Bruce Stallion presents: Donuts E.P

Killer new heavy bass and off-kilter funky grime bizness from the man Bruce Stallion!

spread the word and let us know what you think!

  meow164 Bruce Stallion-Donuts EP by Tigerbeat6

Gateway Festival - Ireland

In the spirit of giving this gorgeous Summer 2010 the loud and proud send-off that it deserves,

We wish to invite you to a very special, private, two day festival

The brand new Gateway Festival will be taking place on the 24th & 25th September in the heart of the Wicklow mountains, just 40 minutes from Dublin.

What’s Happening?

You can look forward to

Over 40 Live Bands & DJs
Art installations
Dance Performances
Chill Out Area
Healing Area
Hot Tub Forest Retreat
Great Food Stalls
Bright colours
Bring Your Own Beer
Off Licence
& much much more

________________________________________ 

To attend you must register your details online
http://www.eventelephant.com/buy-tickets-gatewaysfestival

After successful registration you will receive an confirmation email & attachment

>>> NOTE... No Ticket No Entry <<<
You will need to print out the PDF attachment in the email to be presented at the gate

To help cover some of our costs, we are asking for a €30 donation with free camping & parking.

This can be paid Online or at the Gate.

Any Questions you may have please email

GatewaysMovement@gmail.com

N.B you will be receiving further information / photos about venue location, gate times, transport, ect...

Line up...

Kíla
God is an Astronaut
Fusion Family
The Hot Sprockets
Scarecrow Disco
Skuzzi Port
Mute Fish
Laren Gillery
Wyvern Lingo
Howl
Ali and the Dt's
The Envelope
KaTet
The Whipround
Lights Over Phoenix
Patrick Kelleher
The Lovecats Burlesque Show
Mutant Liberation
Eutechnik
Vertical 67
Automatic Tasty
Miles Iwes
Elektrodouche
Solex
D3X
Psy Am
Flex and Ananu
Nataraj
Auto Psy
Psybaba
Anunitu
Qpop
Mixile
Bandia
Zyme
Marke
Creator
Burrman
C60 Force
James M
Dj Discrete
Handsome Paddy
Kelly-Anne Byrne
Russ Parker
Dazboy
Michael Black
Eoin Callanan
Fraher
Keith Dalton
Keep Schtum
Martin Roche
Daz Dalton
Kormac
TR1
Craig Smith
Jason Williams

Hope you can make it to the only private festival this summer!

.... 

Native Instruments updates Maschine

 

Native Instruments has announced the release of version 1.5 of Maschine, a major free update that significantly increases the functionality and creative potential of the computer-based music production system. With more classic drum machine features, improved host integration, new sampling functions, an extended sound library, and even more efficient workflow, the 1.5 software expands on the concept of Maschine as an integrated and intuitive groove production studio for producers, live musicians and DJs. NI has also updated the Kontakt 4 Factory Library to v1.0.2.

To bring even more of the legacy of classic drum machines into the modern music production environment, Maschine 1.5 introduces two new "vintage sampler" modes that authentically emulate the gritty sonic signatures of the popular MPC-60 and SP-1200 models through component modeling. The 1.5 version also loads the programs of nearly all MPC models ever built, opening up a vast resource of existing sound and sample material within Maschine.
Maschine 1.5 also enables a new and efficient level of DAW integration, with convenient host automation through new macro controls, MIDI pattern Drag&Drop export, direct DAW recording of Maschine events, MIDI pitch bend and CC support, and more. The powerful real-time sampling features of Maschine benefit from extended slicing and mapping options that make it even easier to work with sampled grooves and other rhythmic loops. The 1.5 version also introduces a full arsenal of destructive audio editing functions for in-depth sample manipulation.
The Maschine 1.5 update includes a versatile assortment of additional instrument and drum sounds, based on a gigabyte of sample material. The library has been expanded with special versions of Abbey Road 60s & 70s Drums, authentic electric pianos and bass guitars from Scarbee, contemporary acoustic strings taken from the upcoming Session Strings instrument, sampled vintage analog synths, and carefully resampled MPC-60 hip hop kits from sample expert Goldbaby.
Further enhancements in Maschine 1.5 include a new "Grain Stretch" effect algorithm, a "16 Velocity Levels" pad mode, MIDI file export, extended polyphony options, improved event editing and navigation on the controller, project default templates, sample consolidation for improved song portability, and a wide range of minor optimizations.
Summary of new and improved features in Maschine v1.5:

