A great way to make some seriously informed decisions as to what to put in your Ableton Live studio is ask a fellow Live enthusiast, “What’s in YOUR Ableton Live studio?” Well, we posed that very question to the supremely talented individuals listed in these final pages (as well as to ourselves), all of whom have an Ableton rig of some sort. Be sure to investigate each artist’s output while taking a look at their studios’ contents so you can understand the reason behind their design. What’s more, take what you see here as a testament to the versatility of Ableton Live. Without further ado, let the geek session begin!
Hailed by 700,000 YouTube viewers as “The Godfather of Controllerism,” Moldover is a new breed of music icon. Combining the charisma of a rock star, the mad genius of a basement inventor, and the radical inclusiveness of the DIY Internet generation, Moldover is “literally throwing away the rule book and reinventing the wheel” (Remix Magazine). Witness his balls-to-the-wall live show at a club, experience his multiplayer music installations at a festival, or pick up and play the packaging—yes, you can play the packaging—for his debut album, and understand why the next paradigm for music is a one-man-brand called Moldover.
Brief overview: I use Ableton Live almost exclusively for the purpose for which it was designed: playing live. I do often use it as a sketch pad for song ideas, as a “utility-knife” for quick edits, recordings, and such, but my Ableton Live studio is really an instrument that I take to the stage.
Computer(s): I’m using a 15-inch MacBook Pro with a 2.66GHz Intel Core i7 processor and 4GB of RAM running OS 10.6.3. I also have some pimped-out PCAudioLabs machines that I use for production work, and as the brain of my multiplayer instruments like The Octamasher.
Version of Live: I started using Ableton Live back in 2001 with version 1. I only update when I feel I need to, but today I am happily running Ableton Live 8.1.4.
Plug-ins: Izotope bundle, Native Instruments Komplete 5, Max for Live.
Moldover live and in the zone with his ingenious Mojo controller, which was designed and built by the man himself!
Interface(s): Apogee Duet or MOTU UltraLite.
Controller(s): Mojo. Two if I’m feeling feisty.
Real-world instrument(s): I like to play my gee-tar. When I get anxious, I make animal noises into my microphone. Sometimes I even bust out the Light Theremin, but none of these instruments feels very “real world” to me anymore….
Microphone(s): One Shure SM58S—the “S” is for (on/off) switch!
Content: Isn’t the musician supposed to provide the content?
Gig bag(s): I have a Gator GK-LT-25W that broke. I tricked it out with in-line skate wheels, and now it shows no sign of stopping. It fits a Mojo, laptop, audio interface, all my cables, and a stack of CDs—and it still fits in an overhead compartment! I also have a Dakine backpack that is beautifully indestructible.
Favorite piece of gear: My motorcycle. It doesn’t make that many sounds, but it is by far the most fun.
Piece of gear you cannot live without: My brain. No, my soul. Wait, no—dental floss! I need floss. Good dental hygiene is the cornerstone of civilized society.
Wish list: Haken Continuum, Moog Voyager, Buchla 200e, ADAM monitors, Eventide Harmonizer, all the UAD stuff, custom PRS guitar, vintage Strat, custom Mesa Boogie amp, Reactable, some really fancy mics, Steinway grand piano, Fender Rhodes, Hammond B3, Ludwig drum kit, supermodel girlfriend, private recording studio in The Netherlands, a DeLorean, a jet pack, stop me any time….
Micah Frank is a New York City–based composer, sound designer, and live performer par excellence. Since 2004, Micah has contributed to numerous Ableton sound libraries including Operator, Sampler, Retro Synths, and Drum Machines. Making it official, Micah founded the now-revered boutique sound design company Puremagnetik in 2006, where he serves as lead developer.
Sound-design guru Micah Frank taking a break from conjuring up content for Puremagentik—content that you’re probably working with right now.
