Victor Chicri

My first keyboard!! Amazing and powerful sound

As both a musician and producer, I've had plenty of experience with both DAWs and computers; my first being a Comodore with 64Kbs of memory where I could record 3,500 events (notes) and then through MTC (media time code) I could synchronize with analog recorders using tape in machines with either 4, 8, 16 or 24 channels. I switched to the Atari computer with 1 megabyte using many more events and synchronizing with Tape Machines through SMPTE. At the start of the millenium when I moved on to my first Mac computer after working with a few different DAWs, I finally started using Ableton, which I continue to use and learn to work with to this day. This excellent DAW always renews and adds to its collection of awesome tools, facilitating and opening up endless options when it comes to creating, editing, and finalizing my projects. What caught my attention the most from the first time I worked with Ableton was the ease of assembling a song. At first, I expected it to be a much better fit for DJs and those who work with electronic music, but over time came the newer versions, with added plugins, keyboards and editing tools. This made Ableton the best DAW for me to compose, edit, arrange and filter through the sounds of the songs I worked on. I'd recommend always using a Mac computer when it comes to installing and using Ableton. It's important to remain alert, checking the Ableton website to make sure you already have a version that runs on the new IOS system before you update the IOS on your Mac. Additionally, when you buy your Mac, you should check that it has enough memory for the projects you intend on creating. I switch out my Mac every six years to whatever the current model is, having already worked on the Mac Pro, PowerBook and Mac Mini. Memory and speed are crucial–I've never purchased a computer with the standard RAM that comes straight from the factory, opting instead to invest in more RAM and a better processor in order to benefit from a better performance. As of 2019 I've been using a Mac Mini with 64 RAM. There are a wide variety of Ableton functions that make for a great recording and editing experience: Quantize for audio, loops, and of course for MIDI too; when I record a bass line I'll usually have some note off the grid, but it's easy to quantize, and just as easy when it comes to the drums. I'll pay closer attention when I have to quantize a polyphonic instrument: a guitar, piano or any number of keyboards, because I'll have to use complex pro. A tip that's come in handy is to always lock them right after the point is moved. It's not just about editing the wave, but to edit each note, either automatically or manually. Quantize makes the music clean and accurate. Importing files with Ableton is also simple, you just drag the file from your HD to the section you're working on. Having used it in both shows and for church services, Ableton has undoubtedly proven itself to be the best option. There is no other DAW that comes close to Ableton because through it we can put Stems on the tracks, we have ways to mix the sounds we want, input BPM and a Time Signature for each song which  helps streamline the entire process apart from just putting the songs in the setlist in the correct order for the performance. The vast majority of churches I know and have worked with use Ableton in their worship services. Currently, with the Ableton Live 11 version, we have Time Following which allows us to be free from the click, making the song more “human”, letting musicians take a breath without being tied down by the click. Processing the sounds with EQ, compressors, and filters is faster with Ableton than other DAWs, and made easier by letting the producer put the plugins used most frequently into a "My Favorites" section. Drum loops and sounds allow you to make amazing combinations, putting together an outstanding drum machine, and letting you fine-tune each piece in addition to changing the tone. Additionally, every now and then I'll be working on advertising or on a movie trailer, and I've found that Ableton is also extremely easy to use with video. One of my greatest challenges was using Ableton with an oscilloscope (a laboratory instrument commonly used to display and analyze the waveform of electronic signals), where I could create drawings and write words through the program (you can check that out at https://Mapasound.com). It felt more like science than music, the definition of nerdy, but we got some good results out of it. Through Live 11, Comping is what I enjoy the most, especially for voice and piano recording. I'm able to loop any part of the song I want to record, giving me the option of repeating it several times and granting me room to get more involved and make my performance more spontaneous, the true feeling of it shining through in a way that it wouldn't otherwise. Of course, nothing is perfect, and an adjustment that would benefit Ableton in the long run would be, as we're entering the Dolby Atmos era, to improve on the ways we can make a Mix. Even so, when I have a few simpler projects that I have to finish quickly, I'll usually make the mixes on Ableton itself without any problems. If you're thinking of making music, no matter the genre or style, in a quick way with tons of editing options, I'd tell you to go with Ableton Live 11. There are so many great and innovative tools and options to work with that I don't even have enough room to describe them all. Ableton will give you everything you 'll need, it'll just be up to you to undertake the task of learning how best to use them. Wishing you good luck and hoping you'll be making good choices on your music journey. Victor Chicri