Watch Part 2 of this series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx8OO55TjQE

Off Centre's Jonathan Kawchuk takes us through some of the ins and outs of bringing musical ideas to life. This is Part 1 of a 2 part series focussed specifically on creating melodic and structural variation. How do you turn a great 4 bar or 8 bar loop into a full song using Ableton Live. Star Wars represent!

Whether you're looking to learn the Art of DJing or develop your studio potential as a producer, at Off Centre you'll learn the skills, technical know how, and creative mind set to become a unique and well-rounded artist. Learn more about our programs here: http://www.offcentredj.com/certificate-programs.html

​Is it plugged in? Did you turn it on?....

Might think those are obvious things to do when it comes to hearing sound but believe me some of your favourite dj's have missed those steps :) We've decided to put together a little checklist to help you get started.

Let us know if we missed anything, add it to the comments below.

​Check out Part 2 of the series - Playing Live with Ableton Using Controllers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6rwo3kyYLE

In this tutorial we’ll take a look at how you can take your live sets to new heights using mapping.

More info about Ableton and Electronic music production courses at Off Centre: http://www.offcentredj.com/full-producer-program.html

​Kickin' it with JT from the Off Centre Camp. In this video we explore some details of how to combine multiple sounds (in this case kick drum samples) to make a fuller sound. 

Learn more about producing at Off Centre: 

http://www.offcentredj.com/certificate-programs.html

​Ableton’s Scale is a powerful MIDI effect that allows you to constrain every note on your keyboard to a specified scale. For example, if you wanted all of your keys to play only notes within an A minor scale, Ableton’s Scale can do this.

In this tutorial we’ll take a look at how Scale works and map out some of our own scales.

More info about Ableton and Electronic music production courses at Off Centre: http://www.offcentredj.com/certificate-programs.html

​This video is a brief explanation and demonstration of exactly what Global Quantization is and what it can do to in Ableton.

More Ableton course info: http://www.offcentredj.com/ableton-li...

Global Quantization is a powerful Ableton feature that can be used in session view. It's one of the elements that really sets Ableton apart from other DAWs and can change your workflow and  overall engagement in your music making experience. It can be used on stage for live shows and can also bring that performance feel in to your beat making process in the studio.

[Introduction]
Ableton's Operator is a little intimidating at first, but it's often overlooked for more commercial plugins. It's a versatile instrument and with a little time you can be on your way to making your own patches and basslines. Operator is an FM (Frequency Modulation) Synthesizer with subtractive and additive synthesis. 

The Operator has 8 individual sections called ‘Shells’ and 1 display section at the centre. Depending on the shell you have selected, the centre display will show you a more detailed set of parameters from which you can modify your sound.  

For info on Off Centre's Producer Programs: http://www.offcentredj.com/producer-programs.html

Oscillators : The noise makers inside the Operator. There are 4 oscillators (ABCD) which have their own parameters that can be tweaked in the centre display.

Waveform : Essentially waveforms are a representation of sound and can be complex or simple. In Ableton we can choose from a 22 types of waveforms, design our own or choose from the fundamental waveforms, sine, saw, square and triangle. We’ll choose a sine wave as it has a prominent presence in the lower frequencies.  

Algorithm : In a nutshell Operator’s Algorithms are different routing options for the oscillators (ABCD). You can see that depending on which one you choose, algorithms can drastically alter your sound.  

[How to make the Bassline]
1. Generally, the sine wave registers the best in the lower frequencies so, to create our bass sound, we’ll go to our oscillator 'A' and leave the waveform to run a sine wave. 

2. We’ll then change the Algorithm to the last configuration so that our oscillators will run independently. 

3. Add another oscillator with the same sine wave to boost the fullness of the sound. You could also add a third oscillator and run another waveform on top of the sine waves to add some tones to the sine wave. 

[Additional Tweaks]
Filter : The filter sections controls the Operator’s built-in filters. You can choose from a range of Filter-types (LP,HP,BP,Notch) and then adjust the cutoff with the Frequency knob which sweeps the band with whatever Filter-type you chose. The display will also allow you to change the envelope of the filter and also add curves to your waves with the Shaper Types. Choose from Soft, Hard, Sine or 4Bit to had that little bit of grit or guts to your sound.  

LFO : By default, The Low Frequency Oscillator (LFO) shell will modulate the pitch of your oscillators ABCD, but can also modulate the filter cutoff depending on which ones you have turned on in the LFO centre display. 

Release: In the Oscillator display you can adjust the Release to extend the tail end of the signal. Doing so will lengthen or shorten the amount of time for the signal to decrease after the key has been released.

​A proper "release" (aka "drop") is one of the most important fundamental DJ techniques not only for scratching, but also for successfully mixing/transitioning from one track to the next. Since this is a cross fader dependent technique, In this video we take an in depth look at the role of each hand. Think tapping your head and rubbing your stomach! Just like any other instrument, it's all about developing hand and/or limb independence. This comes with time and lots of practice.

Next up - try the "Drop Cut": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGVHYg9340E

Circles & Squares: http://www.circlesquaresound.com

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DJ Program info can be found at: http://www.offcentredj.com/dj-programs.html

At Off Centre your DJ education begins with the original industry standard Technics 1200.  Along the way you'll incorporate various skills, technologies, and philosophies to create clean, creative, and original mixes.

Share the knowledge!

​Just one of the many ways to take your hand control, scratching, and turntable performance to the next level. SUBSCRIBE to receive all the latest updates. The end game is to help you reach your creative potential.

At Off Centre your DJ education begins with the original industry standard Technics 1200.  Along the way you'll incorporate various skills, technologies, and philosophies to create clean, creative, and original mixes: http://www.offcentredj.com/dj-programs.html

"Modulation", the technique used in the video will also work with controllers and CDJs. It's a versatile technique to add to your skill set and it will make you a better DJ, no matter what genre you're in to.

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Off Centre DJ School's Instructor Circles & Squares breaks down the intricacies of Sampling in Ableton Live with Part 2 of this multi part series.  This video takes you deeper into methods of extracting samples (in this case melodies) and making quick use of them in your midi note editor to build upon your existing rhythmic foundation.  

Take virtually any audio file and manipulate the selected source to create something new.

Learn more about music production with Ableton:

http://www.offcentredj.com/full-producer-program.html
http://www.offcentredj.com/ableton-live.html

Off Centre DJ School's Instructor Circles & Squares breaks down the intricacies of Sampling in Ableton Live with Part 1 of this multi part series.  This video focusses specifically on the technique of "slicing" which is a streamlined method of extracting samples (in this case drums) and making quick use of them in your midi note editor. Take virtually any audio file and manipulate the selected source to create something new.

Ableton Live is used to create, record, produce, and even perform music. Learn about linear and improvisational approaches to producing electronic music as we take you through the software’s unique interface. Browse through our latest course offerings HERE

Scratch with perfect precision and visualize your sound with these helpful tips on visual cues. 
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​Off Centre's Circles & Squares reminds us that it is important to stretch before you release an assault on your DJ gear. Doing so will help you get those complicated techniques out and prevent long term injury. Sounds silly...and we have a little fun in the video, but as all tablists know, these are some serious manoeuvres.

Skipping needle getting you down? Try these three solutions and get scratching skip free.