Sources and Further Reading

Curriculum Contributions

This is a living document. The people below shaped the material through live instruction, session contributions, and editorial work at Beat Kitchen School.

Date	Contributor	Role
2023–present	Nathan Rosenberg	Guide author — original curriculum, editorial
Feb–Mar 2023	Marshall Moran	Class (Ableton, cohort 1) — 10 sessions, Scott Hampton guest
Apr–May 2023	Marshall Moran	Class (Ableton, cohort 2) — 12 sessions, Scott Hampton guest
Jul–Sep 2023	Scott Hampton	Class (Ableton, cohort 3) — 13 sessions, Alex Poselski guest
Nov 2023–Jan 2024	Marshall Moran	Class (Ableton, cohort 4) — 8 sessions
Feb–Apr 2024	Scott Hampton	Class (Ableton, cohort 5) — 12 sessions
Jun–Aug 2024	Cinnamontal	Class (Ableton, cohort 6) — 12 sessions, Marshall Moran guest
Sep–Nov 2024	Cinnamontal	Class (Ableton, cohort 7) — 10 sessions
Aug 2025	Jamaal Taylor	Office Hours — creative sidechain techniques
Nov 2025	Marshall Moran	Office Hours — sound design and synthesis integration
Jul 2025	Scott Hampton	Production Gym — Daft Punk “Instant Crush” analysis
2026	Nathan Rosenberg	Current revision — chapter rewrites, session integration

Glossary

127 terms collected from across this guide. Updated automatically as chapters are written.

ADSR Envelope

A four-stage control (Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release) that shapes how a parameter changes over the life of a note. Ch. 12

Arm

To enable a track for recording by activating its record button. Ch. 5

Arpeggiator

A MIDI effect that takes held notes and plays them back as a rhythmic sequence. Ch. 23

Arrangement View

A traditional linear timeline view where clips are organized left to right over time. Ch. 1

Audio Interface

A hardware device that converts analog audio signals into digital data for your computer and vice versa. Ch. 3

Audio to MIDI

Live's ability to analyze an audio recording and convert it into MIDI notes on a new track. Ch. 16

Audio Unit

Apple's native plugin format for macOS, an alternative to VST. Ch. 14

Automation

Parameter changes recorded or drawn over time so they play back automatically during a song. Ch. 21

Automation Lane

A dedicated strip beneath a track that displays the automation curve for a specific parameter. Ch. 21

Back to Arrangement

A button that resolves conflicts between Session and Arrangement playback by reverting to the Arrangement state. Ch. 4

Backing Track

Pre-recorded audio (synths, samples, vocal harmonies) triggered during live performance to supplement live musicians. Ch. 24

Beat Repeat

A glitch effect that captures and rhythmically repeats chunks of incoming audio. Ch. 19

Beat Slicing

Dividing a longer sample into individual segments that can be triggered independently from different keys. Ch. 17

Breakpoint

A draggable point on an automation curve that defines a value at a specific moment in time. Ch. 21

Browser

The left-hand panel where Live organizes instruments, effects, samples, presets, and packs. Ch. 2

Buffer Size

A preference setting that balances latency against CPU stability — lower means less delay but more strain. Ch. 5

Capture

A function that retroactively saves a MIDI performance you played without pressing record. Ch. 5

Capture and Insert Scene

A command that copies all currently playing Session View clips into a new scene. Ch. 4

Chain

A signal path within a rack — a sequence of devices that audio or MIDI passes through from left to right. Ch. 15

Chain Zone

A mapping range (Key, Velocity, or Chain Select) that restricts which input triggers a particular chain. Ch. 15

Choke Group

A setting that links pads so triggering one silences the others — essential for open/closed hi-hat pairs. Ch. 15

Choking

Assigning sounds to a group so that triggering one silences the others — commonly used for hi-hat pairs. Ch. 13

Chord Device

A MIDI effect that builds chords by adding notes at specified semitone intervals above or below each input note. Ch. 23

Classic Mode

Simpler's default mode that maps a sample chromatically across the keyboard for melodic playback. Ch. 13

Click Track

A metronome track routed to a performer's monitors only, keeping the band in time without the audience hearing it. Ch. 24

Clip

The atomic playback element in Live, typically a short looping piece of audio or MIDI. Ch. 1

Clip Envelope

Automation that lives inside a clip and travels with it, modulating parameters relative to the clip's own settings. Ch. 22

Clip Viewer

The detail panel where a clip's contents — MIDI notes or audio waveform — are displayed and edited. Ch. 7

Collect All and Save

A command that copies every externally referenced file into your project folder so the Set is self-contained. Ch. 10

Commit

Permanently writing a groove's timing adjustments into the clip data so the groove can be removed. Ch. 9

Comping

Assembling the best moments from multiple takes into a single composite recording. Ch. 6

Configure

The process of exposing third-party plugin parameters to Live's mapping and automation systems. Ch. 20

Consolidate

A command (Cmd+J) that merges multiple clips or a time selection into a single continuous clip. Ch. 21

Consolidate Time to New Scene

A command that converts a time selection in the Arrangement View into a launchable Scene in Session View. Ch. 22

