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Are you scratching your head about how to set up your MIDI controller and unlock its full power in Ableton? Are you asking yourself "Why won't my MIDI controller work in Ableton"?

If so, you are in the right place! In this video, we are going to dive deep into setting up your MIDI controller in Ableton.

Setting up your MIDI controller in Ableton can be tricky but once you learn how to map your MIDI controller, how to assign MIDI controls, and how to use your MIDI controller, you'll be an expert in all things Ableton MIDI setup.

Working with MIDI in Ableton can be a true extension of your inner musician when you MIDI map it to plugins and MIDI map various parameters of your virtual instruments.

The 5 tips we'll cover are:

1) How to connect your MIDI controller

2) How to set your MIDI setting in Ableton

3) How to map MIDI from your...

En Garde! Now to confront the mysterious beast called compression.

What is it?

Compressors are technically defined as an amplitude; or dynamic processor.

They affect the amplitude of a sine wave; AKA the loudness we perceive. In the simplest of terms, a compressor allows you to control the dynamics of a sound, being the difference between it’s loudest and quietest parts.

In street lingo, think—Automatic volume knob.

A great analogy for a compressor is a boxer and a punching bag. The boxer’s punch is the sound signal and the punching bag is the compressor. Imagine your audio is the punch, and the compressor is the cushion.

Every time a punch hits the bag, you hear a satisfying “thwack”. The bag gives way slightly, as it absorbs the impact and it swings back. With the perfect punch the right kind of punching bag you can really feel the impact of your hits and start to build some rhythm and momentum. This is what good compression should feel like.

If...

The most useful tool that you have in your arsenal for mixing is the all-mighty equalizer (EQ).

It’s also super fun to call it a spectrum processor and imagine your navigating a harmonicraft.

What Is it?

A good analogy for EQ is modeling a sculpture. You can add or subtract material to adjust the overall shape and perception of the piece. Apply this to mixing, and your sculpting sound!

EQ allows you to adjust the various frequencies of a sound, imagine a bunch of mini faders spread across the whole frequency spectrum. You can alter the frequencies in two ways by boosting or cutting.

The goal is to make enough room for all your sounds, remove unnecessary information, and accentuate their shining qualities. You can also use it as a fun, creative tool.

Filter sweeps for dayz.

Whether they are in plug-in (software) or outboard (hardware) form, the principles of EQ are universal. You’ll see these on guitar amps, home studio systems, and even your phone’s audio...

I’m currently recording a debut ep from the ground up with a band.

As we discussed ideas and our plan of attack, I knew we would have to address certain key components as we progressed. Such as finding the tempo (or multiple tempos in this case) of the songs before recording. And deciding where we would record drums.

Keys To The Harmonicraft

Throughout the whole process, from first hitting record to completing the final mix, there are some crucial tips that I’ve come to learn over the years.

This is what I would tell myself 10 years ago when I was just starting out in the audio world. If you are a beginner or need a refresher on the fundamentals, you’ll find these invaluable!

1) **Get It Right At The Source**- If you are recording and mixing the same track, spend more time and effort on the recording phase. Get solid takes, stellar tones, and unique performances.

A high-quality mix is 80% the recording and 20% the mix. Properly tuned instruments, new strings, and...