Music Tech Focus is the high quality, single package or process, special edition series from the Music Tech team. Each issue takes a leading music production software package or key technique, and dedicates 132 pages to giving the reader practical, hands-on information to better master that subject. Music Tech Focus takes the very best of Music Tech's normal software or technique coverage, and adds brand new workshops, interviews and hardware round-ups to give readers the complete guide to that subject.

Welcome to Ableton Live 2020…

Music Tech Focus

BACK TO BASICS PART 1: GETTING STARTED AND USING PUSH IN ABLETON LIVE • Ableton Live has reached version 10 and it’s come a long way since 2001. Now we’re starting a new back-to-basics series which will bring you right up to date with the latest versions of Live and Push…

BACK TO BASICS PART 2: BUILDING BEATS WITH PUSH & LIVE IN ABLETON LIVE • There are days when Ableton Live 10 looks like a far more complex beast than it was back in 2001, but the good core stuff is still there. Let’s prove the point by making a straightforward beat!

BACK TO BASICS PART 3: WORKING WITH AUDIO BEATS IN ABLETON LIVE • Last time we created a beat using MIDI programming and a drum rack, but with Live, audio samples are just as flexible. Now we can twist a drum loop to do just about whatever we want…

BACK TO BASICS PART 4: BUILDING A BASS PART IN ABLETON LIVE • You like bass, right? C’mon, everybody does! Bass is important, sure, but there are so many tools, so many technical and creative choices to be made about how to use it…

FEATURE 100 PRO TIPS • Over the previous twelve months, we’ve spoken to a vast number of producers, musicians, writers, companies, composers, artists and industry professionals who have shared their unique approaches, wisdom and expert direction. In this feature, we compile the very best tips and guidance to better equip you for a roaring ’20s of music-making!

BACK TO BASICS PART FIVE: INTRODUCING KEYBOARDS IN ABLETON LIVE • A keyboard part can be anything from a one-finger piano riff to a complex, evolving pad, but utilising keyboards can be a bit daunting for the uninitiated, so let’s find some ways to make them more approachable…

BACK TO BASICS PART 6: ADDING MELODY AND HARMONY IN ABLETON LIVE • Dressing your beats in memorable melodies and rich harmonies may seem like a daunting task but Ableton Live has a host of tools to help you through the process. Here we guide you through them…

TWELVE OF THE BEST Budget Studio Monitors • Over the last few years, we have reviewed just about every studio monitor ever released, and are noticing a trend that smaller and cheaper monitors are starting to sound better and better. Here are the best dozen that we have looked at costing less than £500 a pair (all prices stated are street price)…

LINK AND SYNC WITH LIVE IN ABLETON LIVE • Live works brilliantly on its own for production and performance, but it can also be incredibly sociable and open to working with other software and hardware. Here are some ways to hook it up…

DEEPER SYNC WITH EXTERNAL TECH IN ABLETON LIVE • Last time, we talked about using Ableton Link to wirelessly sync compatible music software and hardware. Now let’s recap on how we can connect Live to a wider range of equipment, including older products

1O TIPS on using microphones • If you are new to the world of recording with microphones, perhaps just branching out of your DAW world for the first time, then there are some basic – and not so basic – rules and tips you should be aware of, plus one tip to rule them all. Read on for the greatest tips ever to guide you through the best use of microphones, for every recording task…

EXPORTING IN ABLETON LIVE • A finished piece of music needs to be released into the world, and to...