Go Pro Sign In
Sign Up
X
Sign Up
X

Ableton Effects and Effect Racks w/ Rob Tissera

Ableton Effects and Effect Racks w/ Rob Tissera

X

Course Lessons

Course Preview

Effects in Ableton for strings

Piano effects

Bass effects

Beat Repeat and Autofilter

Vocal effects

Grouping effects

Mixing tracks effects

Bus effects

Live Q & A

Q & A

About This Course

Rob gives a lesson on Ableton Effects and using the Effect Rack. Looking into effects used on popular instruments as well as DJ and Performance effects within Ableton.

You will learn:

  • Effect chains for strings
  • Types of limiters
  • Effect chains for piano
  • Effect chains for bass
  • DJ and Performance Effects
  • Bus Effects

Lessons: 

1. Effects in Ableton for Strings

Rob goes over a few effects you can apply to strings and the master of your track, going over external limiters like Ozone 8 and Invisible Limiter, then inbuilt effects like Ableton Limiter, Autofilter, EQ, Reverb, Utility, Autopan.

2. Piano Effects

Going over interesting effects you can apply to a piano like Ableton’s Ping Pong Delay and Saturation. 

3. Bass Effects

Rob talks through the fundamentals of working with bass. Showing us practical ways of EQing the bass, sidechaining it to the kick and automation.

4. Beat Repeat & Autofilter 

DJ style effects in Ableton that can be used for music making, mixes, podcasts etc. Rob shows us the Beat Repeat, Redux & Autofilter in action.

5. Vocal Effects 

Rob explains some popular effects for vocals. Going over frequency sweeps to suss out harsh frequencies in the vox. 

6. Grouping Effects 

Grouping effects can increase your workflow speed, by saving effect chains you use frequently, you can save and access them in your project in one click. 

7. Mixing Tracks Effects 

How to create mixtapes on Ableton. Rob shows us various ways of using effects to mix 2 tracks together. 

8. Bus Effects 

Return and bus channels are the same thing, you can make use of them to apply the same effect to many different sounds while keeping the dry version audible.

Meet Your Teacher

Rob Tissera

Rob Tissera is one of dance music's most prolific stars. A top-selling producer and versatile dj whose technical brilliance and effervescent sets have seen him pack out parties across the globe.

Over the years he's played every big party. He's been a regular at Gatecrasher, The Gallery, Tidy Weekenders, Frantic, Slinky, Ministry of Sound, Sundissential, Hacienda, Pam's House, Wildchild, Hard House Academy, Union, Godskitchen, GoodGreef , Global Gathering, Creamfields and Homelands to name a few. His closing set at Tidy Summer Camp in 2004 and 2005 are frequently talked about sets of the Summer Camps

Rob is also regular in Ibiza and has held residencies at Lashed, Sundissential and Garlands. In 2004 he graced the hallowed turntables of Radio One, not once, but twice - something only DJ elite ever get to do.

The first time was with a converted Essential Mix and the second, a live mix from Radio One's Weekend in Ibiza.

Discussions

Dream of finally finishing that draft or launching that side-hustle? Make your next creative project your best yet, with simple steps from creative superstar Emma Gannon!

Discussions

Dream of finally finishing that draft or launching that side-hustle? Make your next creative project your best yet, with simple steps from creative superstar Emma Gannon!

About This Class 

Dream of finally finishing that draft or launching that side-hustle? Make your next creative project your best yet, with simple steps from creative superstar Emma Gannon!

In this new class, Emma shares the framework that allowed her to overcome self-doubt and carve her own path as an author, broadcaster, and podcast host. The secret to her success? Fed up with feeling afraid—of failure, of not being good enough, even of success—Emma dug into the science behind self-sabotage and learned exactly how to get out of her own way.

Now, Emma is sharing what she’s learned so that you can do the same: unlock your creative potential while feeling energized and empowered! 

