Creating music using audio sources such as vinyl and field-recordings requires a unique set of tools and working methods that is often very different from what is involved in producing other genres. Additionally, when you begin using Ableton Live for the first time, it's easy to become overwhelmed by the enormous amount of features and possibilities within the software. Therefore, my goal with this miniseries is to spare you countless hours of learning extraneous features, and instead focus on the tools and techniques you actually need to create sample-based music in Live. Further, this series will be an excellent guide for producers who are already familiar with hardware workstations (such as the MPC-series or MV8000) to transition their workflow into Ableton Live.

By the end of this series, you will have learned everything needed to create sample-based productions in Live. In doing so, I have condensed a HUGE amount of information down to a core workflow, focusing on the essential tools and techniques required in the unique art of sample-based production.

During this 2 hour video series, you will learn:

Frequently Asked Questions

I have your Sound Design and Creative Audio Manipulation series. What information is duplicated between these two series? * There is some basic discussion of Drum Racks and Simpler, as well as a basic description of drum layering in the sound design series. However, that discussion is predictably more oriented toward sound design and thus it emphasizes things very differently. What level of expertise is "Sampling and Slicing" aimed at? * This series is meant for people who are new to sample-based production in Live and also people who are transitioning their sample-based workflow from other software or hardware such as the MPC-series. What is NOT covered in this series? * This series is not a comprehensive discussion of every possible aspect of Ableton Live. Specifically, the Arrange view is not discussed because it merits a series unto itself. The Session view is put to good use, but only in the context of the tools and techniques presented. The actual composition of full tracks is not taught because that process changes drastically depending on which composer you talk to, and therefore is best left to the individual artist. In short, this series focuses on 1) the relevant tools in Ableton Live and 2) essential techniques and workflow for using those tools to process samples. What version of Live do I need for this series? * The techniques in this series apply to Live 7 and beyond!