Modern DJ software has nearly every feature you could ever want, but very few (other than Torq) offer the ability to warp songs. More specificaly, they can’t correct the timing of drummers playing off the grid, so old tracks can be challenging to mix with modern electronic music. The truth of the matter is that it’s probably best to correct those problems in a DAW before you hit the club, so in todays tutorial I will cover one method of creating mixable edits from un-quantized music using Ableton Live.
DONT KILL THE SWING
Before we jump in and start making every old track “perfect”, it’s important to recognize that these rhythmic imperfections are actually musically interesting and in a lot of cases, intentional. The gentle increase in tempo or a temporary shift in a drummer’s time is sometimes the magic touch that makes a classic song really swing. So, while we want to make a song mixable, it would be incredibly sad to zap all the pizzaz. With that in mind, for todays edit, I only want to warp the mix points and keep everything else untouched.
STEP 1. GET THE TEMPOS RIGHT
First, get your session tempo roughly matching the song’s intro. I am going to start a brand new edit of one of my favorite rock tunes at the moment; ‘Death By Diamonds and Pearls” by Band of Skulls and go through these steps with you. The final edit will be available at the bottom of the post!
In this case Ableton thinks the song is double time, so we will just stick with that and set the session tempo to 137.
STEP 2. IDENTIFY THE MIX POINTS
Since we only want to warp 2 parts of the song it’s important to identify where our mix points are. This is the most important step since a good mix in and mix out point will be critical to the edit working in a set. Almost every old song offers a mix opportunity (though often short) so we want to find that part and extend it. Usually the 2 most obvious mix points are:
1) Intro (nearly every song has one)
- If you don’t have an intro use the break down and copy it right in front of the track
2) Post chorus bridge or break down (these are harder to find)
– If you don’t have a post chorus bridge then quantize the chorus since mixing out of the chorus is always a good rule to follow. more on that topic here.
In our demo song there is a clear mix in point: the intro, which Ableton Live has already corrected nicely. You want to check the timing by turning on the metronome and listening to the song with the metronome loudly playing. While its not important if the click is behind, ahead or on the beat- it is important that it is consistent. Click on the small circles to turn on the metronome.
To make the intro super mixable, extend the loop so it runs for 32 counts. In this case I have doubled the intro loop.
Step 2. Warp
In general, Ableton does a good job of warping songs but if the song starts to drift against the metronome then it has to be adjusted manually. There are many roads to warping but a basic technique includes the following 3 steps.
- Identify the point where it starts to drift on a down beat.
- Move the closest warp marker so that down beat is now on time.
- Right click on that marker and select warp from here.
Ableton will now re-warp that section only from that point on with your correction in mind. A few of these adjustments is usually all you will need.
Now repeat step 2 for the outro. One trick you may want to employ: find the first down beat and deliberately move it to a proper bar (94- not 94.3.1) so your outro is now separated from the main body. In this manner you can check the loop timing, double its length and then re-join them later.
Step 3. Un-Warp
Your edit should now have three separate parts; the intro, outro and the middle. Your intro and outro should be on the grid, and looping very cleanly with the metronome, while the body is still warped but probably floating. Make sure there is plenty of space between the body and outro. Now go into the body and click warp so its not selected. The body will now play back in its original tempo and swing.
The intro and body will stay in time but the end of your body will have moved since its tempo shifted. This is the opportunity to move the outro off the grid and join them back up! Zoom in really tight and make sure the waveforms bump up against each other.
Select all the loops, bounce out the results and presto you have a simple mixable edit in no time (this one took me about 20 minutes).
Download the Result here
Diamonds and pearls (ean golden edit) by Ean Golden
This file has been pre-gridded for Traktor. You will notice that I placed two beat markers in the song at the start of the intro and outtro.
NEXT UP- PUMP UP THE JAM
You are probably noticing that classic tunes stand out like a sore thumb in the mix. Compared with today’s modern production, older tracks lack the low end muscle that really moves the speakers. So next week, we are going to take this concept a little further and turn your edit into a very basic remix guaranteed to shake the floor by borrowing parts from other songs.
it would be great if you guys added something to your page that brings us to next article, either from all or from the same subject (wich might have been done later) but in this case, looking at an atricle from 2011, where it ends with “on the next one we´ll take a look…” but doesnt give as a link or a name or the article, is a bit annoying seein how i would like to continue reading!
