One of the biggest questions from Worship Leaders just starting out using loops is, “Who should trigger our loops”? Should it be the drummer? After all there’s a lot of percussive sounds, it’s a drum loop…he should probably do it? But then again he’s got a lot to manage, and is using drum sticks. It should probably be the electric guitarist then right? Well..he’s got a lot to manage too. Switching pedals, and he’s already busy using his hands to play guitar and count the lines on the staff to find out what that one note is. Good, Boys, Do, Fine.. F.. It’s an F#!
So it looks like it’s you, Mr or Mrs. Worship Leader. You’re perfect to do. You know the arrangements you can troubleshoot things if they go wrong, and you can go wherever you want in the arrangement, right? Perfect it’s settled, the Worship Leader should launch the loops. You’ve got nothing else to do besides:
Remember the Words
Remember the Melody
Remember the Chords
Lead the band
Lead the People
Play your Instrument
Oh.. and actually Lead Worship. Why not add one more thing to your plate?
So who should launch the loops in your band.
Here is a definite answer for you:
It all depends
There’s no coverall answer but here’s a few things to consider as you’re trying to decide who is best to trigger your loops:
Who knows the software best?
If you have a drummer who is a computer programmer, he’d probably be the best person to trigger the loops. Sure he may have to put down his sticks, but he’d likely learn the software better (or already know it better) then your guitarist. Invest in training your team on how to best use your software of choice. Purchase an online instruction course, buy a book, or send them to a conference.
Consider the unlikely candidate
Why doesn’t your sound guy trigger the loops? He’s not on stage but he’s the closest to the ultimate destination for the loops- the soundboard. Sure it may make repeating a section a little difficult, but it could work. If you’ve got your set programmed out with transitions and all, you could easily have them start the sequence and stop it at the end.
Could one of your singers trigger the loops? Maybe they aren’t the “lead” worship leader, but could they be the one to trigger each song, or start and stop songs/loops?
The Younger the better
Just because someone is young doesn’t mean they’ll automatically be great at launching loops but your odds are better pulling from the youth group then pulling from the senior quilting ministry. After all there’s a generation of kids that have grown up playing guitar hero. Teaching them to push a few buttons on a APC Controller isn’t that far of a stretch. You won’t have to convince them that it’s music or that it can add a lot to the band, they already know that and believe it. Give a youth group kid a chance to participate with the “adult” band and add a new sound.
The one who makes the loops
If at all possible have the person who makes the loops be the one who triggers the loops. This way if there’s an arrangement tweak that needs to be made they can quickly do it. The more familiar the person is with the loops and the set, the better. Either way don’t let Sunday morning be the first time your loop launcher sees the set and songs. They should be rehearsing triggering the loops before stepping on stage.
The most seasoned performer gets the gig
One of the biggest causes of onstage mistakes is nerves. The person who triggers the loops probably shouldn’t be someone who just started playing in your Worship Band. They should be comfortable with your band, how your church does things, and the songs. If they’re comfortable in your environment then they’ll probably welcome a change and challenge. They’ll be able to handle the heat and try something new.
Here’s a few things that will help whoever you decide to trigger the loops:
Keep things as simple as possible. You probably shouldn’t be triggering alot of things, unless you’ve got a dedicated loop person. Things should be pretty planned out, and prepared beforehand. Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse. Even loop tranistions and arrangements.
Buy a Controller. Having an APC40 or a Softstep will help your loop person better integrate the concept of loops into their band. Although Ableton Live allows you to use just your computer and make it an instrument, adding a controller of some sort will help you better connect with the idea of loops.
So the big question is… Who triggers the loops in your band?
Sure.. Ableton Live is great at playing back loops and tracks, and hosting your favorite keyboard sounds, but did you also know it’s an excellent page turner? Yep.. You can setup Ableton Live to automatically turn the pages of your chart, to follow your music. It’s pretty simple to to actually. You can use Scorecerer an app available on the iPad to do it for you. It only requires a few simple setup steps.
Scorecer is a $10 app for iPad but it’s also available as a lite version for free! Imagaine the possibilities of using this app.
Live can automatically call up your chart depending where you are in your setlist.
Live can automatically turn your pages depending on where you are in your song
Live call call up lyrics hosted on your iPad and have them follow along with a click or your loops. Simple Confidence monitor anyone?
I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m assuming you can use multiple iPads at once. Imagine the possibilities now:
iPad 1= Page 1, iPad 2=Page 2. Have live switch pages on both at the proper time. iPad 1=Page 2, iPad 2= Page 3…more like a realistic music reading experience.
Have Live call up the proper charts for all your band members iPads. Again.. I haven’t tested with multiple iPads yet, but imagine having all your band members charts magically pop up on the same song at the same time. This would make playing with music effortless and completely hands-free. This would be fun for the whole band!
Want to see it in action? Check out the video below:
Are you considering purchasing Ableton Live? You probably have a lot of questions before then. Check out our list of the 5 biggest misconceptions about Live before you make any decisions. If you’d rather view this in video form, check out the video below.
1) It’s only for Mac
False. Ableton Live is cross platform. This means it’s available for both Mac and PC. If you’re a PC guy and think you’ve got to wait till you can upgrade to a mac to use live… you don’t! Start using it now. I even know people that are running it successfully on a small netbook computer. If you’re a diehard Pc guy (shh… your secret is safe with me) you can start using it now, and continue to use it on your PC without needed to go to a Mac.
