Free Ableton Live Pack

The Partner Instruments Compilation is, as you'd expect, a collection of Ableton instruments.... It comes in at just under 4GB, and includes everything from pianos, electronic drums and Japanese percussion.

As ever, head here to download!

"Free Ableton Live Pack" > read the full post

Live Beat Series Europe tour

After several successful events in the USA earlier this year and an appearance at the Midsummer Music Conference in Portugal, Ableton & Novation are bringing their Live Beats series to Europe this September, with 14 events across 8 countries........read on.

The Live Beats events are designed for musicians and producers of all skill levels to learn more about using Ableton Live and Novation hardware. They provide an opportunity to receive training from demonstrator Thavius Beck, who will mainly focus on the hands-on music making potential of Live and Launchpad, but will also be showing off other Novation hardware and demonstrating how Automap - the control software that comes with Novation's controllers - can be used to take your Ableton Live sessions to the next level.

At each event, Thavius and local Ableton & Novation demonstrators will be on hand to answer questions, as well as offer tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your software and hardware. There will also be a chance to win a Novation Launchpad and Ableton Live 8 at each event.

Dates & times for Live Beats events:

• Tuesday 7th September, Production Room, Leeds, UK, 18:30
• Thursday 9th September, Digital Village Clapham, London, UK, 18:30
• Saturday 11th September, Teach Music, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 19:00
• Monday 13th September, Just Studio Kulturbrauerei, Berlin, Germany, 18:30
• Tuesday 14th September, Just Music, Hamburg, Germany, 19:15
• Wednesday 15th September, Hard Rock Cafe, Cologne, Germany, 19:00
• Saturday 18th September, Just Music, Munich, Germany, 16:00
• Monday 20th September, microFusa, Madrid, Spain, 19:00
• Tuesday 21st September, microFusa, Barcelona, Spain, 19:00
• Thursday 23rd September, SAE Institute, Milan, Italy, 18:00
• Friday 24th September, Percorsi Audio, Acquapendente (VT), Italy, 18:00
• Monday 27th September, Rytmus Aula, Stockholm, Sweden, 18:30
• Wednesday 29th September, ProLyd AS, Oslo, Norway, Time TBC

"Live Beat Series Europe tour" > read the full post

Max Fuel, the First

Puremagnetik has released Max Fuel, the First, a bundle of ten highly refined Max For Live devices, created to work in Live for production & performance, bringing the deeper potential of Max For Live to the end-user without the need to learn Max. The devices fall into three categories: Software Instruments, Audio Effects, and Control Devices. Presets, devices racks, and clip examples are all included in the package.

Retails for $38 (£24).

To learn more, and watch the introductory video, go here.




"Max Fuel, the First" > read the full post

DJ on your iPad with TouchOSC

Check out this 4-part tutorial, put together by Dubspot's Tony Grund, introducing TouchOSC as an interface for DJs.

Part 1


Well, this was just an introduction. For more detail, check out parts 2-4 of the tutorial......

Part 2


Part 3


Part 4




"DJ on your iPad with TouchOSC" > read the full post

APC Mini but No push over!

The APC40 was released middle of 2009 to much acclaim... "WOW! it's a groovebox that makes Live's boring GUI a lot more attractive to mess around with" would have been a not so surprising quip uttered by nearly all who hadn't ventured into the software prior to its launch.
Less than a year on and guess what? The mini version for all who love power in compact devices has been unleashed...erm why? Well let's just say because its the best thing since its predecessor came to life.

The APC20 is the 40 less the 16 on board track control and device control knobs, bank select, nudge, tap tempo function buttons and the very handy play, stop , record and cross fader.
Now you'd ask why take them off? Answer: Novation did just fine with the launch pad!

"APC Mini but No push over!" > read the full post

TouchMonome, for iPhone + iPad

TouchMonome is a Monome emulator for the iPhone and iPad on the basis of touchOSC-Monome and Nonome. TouchMonome is not available to install as an iPhone/iPad application - it still would require Max for Live and Ableton Live 8. Check out the demo......



More details are available at the Monome site.


"TouchMonome, for iPhone + iPad" > read the full post

Free Ableton Live Pack from ESKAMON

ill.Gates introduces a new free Ableton Live Pack: Fine Objects, created for Eskamon - a collaboration between Amon Tobin (Ninja Tune) and Eskmo (Warp, Planet Mu, Ancestor). Read on.....

"Fine Objects" is the result of the pair's unique take on sonic exploration and the manipulation of field recordings. From the onset, the two went out with a recorder, gathering sounds from around the house, yard and studio. Material recorded out of the studio included sounds from a parking garage elevator, a broken harp and the droning tones from a discarded piano. These were combined with more home-centric sounds to form the central theme to the song.

With lumbering alien bass and intentially dry, off-kilter percussion, "Objects" quickly grew into it's own symbolic representation of taking "odd pieces" and allowing them to grow into something a bit more "refined and ablaze."

As part of the release ESKAMON released a free WAV sample pack of the sounds created in the song (they want your email address first, then you can download for free). From these original WAVs, an Ableton Live pack was also created by ill.Gates for the project and give out for free with the release as well. This video is the tutorial ill.Gates shot to help explain the features he made on the Ableton side of the project.

Check it out and leave a comment with your thoughts:




"Free Ableton Live Pack from ESKAMON" > read the full post

Ableton Live displays Twitter Feeds

Just a quick and weird one here: Artist/Scientist Cassiel uses his mighty brain to get Live + Max for Live + MXJ + Jython (the last two, no I don't know either) to capture a real-time feed from every public Tweet in the world and display it as clips in Ableton Live.

