Ableton Live

Ableton Live is a loop-based software music sequencer used by DJs for composing and arranging their tracks, as well as performing live. As the name implies, a loop is a repeating section of sound. Ableton Live 8 was released in April 2009 in order to allow DJs to compose and arrange their music, as well as mix tracks by other DJs with its controls for beatmatching and crossfading. Ableton Live was actually one of the first music applications that allowed DJs the ability to match beats of different songs by either speeding their tempos up or slowing them down using pitch shifting and/or time stretching. Crossfading is another interesting tool that Ableton Live includes, that allows DJs to fade out one song, by slowly fading another one in at the same time.

Ableton Live comes with two instruments – the Impulse and the Simpler. Impulse is a drum triggering instrument that allows its user to define and use up to eight different drum sounds. A number of effects are available for this, including the pitch shifter mentioned before, as well as a basic equalizer that works somewhat like the beatmatching tool. Simpler is a ‘simple’ sampling instrument. It works using a simple sample, and allowing the user to apply some simple effects and timing. Most of Ableton Live’s effects are common effects used in other digital softwares like it, such as, beat repeat, chorus, compressor, pitch, scale and velocity.

Ableton Live is meant for electronic musicians and DJs, and is used by artists such as, Bassnectar, which was the first DJ ever to use two Ableton Lives at the same time during a live performance, ridiculous!

Find out more information about Ableton Live at the Ableton Live homepage: http://www.ableton.com/