Together with Emma, you will:

  • Identify the patterns in your life, and let go of habits that don’t serve you
  • Cut out comparison to figure out what you really want and need
  • Silence your inner critic by talking back to negative beliefs and behaviors
  • Own your success and vulnerability—both go hand-in-hand with creativity

Packed with insights and examples from Emma’s personal journey, this class is designed for every creative who needs a pep-talk or extra push to get started—and includes five exclusive downloadable worksheets to support you along the way.

Whether you’re looking to break through block, remove self-imposed pressure, or simply approach each new project with intention, this 45-minute class will unlock your confidence as a creative. Get started and celebrate taking the first step!

______________________________

All you need to follow along is a pen and paper. Download the worksheets to follow along with Emma’s exercises, or jot your thoughts in a notebook.

Resources

  • Introduction
  • Week one

Why Join Mixmasters?

Live, weekly Zoom classes with industry experts

Unlimited production & marketing coaching with track feedback

Access hundreds of expert-led courses, instantly

Download thousands of exclusive royalty-free samples

Get Started For Free
X

Other Courses You Might Like...

Basslines from Groovy to Epic w/ SaytekLondon-based producer Saytek is known for combining house and techno with improvisation through hardware such as synths, sequencers and drum machines. His live sets offer a unique twist in the world of house DJing, landing him a front page cover on DJ mag weekly in 2013. Associating with labels such as KMS, Emerald City and Soma, he has begun to make a name for himself outside of his live sets and inside the studio. In this arrangement-focused lesson, Saytek, shows how to tune samples, convert them to MIDI arrangement and easily identify notes in a scale which can be used to create a bassline. He then goes on to add chords and automation to breathe life into the new sound. The entire lesson uses Ableton Live stock plugins. In the second part of his bassline masterclass, he moves on from arrangement and into techniques to improve the sound of a bass, utilising methods such as sidechain compression, track layering and altering dynamics using an LFO. This lesson is perfect for anyone wanting to learn how processing an instrument can enhance its sound. Everything used is available as Ableton Live stock plugins You will learn: How to tune samples How to use a piano roll to arrange samples An easy method for finding the notes within a scale How to write a bassline How to layer multiple basslines How to add variation and movement into the bass sound How chords can be used to compliment the bass Adding harmonics using distortion Using a low frequency oscillator to alter dynamics Changing circuit options within a filter to achieve contrasting sonic properties Using sidechain compression to create space in the mix How to use clip automation Controlling the voices, unison and glide parameters within Live’s analog synth Layering sub-frequencies on a bassline Creating space within a mix with EQ Chapter 1: Tuning samples Saytek reveals why less is more when creating a fat bass and how to prepare a sample for arrangement within a piano roll. Chapter 2: Writing a bassline How to write a bassline. From finding which notes belong within the key of the song to the evolution of a bass sound and how it can be varied depending on intention. Enhancing a bassline Saytek shows how saturation can add ‘grit’ and demonstrates how an LFO can cause a sound to evolve. This technical lesson focuses on enhancing sounds and getting them to breathe with techniques such as sidechain compression. Enhancing a bassline 2 Ableton Live’s analog synth is explored as using parameters such as glide and unison give the bass complex sonic qualities and ensure the bass fits seamlessly with the track. Saytek shows how to remove rumble and layer the bass to fill out the low end. Making a groovy bassline Moving forward from making epic basslines, Saytek shows how he adapts his method to make a funkier sound that pumps bass on the offbeat.
Build 1000 True Fans Funnel w/ Danny Savage & Andrew LeeseDany Savage, founder of Mixmasters, and Andrew Leese have come up with a challenge to gain 1000 true fans for Mixmasters members. Using tools such as Fan Funnels, Email Management Systems, Hypeddit and more, you can reach and nurture fans from all across the world to listen to your music or interact with your content.