2) It Costs $800
Okay.. so this one is partially true. There is a version of Live that costs $799, but there are currently 3 versions of Ableton Live Available. Ableton Live Intro, Ableton Live 8, and Ableton Live Suite. Intro costs $99 and is an incredibly powerful DAW for only $100. Ableton Live 8 is only $499 and removes the few limitations of Intro. Ableton Live Suite is the Macdaddy version at $799. It includes instruments like Sampler, and Operator (my favorite synthesizer). Guess what though… I’ve used Live for over 8 years and didn’t start using Suite till 2 years ago! Intro is a great start, and Live 8 is a perfectly suitable DAW for Recording, Sequencing and Playback!
3) I need a lot of extra stuff
You may be under the misconception that you need an audio interface, a MIDI controller, and a external hard drive to use Ableton Live. If so…it’s not true. Sure all those things will help, but you can get start now. Computers are now powerfully enough that you can use the internal drive to run your tracks and loops off of. If you’re a die-hard audio user, you may want to get a external, but for most people their internal drive is enough. You don’t need an Audio Interface initially either. Start by running out of your headphone jack on your computer. Sure.. there are good, better, and best ways to run loops and use live, but you don’t need to break the bank when you’re first starting out.
4) Intro isn’t enough
If you buy intro, won’t you be throwing away your money if you later upgrade to Live 8? Nope. Buying Intro is investing $100 into the future purchase of Live 8. You’ll be able to upgrade to Live 8 (or suite for that matter) without losing that initial $100 investment. So you can start with Into and when you feel like you’ve outgrown it you can upgrade for cheaper. There’s no fear in going ahead with Intro!
5) It’s too difficult to learn
“We use an iPod now. Going to Live is going to be a big transition… a lot to learn. I think it’s too difficult”. Out of all the DAW’s I’ve worked with Ableton Live has been the easiest to use. That’s probably why I’ve stuck with it for so long. Sure if you’re coming from Protools or Logic, a few things may be odd to you, but once you learn the “language the software speaks”, you’ll be good. Live has a very well written manual, and their support staff is great. There are tons of websites (like ours) that offer training, free and paid, and lots of Youtube videos available as well. I often tell people, if you’re drummer can press 1,2,3,4,5 for Song 1-5 and spacebar for stop.. he can use Ableton Live. It’s that simple!
So there you have it. I’ve found those to be the 5 most common mistakes people make about Ableton Live. What misconceptions have you seen? Are you looking to Purchase Live and still have questions? Drop by our support page and drop us a line!
Tis the Season, right? Nothing like Celebrating our Saviors birth by working everyday in December and losing your mind all in the name of Christmas Pageants and Performances. All Worship Leaders everywhere, rejoice in knowing we all feel your pain, we’ll make it though! If you’re struggling to try and find what should be put on your Christmas list, or if you’re struggling to try and find what’s best to get your Worship Leader, we’re here to help!
Ableton Live
You’d be hard-pressed to find someone that would tell you there’s anything better for Live Playback of Loops/Tracks. There’s never been a better time to upgrade to Ableton Live. Until January 15th Ableton is offering 20% off of all purchase or upgrades to Ableton Live. If you’re a Ableton Intro user and you’re looking to upgrade to Live 8 or Suite, now’s the time to do it.
If you’re interested in Purchasing or Upgrading Ableton Live contact us directly and we’ll get you a price quote!
If you’ve already got Live we’d suggest adding a few of our Tools into the mix. If you’re looking for a flexible click solution check out Foundations. If you’re looking for simple loops that you can use to build your own loops & tracks or something simple to add another dynamic to your band, check out Elements. If you’re a keyboardist or you’re looking for better Synth Pad sounds to use in Ableton Live check out Textures. Pair Textures with ourTextures Toolkit to get the ultimate keys rig in Ableton Live! If you get textures between now and December 31st you’ll get Textures Toolkit for free!
Softstep
If you’re a Worship Leader looking that uses loops, you’ve got a lot on your hands, so why not use you’re feet! The most flexible, innovative controller available now is the Softstep from Keith Mcmillian Instruments.It’s a Multi-touch footcontroller which means you can use each pad on it to do multiple functions if you want. It’s bus-powered , which means there’s no need for a power cable. You can plug it straight into your computer and start using it now with Ableton Live or you can pair it with the included Software to get even more control.
Looking to get it? We’ve got a few in stock so pick up one now! Just contact us and we’ll get you a quote!
iPad
If you don’t already have a iPad then it’s probably on your list already. Even if you’re one of those people that claims an iPad is useless…there’s no real use for it, you still want one! I’ve put mine to alot of use lately. In fact it’s hard for me to imagine getting by without it. Sure, that sounds quite dramatic…but not far from the truth. The “instant on” aspect of the iPad is simply un-replacable. The ability to have all your charts, all your notes, emails, etc easily accessible is invaluable to any busy Worship Leader. It’s ability to capture ideas for Songwriters, to control Ableton Live, Pro-Presenter or your favorite DAW will allow you tons of power and flexibiity in your setup.
The best gift to give someone who’s got everything Mac, is iTunes Match. Itunes Match is simple, fast, and will give you access to all your music across all your Mac devices. You can download or stream all your music to your iPhone or iPad and you’ll even get access to music you haven’t purchased from the itunes store. iTunes match is a bit of Apple’s version of Spotify.
I know alot of people really love Spotify, but I haven’t fallen in love yet. I’ve spent a few days trying it out but, Spotify doesn’t have the one thing that will keep me locked into the Apple Eco-System for a while..Seamless Integration. With solutions like iTunes match I can get access to my Music on all my Apple devices. It’s on my Mac, iPad, iPhone, and my Apple TV. And my wife has access to it on her iPhone and Mac as well. If your Worship Leader is a Mac-head, or a wanna-be Mac head, Itunes Match is the perfect gift.
