Supernewb with Ableton, guidance please

[AudioRadar]

I wouldn't waste money on courses. Just read the manual.

Slicing audio samples you can just do by toying around with the toolbar a bit (usually there is a scissor button somewhere there)

[rjalex]

Thanks for your input. I like lynda.com's style of courses ALONG with the manual. Sometimes a manual of a complex program can get into too many details of which you cannot judge the relevancy IMHO.
I use professionally Adobe products for my photo needs and remember that following Chris Orwig's courses has been a turning point (BTW Chris is a photographer which I think is very important). After those I can now jump to any Adobe manual and get into any gory details knowing well what I need and the manual telling me how to get there.

The slicing I am still struggling to better focus the warp function and other things that might help me detect and align the cut samples.

A couple of hours sitting along an experienced Ableton user would be the best ! Anyone in Rome ? :-)

Take care.

[baskervils]

Go to YouTube and watch as many free tutorials as you can, especially for the introduction to's and basic how to's. You'll be whizzing around in a few hours.

[rjalex]

Thanks Baskervils, that's something that holds a lot of promise :-) A lot of the ones I stumbled on though touch some "detailed" subject. Would you be able to give me a list of the most important "topics" I should start from ? TIA

[Andy_bt]

Not free but for $25 you could pick a one month all access subscription at Mac Pro Video and go as deep in Live as you need to.
Problem with Youtube is there's very good but also very bad/wrong stuff all together...
A.

[Michael E]

Just type what you need in Youtube search and get results, nothing special.

slicing audio ableton - YouTube

recording audio ableton - YouTube

Imagine you are 15 years old kid who clicks buttons faster than think.

Also you may find some useful free videos at channels:

Point Blank Online - YouTube
Sonic Academy - YouTube

I like this video, for example. Shows the specific of Live's workflow.

[baskervils]

Originally Posted by rjalex

Thanks Baskervils, that's something that holds a lot of promise :-) A lot of the ones I stumbled on though touch some "detailed" subject. Would you be able to give me a list of the most important "topics" I should start from ? TIA

This is how I learned Live. I downloaded the videos, printed some screen shots of Arrangement and Session Views and took lots of notes by hand.

I actually did all of this looking at a tiny iPod screen on a plane flight. Here are a few things you can search for to start...

Ableton Live.... (followed by)

arrangement
session
recording
warping
warp markers
midi
editing
effects
routing
sends
*specific music you like*
acoustic instruments
electronic instruments
vocals

Basically anything that you want to do with recording... Ableton Live ______ (fill in the blank)

Sonic Academy has some good free ones!

Also, there are very good built in tutorials in Live itself. You should definitely do those.

[rjalex]

Thanks a lot to all of you !!! Having a son (pro musician) 20 yrs old makes it hard form me to act like a 15 yrs old superclicker !!!

A lot of what you indicated wll be my reading for the days to come and yes I am doing the tutorials included in the prog.

I think a lot of effort is to build the right "jargon" when you face a new field and this is compounded by not being a native eng speaker :-)

But I am stubborn and I wll succeed :-) (maybe asking for some help sometimes)

Cheers from Rome

[Andy_bt]

Originally Posted by rjalex

But I am stubborn and I wll succeed :-) (maybe asking for some help sometimes)

Cheers from Rome

A.

[skira]

For free check out Ableton's own videos and asome of the tons of videos on Youtube.

Until the end of the year Groove3.com is offering its unlimited all-access streaming 'backstage pass' of its instructional videos for $99 (usually $150 or $200, I forget). Tons of videos for lots of products. I took up this offer last year and found their videos to be really good, although I didn't use my pass as much as I should have.

Lynda is good, so is macprovideo. So is sonicacademy.com

[rjalex]

Thanks a lot. Just with Chris Orwig's videos on Lynda.com on photography, where the guy is not only expert in the software but first and foremost a great photographer, I think I'd love to find videos that are more focused on the creative rather than on the technical side (where manuals and other good stuff are easier to find) of using a DAW and Ableton in particular. Any suggestions ?

[skira]

Practice and play.

By the way Chris is a great surfer too. Wonder if he makes any instructional vids for that....

[rjalex]

Ah ah I didn't know that about Chris ! Strange thing that through his videos I've established almost an acquaintance of which he doesn't know about and would consider him his wife and gals always welcome at my home. That's the power of art and communication I presume :-)

[Earthling]

I'm an Ableton addict and have quite a few quality vids saved in my favorites

Friday Forum Live! 30.11.12 - 1pm (GMT) - Parallel Compression in Ableton Live - YouTube

[Earthling]

[rjalex]

Thanks a lot !!! :-) On a side note, would anyone suggest the Ableton instrument or external pack mimicking the closest possible the sound of the synth you can hear from 2':21" on this clip Rocco Tanica spiega Plafone - YouTube I have browsed through a lot of Ableton's 8 Live sounds but could not find anything close to it :-)

[Michael E]

Originally Posted by rjalex

Thanks a lot !!! :-) On a side note, would anyone suggest the Ableton instrument or external pack mimicking the closest possible the sound of the synth you can hear from 2':21" on this clip Rocco Tanica spiega Plafone - YouTube I have browsed through a lot of Ableton's 8 Live sounds but could not find anything close to it :-)

Try to recreate this synth patch by this video:

Sound design with FabFilter Twin 2 - Part one - YouTube

Starts at 6:12.

PS.
Also you may be interested in: Diva or Retrologue.

[rjalex]

Thanks Michael, very interesting. One thing I don't quite understand in my ignorance is if the Twin 2 or Diva or Retrologue can be used as plugins within Ableton or you just use them as standalone packages and then export the sound as an instrument to be used into Ableton. Ciao !