environment), Operator, Wavetable, and Sampler (though Intro and Standard come with "Simpler" which is a simpler sampler...) are all amazing stock instruments and Sampler is a gamechanger with the three LFOs (you could put a M4L LFO on Simpler... but then, you'd own Suite and have Sampler anyway...), Echo is frankly a game changer... it's such a great echo effect, but it's also the best sounding distortion... You'll want at least Standard for EQ8 if you want to do mixing. Ditto for Glue Compressor, also an amazing distortion...
I think you at least want Standard, but I'm a big proponent of Suite if nothing else than because of Max4Live.
I got myself Ableton 11 Standard this year for my music production. At the end I found myself doing a lot more then just music production. Live 11 Standard will be good enough for anything. Mixing, mastering, recording vocals, recording live instruments you name it.
Live 11 Standard comes with all the tools and instruments you need for a start. I highly recommended getting it and if you ever feel the need you need more you can easily upgrade from Standard to Suite.
You can compare all the Live Editions here:
https://www.ableton.com/en/live/learn-live/ - this covers everything you need to know.
All you need to do is use the built in External Instrument plugin under Instruments. You set the audio input from your interface and can route midi in/out from that track.
To sample you open a track and press record.
To process sounds you put effects on the track.
You don't need a course to do any of these extremely basic things. Try giving the manual a glimpse.
Good question. Main differences between Simpler and Sampler: Sampler will give you the ability to play multiple samples at once and allow you to control the samples you play based on what key you press, how hard you press it, and a couple other variables as well (can't remember off the top off my head). Not sure this is something you'd be needing, but could be worth checking out a bit. Simpler is more suited for single samples, like loops and one-shots, and gives you the ability to warp the audio.
Also, since you say you wanna make hip-hop, here's some specific stuff included in Suite that you may be interested in:
- Beat Tools and all the piano, brass, and strings libraries under 'Packs' on the compare editions page https://www.ableton.com/en/live/compare-editions/
And then, on that same page, I'd take a quick look at the two reverb effects and echo. I use these a lot when making hip hop. Depending on what your beats are like, they could come in handy for you too.
Every post that starts with "Beginner here, just downloaded Ableton and I have a question…" should be automatically slapped with following bot response and archived:
- Start at ableton.com/en/live/learn-live/ and watch every single video that’s there.
- Typing "Ableton Live for Beginners" into YouTube search bar reveals hundreds of useful videos.
- If you’ll come across any technical issues, contact Ableton or your hardware device tech support.
- For at least a year avoid posting questions in forums. There’s answer to any of your questions already somewhere. Most likely right in the manual or knowledge base.
Other than that, is there perhaps some Live sub for advanced/expert users?
Work your way up. It is more enjoyable and you’ll learn more. Lite has all you need and working within its limitation is actually fun and beneficial. It makes you focus on fundamentals.
If you’re total beginner Standard or Suite will be unnecessarily overwhelming and will likely just slow down your learning.
Stick with Lite and create your first album with it. Be then you’ll be able to understand better and appreciate all the possibilities upgrade might bring.
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As for the start, Ableton has some excellent learning materials:
- Video lessons. Watch all these videos first.
- Manual. Answers to any of your questions are most likely to be found there.
- Music lessons. Simple game-like lessons to understand basics.
You should be able to get a good guitar setup going without suite. I'm not sure if you're referring to outboard pedal gear, a midi pedal controller or software-based pedal effects. But you should be able to get any of these to work without buying suite. /u/qubitrenegade made a good guess that you may be referring to the pedal effect.
I use the nektar pacer with ableton live, and you can also integrate external hardware effects if you want to get that routing working. Lite does have some limitations that may affect your recording, but pedal support shouldn't be one of them.
Thanks for the tip, it is really there, I clicked the download button and it generated and added a Lite license to my Splice account.
But the "why?" I have no idea, maybe they made a deal.
It is not the same as the $99 Intro version, Lite is a OEM version usually bundled with other products.
https://www.ableton.com/en/live/compare-editions/
https://www.ableton.com/en/products/live-lite/features/
(EDIT) Here is the link for the lazy (I'm lazy myself):
https://splice.com/daws/38929163-live-10-lite-vst-by-ableton
What version of Live do you have - Intro, Standard, or Suite? Certain features are only included in Standard or Suite. There's a full comparison between the versions here: https://www.ableton.com/en/live/compare-editions/#effects
If ALLLLLL you'll ever do is record and mix, then Intro should be enough, you are limited to two returns, but I think you can do a lot of that in your Digi?