What ever happened to part 2?
Hoy´ness! Love the site and this article. Just what I was looking for. I was also looking for pt.2. Keep up the good work.
Hi there… love this article- it’s helped me a lot. Part two please???? Or if it’s been done a link? Can’t find it anywhere…
very disappointed on no Pt. 2
Did part 2 ever come?
Ean Golden for presdent!
he hit the nail on the head here – ‘it’s important to recognise that these rhythmic imperfections are actually musically interesting and in a lot of cases, intentional.’ Somethings are best left untouched.
he hit the nail on the head here – ‘it’s important to recognise that these rhythmic imperfections are actually musically interesting and in a lot of cases, intentional.’ Somethings are best left untouched.
he hit the nail on the head here – ‘it’s important to recognise that these rhythmic imperfections are actually musically interesting and in a lot of cases, intentional.’ Somethings are best left untouched.
What ever happened to the follow up article? was looking forward to it
Thanks for the post found it helpfull makes sence to only warp the parts of the track that you intend to mix what i also do somtimes if a couple or few tracks sound great together i`ll record the mix and have several mini mixes to use within a live set giving more time to play around with effects
Hey Ean it would be great if you upload the song again. The track has reached its max number of downloads it seems.
Thanks and keep them articles coming!
Nick
excelent
excelent
Really good stuff, look forward to playing with this.
Really good stuff, look forward to playing with this.
This tutorial is really great. I’m mixing on a S4 and I’m really interested in incorporating Ableton Live into my sets, or at the very least use it to prep my music before a set. In the S4 tutorial Ean talked about how the S4 could be set up to control other programs (ie Ableton) and switch between the mappings quickly. Does anyone have an Ableton mapping for the S4 or know where I could find one?
This tutorial is really great. I’m mixing on a S4 and I’m really interested in incorporating Ableton Live into my sets, or at the very least use it to prep my music before a set. In the S4 tutorial Ean talked about how the S4 could be set up to control other programs (ie Ableton) and switch between the mappings quickly. Does anyone have an Ableton mapping for the S4 or know where I could find one?
I started doing this a while ago with some of my older tracks but noticed even in “complex” warp mode that there seemed to be significant drop in audio quality of the finished product. I think i’ll just battle on until variable beat grids become available.
I started doing this a while ago with some of my older tracks but noticed even in “complex” warp mode that there seemed to be significant drop in audio quality of the finished product. I think i’ll just battle on until variable beat grids become available.
Very useful tutorial; I’ve still got one question: How can I warp a track which has different tempos?same question about beatgrid
Very useful tutorial; I’ve still got one question: How can I warp a track which has different tempos?same question about beatgrid
Do you mean different tempos or different time signatures?
Warping songs with different tempos is pretty simple. I usually warp trickier songs manually. Just insert warp markers on the first beat of every 4 bars or so (this depends on how even the source material is) and then drag them to the right place on the grid.
Different tempos is a bit more difficult. You cannot insert a time signature change into a clip, though you can in the arrangement view. My current method is to use separate clips for each section that has a different time signature and then use follow actions to make it so they play through in order.
Do you mean different tempos or different time signatures?
Warping songs with different tempos is pretty simple. I usually warp trickier songs manually. Just insert warp markers on the first beat of every 4 bars or so (this depends on how even the source material is) and then drag them to the right place on the grid.
Different tempos is a bit more difficult. You cannot insert a time signature change into a clip, though you can in the arrangement view. My current method is to use separate clips for each section that has a different time signature and then use follow actions to make it so they play through in order.
Make sure when you’re warping in Ableton that you change the warp mode from ‘beats’ to ‘custom’ if you’re doing commercially produced songs. (obviously if you’re warping a drum loop you would use beats mode)
I was stuck for ages wondering why my songs sounded like they were slowing down and speeding up, even though they were in time with the metronome. Using custom uses a different algorithm which allows for smoother sounding warping.