In this course you will learn how to build a download gate, how to integrate with ActiveCampaign or Mailchimp using integromat or IFTTT, how to build and manage your database, and how to grow your list using social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram & Soundcloud. Majestic gives a lesson on how bootlegs can help grow your audience quickly. , and conducts a workshop on bootlegs & remixes.
Track Feedback (A&R) Sessions
Implementing Modulation into your Productions using Ableton w/ KreatureModulation can help create movement in a track. In this lesson, Kreature outlines various ways on how you can incorporate modulation techniques in your productions. He uses Max For Live to carry out these techniques. You will learn: Implementing modulation in drums Creating your own percussion using Operator Modulating basslines Other uses of modulation Chapter 1: IMPLEMENTING MODULATION IN DRUMS Starting off with a simple loop, Kreature shows how he would modulate the decay on a hi-hat. Chapter 2: CREATING YOUR OWN PERCUSSION Using a sine wave in Operator, Kreature shows us how to create percussion using pitching techniques. Chapter 3: MODULATING THE BASSLINE Using Monark in Reaktor (Native Instruments) to carve a bassline into the drum loop. Kreature explains how to route parameters from external VSTs in Ableton to allow modulation processes on particular parameters. Chapter 4: OTHER USES OF MODULATION. Getting creative with shakers and other parameters. Kreature uses Phasemistress and PanMan to create stereo movement.
Making Fat House & Techno Beats w/ SaytekSaytek shows how to make fat House and Techno Drums in Ableton Live, using only what is inside the box. With global recognition for his live modular shows and releases on Carl Cox and Christopher Coe’s Awesome Soundwave label, Saytek is definitely someone whose advice is worth listening to and his lessons are always easy to understand and inspiring. In this lesson Saytek shows you how to boost frequencies to add fatness to your House and Techno drums, use distortion and reverb, layer kicks, create a question and answer tom pattern and much more. You will learn: Boosting frequencies in kicks to add fatness. Adding reverb to a kick drum. Adding analog distortion to your drums with Saturator. Adding more distortion with Overdrive. Layering kicks and processing them to form one cohesive sound: using Auto-Filters, ADSR, EQ Eight and a Glue Compressor. Making gritty Techno style closed hi-hats with eqing, Redux and other processing. Automating Auto-Filter movement on 808 claps. Using decay, pitching and processing to make dirty 909 open hi-hats. Programming a question and answer pattern with 808 and 909 toms from Ableton Live’s Core Drum Kits. Adding filth to your drums with Drum Buss. Isolating drum hits from loops with Simpler. Making loops your own and layering them with your drums. Using Ableton Live’s “slice to new midi track” function to slice up drum loops and cherry pick your favourite hits. How to work with loops in audio. Adding rides from the Core 909 Kit. Adding cohesion to drum groups with Glue Compressor. Automation in clip mode. Intro MAKING FAT KICKS: How to make hefty kick drums using Ableton Live’s stock plugins. Saytek shows you how to use EQ to add weight to your House and Techno drums, use Saturator and Overdrive to increase the filth, and then finally, how to layer kicks with different elements that you like to create one cohesive sound. 2: CLOSED HATS: How to make attention-grabbing and gritty closed hats. Saytek shows how to adjust the length of your hats using only the decay function, eq out unwanted frequencies and add an edge with Redux. 3. CLAPS: Creating interesting clap patterns and using creative processing to add interest. Saytek programs an alternative Techno clap pattern, uses Transpose to change pitch and then shows how to use automation to add movement. 4. OPEN HATS: Adding open hats to your track with extra dirt. Saytek programmes a classic Techno and House open hat pattern, pitches it down and adds character and filth with reverb and Saturator. 5. ADDING TOMS: Adding an extra layer to your drums with toms. Saytek programs toms from the 808 Core Kit, tuning them down for more sub frequencies. Next he adds some more from the 909 Core Kit to create a question and answer pattern. 