I recently had the pleasure to provide a “Mastering Masterclass” via The Music Production Club. In preparing for it, I decided to craft an audio mastering template using Ableton Live native effects only that is up to the same standards as my own personal “Tasty Mastering” workflow (which has seen continual evolution in use on many professional mastering jobs).
This rabbit hole (like most projects) ended up consuming more time than initially anticipated, partially due to honing protocols for implementations of fresh features that all PerforModule packs are gradually being updated with (macro variations, xyz control, consistent styling, etc). But it’s done now!
𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 is a self-installing Effects Pack and Template Set for Ableton Live Suite 12.4.1+.
It includes seven bespoke custom effect racks, each meant for a specific purpose in regards to audio finalization and optimized for the highest-quality fidelity and most tasteful results possible. You’re not meant to use every single effect for every mastering job — but amongst the tools provided are all the capabilities towards such ends that one might ever need.
𝐕𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐫. Smooth out top end sharpness.
𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐄𝐐. Unique multichannel EQ.
𝐓𝐫𝐢-𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐒𝐩𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫. Next-level effects layering.
𝐖𝐨𝐨𝐟. Low cut and boost duties combined.
𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐀𝐮𝐱 𝐒𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐇. Auxiliary density injection.
𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫. Inflator clone using Ableton’s Saturator.
𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭. Seamlessly blend MS and LR Limiting.
Tag Archives: innov
Guitaritis Pack Updated for Live 12!
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬?
Guitaritis is a deluxe suite of sophisticated amp racks, designed to make the most of Live’s Amp and Cab devices for electric stringed sounds, plus various effect racks to further modify and bolster them.
It Includes…
𝟹𝟶 𝙲𝚘𝚖𝚋𝚘 𝙰𝚖𝚙𝚜.
𝟽 𝚂𝚙𝚕𝚢𝚝 𝙰𝚖𝚙𝚜.
𝟹 𝙼𝚒𝚜𝚌． 𝙰𝚖𝚙𝚜.
𝟹𝟶 𝚂𝚝𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚎𝚛 𝙿𝚎𝚍𝚊𝚕𝚜.
𝟷𝟸 𝙼𝚒𝚜𝚌． 𝚁𝚊𝚌𝚔𝚜.
𝟹7 𝙼𝙸𝙳𝙸 𝙲𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜.
Push 3: User Mode — Free Template.
Custom Controller Mapping.
Just about every Ableton Push owner I’m acquainted with: “Yeah, I know the Push has a mode for custom MIDI mapping… but I don’t really use it for anything.”
I have at times gone to inordinate lengths to map controllers so they have as many different useful functions as possible. So upon finally acquiring a Push for myself, I was eager to brainstorm how best to integrate its User Mode into the grand scheme. Well, it took awhile, but I got something!
[Screw all this reading…skip down low to the free download.]
Continue readingDeathStalker Released!
Finally.
After 2+ years since the conception of the idea thru research and development, the DeathStalker Audio Effect Rack for Ableton Live is finally here!
What is DeathStalker?
Quite simply, DeathStalker is an Audio Effect Rack that makes guitars sound better.
It’s optimized for heavier distorted guitar tones, but can also sound amazing on clean or modulated electric guitars, acoustic stringed instruments, or just about any instrument.
Tempo Dynamics
When applying dynamic effects, we are rarely going to need the entire timing ranges available, depending on the tempo, right? The new Tempo Dynamics pack provides go-to racks with minimum and maximum values hard-wired to ranges most potentially useful, given the chosen tempo — avoiding values that are likely too fast or too slow to be helpful.
Continue readingNew Years 2023 Freebie: “Introspection” Pack.
Effect Racks for Live Intro.
Since my son has now acquired Ableton Live 11 Intro, I thought it would be interesting to make a pack of effects that utilize only effects native to that iteration of the software. These include Audio Effect Rack, Auto Filter, Auto Pan, Beat Repeat, Channel EQ, Chorus-Ensemble, Compressor, Delay, EQ Three, Erosion, Gate, Grain Delay, LFO, Limiter, Looper, Phaser-Flanger, Redux, Reverb, Saturator, Tuner, and Utility. This is no paltry collection to smirk at! Quite a range of possibilities. But also — a nice change of pace, being arbitrarily limited in options according to what I am used to as a rack craftor. I saw it as an exciting challenge. At the end, I’m super proud of what I’ve come up with. Methinks I’ll definitely be using these racks in the full version of Live 11 Suite aplenty moving forwards.
~`~
-> Download the Introspection pack for Ableton Live Intro, Standard, or Suite <-
(or acquire via Gumroad if you prefer).
