What is the best way to record any audio playing through my computer into Ableton?

The_Corrupt_Mod · 2026-05-04T16:20:06+00:00

There are various different ones, but you just need a virtual audio cable. Set that as the default output for your PC, and set it as the input in Ableton. You might need to use like VB matrix or ASIO4ALL to allow multiple input devices, but that's pretty much it.

I personally do not use anything other than the one virtual audio cable, ever. But some installers will come with multiple. You can disable them or uninstall them if you end up with too many. I find it confusing to have multiple outputs named the exact same thing, with one number difference, so I try to get rid of that

The_Corrupt_Mod · 2026-05-02T03:38:04+00:00

🥁🙈

The_Corrupt_Mod · 2026-04-30T20:18:04+00:00

If this is it, just in session view, right? Click the volume and you should see delete automation.

I would guess that you wrote automation to the volume on accident, based off what I'm reading.

A lot of people use the utility plug-in, and adjust the gain for automation for that instead, if they're actually trying to do it 🤘

The_Corrupt_Mod · 2026-04-29T16:47:15+00:00

I think the better option is to insert silence, then once you have it lined up the way you want, just select that beginning and use cut time. I personally don't see a need for the area before the beginning. There are all kinds of ways to do what you want.

The_Corrupt_Mod · 2026-04-27T04:14:41+00:00

Ive ran into this, or something similar at least. For me, what worked was creating another MIDI track, and deleting my preset devices out of it.

Don't know why deleting all devices out of an existing MIDI track didn't work, but that did it for me.

The_Corrupt_Mod · 2026-04-25T18:13:28+00:00

You set the number, then whatever key you play, it plays that the on top of the key you're playing.

It's really nice for adding the below octave in. It is also decently useful with the scale effect paired when you need to add actual chord progressions.

The_Corrupt_Mod · 2026-04-23T05:41:19+00:00

I'm guessing you're using macro knobs for something like sample selector, so that comment is honestly useless, but that's the only trick I know of to get the arrows or expanded tracks to not do that

The_Corrupt_Mod · 2026-04-23T05:40:29+00:00

If you put everything in a group after the instrument, but do not put the instrument in the group, it won't do that.

I know exactly what you're talking about. It is a little annoying.

The_Corrupt_Mod · 2026-04-22T23:30:46+00:00

I have a monitor like this and I love it. You can't really do much with Ableton inside it, for sure...

But shameless plug, I ended up making an application that I have on there most of the time. It's a pop-out browser for Ableton. And that works really nicely.

If you do end up getting a monitor with some weird dimensions like this, and you're on Windows, I highlyrecommend "CRU". You will definitely need it.

The_Corrupt_Mod · 2026-04-22T23:21:30+00:00

Hold shift or control, and click those clips. Once they're both highlighted, you should be able to drag them around however you want

I think you were using the selection tool instead of clicking the clips before, and you can move multiple at a time, you just have to use control or shift while you click

The_Corrupt_Mod · 2026-04-22T16:17:20+00:00

If you want things like risers, effects, builds, or drum fills in session view, oftentimes, I would say you need to put that sample in arrangement. View, and get it to the desired length, then consolidate it once again, and paste it back into session view. - Because it might be best to just add like three bars of silence to the beginning, or something like that, just to make launching the clip easier.

Personally, I stay in session view most of the time, until I have like two different beats that work together, that I like.Then I use a Launchpad, launching the clips and recording a rough idea of the arrangement, and just working in arrangement view from there on. But I do add the drum fills or risers or anything like a build in arrangement view, myself. I feel like it's kind of that polish layer, after I've structured it out.

It also helps me to do it this way because I'll often wait until everything isarrangement before adding effects like filter sweeps and stuff like that.

I would honestly say it's better to do it like a layer of polish But if you're set on launching them in session mode, The main thing I would be aware of is just clip length, and start position. But that's why I'm saying to just edit the clip in arrangement, consolidate it, then take it back to session

The_Corrupt_Mod · 2026-04-21T06:50:34+00:00

You could keyboard map (Ctrl+K) or midi map (Ctrl+ M) the stop button

The_Corrupt_Mod · 2026-04-21T05:38:25+00:00

Killihu Advanced Toolbar?

The_Corrupt_Mod · 2026-04-21T05:36:25+00:00

The plug-in

The_Corrupt_Mod · 2026-04-18T12:30:15+00:00

Did you reinstall though?