Brief overview: Currently, my studio is centered around an A-100 modular system and a computer running Kyma, Max/MSP, and Logic…err, I mean, Ableton Live! I spend more than half my time just programming sounds, so my portable setup is suitably a laptop. When I’m in the studio, monitoring and environment are key. I’ve put a lot of time into tuning my space so I can be confident that it translates to other systems.
Computer(s): Mac Pro Quad Core 2.8GHz with 8GB of RAM, MacBook Pro Intel Core 2 Duo 2.5GHz with 4GB of RAM, SUS Eee PC Seashell netbook running Linux Ubuntu Distribution.
Version of Live: I started with version 3 and am now running 8.
Interface(s): RME Fireface 800.
Controller(s): M-Audio Axiom 49, DrumKat, Modular Synth. (Yes, audio can also be a MIDI controller!)
Real-world instrument(s): Drums, banjo. (Seriously, I play banjo.)
Headphones: Sony MDR7506.
Content: I don’t usually use pre-programmed material.
Room treatments: GIK Acoustics 242, 244, and Tri-Traps.
Favorite piece of gear: Currently the Kyma Pacarana.
Piece of gear you cannot live without: My laptop.
Wish list: EMS Synthi, Synclavier, and an Eigenharp.
http://www.areyoudevoted.com/learn
Electronic musician–audio engineer Brian Jackson is one of the world’s premiere Ableton Live educators. When Ableton established its Certified Trainers program, Brian was among the first to be deemed; he continues to educate knowledge-hungry Live enthusiasts worldwide. Jackson is the author of three DVDs on Ableton Live for Cengage Learning and has dutifully served as technical editor for Live 7 Power!, Live 8 Power!, and the book you hold in your hand. He is also the educational director of Brooklyn’s first Ableton Certified Training Center.
Brian Jackson was one of the first graduates from the Ableton Certified Trainers Program and continues to lead the pack through his Web site and the Devotion Gallery.
Brief overview: These days, I am primarily involved with studio production, but I have my laptop ready to go at a moment’s notice for last-minute DJ gigs.
Computer(s): Mac Pro Dual Quad 2.8GHz with 10GB RAM and three internal drives with 10 partitions equaling about 2TB. MacBook Pro 2.5GHz Core Duo with 4GB RAM and OWC-on-the-Go triple interface bus-powered external HD.
Version of Live: I started with Live 1.5 and am now running the latest and greatest version of 8 (currently 8.1.4).
Interface(s): RME Fireface 800 (desktop) and Native Instruments Audio 2 DJ (laptop).
Controller(s): Akai APC40, Native Instruments Maschine, Novation Remote SL Zero, M-Audio Trigger Finger, Evolution X-Session, Peavey MidiBase, M-Audio Keyrig 49.
Monitors: Dynaudio BM 12a and Adam Sub7.
Real-world instrument(s): Schecter Diamond four-string bass, Waldorf Pulse.
Microphone(s): Audio-Technica 4030.
Headphones: AKG K240, Sony MDR V700-DJ.
Content: Puremagnetik everything (!), Native Instruments Kontakt, and many more!
Gig bag(s): Nothing fancy, trust me.
Room treatments: Sonex One, Ready Acoustics Bass Traps, Acoustimac Panels.
Favorite piece of gear: Amek Neve 9098 DMA.
Piece of gear you cannot live without: My Dynaudio BM 12as.
Wish list: Verigo VSC-2 Quad Discrete Compressor.
Elijah B Torn is a sonic-vigilante; a boombastic bass-blipping, live-looping, electronic sonic assault (if you will) who was born with a looping device in hand. He uses Ableton Live to bring an unquantized approach to live electronic performance while adding some much-needed grit to the sometimes-sterile electronic music world. He plays electric bass and guitar, which he uses as centerpieces for creating bizarre textures and sounds. Torn is also creative director for MassiveMusic in New York City, a music agency located in Amsterdam, New York, Los Angeles, and Shanghai.
Camouflage aside, there’s no hiding the depth of a boombastic bass-blipping, live-looping, electronic sonic assault like Elijah B Torn.