Read about the process of the device creation below.
Continue reading
Parallel-Friendly Native FX Racks for Live 10+: “ParallAux”
Which Effects Work Best In Parallel?
So one day i got it in my head to figure out which of Ableton Live’s Effects are the best to use in parallel.
What is the criteria for this? Simply, which processes alter the phase of audio passing through them, either to the least degree, or in a nicely summable way.
Why does this matter? Because phase offsets, when summed in parallel with the original signal, will inevitably cause changes to the frequency contour. Sometimes slight amounts of this phase offset can add a nice creamy touch to the sound of things (and pretty much all analog gear causes it to some degree), but when being surgically technical like during the finalizing stages of a track, they are generally just not helpful.
An example of not altering phase at all is Live’s Compressor effect which is phase-neutral; it can be used safely in parallel with no unwanted frequency coloration whatsoever.
An example of altering the phase in a “nicely summable” way is Live’s Reverb. Technically, it’s altering the phase a whole bunch, but it’s doing so in a time-smeared fashion which results in far less likelihood of perfectly-lined-up frequency cancellations, and so, when at 100% wet, reverbs can be just fine to use in parallel, and are often preferred this way.
After carefully checking the phase response of all of Ableton Live Ten’s native Audio Effects, i came up with five distinct racks providing combinations of the most parallel-friendly native effects, optimized for specific purposes with maximal versatility of application.
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>Check Out ParallAux via Isotonik Studios<
>Download ParallAux PDF Manual<
Repurposing Bad Controller Knobs
Improvisational Optimization
It’s always been more of my mentality to try to figure out how to make optimal use of what i have on hand — even when flawed — than to try to find immediate replacements… from using a TI-83 calculator to code as a teenager (since that’s what i had access to), to learning how to mic two small guitar amps to sound amazing rather than try to buy bigger amps which i didn’t have space to store. Whether or not this is the optimal way to be, it’s been pretty ingrained in me over a lifetime of dealing with less-than-ideal equipment and environs, figuring out how to increase functionality past apparent limitations, and squeezing every drop of valuable usage i could garner out of existing gear.
~`~
Bad Encoders!
This BCR-2000 MIDI Controller i have happens to have a top row of encoder knobs which act all wonky, sending out their values all slow and choppy and making them pretty much unusable as MIDI controls. However, each knob does have a set of LED lights, and it is possible to send messages to those lights to make them move.
By using a couple of MaxForLive devices in Ableton, i have it set up so that the 8 knobs each provide a VU-meter type experience in reaction to whatever’s playing in Ableton Live. Now they aren’t useless! Yay!
Continue readingBeat Shaker for Beat Juggling
⠀⠀⠀I haven’t performed as a DJ in years, focused on raising my son and home studio work instead, but i was pretty active as one around the Colorado Springs area from about 2010 until 2014. One of the my favorite toys to use to manipulate beats live on my laptop was Alexkid’s Instant Haus, which “instantly generates drum patterns to craft into your own house track” (available free via Ableton). It’s great way to add variation to beats in an organic fashion.
⠀⠀⠀Well, i’ve been inspired lately because we now have available the freshest incarnation of beat juggling voodoo in the form of the 501k Creatives new Beat Shaker device, crafted by the very same Alexkid. It’s a similar concept, but greatly expands on the potential and flexibility.
Social Isolation Freebie: “Secret Weapon” Racks.
***Note: “Sweetie Pies” has been updated for Live 11 Suite! Grab the Live 11 version here.
(For the original Live 10 version, continue below.)
While we’re going through some crazy times, it has been heartwarming to experience how humans have upped their compassion game in response to shared crisis. I’ve seen more freebies and crazy deals going on this past week than any other time i remember, which seems because people want to help each other, share and be nice (well, not so much a certain political faction in the usa who seems to prefer that regular people suffer as much as possible. But that’s another topic). With graciousness and care for their fellows is how humans should act, rather than trying to take advantage of each other sleazily—which happens all too much.
In this spirit, i am offering up my super secret stash of “Sweetie Pies”—a small collection of effect racks for Ableton Live Suite 10, each crafted to address a specific need in a sweet manner. These are highly practical yet fun racks with the primary purpose of “getting stuff done”.
i WAS planning on releasing this pack eventually anyways once it grew a bit more, but to expedite the process of getting you the goodies, i’ve decided to simply omit the not-quite-finished devices, give everything a good once-over, and release the pack for free as it is now.
SO WHAT ARE THESE GOODIES OF WHICH YOU SPEAK?
PerforModule 