Ableton Live 12: How to Make Your First Song
Not sure how to start making your first Ableton Live 12 beat or song? We've got you covered! In this Ableton Live 12 video course, Ableton Live expert Thomas Cochran will walk you through the entire process of creating your very first song with Live 12. After this Ableton course, you'll be ready to start your first song with the confidence and knowledge to make it great, whether you're new to recording or Ableton Live. These Ableton Live 12 videos are for new Ableton Live 12 users.
Starting the Song
• Intro & Song Playthrough (02:17) - In this first video, Thomas introduces the course and plays though the song that you'll be creating together.
• Drums (12:17) - Watch how to create the rhythmic foundation for the song as well as how to use the drum buss plugin to thicken the drums.
• Keys & Chords (13:17) - Next, you'll learn how to create the chord progression for the song, which will be used as the melodic foundation for the track.
Building the Layers
• Percussion (13:44) - Discover how to build up the percussion section of the song while also learning about the new MIDI editing features in Live 12. These controls allow you to quickly generate percussion parts.
• Bass (08:39) - Watch how to take a simple bass preset and add variation though the use of effects and distortion. This will be used as the main sub for the song.
• Chord Layers (10:01) - Thomas shows how to layer in chord elements to fill out the production. Layering sound is a great way to add fullness to a song without making it sound busy.
• Arp (12:02) - See how to create an arpeggio synth patch from scratch. This video also shows off how the new arpeggio features work in the sequencer.
Finishing the Song
• Vocal Chops & Effects Pt. 1 (09:36) - Here, we see how to create a vocal chop from a loop. This sample will also demonstrate how to re-pitch and effect audio for use in your productions.
• Vocal Chops & Effects Pt. 2 (12:24) - Next, we look at how FX samples can be used to fill out the song. These sounds are a great way to help transition between different sections of the track.
• Arranging the Song Pt. 1 (09:08) - In this video, Thomas shows how to take the loop and arrange it out into a full song.
• Arranging the Song Pt. 2 (10:27) - This video wraps up the arrangement of the song.
• Mixing & Mastering Pt. 1 (07:25) - Take a look at some final mixing adjustments to balance out the track.
• Mixing & Mastering Pt. 2 (09:17) - To wrap up the course, Thomas show some final mixing and mastering adjustments to the track. This video also covers exporting the final song.