Brief overview: I tend to record with a more mobile-based studio that is basically my live setup, but with a few more synths and a patchbay for all of my effects. I also record and mix at MassiveMusic in New York.
Computer(s): MacBook Pro Duo something or other with 4GB RAM. Gentlemen, such as myself, prefer Guardian Maximus Active Backup FireWire drives.
Version of Live: 2.5? 3.0? Onward to the newest version that’s got the Looper!
Interface(s): M-Audio FireWire 410.
Controller(s): Novation SL MkII 25, DJ Tech Tools Midi-Fighter with 70s Barcade-style cover, Line 6 FBV Express and Shortboard MkII’s footswitches.
Outboard gear: Retro Channel Pre/Comp/EQ, Focusrite TwinTrak Pro, FMR Audio Really Nice Compressor, Roland Space Echo, Pioneer Spring Reverb.
Monitors: Genelec 8020s.
Real-world instrument(s): Gretsch Bass, Baby Taylor acoustic, Synthesizers Dotcom portable modular, MPC 3000, and anything I can hit with a tree limb.
Microphone(s): Oktava Ribbon, Shure SM57, M-Audio Sputnik.
Headphones: Beyerdynamic DT770s.
Content: See instruments. Other than sampling myself, I use Puremagnetik Live Packs.
Gig bag(s): Plasticase waterproof military-grade case.
Room treatments: Some framed Audubon prints, Muttpop figures, and a lot of books.
Favorite piece of gear: Synthesizer Dotcom modular, 1960s Ampeg B-15.
Piece of gear you cannot live without: Software-wise: Ableton Live (duh). Hardware-wise: Empress Superdelay.
Wish list: A cabin in the woods in Nova Scotia, Wurlitzer 200a, EMI Plate reverb, Ekdahl Moisturizer, and something from Metasonix.
Laura Escudé is a critically acclaimed music technologist, violinist, composer, sound designer, and educator. She specializes in Ableton Live and became one of the first Ableton Certified Trainers in 2008. In 2009, she worked with Cirque du Soleil on their production “Viva Elvis” as an Ableton programmer, toured Europe with acclaimed world music band Niyaz, was a tour consultant for Kanye West, and recorded violin on EastWest’s Quantum Leap Silk sound library with MESTO.
Don’t let the violin and innocent smile fool you. The electronic prowess possessed by Laura Escudé is downright scary.
Brief overview: I have a home studio–based setup that is also very mobile. Over the years, my studio has gotten smaller in size, but more powerful in the software tools that I now use. My studio and stage configurations are very similar, and I use most of the same gear in each setup.
Computer(s): Dual MacBook Pro laptops: one 2.0GHz Core Duo with 2GB RAM and one 2.8GHz Core 2 Duo with 4GB RAM. I recently moved all my data to two 2TB hard drives with matching backups and use Synchronize Pro X, Carbon Copy Cloner, and Time Machine. I also use a bus-powered 500GB hard drive for making music while traveling and holding my essential sound libraries and software data.
Version of Live: I started with Version 4 while I was doing tech support at M-Audio. None of us knew the program but had to learn it because we were getting phone calls about this “Ablatron” program that came in the box with interfaces and MIDI controllers. Now I’m running the mack daddy: Live 8 Suite.
Interface(s): I use the MOTU UltraLite for the stage because of the multiple outputs—definitely a necessity when playing an instrument so the sound people can properly mix my violin against the mix of my electronics and I can just play. I also use the Apogee Duet in the studio because the drivers and quality of the electronics are just amazing.
Controller(s): Akai APC40, Native Instruments Maschine, Novation Launchpad, M-Audio Keystation Pro 88 and Axiom 25, Korg nano series controllers, Evolution UC33e, X-Tempo Pok, Moog Multi-Pedal, Wii remote and nunchuck, Logitech Joystick, Dance Dance Revolution pads.
Monitors: Dynaudio BM5As and M-Audio LX4 5.1 system.