• Performance page with eight assignable "Macro Controls" per Group.
• Host Automation support.
• Support for MIDI Continuous Controller and Pitchbend.
• MPC program import (500/1000/2000(XL)/2500/3000/4000 models).
• "Save Project with samples" function for easily portable songs.
• Enhanced slicing with editable markers and new "split" mode.
• Destructive audio editing with trim, normalize, copy/paste, fade etc.
• New "Project default" preferences including project template.
• New "vintage sound" MPC 60 and SP1200 emulation modes.
• 16 Velocity Levels mode for controller.
• New effect algorithm: Grain Stretch.
• New "Add to Sample Map" function in browser.
• New "Copy Sound without Note Events" option.
• Adjustable polyphony limit per Sound.
• "Direct Monitor" option in sampling mode.
• MIDI export for patterns, including Drag and Drop to host.
• Improved event editing via controller.
• Improved waveform navigation via controller.
• Various other enhancements.
• Plus various fixes and stability improvements.

Ohm force presents: Ohm Studio

Creators of the legendary FX Vsts Ohmboyz, ohmicide & mellotohm have come up with a unique aproach to
music making in the form of an online collaborative DAW... All in real time!

I have personally used Ohm software for the last 5 years, the Ohmboys delay fx are still a huge main stay
in my musical set up.

Its funny that this was possible with the impulse tracker back in the day, I wonder how long it will be until
the bigger DAW companies jump on to this great idea.

Live real time internet collaborations in Logic? Awsome.

Here's a vid of what Ohmstudio promises to do, Including info on the Ohm server which enables you to take snap shots of recorded mixes in case your found online collaborators mess things up.

Ableton Live - The bridge | Ant's Computer Music

http://www.abletonsupport.com/?p=19399

Drum miking for the home studio

 

 

Getting great drum sounds with a low budget and less than perfect room acoustics can be challenging, but a little bit of practicality and common sense can go a long way. I’ll outline some basic considerations for tracking drums in a home studio and share my favorite mics and miking techniques with you.

 

Location…The bedroom, the living room, or the hallway?

Try to find the roomiest and most “live” portion of your house – unless of course you want a super tight, Indie drum sound. Hardwood floors trump carpet when it comes to acoustics. Realistically, most of us don’t have much choice which room we get to track drums in, but try to find the best practical location. Avoid tight enclosed areas. An open room with access to a hallway or another room is ideal for placing room mics and hall mics. If you’re drum set is near a stairway, sometimes a mic placed at the other end of the stairs can make a great long hall mic.

Things to remember:

 
• Turn off your air-conditioning & fans in your drum room
• Don’t let someone use the bathroom while tracking drums (the noise form the pipes is always audible in the walls)
• Don’t run the dishwasher.
• Keep your speakers at a low level (or monitor with headphones) to avoid bleed into the drum room.
• A great drummer is better than a bad drummer on a well-miked kit.

Kick
 
Try a beta52 halfway inside the hole in the front drum head, angled slightly upward. If it sounds bad, it’s the kick drum or the drummer, not the mic.
One of my “secrets” is my homemade sub-kick microphone. You can easily make one yourself with a large speaker (mine is a 14” car stereo speaker I found at a used electronics store) and a few drum hardware parts for creating a stand and mounting the speaker. Take an ordinary XLR cable and solder the + and – wires to the speaker (match the + and – polarities respectively). Usually the signal is strong enough that you also need to add a 30db or 40db pad on the XLR before entering your pre-amp.
I generally place my sub-kick about 2 inches away from the kick drumhead.
Make sure the transients from both drum mics (and any samples you use) are in phase and line up when editing/mixing.