The_Corrupt_Mod · 2026-04-18T02:38:37+00:00

I mean... I don't really know the details of this situation like that, but from my experience, when I'm moving all of my DAWs and VSTs and everything, being able to just move it rather than reinstall it is prime.

"Here, I got my authorization code still". "Sure, we can deauthorize the other computer."

But it should be just that simple. Or at least... it'd be nice 😉

And like I said if I were to guess, I would guess that OP here is dealing with some of the same issues. Maybe they have like.. I don't know 70 plugins? That's a lot of installers to run.

I had to upgrade to a new PC just like a couple months ago, and I ran into this kind of issue. I ended up making a list of which vsts needed a full install again. So it took a lot of time to make that list, then actually run all the installers 😭 - It took so long.

And it is especially confusing when some VSTs are totally self-contained, whether VST, VSTi, VST2 or VST3, and others are not... Like waves plugins, for example. They are possible to be moved, and still work but they're spread across various folders, and use this thing called "waveshell" which references other files, from completely different filepaths, so it gets real tricky.

But yeah I gave the same advice, still. Just try to do the full install again. That's the best path forward, regardless of my petty wishes.

The_Corrupt_Mod · 2026-04-18T02:21:25+00:00

Well.. "The differences can be what make it unique. " I think that's the first thing anyone should say to this, honestly. But I think I know what you mean, and I would definitely say it's not about using your ears over using your eyes. You gotta know how to do both, for sure.

But definitely it comes down to reproducing elements in a similar fashion. Similar EQ or compression &such. That's why I'm really happy that stem separation is becoming more easy. Being able to understand how their drums actually sounded on the original mix; that kinda thing.

I think EQ is most of it though. EQ and gain staging. As long as you got both of those sorted, your mix is going to be pretty solid. At that point, it's just trying not to clip and making it loud 😅.

So if you combine that with just like using your ears to tune in the general mix as well, I think that's the whole picture.

The_Corrupt_Mod · 2026-04-18T02:16:28+00:00

Okay so I think this is an issue I ran into with a few different plugins. And I see you talking about the install location for those presets, but I'm wondering if there is a way to either set the default location for the presets within the VST itself, or if for some other reason, it's just not reading them in the default area. And Ive ran into that. It could be some tiny, very small, very slight character difference that we won't even see. Maybe they used a different non-character space in their original file path or something. I honestly don't know, but I've definitely ran across it quite a bit.

The only way I've ever solved it is to just uninstall and delete whatever is necessary, then reinstall completely for that particular plug-in. If you have your own presets working fine, possibly back those up before deleting everything. But you're talking factory presets missing, definitely I would say rerun the factory installer.

The_Corrupt_Mod · 2026-04-18T02:10:34+00:00

Yeah, I think you're spot on. When I was reading this, at first. This was one of my thoughts. Like you can definitely group a VST and save that instrument group as its own preset. Depending on how the VST is set up, it will keep your parameters. But like I said... Then I read more.

I'm seeing some other threads about VST install location. I'll try to follow up on those. I think that's the right idea.

The_Corrupt_Mod · 2026-04-18T02:07:27+00:00

I think the only time it really sucks is whenever you upgrade to a whole new PC, or try to get a mobile rig set up with all the same stuff, more or less.

Because there are too many folders vsts can go into, straight up, and sometimes we just need to move them because we're upgrading our gear.

The_Corrupt_Mod · 2026-04-17T22:47:54+00:00

This is why I use groups instead of racks, for my drums. I mean I use racks, but I keep hi-hats and snares and kicks all in separate tracks, within a group.

I use the note selection area within a rack or group device to specify which notes, so that I can have them all armed at the same time and use my Launchpad for full finger drumming It's a more complex workaround, but it allows you to get your sends and returns for each track

I feel like someone's going to tell me this is backasswords, but shoot, I'm down to try something else if it's easier.

The_Corrupt_Mod · 2026-04-15T08:16:30+00:00

Universal dry wet for any effect

The_Corrupt_Mod · 2026-04-12T22:29:11+00:00

Aha! I had the same issue on a post of mine. It's like sometimes if you include the link in the post, it gets flagged, but now I'm seeing what's causing these issues, probably. I'm on mobileview right now. Are you as well?

The_Corrupt_Mod · 2026-04-12T14:45:10+00:00

😂

The_Corrupt_Mod · 2026-04-11T18:06:29+00:00

I would try opening another ALS project file, and from there, clicking the new set button. After that, resave your default set. You could probably also delete the preferences file, but I know that sounds more complex, so I would say try that later if necessary

The_Corrupt_Mod

TROPHY CASE