Real-world instrument(s): Acoustic violin, acoustic/electric five-string violin, Fender electric violin, acoustic/electric five-string cello, various flutes and tuning forks.
Microphone(s): M-Audio Sputnik and Solaris—although I tend to rent expensive ribbon microphones like the Coles 4038 or Royer R-121 when I record.
Headphones: M-Audio IE-30 in-ear monitors, Sony MDR7506.
Content: Too many to list! My favorites are Big Fish Audio, Sample Logic, Heavyocity Evolve, Soniccouture, and Tonehammer.
Gig bag(s): Namba studio backpack.
Room treatments: None. My studio is my living room, so I try to make it a pleasant living area.
Favorite piece of gear: My laptop is both my favorite and the thing I cannot live without. That’s why I have two MacBook Pros—in case one of them goes down! I also use one of them to watch movies on my projector and 52-inch screen made out of an art canvas. When I’m lonely, I sleep with my laptop. I go to bed and wake up to it.
Piece of gear you cannot live without: See above.
Wish list: Neve 1073 preamp, Coles 4038 ribbon mic, Royer R-121 ribbon mic, an iMac, Jordan electric violin.
Steve Nalepa is a producer, professor, and mad scientist collector based in Los Angeles. An electronic musician revered in avant-garde circles for his studio alchemy and genre bending, he’s produced tracks with such legends as Bill Laswell and Pharoah Sanders, performed with the LA Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall, and shared the stage with some of the most respected electronic musicians and video artists in the world. As technical marketing specialist for M-Audio, a post he held for four years, Nalepa handled marketing and artist relations as well as VIP support and software training for a multitude of high-profile artists and producers. Nalepa currently teaches Ableton Live, Pro Tools, and Reason at Chapman University Conservatory of Music.
Looking dapper as ever, Steve Nalepa takes a rare moment of leisure from his usual globe-trotting antics.
Brief overview: Ableton Live is at the center of everything I do. I use it for composition, recording sessions, scoring to picture, and live performance.
Computer(s): MacBook 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 2GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM.
Version of Live: I started with Ableton Live 1.5 and am currently running 8. When Live 4 hit the scene with MIDI instrument support and the sample reverse button, it opened up a whole new universe for my creativity.
Interface(s): M-Audio Conectiv for solo shows. If playing with the Nalepa Dub Orchestra, I have the M-Audio NRV10 so I can route all the various instrumentalists into my setup to sample them and add live effects. In the studio, I use the NRV10.
Controller(s): Still using an Oxygen 8—two octaves and a few knobs, and it’s a party. I sometimes use the Trigger Finger, but I’ve been focusing on playing live keys in my set for the past year or so. Plus, the Oxygen is light and has been completely reliable.
Monitors: M-Audio EX66 and subwoofer.
Real-world instrument(s): Roland Juno 60, Roland SH-2000, Wurlitzer A200, Lowrey Magic Genie organ, Baldwin Fun Machine, Yamaha DX-21, Sequential Split-8, Ensoniq ESQ-1, Gakken SX-150, Korg Monotron, Moogerfooger MF-104Z Analog Delay, Roland Space Echo, Line 6 DL4, Boss DD-5, Korg Kaoss Pad.
Microphone(s): Sennheiser Evolution E835.
Headphones: Sony MDR-V6.
Content: Native Instruments drum libraries and Logic’s Ultrabeat samples.
Gig bag(s): Swiss Army backpack.
Room treatments: The Dub Shack doesn’t have any room treatment except for all the books and gear.
Favorite piece of gear: Joe Meek 3Q Pro Channel Strip.
Piece of gear you cannot live without: Roland Juno 60.
