If you’ve been running multitracks for a while, chances are you’ve been running them from Multitrack.com’s capable app Playback, an impressive tool with lots of flexibility for worship leaders and music directors that may not be versed in more advanced digital audio workstations (DAWs) like Logic or Ableton, but maybe you’re thinking about doing just that—getting off Playback, as good as it is, and running tracks from Ableton for weekend services. What are the advantages to such a move?
1. Complete Customization—While Playback offers impressive options from an iPad app—things like arrangement editing, custom in-out fades, MIDI interfacing, track specific fader control as well as custom busses and track splitting—it can only go so far, and if you’re already running a DAW for your keys sounds, you might as well combine all of those capabilities into one machine, and Ableton is a perfect program for that.
2. Track Editing—Playback does allow the user some control over the volume of specific tracks as well the ability to edit arrangements (while automatically adjusting the cue track, which is pretty cool), but this creates problems because there’s no way to fade or blend disparate track pieces together. Let’s say you want to repeat a chorus several times, but it has this really obnoxious cymbal hit that only works in one specific part of the song, and you can’t replace it with another chorus from a different part of the song because you need the energy of that specific chorus for your arrangement that week. Well, Ableton is a full-on audio editor, so you can clip track files right down to the millisecond, as well as pre-set volume adjustments on a specific track ahead of time. Ableton allows you to get right down to the dirty, grimy details.
3. Robust Hardware—Get ready for dongles if you’re using Playback on an iPad, but there’s no need for them with Ableton. You can use one USB-C to USB 2.0 cable to link Ableton with your interface and that’s it (besides the power cable).
4. Integration—Multitracks integrates seamlessly with Ableton, making importing their files a breeze.
Getting Started with Ableton
You should probably do this on a Mac as opposed to a PC. Ableton is compatible with Windows, and if you’re really a Windows person, that’s fine. Hardware is hardware, but filing through my own anecdotal evidence and experience in the last six years or so, I’ve just never seen anyone I know use Ableton on a PC. The consensus on the forums over at Ableton’s own website are generally pro Mac, and this recent breakdown at Music Radar of the best laptops for music production puts Mac in four of the top five spots. The general feeling out there is that Mac audio engines are more robust and easier to configure, and the new M1 or M2 chips give you a lot of headroom for data-heavy soundscapes.
You’ll also need a solid interface. Thankfully, Playback users might already have the Playaudio 12 since Multitracks once recommended it for use with Playback. The Playaudio 12 offers a slick user interface via a downloaded app with lots of control over your in-out matrix and individual channel volumes. However, its connections are a little outdated, so if you want something with a Thunderbolt or USB C connection, you’ll need to shop around, but get ready for the price tag. Older USB connections work just fine, so that’s where you’re going to extract the most value from this part of your rig. However, don’t skimp on this one trying to cut costs. The interface is the hinge that swings the Ableton door, so you want something reliable with enough outs to keep things flexible. You’ll need a minimum of three outs just for multitracks (click, cue and tracks), but if you want to split up your tracks by instrument and also send your keys sounds through the interface, you’ll want something with more out. If the Playaudio 12 isn’t quite right for you, find something next door that is.
You’ll want a template for your multitracks. Don’t just open Ableton, drop your tracks in and hope for the best. Ableton is an impressive platform, but there’s a learning curve for noobs. A good number of templates exist out there for free or a small fee ($20-$50) to streamline your workflow. Here’s a short list of great templates to get you started:
A MIDI foot pedal is handy if you intend to fire your tracks and pads from a lead vocal position; obviously, if you have an MD or capable keys person, they can control Ableton from their position. There’s plenty of pedals to choose from. A MIDI pedal requires a lengthy USB cable, as well, so be sure to add one of those to your cart.
Finally, think about investing in a rack to house all this stuff. It’s a great means to keep your stage neat and tidy and easily troubleshoot as issues arise.
Tips for Ableton on a Sunday
If you’re unfamiliar with Ableton, really lean into those templates and their accompanying tutorials. Ableton is like Excel but for audio and with that, it plays in a crossover role. What I mean by that is Ableton has two “sides,” called “views” in Ableton—one view that works really well for live playback, which is what makes Ableton so popular for DJ’s. You can drop tracks into certain cells that are organized into mixer channels (just like you’d find on any audio console) and then fire those cells at will with a table-top MIDI controller. The other view functions like any linear audio editor you’ve seen before; think, Logic Pro, Adobe Audition, etc. These two sides work in concert with one another and you can flip back and forth between them by simply hitting the tab button. The advantage here is that you can drop a track or sample into a cell, hit tab, tweak it to your liking, then tab back over, add some effects to that mixer channel, assign it to your interface outs and you’re rolling. Your channel options are limitless, so you can run tracks, keys patches, clicks, and Atmospheric pads all from one program. Your only limits are what your hardware (laptop, interface, and audio console) can handle.
I strongly recommend using Atmosphere pads. You can set them to loop and then add a nice tailing reverb that creates a lot of space to give your band a base to start from and return to. They also give you a nice soft intro if you have to change keys, and if you’re already doing this with playback, you’re going to love how much better those transitions work in Ableton. Multitracks.com has lots of pads for sale and you can drop the files right into Ableton.
Use Ableton’s click, not the Multitracks.com click. It’s way more customizable than the click from Multitracks and you can use a second MIDI controller to adjust the tempo on the fly if you like to spend time in spontaneous worship between songs.
That being said, grab a second MIDI controller for your keys, something like the Korg nanoKONTROL2. You can then easily control any keys patches you’re playing from Ableton, and every control in Ableton will connect to MIDI, so the possibilities are endless.
Finally, spend lots of time with Ableton and make controlling it easy for your team. This might be the most important part of this—you, the leader, need to know your system inside and out. Because Ableton isn’t as user-friendly as Playback or a keys machine like Mainstage, you need to know how to fix it on the fly and make sure you’ve got your MIDI controls set up in a way that will make sense for volunteers. Set them up for success.
