15 Ableton Automation Secrets You Need To Try 👀

Automation in Ableton is the key to more expressive, creative music. So here are 15 tips I use all the time.

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0:00 Intro
0:42 The Basics Of Automation
2:56 Add Lane For Each Automated Envelope
4:25 Edit Value
5:21 Clear Envelope Options
6:45 Modulation vs Automation
9:12 Stretch & Skew
11:40 Draw Mode
13:04 Automate By Hand
13:56 Simplify Envelope
14:19 Move Multiple Breakpoints
14:50 Curves
15:33 Deactivate Automation
16:29 Macros
18:50 Record Randomizations
20:18 Lock Automation

[spishe]

Hands down the best, most thorough Automation tutorial I've seen, thanks!

[aemythjensen]

I thought I knew everything about automation in Ableton, and then I saw your video. 😅 Excellent tips! Thanks!!

[airfixx_]

Also, if like in #14 you don't want to randomise all macros (eg Volume), you can right click and select 'Exclude macro from Random'; then any time you hit random that macro will remain unchanged.

[BarceMessi]

amazing video brother. ripped a blinker in the local walmart when i saw this one live!!! automate a way

[Jonkoloog]

I haven't seen the video yet but I already thank you for dividing the video into little chapters❤

[Simon-sljw]

these are some awesome tips, appreciate this!

[SoftClip_Q]

The focus during the clicking in #14 haha

[djscottymashups]

This video just saved me....
I'm a newbie to Ableton and while trying to make my first track (which is sounding WAY better than I could have hoped) certain tracks kept muting themselves while in playback and I was effin confused, well it turns out that I had somehow automated them to mute off and on throughout the entire song.... I didn't know how to automate before watching your video, but I have now been able to fix the issue. Many thanks =)

[jimmydekeersmaeker]

Awesome tutorial. Everything you need to now about automation. Thx!

[macmoll]

Also I’d love to be able to automate the “Transient Envelope“, “Formants”, “Envelope”, “Grain Size” and “Flux” values in Warp mode. Especially in Beats mode on One Shots. Dynamically adjust the audio clip decay with automation to make Hi-Hats feel more “real” would be a dream. Those values aren’t even MIDI mappable let alone automatable. I can tweak them in real time using the mouse but that’s no fun.

[SMCHVeganWorld]

2:25
2:30
2:43 new lane
3:53 add lane for each automated envelope
6:05

[airfixx_]

Anyone ever found a work-around to record automation of parameters when they are mapped to the LFO device?

[macmoll]

I wish you could change the color of the automation. At times it gets fairly difficult to see. If I could change the line color from red to say… yellow it would be much more helpful.

[AFRoSHEENTARCMICHAEL]

Ableton automation is fun unlike Logics....

[pitriderflieger]

amazing!!!! especially 14 and 15 changes everything for me. I‘m so glad you showed how to lock the fucking automation. this used to drive me so crazy, when I’ve for example wanted to duplicate just one sound without the automation…
massive time saver!!!
thanks a lot 🫶🏻

[gunsofthemamaluigi]

My shit froze the moment i opened the video and the first frame of the video is the corner of your neckbeard so i just eyed that down for like 10 seconds while i waited for the video to load