This would be useful if it could be put into the next article as I expect few people will be reading this comment
Make sure when you’re warping in Ableton that you change the warp mode from ‘beats’ to ‘custom’ if you’re doing commercially produced songs. (obviously if you’re warping a drum loop you would use beats mode)
I was stuck for ages wondering why my songs sounded like they were slowing down and speeding up, even though they were in time with the metronome. Using custom uses a different algorithm which allows for smoother sounding warping.
This would be useful if it could be put into the next article as I expect few people will be reading this comment
I didnt think it was legal to edit a song.. against copyright regulations to alter ANY part or change the originality of a song?
In that case, scratching would also be against copyright regulations… Wouldn’t it? 🙂
In that case, scratching would also be against copyright regulations… Wouldn’t it? 🙂
i believe edits would fall under personal use. re-publication and distribution of said edits would be a violation of copyright law.
i believe edits would fall under personal use. re-publication and distribution of said edits would be a violation of copyright law.
Ahh ok.. no dramas – yeh just wasnt sure about it all… so easy to “break the rules” and not know about it! cheers for the post!
I didnt think it was legal to edit a song.. against copyright regulations to alter ANY part or change the originality of a song?
Gunner Bass – GREAT POINT! While everyone I know has adopted Ableton for warping acapellas and doing remixes I’ve always had a dislike of the sound that comes from the process.
Gunner Bass – GREAT POINT! While everyone I know has adopted Ableton for warping acapellas and doing remixes I’ve always had a dislike of the sound that comes from the process.
mike, maybe you dislike because you aren’t using the “Complex pro” mode for warping….
mike, maybe you dislike because you aren’t using the “Complex pro” mode for warping….
@dead devil
EVen with complex pro ableton still does not do nearly as good a job as other DAW. just the way it is. I’m not bring up the classic live/reason don’t sound good debate. I’m saying that the warping algorithm is greatly lacking and can be heard.
@dead devil
EVen with complex pro ableton still does not do nearly as good a job as other DAW. just the way it is. I’m not bring up the classic live/reason don’t sound good debate. I’m saying that the warping algorithm is greatly lacking and can be heard.
@dead devil 66
http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=253426&start=0
read what some folks think about side the ableton/dj tech tools bubble
@dead devil 66
http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=253426&start=0
read what some folks think about side the ableton/dj tech tools bubble
Thanks for the Ableton tut!
Slowly getting into it. I’m really enjoying quantizing heavy metal to techno or funk on house.
Great post!
Thanks for the Ableton tut!
Slowly getting into it. I’m really enjoying quantizing heavy metal to techno or funk on house.
Great post!
Great article . .Sometimes it just takes an outside look to realize how easy things really are.
cheers to a great site
Great article . .Sometimes it just takes an outside look to realize how easy things really are.
cheers to a great site
Awesome. Thanks for this Ean. I have a couple Simple Minds tracks that need to be warped.
Awesome. Thanks for this Ean. I have a couple Simple Minds tracks that need to be warped.
good article Ean.
@marnis LOL
i actually keep two separate folders of warped classics for use in Ableton. one folder I label “HUMAN” which is the warped clip, but with the subtle timing imperfections intact (‘human’ hi-hats, snares etc.). The other folder is called “INHUMAN” which is all the beats in perfect time, like the robots play. This way you get the best of both worlds 0_o
the problem i’ve just recently discovered with Ableton, is that making all the awesome edits like you’re doing above and creating a re-edited song quickly, means heavy use of Ableton’s SRC (sample rate conversion). Ableton has flat out said that their SRC is a last resort. I’m actually not a huge audiophile but I can hear it for sure, especially in heavily warped stuff…..and especially when you’re starting off with .mp3’s. Supposedly Ableton’s SRC kicks in with anything having to with warping, Hi-Q mode, transpose, fade, and definitely when consolidating your edits into a new file. I haven’t gotten to try it yet but I’d love to do an A/B comparison on re-wiring and recording into another DAW versus Ableton’s consolidate.
