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Using Automation in Ableton Live

Posted by James Cullen on

One of the best tools you can use to add character to your productions in Ableton Live is automation. Lots of genres of music have multiple layered instruments, and the interplay and relationship between these instruments is what adds the dynamics and flavour to the track. But it can be hard to keep track of how you want your instruments to interact, even more so if your production style involves lots of Session View and live or on the fly composition. Sure, in this scenario, Ableton will record in any Automation you physically play in using a controller; for example,...

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Thinking Outside the Box

Posted by James Cullen on

Being a music creator is one of those strange disciplines which involves both a tonne of artistic skill and tendencies and lots of technical know how. With it being an artform, it’s often unique and weird approaches that yield the best results, but you also need to know and understand the discipline and the technical side of it. What good is being musically gifted if you don’t know how to use Ableton (or any DAW of your own choice), after all?  Whilst you can learn the technical side by reading books (or articles like this one) or watching youtube tutorials...

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Using Vocal Samples

Posted by James Cullen on

Ever since Burial stormed into the collective consciousness in the mid 2000s, that signature sound of filtered vocals has exploded in popularity. There’s just something about that type of treatment on a vocal sample that gets the juices flowing and guarantees a good tune. Providing you do it right, of course.   Or perhaps you want some more abstract non verbal phrases of cut up vocals? Or even some speaking parts?   There are a tonne of different ways you can use vocal samples in your music, and some of them are really fun and creative, and others are deceptively...

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Tips for Sparse Arrangements

Posted by James Cullen on

If you’re like me, this Coronavirus lockdown has slowed life down to practically a halt. In a lot of ways it’s been tough, but in a lot of other ways it’s been great. For example, I’ve had so much more time to work on music, and it’s allowed me to create a consistent output of really good tunes!   However, this success and thriving is not without its drawbacks, and I’ve for sure encountered issues and problems along the way.    One of those problems is how to keep your tracks sounding interesting if you’re using quite a sparse arrangement....

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Transitional Effects

Posted by James Cullen on

One of the most challenging things to learn when making electronic music is how to add subtle layers of transitional effects to your tunes. Moving from one section to another smoothly can be the difference between a track that sounds professional and one that sounds unfinished. There are no set rules for how to do this, because there are so many different options. This can sometimes depend on your genre, but there are a few techniques that apply in most situations.  The classic, of course, is a White Noise Riser, which adds the trademark anticipation of a drop or a...

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