Why I'm Learning Ableton Live

Documenting My Journey, Trials, and Tribulations

Have you ever opened Ableton Live, only to feel so overwhelmed by the endless options that you shut it down and walked away?

If so, you’re not alone—and I’m here to help you overcome that feeling.

Welcome to Laptop Music Weekly! I’m Henry, a musicologist on a mission to master music production with Ableton Live. If you’re new to producing on a laptop and find the process equally exhilarating and daunting, you’re in the right place. This newsletter is all about sharing my journey with you—one program crash at a time—as I seek to improve at wielding this complex yet versatile software.

Why I’m Documenting This Journey

Over the next four months, I’ll document every step of my journey as I learn Ableton Live from scratch. My goal is to not only share practical tips and insights but also to provide encouragement for anyone tackling this software for the first time, or revisiting it after a long hiatus.

This series is especially for you if you’re a self-learner who’s a bit stingy—by that, I mean you’d rather not spend extra $$$ on courses, whether in-person or online. Instead, this series will serve as a free, personal guide to learning the program, all while having fun along the way.

Along the way, I’ll be diving into Ableton’s educational resources, learning key commands, and getting familiar with its stock instruments and effects. Each week, I’ll share what I’ve learned, the challenges I’ve faced, and the progress I’ve made.

Why Ableton Live?

Why did I choose Ableton Live over other DAWs? To give you some context, I’ve been using Logic Pro fairly regularly over the past year and really enjoy it, especially as an Apple enthusiast.

But when my friend and collaborator Julian and I decided we needed a shared DAW, we pretty quickly landed on Ableton Live. He was using Cubase, I was on Logic Pro, and we wanted neutral ground where we could both start fresh and embrace the Beginner’s Mind.

In addition to this, here are a few reasons I personally like Ableton Live:

• Popularity: Ableton Live is one of the most widely used DAWs, with a huge community of users. This means there are endless tutorials, forums, and resources available—an invaluable asset when you’re learning something new.

• Visual Design: As a design enthusiast, I appreciate the cohesive aesthetic of Ableton Live. All the stock plug-ins share a similar format, creating a unified and visually pleasing experience.

• Community: Ableton is a Berlin-based independent company, and as a Berlin-based music producer, it feels like a natural fit. Ableton hosts meet-ups here and this is a great way to connect with fellow producers.

• Influential Users: Some of my favorite producers—like SOPHIE, umru, Flume, and Skrillex—use Ableton Live. Seeing what they’ve accomplished with this software inspires me.

Standard vs. Suite: What I Chose and Why

When it came time to choose between Ableton’s versions—Intro, Standard, and Suite—I knew I wanted to commit fully. Therefore, the Intro version, with its limited 16 tracks, was out of the question.

So it came down to Standard vs. Suite.

Here’s my take: If you rely heavily on third-party plug-ins, Standard will likely meet your needs. However, if you want a comprehensive solution where you can dive deep into stock instruments and effects, Suite is the way to go.

I chose Suite for three main reasons:

1. Comprehensive Tools: I wanted to ensure that all the tools were available to me from the start, without feeling like I was missing out on anything.

2. Cost-Effective Deal: I managed to get an educational license through Thomann, bringing the cost down to just $275—cheaper than the Standard license.

3. All-In-One Approach: I love the idea of using and mastering stock instruments and effects, rather than spending more money on third-party plugins. With Suite, Ableton is meant to be the one-stop-shop for all my music production needs.

The Challenge: 50 Tracks in 4 Months

Today is September 1st, 2024, and I’ve set myself a challenge: to create and publish 50 tracks by the end of the year. I’m defining “tracks” loosely—anything from a simple four-on-the-floor kick pattern to a few loops thrown together. The goal is to overcome the fear of pressing publish and to track my progress in real-time.

Here’s the plan:

• Daily Practice: Spend 30 minutes each day with Ableton’s educational resources (covered in next week’s newsletter), followed by 30 minutes creating a track.

• SoundCloud Accountability: I’ll post each track to SoundCloud and share reflections on Substack Notes, keeping myself accountable and documenting my progress, trials, and tribulations.

• Mastering the Basics: I’ll focus on key areas like learning the interface, memorizing essential key commands, and getting comfortable with stock instruments and effects.

Join Me on This Journey

Are you new to Ableton and want to follow along on my journey? Drop a comment below and make sure to subscribe to stay up to date with my weekly posts. Let’s tackle Ableton Live together, one track at a time (: