Producing Music With Ableton Live (Guide Pro Guides)

I had been trying to deal with Ableton Live Suite on my own and was feeling kind of frustrated. I have been playing and programming keyboards for over 40 years but have not been too interested in computers due to some bad experiences with computers and software. Anyone remember trying to perform on stage with a Commodore 64/Dr.T's sequencer? Early PC's/Voyetra? Nightmares. I decided to stop wasting my time with these machines and focus instead on my playing skills. There is absolutely no substitute for rehearsing/jamming with other musicians. That being said,I've recently decided to give the computers another go. It's a whole different world nowadays. Ableton Live is an intricate piece of software that will handle just about any digital music manipulation you can think of. Unfortunately that comes with a steep learning curve, especially if you are not savvy with modern computers. Do not think that just because you know how to program drum machines or synths or even 16-track digital recorders, that you will be able to take right off with Ableton Live. That's where Jake Perrine's guidebooks come in. Jake writes in an entertaining and informative style that will keeep you engaged with the material in this book. But most importantly you will get the foundation you need to really make the software your own. The DVD-ROM that comes with this book is very helpful as it takes you step-by-step through building a song from scratch (OK he cheated a little bit by using loops). You may get tired of listening to the same tracks over and over as you massage them into shape, but you will also get an education in critical listening and skillful use of effects. Now I've heard some complaints in other reviews that subjects like MIDI are glossed over. Do not fall for the idea that one 180-page guidebook is going to cover every Ableton topic in depth. If you don't know anything about MIDI and just stick to what Ableton does, inside the program itself, you'll be fine. On the other hand, if you want to wade into the treacherous waters of MIDI devices (be prepared to become a hopeless gear junkie), go ahead and get the companion book "Sound Design, Mixing and Mastering". Anybody who is a newbie to MIDI will find their questions answered there. I'll admit I haven't worked my way through the second book yet, but I've done all the exercises and lessons in "Producing Music" and can give it 5 stars for what it is- a basic but very thorough education in using Ableton Live to produce music. Go ahead and get both books, they're at bargain prices and worth every penny. I like it.

First, for international buyers, I live on the brazilian's south and this cheap book came to me in 5 days through DHL. Very impressive. And it took 5 days, because nobody were in the house. On the 4th day they came and delivered a nice card with the exact time they would be on the next day. Amazing. The book itself is a very good step-by-step guide. I like the writing style and the author's Preoccupation about the basic audio concepts (on appendices). I knew about them, but I really liked the way it was explained on this book. I think we ever need new thoughts about the fundamentals. I really learned a lot with this book. Sometimes it is hard to follow some very detailed steps. And you really must follow every word. If you simplify what is being said, and quickly take an action, you won't get the expected result. So, I think that Perrine gave us a lot of attention on those words. It gave me a quick approach to the software, and I know how it works. Really, it's a very basic book, but it was what I needed. The Live's manual is complete, but it is also sterile. I truly recommend it for the beginners like me. It worth every penny. P.S.: I also bought the second Book "Sound Design, Mixing & Mastering" and unfortunately it has about 60 pages from the first book. It's a shame.

So different from a manual. Jake steers you through Live with exercises that propel through Abletons great features.It comes with a DVD so DO NOT buy the Kindle version as I did. You need the DVD to do the work:). I ended up with both but is was worth every penny. This is essentially a book for beginners, I believe. I was completely baffled by the initial complexity of Live but now I am hooked. I am no youngster, I recorded for CBS back in the late 60's in London..very OLD SKOOL for sure!! I worked through the old Fostex cassette units. then the Fostex Hard Drive units. Anyway..a great book...two thumbs up:)

I would give it five stars, because as an instructional guide it is great. I is particularly good for people just getting started. But the music files you have to work with are GOD AWFUL. I wanted to jab my eardrums out with a needle while listening to them, but I have to admit, I did get some solid reinforcement for what I had been learning from my millions of Youtube hours.

There are no problems in reading and understanding when making music. The book is simple to read and understand..

I've been doing music for 20 years. I'm an amateur producer that has been using Reason since version 3.0. Ableton always seemed kind of daunting to me for some reason or another. After dedicating some serious focus to going through all the exercises in the book, I can proudly say I'm now a fluent Ableton Live beginner. I like Perrine's teaching style which is engaging and motivating all at once. To truly benefit from this book, you need to set aside time to move through the concepts and their related exercises. Now that I've gone through this, I'm now using Reason 7.0 and Ableton 9 together! Sweet.

If you are new to Ableton and interesting in producing your own music. Buy this book. Trust me, Jake will take you on a journey in such a way that you will be left wondering why you didn't start making music years ago. If you like electronic dance music he will show you how to build a track from the word go and in his own unique way will teach you how to use Ableton. The book is written in such a way that reader will not feel overwhelmed by the software and in return will give you a solid platform on which to build upon. By the end of the book you will have made your first track and along the way learnt some great techniques for making your own music. Ableton is unique in that it uses clips of audio that you are able to manipulate in a very powerful and easy way. When you hear about workflow, this is what Ableton excels at. His explanation of how to use the properties of audio clips in the context of a song is the best I have read and I am betting that even Ableton veterans will be pleasantly surprised in realising features of the software that they don't normally use. The good thing about the book is the way it is structured, for instance the reader will not have to worry about using things like EQ, compressors and effects until such time they are required by the song being made. What makes the book even better is that when you use a slider or twiddle a button, you know why you are doing it because an explanation is given it and what you will achieve by following the instruction. Honestly, as a step by step guide goes, this book is excellent. I understand that in the next book things are progressed and more features of the software are explored. My only hope is that this series is continued with each book moving on to more advanced production techniques and usage of software. Well done Jake and thankyou.

Plein de conseil et astuce pour quelqu'un qui connait déja un minimum le soft J'ai bien progressé avec, découvert des tas de combine ATTENTION, en anglais Indispensable dans la bibliothèque de tout MAOiste

Live, potrebbe sembrare un programma semplice, ma solo con una certa esperienza, si riescono a sfruttare le sue enormi potenzialità e questo libro mi ha aiutato a farlo.

Great. But it! Period!