First 25 minutes of class

 

Racks & Return Tracks Overview

In this session we explore two essential aspects of Ableton Live: Racks and Return Tracks. The goal is to deepen your understanding of how these powerful tools can shape your production workflow and enhance your creative process. Here’s a breakdown of the key topics covered:

1. All About Ableton’s Racks & Return Tracks

• Racks Overview: Explanation of the different types of racks in Ableton Live (Audio Effect Racks, Instrument Racks, and MIDI Effect Racks) and how they can be used to combine multiple effects or instruments into a single, easily manageable unit.
• Return Tracks Introduction: Understanding return tracks and how to route audio through them for effects processing, group mixing, and creative effects.

2. Momentary FX (Dub FX)

• Dive into the world of momentary effects used in genres like dub and live performance settings.
• Learn how to set up momentary or Dub FX using Racks, creating live stutter, glitch, and reverb/delay swells using Return Tracks.

3. Serial vs. Parallel Processing

• Serial Processing: When effects are applied one after the other, creating a linear effects chain.
• Parallel Processing: Splitting the signal into multiple chains (using Racks and Return Tracks) to apply different effects to each signal chain, allowing for more control over individual effects and sounds.
• This section will cover when and why to use each approach.

4. How Powerful Can a Rack Be?

• Explore the true potential of Racks, covering advanced routing techniques, macros, and how racks can be used to design complex, layered sounds.
• See examples of how Racks can be transformed into powerful tools for sound design, creative effect chains, and live performance setups (over 20 racks included!).

5. Create Unique Instruments

• How to create your own unique instruments by combining synthesizers, samplers, and effects into an Instrument Rack.
• Tips on designing versatile instruments that can change drastically with just a few macro knob adjustments.

6. Bus Mixing

• Learn how to use Racks and Return Tracks to handle bus mixing, routing various instrument groups into separate tracks for better control over the mix.
• Techniques for blending multiple sounds into cohesive sub-mixes using bus routing, parallel compression, and EQ on return tracks.

7. Headphones Mix / Click / Cues

• How to set up separate headphone mixes or monitor specific elements like clicks and cues using Return Tracks.
• Techniques for cueing sounds to headphones while keeping the main mix unaffected, especially useful for live performances or when tracking in the studio.

 

Racks Included

Audio Effect Racks

808 Distortion Rack - Collection of effects design for 808's
Ableton Mixing Rack - An essential channel strip fx kit
Akai Sampler - Old School style Filter and Bit Crushing
Baduda's Filters - Set of unique effects for live performance
Bass Splitter - Splitter utility to allow processing on only non sub frequencies
Break Bus Driver - Set of effects for boosting drum breaks and drum racks
Drums Lofier - Load on drums for instant lofi and sound degradation
Dub Echo - Flexible Dub Style delay
Guitar FX Kit - Essential Effects for Guitar
Magic Glitch - Random Glitch accompaniment
Multi-Band Exiter - Separate Low, Mid, High harmonic boosters
NES Crusher - Authentic frequency bit crushing
Referencor - Frequency Band Isolator for referencing and mixing
Side Brain Live FX - Essential effect collection for live controllerism performance
Stutter Gate - Classic trance gating for style like Stutter House
Synth FX Kit 2 - Simple collection of fx for synth keyboard
Synth FX Kit - Serum FX section emulation
Techno Maker - Place it on a return track and send a kick
Techno Rumble Maker - Just load it on your kick track

Instrument Racks

Log Drum - for Amapiano, Afrobeat and House
Pad Generator - Random Ambient Chord Generator just play on note
Side Brain's Future 303 - an Automatic Acid bassline generator just hit space bar
Techno Chord Runs - Just hit play
Vintage Piano

MIDI Effect Racks

EDM Chord Voicing - Place before a synth and play one note at a time
Fantasy Arp - One note arp runs
Techno Chord Generator - for fat techno chords
Techno Chord Runs MIDI - Just the MIDI section of Techno Chord Runs Instrument Rack

 

What's Included with this session

• 2+ hours of Ableton Certified Training Video
• Over 20 Exclusive Audio Effect, Instrument, and MIDI Effect Racks

 

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ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Yeuda Ben-Atar, a world renowned Ableton Certified Trainer, hails from Los Angeles, California. Originally from Israel, Yeuda’s passion for music led him to the United States, where he discovered his true calling with Ableton Live in 2007, embarking on a journey of mastery.

He approaches Ableton in a unique way; producing and performing with video game controllers under the moniker Side Brain.

One of Yeuda’s most remarkable qualities is his exceptional knowledge and speed, combined with his unparalleled ability to explain complex concepts in a simple and engaging manner.

With years of experience as a music production instructor and educator, Yeuda has contributed his expertise to prestigious institutions throughout the United States, including USC, UCLA, UCSD, Colburn Music School, Berkley School of Music, Cal Arts, NAMM, Skywalker Sounds, Bedrock LA, Sonos Studios, Sweetwater Headquarters, 1500 or Nothing studios, Grammy U, Pensado’s Place, Vintage King, Museum of Making Music, Lynda.com (now known as Linkedin Learning), and Perfect Circuit Audio, among many others.

His projects have included working with and teaching artists such as Timbaland, Ludacris, Lavel Kali(Beyonce, Drake) DJ Numark and Jurassic 5, Beck, Skrillex, Flying Lotus, Ed Sheeran, Rick Rubin, Giorgio Moroder, Simi, Bootie Brown (Pharcyde), Dave Pensado, Madison Mcferrin and countless others.