Workflow and Glossary

All Keyboard Shortcuts

Showing and Hiding Views

Accessing Menus

Under Windows, you can access each menu by pressing ALT and the first letter of the menu (ALT-F for “File,” for instance). While a menu is open, you can use:

• the up and down arrow keys to navigate the menu items;
• the right and left arrow keys to open the neighboring menu;
• Enter to choose a menu item.

In macOS, you can access individual menu entries by pressing CMD-?. This opens a search field that will suggest menu entries as you type. You can then navigate the suggested options by pressing the up and down arrow keys and press Enter to choose one.

Adjusting Values

Browsing

In addition to the shortcuts shown here, the editing shortcuts can also be used in the browser.

Transport

Editing

By holding down an additional modifier key, some of the above commands can also be applied to:

Tab can be used to move from one track or scene to another while renaming.

Loop Brace and Start/End Markers

The loop brace and start/end markers must first be selected before any of the following commands will apply to them.

Session View Commands

See also the editing commands.

Arrangement View Commands

The shortcuts for zooming, snapping/drawing and loop/region settings also work in the Arrangement View. See also the editing commands.

Commands for Tracks

See also the editing commands.

Commands for Breakpoint Envelopes

The shortcuts for zooming, snapping/drawing and loop/region settings also work in the Envelope Editor and Arrangement View. See also the editing commands.

Key/MIDI Map Mode and the Computer MIDI Keyboard

Zooming, Display and Selections

Clip View Sample Display

The shortcuts for zooming and loop/region settings also work in the Sample Display.

Clip View MIDI Editor

The shortcuts for zooming, snapping/drawing and loop/region settings also work in the MIDI Editor.

Grid Snapping and Drawing

Global Quantization

Working with Sets and the Program

Working with Plug-Ins and Devices

Using the Context Menu

A context menu is available in Live for quick access to many commonly used menu items. To access the context menu, right-click(PC) / CTRL-click(Mac) on the part of the interface where you would like to execute a particular command. It is worth noting that Live’s context menu may sometimes contain applicable settings from the Preferences. You should change these options with care, as they will affect not only the currently selected item but the general settings of the program.

Glossary

arm audio audio interface console contextual menu DAW destructive/non-destructive dry feedback follow grid grid spacing humanize I/O insert marker instrument level key latency line level linear/non-linear mic level MIDI MIDI interface mixer monitor monophonic overdub patchbay plug-in polyphonic pre-amp pre-roll punch shuffle signal flow stems swing tempo toggle track (various meanings) transient velocity wet

Typical Recording Workflow

pre-production auditioning clips triggering clips choosing instruments recording elements editing elements experimentation with combinations employing effects creating an arrangement CPU management rough mix automation mixing bouncing Exporting(filetypes?) Mastering Distribution Archiving(stems,non-linear, assets, files, etc.)

Desert Island Key Commands

Desert Island key commands: ⌘ + T = New Audio Track
⌘ + ⇧ + T = New Midi Track
⌘ + E = Split clip ⌘ + G = Group tracks ⌘ + D = Duplicate (tracks or clips)
⌘ + L = Loop selection
Tab = Session view / Arrangement view
⇧ + Tab = Clip view / Device view ⌘ + ⇧ + M = Insert MIDI clip (after highlighting desired region) B = Switch to ‘Draw Mode’
Hold ⌘ while dragging = disable snap to grid is

Great resource that organizes key commands well: https://blog.liveschool.net/essential-shortcuts-ableton-live-10/↗