Control Bar

The persistent bar at the top of Live's interface housing play, stop, metronome, and tempo controls. Ch. 2

Convert Drums

An audio-to-MIDI mode that identifies kick, snare, and hi-hat hits and maps them to a Drum Rack. Ch. 16

Convert Harmony

An audio-to-MIDI mode optimized for polyphonic material like piano, guitar, or chords. Ch. 16

Convert Melody

An audio-to-MIDI mode optimized for monophonic, single-line recordings like vocals or bass. Ch. 16

Crossfader

A horizontal slider that blends between two groups of tracks (A and B), commonly used for DJ-style mixing. Ch. 20

Cueing

Previewing a track through headphones before the audience hears it, using a separate audio output. Ch. 24

DAW

Digital audio workstation — software used to record, edit, and produce music on a computer. Ch. 1

Detail View

The lower panel that shows the Clip Viewer or Device Viewer for editing clips and effects. Ch. 2

Device Chain

The left-to-right sequence of effects on a track through which audio passes in order. Ch. 14

Dithering

Adding a tiny amount of noise during bit-depth conversion to reduce quantization artifacts. Ch. 18

Drum Rack

A grid of 128 pads where each pad holds its own instrument, effects chain, and mixing controls. Ch. 11

Dry/Wet

A control that blends the unprocessed (dry) signal with the processed (wet) signal from an effect. Ch. 14

Fade

A non-destructive volume ramp at the start or end of an audio clip in the Arrangement View. Ch. 21

Filter Cutoff

The frequency point where a filter begins removing frequencies — the single most important parameter in subtractive synthesis. Ch. 12

Flatten (Bounce)

Converting a frozen track permanently to audio, replacing its instruments and effects with the rendered file. Ch. 18

FM Synthesis

A synthesis method where one oscillator modulates the frequency of another to produce complex harmonic textures. Ch. 11

Follow Action

An automated rule that tells Live what to do on a track after a clip finishes playing or reaches a set duration. Ch. 22

Follow Actions

Automated rules that determine what happens on a track after a clip finishes playing. Ch. 7

Freeze Track

A command that renders a track's output to a temporary audio file, bypassing its devices to save CPU. Ch. 14

Granular Re-synthesis

The underlying technique behind warping that compresses or expands time by repeating or skipping small segments of audio. Ch. 8

Grid Spacing

The resolution of the rhythmic grid that notes and selections snap to in the editor. Ch. 7

Groove

A template derived from musical content that imparts subtle timing and velocity variations onto clips. Ch. 9

Groove Pool

A panel where rhythmic groove templates are loaded and made available to clips. Ch. 2

Info View

A small panel in the lower-left corner that describes whatever your mouse is hovering over. Ch. 2

Insert Effect

An effect placed directly on a track's device chain that processes only that track's signal. Ch. 18

Insert Marker

The vertical line indicating the current playback position in the Arrangement View. Ch. 2

Instrument Plugin

A software device loaded onto a MIDI track that interprets MIDI data and generates sound. Ch. 11

Key Mapping

Assigning computer keyboard keys to trigger clips, toggle effects, or control parameters in Live. Ch. 20

Latency

The delay between an input signal and its playback, caused by the computer's audio processing time. Ch. 5

Launch Mode

A setting that determines how a clip responds to being triggered — options include Trigger, Gate, Toggle, Repeat, and Legato. Ch. 22

Launch Quantization

A setting that delays clip playback until the next musical subdivision so clips start in sync. Ch. 4

Legato Mode

A launch setting where a new clip picks up at the same playback position as the previous clip. Ch. 7

LFO

Low Frequency Oscillator — a slow oscillator used to modulate parameters like filter cutoff or pitch, creating movement and texture. Ch. 12

Linked/Unlinked

A setting that decouples a clip envelope's loop length from the clip itself, allowing independent loop cycles. Ch. 22

Live Set

The session file (.als) that contains your arrangement, clips, devices, and automation. Ch. 10

Locator

A named marker in the Arrangement View timeline used for navigation and performance section jumping. Ch. 21

Loop Recording

Recording continuously while playback loops, capturing multiple passes over the same section. Ch. 6

Looper

A real-time recording effect that captures audio and plays it back as a loop with overdub capability. Ch. 19

Macro

An assignable knob on a rack's front panel that can control one or more parameters from any device inside the rack. Ch. 15

MIDI

Musical Instrument Digital Interface — a set of performance instructions (not sound) that tells an instrument what notes to play. Ch. 3

MIDI Effect

A device placed before an instrument that transforms MIDI data in real time without altering the original clip. Ch. 23

MIDI Map Mode

A special mode (Cmd+M) where all mappable parameters glow blue, allowing you to assign controller inputs. Ch. 20

MIDI Mapping

Connecting physical controls on a MIDI controller to parameters inside Live for hands-on control. Ch. 20

Monitor

To listen to an incoming signal in real time through your speakers or headphones. Ch. 5

Multisampling

Loading different recordings across pitch ranges and velocity layers to create a more realistic sampled instrument. Ch. 13

