First 20 Minutes from Class

 

Real Time Granular Sampling Overview

The breath at the end of a vocal phrase can become a pad. A single drum hit can become a pitched loop you can tune by ear. Real-time granular sampling lets you capture audio as it plays, freeze a moment in a buffer, and explore it in tiny fragments called grains.

In this workshop, we explore real-time granular sampling in Ableton Live with PitchLoop89, a pitch-shifting delay designed by Ableton co-founder Robert Henke. We use it to create everything from micro-loops to the shifting echoes you might hear from an experimental guitar pedal. We also explore Granulator III and our free take on the Mutable Instruments Beads module, Seeds for Live.

How Real-Time Granular Sampling Works
Feed audio into a granular sampler and freeze the buffer while the source keeps playing. Move through the frozen audio and adjust grain size and pitch to hear how many different sounds you can pull from the same moment.

Granular Progressions
Play a chord progression into the sampler and experiment with when you hit Freeze. Catch a chord as it rings out, or grab the moment its tail spills into the next one. Capture a few of those harmonies and rearrange them into a progression of your own.

Micro-Looping
Loop a small section of a drum hit, vocal, or synth phrase. As you shorten the loop, listen for the point where you stop hearing individual repeats and start hearing a pitch. Adjust the loop length by ear to tune it against your track.

Adding External Modulation
Map Ableton’s LFO to the playback position and let it explore a frozen sound for you. A slow, narrow sweep can give a sustained pad subtle movement. Sync the LFO to the tempo and that same sound can pulse against the drums.

Resampling & Editing
Record the output to a new audio track while you experiment, so you can keep a happy accident even if you never find that exact setting again. Trim a short burst into a one-shot, chop a phrase into a beat, or use a shifting texture to lead into the next section.

Granular Sweet Spots
Move through a recording by ear and listen for the details that fly by at normal speed. On a guitar note, even a small shift from the scrape of the pick to the ringing string can give you a completely different texture. Those sweet spots are a great place to find a melodic hook or a little ear candy using sounds already in your session.

 

If you keep reaching for the same sounds or you’re curious about a less linear way to write melodies, harmonies, and beats, this session is for you. You’ll explore new sound design techniques and learn how to turn a happy accident into anything from a little ear candy between phrases to the main hook of your track.

 

Magic Glitch

Using the PitchLoop89, this rack randomizes the freeze, position, bandwidth, reverse, and short parameters to add an unexpected glitchy accompaniment layer to anything you send it. Great for guitars and synths! Place it on a return track and send you music or live playing for some magic glitching! More info HERE.

 

Granular Slicing

Granular Slicing is an Instrument Rack that turns Granulator III into a slicing sampler. Just drop a sample into Granulator or sample in real time using the Capture feature and start hitting MIDI notes for some instant granular slicing. More info HERE.

Grain Sync

An exclusive Max for Live device, load it right before Granulator III and it will time sync the Grain Size to rhythmical values. It can also follow the MIDI transposition to take it into account the Grain Size timing to keep your granular micro looping in time!

Pitchloop89 Control Map PDF

A PDF guide for all the controls for Pitchloop89 + some tips & tricks.

 

What's Included with this session

• 2 hours of Ableton Certified Training Video
• Grain Sync Max for Live Device
• Granular Slicing Instrument Rack
• Magic Glitch Audio Effect Rack
• Pitchloop89 Control Map PDF
• PDF with a list of Max for Live Utilities, Tools and Tips & Tricks

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ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Yeuda Ben-Atar, a world renowned Ableton Certified Trainer, hails from Los Angeles, California. 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, Berklee School of Music, Cal Arts, NAMM, Skywalker Sound, 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(Beyoncé, 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.