This table compares the features.
https://www.ableton.com/en/live/compare-editions/
I would posit that that upgrade to Suite from Standard is worth the $200 just for Max4Live as it opens a lot of possibilities for "custom" plugins controlling various aspects of your set... So if you're considering Standard, Suite might be worth it (they do have a payment plan). But again, for just recording and mixing, that's probably overkill.
usually lite is the one that comes bundled with hardware. Check here to see for yourself. And for the sake of ableton lite and intro are the same, intro just allows 8 more tracks
Download the trial (if you haven't already) and then use this to compare versions. That way you'll know what to use and what not to use, should you decide to upgrade to standard.
I haven't bought Suite yet, I'm about to today. I'm going by YouTube videos I've seen and the comparison between the different versions (look under Software Instruments): https://www.ableton.com/en/live/compare-editions/
Wavetable is the full featured synthesizer that comes with Suite. This for many, is the single most powerful instrument to upgrade to Suite for.
Collision is an instrument that emulates and morphs the sounds of mallet percussion (marimbas, bells, etc.). In the link I gave you, it shows you how much more expansive Suite is than Standard. That's why I'm going Suite.
Edit: "Amp" and "Cabinet" seem to be quick and easy ways to record guitars, so that's another big one for me. And the instrument, "Electric", for some quick electric pianos.
He’s not being a dickhead though.. I would seriously consider taking his advice. They did a great job with the Ableton Live manual (and online Learn Live instructional videos.
Look don’t take this the wrong way, but how you phrased your question makes it pretty obvious that you’re new to Ableton. And that’s fine, you picked a great DAW. I’ve only been using it for about 6 months now and the single most beneficial step I took was to read the manual and watch their videos. It takes maybe a day or two to get that done and I promise it will save you from headaches and wasted time in the long run.
I'd say to check out this page, then decide what would work best for you. If you think it's too limiting, just upgrade later on and it will cost you about the same.
If you're gonna use the EDU discount, though, start with the best one you can afford. The discount only applies for first-time purchases, so you'll actually pay more if you decide to upgrade later on.
An audio interface isn't necessary for you if everything you're going to be doing is within VSTs. If you decide you want to record real instruments or vocals in the future, you'll need one.
Depends on your usage, here is their comparison chart
If you're not a piano player, 49 keys is probably fine. Many people use even smaller MIDI controllers
If you're looking to save money and are in a smaller recording space, you could look for 5" monitors instead of 7s. Everything seems good to me though
Komplete is a collection of VST instruments, and you can't really create more custom instruments if that's what you're asking. You can do a lot of editing in how they sound and save those settings though.
Here's a comparison of the three Live 10 editions: https://www.ableton.com/en/live/compare-editions/
If you're a student or teacher, then you can get Live 10 Suite at a big discount ($449). I did that with an eBay 20% off sale, which is like every month or two; so it only cost me $360. That's a lot of synths, effects, etc., for $360.
I believe SysEx support was added for M4L in Live 10. It's mentioned on their site at least (near the bottom, search for 'sysex'). Haven't tried it myself but maybe there's something there that'd work for you?
https://www.ableton.com/en/live/compare-editions/
The lite version has a lot of what I feel are basic functions disabled, such as slicing audio, complex warp engines, certain filetype supports, and video support. However even that version includes a decent amount of samples and effects/modules.
It's worth checking out imo but with certain functions disabled, you'll just have to google around for manual workarounds and look online for free vst's that can help achieve the same result.
Also, just throwing this out there, most midi controllers I've bought have come with ableton lite for free. If you plan on buying a midi controller anyways, I'd say go ahead and do that and save yourself the $100 on the lite version. If you don't like ableton, you didn't spend any money on it and can still use the midi controller with any other daw.
It all comes down to native instruments, sample content, and Max.
If you plan to mainly use plugins, won't likely use the extra samples, and aren't interested in Max, there is no advantage to Suite.
