Performing with Ableton Live

Take Ableton Live from the studio to the stage - stems, backing tracks, midi instruments and more

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Get access to all of our courses with a student membership, or purchase this individual course by clicking "Enroll" above.

Preparing your live performance and getting your Ableton Live project stage-ready can be a daunting task. Musicians often struggle with how to best translate their tracks to a live performance, especially when it comes to dialing in the best setup with their software and hardware. This course will cover everything you need to know to make this transition with ease. You'll learn how to streamline your technical setup and how to best deal with stems, run backing tracks and integrate midi instruments, all seamlessly running through Ableton Live. Your instructor, Mike Park, is a musical director and session drummer based in London. He works with artists to bring the energy and production quality of their recordings into the live environment. After completing this course, you'll be ready to perform on stage with Ableton Live and deal with any technical issues with full control and confidence.

Topics covered in this course include:

• Understanding why Ableton Live is so powerful and flexible for live performance
• What stems are and why you should use them
• The process for creating stems
• Deciding on what you should perform and what should remain as background tracks
• How to best utilize an 8-output audio interface
• Understanding key differences in Session View and Arrangement View
• Setting optimal audio preferences and controlling latency
• Organizing your tracks and stems
• Routing MIDI to control VST/software instruments
• Setting up a sampler to control sampled instruments
• Sampling tips
• Using the Instrument Rack to organize instruments
• Utilizing the Instrument Rack’s Chain Selector for patch changes and other use cases
• Controlling patch changes with automation
• Setting up and triggering locators to jump between songs
• How to start and stop tracks (3 different methods)
• Best practices on preparing for sound check
• Routing test tones to each individual audio output
• Benefits of Direct Boxes (DI) explained
• Walkthrough of an example setup


Your Instructor


Mike Park
Mike Park

Mike Park is a musical director and session drummer based in London. He works with artists to bring the energy and production quality of their recordings into the live environment. In 2016 he rebuilt Låpsley’s live show and toured as her drummer. He has additionally been working as MD for BETSY, Leo Stannard, Lao Ra, Sälen, IDER, Shannon Saunders, CASI, Kyla La Grange, Leo Kalyan, and Jazz Morley. As well as building bespoke live setups from scratch, he helps to develop existing live shows: improving overall sound and production value, streamlining technical elements, sourcing musicians, and developing artist performance and confidence. His MD work is characterized by the highest quality live sound, an original visual aesthetic, and seamless use of technology for consistent and reliable execution show after show.


Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
After signing up for a membership, you'll have unlimited access to this course for as long as you keep your membership active.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.