How do you gift it to them? Buy them a $25 iTunes gift card. It will give them a 1 year subscription to iTunes Match. It’s the gift that keeps on giving all year around!
What’s on your Christmas list? What are you hoping you’ll get?
Posted by Will on Dec 2, 2011 in Gear | Comments Off
Jeremy Bush (aka Bwack) from the David Crowder Band posted a video on Youtube a few days ago showing his most recent loop/electronic setup. It’s pretty cool. Drum Triggers, Ableton Live, lots of fun stuff to make noise with. If you haven’t seen the video yet check it out above and come on back and we’ll spend a few minutes discussing some aspects. What can we learn from it?
While you’re here, make sure you check out our interview with Bwack from earlier this year. It’s killer! Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.
Ableton is Pretty Powerful
Bwack is a prime example of someone who is really using Ableton for a lot of really powerful, cool things. Most of us see it for simply loop and track playback (which it’s incredibly powerful at) but it’s also a killer host for Keys sounds, and it’s great to automatically call up presets deepending on where you are in the song or what song you’re on. Bwack shows us how he has sounds pulled up depending on the song. This is a great example of letting Live do the heavy lifting so you can just play. He does this using MIDI clips and loading sounds into an Instrument Rack, or in his case a Drum Rack. Those MIDI clips are automated to call up select presets when they’re selected. If you want more info on how to do this we talk about this in our Using Ableton Live for Worship Course.
Add Freedom in your Set
Multiple times in the Crowder set, Bwack triggers an intro clip and then triggers the full song clip separately. What’s nice about this is it gives the band some time to vamp on the intro, or to hang on a chord and then they can crank into the full song when they’re ready. One of the most akward things about using loops is the dreaded speaking intro. If before the song you want to speak you’ve got to calculate how many measures you have left before you come in. This isn’t going to allow you to have the smoothest sounding intro. You’ll be stressed and probably stumble over your words, and worst case scenario you’ll have to wrap it up really quick.
The way Bwack does this is by Slicing up his Loops. He separates the intro and the rest of the song. There’s no need for most people to slice up an entire song into sections but separating your intro and the rest of the loop will give you tons of freedom. Using Live allows you to take advantage of the Global Quanitzation feature and your loop can come in right on 1. You don’t have to try and trigger it perfectly..it locks it in for you!
Play as much of the loop as you can
One of the biggest takeaways from this video is that Bwack (and the rest of the Crowder Band) play as much of the loop as they can. Sure.. Bwack is a self proclaimed geek, so he’s might do things a little more complex…but they’re making the idea/concept of loops more interesting. They are playing beats that would typically be in the song. Instead of playing drums on top of a loop that already has drum parts, he’s not playing kit and simply playing the beats. The rest of the band is adding in a lot of synth stuff that would typically be added into the loop. This is a great way to get the rest of your band involved and to help make you and your band feel like you’re playing WITH loops and not TO loops.
Start Somewhere
Maybe a bit of discouragement happens when you watch this video. You want to get into using loops but you have NO idea where to start. Surely your band won’t be playing electronic drum beats anytime soon. You don’t know how to setup up drum triggers, or an Ableton set.. so you’re probably a bit discouraged. Don’t be. Don’t compare yourself now to where Bwack is now. Remember he started just like the rest of us, trying to figure out how to use loops. He started somewhere.. but the important part is..he started. You should do the same. Start where you are with what you have.
This is a killer video showing a really cool Ableton setup! Watch it a few more times and see if you can figure out how he’s doing what he’s doing. If you want to really dive into Ableton check out our Ableton for Worship Course. If you have questions about how to best integrate ableton into your set, drop us a note via our Support Request and we’ll see how we can help.
Posted by Will on Nov 30, 2011 in Chatter | Comments Off
Who doesn’t love new stuff? As you may of noticed..we updated the look of the site…actually “updating” the site is a bit of a understatement..it’s more of a complete over-haul! Here’s a quick look at the most important upgrades.
New Community Features
You might miss it at the first look but the biggest update we’ve made to the site is including a brand new community section. We’ve tightly integrated our Support Section now. We’ve built up a good amount of Support Articles that correspond to questions people have asked, and/or basic info you need to know when working with one of our Products. You also have the ability to submit a support request ticket. This is now the fastest, easiest way to get in touch with us. We’re also working on a Frequently Asked Questions area that will be included here as well.
We know have a official Loops in Worship Forum! This has been part of the plan since the beginning and we finally felt like it was the right time to roll it out. We wanted to create a community for people to talk about loops, using loops, technology in worship, all in a place with people that are knowledgeable and know what they’re talking about. It’s in the beginning stages so we’ll be tweaking a bit, adding more categories, potentially tweaking the layout…but its there and ready for you to join in on the conversation!
Textures Toolkit now Available
We’ve been ranting and raving about the Textures Toolkit for a few weeks. We put together a collection of Videos on Youtube to showcase it and the response has been great. Well.. it’s now currently available for purchase! You have a chance of getting it for free though until December 31st. If you purchase Textures anytime between now and December 31st it’s automatically included in your purchase! After December 31st Textures Toolkit will go back to its normal price, so move fast! If you want more info then check out the Textures Toolkit Page.
There’s actually a lot more on the way. We’ll be adding a new feature to the Community page that you’re really going to enjoy. We’re revamping our Training to make it more accessible. We’ve got a new Elements Collection to release (more on that soon!), and we’ve got some product updates on the way as well (Foundations 2.0…anyone?). A lot is in the works and on the way so make sure you stay in touch with what going on. You can always find us on your favorite social networks, subscribe to our Mailing List…and now join the Forum!
