Should You Use Templates In Ableton

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Ableton is a powerhouse in the DAW world, and rightfully so, as its workflow is incredibly fast and intuitive. But did you know you can make your Ableton feel even easier? In this article, we're going to look at optimizing your workflow with Ableton Live templates that are suited to your needs.

Every bit creators, one of the virtually of import aspects of a not bad DAW is its capacity to maintain and maximize the creative menstruation state. This creative country is the crux of getting out a rails quickly and efficiently, and capturing the most of import elements of a musical idea.

So spending some time optimizing i's workflow is ane of the almost valuable exercises and practices we can undertake equally producers. Aside from learning hot-keys, developing a template should be a loftier priority.

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What is an Ableton Template?

An Ableton template is basically the default setup that an artist uses to start a new project from. Very oft, it's finer a "bare slate", but in this commodity we're going to look at why more than circuitous starting points can be meliorate for your creative catamenia. The idea behind this is to pattern and configure a framework that allows producers to simplify and accelerate their creation processes.

The default template in Ableton Alive is very basic. It looks like this…

Using a template doesn't take to result in a static or fixed workflow, just it should give you lot a starting point that volition go you going quickly. Basically, it streamlines your workflow, reducing repetitive tasks so that you can focus largely on the creative process.

It tin include your groupings, sub-groupings, gain-staging, side-chains, render tracks, musical instrument racks, and processing techniques. We'll jump into each of these points below. Your template can even include samples, such equally drum hits in a Drum Rack, simply I'm not going to go into this, and I'll explain why…

Why I Don't Use Samples In A Template

For me, I deliberately won't have samples already loaded, like drums in a Drum Rack, or MIDI patterns, or any structural ideas or markers.

While having those things might exist actually useful if you're starting out producing, it also ways that your creativity already has boundaries.

I have worked with some well-known producers that practise like to accept those things already loaded upwardly. If this works for you, and then maybe y'all will want to contain samples, MIDI patterns, and synth presets into your templates as well.

You'll find that templates for Ableton Live are but session files, but like your tracks. Sometimes, Ableton templates will besides come with full tracks as an instance of how the template can exist used.

These royalty-free projects can be actually useful in developing and finding your own audio, peculiarly when starting out. In my stance, because they already have another artist's workflow broiled in, they limit creative liberty and are non truly templates. However, they can nevertheless be used to make a template set.

How Do Templates Optimize Workflow?

Think about all the things y'all do when you're creating a runway, especially the repetitive tasks such equally loading in an EQ8 for each channel or regularly using a particular synth, sampler, or preset.

Instead of having to look for and load those things each time y'all want to use them, they are at present at your fingertips. Optimizing your workflow really helps with staying focused and non breaking the artistic flow, which is the creative person'south arch-nemesis.

If you lot have Audio Result Racks that are a part of your sound, you tin take these fix to get, already set, and ready to be used. All those racks you lot've developed over the years with mentors, tutorials, and/or playing around, can be saved within the project.

If, as an artist, you have wildly different processing for every track, your signature sound can hands get lost. When yous find a chain that really works, stick with information technology. You can still tweak these, or maybe develop new aural signatures and evolve them over time.

How To Make (And Save) Your Production Templates

Earlier y'all start making (or updating) an Ableton live template, take a wait at your process objectively.

Get to know your own fashion and what works for you. This might seem pretty straightforward, but often we are 'inside' the process and haven't taken the time to really remove ourselves from everything to view information technology as an observer. To help with this, take some time to write down all your workflow ideas and processes.

With my students, I tell them to take hold of a recent projection that they were actually happy with, and delete all sound samples and MIDI information, just leaving the groups, channels, and their processing.

This mode one tin can see their workflow without referencing sounds and limerick. Then salvage the current settings as a new template that you tin can utilize in the future for whatever new production explorations.

Once yous've built your template, information technology's time to save your new live gear up. Yous can have a few different approaches here.

You can get to the File menu and cull Salvage Current Set As "[project name] template", and each time you want to use information technology in a new song, choose Save Live Fix As then rename it, making sure y'all don't save over the template.