Snare
 
Favored mic: SM57
Place the mic ~3 inches over the rim of the snare drum pointed directly at the center of the drumhead. Aiming the mic away from the high-hat helps reduce high-hat bleed.
Use any condenser mic for the bottom snare mic and place it 6 – 10 inches from the bottom head pointed directly at the snare and angled away from the kick drum if possible. There’s nothing worse than a lot of kick drum bleed in the bottom snare mic.

Toms
 
Position the mic 3 to 4 inches over the rim of the tom, angled at the center of the drumhead, similar to the snare miking technique.

Overheads
 
Favored mics: SM81’s (standard, cheap, sound great)
I use a spaced pair about 2 or 3 feet above my cymbals, 4 to 5 feet apart. One trick to keeping your mics in phase with the snare drum (and making sure your snare stays in the center of your stereo image) is to use a string to measure the distance from the snare drum to each of your overheads. It’s great to have both overheads the exact same distance, but this is also a rule that can be broken.

High-Hat
 
Favored mic: Neumann KM84 (I know, not the average home studio mic…), any small diaphragm condenser mic works great (SM81)
Position the mic 5 to 8” above the top hat, aimed down and angled away from the snare drum to reduce bleed from the snare and rest of the kit.

Room Mics
 
I usually use large diaphragm condensers for room mics (AT4033a). However, the second method I’ll mention involves SM57’s.
I’ve been a fan of the spaced pair low to the ground facing the kit (about 6 – 8 feet apart), as far in the room from the kit as possible, ideally more than 10 feet.
One trick I recently learned is to place two SM57s directly in front of the kit (spaced apart 4 feet, at about chest level) and aim them directly away from the kit. Surprisingly, they pick up mostly room noise instead of the direct sound from the kit – mostly due to the cardiod pattern.
Another method I’m fond of only involves one room mic in the center/back of the room. This paired with a great hall mic can add a lot of depth to your snare – mixed directly up the center. Using one mic is also practical if you’re running out of inputs on your interface.

Hall Mics
 
One hall mic is usually sufficient – again, I usually use a large diaphragm condenser. Try placing this mic in the next room over (leave the door in between open) or literally down the hall outside your drum room. You’re aiming to get a good natural reverb and ambience to mix in with the “fake” reverb. A great hall mic can add a lot of depth and liveliness to your kit, especially the snare and toms.
I'm removing my comments about sampling for the purposes of guiding the discussion back to miking techniques.  You shouldn't sample if you don't have to - In my opinion, real drums always sound better. Drum samples can become necessary tools when mixing, but should not replace real drum sounds.
Another great point that needs to be addressed:
Drum tuning is one of the most significant factors when it comes to getting great drum sounds.  I won't address it in this article, but you can find tons of other great articles and books out there about drum tuning techniques - just do a little digging :)

Written by Jake Hartsfield

Thankyou to tunecore.

Native Instruments - Paranormal Spectrums

Native Instruments have once again come up with another classic library for your KORE player.

This is the first instrument powered by KORE with a strict focus on darkening up your music, for the instant creation of horror style fx & instruments for film and video games. It provides the modern composer with an unmatched arsenal of sounds and soundscapes ranging from the eerie to the truly terrifying.
After using the fixed noise OTTO this is a very simular affair, But this brings in synths and sounds created in Absynth & Massive (2 amazing vsts).

If you want to darken up your tunes or maybe work within the games industry, I'm sure you will find something in here, Especially if you are a fan of dead space or nazi zombies.

And here's a nice video to get your spooky on!

Ableton Live - The bridge

 


Good times are coming with the exellent addition of Serato Scratch support to be featured within Ableton Live.
Serator has already managed to change the face of vinyl DJing meaning you no longer have to lug around a whole crate of records for a one hour set but just two "timecode" records.

Ableton Live also changed the way people look to performing live giving people the power to mix, chop, cut & paste and even write music while on the go.

The bridge looks set to give you the option of recording your Serato scratch set directly within Ableton but also giving you the DAW power over your mixes.

I'm going to have to invest in 2 technics!

This was first announced in 2008 and I think the wait has been patient enough.

Come on Ableton, Sort it out!

New Sibegg release and remixes on Tigerbeat6 preview

The totally awesome Sibegg returns with the Tigerbeat6 massive on remix duty from his seminal album
from 2001 titled Buckfunk 3000.