I don’t feel like I have anything to say that hasn’t been said already, and I don’t feel like I can say anything better then anyone else, but…I have to say something. In all honesty Loops in Worship wouldn’t exsist without the innovation of Steve Jobs. I couldn’t do what I do for a living if it wasn’t for Steve. I couldn’t make the music I make without Steve. I couldn’t communicate the way I do without Steve’s work.
I teared up when I saw the homepage of Apple.com. It was sad to not see Steve at the Keynote two days ago. It’s sad to realize I’ll never see steve at a Keynote again. It’s amazing how much one man has changed the way we communicate, work, and live our lives. It’s hard to see how we could do half of what we do at church, how we could communicate the gospel as well as we do if it weren’t for Steve’s hard work.
I don’t have anything new to say, but I have to say thank you. Pray for Steve’s family. Pray for his wife and children. If you haven’t seen this video yet of Steve’s Commencement speech a few years ago, watch it now.
I have to follow Seth’s lead and say, what are you going to do with what Steve gave us? How can you change your world? How can you follow the passions, and interests that God has uniquely gifted you with to change your world? Go do it…now.
We’ve ranted and raved about the iPad for a while now (here and here). I’ve been using my iPad for all sorts of things, music and administrative. I get questions all the time from People about what app is the best for controlling Ableton Live with your iPad. I personally really like TouchOSC . I use the Live Control template (which is free!) and use an iKlip from IK Multimedia (review coming!) If you’re not familiar with what Touch OSC can do, or don’t understand how/why you would ever use your iPad to control Ableton Live, check out the Video below, where I demonstrate some of the functions of Touch OSC.
Live Control and TouchOSC combined make for a pretty killer experience when working with Ableton Live. Typically after I share with people my Love of this app combo, and show them what it can do, the next question they have is.. so how do I set it up? It’s not the easiest process in the world, but it’s do-able for everyone. If you’re interested in setting up TouchOSC and Live Control on your iPad then check out the video below where I walk you through the process.
iKlip *this isn’t required, but I really like it to attach my iPad to a Mic Stand* ($37.99)- http://liw.co/ikiklip
If you’re looking for a great-powerful new way to Control Ableton Live, this is an option you should devote some time and thought to! Let us know if you download Touch OSC/Live Control and give it a try!
*Just a heads up, some of the links above are affiliate links, which means I’ll make a little money off of your purchase, but all the products I’ve mentioned I really use, and really enjoy. Also for the sake of disclosure, I received a iKlip for review from IK as a part of a Promotion I’m doing with them. That doesn’t diminish the fact I really like the iKlip and actually use it!*
I stumbled upon an article today that made me chuckle. I also realized something funny about playing with a click. Using a click will make your band tighter, using a click will give your players an absolute to “sync” up to, will get everyone on the same page, and everyone will lose 10 pounds playing to a click. The funny thing about playing with a click is that there is no perfect click. You may find a perfect click sound, but there’s no perfect click. I’ve had alot of people say they LOVE the click sound in Ableton. I’ve heard people say they HATE the click in Live. I’ve had people want to play to a percussive style click, and some people want a wood-block style click.
It’s tricky because our ears are all different. The environments that we use our click in are all different. You’ve got to find a click sound that works for your team. One thing that may help is our click, Foundations.
It’s available for Ableton Live, and in a Apple Loops format that you can use in Logic, Garageband, or any software that accepts Apple Loops.
We’ve even spent some time talking about Using a Click here on the blog in our Click Tricks blog series. Here are some of our most popular posts on using a click:
Kye Kye is definitely one of the best new bands I’ve heard in a very,very long time. I’d even go so far as to say they’re the most refereshing band I’ve heard in a while. I tend to walk the line between really electronic and acoustic music. Kye Kye blends the line really well. They’re listed in the “Electronic” section of Itunes, but could very easily fit in an acoustic or Indie section. Young Love is a very produced CD, but not in the sense of what most of us think of when we think of modern production. It’s not full of huge synths and over the top drum beats, but it’s very Electronic. If you’re looking for something to break up your Dubstep Playlist, this is it!
Maybe the Best way I could sum it up…Eisley meets The Album Leaf. (Not sure who those guys are? They’re great in their own right!) The songwriting is really great, the melodies are catchy and haunting, the beats are solid and largely organic. There’s a good blend of catchy synth licks, guitar, and just plain catchy songs. I almost don’t want to say it but I will: I get a similar feeling listening to Kye Kye that I did while listening to Mutemath for the first time. A sense of excitement, a sense of hearing something great while knowing that bigger, even better things are in store for them.
What I loved about Kye Kye was that I was listening and enjoying the music, with the full thought that they were just another good Electronic band I could listen to, without having any realization they were a Christian band. I mean lets be honest…anything without excessive Electric Guitar overdubs and dotted 8th delay, really throws us off.
I wasn’t paying attention lyrically, till I heard.. “To the rooftops I will go, I will shout it from the windows, I am Saved”. Of course I start thinking.. Man this is another great line from a vaguely Christian band. Yes..”LOVE” will “SAVE” you. YOU changed my life..All the while YOU could be a Jewish dude, or the chick you’ve got a huge crush on. To the interwebs I go for more clarity!
I found Kye Kye’s website (where you can purchase their CD directly), and a tumblr that included the lyrics to the songs on Young Love. What I discovered was, not only lyrics that clearly spelled out a faith in Christ, but scripture references for the songs (often for each line of the song). After reading the lyrics I went back and listened to the CD from the beginning.
