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Sound Design in Ableton Live: Operator
Get 25% off your entire order when you buy 3 or more items when you use the coupon code “BULK”
Play Time: 4 Hours
Learn Operator and FM synthesis in a practical way, discovering how timbres are created and combined to generate insane synth and drum sounds.FM Synthesis
FM synthesis represents an extremely powerful set of tools for creating your own sounds, and Ableton’s “Operator” instrument represents a well-thought-out entry into that world. Unfortunately, much of the instructional material relating to FM synthesis doesn’t really explain how it works in a way that doesn’t involve lots of math and theory while still showing how it can actually be used. My goal with this roughly 4 hour Ableton Live tutorial series was to fill that gap, showing the user through practical application just how amazing and yet easy to use FM synthesis can be.
Here’s what one of my customers, Joel Golden, had to say about the series:
“…I’ve spent most of my day watching your videos and I’m elated at how well they explain the concepts I’ve been struggling with since I sat in the producer seat 6 months ago. I’m half way through the operator series and already I feel like I know a universe more about synth than I did earlier this morning. You’re an excellent teacher and I couldn’t be happier with your tutorials.”
Ableton Operator
The latest version of Operator, released alongside Live 8 and remaining the same in Live 9, allows the sound designer the ultimate flexibility in creating a timbre from virtually nothing, hand-shaping individual harmonic overtones to create amazingly rich sounds that can be further mixed through various algorithms. With this series, you can learn how to harness this power in a way that is both intuitive and creative. My video tutorials start you off with the basic theory of how sound is generated with fundamental frequencies and overtones, then moving from some basic sounds all the way through complex FM patches featuring tons of subtle modulation. The main goal here is not to teach you how to create one specific sound or another, but rather to show you through practical application how to create your own, personalized sounds. This knowledge will serve you far into the future, and will be applicable even beyond Operator and Ableton Live.
Some snippets from the series:
Here are just a few of the things you will learn to create through these videos:
- DYNAMIC drumtracks being generated by just one Operator
- DEEP bass instruments that work well in any mix
- SIMULATIONS of the modified and abused devices from the world of circuit-bending
- EXOTIC soundscapes that shimmer and morph over their playback
- METALLIC percussion and stabs that are perfect for heavily rhythmic music such as Techno or Dubstep
- ALIEN soundbeds that are just as useful in music as they are in movie soundtracks
Additionally, you’ll receive:
- Easy to understand explanations of how timbres are built from harmonic and inharmonic overtones
- Comprehensive coverage of Operator’s interface in a way that relates the parameters to one another in a sensible way
- Screenshots of macro mappings so that you can easily follow along with creating the sounds in the video tutorials
- Live 8 preset instrument racks containing the instruments created in the videos – great for reverse-engineering the sounds!
“Nick, I’m pouring over your operator tutorials and I cannot believe how much i’m learning. In addition, I am grateful for how methodically (and with clarity) you have broken down subject matter to be understood and applied so easily to a musical context. Thank you.” – Milo D.
Play Time: 4 Hours
As I said with my first series, my methods are far from the only way to approach sound design. What I offer is a pretty comprehensive set of techniques aimed at creating practical as well as exotic sounds, additionally providing a very respectable knowledge of FM synthesis as applied in a practical context. FM synthesis is an insanely powerful and very intuitive way of shaping timbres and huge sounds, and my aim is to provide you with the knowledge to get you up and running with creating patches that blow mine out of the water!
Please keep in mind that these tutorials were created in Ableton Live version 8 and are also completely applicable to Live 9, relying on some Live 8-specific effects. Additionally, the version of Operator that came with Live 8 is used to create the patches, so you’ll only be able to use the patches with Live 8 or 9. That being said, the meat of the series can applied to any version, so if you own the instrument in either version, you will benefit from almost everything present in the videos.
2 Important Notes:
- THESE ARE DOWNLOADABLE PRODUCTS: Once your transaction is completed, you will be emailed personalized, secure download links to each product. Should there be any issue with the process, don’t hesitate to contact me through the “Contact” button in the top menu.
- WANT A BULK DISCOUNT?: If you purchase 3 or more items simultaneously, you can receive a hefty 25% discount on your entire order! Simply use the coupon code BULK before you hit the check out button.