I don't use all the features in Ableton and that's okay
Filed under: music
I wasn’t sure whether to write this but maybe it’ll help reassure someone who needs to hear it.
I started making music in 2010 while I was studying for a degree in Music Technology. An old friend gave me a cracked copy of Logic Pro 8 which I used before I upgraded to Logic Pro X and rode that train for the next 10 years. Most of my discography was made on Logic and it worked super well for me. I’d heard of Ableton but didn’t want to move away from what I knew because it worked.
But in 2020, I felt that I needed to try something different and my aversion to Ableton was having to learn a new piece of technology to make music. I’d been in a creative rut for 3 years between 2015–2018 and I worried that the frustration of a new DAW (digital audio workstation) made me anxious. But what better time to get to grips with something than during a global pandemic?
So, with the free copy of Ableton Live Lite 10 that came with my Novation Launchkey Mini MKII (affiliate link), I took the plunge and while it took a few weeks to get used to, I got the hang of it. And in that year, I made one of my best albums ever called Justice&Peace. My favourite part of Ableton was the sample manipulation. Time and pitch stretching were so much better compared to Logic as the sample quality never felt like it was deteriorating if I made it super slow or drop the pitch right down. And so many features to try out.
4 years later and I’ve since upgraded to Ableton Lite Intro and I’m part of the beta program (12 is coming soon, folks!) and those features? I’ve barely added any new ones to my repertoire since I started in 2020. I’ve watched videos by some amazing musicians who use Ableton and thought their dexterity for the software was sublime. But you know what? I’m actually okay with my simple setup.
I have a lot of gear that I hardly use, mainly because I don’t have a fixed setup—a lot of my music is made in or on my bed still. Sometimes, I’ll take it to my work desk but it’s usually just my laptop or I include my Launchkey Mini into the mix (no pun intended). But I have a template that loads up every time I open Ableton:
- 4 tracks of audio
- 3 tracks for the kick, snare, and hi-hat
- 1 track for vocal samples (woos and yeahs, that kinda thing)
- My mastering chain with a limiter and basic EQing
I have a ton of drum samples, both downloaded and via Splice. I use as many different ones as I can and sample sample sample. My workflow involves churning beat drafts out and coming back to them later to mold them into proper beats. Having a basic foundation caters to that. I know if I had lots going on from the start, I’d be overwhelmed and wouldn’t get things done. But having the option to build on top of what I have if I want to is essential.
So if you’ve reached this far and have felt like Ableton is overwhelming or you’re worried that you’re not doing enough with what you have, I say: you’re doing just fine. Make a template like mine with enough of what you need to get started and finish with and have fun. Add components if you want. Or don’t. But don’t feel bad that you’ve not got the latest plugin or drum sounds or anything from Max. Fancy shit isn’t a prerequisite for quality. But making shit is.