Rooftops- A great blend of Organic and Electronic sounds
Knowing This-Great Synthy lines & Beats while still feeling organic
Trees & Trust- Great melodies and great Ambient moments
Here’s the thing. This Cd is great working music, you could work while letting Kye Kye play in the background, it could be great music to listen to when you want to relax, yet somehow it would still work great as pre-service music and great driving music. When you really sit down to pick apart the production and songwriting you won’t be disappointed and you’ll learn alot. Some music I buy for the education, some I buy for the enjoyment, and occassionally I luck out and find both. This CD is one of those.
Blog
Who should Trigger your Loops?
Posted by Will on Jan 23, 2012 in blog, Transitioning your Band to Using Loops | 4 comments
One of the biggest questions from Worship Leaders just starting out using loops is, “Who should trigger our loops”? Should it be the drummer? After all there’s a lot of percussive sounds, it’s a drum loop…he should probably do it? But then again he’s got a lot to manage, and is using drum sticks. It should probably be the electric guitarist then right? Well..he’s got a lot to manage too. Switching pedals, and he’s already busy using his hands to play guitar and count the lines on the staff to find out what that one note is. Good, Boys, Do, Fine.. F.. It’s an F#!
So it looks like it’s you, Mr or Mrs. Worship Leader. You’re perfect to do. You know the arrangements you can troubleshoot things if they go wrong, and you can go wherever you want in the arrangement, right? Perfect it’s settled, the Worship Leader should launch the loops. You’ve got nothing else to do besides:
It all depends
Who knows the software best?
Consider the unlikely candidate
The Younger the better
The one who makes the loops
The most seasoned performer gets the gig
So the big question is… Who triggers the loops in your band?
Using Ableton Live to control your Sheet Music
Posted by Will on Dec 22, 2011 in Gear | 0 comments
Sure.. Ableton Live is great at playing back loops and tracks, and hosting your favorite keyboard sounds, but did you also know it’s an excellent page turner? Yep.. You can setup Ableton Live to automatically turn the pages of your chart, to follow your music. It’s pretty simple to to actually. You can use Scorecerer an app available on the iPad to do it for you. It only requires a few simple setup steps.
Scorecer is a $10 app for iPad but it’s also available as a lite version for free! Imagaine the possibilities of using this app.
I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m assuming you can use multiple iPads at once. Imagine the possibilities now:
Want to see it in action? Check out the video below:
5 biggest Misconceptions about Ableton Live
Posted by Will on Dec 20, 2011 in Gear | 0 comments
Are you considering purchasing Ableton Live? You probably have a lot of questions before then. Check out our list of the 5 biggest misconceptions about Live before you make any decisions. If you’d rather view this in video form, check out the video below.
1) It’s only for Mac
False. Ableton Live is cross platform. This means it’s available for both Mac and PC. If you’re a PC guy and think you’ve got to wait till you can upgrade to a mac to use live… you don’t! Start using it now. I even know people that are running it successfully on a small netbook computer. If you’re a diehard Pc guy (shh… your secret is safe with me) you can start using it now, and continue to use it on your PC without needed to go to a Mac.
2) It Costs $800
Okay.. so this one is partially true. There is a version of Live that costs $799, but there are currently 3 versions of Ableton Live Available. Ableton Live Intro, Ableton Live 8, and Ableton Live Suite. Intro costs $99 and is an incredibly powerful DAW for only $100. Ableton Live 8 is only $499 and removes the few limitations of Intro. Ableton Live Suite is the Macdaddy version at $799. It includes instruments like Sampler, and Operator (my favorite synthesizer). Guess what though… I’ve used Live for over 8 years and didn’t start using Suite till 2 years ago! Intro is a great start, and Live 8 is a perfectly suitable DAW for Recording, Sequencing and Playback!
3) I need a lot of extra stuff
You may be under the misconception that you need an audio interface, a MIDI controller, and a external hard drive to use Ableton Live. If so…it’s not true. Sure all those things will help, but you can get start now. Computers are now powerfully enough that you can use the internal drive to run your tracks and loops off of. If you’re a die-hard audio user, you may want to get a external, but for most people their internal drive is enough. You don’t need an Audio Interface initially either. Start by running out of your headphone jack on your computer. Sure.. there are good, better, and best ways to run loops and use live, but you don’t need to break the bank when you’re first starting out.
4) Intro isn’t enough
If you buy intro, won’t you be throwing away your money if you later upgrade to Live 8? Nope. Buying Intro is investing $100 into the future purchase of Live 8. You’ll be able to upgrade to Live 8 (or suite for that matter) without losing that initial $100 investment. So you can start with Into and when you feel like you’ve outgrown it you can upgrade for cheaper. There’s no fear in going ahead with Intro!
5) It’s too difficult to learn
“We use an iPod now. Going to Live is going to be a big transition… a lot to learn. I think it’s too difficult”. Out of all the DAW’s I’ve worked with Ableton Live has been the easiest to use. That’s probably why I’ve stuck with it for so long. Sure if you’re coming from Protools or Logic, a few things may be odd to you, but once you learn the “language the software speaks”, you’ll be good. Live has a very well written manual, and their support staff is great. There are tons of websites (like ours) that offer training, free and paid, and lots of Youtube videos available as well. I often tell people, if you’re drummer can press 1,2,3,4,5 for Song 1-5 and spacebar for stop.. he can use Ableton Live. It’s that simple!
So there you have it. I’ve found those to be the 5 most common mistakes people make about Ableton Live. What misconceptions have you seen? Are you looking to Purchase Live and still have questions? Drop by our support page and drop us a line!
