Cortex Training is a training centre specialising in live streaming, digital events, creative media and event training

Ableton Live for show control

Details

1 day course

Please contact us for pricing

This is a online course that provides live tuition with an expert tutor.

Alternatively we can come and run the training at your venue, office, co-working space or home.  We can travel nationwide to come and train you and your team in the most convenient location.

We can also host training sessions at our London office.

This one-day intensive training course looks at Ableton Live as a powerful show control software that can trigger, sequence and synchronise audio/visual material and cues whilst communicating with various other apps and technologies.

Though Ableton Live can trigger audio and MIDI clips in a quantised fashion straight out of the box, it’s sequencing and improvisation capabilities go further through the use of Max for Live (part of the Live Suite package), networking and things like DMX interfaces. We will think of Live as a hub for different protocols and get it to mesh with live video apps like Resolume.

After an initial basic overview of Live we will move away from a traditional workflow to look at it as a rock-solid tool for playback and event triggering. Many of things we will look at are relevant for both small productions on a tight budget and for professionals looking to enhance their skill set with a more ideal sequencer.

There is no single way to use Live, and despite this being one of its strengths it can be dauntingly open-ended. We will cover fundamental techniques that could be broadly utilised across a number of different projects – live event playback, theatre cue systems, audio-visual performance, sonic art or multimedia installations.

This course is not intended for those seeking music production or music performance techniques, please contact us if you are looking for training in those areas.

Prior knowledge and use of Ableton Live is not essential, but helpful. Upon enrolment we will send you links to online resources that will cover the basics.

Overview

  • Live one to one tuition with a Ableton Live expert who is an events industry professional.
  • Playback audio and video in a real-time live sequencing environment
  • Route audio and MIDI to build custom show and installation setups
  • Communicate with other apps and protocols like Resolume, Arduino and DMX
  • Create custom hardware and touch screen interfaces
  • The course can be either delivered in person or via zoom.

    Please contact us to discuss group bookings

    We can host this course at our office in London or we can come to you and run the course at your office or venue

Who it's for

Many of things we will look at are relevant for both small productions on a tight budget and for professionals looking to enhance their skill set with a more ideal sequencer.

This course is not intended for those seeking music production or music performance techniques, please contact us if you are looking for training in those areas.

The course tutor Nick Feldman has been an avid user of Ableton Live since the very first version and teaching the app is now his main professional focus. He is both an electronic musician and visualist and has performed at festivals including Glastonbury, Shambala and Boomtown Fair and performed live video for renowned artists such as Diplo, 2ManyDJs, Rudimental and Foreign Beggars.

What is covered

  • Introducing Live
  • Unique show features
  • Exploring the interface
  • Use of hardware controllers
  • Building custom show setups
  • Track routing – audio, MIDI, bus, aux
  • Custom speaker setups
  • Working with Clips
  • Max for Live devices
  • Inter-application communication
  • Working with OSC
  • Sending DMX messages to lighting
  • Triggering videos in VJ software
  • Reading sensor information from Arduino
  • Recording a performance/show

Requirements

  • i7 Mac or PC computer
    Free account with Zoom.us – desktop app installed on the student's computer prior to the training.
    Demo or full version of Ableton Live Suite (they offer a 30+ day unlimited trial version).
    USB mouse
    USB Headset with microphone.