ABLETON LIVE: HOW TO RECORD AN EXTERNAL AUDIO SOURCE

Please note that this tutorial was written for Ableton Live 8 and although the basic principles are likely to remain the same for future updates, some of the screenshots may not exactly match up with what you see in future versions.

To route an external audio source to an audio track in Ableton:

1. On an audio track in Ableton, locate the ‘Audio From’ label.

NOTE: Although the diagrams in this tutorial indicate how to route audio in the Mixer view, you can achieve the same results by using the track headers in the Arrange view. Press the 'Tab' key on your computer keyboard to toggle between the Mixer and Arrange views.

NOTE: To create an audio track in Ableton, select the 'Create/Insert' option from the main toolbar and select 'Create Audio Track' or 'Insert Audio Track'.

2. The first slot underneath this label is used to route external audio to the audio track (it will display ‘Ext. In’ by default). Click this slot and select ‘Configure…’

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="150" caption="Ableton Audio Input"][/caption]

3. The Ableton Preferences window should pop up and be displaying the ‘Audio’ tab.

4. Use the ‘Audio Input Device:’ pop-up menu to select the name of the device that you will be receiving audio input from (e.g. if you are recording from a microphone that is connected to an audio interface, select the name of the audio interface in this pop-up menu).

NOTE: Before doing this you will need to install all relevant drivers for your audio interface (if it requires them). Check the manufacturers website or the manual for full details.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="516" caption="Ableton Audio Preferences"][/caption]

5. Close the Preferences window.

6. Under the ‘Ext. In’ slot you should see another slot. Click this slot and choose the number relating to the input that you want to record from (e.g. if you want to record from a microphone that is plugged into Input 1 on your audio interface, select ‘Input 1’ from the input menu). The range of options in this box should mirror the number of inputs that your interface has... for example, if your interface only has 4 inputs, you should only be able to choose from 4 inputs in this box.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="165" caption="Input Select"][/caption]

7. Underneath the two 'Audio From' slots you should see a ‘Monitor’ label. Underneath this label, select the ‘In’ button. You should see (and possibly hear depending on your set-up) that audio is coming into the selected channel by viewing the level meter next to the associated channel fader.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="163" caption="'In' Button"][/caption]

8. To record audio, select the 'Auto' or the ‘Off’ button underneath the 'Monitor' label, select the Record button on the audio channel to prepare it for recording...

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="147" caption="Record Enable Button"][/caption]

9. ... then press the Record button on the transport bar, followed by the Play button and you should then be recording!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="349" caption="1. Record Button, 2. Play Button"][/caption]

If you cannot see any audio coming into Abltton, check that the input and main output levels on your interface are turned up to an adequate level. It is a good idea to start with the levels down and gradually turn them up, rather than start with the levels high, as this may result in an unexpected high signal level, that could potentially damage your equipment (and ears!)

You will also need to check that the device you are recording is plugged into the correct input on your interface. For example, many interfaces have different connections for microphones, guitars and line level devices. Some also have combo inputs, which combine two different types of connection into one combination socket. In this case, you need to make sure that you have your device plugged into the correct part of the socket. A typical example of this is an XLR/jack combo input, which generally provide an XLR connection for microphones and a 1/4″ jack socket in the centre for guitars and/or line level instruments (e.g. synthesisers). In such cases, your interface may also have certain settings that need to be activated for specific purposes. For example, your interface may have a single socket for both line level and guitar signals, but it may have a switch to select which type of signal you will be recording as guitars require a high-impedance connection.