4 Gifts every Worship Leader should have on their Christmas List
Posted by Will on Dec 6, 2011 in Gear | 0 comments
Tis the Season, right? Nothing like Celebrating our Saviors birth by working everyday in December and losing your mind all in the name of Christmas Pageants and Performances. All Worship Leaders everywhere, rejoice in knowing we all feel your pain, we’ll make it though! If you’re struggling to try and find what should be put on your Christmas list, or if you’re struggling to try and find what’s best to get your Worship Leader, we’re here to help!
Ableton Live
You’d be hard-pressed to find someone that would tell you there’s anything better for Live Playback of Loops/Tracks. There’s never been a better time to upgrade to Ableton Live. Until January 15th Ableton is offering 20% off of all purchase or upgrades to Ableton Live. If you’re a Ableton Intro user and you’re looking to upgrade to Live 8 or Suite, now’s the time to do it.
If you’re interested in Purchasing or Upgrading Ableton Live contact us directly and we’ll get you a price quote!
If you’ve already got Live we’d suggest adding a few of our Tools into the mix. If you’re looking for a flexible click solution check out Foundations. If you’re looking for simple loops that you can use to build your own loops & tracks or something simple to add another dynamic to your band, check out Elements. If you’re a keyboardist or you’re looking for better Synth Pad sounds to use in Ableton Live check out Textures. Pair Textures with ourTextures Toolkit to get the ultimate keys rig in Ableton Live! If you get textures between now and December 31st you’ll get Textures Toolkit for free!
Softstep
If you’re a Worship Leader looking that uses loops, you’ve got a lot on your hands, so why not use you’re feet! The most flexible, innovative controller available now is the Softstep from Keith Mcmillian Instruments.It’s a Multi-touch footcontroller which means you can use each pad on it to do multiple functions if you want. It’s bus-powered , which means there’s no need for a power cable. You can plug it straight into your computer and start using it now with Ableton Live or you can pair it with the included Software to get even more control.
Looking to get it? We’ve got a few in stock so pick up one now! Just contact us and we’ll get you a quote!
iPad
If you don’t already have a iPad then it’s probably on your list already. Even if you’re one of those people that claims an iPad is useless…there’s no real use for it, you still want one! I’ve put mine to alot of use lately. In fact it’s hard for me to imagine getting by without it. Sure, that sounds quite dramatic…but not far from the truth. The “instant on” aspect of the iPad is simply un-replacable. The ability to have all your charts, all your notes, emails, etc easily accessible is invaluable to any busy Worship Leader. It’s ability to capture ideas for Songwriters, to control Ableton Live, Pro-Presenter or your favorite DAW will allow you tons of power and flexibiity in your setup.
Here’s a few of our MUST-HAVE apps for the iPad:
Evernote (Free)
Touch OSC (running the free Live Control Template)
Things
Kindle
Bible
Reeder
Hootsuite
Dropbox
iTunes Match
The best gift to give someone who’s got everything Mac, is iTunes Match. Itunes Match is simple, fast, and will give you access to all your music across all your Mac devices. You can download or stream all your music to your iPhone or iPad and you’ll even get access to music you haven’t purchased from the itunes store. iTunes match is a bit of Apple’s version of Spotify.
I know alot of people really love Spotify, but I haven’t fallen in love yet. I’ve spent a few days trying it out but, Spotify doesn’t have the one thing that will keep me locked into the Apple Eco-System for a while..Seamless Integration. With solutions like iTunes match I can get access to my Music on all my Apple devices. It’s on my Mac, iPad, iPhone, and my Apple TV. And my wife has access to it on her iPhone and Mac as well. If your Worship Leader is a Mac-head, or a wanna-be Mac head, Itunes Match is the perfect gift.
How do you gift it to them? Buy them a $25 iTunes gift card. It will give them a 1 year subscription to iTunes Match. It’s the gift that keeps on giving all year around!
What’s on your Christmas list? What are you hoping you’ll get?
A Look at @theBwack setup and a few thoughts for the rest of us
Posted by Will on Dec 2, 2011 in Gear | Comments Off
Jeremy Bush (aka Bwack) from the David Crowder Band posted a video on Youtube a few days ago showing his most recent loop/electronic setup. It’s pretty cool. Drum Triggers, Ableton Live, lots of fun stuff to make noise with. If you haven’t seen the video yet check it out above and come on back and we’ll spend a few minutes discussing some aspects. What can we learn from it?
While you’re here, make sure you check out our interview with Bwack from earlier this year. It’s killer! Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.
Ableton is Pretty Powerful
Bwack is a prime example of someone who is really using Ableton for a lot of really powerful, cool things. Most of us see it for simply loop and track playback (which it’s incredibly powerful at) but it’s also a killer host for Keys sounds, and it’s great to automatically call up presets deepending on where you are in the song or what song you’re on. Bwack shows us how he has sounds pulled up depending on the song. This is a great example of letting Live do the heavy lifting so you can just play. He does this using MIDI clips and loading sounds into an Instrument Rack, or in his case a Drum Rack. Those MIDI clips are automated to call up select presets when they’re selected. If you want more info on how to do this we talk about this in our Using Ableton Live for Worship Course.
Add Freedom in your Set
Multiple times in the Crowder set, Bwack triggers an intro clip and then triggers the full song clip separately. What’s nice about this is it gives the band some time to vamp on the intro, or to hang on a chord and then they can crank into the full song when they’re ready. One of the most akward things about using loops is the dreaded speaking intro. If before the song you want to speak you’ve got to calculate how many measures you have left before you come in. This isn’t going to allow you to have the smoothest sounding intro. You’ll be stressed and probably stumble over your words, and worst case scenario you’ll have to wrap it up really quick.