This is your friend: https://www.ableton.com/en/live/compare-editions/
It just came in today... they might not send them all out at the same time but the e-mail I got says:
>Improvements to Push 1 > >Live 10 lets you do more on Push 1 away from the computer. A new step sequencing layout allows simultaneous note sequencing and real time playing. And improvements to layouts, and building and extending patterns deliver a more fluid experience while you’re in the creative process. > >Read the full release notes ›
I personally went with the Suite only because I figured go big or go home. The biggest difference between Suite and Standard are the affects and some Midi functions. I personally have no regrets with Suite. If you are getting the Push, I would suggest Suite so you can have all of the extra cool effects and add-ons.
If you only plan on using the Push to mix some tracks and dabble with some Midi, the the Standard would work okay. Just depends on what you are wanting to do, and how much you plan on using Ableton. In either case, it’s all up to you!
Here are some links that may help:
https://www.ableton.com/en/live/compare-editions/ ^ Breaks down the differences between Intro, Standard, and Suite.
I agree with some of what others have said in that you really shouldn't discount the default ableton instruments. Do you have Max for live? A lot of cool free stuff not just synths are in that.
I do recommend maybe throwing some money at a few vsts though because honestly they run and sound better most of the time.
You get drum rack, simpler and impulse. Any other synth only comes with suite - https://www.ableton.com/en/live/feature-comparison/#software-instruments
The default instruments within suite are more than adequate for a beginner. I can imagine it being massively frustrating trying to make anything using only the three instruments you get in the lite/standard version.
Live Lite has a limited number of tracks and is missing a lot of synths and effects. There's a detailed comparison here.
If you're looking for more traditional recording, rather than Ableton's unusual, more EDM-oriented workflow, you may want to try out Reaper. It's only $60 and has an unlimited free trial.
https://www.ableton.com/en/live/feature-comparison
if all he really wants to do is sample and chop intro could get him by (see simpler and drum rack) but i would urge you to consider suite since it should have everything he could need for quite awhile.
very limited when compared with suite
u can only use like 16 or so tracks on a single project which was the biggest deal breaker for me. if u use a lot of third party VSTs, standard is good enough but lite was too limited for me when i first started. u can check out the comparison of features at the link
https://www.ableton.com/en/live/feature-comparison/
i dont support piracy but i would use the copy of suite until u can purchase it
I think both Sampler and Simpler were upgraded significantly in 9, in particular the filters are now analog modeled.
I think Glue Compressor is new. And as @junkis said, EQ8 is "how did I ever live without this" material. I think several of the audio effects are new to 9 as well.
I would recommend starting with the just the standard Live package, not the Suite, or 'Intro' as you'll find to many limitations with Intro and won't need the additional features in Suite, but as you said you can upgrade if need be. My only issue with Intro is that you're limited to 16 channels, but have a look at the differences between each package here: https://www.ableton.com/en/live/feature-comparison/
Suite comes with quite a large number of built in effects and instruments. There is plenty there to create, mix, and master music with. I haven't felt the need to look beyond that wide set of options yet.
Indeed Ableton is one of the more expensive daws out there but many will swear that it's worth it. Here is a comparison between Intro, Standard and Suite. The main difference is that in suite you get Max4Live and a few more instruments and plugins. Though personally if you have a good handful of 3rd party plugin like Komplete or similar bundles, I would recommend to get standard and then to buy the sampler plugin as separate if you need it, then you can upgrade to suite later on if you desire.
Just as an FYI, I bought an Akai midi controller doodad for $129.99 and it included Ableton Live 9 'Lite', which is the same as their Intro version. Here's the comparison matrix if you might be interested going that route.
IMHO, the go-to software for this would be Ableton Live. There are many other options but that would top the list for the project you're describing. Ableton's not cheap but they bundle a light version with many pieces of hardware.
As far as learning to use it, there are about a billion tutorials for everything in the world on YouTube now. I would try to find a good series of them and just follow along until I felt like I could go off on my own path.
