Ableton Live Quick Tip – Resampling and Sample-Based Workflow

Here, I've chopped out a portion of the original audio and created layers on new audio tracks.

Resampling is an incredibly simple yet powerful technique in digital music production.  The idea is straighforward:  Record the output of one or multiple tracks into a new, editable audio file.  It’s not much different than rendering your composition, except here you’re actually going to incorporate the new file into the current song.

I employ this technique often, dropping the resampled audio onto a new track and chopping, mangling, retuning and layering it until it’s barely recognizable.  This simple technique can pay dividends in terms of thickening sounds and giving you unexpected new directions for your composition.

As I say in the video, this technique is the crux of what hip-hop producers have been doing for a long time, so there’s no reason why people working in different genres can’t learn from this approach (If you’re interested, I have a 2 hour long Sampling and Slicing series which goes into sample layering and mangling).

In addition to giving rise to new composition techniques, resampling is a great way to force yourself to commit to your song rather then endlessly tweaking the MIDI notes and arrangement.

When you drop everything to audio, it may become easier to move forward and get the damn thing finished!  The visual clutter of a complex MIDI arrangement can sap a composer’s motivation, while a simple waveform presents the user with a manageable set of information.

Here’s a brief rundown of resampling and its uses in Ableton Live: