Learn Ableton Live: music production tips and tutorials

Ableton Live instruments, Devices and Racks

It was Live’s unique workflow that made it stand out from the crowd when it was first released, but over the years, a fine roster of built-in instruments and effects has been added to Ableton’s DAW.

Here, we explore some of the best of them, and discuss some of the possibilities open to you when you start combining them in Racks.

Live 9’s piano and bass guitar instruments
We get to grips with Live 9's instrument packs.

11 Ableton Operator tips and tricks
Make the most of Live's excellent FM synth.

How to use basic reverb parameters
Learn the essentials of ambience control.

How to add life and depth to synths with subtle modulation effects
 Bring that evasive natural feel to your electronic sounds with our walkthrough.

How to learn the basics of additive synthesis with Operator
 Ableton Operator might be a predominantly FM instrument, but it's ideal for getting to grips with additive synthesis, too.

How to create a custom effects chain using Ableton Live's Racks
Reusable racks and effects chains for rapid productions.

How to build a custom delay in Live
Create a repeater more versatile than most plugins.
 

How to customise a Max For Live device
Get started building custom tools for Ableton Live.
 

How to control a Live mix with sidechain compression
Tighten up your tunes with our dynamics tutorial.

How to set up a parallel compression Rack in Ableton Live
 Ableton Live's Effect Racks are really powerful tools...

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