Αναφορικά με το FL, πολλοί θα διαφωνήσουν, αλλά προσωπικά η άποψή μου δεν είναι κολακευτική. Κάποιους τους βολεύει, αλλά για εμένα δεν υπάρχει λόγος να το δουλέψεις από τη στιγμή που υπάρχουν λογισμικά όπως Ableton, Cubase, Pro Tools. Το Ableton είναι αρκετά βολικό για live. Εγώ αυτό χρησιμοποιώ κυρίως γιατί έχει το Max for Live. To Cubase πιο πολύ για mastering. Το m audio έχει το Ableton Live Lite, θα σου πρότεινα να "cough" κατεβάσεις "cough" το Ableton Live Suite. Έτσι και αλλιώς αν θες να παίξεις μουσική και να αρχίσεις να δοκιμάζει Vst κτλ θα πέσεις στην piracy θες δεν θες. Αν θες δηλαδη το m audio γιατι περιλαμβάνει το αβλετον μη το σκέφτεσαι αυτό. Το compatibility του είναι καλό, αλλά και με το ακαι μια χαρα θα τα βρεις
Standard vs Suite is more of an apt comparison, as Intro has reduced functionality compared to Standard and Suite. Suite is basically Standard plus additional effects, instruments, content and max for live.
AFAIK, Intro has slightly more functionality than Lite - the Looper effect for instance.
Lite: https://www.ableton.com/en/products/live-lite/features/
For the most part you should be able to do everything. You're limited to 16 tracks which should be more than enough when getting started. I'd say the only real issue is you'll be missing some of the audio effect devices like eq8 that you'll frequently see being used in tutorials. Simpler is the device that is used mainly in the video and that comes with Live Lite. Full break down of features is here.
https://www.ableton.com/en/live/feature-comparison/
You can always grab Ableton Lite then pickup the upgrades later down the road to Standard or Suite. If you're primarily interested in sample based music Standard might be good enough for what you want to do. The Suite has a lot more built in sounds and has some more Instruments one of them being Sampler, but with the latest updates Simpler (which is the instrument being used in the video) comes with Lite and Standard as well and is probably more than adequate to start with.
Here's their official product page: https://www.ableton.com/en/live/new-in-9-5/
Some things that weren't in the leak:
New sounds. Hopefully they're good as I've always thought Live was lacking in this department.
Three new synths in the Max for Live Essentials pack (cool!)
Something called Link, for syncing Live running on two computers and for syncing iOS apps with Live.
Super stoked for this surprise update from Ableton. :)
if ur using mac logic pro x is $199 and its great, very similar layout to garageband so there is that. Audacity is free and is good for beginners, and ableton starts at $99
Looking at the list of effects in Live Intro, I'd say you should be able to replicate just about any of the 404's effects. Intro also looks like it has VST support, so you can use all manner of free VST effects to fill any gaps if need be.
Probably the best approach is to post any must-have 404 effects you can't seem to replicate - if be surprised if you don't get a solution.
You have probably already checked https://www.ableton.com/en/help/article/buying-used-copy/ which states:
"In order to process a license transfer to you, we will need the following information:
The serial number of the product being purchased
The email address used for your Ableton account ,,, etc."
If that's not realistic you can buy a second hand lite/intro/etc. serial providing there's a legit market for that within your reach. Here in Germany that's a 10-20€ option at least. Check with Ableton support about the upgrade paths for the various bundled versions, my M-Audio Live Lite 5 version was eligible for Lite 8 f.ex.
Or you can run Live 9 trial for a month if that suits. For my (noob) level Live Intro is a perfect match (https://www.ableton.com/en/live/feature-comparison/) - hope you'll find a way too or some generous fellow here with a spare Lite version.
The "What is Live 9" section of ableton.com (https://www.ableton.com/en/live/) is a pretty good rundown of the features of the top tier one, however this is a good comparison of the tiers.
Actually after looking at that list and seeing you don't get EQ 8 with the entry level version, its a more tentative recommendation. I forgot since I upgraded to standard a year or 2 ago.
EDIT: Although bear in mind there are more than enough free EQ VST's out there.
The databse depends on which version you buy (not included in the $500 push, so calculate the additional costs), here is a comparision.
You can very easily use one of your mixer's channels. Here is someone with the same setup as you plan it.
https://www.ableton.com/en/live/feature-comparison/
Here is the comparison. Personally I would shell out for standard at least. Look at the key features compared to the $99 intro, you could make tracks in intro for sure but it will limit you severely as your tracks get more complex.. if you like the trial then I would consider Suite, it comes with a shitload and will last you ages without limiting you at all. Standard will sort you out too but just doesnt include a few powerful instruments and features for extension (max for live etc)
> can I use it with live intro version.
https://www.ableton.com/en/live/feature-comparison/
> features common to all editions of Live 9 VST and Audio Unit support
looks like you'd be good to go.