The way Bwack does this is by Slicing up his Loops. He separates the intro and the rest of the song. There’s no need for most people to slice up an entire song into sections but separating your intro and the rest of the loop will give you tons of freedom. Using Live allows you to take advantage of the Global Quanitzation feature and your loop can come in right on 1. You don’t have to try and trigger it perfectly..it locks it in for you!
Play as much of the loop as you can
One of the biggest takeaways from this video is that Bwack (and the rest of the Crowder Band) play as much of the loop as they can. Sure.. Bwack is a self proclaimed geek, so he’s might do things a little more complex…but they’re making the idea/concept of loops more interesting. They are playing beats that would typically be in the song. Instead of playing drums on top of a loop that already has drum parts, he’s not playing kit and simply playing the beats. The rest of the band is adding in a lot of synth stuff that would typically be added into the loop. This is a great way to get the rest of your band involved and to help make you and your band feel like you’re playing WITH loops and not TO loops.
Start Somewhere
Maybe a bit of discouragement happens when you watch this video. You want to get into using loops but you have NO idea where to start. Surely your band won’t be playing electronic drum beats anytime soon. You don’t know how to setup up drum triggers, or an Ableton set.. so you’re probably a bit discouraged. Don’t be. Don’t compare yourself now to where Bwack is now. Remember he started just like the rest of us, trying to figure out how to use loops. He started somewhere.. but the important part is..he started. You should do the same. Start where you are with what you have.
This is a killer video showing a really cool Ableton setup! Watch it a few more times and see if you can figure out how he’s doing what he’s doing. If you want to really dive into Ableton check out our Ableton for Worship Course. If you have questions about how to best integrate ableton into your set, drop us a note via our Support Request and we’ll see how we can help.
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New is so Nice!
Posted by Will on Nov 30, 2011 in Chatter | Comments Off
Who doesn’t love new stuff? As you may of noticed..we updated the look of the site…actually “updating” the site is a bit of a understatement..it’s more of a complete over-haul! Here’s a quick look at the most important upgrades.
New Community Features
You might miss it at the first look but the biggest update we’ve made to the site is including a brand new community section. We’ve tightly integrated our Support Section now. We’ve built up a good amount of Support Articles that correspond to questions people have asked, and/or basic info you need to know when working with one of our Products. You also have the ability to submit a support request ticket. This is now the fastest, easiest way to get in touch with us. We’re also working on a Frequently Asked Questions area that will be included here as well.
We know have a official Loops in Worship Forum! This has been part of the plan since the beginning and we finally felt like it was the right time to roll it out. We wanted to create a community for people to talk about loops, using loops, technology in worship, all in a place with people that are knowledgeable and know what they’re talking about. It’s in the beginning stages so we’ll be tweaking a bit, adding more categories, potentially tweaking the layout…but its there and ready for you to join in on the conversation!
Textures Toolkit now Available
We’ve been ranting and raving about the Textures Toolkit for a few weeks. We put together a collection of Videos on Youtube to showcase it and the response has been great. Well.. it’s now currently available for purchase! You have a chance of getting it for free though until December 31st. If you purchase Textures anytime between now and December 31st it’s automatically included in your purchase! After December 31st Textures Toolkit will go back to its normal price, so move fast! If you want more info then check out the Textures Toolkit Page.
There’s actually a lot more on the way. We’ll be adding a new feature to the Community page that you’re really going to enjoy. We’re revamping our Training to make it more accessible. We’ve got a new Elements Collection to release (more on that soon!), and we’ve got some product updates on the way as well (Foundations 2.0…anyone?). A lot is in the works and on the way so make sure you stay in touch with what going on. You can always find us on your favorite social networks, subscribe to our Mailing List…and now join the Forum!
Thanks Steve
Posted by Will on Oct 5, 2011 in Chatter | 0 comments
I don’t feel like I have anything to say that hasn’t been said already, and I don’t feel like I can say anything better then anyone else, but…I have to say something. In all honesty Loops in Worship wouldn’t exsist without the innovation of Steve Jobs. I couldn’t do what I do for a living if it wasn’t for Steve. I couldn’t make the music I make without Steve. I couldn’t communicate the way I do without Steve’s work.
I teared up when I saw the homepage of Apple.com. It was sad to not see Steve at the Keynote two days ago. It’s sad to realize I’ll never see steve at a Keynote again. It’s amazing how much one man has changed the way we communicate, work, and live our lives. It’s hard to see how we could do half of what we do at church, how we could communicate the gospel as well as we do if it weren’t for Steve’s hard work.
I don’t have anything new to say, but I have to say thank you. Pray for Steve’s family. Pray for his wife and children. If you haven’t seen this video yet of Steve’s Commencement speech a few years ago, watch it now.
I have to follow Seth’s lead and say, what are you going to do with what Steve gave us? How can you change your world? How can you follow the passions, and interests that God has uniquely gifted you with to change your world? Go do it…now.
Thanks Steve.
Controlling Ableton Live with your iPad (Examples and How-to’s)
Posted by Will on Sep 21, 2011 in Ableton Live Tips & Tricks, Featured | 2 comments
We’ve ranted and raved about the iPad for a while now (here and here). I’ve been using my iPad for all sorts of things, music and administrative. I get questions all the time from People about what app is the best for controlling Ableton Live with your iPad. I personally really like TouchOSC . I use the Live Control template (which is free!) and use an iKlip from IK Multimedia (review coming!) If you’re not familiar with what Touch OSC can do, or don’t understand how/why you would ever use your iPad to control Ableton Live, check out the Video below, where I demonstrate some of the functions of Touch OSC.