Wish list: Empirical Labs Fatso EL7, Korg MS-20, Moog synths—Moog anything, really.
http://www.myspace.com/vernonreid
Vernon Reid has been tearing up fretboards on the world stage since the ’80s, most notably with his seminal creation, Living Colour. After platinum albums, Grammys, and a gaggle of other accolades, Vernon Reid and Living Colour rage on. Not to be tied down to one identity, Reid is forever engaged in numerous other endeavors. These include a thriving solo career that boasts releases on Steve Vai’s label, Favored Nations; several producer gigs that have garnered Grammy nominations (most notably with James Blood Ulmer); and a host of collaborations with a dizzying array of artists including Mick Jagger, Public Enemy, Mariah Carey, The Roots, DJ Logic, Tracy Chapman, Santana, Medeski Martin & Wood, and many others. The man is unstoppable, as is his penchant for advancements in music technology of all types. Combined with his innate creativity, it is this zest for forward thinking that keeps Vernon Reid vital to modern music.
Vernon Reid looking at you, just as millions do right back at him.
Brief overview: My setup is constantly evolving.
Computer(s): I have a desktop system in transition and two mobile laptop setups—one active, one backup, all Mac based. I’m starting to incorporate iPad and iPod Touch as well. As for external storage, I use Western Digital, Glyph, and OWC FireWire drives. I’m looking very forward to USB3.
Version of Live: Live 8.1.5 with Max for Live.
Interface(s): Mackie Onyx 1620, Presonus FireBox, Novation Nio 2/4, Native Instruments Guitar Rig Mobile, Guitar Rig 3 Kontrol, Roland GI-20 and VG-99, MOTU Micro Lite, IK Multimedia Stealth Pedal, Kensington USB hub, Axe FX Ultra, and Line 6 UX2.
Controller(s): Novation Launchpad and Nocturn, Akai APC40, Boss FC300, Axon 50 and 100, and Korg nano series controllers.
Monitors: Yamaha M-5, KRK studio monitors and M-Audio StudioPro 3.
Real-world instrument(s): Vernon Reid Signature Parker guitars, ’90s era custom Hamer guitars, Starr Switch Z-tar MIDI controller, various Brian Moore, Tom Anderson, and Paul Reed Smith guitars, as well as an EKO banjo.
Microphone(s): Various Neumann, Shure, Audix, Sennheiser, and Blue mics.
Headphones: Ultrasone and Sony headphones
Content: Packages from the following: Puremagnetik, Galbanum, Loop Masters, Cycling ’74, Groove Monkee, East-West, and Uberschall.
Gig bag(s): MONO, Mooradian.
Favorite piece of gear: For Ableton Live, the combo of Novation Launchpad and Nocturn with Automap software is unbeatable.
Piece of gear you cannot live without: Expression pedals!
Jon Margulies is a widely published Ableton Live expert with credits ranging from myriad appearances in the lauded British-based MusicTech magazine to the must-read Live 8 Power!, published by Cengage Learning. As the man behind Hobotech—bass music in search of Lost America—Margulies has wrecked dance floors from the Brooklyn underground to the Coachella festival and releases music on a variety of labels. His 365 Live Tips blog is a popular Internet destination for Ableton Live information.
Between wrecking dance floors, Jon Margulies gave the world a Live tip once a day, every day, throughout 2010.
Brief overview: I have two basic setups centered around one main computer. When not performing, I plug my laptop into my home-studio setup. When on the move, along with my laptop, I have a bag of cables, controllers, interface, etc., that goes to the gigs. With regard to the bag, it generally stays packed unless I decide to (gasp!) practice. It’s nice to have the power of a desktop computer, but over the last couple of years I decided that the simplicity of only maintaining one setup and knowing that I always have everything I need when I’m mobile was worth the tradeoff in power.
Computer(s): 15-inch MacBook Pro 2.53 Core 2 Duo with a 320GB internal drive, Glyph 500GB portable FireWire, as well as a pile of cheap drives for backup and archiving.
Version of Live: 8.1.5.
Interface(s): Apogee Ensemble (studio), Native Instruments Audio Kontrol (gig).
Controller(s): M-Audio Oxygen 8 (studio only), Vestax VCM-600, Novation Launchpad, Korg nanoKontrol.
