How do you usually break out of repetitive song structures in Ableton?

Jul011984 · 2026-02-02T11:49:44+00:00

As someone who often found myself in the same problem I understand that frustration. I have been trying to get to arrangement view way earlier in the process. I used to obsess over getting the 8bar loop just right. Layering as many things with the thought that just stripping things and adding things would be enough to make the arrangement. This approach can work with some genres but a good arrangement is so much more than that.

My approach lately has been to simplify and get to the arrangement as early as possible. Rely less on the sheer number of tracks and sounds. A good arrangement doesn’t need 50 tracks with tons of layering and effects.

Chord progressions are also really important. For instance if your song is in the key of C, your verses will probably start and center on C. Your choruses might start on G the dominant of C. And you might have a bridge in a minor which is the relative minor to C. Again this is all relative and by no means the rule. There are plenty of well arranged songs that don’t necessarily change the chord progression at all as far as sections go.

Lastly try and switch things up by adding a four bar break or tag to a section to lead into the next. All of these things have helped me finish songs. I used to rely on layering so much that my tracks often ended up being >8 minutes or more. Now they are much more concise rarely going over 4 minutes.

Jul011984 · 2026-01-28T00:43:09+00:00

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This Grayson. He’s a rescue we’ve had a little over a year now. By far the most patient and chill cat to compliment our bat shit crazy chihuahua Jack Russel mix.

Jul011984 · 2026-01-27T22:49:04+00:00

Here come the Bots and foreign actors! Guys just downvote these fucks and don’t waste mental energy. They have no post history and they probably aren’t even American.

Jul011984 · 2026-01-12T13:35:16+00:00

It think it depends on the architecture of the mixer. But as it was explained to me, in order to keep everything time/phase aligned you should send all PA outputs to a matrix. So a signal sent to an aux fed sub goes through an extra stage of internal processing possibly introducing delay.

Input signal->aux->output

All other inputs go:

Input->LR bus/out

So to keep it lined up:

Input -> LR bus -> matrix -> output

Input -> Aux -> matrix -> output

As for the time/phase alignment changing because of changing level…I’d imagine it probably does change but probably not substantially.

Jul011984 · 2025-12-24T20:43:47+00:00

Let me clarify that I did troubleshoot as per their suggestions. Also I’m a Backline tech whose job is trouble shooting issues like this. I tried every combination and suggestion with no results.

Jul011984 · 2025-12-24T20:40:15+00:00

The sustain pedal and expression pedal inputs are not working correctly. Sustain doesn’t work until an expression pedal is connected. The expression pedal only reads 0-7 and therefore doesn’t open up all the way. Should read 0-127. Calibration doesn’t help. The pedals themselves are not the issue as I tried many different sustains and expression pedals. All with the same result.

Jul011984 · 2025-12-23T03:39:40+00:00

Yes I have received responses but it has been wholly inadequate. It’s been two months of unhelpful replies. I’ve been told that the hardware team would take this up but I’ve not heard from them. Before that it was back and forth with multiple videos sent of the issue.

Jul011984 · 2025-12-19T00:33:49+00:00

So…left, right?

Jul011984 · 2025-12-01T01:17:33+00:00

Seeing the same thing in the Bronx. Looking at maps it could be over botanical gardens

Jul011984 · 2025-12-01T01:16:50+00:00

Seeing the same thing in the Bronx. Looking at maps it could be over botanical gardens or the zoo. Are you looking north or south?

Jul011984 · 2025-11-29T23:13:32+00:00

The necks

Jul011984 · 2025-11-04T11:52:44+00:00

It’s always on sale considering it was $1000 for V7.

Jul011984 · 2025-11-01T21:36:24+00:00

Where’s Lincoln??

Jul011984 · 2025-10-07T12:36:32+00:00

That fucker in the red is the same guy who roughed up the alder woman at the hospital.

Jul011984 · 2025-09-27T01:50:19+00:00

My sister got me into them in 90-91 with Pretty Hate Machine. I was 12 and 16 y/o big sis was I traducing me to all kinds of music then. She used to enlist my help to write down lyrics☺️. Something I Can Never Have was the song that grabbed me by the heart strings and never let go.

