Digital Audio Workshop

How to Build a Kontakt Multi Preset in Ableton Live

2012-02-01T12:12:00.000-05:00

How To Create A Kontakt Multi-Channel Preset In Ableton Live

Native Instruments Kontakt is a fully-featured software sampler, and in many ways, exceeds the abilities of classic hardware samplers. In the modern world of digital audio workstations, Kontakt is just about indispensable. Yes, it comes with a TON of features and is compatible with just about every sample format known to mankind. But one of the real great features of this sampler is the endless amount of realistic, third-party sample banks that have been released since Kontakt's inception. Kontakt's internal structure consists of samples grouped into instruments, and these instruments can be grouped together to create multis.

Making use of the multis requires, well, multiple MIDI inputs into Kontakt. There are several ways to do this in Ableton, but this time around we will be setting up an instrument with multiple outputs and saving it as a preset in Live.

Step 1

In a new Ableton session, create a new channel by dragging and dropping a Kontakt VSTi with 8 audio outs (or however many outs you need) into a empty mixer slot.

Step 2

In Kontakt, click on the empty rack space to create a number of empty instruments. If you are using Kontakt 4 or later, click the presets/batch configuration and open the batch functions. Under batch functions, select “clear the output section and create one individual channel for each loaded instrument”. This will auto-route audio from each instrument to its own unique output, providing you the opportunity to add external effects to each individual channel

Step 3

Drag and drop an External Instrument from the Live Device Browser into an empty mixer slot. In your external instrument, make your MIDI routing target the Kontakt channel. In the second drop-down menu, route your MIDI further inside Kontakt to your first instrument input.

Step 4

Clone your External Instrument to create one for each of your Kontakt instruments. Be sure to change the MIDI routings to instruments 2 – 8 (or however many instruments you have in the instance of Kontakt). In addition, route the audio from each Kontakt instrument to the appropriate Live External Instrument.

Step 5

Select the Kontakt channel and all the External Instruments channels and group them together.

Step 6

After grouping the channel together, rename the group, and add to the Ableton Instrument library, for ease of use later!

This is a simple tip that has allowed me to fully take advantage of Kontakt's and Ableton's flexibility to make some pretty unique sounds...try it out and let me know what you think!

Get Kontakt as a part of Native Instruments Komplete 8 here...over 90 GBs of sounds included!

Ableton's "Sound"

2012-01-26T12:39:00.000-05:00

New users to Ableton are often thrown off by the “sound” of the DAW. Here's something that is very important for anybody using Ableton (or any DAW really) to remember: there is no Ableton sound.

What many take for the sound of Ableton is actually the result of the default warp setting of a software initially designed for use by club DJs. Remember, when it was first introduced, Ableton was primarily a DJing software, and as such it was designed to stretch, chop, change, edit and mix BEATS.

Since version 4, though, it has incorporated more and more DAW-type features Here's how to change that default beat setting, and it's pretty quick and easy, I promise!

Step One

Open the preferences in Ableton. Navigate to the Record/Warp/Launch tab.

Step Two

Initially, Live comes default warp mode set to “Beats”. Change your default warp mode to “Complex”.

That's it..no more weird stuttering sound effects to your non-percussive audio clips! One thing about complex mode: it uses more RAM than the other modes, so be aware that it takes a little more processing power.

2012-01-05T13:22:00.000-05:00

A new MPC is on the horizon...but the question is, is it too little, too late. And exactly who will this device serve? Die-hard MPC enthusiasts may be turned off by the digital interface. DAW die-hards probably are pretty happy with their software of choice, or are leaning strongly toward NI's Maschine software, if they don't have it already.

In any event, though, competition in the marketplace is great for the consumer (see: Pro Tools finally getting better, for real). Can AKAI finally get on the DAW train now, or is it already too late?

Check out the video below:

Make Ableton Chop Samples Like A MPC

2011-11-17T14:32:00.001-05:00

I use Ableton Live as my primary DAW for a wide variety of reasons. I originally started using it primarily because of its ability to import and time-stretch MP3s. Once Ableton added VST support in version 4, it slowly supplanted Reason as my primary music making software. Personally, I jumped from hardware wwith the release of Reason 2.5. But other users coming from a hardware environment may initial be a little put off by Ableton's user interface and functionality. Let's face it, it's initial simplicity can be a little daunting – a ton of features are packed in those two screens, but they don't exactly jump out at you. But, hidden behind that simplicity are a ton of features that can mimic the workflow of some classic hardware. One of the most popular and influential pieces of hardware production gear ever is the Akai MPC series. For MPC users, Ableton's Drum Racks feature can mimic many of the more popular functions of the MPC, including monophonic sample cutoffs.

