Week 1 (classes 1 & 2) – introduction to electronic music performance, an overview of Ableton live and getting acclimated with the user interface along with understanding the different features and signal flow.
Week 2 (classes 3 & 4) – the session view, laying musical ideas into audio & midi clips. Clip envelopes, clip launch and clip sample functions. Using the drum rack to create beats and grooves.
Week 3 (classes 5 & 6) – the arrangement view, using the session view clips to arrange the music ideas and drums to create a song structure, automation lanes & editing. Warping, quantization. Learning to make production essential elements like chord progressions, leads, counter melodies, pads & baselines etc.
Week 4 (classes 7 & 8) – audio effects & midi effects. Audio effects rack & instrument racks. Introduction to the art of mixing and saving & exporting. [Assessment]
Week 5 (Classes 9 & 10) – How to break down an already existing track into Ableton’s session view, consolidation of time to new scenes and learn the follow function. Understanding the routing and how to create smooth transitions between two tracks.
Week 6 (Classes 11 & 12) – Introduction to hardware instruments and controllers. How to patch the hardware for them to work in accordance with Ableton, learning different types of connections and the different types of cables and routing options with the hardware equipment. Learning the difference between different types of synthesizers, midi controllers, drum sequencers, control surfaces and routing different hardware with Ableton to your preference.
Week 7 (Classes 13 & 14) – Integration of the hardware with Ableton into your live set. Setting up the inputs and outputs of your hardware and inside Ableton’s preferences. Learning to create groups and busses to organize the live performance setup inside Ableton and set up your rig.
Week 8 (classes 15 & 16) – Use creative effects and create templates to add variations to your different elements while performing live along with hands-on practice. [Assessment]
Week 9 (classes 17 & 18) – live performance out of the box. Performing live without a computer. Learning to the clock and patch different hardware to perform live without a computer (Ableton) as the master. CASE STUDY ‘agents of time’
Week 10 (classes 19 & 20) – mastering the patching process, the integration process and the creative process of performing live and mastering how to build different types of live performances e.g. An acoustic performance (with a guitar, microphone and a midi controller/ control surface), an electronic performance or a band performance.
Week 11 (classes 21 & 22) – how to DJ inside Ableton live. Advanced techniques & creative transitions.
Week 12 (classes 23 & 24) – rehearsals. How to set your cue (for headphones) inside live. Recording your set via a DJ mixer or within Ableton itself or another external source. A brief introduction to recording a video of your performance and patching the audio to the visual content.