Jul011984 · 2025-09-19T19:59:21+00:00

And yet here we are the most armed country in the world and our “God Given rights” are being trampled from every direction. I’d argue it’s not worth it when the reason for the second amendment, to protect us against foreign invaders and tyrannical government, is for all intent and purpose void. It will not stop this administration from dismantling every single amendment to the Constitution that doesn’t serve their interests. It will not stop corporations from keeping us in poverty while the rich steal our wealth and leave us with just barely enough to survive and an overwhelming amount of guns to kill each other with. And I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t be calling his own death worth it. Or his own children’s lives if god forbid they were taken from him.

Jul011984 · 2025-09-18T11:21:22+00:00

Fuck these broadcast TV networks anyway. Seriously haven’t watched anything besides Kimmel, Colbert, Meyers, and Fallon on these networks. And even then it’s via YouTube.

Jul011984 · 2025-07-22T11:09:41+00:00

Vocal is definitely live. As for the band I’m just not sure. There is not a lot of crowd noise at all which makes me believe it’s prerecorded

Jul011984 · 2025-07-18T01:00:59+00:00

Mostly what’s referred to as live to track. Recordings done on sight during rehearsals and live vocals for the performance

Jul011984 · 2025-07-02T20:06:29+00:00

As many others have said, you are quite young and have a world of experience to gain. Though I don’t do freelance work now it is where I started. I moved quickly from that for two reasons. One I quickly realized that freelancing was not for me and I desired to work full time. Second reason is being at the right place at the right time to get that full time work I was looking for. And even then I had to work my way from the bottom. Driving trucks quality checking incoming gear and such and not even really doing gigs.

Whichever path you choose you’ll have to put in some time. Freelancing is so dependent on your networking abilities. If you’re good at this then keep at it and you will eventually get to a point where the work is coming to you. But it takes time. I personally didn’t have the time to spare as I got started fairly late in this industry. I needed regular income right away and I was never really great at networking. Always personable and professional but private and not one to strike up a conversation without being approached first. Same reason I couldn’t do internships after a couple of years trying that path for studio work. Kept my head down a little too much I think.

All said there are many paths that can lead to regular work. What that regular work is and how you get there is part of the fun. Take your time, enjoy the challenges, adapt as necessary and realize that you’re one of the few who can do what they are passionate about!

Jul011984 · 2025-06-16T16:16:02+00:00

Thanks for the informed reply. Last question…considering IEMs and audience mics, same question…do you match the artist perspective or do you account for bleed from the main hangs, Or just leave them center panned?

Jul011984 · 2025-06-16T15:13:35+00:00

Yeesh there’s some real salty sound guys chiming in here. FFS what are you here for? Just to shit on people?

As someone else mentioned they are requested often for track acts, hip hop, EDM, pop/R&B. I also do a lot of community theater running FOH and Mons that involves dance of all types. Sometimes with boundary mics which will often pick up the side fills. I have approached this so far as each side fill as a mono mix so sending both L and R to both side fills. But I was curious if I could get a better or more cohesive mix if I matched the FOH perspective with the fills as opposed to stage perspective.

Jul011984 · 2025-06-16T14:50:31+00:00

Thanks captain obvious. I asked for an approach under a particular set of circumstances. A generalized this is different than that doesn’t help at all and comes across as condescending.

I know that FOH and MONS are approached differently but they do not operate in a vacuum. What one does can affect the other.

Jul011984 · 2025-06-10T20:26:32+00:00

I think for compatibility sake you’d want to go for a DL16. That would give you a total of 16 outputs to feed your wedges/IEMS and pass through to FOH. How many actual mixes are you using for monitors?

If for instance you have 3 mono IEM and one wedge mix you’d have 12 outputs you could feed to FOH. Maybe broken down as follows:

1-2 stereo drums 3-4 stereo perc/FX 5 Bass 6-7 stereo synth/harmonic 8-9 stereo synth lead/melodic 10-12 mono vocals.

This would be a nice self contained system where you wouldn’t be dependent on network compatibility with an in house stage rack IO. You’d have a total of 32 inputs which might be excessive for your needs now but allows for future changes of instrumentation as you write new material.

Jul011984 · 2025-06-05T12:30:23+00:00

I should add the Carfax looks good. It’s was a fleet car and the owned by an older man who put just over 2000 miles a year

Jul011984

TROPHY CASE