[kevmove02]

Okay, I was going to create a separate thread to discuss this, but it might be more appropriate to share it here. For the longest time, I was frustrated by having invested so much in Steinberg Sequel 2, just to find out that it does not have any midi sync options (never will). I noodled around with various hardware/software combos with limited success. Then I discovered Ableton Live.

This program is so challenging to most because its design philosophy is os different than what we are used to working with. Where other programs excel at providing a closed system for creating music, Ableton Live excels at taking whatever sound source you have available and sync them into a single performance. Obviously, this design is suited best for DJ's, but it has powerful implications for other types of performances.

As an example, I was struggling with using Steinberg Sequel 2 with other programs, due to the midi deficiency. By using Live, Sequel 2 becomes just another instrument! So does everything else! My PSP, tv, or anything else that I run into Live is seen as another sound source that needs to be synced to other existing beats, rhythms or instruments already playing. If you want to read an article that shows a real world application, check out the april edition of Recording Magazine, which breaks down how Chris Cox used Ableton Live to create a Christina Aguilera megamix.

The program can be challenging to use, unless you discipline yourself actually go through the extensive tutorial that is included right on the desktop. If your squeamish about the high buy in cost, get the Live 7 LE version. Avoid the crippled Lite version, as it is not powerful enough to really appreciate what this program can do. Or better yet, download the 14 day trial.

I enjoy using this program so much, I got rid of my standalone recorder!