2 Minute Ableton Tip #7: More Efficient Drum Rack Sampling
To continue with our discussion of saving time and improving our workflow in Ableton Live, let's talk about dropping samples into a drum rack. By default, when you drop samples onto a drum rack, Ableton creates a Simpler instrument to house that sample, within the cell of the drum rack. That Simpler's parameters are set to a factory default. Just like you can change device preset defaults (see 2 Minute Ableton Tip #6), you can change the settings of the Simpler's defaults. In fact, you can even change that Simpler to a Sampler. In the following Ableton Quick Tip, I show you how.
- Set up a Simpler or Sampler exactly how you like.
- Drag the Simpler or Sampler in your Live Library, in the folder "Library/Defaults/Dropping Samples/On Drum Rack"
Now Ableton will create a Simpler (or Sampler) exactly as you specified every time you drop a sample on a Drum Rack. To return to the factory default, just delete the preset from the folder you saved it to. I find this technique especially useful when I want to make a drum rack full of one-shots (samples that play from beginning to end each time they are triggered). I open a Simpler (or Sampler) and set the release time to its highest value. Once I drag this preset to the "On Drum Rack" folder, each cell on a new Drum Rack will be a one-shot.
Speaking of drum racks, here's a few cool ones: "Glitchy Phatty Drums"
The Moog Phatty Glitch Drums is an Ableton Live Pack that contains 400 drum and percussion samples made with the Moog Slim Phatty as a sound source. There are 4 drum racks and 11 Impulse instruments. 40 MIDI clips will help you get your beats started. Also included is an step sequencer for the Novation LaunchPad. Finally there is a Glitch-styled Audio Effect Rack.