Get this bass into you!

  meow158 Si Begg aka Buckfunk 3000 - The Tigerbeat6 Arrangements by Tigerbeat6

Tracklist:
1. High Volume-Kanji Kinetic remix
2. High Volume-Si Begg VIP remix
3. Jump-EBOLA Remix
4. High Volume/Jump-Kid606's 'Fistful of Döners' megamix
5. Disrupt - The Squire of Gothos remix
6. High Volume/Jump-HecQ's 'High Volume Jumpin' remix
7. High Volume-Luke's Anger's 'Theremin from Hell' remix
8. Jump - Bruce Stallion's 'Suspiciously milky' remix
9. High Volume-Wascal's 'Neighbor Botherer' remix
10. High Volume-Kanji Kinetic VIP remix

Artist: Si Begg aka Buckfunk 3000
Album title: Arrangements For The Modern Listener - The Tigerbeat6 Arrangements
Catalogue Number: meow158
Label: Tigerbeat6
Release date: April 30th 2010
Territories: worldwide

Alicia Keys Piano VST

Alicia Keys has been working with Native Instruments to recreate her own piano sound via soft synth.
It has been individually recorded from the tones and key presses from Alicia on her piano.
Apparently now she is just using the NI software instead of her old piano, linked up to a midi keyboard instead.

I suppose it beats carrying a piano in taxis.

Ableton Live Beer

Not only have Ableton made my favorite piece of sofware ever, They have just released Ableton "lively" to accompany the new Live 8 software...

With beer being just as important as your midi controller at gigs its great they have got into this.
Can I have some samples for a tester?

Wireless Midi Controller for Apple I-Pad

I was thinking the exact same second that i heard of the Ipad we may have potential for a new type of detailed midi controller similar to a Lemur but with the added benefit of having the Ipad thrown in there too.

Of course another bonus of this is that an Ipad will set you back $499 (starting price) where as the Jazzmutant model will rip a $2100 sized hole in your pocket.

Then there comes Midipad (which can also be used on your I-phone!).

The midipad is a new controller app for the iPad that communicates via network-MIDI-protocol. So there is no need to install any communication-peer-software on the Mac. Simply plug-and-play via Apple Bonjour – wirelessly.


This multitouch-capable MIDI controller app communicates with your Apple Mac your Windows-based PC, and even standalone hardware synths, via Wi-Fi. So you can control all of your music applications with just a few finger gestures without having to sit at your desk, and the best part? No annoying cable.

In the studio, midipad can control host applications like Apple Logic, Steinberg Cubase/Nuendo, Ableton Live, etc. It can also be used to control stand-alone applications from companies like Native Instruments, Spectrasonics and others.

As a live musician you can control sub mixes of your virtual keyboard rig, activate setups and change parameters of the virtual instruments or even hardware instruments, all in realtime on stage.

If you are a DJ, you can wirelessly control your favorite mixing applications as well.
midipad incorporates various commonly used controller-types like buttons, trigger-pads, sliders, ribbon-control in one and two dimensions, rotary-knobs, or complete functionality blocks like transport-control. midipad also reacts to midi-data from the connected remote computer, to provide instantaneous feedback for your performance.

Preconfigured setups, divided in seperate views can be activated concurrently. Using multi-touch various functionality of the remote-software can be controlled.

The features to be controlled can be configured by the user in the setup.

Features:

» Utilizes iPhone OS
» communicates with MacOs and Windows based PCs
» communicates with stand-alone-applications and hardware
» communicates via network-MIDI-protocol
» plug & play via Apple Bonjour, wireless-LAN
» multitouch Interface

Preconfigured setups:

» studio View
» DJ View
» launchView
» fxView

No price has been announced yet, But Im thinking my next purchase is an I-pad.
Might have to lay my trusty Uc33e to rest?

Here is the link for the software.

Midipad

Beardyman full live show

This is amazing, Having been to 2 of his live shows I don't think I have ever come accross a better beat boxer.

Here is his live show of a full set in Bristol.


Funny as hell too!

DJing with Ableton Live

Here is a reason for you to ponder as of why you should move away from those decks and get yourself
digital.