By doing this, yous'll go along to have a blank template whenever you want it. The shortcut for windows users is CTRL + Shift + S, or on Mac it is CMD + Shift key + Due south. This is handy if you have multiple templates that you use for different purposes.

You can save the new alive set to a templates folder. Also, if you'd like your new template to exist your default on startup, you tin go to Preferences -> File/Binder -> Ready As Default (as below)

What A Great Ableton Live Template Should Include

Here's a trivial checklist of what important features a template project file tin can include. The details volition exist somewhat genre-specific to whatever manner you produce in.

1. Group

Group is a very important feature of a projection template. Each grouping should take its ain colour scheme and then that one can visually check where they are in the project without having to read annihilation.

I personally similar to group my kick and snare, with a sub-group that contains all the pulsate tops like hats, shakers, and cymbals in a group called Drums. I like to have my tops processed slightly differently to the kick and snare, merely I also want these elements to collectively 'gum' together with a bus processing chain.

My next groups are the other percussive elements, tribal or state of war drums for example. Followed by Ambience/Atmospherics, and so Instruments, Bass, and finally Vocals.

I similar to separate the Bass group into 2 subgroups, one for subs and another for harmonics (such as low-mids). This enables me to sidechain those 2 groups independently, ensuring that merely the subs are adulterate when the boot hits. It's a good idea to ensure the not-subs are treated with a loftier-laissez passer filter after your processing and so that in that location is no possible way for whatever low-frequency energy to build up and disharmonize with the sub channel.

(For more bass mixing tips, make sure y'all read Mixing Low End (8 Tips For Bigger, Bolder Bass))

Beyond the color-coding of the groups, the major reason I grouping (and subgroup) is that I can run each grouping through different processing, otherwise known as gain-staging.

2. Gain-staging

Before I jump into this, I need to clarify what I mean by proceeds-staging. Gain-staging in the analog domain is maintaining the correct level of gain into each stage of processing.

This is extremely important when using and recording to record, to maximize (or minimize) signal to racket ratio. As well, analog processing furnishings chains (similar compressors) required a fairly standardized input level (or proceeds) to get the optimum results from the hardware.

However, how nosotros currently run into the term gain-staging within the digital realm, is a unlike concept. It would be more than correctly termed as procedure-staging chains, just proceeds-staging sounds neater so that's what it has evolved to.

What is inferred past the term proceeds-staging inside modernistic DAWs is the routing of processing chains that run into the master channel. Some elements want to be upfront and dynamic (less processing), like vocals or lead instruments, whilst others like bass and drums want to exist more compressed and consequent (less dynamic).

So, nosotros need to treat these differently as the signal chain finally runs out as the master channel. There is a neat YouTube video about this from AHEE and you can watch it here.

However, my personal arroyo isn't to meet a premaster channel as he does. Rather, I utilize common render tracks and individual group processing.

3. Musical instrument Racks

Having MIDI instruments pre-loaded into a template can too help maintain workflow equally you lot don't need to get looking for the instrument each time.

I use a lot of Kontakt virtual instruments, and so I accept Kontakt pre-loaded in my percussion and musical instrument groups. Besides as having a few different go-to synths pre-loaded, like Serum, kick2 and Phase Plant.

Yous tin too utilise the user library binder to relieve items like samples, synth patches, or fifty-fifty sound pattern ideas. You can also salve Drum Racks already loaded with up to 128 different samples from your sample library. That could be a total rack of kicks, of snares, or whatever you lot want.

iv. Sidechains

This is a existent time-saver, no matter how you lot side-chain.

For my workflow, I like to use MIDI to trigger side-chains, and I am currently using a volume shaper instead of a compressor as information technology gives a cleaner and more immediate response.

I'll accept all my instances of side-chains triggered from external instruments within my boot and snare instrument racks as this saves some layout real estate. The routing can go a piddling confusing sometimes, so it'south best to have this in your production template from the get-get.

In the gratis templates below, I accept taken 2 different approaches. The Advanced Template uses MIDI triggers inside a rack for both the kick and snare, sending to a book shaper.