NOT a huge deal for live performances tho (i’d be more worried about the sound dude that night); but for production work it starts to get really tinny at the top end if you’re using Ableton’s SRC alot.
since it’s relevant, here’s a link to a re-edit i did using this same technique that Ean describes above. Not nearly as much warping needed here though as the originals were obviously sequenced by puters:
http://soundcloud.com/gunner-bass/skrillex-noisia-scary-monsters-and-nice-sprites-gunner-bass-re-fix
good article Ean.
@marnis LOL
i actually keep two separate folders of warped classics for use in Ableton. one folder I label “HUMAN” which is the warped clip, but with the subtle timing imperfections intact (‘human’ hi-hats, snares etc.). The other folder is called “INHUMAN” which is all the beats in perfect time, like the robots play. This way you get the best of both worlds 0_o
the problem i’ve just recently discovered with Ableton, is that making all the awesome edits like you’re doing above and creating a re-edited song quickly, means heavy use of Ableton’s SRC (sample rate conversion). Ableton has flat out said that their SRC is a last resort. I’m actually not a huge audiophile but I can hear it for sure, especially in heavily warped stuff…..and especially when you’re starting off with .mp3’s. Supposedly Ableton’s SRC kicks in with anything having to with warping, Hi-Q mode, transpose, fade, and definitely when consolidating your edits into a new file. I haven’t gotten to try it yet but I’d love to do an A/B comparison on re-wiring and recording into another DAW versus Ableton’s consolidate.
NOT a huge deal for live performances tho (i’d be more worried about the sound dude that night); but for production work it starts to get really tinny at the top end if you’re using Ableton’s SRC alot.
since it’s relevant, here’s a link to a re-edit i did using this same technique that Ean describes above. Not nearly as much warping needed here though as the originals were obviously sequenced by puters:
http://soundcloud.com/gunner-bass/skrillex-noisia-scary-monsters-and-nice-sprites-gunner-bass-re-fix
Someone who knows what they are talking about!
Someone who knows what they are talking about!
yea that might be a clever idea… to record out to another DAW. Are you saying that would be better than exporting the file in Ableton? or its all bad?
yea that might be a clever idea… to record out to another DAW. Are you saying that would be better than exporting the file in Ableton? or its all bad?
@bigislanddreaming hopefully that’s true ;]
@dj promote that’s actually what i’m wondering and don’t have the answer to, yet. i see three different options here (and anyone else feel free to chime in if I fuck this up):
Option 1: file is warped in Ableton, chopped up, re-arranged, then you use Ableton’s consolidate feature to create a new file. that file is then automatically re-warped AGAIN after consolidation. In this example i count THREE times of actual “warping” not including whatever the hell goes on with Hi-Q mode, Fade mode etc..
Option 2 (Ean’s Example): file is warped in Ableton, chopped up, re-arranged, and then you use Ableton’s “export” feature to bounce the track (no consolidation in Ableton). You then re-import that track into Ableton and warp again. In this example i count TWO times of actual “warping” not including whatever the hell goes on with Hi-Q mode, Fade mode etc..
Option 3: file is warped in Ableton, chopped up, re-arranged, then you use re-wire to have your DAW record it (no consolidation in Ableton). You then re-import that file into Ableton and warp again. In this example i count TWO times of actual “warping” not including whatever the hell goes on with Hi-Q mode, Fade mode etc..
Here’s what I do know, the more you warp, the more Ableton’s shenanigans kick in. So i’m assuming Option 1 would yield the least desirable quality by the simple fact that more “warps” are taking place?
I’m afraid “floating point guy” is gonna join this discussion at some point and drop the hammer using many terms I don’t understand, so let me also remind you: If it SOUNDS good, it is good. The re-edit i linked in my original post was actually done using Option 1 before I ever considered any of this actually 0_o.
Question is, would you know if I DIDN’T tell you?
@bigislanddreaming hopefully that’s true ;]
@dj promote that’s actually what i’m wondering and don’t have the answer to, yet. i see three different options here (and anyone else feel free to chime in if I fuck this up):
Option 1: file is warped in Ableton, chopped up, re-arranged, then you use Ableton’s consolidate feature to create a new file. that file is then automatically re-warped AGAIN after consolidation. In this example i count THREE times of actual “warping” not including whatever the hell goes on with Hi-Q mode, Fade mode etc..