The possibilities with Abletons Live software really have and do change the face of music.

Only thing I use my turntables for now is scratch work.

Live has won a special place in the hearts of many DJs by offering an array of creative mixing and beat-matching possibilities. By simply filling your laptop's hard drive with music and exploring Live's Session View, you'll soon discover that Live offers unparalleled possibilities for both professional DJs and beginners alike.

In this month's Tips & Tricks, we will explore how to set up DJ-essential features such as pre-listening, EQ Three and the crossfader, then look at how Live works in the context of a DJ set.

Bring up the Mix: Pre-Listening

Pre-listening allows you to privately cue your music through headphones as you would when using a DJ mixer. In order to accomplish this, you need a multi-channel audio interface with at least four dedicated outputs (or two dedicated stereo outputs).

The new M-Audio FireWire Audiophile audio interface was used for this tutorial, however any audio interface with headphone cuing ability will work. The Pre-Listening output is set in Live's Preferences Audio tab, in the Routing section, as shown in the figure below.

The Master output routing is the output you hear at the Master track (outputs 3/4 in this case). The Pre-Listen output is reflected on an additional pair of outputs from your audio interface. In the figure above, we are pre-listening on channels 1/2.
Note: If the headphone jack on your audio interface is hardwired to a particular pair of outputs, such as 1 and 2, it is a good idea to use this as the Pre-Listening output. Otherwise you will need an adapter to merge the left and right outputs to a stereo headphone connector.
Once pre-listening is set up in the preferences, look at the Master track above the Pre-Listening Volume knob, and set the Solo/PFL switch to PFL.

In the Session View tracks, a headphone icon will appear in place of the Solo switch (shown below right). This is the Pre-Listening switch and, when activated, routes a track to the Pre-Listening output. The switch with the speaker icon (the Track Activator switch) above the Pre-Listening switch routes the track to the Master output (shown below left).

Switching off the Track Activator switch and enabling the Pre-Listening switch allows you to privately audition or cue a track without it being heard over the Master output. If both the Track Activator and the Pre-Listening switches are enabled, the track will be audible over the Master output and the Pre-Listening output. You can also activate pre-listening of audio in Live's File Browser by clicking on the headphone icon as shown below. Pre-listening of audio in the File Browser is routed to the Pre-Listening output so you can privately browse and audition the music on your hard drive.

The pre-listening volume can be adjusted with the Pre-Listening Volume knob located in the Master track.

It's All About the Fader: The Crossfader

The crossfader is a very important part of the DJ mixer. Crossfading allows the DJ to smoothly (or abruptly) transition between songs with a single movement. Live's crossfader is located at the bottom of the Master track in the Session View.

Note: If you cannot see the crossfader, go to the View menu and make sure the "Crossfader" option is checked.

Each track in Live can be assigned to the crossfader using the A/B Crossfade Assign buttons located at the bottom of the track controls.

When the crossfader is moved all the way to the left, tracks assigned to "A" are audible through the Master output and tracks assigned to "B" are not. The opposite effect is achieved when the crossfader is moved all the way to the right.
If the crossfader is in the center position, tracks assigned to "A" and "B" will be mixed equally.

The mouse can be used to control the crossfader, but for a more hands-on approach, use a MIDI controller with faders or even knobs. I often use an Evolution X-Session MIDI controller, which actually has a crossfader built in.

Assigning a MIDI control in Live is very simple.
First, select your MIDI controller in the Preferences MIDI/Sync tab's Remote Control section as shown below.

Next click the MIDI Map Mode switch.

Click on the crossfader to select it.

Move the MIDI control you would like to assign to the crossfader. You will notice that the crossfader now displays the MIDI channel/C.C. number of the control you have assigned.

Click the MIDI Map Mode switch again to complete the assignment and exit MIDI Map Mode.

The crossfader is now assigned to your MIDI controller, allowing you to execute massive DJ maneuvers instantly.
Me and My EQ Three
EQ Three is one of Live's most essential DJ effects. Most DJ mixers have an EQ section to boost and attenuate the low, mid and high frequencies for each channel. EQ Three is Live's DJ-mixer EQ section.
To add EQ Three to a track, drag it from the Live Effects Browser to the title bar of the desired track(s).

