Sound Design with Audio Devices and Free Ableton Max for Live

Stock Ableton Audio Effects

  1. Track 1 - make a simple MIDI Clip with 4 kicks, using Core Kit 909, and loop it
  2. Track 2  - make an Audio Track and let it take Input from Track 1, Post FX, Monitor 'In'


    1. Add Delay and Reverb to smear the sound
    2. Use Utility to make it mono
    3. Use Saturator or Overdrive to make it crunchy
    4. Use Auto Filter to filter away the high frequencies
    5. Use Compressor with Side Chain to make the sound duck up and down


  3. Track 3 - create a MIDI clip with Closed Hihat on every other 1/16th
    1. Use Random in the Clip to make the velocity of each hit random
    2. Use LFO and map to filter of the Hihat
    3. Use Delay to create shadow hits
    4. Use EQ8 to remove any low frequency sound
  4. Track 4 - make an Audio Track and let it take Input from Track 3 (hihat), Post FX, Monitor 'In'
    1. Use Reverb to smear
    2. Use EQ8 to cut away low frequency
    3. Use Compressor with Side Chain to make the sound duck up and down
  5. Track 5 - make an Audio Track and let it take Input from Track 3 (hihat), Post FX, Monitor 'In'
    1. Use Resonator to create musical tone
  6. Track 6 - make an Audio Track and let it take Input from Track 3 (hihat), Post FX, Monitor 'In'
    1. Use Corpus to add musical tone
    2. The LFO of Corpus should be on


  7. Track 7 - create a MIDI clip with a simple bassline
    1. Use Amp to make it punchier
    2. Use Compressor with Side Chain to make the sound duck up and down
  8. Track 8 - make an Audio Track and let it take Input from Track 5 (bass), Post FX, Monitor 'In'
    1. Use Delay to create shadow notes
    2. Use Reverb to smear
    3. Use EQ to remove low freq
    4. Use Compressor with Side Chain to make the sound duck up and down
  9. Track 9 - make a MIDI Track and let it take Input from Track 5 (bass), Monitor 'In' and create this rack, use any Synth Keys sound e.g. 106 Organ


Max for Live Audio Effects

    1. Stray Cats Pack 
      1. Use Stochastic Delay on Track 9 (Synth Keys)
      2. Use Skram Delay on a copy of the Hihat
      3. Use Color on a copy of the Hihat
    2. Pitch Loop
      1. Add to a copy of the Hihat
      2. Add to the Arpeggios
    3. Max for Live Essentials
      1. Add Buffer Shuffler to the Hihat
      2. Add Buffer Shuffler to the Arpeggios
    4. M4L Pluggo
      1. Add Cyclotron to the Arpeggios, extend the number of steps
      2. Add Flangotron to the Hihat
      3. Add Harmonic Filter to the Hihat
      4. Add Monster Crunch to Hihat or Arpeggios
      5. Add Nebula to the same
      6. Add Noyzcipper
      7. Add Raindrop
      8. Add Spectral Filter
      9. Add Stutterer
      10. Add Wheat

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