And yes, that's all that it does. No point in it at all, except showing off Cassiel's ginormous skills; he immediately regrets it as soon as the utter banality of tweets takes over his screen.

While we'd rather see something that makes Ableton cure cancer (the only thing Ableton users don't seem able to do with it is some decent music, and I am one of them) one has to marvel at this particular achievement of genius and geekiness.

Here below the link to the video (yes, humiliate yourself and admit that now you WANT to see this, so much so that you have to click on the link to READ THE FULL POST)

http://www.vimeo.com/7552259

Check Cassiel's other videos for more regular Monome futility, lots of impressive stuff.
Seriously, if this guy could think about using his mind for something like world peace...


"Ableton Live displays Twitter Feeds" > read the full post

Recreating Prodigy's "Smack My Bitch Up" in Ableton Live

Prodigy's track "Smack My Bitch Up" from the album "The Fat of the Land" was mostly created by sampling. In this video, we are shown which samples were used by Liam in the track. Reworked by Jim Pavloff in Ableton Live. Pavloff shows the source of every sample used by Liam in the song, how it was edited, and effected. He also shows how to create the acid line, and even takes you through how to master the mixed track. Not bad!

Read on to watch the video...




There are similar videos, demonstrating how to recreate other tracks, under the same YouTube channel - browse to satisfy curiosity!



"Recreating Prodigy's "Smack My Bitch Up" in Ableton Live" > read the full post

JazzMutant's "Mu" - for Ableton Live

JazzMutant has released an Ableton Live control application - "Mu" - for the Lemur multi-touch control surface. Mu brings a fantastical interface to Live, letting you trigger clips and scenes with glowing Chiclet keys, and mix with luminescent sliders.

Read on, and watch the video...

Mu runs as a Max for Live plugin - so you'll need Ableton Live 8 and Max for Live to be able to use it.

There is no official word on pricing or availability for Mu on the JazzMutant home page yet.

On a similar note - this also gets me excited about the potential of the Apple iPad; it can't be long before similar applications are developed for the iPad, bringing reasonably inexpensive multi-touch control to your sequencer, soft and hardware synths.

Excited about the potential of multi-touch controllers for music? Leave a comment with your thoughts!

"JazzMutant's "Mu" - for Ableton Live" > read the full post

Looking for free Ableton software?

I saw a good deal from Ableton on the net recently. They are offering anyone who buys Ableton Live 8 before the 31st August a free copy of their Sampler software, which looks pretty reasonable. Once you are all tooled up you can then cast your eyes over London School of Sound's Ableton courses and learn how to make the most out of this fun to use program.

"Looking for free Ableton software?" > read the full post

Discounted Ableton course? Shhhh don't tell the boss...

As a special lure for the sharp-eyed reader I have become a rogue agent and decided to offer a place on the next Ableton 101 course at HALF PRICE!

This is scheduled for the 4-5th July 2009 and is yours for £190 - normal price £379. To secure this one off price simply email info@londonschoolofsound.co.uk and quote the word:

"Quasar"

"Discounted Ableton course? Shhhh don't tell the boss..." > read the full post

Akai APC40 Ableton Masterclass winner - and course date

Congratulations to Martyn Green for winning a place on the next 'one day APC40 masterclass'.

For those that attended the Akai APC40 demo at Digital Village and didn't win, or for anyone interested in learning more about using Ableton Live in studio and on stage, the link is http://www.londonschoolofsound.co.uk/akai_apc40_ableton_masterclass.php

The first Masterclass is scheduled for Saturday 11th of July 2009 at the South Campus of the London School of Sound.
For info and bookings about this and other Summer courses call 02073547337 or email info@londonschoolofsound.co.uk.

"Akai APC40 Ableton Masterclass winner - and course date" > read the full post

Ableton Controllers

Quick reminder about the launch of the Ableton APC40 on Saturday the 6th of June, held by the London School of Sound in conjunction with Digital Village. I've had a quick play with it already, and it's very cool.

If you're hunting for this kind of thing, why not also take a look at the Livid Ohm 64? Also a pretty nice looking piece of gear, but won't hit the shops for a couple of weeks yet.

"Ableton Controllers" > read the full post

Akai APC40 Launch at Digital Village

Join us on Saturday 6th of June for the launch of the Akai APC40 Ableton Live controller in Clapham Common (London School of Sound South Campus).

Here is an extract from the official press release:

DV launch the AKAI APC40 Ableton Controller in the UK
AKAI is co-ordinating a simultaneous worldwide shipping launch of the AKAI APC40 Ableton controller on Saturday 30th May.
The AKAI UK and Ableton official launch event will be held at the DV Retail Warehouse in Romford, East London on this date.
Further events are also scheduled at DV Birmingham, DV West London (Acton) and DV South London (Clapham) during the first week of June. London School of Sound's Ableton Guru Federico Bersano Begey will be a special guest at the DV Clapham event.

All events are free but for more information and to pre-register visit http://www.dv247.com/news/APC40/132030

You could win a London School of Sound One Day Intensive APC40 Ableton Training Course if you attend any of the events. No purchase necessary, just register and turn up!

Special Akai and Ableton deals will also be available at all events and complimentary beverages will be served with the beats!

http://www.dv247.com/news/APC40/132030
http://www.apc40.com/
http://www.londonschoolofsound.co.uk/akai_apc40_ableton_masterclass.php



"Akai APC40 Launch at Digital Village" > read the full post