Ableton Live 11 Lite Plugins
Claribel Szwaja
Ableton Live is one of the most powerful DAW softwares in the world. Since launching in 2001, it has become a cornerstone of many modern music producers, and is also embraced by live performers and DJs thanks to its powerful and innovative performance-friendly workflow. Some of the key features that make Ableton Live a market leader are its exceptional audio engine, (virtually) seamless hardware integration, pioneering audio and MIDI manipulation tools, and a range of built-in plugins that few DAWs can rival. So are there any must-have plugins for Ableton Live?
That said, there are occasions where external plugins can achieve extraordinary results. While Max for Live allows users to create their own (often wild) audio and MIDI manipulation tools, someof these tasks are better attempted with help from 3rd party plugins to ensure a fast workflow.
FabFilter have become one of the most heralded name in VST Plugins. A first-choice for many professionals, their plugins offer an intuitive workflow, sleek design and comprehensive range of applications. Put simply, if you want to create an effect, a FabFilter plugin might be the fastest and most intuitive way to get there.
Rather than attempting elaborate analog emulations, FabFilter focus on sound quality, usability and multi-disciplinary appeal. Their Pro-Q EQ is clean, responsive and easy to use. Pro-R is a reverb plugin capable of delivering a breathtaking range of reverb responses. Saturn is a world-class saturator/distortion effect that can emulate classic sounds or create wild new textures. Meanwhile, Pro-G might be the easisest to use Gate on the market. Add in a world class delay in Timeless, a simple and powerful Limiter in Pro-L and some exciting filter and rhythm tools like Simplon and Volcano, and you have a bundle of plugins that any producer would be delighted to own.
However, the original synths will set you back a few thousand bucks each. With so many producers desperate to access these legendary devices, Roland decided to create a new range of neo-classic synths. Using their own ACB technology to closely resemble the originals, the AIRA range of digital, hardware synths was born. And that was how to achieve classic Roland sounds, until some bright spark thought up Roland Cloud.
In addition to the all-powerful Virtual Mix Rack, my personal favorites are the Verbsuite reverb and the sweet-sounding Virtual Tape Machine saturator. The reverbs are clean, deep and warm, while the tape machine warms and glues sounds together just like a classic, hardware, and very expensive, studio unit would.
Ableton Live is used by a wide range of producers who appreciate the intuitive use of the software. Since its introduction in 2001, Ableton Live has been incredibly popular for its straightforward interface and workflow. Club music producers especially value the versatility and flexibility of the DAW when it comes to quickly adjust the speed and pitch of loops and samples. The intuitive user interface allows users to change their productions easily and clearly on a laptop. This is another reason why Ableton Live is so popular with DJs. Ableton Live comes with a wide range of professional samplers, synthesizers and effects. Also, two types of plug-ins can be integrated into Ableton Live: Virtual Studio Technology 2 (VST 2) and Audio Unit (AU), both in 32-bit and 64-bit formats.
To further improve your workflow and get the best possible quality out of your productions, we recommend using additional plugins within Ableton Live. These are generally synthesizers and effects. With so many plugins available, it's hard to know which ones will take you further, so we've put together an overview to help you customize Ableton Live to best suit your needs. We've taken into account how widespread the plugins are and how many other producers use them professionally, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the plugins. The following overview will help you get to know the best plug-ins for Ableton Live and expand your DAW to take your productions to the next level.
Sylenth1 is one of the most frequently used VST synthesizers and has established itself as an absolute must-have in every studio, for professionals as well as for beginners. The reason for this is the user-friendly and straightforward interface and the excellent sound. Due to its wide distribution, there is a large community on the internet resulting in a wide range of free presets for Sylenth1. The look of the synth can be customized with free skins. Sylenth1 is available for Windows and Mac. The virtual analog synthesizer offers four oscillators with eight different waveforms each. Additionally, there are two LFOs with eleven different waveforms each, three different filter types and an effects section with seven master effects.
Serum is a virtual wavetable synthesizer that can be heard in many current productions because of its easy handling and top-notch sound. The plugin has 450 contemporary presets and 140 wavetables and supports VST-, AU- (both in 64-bit) and AAX. No matter if basses, leads or pads, the sounds are rich, powerful and wide and leave nothing to be desired due to the wide range of options for oscillators and filters. Accordingly, Serum can be used for any style of music, from Dubstep to EDM or House.
