About this course: In the past, Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) were programs used only by audio engineers with a highly specific knowledge base, on machines inaccessible to most people. But over the past 10-15 years, DAWs and the act of recording music have evolved from being a luxury of the few to being available to the masses. Ableton Live is one such application. Used by an extremely broad range of music creators, Ableton Live not only facilitates the work of engineers, producers, and writers in professional, home, and mobile studio settings, but it is also a powerful platform for musicians on stage, in the DJ booth, and elsewhere. In this course, you will explore some of Live’s most powerful and useful functionality: MIDI programming, audio recording, warping and processing, looping editing, mixing, performing, file management, and troubleshooting. Meant to be a springboard for those who are new to Ableton Live and/or DAWs in general, this three-week course will provide you with a strong knowledge base for using Live to take your musical ideas from conception to final recording. The course breaks down the many barriers of entry into music technology and encourages all those who wish, to create fearlessly. Note: If you do not own Ableton Live 9, you can download the free, fully featured Ableton Live Trial. The trial version will allow you to save and export your work for 30 days. If you use the trial version, do not download it until the course is scheduled to begin.

Created by: Berklee

Taught by: Erin Barra, Associate Professor
Songwriting

Commitment	4-6 hours/week
Language	English, Subtitles: Chinese (Simplified)
How To Pass	Pass all graded assignments to complete the course.
User Ratings	4.8 stars Average User Rating 4.8See what learners said

Syllabus

WEEK 1

Welcome to Introduction to Ableton Live

Welcome to the course! Here we will cover all the details about the course and what you'll need to know to get the most out of your experience.

1 video, 12 readings, 1 practice quiz

Getting Our Hands Dirty

In this lesson I'm going to demonstrate how to get set up in Live, whether you have an audio interface or just your computer. We'll also look at saving and submitting your sessions, devices, MIDI drums, and MIDI synths.

10 videos

Graded: The Ableton Live Interface

WEEK 2

Polishing the Sound

We'll be moving from MIDI to audio and implementing effects, which will give your sessions even more personality and depth. We'll also be diving into Audio Warping, which is one of Ableton's most powerful functionalities and is the cornerstone of remixing.

7 videos

Graded: Polishing the Sound

WEEK 3

The Endless Possibilities

This week we're going to dive into some more advanced production techniques, the very basics of mixing, and I'll get into some valuable information regarding file management and troubleshooting. Hopefully with this new information you'll be able to tie togethe...

6 videos, 2 readings

Graded: The Endless Possibilities

Graded: Create a Composition in Ableton Live

FAQs

How It Works

Coursework

Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.

Help from Your Peers

Connect with thousands of other learners and debate ideas, discuss course material, and get help mastering concepts.

Certificates

Earn official recognition for your work, and share your success with friends, colleagues, and employers.

Creators

Berklee

Berklee College of Music was founded on the revolutionary principle that the best way to prepare students for careers in music is through the study and practice of contemporary music. For more than half a century, the college has evolved to reflect the state of the art of music and the music business. Berklee serves distance learners worldwide through its award-winning online extension school, Berklee Online.

Ratings and Reviews

Rated 4.8 out of 5 of 635 ratings

All I know I owe to this excellent course

Amazing always!

Really good course, helps you learn and understand the basics of Ableton Live. I didn't understand the program at all, and now I can use it and want to eventually buy the full version.

Overall a pretty good course. I understand the basics of Ableton Live 9 now after I completed the course. Also without prior knowledge of music production, the assignments can be somewhat tough.

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