In addition, you can “warp“ the rhythmic flow of a piece, changing its “feel,“ or even move notes to other meter positions.Īn audio clip’s warping properties are set in the Audio tab/panel ( see 8.2), which is a sub-section of the Clip View. Live’s ability to play any sample in sync with a chosen tempo is a unique and important feature. As with the Tap button, these buttons are much easier to use when mapped to MIDI controllers. As long as your Set’s tempo is basically the same as that of the unsynchronized material, you can use the Phase Nudge Up/Down buttons to temporarily speed up or slow down Live’s playback to match what you hear. This ensures that those apps remain tempo synced, and also at the correct position in the musical phrase.Īlthough Live can be easily synchronized via Link or to external MIDI devices ( see Chapter 32), you may find yourself in situations in which you need to adjust to sources that aren’t locked to one tempo, such as live musicians or turntables. Starting playback of Live’s transport by tapping the tempo will automatically adjust the playback position of any apps that are connected via Ableton Link ( see 32.1.1). If the “Start Playback with Tap Tempo” button is enabled in Live’s Record/Warp/Launch Preferences, you can also use tapping to count in: If you are working in a 4:4 signature, it takes four taps to start song playback at the tapped tempo. The more taps Live receives in a row, the more precisely it will be able to conclude the desired tempo. Although Live responds to your tapping immediately, it does apply some degree of inertia to prevent sluggish behavior in the software. The Tap button can also be assigned to a MIDI note or controller, like a foot switch, in a similar fashion. The assignment will take effect immediately. Click on the Control Bar’s KEY switch to enter Key Map Mode then select the Tap button press the key you would like to use for tapping click the KEY switch again to leave Key Map Mode. You can also assign the Tap button to a computer key instead of using the mouse. As you click the Control Bar’s Tap Tempo button once every beat, the tempo of the Live Set will follow your tapping. You can use Live’s Tap Tempo function to set the tempo at any time. Please refer to the chapter on synchronization ( see Chapter 32) for details. The respective settings are made in the Link/Tempo/MIDI Preferences. You can have an external sequencer (or drum machine) play along with Live or have Live play along with the sequencer. Setting one knob to control coarse tempo in BPM and another to control fine tempo in hundredths of a BPM allows for enough precision to adjust to live performers or other unsynchronized sources. For maximum tempo control during performance, you can MIDI map ( see Chapter 29) separate controllers to the Tempo field on both sides of the decimal point. You can even automate the tempo ( see 21.5.8) to create smooth or sudden tempo changes along the song timeline. The Control Bar’s Tempo field allows you to change the playback tempo of your Live Set at any time, in real time. Mixing and matching audio from different origins is therefore extremely easy. This happens without affecting the pitch, which can be changed independently. Live is capable of time-warping samples while streaming them from disk so as to synchronize them to the current Live Set’s tempo. Unlike music stored on tape or in a traditional digital audio workstation, the music in Live remains “elastic“ at all times.

Taptempo online