Ableton Live is indeed the alien technology among DJ software options. Far from being either just a DAW or a playback platform, Live allows DJs to push the boundaries of possibility and create some truly innovative effects. Here are a few things you didn’t know people were doing with it.
Controlling Ableton Live using vinyl
It might take a while to get your head around this one, but pioneering DJ John Type has figured out a way to mix and control in Ableton Live 11 using vinyl. Not with a Scratch Live timecode turntable, just using a pure analog audio signal to both influence the tempo and change patches while mixing. The trick is getting the signal to run through a type of feedback loop to tell Ableton (via audio) to speed up and match the beat. Again, head-scratching stuff, here’s how it’s done.
Modular synthesis integration
Ableton could have been designed for modular synthesis. Both software and hardware place a high value on chance and spontaneity, and can take a DJ set from the realm of static playback to non-repeating musicality. One DJ doing it right is David Harrow, whose live set is a textbook for modular synth integration with Ableton. Check out the good work being done in this field.
4D sound using Ableton
The concept behind 4D sound has been around since about 2014. A 4D sound system is closer to an art installation than a DJ rig, and thorough explanations about it can be hard to track down. The general idea is that the position of the sound changes over time. Multiple speakers are synchronized and coordinated through Max For Live and Ableton Live, allowing the perceived source of the sound to travel in any direction in a space. Trippy. Here’s more.
Ableton has a slightly steeper learning curve than most DJ software options, but it also tends to open doors and minds to less accessible possibilities. Check out the free preview lesson from the Ableton Live DJ course right here on DJ Courses Online, and keep pushing the boundaries!