Non-destructive Editing

A workflow where changes are applied on the fly without altering the original source file. Ch. 3

Normalize

An export option that automatically adjusts the volume of a mixdown so it reaches 0 dB without clipping. Ch. 4

Note Length

A MIDI effect that overrides note durations to a fixed value regardless of how long keys are held. Ch. 23

One-Shot Mode

A Simpler mode where the sample plays once from start to finish when triggered, ignoring note-off messages. Ch. 13

Overdubbing

Recording new material layered on top of an existing recording without erasing it. Ch. 6

Parallel Processing

Splitting a signal through multiple chains simultaneously and blending the results together. Ch. 15

Piano Roll

A MIDI editor layout where the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents pitch. Ch. 7

Playback: Thru

A Simpler Slice mode setting where triggering a slice plays forward from that point through the rest of the sample. Ch. 17

Project Folder

The directory Live creates to store your Set file alongside its Samples subfolder and other assets. Ch. 10

Punching

Replacing a specific section of a recording by recording over it between defined in and out points. Ch. 6

Quantization

The process of snapping notes to exact beat positions on the grid to correct timing. Ch. 9

Rack

A container device that holds one or more instruments or effects and presents them as a single unit. Ch. 15

Record Quantization

An automatic post-recording step that snaps MIDI note timing to the nearest grid value. Ch. 5

Resampling

Recording Live's own output back into a new clip or track. Ch. 3

Resonance

A boost at the filter's cutoff frequency that adds emphasis, creating peaked or vowel-like tonal qualities. Ch. 12

Resonators

An effect that passes audio through tuned resonant filters, imposing pitch onto unpitched material. Ch. 19

Return Track

A dedicated track that holds shared effects, receiving signal from other tracks via sends. Ch. 18

Sampler

An instrument that plays back recordings, allowing them to be triggered, pitched, and manipulated from a keyboard. Ch. 11

Sampling

Taking an existing audio recording and using it as raw material for a new instrument or composition. Ch. 13

Saturator

A distortion effect that adds harmonics using waveshaping curves, ranging from subtle warmth to heavy crunch. Ch. 19

Scale Device

A MIDI effect that forces incoming notes to the nearest pitch within a chosen scale. Ch. 23

Scene

A horizontal row of clips in Session View that can be triggered together as a unit from the Master Track. Ch. 1

Seg. BPM

The detected tempo of an audio clip, displayed in the Clip View's Sample Box. Ch. 8

Send

A knob on each track that controls how much signal is routed to a return track. Ch. 18

Session View

A non-linear workspace in Live where clips are launched dynamically in a grid layout. Ch. 1

Sidechain

A routing technique where one track's signal controls an effect on a different track. Ch. 18

Simpler

Live's built-in sample-based instrument with Classic, One-Shot, and Slice modes for versatile playback. Ch. 11

Slice Mode

A Simpler mode that divides a sample into segments, each assigned to a different key for rearranging and retriggering. Ch. 13

Slice to Drum Rack

A command that converts sliced audio into a Drum Rack where each slice gets its own pad and Simpler instance. Ch. 17

Spectrum

A utility effect that displays the frequency content of a signal in real time without altering the audio. Ch. 19

Step Recording

Entering MIDI notes one at a time using a keyboard and arrow keys rather than performing in real time. Ch. 7

Subtractive Synthesis

A method of sound design that starts with a harmonically rich waveform and removes frequencies with a filter. Ch. 12

Swing

A rhythmic feel created by delaying every other subdivision, giving music a looser, more human quality. Ch. 9

Synthesizer

An instrument that generates sound from scratch using oscillators, filters, and envelopes rather than recorded audio. Ch. 11

Take Lanes

Stacked lanes beneath a track that store each recording pass for assembling a composite (comp). Ch. 6

Template

A pre-configured Live Set that loads as your default starting point for new sessions. Ch. 10

Track

A channel that holds clips and carries settings like volume, panning, and effects. Ch. 1

Track Status

The area in Session View that shows real-time feedback about which clip is playing and its loop position. Ch. 4

Transient

A burst of energy at the start of a note or hit that Live uses to detect rhythmic events in audio. Ch. 8

Transient Slicing

A slicing method that places markers at detected attack points in the audio. Ch. 17

User Library

The personal section of the Browser where your saved presets, clips, and default configurations are stored. Ch. 10

Velocity

In MIDI, the measure of how hard a key was pressed, typically controlling how loud a note sounds. Ch. 3

Vocoder

An effect that imposes the timbral character of one signal (modulator) onto the harmonic content of another (carrier). Ch. 19

VST

Virtual Studio Technology — a third-party plugin format for instruments and effects. Ch. 14

Warp

Live's ability to time-stretch audio clips so they play in sync with the project tempo. Ch. 8

Warp Marker

A user-placed anchor point that pins a specific moment in an audio clip to a position on the grid. Ch. 8

Warp Mode

An algorithm that determines how Live stretches audio — options include Beats, Tones, Texture, Complex, and Re-Pitch. Ch. 8

Waveform

The basic shape of a sound's oscillation — common types include sine, sawtooth, square, and triangle. Ch. 12