Live Control and TouchOSC combined make for a pretty killer experience when working with Ableton Live. Typically after I share with people my Love of this app combo, and show them what it can do, the next question they have is.. so how do I set it up? It’s not the easiest process in the world, but it’s do-able for everyone. If you’re interested in setting up TouchOSC and Live Control on your iPad then check out the video below where I walk you through the process.
A few things you’ll need before you get started:
Touch OSC for iPad ($4.99)- http://liw.co/touchoscipad
Live Control Template (free)- http://liw.co/livecontrol
Touch OSC Editor for MAC/PC (free)- http://liw.co/touchoscsite
iKlip *this isn’t required, but I really like it to attach my iPad to a Mic Stand* ($37.99)- http://liw.co/ikiklip
If you’re looking for a great-powerful new way to Control Ableton Live, this is an option you should devote some time and thought to! Let us know if you download Touch OSC/Live Control and give it a try!
*Just a heads up, some of the links above are affiliate links, which means I’ll make a little money off of your purchase, but all the products I’ve mentioned I really use, and really enjoy. Also for the sake of disclosure, I received a iKlip for review from IK as a part of a Promotion I’m doing with them. That doesn’t diminish the fact I really like the iKlip and actually use it!*
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The funny thing about Using a Click
Posted by Will on Aug 23, 2011 in click tricks | 0 comments
I stumbled upon an article today that made me chuckle. I also realized something funny about playing with a click. Using a click will make your band tighter, using a click will give your players an absolute to “sync” up to, will get everyone on the same page, and everyone will lose 10 pounds playing to a click. The funny thing about playing with a click is that there is no perfect click. You may find a perfect click sound, but there’s no perfect click. I’ve had alot of people say they LOVE the click sound in Ableton. I’ve heard people say they HATE the click in Live. I’ve had people want to play to a percussive style click, and some people want a wood-block style click.
It’s tricky because our ears are all different. The environments that we use our click in are all different. You’ve got to find a click sound that works for your team. One thing that may help is our click, Foundations.
It’s available for Ableton Live, and in a Apple Loops format that you can use in Logic, Garageband, or any software that accepts Apple Loops.
We’ve even spent some time talking about Using a Click here on the blog in our Click Tricks blog series. Here are some of our most popular posts on using a click:
Creating Click Tracks in Ableton Live
Splitting your Click and Loops
Why your Click sucks and how to make it better
Properly Subdividing the click in Live
Music you Should be Listening To: Kye Kye Edition
Posted by Will on Aug 16, 2011 in Music you Should be Listening to | 1 comment
Kye Kye
Kye Kye is definitely one of the best new bands I’ve heard in a very,very long time. I’d even go so far as to say they’re the most refereshing band I’ve heard in a while. I tend to walk the line between really electronic and acoustic music. Kye Kye blends the line really well. They’re listed in the “Electronic” section of Itunes, but could very easily fit in an acoustic or Indie section. Young Love is a very produced CD, but not in the sense of what most of us think of when we think of modern production. It’s not full of huge synths and over the top drum beats, but it’s very Electronic. If you’re looking for something to break up your Dubstep Playlist, this is it!
Maybe the Best way I could sum it up…Eisley meets The Album Leaf. (Not sure who those guys are? They’re great in their own right!) The songwriting is really great, the melodies are catchy and haunting, the beats are solid and largely organic. There’s a good blend of catchy synth licks, guitar, and just plain catchy songs. I almost don’t want to say it but I will: I get a similar feeling listening to Kye Kye that I did while listening to Mutemath for the first time. A sense of excitement, a sense of hearing something great while knowing that bigger, even better things are in store for them.
What I loved about Kye Kye was that I was listening and enjoying the music, with the full thought that they were just another good Electronic band I could listen to, without having any realization they were a Christian band. I mean lets be honest…anything without excessive Electric Guitar overdubs and dotted 8th delay, really throws us off.
I wasn’t paying attention lyrically, till I heard.. “To the rooftops I will go, I will shout it from the windows, I am Saved”. Of course I start thinking.. Man this is another great line from a vaguely Christian band. Yes..”LOVE” will “SAVE” you. YOU changed my life..All the while YOU could be a Jewish dude, or the chick you’ve got a huge crush on. To the interwebs I go for more clarity!
I found Kye Kye’s website (where you can purchase their CD directly), and a tumblr that included the lyrics to the songs on Young Love. What I discovered was, not only lyrics that clearly spelled out a faith in Christ, but scripture references for the songs (often for each line of the song). After reading the lyrics I went back and listened to the CD from the beginning.
Some of my favorite tracks so far:
Broke-Reminisent of Kate Havnevik,
Rooftops- A great blend of Organic and Electronic sounds
Knowing This-Great Synthy lines & Beats while still feeling organic
Trees & Trust- Great melodies and great Ambient moments
Here’s the thing. This Cd is great working music, you could work while letting Kye Kye play in the background, it could be great music to listen to when you want to relax, yet somehow it would still work great as pre-service music and great driving music. When you really sit down to pick apart the production and songwriting you won’t be disappointed and you’ll learn alot. Some music I buy for the education, some I buy for the enjoyment, and occassionally I luck out and find both. This CD is one of those.
I’d suggest picking it up today!
Kye Kye Young Love on iTunes
*Check out this cool Cover of With or Without You on Youtube*
What are you listening to?