how do you use VSTs with ableton?

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how do you use VSTs with ableton?

Postby divtech » Fri Feb 06, 2009 3:30 pm

i feel like an idiot for askin this but i never rally figured out how

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Postby rtificial » Fri Feb 06, 2009 11:28 pm

First you need to setup you up folders for where your VST's are stored.

1. First click "options" and goto "preferences" or (ctrl, + , )
2. Then click the "file Folder" tab. Here you can set default folders for where Ableton will save your Live Sets, where your VST's are located, your temporary folder, and a sample editor if you'd like to use for example Adobe Audition as your sample editor. But for now just setup your VST folder where you have em all stored.

Now your ready to use VST's and Ableton's built in effects and instruments.

1. In the top left hand of the screen right under the "tap" button, there should be a circle button with a triangle inside. Click that and it will open up your folder tab. The button underneath the open/close button will be for all your live effects, instruments, presets for each one and ones you make yourself. Under that button is a button with a plug picture. Thats where your VST's aka plugins are stored if you setup your folder properly.

2. So click on the plugin button. It should have all your VST's listed and even sub folders if you have them in your main folder.

3. So ok lets say you have a nice little synth VST. Find your favorite lil synth VST and just click and drag and drop it to a "midi track". Notice while you a dragging the VST over the "audio track" it gives you a circle with a slash thru it symbol. That tells you that the VST will not work on an audio track. But when you hover over the "midi track" the cursor changes to show that you can drop it into that track.

4. So now you've dragged and dropped the synth VST to a midi track OR you could of went past the midi track and dropped it in the VAST area where it says "drop files and devices here". If you did the later, then Ableton will automatically set you up a NEW midi track with your lil synth VST....how nice! How easy!

5. After you dropped the VST, it should automatically pop up the VST's user interface....if it has one. Ableton will also auto "arm" the track so you can instantly start playing the VST with your midi device or keyboard.

easy huh?

The same thing can be done with audio effect VST's. So you want to use the INFAMOUS DBGLITCH! (gasp)

Well with audio/midi effect type VST's, they can be dragged and dropped on BOTH audio and midi tracks. For example

1. Say you have ...OMG an amen break loop running on "audio track 1". Just drag and drop DB glitch like you did in the steps above. Woot omg its glitching the amen already after you drop it!

Well there ya go, thats pretty much using VST's in ableton in a nut shell. But wait there's more! You can even stack on more effects! more VST's, more ableton effects! Even switch around the order Vst's by dragging and dropping em! Thus changing the sound even more! So have fun, experiment around....and remember nothing is perminet in ableton. If you don't like what you did, just click (ctrl + z) and it shall undo what you did or just go up to the edit menu up top and click "undo".

Enjoy!

I would of posted pictures, but I don't have time for that right now.

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Postby divtech » Sat Feb 07, 2009 5:56 am

wow that was really helpful,
thanks for all the info :D

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Postby Sorka » Wed Mar 04, 2009 4:30 pm

hehe =)

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thx

Postby Basscory » Tue Oct 13, 2009 7:22 pm

jup thanks

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Postby potcheen » Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:09 am

could you give links to good ableton tutorials ?

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