They have a maximum amount of people who can participate in the beta and, as you can expect, these slots filled up quickly.  However, there is an opportunity to sign up going forwards.  Ableton states, “The Ableton Live 9 beta is currently at maximum capacity. We will gradually be expanding the number of available testing slots as the beta continues, so please check back regularly.”

In order to participate in the beta program you need to already own a license to Live 8 or Suite 8.

For more information on the public beta program for Live 9, click here: Ableton Live 9 public beta program. 

Ableton Live 9 public beta is available | Vespers.ca

In the final tutorial video of this series, we cover how to bring the bass to live using modulation.  Many of the effects parameters we set up in previous videos are now modulated with the macro knob on the instrument rack.  We use clip envelopes to control this modulation. 

The massive patch is given some extra kick with vibrato and pitch bend modulation.  The resonators also join the modulation party, as we use a separate macro knob to control when they kick in.

Bass Sound Design Series

Neuro bass modulation: Macro knobs, clip envelopes, vibrato | Vespers.ca

In this tutorial video we get deeper into the use of effects. 

Things kick off by using the resonators device to add pitched delays that accentuate the sound of the bass at specific harmonic intervals.  Then we use an audio effect rack with a network of parallel notch filters.  2 of them are Ableton Live autofilters, set to notch mode, and using the LFOs with different rates and amounts to modulate the cutoff. 

Then we use the infamour Sugar Bytes WOW filter in vowel mode to enhance the vocal “talking bass” aspect of our reece. Following the filters is the super dirty amp device, configured to turn our bass into a tearout monster.  The final step is to glue things back together with some solid compression and a touch of reverb.

Bass Sound Design Series

Neuro bass processing part 2: resonator, vowel filter, distortion | Vespers.ca

This video is all about sub bass.  Our main bass patch from the last video is going to be heavily processed with effects, so we want to create a separate sub layer in our instrument rack.  We use Massive again to do this, turning to a combination of its sine and smooth square waves. 

The smooth square is a favorite that helps to add in some subtle higher frequencies that allow the sub bass to translate much better than a pure sine wave to any sound system.  To finish things off, we use a little bit of classic tube to add some warmth to the sub, then lowpass it and boost the bass with an EQ Eight.

Bass Sound Design Series

How to make legit sub bass that sounds good on ANY sound system | Vespers.ca

In this tutorial video we start processing the main bass we created in Massive.  To do this we use a series of effects in Ableton Live. 

The instrument rack allows us to place these effects just on the chain we want to.  In this case we use a saturator too add some dirt and harmonics, then highpass it with an EQ Eight.  Then we use a vocoder, modulating the bandwidth of 4 bands, and employing the formant parameter to give us some vocal “talking bass” growls.  Next in line is a phaser and flanger, also with modulation on several of their tonal parameters.

Bass Sound Design Series

Neuro bass processing part 1: vocoder, phaser, flanger, saturator | Vespers.ca

In this video tutorial we use Native Instruments Massive to make the first part of our neurofunk / neuro-hop reece bass.

We use 3 oscillators: the melofant, dirty throat, and scrapyard.  Envelopes on the wavetable positions help us create movement in the sound, and ring modulation from the mod oscillator helps to fill things out.  Envelopes with longer attack times are used in place of sidechaining on the amplitude and lowpass filter.  This helps the bass to get out of the way of the kick drum.  Finishing things off, we use a parabolic shaper, brauner tube for saturation, and the dimension expander to add space around the sound.

Tutorial by Vespers, Certified Ableton Trainer.

Bass Sound Design Series

How to make neuro reece bass in Massive & Ableton Live | Vespers.ca

Here’s a preview of my upcoming tune, “Baby Makin Bass Music.” It’s a mid-tempo glitch-hop / neuro-hop fusion of big-band swing jazz with modern day bass music. Hope you enjoy!

I encourage your questions, comments, critiques, etc! Just post them below in the comments section and I’ll do my best to answer them as soon as possible!

If you liked this, check out my other free tunes

Preview my upcoming tune Baby Makin Bass Music | Vespers.ca

In this video, Jake Perrine walks us through how to set up parallel, or New York, style compression using an Audio Effect Rack, rather than the usual Send/Return configuration.  Then he does an A/B comparison using Ableton’s Compressor Device in Opto mode with the Feedback model selected, versus the Universal Audio LA-2A compressor plugin.