Option 2 (Ean’s Example): file is warped in Ableton, chopped up, re-arranged, and then you use Ableton’s “export” feature to bounce the track (no consolidation in Ableton). You then re-import that track into Ableton and warp again. In this example i count TWO times of actual “warping” not including whatever the hell goes on with Hi-Q mode, Fade mode etc..
Option 3: file is warped in Ableton, chopped up, re-arranged, then you use re-wire to have your DAW record it (no consolidation in Ableton). You then re-import that file into Ableton and warp again. In this example i count TWO times of actual “warping” not including whatever the hell goes on with Hi-Q mode, Fade mode etc..
Here’s what I do know, the more you warp, the more Ableton’s shenanigans kick in. So i’m assuming Option 1 would yield the least desirable quality by the simple fact that more “warps” are taking place?
I’m afraid “floating point guy” is gonna join this discussion at some point and drop the hammer using many terms I don’t understand, so let me also remind you: If it SOUNDS good, it is good. The re-edit i linked in my original post was actually done using Option 1 before I ever considered any of this actually 0_o.
Question is, would you know if I DIDN’T tell you?
I just did this with Pixies – Where Is My Mind. It’s great now. I won’t have to constantly nudge when I mix it in.
I just did this with Pixies – Where Is My Mind. It’s great now. I won’t have to constantly nudge when I mix it in.
Also I think you forgot to lock the track in Traktor and all settings are gone when I loaded your edit in my Traktor Pro…….
Also I think you forgot to lock the track in Traktor and all settings are gone when I loaded your edit in my Traktor Pro…….
same… pls check ean 😉
same… pls check ean 😉
The Beatgrid is there on Eans track. You dont have to lock a track to preserve the Grid. The Lock just locks the BPM. Once the grid is entered it is written to the tag.
The Beatgrid is there on Eans track. You dont have to lock a track to preserve the Grid. The Lock just locks the BPM. Once the grid is entered it is written to the tag.
I did about 2500 Edits of any kind of songs that way and it really helped to involve the cool old stuff into current sounding sets. I love Ableton for what I can do with it and really encourage every dj who has problems with drifting records to try and edit those tracks. You can even rearrange the music, save more than one edit per song and have transition files in just a few clicks, after you warped the song one time. Warping the whole track allows to add a beat or other stable sounds in T3 without drifting, Warping only parts leaves the dynamic in the tempo but you have to play it “clean” then and only mix the warped parts. Find a compromise between these two and you’ll get some fantastic material to rock the floor.
share some of those edits!!!
I did about 2500 Edits of any kind of songs that way and it really helped to involve the cool old stuff into current sounding sets. I love Ableton for what I can do with it and really encourage every dj who has problems with drifting records to try and edit those tracks. You can even rearrange the music, save more than one edit per song and have transition files in just a few clicks, after you warped the song one time. Warping the whole track allows to add a beat or other stable sounds in T3 without drifting, Warping only parts leaves the dynamic in the tempo but you have to play it “clean” then and only mix the warped parts. Find a compromise between these two and you’ll get some fantastic material to rock the floor.
Nice idea, I’m really thinking of incorporating more ‘old’ songs in my mixes nowadays
Nice idea, I’m really thinking of incorporating more ‘old’ songs in my mixes nowadays
I was amazed at how good Ableton quantized the tracks when I tried it out the other day. Had some questions then… today their answered. Cheers!
Super post! 🙂
I was amazed at how good Ableton quantized the tracks when I tried it out the other day. Had some questions then… today their answered. Cheers!
