How to Enhance Sound with External Gear in Ableton Live
So we have discussed in previous Ableton Live videos how to setup audio, midi and presets.
Now we will take things a bit further with setting up presets for external synthesiser and outboard gear.
00:00 General introduction
01:10 Create a preset to use external synthesiser
01:54 Use cheat sheet to document your external gear MIDI and audio routings
04:41 Create a preset for external outboard gear
07:33 Closing words and whats next
Tips:
Label your presets and setups clearly within Ableton Live for easy identification.
Document the settings and connections in case you need to recreate them in the future.
Test the saved presets to ensure they recall the settings accurately.
Remember, the exact steps might differ slightly based on the model of your synthesizer or outboard gear, but these general steps should give you an idea of how to set up and save presets for external instruments and outboard gear in Ableton Live.
Setting up presets for external synthesizers and outboard gear in Ableton Live involves a few steps to ensure seamless integration and recall of settings. Here's a general guideline on how to do this:
Setting up External Synthesiser:
1. Connectivity:
Ensure your external synthesizer is properly connected to your computer via MIDI or audio interface.
2. MIDI Setup:
Open Ableton Live and go to the Preferences.
In the MIDI tab, make sure your external synthesizer is recognized and set up as an External Instrument.
Create External Instrument (device) and setup the MIDI To and Audio From accordingly.
3. Creating and Saving Presets:
Set up your synthesizer with the desired sound settings.
Save these settings as a preset within your synthesizer if it supports preset saving.
In Ableton Live, create a MIDI track and add an External Instrument device.
Assign the MIDI output to your external synthesizer and set the corresponding MIDI channel.
Save this External Instrument setup as a preset within Ableton Live for quick recall.
Setting up Outboard Gear:
1. Connections:
Ensure your outboard gear is properly connected to your audio interface or mixer.
2. Audio Setup:
Set up the audio input/output routing in Ableton Live.
Create an External Audio Effect (device) in Ableton Live.
Assign its input to the channel where the outboard gear is connected and set the appropriate audio input.
3. Saving Settings:
Adjust the settings on your outboard gear to achieve the desired sound.
Save these settings within the gear if it supports preset saving.
Alternatively, if the outboard gear doesn’t have preset saving, note down or take a photo of the settings.
