Ableton + APC40
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Thread: Ableton + APC40

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    Default Ableton + APC40

    So im kind of new to using ableton and my APC40, when i gig i do it with a friend of mine.. and I use his setup.. macbook pro, ableton, APC40 and a sound card.. and when we gig at clubs we have a serato mixer too. So recently I bought myself an APC40 but what i realized is that the sound quality on the playback on ableton is HORRIBLE and somewhat distorted, it seems as if ableton is trying to split my track up and sometimes even stutters on my speakers.. i dont have a soundcard yet so i am using a stock soundcard thats built into my desktop.. note im not trying to gig with my setup right now but just to practice and record mixes at home.. is there any way i can get the sound quality on the playback better? ive tried changing my preferences from 1/2 mono to 1/2 stereo and that didnt help tried changing the output quality and that didnt help.. is there something im missing here aside from a soundcard? is there anyway i can fix it without purchasing one?

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    DJTT Administrator del Ritmo padi_04's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jibe View Post
    So im kind of new to using ableton and my APC40, when i gig i do it with a friend of mine.. and I use his setup.. macbook pro, ableton, APC40 and a sound card.. and when we gig at clubs we have a serato mixer too. So recently I bought myself an APC40 but what i realized is that the sound quality on the playback on ableton is HORRIBLE and somewhat distorted, it seems as if ableton is trying to split my track up and sometimes even stutters on my speakers.. i dont have a soundcard yet so i am using a stock soundcard thats built into my desktop.. note im not trying to gig with my setup right now but just to practice and record mixes at home.. is there any way i can get the sound quality on the playback better? ive tried changing my preferences from 1/2 mono to 1/2 stereo and that didnt help tried changing the output quality and that didnt help.. is there something im missing here aside from a soundcard? is there anyway i can fix it without purchasing one?
    Choose the right algorithm for warped clips, the default is "beats", which is terrible for poliphonic material (aka full songs).
    Regarding stutter, increase the latency a bit

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    DJTT Tankard fullenglishpint's Avatar
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    I'm no ableton expert but it sounds like you have a latency problem. Try increasing it.

    Quote Originally Posted by ableton FAQ
    23. Why is there a big delay when recording an audio signal?
    There will always be some delay (known as latency) when recording audio with a computer. You can make this delay very small by adjusting the buffer size settings of your audio hardware.

    OS X: In Live's Audio Preferences, set the Buffer Size slider as low as you can without hearing crackles or dropouts in your audio:

    Windows: Make sure you are using the latest ASIO drivers for your audio hardware. If you're using your computer's built-in sound card, we recommend using the ASIO drivers available at www.asio4all.com. Within the audio hardware's control panel, set the buffer size as low as you can without hearing crackles or dropouts in your audio.

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    DJTT Tankard fullenglishpint's Avatar
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    oh, and welcome to the forum!
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    Word of advice mate, ditch the APC40 and get a Novation Launchpad and an Evolution UC33-e, together they will be about the same price as an APC40 if not cheaper and you'll have more instant control over Ableton

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    Tech Guru grazz16's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by padi_04 View Post
    Choose the right algorithm for warped clips, the default is "beats", which is terrible for poliphonic material (aka full songs).
    Regarding stutter, increase the latency a bit
    Its not a latency issue, its this.

    I had the same problem when i first started using Abelton and for the life of me i couldnt figure it out why the quality was so bad. But what warping clips on "beats" does is it inserts little silences in the clip to make up for the changes in tempo from the original recording to stretch the song out. So it sounds like pops and clicks which are usually indicative of a latency issue but its not. You probably (like me) didnt even realize you were doing this as "beats" is the default setting.

    I warp everything on "re-pitch" which works exactly like a turntable when increasing or lowering the tempo. If you have the full version there is also "complex" or something as well which keeps the key the same when you increase or decrease the tempo unlike a turntable.

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    DJTT Administrator del Ritmo padi_04's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by grazz16 View Post
    Its not a latency issue, its this.

    I had the same problem when i first started using Abelton and for the life of me i couldnt figure it out why the quality was so bad. But what warping clips on "beats" does is it inserts little silences in the clip to make up for the changes in tempo from the original recording to stretch the song out. So it sounds like pops and clicks which are usually indicative of a latency issue but its not. You probably (like me) didnt even realize you were doing this as "beats" is the default setting.

    I warp everything on "re-pitch" which works exactly like a turntable when increasing or lowering the tempo. If you have the full version there is also "complex" or something as well which keeps the key the same when you increase or decrease the tempo unlike a turntable.
    still part of my answer

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    Quote Originally Posted by fullenglishpint View Post
    oh, and welcome to the forum!
    thank you! and thanks for the help guys as for ditching the APC40 i actually just bought it off craigslist recently and got it for 200 bucks.. so i cant really complain.. i want to eventually move onto CDJ-2000's since i do spin house/dub step/ and trance.. but after last night i reinstalled my ableton and the output quality seems to sound alot better.. i might've tweaked around with the settings prior without noticing it.. but im going to reload a set.. and see if anything changes in the near future.. thanks for all the replies!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nephew View Post
    Word of advice mate, ditch the APC40 and get a Novation Launchpad and an Evolution UC33-e
    The build quality of the APC shits on the launchpad. just sayin.
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