Super post! 🙂
Excellent Tutorial – I like the idea of extending and warping the beginning of tracks to make it easier to mix in – Gonna give this a go with my Reggae collection…..Thx
Excellent Tutorial – I like the idea of extending and warping the beginning of tracks to make it easier to mix in – Gonna give this a go with my Reggae collection…..Thx
thats why i like ableton so much. Traktor for DJ and Ableton as line in on deck 3 making on the fly remixes of songs played in TR and using the beats, percussion or warped edits from Ableton….or route TR back in the input on Ableton and use Abletons effect engine….unendless hi tec possibilities. Modern DJ’s don’t spin Records or CD’s we push buttons to make you dance……Thanks DJTT…
Keep these posts coming….
thats why i like ableton so much. Traktor for DJ and Ableton as line in on deck 3 making on the fly remixes of songs played in TR and using the beats, percussion or warped edits from Ableton….or route TR back in the input on Ableton and use Abletons effect engine….unendless hi tec possibilities. Modern DJ’s don’t spin Records or CD’s we push buttons to make you dance……Thanks DJTT…
Keep these posts coming….
Can’t wait for native to pull their fingers out and provide elastic beat gridding (as the keep promising they are doing) so we can do it all in one place and not have to do it this way
Can’t wait for native to pull their fingers out and provide elastic beat gridding (as the keep promising they are doing) so we can do it all in one place and not have to do it this way
you can have any colour as long as it’s tractor or ableton?
you can have any colour as long as it’s tractor or ableton?
I suppose you could add kick onto the main part if you use the extract groove feature of the main part & then use that groove template with the drum-machine track. Might still need nudges here & there , but it could be useful.
I suppose you could add kick onto the main part if you use the extract groove feature of the main part & then use that groove template with the drum-machine track. Might still need nudges here & there , but it could be useful.
Awesome! it seems that this article and the other ones will help me with the midi fight competition 🙂
Awesome! it seems that this article and the other ones will help me with the midi fight competition 🙂
This is so necessary, theres been a lack of a nice concise breakdown for warping.
Unfortunately for the next tutorial this will require an entire warping of the song if you plan to add a heavier kick to the track.
This is so necessary, theres been a lack of a nice concise breakdown for warping.
Unfortunately for the next tutorial this will require an entire warping of the song if you plan to add a heavier kick to the track.
Cant wait to try this out! thank you, cant wait for next week now!
Cant wait to try this out! thank you, cant wait for next week now!
Thanks for getting into teaching Abelton, you are a great music teacher.
Thanks for getting into teaching Abelton, you are a great music teacher.
thanks, i actually started doing this with my classic Motown records, but I never thought to only warp the intro, thanks Ean!
thanks, i actually started doing this with my classic Motown records, but I never thought to only warp the intro, thanks Ean!
Just another advert for Ableton!! Ean is in their pockets big time these days…
Just another advert for Ableton!! Ean is in their pockets big time these days…
Are you joking or just plain dumb?
Are you joking or just plain dumb?
it doesn’t get much easier or more precise than Ableton’s warping engine.
it doesn’t get much easier or more precise than Ableton’s warping engine.
Clearly joking and nicely done 😀
Clearly joking and nicely done 😀
So what about the countless articles Ean has written about many products from different companies? The guy must be a millionare if he’s in all of those pockets. Wow! That’s all I can say.
So what about the countless articles Ean has written about many products from different companies? The guy must be a millionare if he’s in all of those pockets. Wow! That’s all I can say.
I don’t think this is an advertisement (I can spell the whole thing;))
This is good for any dj who uses modern programs like ableton. I really don’t think this is like showing Q with controllers in the back ground.
It’s better than the last article but I still feel that it is hard to find innovative stuff that can be done with live at this point. Those who have figured stuff out rarely share it.
I don’t think this is an advertisement (I can spell the whole thing;))
This is good for any dj who uses modern programs like ableton. I really don’t think this is like showing Q with controllers in the back ground.
It’s better than the last article but I still feel that it is hard to find innovative stuff that can be done with live at this point. Those who have figured stuff out rarely share it.
Yeah- its pretty sweet right! I just bought a new mercedes benz with all the cash that Ableton paid me to write this article. Next week Apple has us writing a new piece on “How to become a rock star using only itunes!” – Steve personally cut me a big check to make that one up. 😛
Only problem is that NI is now really pissed since they paid me all that money to only write about them. That is really causing a huge issue with the Serato camp- since they thought we cut the same deal. Where I am really getting in trouble though is with all the other software articles we write too, like torq, deck-a-dance, Itch and so on.. its getting really hard to remember all the companies that are paying us to write them articles!
