These tips will greatly increase your production efficiency. This section includes several organizational ideas for samples, virtual instruments, and songs. It includes example hierarchical structures for sample and VST folders.

The tutorial covers:

1. Saving and Organizing Virtual Instrument & Effect Presets
2. 2 Methods of Saving Ableton Live Presets (includes illustrations)
3. Organizing Your Samples (includes huge example sample structure)
4. Organizing Your Plug-Ins Into Folders (includes example VST structure)
5. Organizing Your Songs

This tutorial covers the most popular drum machines for dance music. This section includes layering tips, drum machine photos, and VST and Audio Unit plugin recommendations.

Includes audio examples from:

• Marvin Gaye
• Cassius
• Dr. Dre
• Dazz Band
• Daft Punk
• Madonna

This tutorial reveals the bass sequencing techniques used by Daft Punk in Around The World. An audio example and a MIDI file are provided for reference. Each section of the bass line is transcribed and shown in images taken from a piano roll sequencer. Pitch bends and timing information are included. Six bass sequencing tips are explained and summarized based on the notation.

The Ableton Live tutorial explains how to blend an affected signal with an unaffected signal without a gain increase. This technique is useful for Ableton Live 5 and older users who don’t have access to Racks. The knowledge in this lesson is useful for understanding the applications of phase inversion.

This tutorial reveal how to construct a kick drum from several different sample layers. The anatomy of a kick drum is analyzed and decomposed into 3 separate parts. Each part’s purpose is explained and style tips are provided.

Then, the lesson demonstrates how to build a kick drum using Ableton Live and SonicTransfer DrumStack. Every keyboard shortcut and mouse click is documented. The steps shown are:

1. MIDI Setup
2. Loading the Samples
3. Sound Design
4. Further Experimentation

This lesson discusses the applications of distortion in contemporary electronic music. Plugin recommendations are provided. Ableton Live tips are also included.

The topics covered are:

1. What Is Audio Distortion?
2. Who Uses Distortion?
3. Using Distortion In House Music
4. Setting Up the Audio Track
5. Setting Up the Return Track
6. Using Voxengo Boogex

A first of its kind, this dictionary contains over 75 key electronic music production terms. Each term has links to other related lessons. It is a quick and easy way to learn the music production vocabulary.

This Ableton Live tutorial demonstrates the benefits of using the Utility plug-in to control dynamics. Illustrations of proper and improper technique are shown for reference.

This tutorial discusses using plugins to create rhythmic gating. Two VST recommendations are provided. An extremely useful Ableton Live rhythmic gating tip is provided by Chris from RTHM. A synthesizer gating tip is included.

This Ableton Live lesson shows how to quickly introduce swing to MIDI and clips, as well sequence off the grid. Step-by-step instructions are provided in addition to keyboard shortcuts.

This tutorial demonstrates how to use the SonicTransfer Drum Extraction Tools to remove drum hits from house, techno, and trance drumloops. General drum mixing tips are provided. The Drum Extraction Tools are only available for Ableton Live 6 and newer. Covers the Kick Extractor, Hihat Extractor, and Snare Extractor (with illustration).

This lesson provides several kick drum and bass mixing tips. Includes specific target frequencies for your kick and bass. It discusses two schools of thought regarding the EQ of kick and bass. Discusses the importance of 808 bass and sub bass in dance music.

Provides tips for or examples of:

• Compression
• Multi-band Compression
• Distortion
• Bass Stereo Smoothing
• Submixing
• Side Chain Compression

This tutorial demonstrates how to synthesize a kick drum from scratch using a synthesizer. This is an essential skill for every electronic music producer. Several illustrations and examples are provided so you can follow along during the process.

The topic include:

1. Starting Fresh
2. Getting the Tone
3. Amp It Up
4. Final Filtering

This lesson provides several options for making samples from scratch. Discusses the power of focusing on one sample at a time, recording live percussion to enhance dance music, the benefits and drawbacks of sampling virtual instruments, and re-editing royalty free material.

This section covers arrangement and editing techniques used by dance music producers.

Topics include:

• Creating space
• Fills
• Triplets
• Reversing Notes
• Timestretching Notes
• Repitching Notes
• Panning Notes
• Note Effect Automation
• Drawbacks of Manual Editing

This mixing lesson discusses ear fatigue and fader technique. A general mixing style is covered. Benefits of appropriate listening levels are discussed. The effects of the Fletcher-Munson Curve are related to mixing.

This important tutorial discusses the techniques to create excellent stereo fields in dance music. The two primary methods of stereo creation are discussed. The Haas Effect is explained. The SonicTransfer Haas Effect Ableton Live Rack is introduced. The importance of mono mixing and mixing pitfalls are covered. Techniques for correcting the stereo image are discussed, and Ableton Live examples are provided. Creating a stereo effect through the use of EQ is discussed, including a brief lesson in accomplishing this using Ableton Live.

