Do you need to take a course to use Ableton Live?

Ableton Live 7 is simply the most powerful interface to date for real-time manipulation of audio and midi. It's so popular because it's easy to use and instant fun, and yet the most difficult thing about it is to try to explain what it does: is it a DJ software? (no, but DJs love it); is it only for electronic music? (no, the limit is only your imagination); and what if I don't care about playing 'live' on stage and I just want the most powerful sound-mangling tool, is Live any good in a studio? (oh yes).

The fact is that Ableton Live is so flexible that after you learn the interface (that's the easy part) you are still left wondering HOW is it going to work for you. There is no single way to describe what Live does because Live is many things to many people, depending on how you want to use it.

At LSS we have been the first to offer dedicated training on Live and over the years we have helped professional DJs and complete beginners alike to make the transition to a new way of performing and poducing. There is no doubt that you can learn Live just by reading the manual and experimenting with the software, but in just two days we can get you to 'expert level'; if this sounds difficult to believe, come in to have a look around and speak to our instructors or to some of our students.

Training on Ableton Live 7

Using Live is all about developing a strategy. The software works, but how can you make it work for you?

Through our intensive sessions you will learn how it can be used effectively for a DJ set, or as a performance tool for a musician, or in a creative way to power randomly generated soundscapes for an exhibition, or alongside other equipment for arranging and composing.

We demonstrate how to set up templates to help you free your creativity, add emotion to a performance, and suggest the best way to map control devices to achieve all this.

And because we know that not everyone needs to be able to do everything to enjoy Live, we have split the course in two short modules of three days each.

The first one is about learning the interface inside-out and focuses on the live performance capabilities of the software (whether it's for a DJ set or for a new approach to playing an instrument) .

The second is for those that already know how to use the software but have no previous experience working in a studio, and it provides guidance and tips on how to make the best of all the resources of Live for music production.

You can take both courses, or just start from the first and see whether you actually need more, or go straight to the second if you have already followed every tutorial, read every page of the manual, and feel that your music is not still where you want it to be.