Ableton Live's auto-warp feature made beatmatching so easy that anyone could do it. There are a lot of things you can do with Ableton, midi controllers and external instruments of all shapes and sizes. The one described here is a quick and easy way to create a DJ mix in Ableton without using anything other than a computer.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Putting the Tracks Together
Step 1. Create a selection of tracks to use in your DJ mix
Put all the audio files together in a new folder on your desktop so you can easily upload them to Ableton.
To create a mix of multiple tracks, it would be a good idea to choose songs that are similar in genre or at least have the same BPM (beats per minute) - 120 BPM is a good fit for beginners
Step 2. Open Ableton and find the folder with the files using the navigation bar
You should then be able to see a list of all the selected tracks in the window on the left.
Step 3. Add an audio channel
The easiest way to add an audio channel is to press CTRL + T on the session screen.
Step 4. Drag the files from the navigation bar into the audio channels
Wait for these to be loaded and do nothing else.
Step 5. Double-click on the track within the list
The wave graph will be displayed in the "Sample display" window.
Make sure you have set the session BPM. This will be the default setting, unless you have inadvertently changed it
Step 6. Zoom in on the first warp marker
You can use both the magnifying glass icon that appears when you position the cursor on the wave chart, and the miniature diagram you see under the "Sample display" window.
Step 7. Adjust the warp markers
That is the small yellow labels with the numbers on them.
- Make sure that the first warp marker is positioned well at the beginning of each beat.
- Play the beginning of the song several times, while watching the line pass through the wave graph. In this way, you will have a visual indication of where the first pulse begins.
- Find the numbered marker closest to the pulse and double-click to create a warp marker; it should turn yellow. Numbers will be expressed in this format: 1.1.2 etc.
- Adjust the position of the second warp marker until the number in the Sample window is 120.
- Right-click on the second warp marker and choose “Warp From Here (Straight)” from the menu that appears. This will warp the tracks according to the selected beats.
- Make sure the start and end markers are positioned correctly on the track. The starting marker should be aligned with warp marker # 1; the final marker, on the other hand, must be placed where you want the track to end.
Step 8. Make sure everything is in sync
First of all, activate the metronome by pressing the square in the left corner of the screen. Next, hit Play individually on each track to make sure all tracks are timed.
Step 9. Repeat steps 5 to 8 for each track in your set
Step 10. Save your work
The best way to save an entire DJ set is to go to the File menu and select “Collect All And Save”. This function will merge all the audio files of the project together and save them as a single file.
Method 2 of 3: Mix Live in Session View
Step 1. Open the set in Ableton Live
It should have remained as you left it in the previous section of this guide.
You'd better make sure all tracks are properly labeled with the song title, so you can identify them on the fly. You could also use different colors for each. You can change these options by right-clicking on any file in the session window
Step 2. Place the tracks in the order you would like to play them
Imagine audio channels 1 and 2 as two DJ turntables.
Put the first track in the first slot of audio channel 1, the second track in the first slot of channel number 2, the third track in the second slot of the first channel, and so on
Step 3. Play the first track
See that colored triangle next to the track you want to play? Click on it.
Turn down the volume of audio channel number 2. This will ensure that the track doesn't play until you want it to
Step 4. Play the second track
At this time, the volume of the second channel should still be turned down. If you have warped the tracks correctly, Ableton will start directly from the correct beat.
- Keep an eye on the time indicator above the volume switch to be aware of the time left for that track.
- At the right moment, gradually increase the volume of audio channel number 2. The two tracks will play briefly together as you lower the volume of the first channel and raise that of the second.
Step 5. Delete the first track from the session window
So you don't play it twice.
- Alternatively, you can drag the file to a third or fourth channel to remind you that you've already played them.
- Make sure the first channel's volume is turned down all the way and drag the third track into the first channel's first slot.
Step 6. Play the third track
If you've warped your tracks correctly, the track should start at the correct beat.
Gradually increase the volume of the first audio channel as the second track is finishing. At the same time, gradually lower the volume of the second channel
Step 7. Repeat steps 4 through 6 for the rest of the set
Method 3 of 3: Register a Set Using the Arrangement View
Step 1. Open the Ableton project file
This project should include all the tracks you warped in the first part of this guide.
Step 2. Copy the first track from the Session window
Select the track and press CTRL + C or right-click on it and select "Copy" from the menu that appears.
Step 3. Arrange the tracks
During this operation you will have to continuously move between the arrangement window and the Section view.
- Open the Arrangement view. Click on the circle at the top in the upper right corner of the screen, which is the one with the horizontal lines.
- Paste the first track into audio channel number 1. The track you pasted will start from where the cursor is positioned. Before continuing, place the cursor at the end of the first track in audio channel number 2.
- Copy the second track from the session window. Click on the circle at the bottom in the upper right corner of the screen to move between the views.
- Go back to the Arrangement view and paste the second audio track into the second channel near the end of the first. If the cursor has been positioned well, the trace should be pasted directly to that point.
Step 4. Repeat these steps until all tracks have been placed in the Arrangement window
Step 5. Mix the tracks
You can keep moving them back and forth until they are all in the correct place. Complete this step for each transition in your set.
- Zoom in on the first transition using the magnifying glass. The latter appears when you move the mouse over the numbers just above audio channel number 1. You can also zoom using the bar at the top of the Arrangement window screen.
- Select the second track and move it backwards, so that it partially overlaps the first track. When the cursor is positioned in the area between the string of numbers and the first audio channel, the speaker icon will appear. Click with the left mouse button on it to start playing the audio from any point of the set. Repeat this operation often to make sure that the beat of the songs match.
Step 6. Blur the tracks
Start Drawing mode via the small pencil button at the top of the page. This function allows you to manipulate the red volume line at the bottom and in the middle of each track, in order to achieve a "fading" effect.
With the pencil activated, right-click on the grid menu. Depending on the level of detail with which you want to create the fading effect, you can adjust the size of the background grid according to your needs
Step 7. Repeat these steps for each transition in the set
Step 8. Prepare the mix for export
There are a couple of things you should do before creating the final audio file.
- Make sure the punch-out points are positioned correctly. These are small gray triangles that are just below the numbers. Drag the first marker to the start of the set and the last to the end.
- Select both audio channels by clicking on the name of each and holding CTRL. If you have done everything correctly, both channels will be highlighted in yellow.
- Go to the “File” menu and select “Export”. This will be followed by a series of menus from which to choose the file type and path. Select WAV from the menu and save the file wherever you want. At this point, you can stream your mix over the internet or burn it to a CD.
