Hi all, I’m keen to start producing music, So far Im thinking about getting a version of ableton live, possibly the older releases version 5 or 6 depending on what you all have to say…
How hard a learning curve is ableton? (I’ve only just started using Traktor Pro and finding my way around that ok… still only doing basic stuff with it though).
How much better is the latest version compared to the older versions in terms of user friendliness. Also do the older version work with current controllers being released…
Also I know every ones different, but how long could a newb like my self expect to get up & producing in ableton? (with at least an hours practicing put in each day)
FYI - Come from 1210 backround… now just stepping in to the realm of the digital generation.
Well, for me Ableton was fairly intuitive. I was able to get round and make my first production the same night I stepped up.
Best thing to do, is to get a demo of Ableton, and see how far you can get/how is it is to step up.(You might even realise that Ableton perhaps does not match your style of music production?)
hey mate - ableton live is awesome, you will get the basics pretty quickly (just view loads of youtube clips etc)… then you can start focusing on more advanced stuff as you get into it
i have run ableton (a paid for copy i may add) from version 5 to my now version 7… i havent bothered with the newest version as i dont like the new way of warping and dont feel the new features warrant the extra cash… but the user interface has remained very similar since these early versions, and the workflow remains the same
id say using it an hour a day by the end of the week youd be getting the bare bones of a track together
dont forget you will need to get some vst synths and samples together at some point (theres loads of freeby stuff about, google for them - or if your in the uk get some music producing magazines, computer music is a fave of mine)
as its a full on DAW ableton is compatible with any midi device, so no problems there, thing is if your wanted to DJ with live then you have to prepare all your tracks beforehand (ie warp them) and its just not as instant as Traktor
Personally I wouldn’t settle for less of a version of Ableton if I had a choice.
Live 8 has awesome improvements. For me the warping is tons easier and faster. Not to mention the Complex Pro in the warping engine. It’s not perfect but it’s way better than anything before 8. Especially for warping stuff thats not electro fabricated, like funk, or rock. The multiDynamic Compressor is off the hook too. Track Grouping = AWESOME!!! Soon the Ableton Sharing Site will be up too. You can open older versions of Live in the latest version, but not the other way around. Once you buy the latest version it’s only a matter of upgrade pricing from there. For me it’s worth it, but I am hoplessly addicted to Ableton too.
Never trust a Junky DUDE!
Ableton’s site has great start up videos that are easy and useful to follow too.
just as a reply to Juan and so Inov8 is clear if your going to be producing music with ableton then you wont be ‘warping’ tracks that much… (warping basically means preparing a track so it can be beatmatched, something you dont do that much when producing music)
version 8 probably has all the bells and whistles, but i have friends who have stuck with version 6 and swear by it and still produce amazing tracks…
so basically go for it whichever version you pick and get producing!
pm me if your into tech prog minimal house as thats my style of productions
For example, I record a band and someone throws down a really hot drum track except one small part gets way off. Maybe they recorded it 10 times already and they are wearing down. No problem I can warp it to match. Same with any other instumentation.
I could still have a lot of fun with an older version of Ableton. All I am saying is I would choose wisely. Since I bought Live 5 when it was new I have only paid upgrade prices, which is usually reasonable. I like that. On the Ableton forums, videos, etc. Most users stay current. Sure a part of that is “consumerizm” but for me the features I mentioned before were enough to sell me on Live 8 and they are as satisfying as I had hoped. As a musician, producer, DJ, VJ.
I would have to say that warping is the biggest stumbling block for ableton noobs, and is very important to grasp. 8 revised it and it is actually easier to grasp if u r new to it, if u can’t get 8, then at least get 7 so u can side change, sit down with the tutorials too, they really help. Also hit up the free sites like TAL audio, or de la mancha, or bootsy for some great vsts
I was actually thinking about picking up ableton, too. Is it worth it to just go out and pick up an apc40 or that new novation controller? Both of them come with versions of ableton, don’t they?
They come with watered down versions of Ableton
That said, you can upgrade those copies of Ableton to the full version of Ableton for a cheaper price than it costs to buy Ableton outright
This is a comparison chart on Ableton’s page. If you’ve never used Live you could definately get aquainted with it using the APC40 version of the software. In other words you could totally get down!!!
However for someone like myself who likes pushing the limits with my stuff, I would find the APC40 version limiting sooner than later.
(tight ass) I know 