6 : USING DRUM BUSS TO GLUE YOUR DRUMS TOGETHER + Q & A Drums can lose their impact if they aren’t working together. Saytek shows how to use Ableton Live’s: Drum Buss to glue drums together and also add crunch, distortion and other powerful FX. 7. EXTENSIVE Q & A. An in depth Q and A on House and Techno drums and other production topics. Saytek answers questions on the pros and cons of using FX in sends, using panning FX on your hats, reverb on drums and more. What are the pros and cons of adding FX in sends and not in the instrument channel? Do you prefer using hardware or software when producing? Do you mono your kick and what reverb do you use on them? Do you usually create your basslines with toms or do they just add groove? Do you use panning FX on your hats? Do you use compression and EQ Eight in Ableton when using your hardware? Is there a reason for using Auto-Filter for cutting highs? Do you use soft clipping in Glue Compressor and Saturator? How do you go about arranging your drums? Do you tune your kicks when layering and with your bassline? What are your two main synths, beats or FX units for live performance? Do you use Span or similar on each channel or just on the master? 9. ISOLATING DRUM HITS FROM LOOPS USING ABLETON LIVE’S: SIMPLER Danny / Adam, this whole section was a nightmare as his boy keeps coming in and is making noise in the background, I’ve marked the bits you can take out for it to still make sense, but there are still bits in there. Saytek shows you how to isolate individual drum sounds from loops in Simpler and use them to programme your own rhythms when making House and Techno drums. He picks out kicks, hi-hats, claps and other percussive elements and adds character with filters and other processing. 10: LAYERING LOOPS WITH YOUR HOUSE AND TECHNO DRUMS This section shows you how to use loops to add character to your drums. Saytek looks at finding a loop that compliments your sound, removing the low end so the loop fits, using Auto-Filters and extracting grooves. 11. WORKING WITH LOOPS IN AUDIO Saytek works with loops in Audio. He shows you how to remove sections, play with loop length to match your existing drums and pitch elements, all in clip mode. 12. ADDING A RIDE FROM ABLETON LIVE’S: CORE 909 DRUM KIT Ableton Live has a range of core drum kits for you to select sounds from when making House and Techno drums. In this chapter Saytek adds a ride from the 909, altering its pitch and velocity and shows you how to programme alternative sequences. 13. USING ABLETON LIVE’S: “SLICE TO NEW MIDI” FUNCTION ON LOOPS Sayek uses “slice to midi” to chop up a drum loop and include slices in his track. He covers chopping the audio, programming the slices and creating space and character with EQ and Auto-Filter. 14. PROCESSING DRUM GROUPS AND AUTOMATION Your drum elements may not work together as a unit if you don’t process them properly. Saytek pulls his together with a Glue compressor and then adds some more character with automated delay. 15. EXTENSIVE Q AND A Saytek answers questions on making House and Techno drums, with some bassline and music theory knowledge as a bonus. Questions cover automation in clip vs utility, working out the key of a loop and more. Can you automate Auto-Filter for individual midi slices? Can you record automation for filters instead of drawing it in? Automating volumes in clip mode or with a Utility? Can you automate the transient envelope in Simpler? Do you always work on drums first? How many years have you been using Ableton Live? Is there a way of working out the key of a loop? Do you use layered basslines in Operator? How do you feel about using a kick with reverb as a sub bass?
Acapella Production Techniques w/ Fry UpsFry Ups is a DJ/Producer and artist based in Manchester, UK. IN 2020, his remixes have been played on Radio 1 Dance Anthems, Capital FM and various other radio stations. Fry Ups gives a class on Acapella’s, explaining what they are and how you can obtain them using the Phase Cancellation technique, as well as a look into softwares that can extract vocals and sites you can download acapellas from. Reverse engineering one of his tracks “I Believe In You” that Fry Ups wrote in 2018. He works in Logic Pro X using a wide range of vocal enhancing plugins. You will learn: What is an acapella Phase Cancellation Acapella creation software Detecting Keys Creating Harmonies Plug-In Selection for Vocals Bussing Sampling Vocal Looping Using Alchemy to create vocal instruments Additional Effects Fry uses the following to treat vocals: Voxengo Voxformer Noveltech Vocal Enhancer FF Pro Q 2 Shaper Box Lex Random Hall Reverb Chapter 1: What is an Acapella? In modern culture, an acapella is used to describe the isolated vocal track from a multi-track recording that originally included music. Fry elaborates on this while looking into the