Monitors: Presently I use Dynaudio BM6A but will be switching to self-tuning JBLs in the future.
Real-world instrument(s): Various electric and acoustic guitars, Korg MS-20, Virus TI Snow, Elektron Machinedrum.
Microphone(s): Peluso R14 and CEMC6 (I have two), Rode NTK, Peluso.
Headphones: Ultrasone Pro 750, but I only really trust them for checking the low end.
Content: YouTube as well as some ancient collections that I use to layer and process.
Gig bag(s): Samsonite wheeled duffel, Reunion Blues electric guitar bag.
Room treatments: None—been moving around too much. My last few releases have been mixed by a combination of checking in headphones and heavily referencing other material to keep my ears calibrated. It’s a difficult way to work, but it can be done.
Favorite piece of gear: Korg MS-20.
Piece of gear you cannot live without: My MacBook Pro.
Wish list: A properly built and treated studio space!
With recorded works in myriad styles on various independent and major labels, a gaggle of Truefire instructional DVDs, dozens of published works in major guitar magazines, and more, Chris Buono is a guitar-based multimedia force to be reckoned with. At the heart of Buono’s output is Ableton Live, which serves as a scratch pad, a backing track launch pad, and a tracking station—often simultaneously. As a member of Karsh Kale’s touring band as well as a busy sideman in New York City, Chris can be seen firing off tracks and tweaking sounds not only with a laptop but also an array of to-die-for guitar effects including his two-tier “death rig.” Always pushing the envelope in whatever he does, Chris Buono shows no signs of slowing down.
Brief overview: My studio is mainly mobile, but there’s plenty of gear that lives in a home studio, too.
Computer(s): Mac Pro 2×2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon with 4GB 800MHz DDR2 running OS X 10.5.8, PowerBook G4 1.67GHz PowerPC with 2GB DDR SDRAM running OS X 10.4.11, custom-made PC sporting an Intel Pentium 4 CPU with 1GB of RAM running Windows XP Pro Service Pack 3.
Proving you can never have enough pedals, Chris Buono mans the death rig at a faculty performance at Berklee College of Music, where he served as professor.
Version of Live: My first encounter with Live was Live 4 for GTR (whatever that meant), which came as a demo with Oxygen 8. I now run Live 8.1.4 along with Max for Live.
Interface(s): M-Audio FireWire 410, NRV10, Fast Track Pro, Fast Track USB, JamLab, and Black Box.
Controller(s): Akai APC40, Novation Launchpad, M-Audio Trigger Finger, Oxygen 8, and Axiom 61, Korg nanoKontrol, X-Tempo Pok.
Monitors: M-Audio BX5a.
Real-world instrument(s): First Act PP-5, Unk Custom, Unk Custom with Floyd Rose, 1973 Fender “Bionic” Strat, 1973 Gibson L-6, Ibanez Jem 777, Taylor eight-string baritone, Taylor 812c, Frostwave Resonator, 4mS Triwave Picogenerator, my pedal boards.
Microphone(s): Shure SM-57 and M-Audio Sputnik, Solaris, and Luna.
Headphones: Ultrasone PROline 2500, Sennheiser PX-100.
Content: LOTS of Puremagnetik packages, Beta Monkey drum loops, and M-Audio Pro Sessions drum loops.
Gig bag(s): M-Audio Studio Pack, Incase Tour Bag, Swiss Army backpack, Pedal-train Pro with hard case.
Room treatments: Stuff everywhere!
Favorite piece of gear: All my delay pedals.
Piece(s) of gear you cannot live without: ’73 Bionic Strat, Line 6 POD XT Live for sessions, a Boss DD series delay, ’64 “blackface” Deluxe, and my Digitech Whammy IIs.
Wish list: Fractal Audio AxeFx, the entire Moogerfooger setup, Vigier Surfreter, Ampeg B-15, Digitech Space Station, Molten Voyage Molten MIDI, anything from Metasonix, a real Klein, anything from Veillette, Tueffel or Conklin guitars, and way more!