Yeah you've definitely got the right idea, I typically put a utility in a rack and setup a macro saying the minimum and maximum so I'm not sending things into way beyond clipping, I'll take a look I believe intro should have utility, it's under the audio effects if you see this before I look it up myself.
(After a quick look at ableton's site: https://www.ableton.com/en/live/feature-comparison/ it looks like you should have utility regardless of the version. If anything I said is somewhat confusing always happy to try to explain another way.)
If you happen to use Ableton then i've seen some good visualiser tools built in Max For Live. Here is a short list of the more popular ones to get an idea of what they do and how they work. I've also just found this which looks pretty cool and could perhaps open a few possibilities.
If you're not aware of Max For Live, it's basically a tool kit for making your own instruments and effects in Ableton (which extends to the visual world as we've seen). You can read more about it here.
First, check the differences between versions on Ableton's website. https://www.ableton.com/en/live/feature-comparison/ Basically, as you go up you get more audio effects, virtual instruments and soundpacks. The most important limitations of Ableton Intro are having only up to 16 tracks, 8 scenes and 2 send/return tracks, as well as not having any virtual instrument (you'll have to rely on external VSTs) and having way less audio effects (you still get enough to start up and make more than decent music).
I don't have Ableton Live Intro, but I'm on Ableton Live Lite, a striped down version that comes bundled free with certain equipment such as MIDI controllers or Soundcards (mine came with a Scarlett 2i2 interface). Checking on forums online seems that the only difference between Live Lite and Live Intro is that Lite can use only up to 8 MIDI/Audio tracks, whereas in Intro you can use up to 16 tracks (there are ways to dodge that limitation, though). So, if you don't care about having less tracks you could buy a piece of hardware that comes bundled with Live Lite and costs less than those 99 dollars that Ableton charges for Live Intro. Also, by doing this you could get yourself a MIDI keyboard or an Audio Interface, which could come in really handy in the future.
Which ones do you mean by current instruments? Are you aware you can download o bunch of free packs from the ableton website?
https://www.ableton.com/en/live/feature-comparison/
Take a look at this list, scroll down to packs. You can download all the packs for Live Intro and Standard, as long as you google for them.
Entry level Cubase is cheap enough to give you a good start. You can buy a Steinberg audio interface and get a "light" Cubase version thrown in. That's a pretty nice start.
Another option is Reaper. It's very flexible, and at $60 is not going to break the bank either, and it has a full demo version.
And then there's Ableton Live, which is pretty good too, but a bit different. Can be tried for free as well.
So, check the tutorial videos on youtube, see if that would work for you, download the demo, and check for yourself.
If you don't like the included synths, there are many inexpensive and good options out there.
These are great times to make music.
Long time Logic user here (since the time it was available for PC). Have been also using Live for a couple of years now and after seeing the new features in Live 9, I just might switch over completely if Logic 10 fails to keep up!
60 gig more in the sound library than standard (10 gig),
Generate or receive Pitch, Control, Clock and Trigger CV,
Max for Live
Powers a range of instruments and devices in Live Suite, and lets you customize or build your own devices, change the way Live works, and connect Live with the world around it.
idk why yours is like that but max for live being included was one of the big selling points of Live 10 Suite lol. From the Ableton website in 2018: https://i.imgur.com/pMT3nYt.jpg
Yeah, not sure if it was in earlier versions, and it does come as stock. https://www.ableton.com/en/live/compare-editions/ scroll down to midi effects
Do it! I don’t think you’ll regret it. Intro is the most restricted of the three versions albeit the least expensive option. You’re limited to 16 tracks in intro versus unlimited tracks in the others. I have the standard version and one of the huge selling points for me is the ability to convert audio to MIDI (midi being the musical data that corresponds to notes etc. so if there’s a melody you like you can convert the audio to midi notes and play around with changing it). Another large difference is the ability to link tracks and edit more than one at once. Try the free trial and if you like it, I’d highly suggest getting it. Try intro and if you do buy the license, you can upgrade to standard after saving more later :) if you want a more detailed comparison, here’s the link. Have fun! Comparision