Omnisphere 2 is based on a large number of sampled synthesizers, which can be customized using the Omnisphere 2 engine and 58 effects. With 12,000 presets and a 64GB sample library, the synth leaves nothing to be desired when choosing the right sound quickly. The focus of Omnisphere 2 is not on simply sampled acoustic instruments but on material that is suitable for creating every conceivable synthesizer sound. In addition to this incredibly large sample base, Omnisphere 2 features a comprehensive synthesizer engine with 500 different DSP waveforms. Whether wavetables, granular, FM ... numerous filters, ring modulation, the bandwidth is amazing. Also, there are countless modulation options or features like Unison Drift, which emulates the slight pitch fluctuations of an analog synthesizer. All in all, Omnisphere 2 is such an extensive flagship that you don't need another synthesizer anymore.
Nexus is a sample player with a synthesizer function. It is popular because of its excellent programmed library with a large number of presets, especially usable in the Dance and Trance genre. The extensive library can be expanded with additional expansion packs that cover different styles from Orchestral to Hip Hop. A preset of the Nexus consists of up to four layers, each of which can use a multisample or one of eight classic waveforms as an oscillator. Various filter types are available for sound manipulation, as well as envelopes for filter and volume. Nexus also has a well-equipped arpeggiator, a trance gate and very good sounding effects. It is an excellent way to achieve perfect results in the studio very quickly. Therefore, it is not surprising that Nexus's sounds can be heard in a large number of international hit productions.
Nicky Romero Kickstart is a widely used and intuitive sidechain compression plugin that allows you to create high quality sidechaining in any genre quickly. The plugin stands out with its graphical representation and the easy to use user interface, where the exemplary choices can be adapted to your needs in a short time. And that's exactly what Kickstart is all about: instead of exhaustingly adjusting all possible parameters of any compressor, you just set the desired waveform and the amount of ducking in the mix, and you're done. Kickstart is therefore ideal for all musical styles in which the bass drum is of great importance and its place in the mix has to be ensured.
Vengeance Avenger is one of the most versatile synthesizer plugins available. A total of eight oscillators offer almost unlimited possibilities to shape the sound. All common waveforms can be selected, oscillation shapes can be freely drawn and your own samples can be layered. Besides numerous effects, dedicated filter modules, arpeggiators and endless modulation possibilities, Avenger also offers a drum sequencing function for up to 16 bars. Avenger combines the classic wavetable synthesizer with the sampler in one plugin and will satisfy even the highest demands in sound creation.
Diva (Dinosaur Impersonating Virtual Analogue) is a synthesizer plugin that features accurate digital replicas of legendary analog synthesizer circuits. The oscillators, envelopes and filters of the Minimoog, Juno-60, Jupiter-8 and MS20 have been recreated with great attention to detail for a vintage feel in almost any DAW. The excellent combinability of the individual synthesizer modules is especially noteworthy. For example, hybrids of Moog oscillators and Oberheim filters can be created, offering unimagined possibilities to those familiar with their analog counterparts. Diva manages to deliver the "real", warm sound of some of the most famous analog synthesizers without expensive outboard equipment and still remains highly latency-free, assuming a reasonably fast CPU.
Native Instruments Kontakt is a software sampler that can be used standalone but also integrates excellently as a plugin to existing DAWs. Since its release, the sampler has become the industry standard in professional music production due to its great sound and features, as well as its intuitive usability. In addition to the more than 40GB of state-of-the-art samples included with the sampler, Native Instruments also releases great compatible expansions from time to time. Of course, you can also load your own audio files into the sampler, where they can be arranged quickly to create custom libraries. The plugin is rounded off by a well-functioning effects section, in which sounds can be tweaked further. Regardless of the music style, this plugin is the first choice when it comes to professional sampling.
Guitar Rig makes it possible to virtually eliminate the need for classic analog equipment and hours of manual adjustments when recording and mixing electric guitars. In the modular and highly organized interface, detailed emulations of famous amp tops from Marshall, Mesa Boogie, Peavey, Fender, Orange and others can be combined with the most popular speaker cabinets. Once you have created your favorite stack, great effect chains can be arranged from countless well-known stompboxes and 19" gear. The plugin is completed by an innovative control room, where the setup is recorded by great simulated microphone classics, where phase, position and room can be adjusted. Of course, guitar lovers enjoy experimenting with their analog treasures. Still, Native Instruments Guitar Rig offers ambitious producers the ability to create usable and reproducible guitar setups quickly.
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