Step 1

Load up a sample into a session view slot. It can be a .wav file, REX loop, Acidized .wav file, .aiff file, or even an MP3.

Step 2

Move your transient markers to your desired positions. Warp the clip using your preferred warp settings. I use the “complex” setting for most things, except percussion samples which I use the “drums” settings For maximum fluidity, I suggest chops of no less than one full beat. Shorter sample lengths will not require such automated cut-off, usually.

Step 3

Right click the warped clip, and select slice to MIDI, using the appropriate slice settings. You will then see a new MIDI channel with your sliced sample mapped to individual pads in a Ableton drum rack instrument.

Step 4

Here is where it gets crazy. Select the MIDI track containing the drum rack. In the lower half of the screen you will see your drum rack and it's control parameters. In the top row of its control parameters will be the envelope functions – Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release. Turn the Release knob all the way to the right, which numerically should be 60.0 s You should also turn your Attack knob all the way to the left to 0 to get an immediate response when you press a pad.

Step 5

On the Drum Rack, you will see the view options just below the power button. Click on the show devices button (third down) and it will add more view options, one being an “i/o” button. Your chain list should be visible at this point. Clicking the “i/o” button to show the “choke” option, and you can assign as many choke groups as you want, by assigning them a number in the choke box. If you want all the samples to cut each other off, assign them all to the same group. Hit a couple of keys on your MIDI controller, and you should be hearing your chops with the appropriate cut-off settings.

Questions? Comments? Hit the feedback button!

Young Guru at the Red Bull Music Academy

2011-10-29T16:19:00.000-04:00

Lecture: Young Guru (Madrid 2011) from Red Bull Music Academy on Vimeo.
Artists need their people. Gimel “Young Guru” Keaton is Jay-Z’s people. When the rap-conquering MC and world-conquering mogul steps into the booth (as he continues to do, despite frequent retirement threats), Young Guru is outside, at the board, making sure Hova sounds good. Since 1999 — a staggering twelve years — this has been the way of things. Along the way, Guru has recorded pretty much every other A-list rapper. Some say he has the Midas touch. Watch as he speaks on doing what you love first and foremost, and a couple tricks of the trade...

Kanye.

2011-09-29T15:13:00.000-04:00

Here at www.digitalaudioworkshop.com, we will often share interesting videos that we'll find online about creativity in general. Kanye, like many others, is a Apple Logic and Avid Pro Tools user. Say what you will about Mr. West...the man does not lack in confidence OR talent. He can be called many things, but mediocre or inconsequential will never be a part of the list. His last solo album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was probably the best ALBUM of last year, and his album with Jay-Z Watch The Throne was easily one of this year's most anticipated releases.

Here he is in a two part discussion about art, music, creativity, talent, and race...you know, the usual inconsequential things, lol!

Let me know what you think!

Part I

Part II

2011-09-29T10:25:00.000-04:00

An amazing documentary on sampling...the questions it raises are very much worth considering. I personally use Ableton for my production, sample based or otherwise, and I am amazed at all the things you can do with someone else's original sounds. Throw in software like Melodyne, and lord knows where the music world is headed.

What is the Best Daw for Me? Part 2: Apple Logic Studio: A True Game-Changer

2011-09-24T13:39:00.000-04:00


An Older DAW Reborn!

Logic has been around for a while. Originally manufactured by Emagic, Logic was a hugely popular DAW in European markets. It was available for both Windows and Mac-based studios, and offered a plethora of customization options on set-up. However, many users complained about the difficulty of creating a custom environment on start-up. As a user from the old Emagic days, I will say it took quite some time to get your original environment set-up.. .but once you did, Logic was a nice and flexible DAW.