Well, off to the bank, i have to deposit another big one today!
Hi Ean, Far from being an advert, I think you piece was informative and helpful, especially to new Ableton users. I was one of the first DJ’s in the uk to beat mix, I started in 1978 and have produced hurdred of mixes for DMC and commercially released “megamix” records for major record companies so I know how hard it can be to beat match genres like 70’s and 80’s jazz funk where real drummers didn’t exactly keep perfect time! I still create mixes of this music for my weekly radio show on Sky and I now use Ableton Live Intro which allows me to do long running mixes that were previously almost impossible to get perfect. I also create mix points as you describe above with excellent results. I completely agree that it is by far the best software for beat warping but there is one little tip I would like to add. At the bottom left of the screen on Ableton is a box called “Sample” and within that is a drop down menu called “preserve”. In Ableton’s manual, it suggests that the best setting when warping music is “Transie”, but I have found that when using this setting (which is the default) there is often a “warbling” effect that can be heard on sounds like strings or pads, particularly where the tempo is being changed from the original. Changing this setting to “1/4” or “1/2” cures this problem in 90% of instances and even when using fairly extreme tempo changes the warp feature works much better.
wow a legend still about. nice
Les Adams – wow! The original MIXDOCTOR!
One of the original “Edits” gurus – known back then as a megamixer!
This guy is one of the original DMC judges. Respect!
http://www.discogs.com/artist/34892-Les-Adams?filter_anv=0&subtype=DJ-Mix&type=Credits
1985 DMC Bits & Pieces. inspirational.
Great tip:
By default in newer versions of Ableton Live the default WARP MODE is now called “Beats”. This is best for drum loops only. It has the Granulation Resolution setting that you describe – “Transients”.
For full songs I find the Complex Pro warping method produces better results. I’d be interested if you’ve tried this and whether or not you agree?
Good one Ean!
I think you’re always going to get someone complaining about something, that’s all part of user generated content after all!
I think that Marnis could do well to remember that running a website like this is a commercial operation that requires funding. I would assume that NI, Ableton or whoever it might be have some editorial input in return for paid coverage but that is no different than any other website, newspaper, or TV show anywhere in the world. If you don’t have funding how else will the site still be available?
Even if this is the case (and I might be totally wrong, DJTT may be funded totally differently), I still find the DJTT writing balanced and objective. I don’t think that any resonable person can claim that the coverage is biased in favour of any particular company.
I for one find DJ Tech Tools a fantastic resource and I’ve learned a lot from your videos and articles. I’ve DJ’d on and off over the years starting on vinyl 20 years ago to fully digital today. I just DJ for fun and for myself using Traktor Pro and Ableton so articles like this one are perfect for me. Informative, instructional and most of all supportive of a very wide range of controllerists who want to move their work forward and who really value some professional advice. Particularly those of us who have full time jobs outside of DJing and need to make the most of the limited time they have to devote to their hobby!
You never know, I might get good enough one day to post some work, just so that people on bulletin boards can tell me how awful it is!
Thanks very much and keep up the great work.
Leon Lisowski, London, UK
Traktor Pro, Live 8, Kontrol X1, X-Session Pro
Favourite tracks right now
Olav Basovski – New Day on Defected
Format:B – Dog Tag (Sebastian Leger Remix)
Green Velvet – La La Land (Derrick Carter Mix)
Yeah- its pretty sweet right! I just bought a new mercedes benz with all the cash that Ableton paid me to write this article. Next week Apple has us writing a new piece on “How to become a rock star using only itunes!” – Steve personally cut me a big check to make that one up. 😛
Only problem is that NI is now really pissed since they paid me all that money to only write about them. That is really causing a huge issue with the Serato camp- since they thought we cut the same deal. Where I am really getting in trouble though is with all the other software articles we write too, like torq, deck-a-dance, Itch and so on.. its getting really hard to remember all the companies that are paying us to write them articles!
Well, off to the bank, i have to deposit another big one today!
For editing audio Ableton is the deal.
thanks Ean for 1 more friendly info
For editing audio Ableton is the deal.
thanks Ean for 1 more friendly info