Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,486
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,486
Hey anyone using Ableton Live?

I am trying to get it to do so simple stuff, and having sorta mastered Sonar, this seems to do everything backwards. I totally don't get the idea of "creating scenes." Don't know what is up with that, or why that should be the centerpiece.

I love what it can do to a midi signal though for weird stuff and only want to perform a few simple operations with mulitrack recording of midi but keep getting roadblocked.

Basically, I can get one midi channel going with an instrument loaded, but if I insert another midi track it turns everything off on the first track and I can't figure it out for the life of me how to turn channel 1 back on and do a simple record with a loaded instrument on channel 2.

So, if any Ableton experts want to help an idiot out let me know.

Also, why don't they have a fast forward function in this program? It seems the most basic of all DAW functions, the ability to pick a spot and go to it, or back, but they seem to have overlooked that, I think. (Unless I am missing something.)

And is there a basic user friendly Ableton user manual anywhere with step by step instructions????

I am feeling the pain of the BIAB newbie here.

smile

Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,560
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,560
Kinda like Photoshop; it does all these wonderful things .. but not one of them is intuitive.
Oh sure it makes sense once it is explained, but the curve is steep.


I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,486
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,486
Are you saying you can....help me...Dr. Marvin?????

Attached Files (Click to download or enlarge) (Only available when you are logged in)
85536_full.jpg (83.6 KB, 81 downloads)
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,086
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,086
LOL!

Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,854
C
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
C
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,854
Ableton live is mostly intended to program performances. The Scenes are very important to that function and midi control is used for automation in scenes. You may be stuck in a default scene or performance mode.

Charlie


BIAB 2025:RB 2025, Latest builds: Dell Optiplex 7040 Desktop; Windows-10-64 bit, Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz CPU and 16 GB Ram Memory.
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,560
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,560
no, just feeling your pain.


I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 3,738
P
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
P
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 3,738
ableton 4 beginners

you mentioned a familiarity with sonar how about the matrix view


matrix view playlist

how i see ableton

take any part of your song in a regular daw where each part of a song is a collection of tracks aligned vertically like the verse which might be a marker label in the time line
trk1 vocal
trk2 guitar
trk3 drums
rotate them 90 degrees you have the session view of that part and you have a seen
each seen is composed of a number of horizontal clips
column1-audio column2-audio column3-midi seen = verse
vocal guitar drums
each of these columns and the seen itself can be triggered at will from your controler

there is not triditional timeline in the session view that's why there is an arrange view




more confused???






Last edited by pghboemike; 12/22/16 05:22 PM.

Lenovo YOGA 900 Window s 10 Home 64bit M4 pro Mac mini 1tb HD 24GB mem casio wk7500 presonus audiobox i2 usb interface
casio wk-7500
biab & realband 2025 everything pk both with Current builds
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,815
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,815
https://www.coursera.org/learn/ableton-live

Starts Dec 26th -- FREE from coursera/berklee.


Now at bandcamp: Crows Say Vee-Eh @ bandcamp or soundcloud: Kevin @ soundcloud
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,486
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,486
Finally got it. Whew.

Man. I guess you gotta be really careful with your plug-ins in this program.

Thanks for the help everybody!!!

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To

Link Copied to Clipboard
ChatPG

Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.

ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.

PG Music News
Holiday Weekend Hours

As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:

April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours

Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!

— Team PG

Update to Build 10 of RealBand® 2026 for Windows®!

If you're already using RealBand 2026 for Windows, download build 10 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.

Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!

If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.

Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® users: Build 1237 is now available!

Already a Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows user? Stay up to date and download the build 1237 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.

PowerTracks Pro 2026 for Windows is Here!

PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.

The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.

The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.

Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!

Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.

Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!

Order now!

Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!

Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!

We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!

Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.

Another exciting new addition is the new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.

There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!

Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!

Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.

If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!

Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!

Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!

We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can process an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!

There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.

When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.

Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.

Forum Statistics
Forums57
Topics86,114
Posts800,368
Members40,035
Most Online44,367
Mar 4th, 2026
Newest Members
shelipicia, Shakey2, Matt1575, Christian210, jaycallahanart
40,035 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
MarioD 134
rsdean 103
DC Ron 94
WaoBand 63
Today's Birthdays
Nancy08
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5