Parallel New York Compression Tutorial in Ableton Live | Vespers.ca

Today, in tandem with the announcement of Live 9, Ableton also introduced a brand new controller called Push.  Upon first glance, Push looks a lot like a hybrid of ideas from the APC40 and Native Instruments Maschine.  Push offers the small clip launch style buttons of the APC40, but with much sought-after pressure sensitivity.  In their demo video (below), Ableton shows how this can be used to create a pressure sensitive repeat.

This controller seems aimed equally as a compositional tool and a live performance tool.  Unlike the APC40, it also has an LCD display and looks like it bus powers!  One of my main complaints about the APC40 was it’s required power supply with a very short cord, making it cumbersome to set up at gigs.

From their statement “Play instruments with Velocity and Pressure” it would seem that the controller can send out both MIDI velocity data and MIDI aftertouch data from the pads.  This makes it a powerful controller both it the studio and on the stage.  Around the back panel, it appears to have 2 footswitch ins as well.

Although it’s lacking the APC40s faders, it has lots of assignable knobs, plus it looks much slimmer and easy to travel with.

I’ll cover this in more depth as the news unfolds.  Plus, expect a full video review when I get my hands on one!

Take a peek.

Ableton Push, the new Live 9 controller | Vespers.ca

Last week we saw a flurry of activity on Youtube, as a Live 9 preview video was released.  This sneak-peak was followed up today by the highly anticipated official release announcement.  A new controller, called Ableton Push, was announced in tandem with Live 9.  I know you’re all hungry for the details, so let’s skip the pleasantries and get right into it!

Release Date

First quarter of 2013 for the full release.  Beta testing will begin in short order.

Video Preview

New Features

You’ll be excited to know, many of your prayers have been answered and Live 9 will be packed with new functionality.  This is not an exhaustive list I’m sure, but prominent among the new features are:

• Automation curves.  In Live 8 the track automation was limited to straight lines separated by Break Points.  Live 9 introduces curves that will allow for dramatically enhanced automation potential and faster workflow when making creative automation.
• Record automation/envelopes directly into Clips in Session View.  In Live 8, automation data could only be recorded into Clips in Arrangement View, but not Session.  If you wanted dynamic parameter changes in Session, you needed to manually draw in Clip Envelopes, which could be arduous.   Now you can record automation in realtime into a Clip in either view and transfer Clips between the views while retaining this automation data.
• New Audio Effects.  So far we’ve seen previews of a new analog modeled bus compressor called The Glue, as well as enhancements to the EQ Eight, where you can now expand its display to be much larger and includes a built-in spectrum analyzer.  In addition, the Gate and Compressor display a real-time amplitude graph, visually showing how much of the incoming signal exceeds the Threshold.  The look is quite similar to the FabFilter Pro-C interface.  The Compressor now includes a Wet/Dry feature, to allow for easy parallel compression.
• Extract MIDI from audio.  Live 9 provides new functionality to extract MIDI data from audio sources via Harmony, Melody and Drums to MIDI options.  Theoretically this would allow you to hum or sing a melody into an Audio Clip, and convert that into MIDI notes and velocities.  Personally, this is my new favorite as I’m a saxophone player.  This feature should allow me to play a riff in with my sax, then covert it to MIDI and drop it on a synth bass patch, turning my acoustic sax riff into a bassline.  This will be a fantastic alternative to drawing MIDI patterns in with the mouse and will give us access to far more human and musical sounding MIDI patterns.  Sounds ace to me!
• Enhanced MIDI and Warping.  There are enhanced tools now built directly into MIDI Clips, such as stretching, reverse, legato, and loop duplication, which can be done in real time, on the fly.
• Suite just got sweeter.  Suite now rolls out including the infamous Max for Live, as well as an arsenal of over 3,500 sounds from more than 40 sound designers.  The new Max for Live includes 24 new Devices.  Among them are new drum synthesizers, convolution reverb, and MIDI echo.

Pricing and Versions

•  Intro, the most basic version of Live, will be 99 USD / 79 EUR
• Live, the full version, will be 449 USD / 349 EUR
• Suite, the full-on “big daddy” version will be 749 USD / 599 EUR
• All prices are based on download versions
• Upgrade pricing to Live 9 will vary, based on which Live products you already own

Live 8 Discounted

Live 8 is now selling at a 25% discount and includes a free upgrade to Live 9 upon release.

Find out more about Ableton Live 9

Ableton Live 9 release officially announced | Vespers.ca