Either. The course supports Ableton on both, so bring whichever you work on.

What equipment do I need?

A laptop with Ableton installed - a free 30-day trial of Suite is enough to start. Headphones and MIDI keyboards are available to use in class.

How long is it, and what does it cost?

The length is in the glance strip at the top of this page, and the tuition for this campus - with the registration fee and any early-booking rate - sits just above the call to action.

Do I need to know Ableton already?

No. The course is a hands-on introduction, built from our full Electronic Music Producer Program and streamlined - it starts at the interface and finishes with you arranging your own tracks.

Is there a one-to-one version?

Yes - ask admissions about private instruction and we will pair you with a specialist in this subject.

Can I take it online?

Yes. Sessions run in person at this campus and live online at the same time, so you join whichever suits you.

Ableton Live Course

GARNISH█SYD

Talk to us

Course — Sydney

At a glance

Duration

36 hours

Format

In-person in Sydney or Live Online

You leave with

Tracks finished in Ableton, from first session through arrangement

Two ways in

In person, or online remote attendance in the same sessions

Provided

Headphones and MIDI keyboards, and a free 30-day Suite trial to start on

Ableton Live Music Production Course | Sydney

Ableton has evolved into one of the most powerful DAWs, enabling powerful sound creation, unrivaled creative expression, and virtually endless performative possibilities. In this 36 hours course you will have a thorough grounding in its workflow, and intuitive approach to music production, empowering you to produce, perform and release the music in your genre. The course is broken down into well paced modules so that information is easy to digest, and you will be mentored throughout the process by our team.

Let’s Go!

→What sets Ableton apart from other DAWs?
→Getting set up: Audio and the preferences window
→Session view vs. Arrangement view: applications of each
→Live concepts: clips / scenes / browser / library
→The concept of Ableton’s unique warp engine
→Launching clips
→Intro to FX
→Intro to instruments

MIDI Tracks and Composing with Virtual Instruments

→Simpler - Unlocking the full potential of this simple sampler
→Drum Rack - Programming beats, manipulating sounds, chopping up loops, vocals, and tracks - making rhythms from anything. Slice to MIDI
→Using and controlling third-party virtual instruments
→Grooves + groove extraction
→Setting up a MIDI keyboard or drum pad controllers
→Getting creative with MIDI effects

Creating With Audio & MIDI

→Warping in practice
→Quantizing audio
→Clips: clip view and clip properties
→Making beats with Drum Racks and Simpler sampling
→Effects: Live’s effects and using third-party effects
→Recording MIDI and live looping
→Basic routing and resampling
→Automation: creating dynamic changes in your arrangements

Recording Techniques and Introduction to Sound Design

→Balancing, introduction to the art of mixing. Group tracks and advanced uses of routing
→Introduction to sound waves, frequency, and amplitude
→The recording patch in detail, introduction to gain structure
→EQ and compression for recording
→Foldback, headphone mixes, and latency
→Digital, analog, sampling rate and bit-rate explained
→Microphones overview and stereo miking techniques
→Recording specific aspects of Ableton
→Compiling audio takes

DJing and Live Performance

→Preparing (warping) whole tracks and harmonic mixing
→On the fly DJ effects
→Using MIDI controllers effectively / mouse-free control
→Bespoke Ableton controllers - Akai, Novation, and Push
→Grouping tracks and basic routing
→Structuring your sets and using loops
→Recording your performance + editing the arrangement view
→Bouncing down

Advanced Techniques

→Advanced warping - acapellas, classical music and anything without beats!
→Multi-track warping
→Clip envelopes - creative uses of Ableton's unique loop-based automation on audio fx, instruments, and midi fx. Easily achieve complex music, sound, and rhythm manipulation
→Using all automation types together - creating build-ups and break-downs with complex sounds
→Intro to Racks & Chains – powerful hidden features. Layering FX and instruments

Please note that as a GMP participant you are eligible for 40% off the price of Ableton software.

36 Hours | In-Person: $AU1999 + AU$150 Registration fee | 33% off Online Remote Attendance

For schedule information and questions, connect with us

Connect

Sydney students take the Ableton Live Course in a small class at our studio, or live online in the same session, using our specialist music collaboration software, Muse, taught by producers working in the Australian scene. Discover qualities that distinguish us, here.

Testimonials

What our students say.

“Great introduction to Ableton and music production. The course gave me the confidence, knowledge, and inspiration that I needed to get cracking in my home studio. It made me realize how creative I can be, and how much potential I have. I am very grateful for this experience, and the teachers were very cool and patient. I plan to take follow-up courses in the future as I felt very comfortable at Garnish.”

DJ Rhiannon