technology we have today. Chapter 2: Phase Cancellation Like a magic trick, Phase Cancellation is an audio phenomenon in which two or more out of phase sound waves result in weakened or lost frequencies. You can use this method this obtain acapellas from existing soundtracks. Chapter 3: Acapella Creation Software A look into softwares like Izotope Rx7, Hit n Mix, Audionamix, Phonic Mind and the free Acapella Extractor that can help extract acapellas. Chapter 4: Detecting The Key It’s important to know what key the acapella is in once it’s extracted. Fry explains softwares that can do this for you, including Traktor, Rekordbox and Mixed in Key. Chapter 5: Creating Harmonies In music, harmony is the process by which the composition of individual sounds, or superpositions of sounds, is analysed by hearing. Usually this means simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches or chords. Chapter 6: Production Techniques What you can do with vocals; looping, vocal instruments, reverse reverbs, stutter effect and filters. Fry shows us how to create a reverse reverb using an acapella. Chapter 6: Acapella Websites A few website tools to help you obtain acapellas. Fry speaks about the consequences (both good and bad) of clearing your samples. Sites include: www.volcr.it Msprojectsound.com Acapellas4u.co.uk Remixpacks.ru Splice.com Chapter 7: Introduction & Recap Track playback. Chapter 8: Plugin Selection & Bussing Stating that these are the best plugins for him, there are several plugins on the market that you can explore to find out which works best for you. Chapter 9: Sampling The Vocal Using the long reverse reverb effect created in the last chapter, Fry shows us how to sample effects throughout the track. He uses Keilworth Audio VPS philta XL and Logic’s brand new (10.5) sampler to create stutter effects. Chapter 10: Vocal Looping Choosing a section of the vocal singer holds the note, you can loop those parts and apply effects to create interesting drone sounds. Chapter 11: Using Alchemy To Create a Vocal Instrument. With the option of spectral and granular synthesis, Alchemy can analyse the audio sample and create a virtual instrument out of any sample you put into it. Chapter 12: Additional Effects Fry shares a few of his most used alternative vocal effects: Ableton Time Warp Vocoder Scratching Samples using Virtual DJ Using vocals from other songs to compliment your vocal. Q/A 2 How do you source vocals? The vocal channels have no effects in them and are all on send and return? Is there any other plugin to do the same effect as Alchemy?
Arrangement w/ Richard EarnshawOne half of Spiritchaser and co-founder of Duffnote, One51, Guess, not to mention various appearances on the likes Soulfuric, Defected, Hed Kandi and Ministry of Sound, Sony Music, amongst many others, Richard has now been a familiar figure in the dance music scene for over 15 years. As a result of his continuous delivery of quality productions, remixes and solid live performances he has positioned himself amongst some of the most respected producers/DJ's in the world. In this lesson using Logic Pro X, Richard explains the methods behind creating multiple edits for your tracks, looking at club edit, radio/stream edits and extended edits, he breaks down what you need to have in these and why they are so important. You will learn: Various styles of arranging Making a club edit Making a radio edit Making an extended edit Chapter 1: Introduction to Arrangement Richard explains the history of how music arrangement has changed over the years. He shows us a project file of his where the arrangement has been considered with the option of making an extended mix. Various styles of Intro arrangement Going through more DJ tailored arrangements, starting off with the drums alone to make it easy to mix. Richard demonstrates how he would tailor this arrangement and make radio/stream edits. Chapter 3: Break and Drop Arrangement Going through traditional styles of verse-chorus-verse-chorus, Richard explains his arrangement techniques working with a vocal for one of his tracks. Chapter 4: Various types of edits (radio, club, extended) Richard explains the importance of making various edits for your tracks, Radio/Stream Mix, Club Mix and Extended Mix. Chapter 5: Working with vocals Breaking down a Spiritchaser track, Richard shows us how he worked with a vocal to create a series of hooks spread throughout the track.
