Ableton Help Arrangement View

[robbyrob305]

Im a Fl Studio user and was trying out Ableton just to see the difference in work flow. I got a couple clips of loops, audio, Midi, and drums.

For example when I add my drum clips in the arrangement view it plays all the clips at once. I wanted to start of with some drums and a pad but what ever clip I use it plays all the clips. Anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

rob

 

[MarcDHall]

The arrange view is the track. What is in there will play as it's shown at the time you're at. If you want a part to not play you have to take it out of arrange view. If you want to keep the part you're taking out (which I assume you do) you can drag back into the session view and stick it in a cell. To do that have to drag it, either to the top right view selection button or hit tab while dragging it, and then drop it in the session view somewhere. Be careful though because audio can go in any audio channel and midi can go in any midi channel so remember where it's supposed to go.

You have to imaging that the session view is like a palette. The arrange view is like a canvas. The session view is for ideas usually. You can either drag things between the two or you can record the session view into the arrangement view. Which you prefer. You can write things directly into the arrange view if you wish (I do that all the time).


One more thing that might throw you if you came from FL (which I did, and it threw me):

When you move something from the session view to the arrange view (or vice versa) you create a clone of it. Editing one won't effect the other. But they are still in the same channel so changes to effects and the instrument will effect both. This is at first a little weird but once you get used to it it is very useful.

 

[robbyrob305]

thanks for the heads up. This is the problem I am having, they say a picture is worth a thousand words so let me try to illustrate my problem.

these are all the clips I got going on right now.

when i press play all these clips play at the same time. Unless I solo one of the clips they will all play.

Now I am going to put my drum clip for example in the arrangement view to try to start a track for example.

now here you see all I have is the drums to start the track right? All the clips are playing right now in the arrangement view with just the drums there.. meaning all the clips you see on the first picture are playing in the arrangement view with just the drums placed in the arrangement view.

this has me going nuts!!

 

[MarcDHall]

What's in the session view can be played into the arrangement view but you have to press the record button at the top.

One of the ways to arrange a track in Live is to turn on and off clips in the session view and 'record' that into the arrangement view in real-time. The clip being faded out means that the arrange view isn't being played back to you. So once you get the arrangement recorded in you press the orange button (that tells Live that the arrangement is correct, Live then plays back from the Arrangement view instead and turns off the stuff in the Session view).

The idea is that you can use the session view to try things out (and also perform live) then record it into the arrange view whenever you want.