This tutorial outlines the use of nearly-subliminal delay to increase space in a mix. An drum mixing example is provided. After the example, 7 delay mixing tips are included.

Several ideas for improving the Orange Vocoder sound are revealed. Additional vocoder theory is introduced and explained.

This method covers some of the quasi-legal methods of obtaining samples. Discusses 5 popular methods of obtaining acapellas, the use of breaks in dance music, and sampling in popular culture.

This section includes five sample CD manufacturer recommendations.

This lesson covers the art of sample digging. Topics include:

• The best kinds of material to sample
• Sources of free samples
• Software for retuning samples
• The benefits of sampling with an external audio editor
• Audio editor recommendations

This popular house music technique is demonstrated, analyzed, and thoroughly explained using step-by-step instructions. Several illustrations are included for clarity. Plug-In recommendations are also provided.

The topics covered are:

1. What Does Sidechaining Do?
2. How Does Sidechaining Work?
3. Setting Up the Audio Tracks
4. Setting Up the Compressor
5. Tweaking the Compression Settings

Audio examples are provided by:

• Daft Punk
• Thomas Bangalter

The section discusses the benefits and drawbacks to using a sampler or drum machine to chop up and resequence your samples. Discusses an efficient method of doing this in Ableton Live. Covers REX file advantages.

The lesson covers the benefits and drawbacks to using REX file to resequence audio. Discusses the similarities to MPC-based production.

This tutorial covers a bit of popular music theory, and then provides a template song structure (with illustration).

Topics include:

• The Problem Most Amateur Producers Have
• Song Division
• Song Structure Terminology
• A Basic Pattern
• Verse I
• Chorus I
• Verse II
• Chorus II
• Bridge
• Chorus III
• Intro
• Outtro

The tutorial covers sub bass use in house, breaks, and drum n bass. This lesson defines sub bass, shows a sub bass tone on a spectral analyzer (illustration), covers mixing sub bass into your songs, demonstrates how to program a fat sub bass using Synth1, and provides 4 sub bass improvement tips.

Includes audio examples from:

• The Prodigy
• Cassius
• Goldie

This lesson discussing the benefits of submixing during your mixing phase. A step-by-step Ableton submixing guide is provided (with illustration). The guide demonstrates using submixing to improve side chain compression.

This Ableton Live tutorial demonstrates recording synthesizer sounds into the Impulse Drum Machine. An illustration is provided for clarity. Covers recording the synthesizer and loading the synth drums into the Impulse.

This tutorial covers granular timestretching in a sampler. Sampler-generic instructions are included. After that, an Ableton-specific guide is included with illustrations.

Include audio examples from:

• BT
• The Prodigy

This tutorial shows how rhythmic gating can be used to quickly generate trance bass and lead patterns. Illustrations are provided that demonstrate the effect on the audio waveform. Both general and Ableton Live specific instructions are included.

The topics covered are:

1. What Does Gating Do?
2. How Does Rhythmic Gating Work?
3. Rhythmic Gating Using Volume Envelopes
4. Ableton Live Instructions

Audio examples are provided by:

• Paul Van Dyk
• Astral Projection

This Ableton Live lesson covers how to quickly incorporate VST plug-ins into your set. General VST terminology is discussed. Several illustrations are provided that demonstrate the techniques.

The topics covered are:

1. Finding Your VST Plug-Ins
2. Adding VST Effects to Tracks
3. Adding VST Instruments to Tracks

This tutorial covers the theory and applications of synthesizer vibrato. Vibrato is an essential synthesizer programming technique and can dramatically increase the effect of your patches. This lesson explains several ways to create synthesizer vibrato. Several illustrations are included.

The topics discussed are:

1. What Is Vibrato?
2. Using Synthesizer Vibrato
3. Synth Vibrato Method 1: LFO
4. Synth1 Vibrato Using LFO
5. Synth Vibrato Method 2: Pitch Bend

Audio examples are provided by:

• Jamiroquai
• Syke ‘n’ Sugarstarr & Alexandra Prince
• Grandmaster Flash & the Furious 5
• Daft Punk

Vocoders provide a distinctive and popular electronic music effect. This lesson provides you with everything you need to know to create a wicked vocoder sound. Plug-In recommendations and several illustrations are included.

Topics covered are:

1. Vocoder Background
2. Vocoder Basics
3. Modulation Signal Preparation
4. Carrier Signal Preparation
5. Vocoder Preparation
6. Audio Routing

Audio examples are provided by:

• Transformers
• Mr Roboto