Ableton Effects and Effect Racks w/ Rob TisseraRob gives a lesson on Ableton Effects and using the Effect Rack. Looking into effects used on popular instruments as well as DJ and Performance effects within Ableton. You will learn: Effect chains for strings Types of limiters Effect chains for piano Effect chains for bass DJ and Performance Effects Bus Effects Chapter 1: Effects in Ableton for Strings Rob goes over a few effects you can apply to strings and the master of your track, going over external limiters like Ozone 8 and Invisible Limiter, then inbuilt effects like Ableton Limiter, Autofilter, EQ, Reverb, Utility, Autopan. Chapter 2: Piano Effects Going over interesting effects you can apply to a piano like Ableton’s Ping Pong Delay and Saturation. Chapter 3: Bass Effects Rob talks through the fundamentals of working with bass. Showing us practical ways of EQing the bass, sidechaining it to the kick and automation. Chapter 4: Beat Repeat & Autofilter DJ style effects in Ableton that can be used for music making, mixes, podcasts etc. Rob shows us the Beat Repeat, Redux & Autofilter in action. Chapter 5: Vocal Effects Rob explains some popular effects for vocals. Going over frequency sweeps to suss out harsh frequencies in the vox. Chapter 6: Grouping Effects Grouping effects can increase your workflow speed, by saving effect chains you use frequently, you can save and access them in your project in one click. Chapter 7: Mixing tracks effects How to create mixtapes on Ableton. Rob shows us various ways of using effects to mix 2 tracks together. Chapter 8: Bus Effects Return and bus channels are the same thing, you can make use of them to apply the same effect to many different sounds while keeping the dry version audible. Q/A What's the difference between a good limiter and a bad limiter?
Turning an Idea into a Full Arrangement w/ Carl BeeA dynamic and eclectic DJ & producer, Carl Bee has risen from his native Malta, to worldwide acclaim, cementing a reputation as one of the most naturally gifted, and hard-working artists on the scene. With a number of releases on prestigious labels such as Lost Records, Saved, CR2, Abode and many more. Carl Bee has had support from mega artists like Solomun, Carl Cox, Marco Carola and Dubfire. In this workshop, Carl shares insightful information on how to turn an idea as a loop into a full track. Using Logic Pro X and mainly stock plug-ins, Carl talks about important factors on keeping a track interesting by breaking down a loop he made. You will learn: All the elements needed to create a full track Making an intro tailored for DJs Creating breaks and build ups Automation and track stacks Send and Return FX Creative processes on crafting anticipation in a track Chapter 1: BREAKING DOWN A LOOP In this chapter, Carl breaks down his loop idea. Going through each element from the kick, adding percs, a bassline, shakers, noise, pad melodies, arpeggios and FX to create a moving 8 bar loop. Chapter 2: BRINGING IN ELEMENTS IN THE INTRO Carl shares his methods of letting the track build up slowly, using automation, track stacks and musical phrasing to bring in different elements of the track as the DJ would be mixing it in. Chapter 3: TRACK BREAK AND BUILD UP. The track is now mixed in fully, all elements start to show and the kick and bass is removed to create a break. Carl touches on interesting ways to bring in main melodies of the track, and uses effects, automation and sampling to create an impactful build up. Chapter 4: REBUILDING THE SOUNDS INTO A BIGGER BREAK AND BIGGER DROP Carl talks about how to keep your arrangement session productive, using the less is more rule and focussing on the sounds already in the track. Stating that the breakdown could be the most important part of the track. Using ESX24, Alchemy, ESP for noise generation and single band EQ automation to create movement and tension in the track.
Start to Finish Production Walk-through w/ JackyWorking in Ableton, Jacky shares his insights on experimenting, arrangement and workflow tips to get tracks moving and complete. You will learn: Structure & Arrangement Working in Session View Working in Arrangement View Writing Bass Melodies Working with Vocals Chapter 1: INTRO & TRACK PLAYBACK Looking at an unreleased track from Jack, he plays the track to get the session started. Chapter 2: STRUCTURE & ARRANGEMENT Jacky states that there’s no correct way to work, for this track he worked in session view and it sped up his workflow significantly. Chapter 3: BASS Jacky implements creative ways to write bass with MIDI, using the Scale function on Ableton to ensure what he plays is in key. He then adds subtle additional notes to add to the groove. Chapter 4: VOCALS Working the melody to fit the vocals.