Ableton (DAW) - Making Music

[Vowels]

Evenin'

 

I've got myself the kit and the software and I know what I want to make; but I'm finding it really difficult to use Ableton?
 

Are there simpler alternatives? Or have I just got to 'git gud'?

 

Anyone experienced in this sort of thing?

 

 

[Zear0]

1 hour ago, Vowels said:

Evenin'

 

I've got myself the kit and the software and I know what I want to make; but I'm finding it really difficult to use Ableton?
 

Are there simpler alternatives? Or have I just got to 'git gud'?

 

Anyone experienced in this sort of thing?

 

 

Last time I used Ableton was version 8 at Uni back in 2009 so no doubt changed loads since then.  It is hard, but is really powerful software.  Stick with it as it'll payoff.

[RoboFox]

1 hour ago, Vowels said:

Are there simpler alternatives? Or have I just got to 'git gud'?

 

Musician here with dozens of loyal Spotify listeners and a girlfriend who’s about ready to trade me in for someone with a “real job.”

 

TBH, there’s really only one true beginner DAW: GarageBand - but that requires a Mac. Its natural big brother is Logic Pro.

 

That said, the answer to your question is the latter: there isn’t one DAW that’s magically more intuitive than the others. Making music is HARD and they all come with a steep learning curve. A lot of new producers give up early because they expect to make a hit in their first month - but the reality is, it takes time, patience, and a willingness to make a lot of pure DOGSHIT before you start making anything resebling listenable music. Actual years, probably.

 

I’ve been using Logic Pro for nearly two decades and I still discover new things all the time. The upside for you is that you’ve got an endless supply of YouTube tutorials, walkthroughs, and forums that can teach you pretty much anything for free.

 

So, pick a DAW (Ableton, Logic, FL Studio — they’re all excellent), follow a beginner’s guide on YouTube, and just start making stuff. The best DAW is the one you've learned to use. 

 

Edit - let me know if you want to know anything else. I'm alright with this stuff.

 

Edited 12 November 2025 by RoboFox

[indierich06]

I've literally just bought a Launchkey and downloaded Ableton Lite and yes it's very complicated 😂  LMK if you find any good resources. Mainly just looking on YT at the minute.

[Vowels]

Youtube is the one. Its just so overwhelming. It's probably a bit overkill as I just want to record and manipulate one drum track, 3 guitar tracks, one vocal track. Okay okay possibly a synth track as well as I've always been a bit obsessed with synths.

 

I'm sure I'll have questions. I've literally fallen at the first hurdle haven't I?

[RoboFox]

On 14/11/2025 at 14:41, Vowels said:

Youtube is the one. Its just so overwhelming. It's probably a bit overkill as I just want to record and manipulate one drum track, 3 guitar tracks, one vocal track. Okay okay possibly a synth track as well as I've always been a bit obsessed with synths.

 

I'm sure I'll have questions. I've literally fallen at the first hurdle haven't I?

Recording and mixing drums is pretty advanced stuff. 

 

Maybe start with samples? I don't use Ableton but I think it's called Drum Rack?

[Free Falling Foxes]

Posted this elsewhere on this forum. He makes it look easy. 

[Fosse93]

On 14/11/2025 at 14:41, Vowels said:

Youtube is the one. Its just so overwhelming. It's probably a bit overkill as I just want to record and manipulate one drum track, 3 guitar tracks, one vocal track. Okay okay possibly a synth track as well as I've always been a bit obsessed with synths.

 

I'm sure I'll have questions. I've literally fallen at the first hurdle haven't I?

What genre are you going for? I use Ableton and have the below set up, though I tend to record more Rock / Pop Punk stuff. Should be able to get your hands on a bargain or two with Black Friday coming up!

 

Drums:

I use Superior Drummer 3, quite expensive but worth it IMO. You get loads of beats out the box and have the option of buying more too in the form of packs - you can purchase here. Alternatively there's also EZ Drummer 3 which is made by the same company, but comes with a little less flexibility. I downloaded the Pop Punk presets add on which also comes with additional grooves (link here) and use one of the preset drum kits from that as they're essentially 'mix ready' and less faffing about.

 

I also downloaded this midi pack which gives you loads of great grooves, I practically use this on every song I create now and it's only £30.

 

Bass:

I use PunkBass to dial in bass via midi - it's brilliant for getting ideas down quick. I tend to record 'real' bass for my more serious recordings but this is a great place to start, and to be honest wouldn't sound out of place at all in a professional recording. Link is here - looks like they have 50% off currently too so a bargain to be had.

 

Guitars:

I use the Soldano SLO-100 X plug in by Neural DSP - it's amazing. Again, it's not cheap (though worth every penny IMO) but you can test the waters with a 14 day free trial, link is here. The sounds are 'mix ready' straight out the box and even though it's just one amp in the plug in, you have various different cabs, pedals etc. to choose from. I think you can cover pretty much every genre using this plug in alone, and it sounds great.

 

Vocals:

I use Nectar 4 (Standard) to mix vocals, link is here. To be honest, I think you can get great sounding vocals using the already existing stock plug ins in Ableton, but I'm lazy and Nectar makes it easier for me!

 

I enjoy the creative part of writing music, not so much the recording side of it - so I like to keep things as simple and straightforward as possible when it comes to recording. The genre of music I create is relatively straightforward too which helps. For synths I just use the stock sounds in Ableton as find they cover all I need pretty much.

Edited 17 November 2025 by Fosse93