Ableton Operator Use Help?

TheGiRatina

New member
Don't know if this is the right place to post in, but I need help with understanding Ableton's Operator so I can work better on it.
I just don't understand how it works, with the A B C D and the coarse and fine bars. Does anyone know, or know a link where I can find the answers?
 
Here's a little video with some stuff but the basic idea is that ABCD are all creating sounds that are smashed together. The controls on the right side allow you to edit the sounds after they're smashed together. I recommend only have one of them on to start (click B, C, and D so they're turned off) and just messing with the different options for envelops and filters. After that, start trying to combine them little by little to make more complex sounds...

 
I recommend only have one of them on to start (click B, C, and D so they're turned off) and just messing with the different options for envelops and filters. After that, start trying to combine them little by little to make more complex sounds...

The B, C & D operators actully have their volume down to zero by default, so turning them off doesn't actually do anything at this point :) I think going straight to the filter/envelope section is kind of missing the point of Operator, because while the majority of synths use what's called subtractive synthesis, the Operator uses a method called frequency modulation synthesis (or "FM" for short). Learning to combine the A/B/C/D operators (they're technically oscillators, but thanks to Yamaha, they're called "operators" on FM synths...) is the whole point of this thing - if you just use the filters and envelopes, you're just using it as a regular subtractive synth - not that they're not there to be used, just that there are far more interesting options on that front.

Also: FM is fucking hard compared to regular subtractive stuff - it just isn't very intuitive in the same way, and changing the operator routing will produce often some unexpected results, for example. Just saying that this is definitely not the first time someone's been slightly intimidated by the mysteries of frequency modulation :)

Btw, there's loads of informatin in Live's own manual regarding Operator, even if it doesn't directly teach you how to use it. I'd still read it first.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top