If you are working with a MIDI controller, you can create a more realistic DJ-mixer feel by assigning the frequency gain controls of EQ Three to the knobs of your controller.

Let's say that you have a mix that requires you to instantly cut the low and mid frequencies of one track and the highs of the other. You may find that you have a shortage of hands to perform this maneuver. Some DJ mixers offer on/off buttons, commonly referred to as "kill switches," for each EQ frequency band. EQ Three also has on/off buttons for its three frequency bands, allowing you to independently mute or "kill" frequencies for the track with the press of a button.

One trick is to assign the on/off buttons to the keys on your computer keyboard. To do this, enter Key Map Mode by clicking the Key switch as shown in the figure below.

Click one of the on/off buttons and then press a key on your computer keyboard. Select the other on/off buttons and assign them to different keys on the keyboard.

When you have made all assignments, click the Key switch to exit Key Map Mode.

EQ Three gives added flexibility in mixing tracks together. Cutting the low frequencies of one track and the high frequencies of another, for example, could bring a mix together by eliminating conflicting frequency ranges.
Warping the Beat, Not Your Records
Warping is how Live stretches or "pitches" the music to match the current tempo of the Live Set. When your music is properly warped, there is no longer any need to worry about tempo. With properly warped songs, you can simply drag any number of them into Live, and they will all be automatically beat-matched. Warp an entire song by following these steps:
1. Drag a song from the File Browser into a Session View clip slot.

2. Double-click on the clip to bring up the Clip View. Make sure that the Warp switch is off.

3. Launch the clip and use the Tap Tempo button to tap along with the beat of the song for a few bars.

4. You may find it easier to tap your song's tempo by assigning the Tap Tempo button to a computer key.

5. After tapping the tempo, turn on the Warp switch for the clip.

6. You will notice numbered markers above the waveform display. These markers determine the bars and beats for how Live's warping engine plays back the song. The first marker, which is green, is called a Warp Marker. The other markers are grid markers.

7. Drag Warp Marker "1" to the first significant downbeat of the song. This is usually easier to find once the beat really starts to kick in.

8. Activate the Loop switch in the Clip View's Sample section and type "4" in the leftmost Loop Length field to create a four-bar loop.

9. Type "1" in the leftmost Loop Start field so that the Clip Loop/Region Start Marker is on Warp Marker "1". Also type "0" in the Loop Offset field if needed.

10. Listen to the loop to see if the tempo you tapped was correct. If the end of the loop is not quite right, you can make minor adjustments by clicking and dragging the grid marker labeled "5" at the end of the loop. You may need to check the accuracy of Warp Marker "1" as well. When doing this, it might help to zoom in a bit. To zoom, place your mouse pointer over the waveform display until you see a magnifying glass icon appear; then click and drag up and down to zoom out and in respectively.

11. Once the loop is correct, click on the bar running between Clip Loop/Region Start and End Markers, and press the up arrow on your computer keyboard. This causes the clip loop/region to jump ahead to the next four bars. Listen to the loop to check that it is correct.

12. If the loop is not correct, you can create a Warp Marker at grid marker "5" by double-clicking on the marker. Warp Markers lock to the current position and are not affected if you reposition markers before or after them. You can now drag the grid marker labeled "9" to correct the loop without affecting your previous work.

13. Repeat the process until you have marked the entire song. You can use a larger loop length if the song has a regular tempo. The song below was marked using a 16-bar loop length. When you are done, you will also want to set the loop length to span the entire song, or perhaps turn off the Loop switch completely.

14. The final step is to save the settings for the clip. The Warp settings will be saved in the clip's analysis file (.asd file) when you click the Save button. Once the clip's settings are saved, the clip will be ready to go any time you drag it into a Live Set. In other words, you will only need to set the tempo in the project Tempo field, and Live will automatically beat-match the clip to whatever tempo you choose. Don't forget to save each clip!