Enter Apple Computing. They purchased Logic and released their first version of Logic in 2007, which included roughly 50 GB of samples, loops, instruments and other content. These loops were eventually heard in such hits as Rihanna's “Umbrella” and Usher's “In This Club”. They also simplified the interface drastically, which made it a great “big brother” application to Apple's GarageBand software. But Logic goes much, much deeper than GarageBand. Logic includes Audio Units compatibility, which is Apple's equivalent to the VST plug-in format. Advanced audio routing, fantastic navigation options, and an extremely customizable interface have all added to Logic's appeal. Plus, Logic is just plain pretty to look at compared to a lot of other DAWs. After all, it is an Apple product, and the guys at Apple do make some lovely interfaces.


Logic Pro's is Apple's Proprietary DAW

Also, due to the fact that a lot of studios have used Apple machines to run various applications, with the release of Logic Studio, Apple immediately became a player in the DAW marketplace. In fact, many audio producers can be found doing pre-production on their MacBooks running Logic.

The Modern Studio Can be This Simple

The latest version of Logic Pro has only improved upon the original. For new users, Logic is as deep, or as shallow as you want it. You can start out using the software exactly as you would use GarageBand, by simply dragging and dropping loops to create simple tracks (hey, it worked for Rihanna and Usher, right?). As you grow as a producer you can then deepen your production with a full suite of tools. MIDI compatibility, video sync, CD composition, and an extensive suite of audio editing tools puts Logic among the best of the DAWs. Unique to Logic Studio Pro is the Soundstage Pro application, which allows users to use any installed Virtual Instruments in a live setting through their Mac. If you are a gigging musician this is invaluable, because if you have a MIDI controller, you can take your MacBook along and have access to all the installed sounds on your machine.

If you are a Mac user, new to the world of DAWs and digital audio, Apple Logic Studio may be your best choice, due to the ease of use and included amount of content to get you started. 50 gigs of effects, loops, and samples is nothing to sneeze at, and it's all high quality stuff.

Pros

Beautiful Interface
Easy to Use
Becomingly increasingly common in studios worldwide
Includes a whopping 50GBs of high-quality content
Soundstage Pro is GREAT for gigging musicians
Works seamlessly with Mac OS...

Cons

...due to the fact that its MAC ONLY
50GBs of content needs 50gbs of hard drive space

Summary: If you own a Mac, there aren't very many options available that can trump Logic Studio Pro. If you can live without the Soundstage Application, CD Authoring, a few less instruments and surround sound mixing may want to try out Logic Express.

Using Ableton Live Software with Imageline's FL Studio

2011-09-16T14:47:00.000-04:00

Ableton's Live digital audio workstation (DAW) allows users to create musical compositions by using royalty-free audio loops, their own audio files, or music created using MIDI and virtual studio instruments (vstis). Considered to be relatively easy to use, Live features the ability to time stretch audio files without altering their native pitch. Often used by loop-based producers and musicians, other users of the software would pair Live with other DAWs, such as ImageLine's Fruity Loops Studio to expand upon its functionality. Here are some ways you can combine these two DAWs to expand your creative palette.

Live with FL Studio as a Multi-Timbral Plug-in
Live 4 was one of the first version of the software to feature the ability to host VSTI instruments. This ability allowed users to integrate their own original musical creations into Live's previously loop-based structure, via the MIDI protocol. However, Acid still lacked some of the MIDI editing features of other primarily MIDI-based DAWs. To compensate, you can use FL Studio as a vsti instrument hosted inside of Live. FL Studio features comprehensive MIDI editing features that outstrip most other DAWs, include arpeggiatiors, chord generators, and melody generators.

Live with FL Studio as a Drum Machine
FL Studio features a simple, yet feature-rich step sequencer that makes it easy for users to create drum patterns on the fly. For the Live user who composes primarily using audio loops, this feature can make FL Studio invaluable for adding personalization and variety to their music.

FL Studio as Primary DAW with Live as Audio Tracker
Many feel that Live has a very straight-forward interface for recording live audio, especially vocals. FL Studio was originally created as a step-sequencer, and some may find it's audio recording features to be somewhat convoluted. For those who are very comfortable with using FL Studio to compose their music, yet have trouble recording live audio into that DAW, it may be easier to use Live as their audio tracker.

Live as Primary DAW, FL Studio as Mixing DAW

Live's time stretching abilities make it an excellent option for the loop-based composer. However, some may wish to have more comprehensive audio routing options for final mixes of completed tracks. FL Studio provides a very flexible audio routing set-up which allows users to easily add effects to multiple tracks of audio simultaneously. Live users who require a more full-featured set of audio routing options may wish to use FL Studio as their primary mixing DAW.

