Ableton Live is known as the sequencer you can play like an instrument. Since it’s introduction to the market in 2001, it has become the favoured solution for many high profile artists and DJs when creating original music, remixing, DJing or performing live.
Our 4 day weekend (or 6 week evening) course is aimed at complete beginners and those with a basic knowledge of Ableton Live or music production generally.
Initially, an “everyday” working knowledge of the software is taught, moving on to general music production and performance techniques as the course progresses. You will leave the course with a good understanding of how the software works, and plenty of ideas for how you might start to put tracks together at home.
“As the worldwide Ableton user community has grown, the demand for high quality Ableton Live training led to requests from educators and professionals for an official, Ableton-approved qualification. To meet these needs, the Certification Program was launched by Ableton in 2008. Since the Program’s inception we have certified only the best and most capable trainers and teachers in order to ensure that the Ableton user community has access to a high standard of training.”
The first half of the course is all about Ableton Live and looks at all the ‘everyday working’ functionality: learning what each part of the interface does, customising it to suit your working style, and how to start building and controlling Live Sets.
We begin by covering the main aspects of Session view, and organising Live’s browser window, before learning how to import and control the playback of audio samples. To this, we add effect devices, and take tactile remote control of the Set using MIDI controller keyboards.
We look at how and why Live handles Clip launch and playback, methods for turning a pre-existing audio sample into something more unique, and how to organise groups of Clips in to Scenes for convenient playback control. By the end of day one, you will learn how to comprehensively create a Live Set from pre-existing musical ideas. You will have complete control over all musical ideas and effects, and will be able to perform a live set.
We then begin to add MIDI instrument devices to create original drum beats, bass lines and lead lines/chords. All the essentials of MIDI Clip creation and editing are covered, necessary for controlling all the instruments at your disposal. We show you where to find great samples for building drum kits from scratch, and how to control different parameters such as velocity and envelope decay to add expression to your drum beats.
We then move on to creating melodic ideas from scratch. For those without a background in music theory, we cover some basic methods for quickly coming up with ideas, using both music theory, and some of Ableton Live’s effect devices to ensure you avoid writer’s block.
The audio ideas from the first sessions are combined with the unique ideas we create during this, where we learn the plus points and potential limitations of both pathways. Finally, this session culminates in the recording and editing of an arrangement in Arrangement view.
Over the halfway mark, this course takes for granted a working knowledge of Ableton Live, and starts to look more generally at different music production scenarios. Because of this, it’s important to practice what you learnt during the first half of the course before we move on!
The syllabus for the second half is fairly open-ended and can be adapted depending on what the class would like to focus on. Topics covered include things like advanced audio handling for the purposes of sampling, re-editing, creating a mash-up, recording a DJ set, and manipulating stems for remixing.
Other topics include ‘how do they do that’: students can bring in their favourite tracks which we dissect and recreate by looking at the sound design and arrangement techniques used by the original artist.
For the final part of your Ableton Live short course we will look at some of the more advanced aspects of Live such as racks, mix down techniques i.e compression, EQ, reverb etc. We cover Live’s ability to convert audio to MIDI, and slicing up audio to a drum rack – both great ways of coming up with new ideas.
This means you will have covered all the steps involved in producing music from the initial idea to final rendering.
Mixdown is a vital part of the music production process which turns your collection of ideas into a finished professional-sounding piece of work, and will set you apart from the plethora of bedroom producers out there. In short, you will leave us understanding the fundamental functions and techniques needed to make your mix stand out from the crowd.
Course information
Suitability
16+, or 13+ with a paying guardian. Total beginners welcome, or if you’ve dabbled at home and have questions!
Course fees
£395 – advance
Monthly options also available
Weekends
Nov 17, 18, 24, 25 2018
Lessons Sat and Sun 10am – 3pm
Evenings
Jan 16, 23, 30, Feb 6, 13, 20 2019
Lessons Wednesdays 7pm – 10pm
Instant Decision Student Finance Options:
Options One and Two: Payment terms from 6 – 12 months.
From £35.22 per month.
Minimum 5% deposit (£22.25) payable upon successful application.
Total loan value £422.75.
Not available if course starts within 14 days.
Fund your own training:
Option Three: £395 advance payment.
Option Four: Reg fee (£50) to enrol + £395. Total £445. Balance due no later than 14 days prior to start date.
In short: enrol as soon as you are ready. All live course dates are available for you to enrol on.
Unlike most training centres SEM has a limit on lecturer to student ratio and keeps its class sizes small. We therefore have limited availability and courses fill up in advance. We would recommend enrolling as soon as you are ready, to avoid disappointment. If you are looking at a start date that is more than 3 months away, we would strongly recommend contacting a course advisor so that we can primarily secure your place before the window opens for you to apply for finance.
If you are funding with Student Finance (Monthly payment options 1 and 2) and your course starts within 3 months
Apply online now via the course page
Monthly repayments to Omnifinance do not begin until 1 month after your course start date.
The initial downpayment is paid to SEM, this is not required until 14 days before your course start date.
If you are funding with Student Finance (Monthly payment options 1 and 2) and your course starts in more than 3 months time
Speak to to the SEM office asap. We can take the initial downpayment to hold your place on the course until we are within the 3 month window for you to apply for the finance.
The SEM office can also offer advice on how to prepare for the application (electoral roll, credit score check etc.)
If you have any questions please contact a course advisor on +44 (0)161 833 4722. They will be happy to help!
Can I get funding for the course?
If you have any questions, we would always recommend contacting a course advisor or calling us on +44 (0)161 833 4722.
Options 1 – 2: Get instant Student Finance with Omni Capital (you will need to be in employment)
Prospective students are able to get an instant online decision to fund training though our partner Omni Capital. To apply, you must be 18 or over, and have been living in the UK for at least 3 years before your course starts. You can apply by clicking ‘enrol’ on the course page to begin the finance application. Please note student finance can only be applied for within 3 months or less of the course start date.
You can apply for the full amount of course fees, and choose an affordable monthly repayment that suits your budget. Other benefits of student finance are that the baseline course price is based on our ‘advanced’ cheaper price. You will need to pay a minimum 5% downpayment on the course fees at the point of successful application, although you have the option to make anything up to a 50% downpayment on course fees (please contact SEM for this).
Options 3 – 4: Fund the course yourself
Option 3 is an advance payment of £395, you can make this payment right up until 24hrs prior to the course start date, but you run the risk of the course filling if you wait too long. Option 4 means you can secure your place for £50 at any point, and the remaining £395 balance you can pay at any point (just contact the SEM Office to pay), right up until 14 days before the course starts. If you have not paid the remaining balance and it is within 14 days of the course starting, then your place may be at risk as it cannot be held for you within 14 days if the remaining balance has not been received. Please note, registration fees cannot be refunded if you cancel or do not attend your course place. Please contact us about this if you need more advice.
Please note:
If you are European, a British citizen but have not lived in the UK for the past three years, or have low or no credit score, then payment options 3 and 4 are the relevant options for you.
Student Finance Calculator
You can use the finance calculator to try the potential options that suit your budget.
There is a minimum of 5% non-refundable deposit (downpayment for the course fees) required from the student at the point of successful application. The calculator will tell you minimum deposit required on the right hand side. To pay a bigger deposit please contact the school.
EG: Ableton Live Weekend Course. Fees: £445
£445 over 6 months : Deposit £22.25 : Monthly instalments of £70.45. Total finance £422.75.
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