Set up two or more tracks using the techniques described earlier. Then activate pre-listening, assign the crossfader, configure EQ Three, drag a warped song into each track, and watch how Live automatically matches the tempo. Practice and experiment with the setup to get comfortable and explore the possibilities of your new DJ rig!
Step to the Technique
Here are some tips and tricks to help get you on your way:
1. Clip launches in Live can be quantized using the Global Quantization menu. This can help you line up tracks with very little effort; just set the quantization to the desired value and launch the clip.

2. Scenes make it possible to launch an entire row of clips simultaneously with a single button. This can be useful for moving between several variations of a complex mix.

3. The Loop Offset Marker or the Region Start Marker specifies the start point for the clip. You can think of the Loop Offset or Region Start Markers as being similar to the needle on a turntable; wherever you drop it is where playback will begin when the clip is launched. Use the Loop Offset Marker when a clip is looped and the Region Start Marker for clips that are not looped.

4. Live's Warp Mode defaults to Beats Mode, which is ideal for most rhythmic music. Beats, Tones and Texture Modes each offer independent control over the pitch, or the key, of the clip. This means you can change the pitch without changing the speed of the clip using the Transpose knob (shown below). If you want your clips to play as they would on a turntable, try Re-Pitch Mode. Re-Pitch Mode slows down or speeds up the clip to match the tempo and does not correct the pitch as the other Warp Modes do. Experiment to find the best settings for each clip.

5. Each clip has independent settings for quantization and Launch Mode in the Clip View, as shown in the figure below. Try setting a clip to 16th note quantization with Repeat Launch Mode; then click and hold the Clip Launch button down, listening to the first 16th note of the clip repeat until you release the Clip Launch button.

6. Drag the same clip into two slots on the same track. Change the Region Start or Loop Offset to different positions on each clip; alternate launching the two clips to perform beat-juggling effects. You can also place the two clips on separate tracks, launch them, and assign the crossfader so that you can switch between them without retriggering.

7. You can set the transposition differently for each copy of a clip to change the melodic progression of the song. Activate Legato Mode for each clip on a particular track to prevent the song from retriggering when you switch between variations.

8. Try out the other Live effects. Auto Filter on the Master track provides a virtual analog filter for the entire mix. Assign a MIDI control to the filter frequency for added pleasure.

9. Live's delay effects can be beat-synced to the project tempo. Put a Simple Delay on a Send track, set the desired beat in the Delay Time section and set the Dry/Wet mix to 100%. Turn the Send knobs for the tracks you wish to process with the delay up to a suitable level. Place the Utility effect on the Send track before the Simple Delay, (you can drag effects to reorder them) and assign a key to the Mute switch. Toggle the Mute switch on and off to send particular parts of the tracks through the delay without killing the tail of the delay output.

10. Run a turntable, MC or instrument through a track in Live. Choose "Live In" as the Input Type in the In/Out View, and enable the Monitoring switch. Take the signal from your turntable, microphone or instrument preamp and plug it into your audio interface's input. Enable monitoring to hear the input through the track. You can also sample the input by recording in the Session View. Sample and loop your scratching, vocals or instrument on the fly. Note: Only when "Monitor through Live" is enabled in the Preferences Audio tab can you route the input through the effects in Live.

11. Assign the project tempo in Live to a MIDI control to allow tempo variations throughout your set. You can narrow the tempo range in the Arrangement View Master track by unfolding the track and selecting "Mixer" from the Device chooser and "Song Tempo" from the Control chooser. Set the desired tempo range in the minimum/maximum fields.

12. Record your entire DJ set in the Arrangement View so that you can edit it to perfection later. Everything is recorded including clips, crossfader movements, effect tweaks and even tempo changes. Simply press the Record button in the transport before launching any Session View clips, and Live will record your every move.

By now you are beginning to see that Live opens up new avenues for any DJ. After setting up Warp Markers on just a few of my favorite hip hop tracks, cueing the mix in my headphones, tweaking a few effects, and flipping the crossfader, I felt my DJ set come to life. And after adding just a few of my own loops, my mix soon entered the realm of an original hip hop remix. It just goes to show that with a small amount of practice, and a little creativity, DJing in Live can take you from mixing a DJ set to producing your own tracks in no time.

Article by Shawn Balm (Ableton).

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