What is The Best DAWfor me? Part 1: Pro Tools

2011-09-15T14:26:00.000-04:00

What is the best DAW for me? Part 1

This question is probably the one I hear most from people who are thinking about entering the world of digital audio production.

Selecting a Digital Audio Workstation (or DAW) is one of the most important decisions to make when building your studio. In the era of digital music, fully realized studio recordings are recorded, edited and mixed “in the box”; that is, completely inside your personal computer. Fifteen years ago, this would have been considered an aberration, and prohibitively expensive. Now, it's the norm. However you may feel about modern music, the speed and efficiency of modern digital audio isn’t going anywhere.

Now, when choosing your DAW, you have to consider several things. What type of music do you want to make? Will you be playing your own instruments, or sampling? Will you be recording vocals? Will you mixing your own music, or will you be taking your tracks to an engineer for mix-down? Will you be using third-party virtual effects and instruments (VST), or would you rather stay in a contained, more unified digital music environment? Is cost a factor? Answering these questions will make choosing your DAW a little easier.


Every DAW will feature a sequencing window like this

Honestly, at this point, most DAWs have almost the same features. MP3 compatibility, various time-stretching modes, the ability to communicate with other DAWs, and a plethora of built-in instruments and samples to get you started are all just about standard issue for most digital audio workstations. The thing that will make or break a DAW for a user is often its interface. Are you somebody who works in pieces and then assemble your audio afterward? Or do you work from a larger vision and develop your songs in a more linear fashion? There's a DAW for just about every work flow imaginable.

There are several DAWs in the marketplace to consider, and each has its own strength and weaknesses. Here's a brief overview of some of the major players in the digital music industry.

Pro Tools

Long considered the “industry-standard” DAW, Digidesign/AVID Pro Tools is still in use in most professional studios today. Pro Tools established its foothold by being one of the earliest DAWs in the marketplace, and gradually became known as the leader of the pack. Pro Tools strength lies in its editing functions and compatibility. For the most part, any saved Pro Tools session can be opened anywhere, by any other system running Pro Tools. This innovation was huge for studios, in that it eliminated the need to keep track of - and transfer – physical copies of audio recordings. Thanks to the use of Pro Tools, a studio could record, edit, and transfer an audio session without ever leaving the digital realm.

Still in use by many studios today, Pro Tools retains its reputation as an “industry-standard” DAW, even though many other applications copy or exceed much of its functionality. For many users, Pro Tools lacks the flexibility in music creation that many other DAWs offer; there are many options available that can effectively simplify the creative process in a way that Pro Tools seems to struggle with. Probably because of its widespread industry use, AVID spent years resting on its laurels, and didn't make very many changes to it's flagship DAW. As a result, Pro Tools can still feel a little unwieldy to users of DAWs made within the last five years. In addition, up until recently, Pro Tools users were required to buy expensive proprietary hardware in order to use the application, and even then FULL functionality was not available to users unless they purchased a $10,000 piece of hardware (yes, ten THOUSAND dollars). Recently, however, Pro Tools 9 allows users to use the DAW natively (meaning without additional proprietary hardware), though some functional limits still exist on some versions.


Finally, you can actually run ProTools on your laptop!

For those who want to use their DAW to make music, Pro Tools is a meat-and-potatoes choice – it can get the job done, but with not a lot of bells and whistles that most other DAWs currently provide. However, it's industry standing makes it a good choice for those who wish to pursue careers as engineers in larger studios. Simply put, most major studio you walk into will have a version of Pro Tools installed in the main room, though most studios also have at least one other DAW running alongside Pro Tools. Also, it still remains an excellent option for those who wish to record and edit audio.

Pro Tools 9

Pros

Compatibility
Widespread industry use
Rock-solid recording and editing features
FINALLY free of hardware restrictions!!!
Did we mention that is going to be in just about EVERY professional studio you'll ever walk into?

Cons

Still playing catch-up with modern DAW features
MIDI functions could be improved

If you see yourself doing work as an audio engineer of any sort, Pro Tools knowledge is usually a requirement, at least at the moment. Similarly, Pro Tools is still used heavily in the multi-media industries, such as film and video scoring. However, for those who need a more robust feature set for music creation, especially in MIDI features, Pro Tools can seem a little stiff.

Next:

Apple Logic review!