The Basic Stock Template uses divide MIDI trigger channels with a 'click' rail that sends to each instance of a side-chained compressor.

5. Analysing racks

The old adage that "if information technology sounds good information technology is good", works to a point. And for producers that don't intend to mix their own tracks, it probably holds.

However, for professional-sounding mixes that need to translate to a multitude of listening environments, eyes and ears take to piece of work together.

Analyzing racks are essential for professional mixes. Go to know your analyzers by referencing other tracks that showroom sonic traits you are looking to emulate.

Voxengo SPAN is a freeware spectral analyzer and is definitely worth checking out. I similar to set mine to the pink noise curve which is a slope of iii.0 (-3dB per octave). Yous can also utilize the Ableton stock analyzer, but it'south not as visually accurate or equally customizable as SPAN.

It is also very important to have spatial/stereo field analyzers in your projects as well. Ableton doesn't accept a stock spatial analyzer, merely there are a agglomeration out at that place including some from plugin giants like Waves and Izotope.

half dozen. Effects chains

So, yous've watched a seemingly countless stream of YouTube tutorials, or better yet, you've got a mentor. Now you've got all these great furnishings processing ideas that really work.

Rather than writing down your chain and its settings (y'all can also salve them as audio effect racks or in the user library), you lot can put these into your template as well.

Something I like to do here is I'll plough off the effects that demand to exist dialed in each fourth dimension (similar compressors) and then that I know when I am processing the channel I demand to do it.

7. Render tracks

Render tracks can accept a long time to prepare in your Live fix. Saving them to your project file is definitely a large fourth dimension saver, and later numerous times y'all'll recall what is in each return channel so that you don't need to always check them.

In the Advanced Template, you'll notice that at that place are 10 return tracks already prepare up. Ambiance/atmospheric reverbs and delays, snare and drum plates, song verb and filibuster, and and then compressors to parallel procedure multiple channels together.

I highly recommend using return tracks – their input can exist automated and independently EQ-ed, and they help gel a mix together. Render tracks are especially useful for delay and reverb furnishings equally they apply a cohesive sense of space to multiple instruments.

8. MIDI and Key Mappings

Another cool time-saving benefit of an Ableton Live template is your capacity to have MIDI mapping saved. If you use a MIDI keyboard, or even your calculator keyboard, to control parameters inside a synth or rack macros, these can exist all bundled up with your template set.

Free Ableton Templates To Get You Started

I am providing 2 templates to go you lot started. I highly encourage you to make your own that are suited to your needs equally well.

The start is an advanced one designed for Bass music using mostly third-party plugins. The 2nd is a more basic, stock plugin-simply template.

The basic template is fairly self-explanatory, though in that location are a few things to note. The kick and snare side-chain channels will need to accept the same MIDI information as the kick and snare to trigger the compressors.

The Ableton stock compressor used is actually from Ableton Live viii. This is considering some people (including myself) experience that it has a superior side-chaining capacity that can accept tighter settings before there are artifacts. You tin can download the Live 8 compressor from here, just remember not to click the 'upgrade' push button on the compressor or it volition put you back to the stock compressor of your Alive version number.

3rd-Party VSTs used in the Advanced Template are from Izotope, Fabfilter, Waves, Valhalla, IK Multimedia T-racks, Polyverse Gatekeeper, Output Movement, Sonic Academy's Kick2, and Voxengo Span.

Even if you don't take a few of these, the routing is definitely worth the fourth dimension to peruse. At that place is also a sidechain set on the reverb and filibuster returns, except for the song-specific verb and slapback filibuster (which should stay above the boot every bit the vocals are the main chemical element).

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Wrapping Up

Having a template, or a series of templates will relieve you a lot of time and energy when creating music.

Leveraging Ableton Alive's features will help proceed you focused and inflow. With the right templates, you'll produce far more tracks far quicker with less grinding. Because in the terminate, that is why we are creatives – nosotros both love and relish it.

So now all that is left to practice is open a template and start cooking up your next big hit…