Ableton Live is best known for its Session View grid, but the faster you are with Arrangement View, the more fluidly you can compose finished tracks. I put together a quick reference tutorial to help you work faster.
I’m pleased for this project to get to partner with Riemann Kollektion here in Berlin. Virtuoso techno producer and DJ/live act Florian Meindl heads Riemann as a label for sound content, mastering, nerdy apparel, and now various resources for honing your craft. Riemann is really a story in itself – it’s the natural evolution of electronic music business, catering to a world with more producers and DJs. Instead of lamenting the proliferation of music makers and the diminishing value of records, Florian is adapting, by serving that new market, while still remaining focused on the artists and sound of underground techno.
To me, being able to work quickly in a DAW means the power to make the tool disappear. It means shortening the distance between an idea and its execution. And Ableton have made some significant workflow changes in Live 10 and Live 10.1, which mean this is worth revisiting.
My basic strategy is this:
- Exploit Scenes in Session View to make your basic song structure
- Map parameters so you can not only mix, but tweak devices in real time
- Learn the latest keyboard shortcuts to focus the display on your work, without mousing around
- Adjust envelopes more directly and draw shapes
- Use time operations and bounces to make big changes
I also point to some third-party tools that add additional power and control.
Check out the full tutorial:
Tutorial: Super Fast Arrangement in Ableton Live 10
And I’d love your feedback on additional tips to add. (Florian and I will keep updating it.) Plus if there’s another tool you’d like to see covered, let us know – especially if you’ve worked out some tips in your tool of choice.