Learn Ableton Live

Learn DJing and production concepts using the industry favorite Ableton Live software. With expert Pat Cupo, you'll jump right in and start using the program right away. Mondays and Wednesdays starting in July, from 7:00 - 8:00 pm EDT. Classes are recorded so that enrolled students may also review the sessions later.

The class is for beginners to Ableton or those looking to solidify their concepts. Check the syllabus below to make sure it's the right class for you. Please be in touch if you have any questions.

DJIng with Ableton Live

July 13 - July 22, 2015
Final Project: making a 4 song mix
Required materials: Ableton Live (any version), 1 MIDI controller with knobs and/or sliders (optional)

• Class 1, July 13: intro to Live's interface and core concepts; track selection and storytelling; audio warping 101
• Homework 1: select 8 possible tracks to use for your mix and warp all of them to Live's grid
• Class 2, July 15: revisit warping; setting up a MIDI controller; using Live's crossfader; dropping on the 1 aka "the dropcut"
• Homework 2: narrow your list of tracks down to 6; practice the dropcut between any two tracks
• Class 3, July 20: revisit warping; setting up a cue mix; phrase mixing; planning your mixtape (opener, groover, banger, closer) 
• Homework 3: narrow you list of tracks down to 4 and sequence them in the proper order; practice phrase mixing between tracks using Live's crossfader
• Class 4, July 22: revisit warping; adding audio effects and samples; perform and edit your kix; export and share the final result
• Final Project: perform and edit your final mixin Live's Arrangement View; export and share the mix on the web

Music Production with Ableton Live

August 24 - September 2
Final Project: making your first remix
Required materials: Ableton Live (any version), a 25+ key MIDI keyboard (optional)

• Class 1, August 24: overview of Live's interface; core Live concepts; building a drum beat; creating drum beat variations
• Homework 1: build a drum beat in the genre of your choosing and create 4 variations of the beat
• Class 2, August 26: intro to sampling; sampling in the Arrangement View; sampling in Simpler and Impulse
• Homework 2: select 5 samples from the song you're remix turn them into audio loops
• Class 3, August 31: intro to MIDI effects; adding chord progressions, melodies, and bass lines; simple(r) sound design
• Homework 3: using samples from the song your remixing, create lead, pad, and bass patches; then compose lead, pad, and bass parts to your drums and samples
• Class 4, September 2: building an effective arrangement; mixing all of the parts together; final export and sharing your music
• Final Project: produce a 3 minute+ remix, mix it properly, export the track and share it on the web