Ableton Live as yr DAW

[slowcentury]

Are any of you out there using ableton live as your main DAW? I used to use it back about 8 years ago for making drone stuff and I really loved it. Im starting to make more ambient/drone type stuff again and I would really like to pick up the new version. However with a hefty price tag like that, I would almost want to try and implement it as my primary DAW software for recording bands etc. I have a hard time justifying $500+ on any software. Ideas? Thoughts? Thx!

[DougK]

Very long term ableton user here, i've switched back and forth between pro tools and logic but always use ableton, it's work flow is very fast for me.
As far as tracking, as long as you keep the warp engine off it does as good a capture as anything else out there, and I enjoy mixing with it... it does support a wide range of plug in formats if that is important. I do believe the summing is not on par with some other daw, but I have no proof in documentation, just my own personal experiences... it can be managed.
Ableton has not released a new version for a very long time, although they are on top of their updates and currently have a 64 bit beta out (if it hasn't been released yet).
I feel in 9 we will likely see a complete re-write of the warp engine... the ableton folks have informed us long ago that the current program architecture cannot be optimized for touch screen control, and touch screen is what would put that program over the top.
For now, there is a great ipad app called touch osc, and a template called touch for live which is ideal for this.
As far as justifying the software cost, well, i'm older and from the days of all analog- go ahead and cry me a river, the artist has never had so much available for so little. 500 bucks used to get you what, one decent microphone?
Although it does feel weird paying for a code number and virtual product, I will agree on that....

[vvv]

FWIW, I was just reading how much of Gotye's latest, (with "Someone I used to Know") was recorded using Ableton Live.

See here, for example - SOS did a story, also, here.
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[Jeff White]

I've been using Live since 2004 and I love it for weirdo stuff, but honestly, it's been a while since I fired it up. I'd say go ahead and attempt to use it as your main DAW. It's a perfectly stable recording platform that also has the ability to take things over the edge when you want.

I personally use Digital Performer and Rewire Live into it. I prefer the workflow better, especially since I use live as a compositional tool and Digital Performer as a tracking/mixing tool.

You could always use Live with Reaper.

Jeff
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[analogcabin]

I think any major DAW can be used to make a great record.
For me Ableton has the advantage of getting out of the way for tracking, and at the same time it's many tools go deep for mixing.

The "group track" layout works so well for doing a quasi-stem mixing style with a Mackie (or any) 8 channel control surface.

The built in EQ and comps wok very well (especially in Hi-Quality Mode)

Love Ableton!
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[blungo2]

I'm currently using both Abelton and Harrison Mixbus. Abelton for stuff that's going to be more heavily processed and electronic sounding and mixbus for more straight ahead acoustic type stuff.

I think for more nuanced mixing of more acoustic sounds mixbus is way ahead of abelton, at least workflow and bussing wise, maybe even for sound. but for louder more processed stuff abelton is just fine. I like it's vartious comps and eqs too, but for some stuff i prefer uad plugins.

[lukievan]

I haven't used it for tracking in a while but I remember a previous version not having 'takes' option on tracks, as well as no real cross fade options. Maybe that's changed?
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[GlowSounds]

I've always enjoyed tracking in Live. Depending on what you're doing you can record standard linear or use clips for looping, etc. In that sense it's great for songwriting & just getting ideas down in rough draft form.

However, i've never been able to get on board with mixing in Live. I find the workflow awkward and not totally inspiring. But based on others' comments here it is possible to mix efficiently, so it's probably just a personal preference (for the PT mixer)

[blungo2]