It’s important before starting any project to ensure that the audio is configured in a manner that is compatible with your computer for optimum results…
In order to get to the Audio Preferences panel in Ableton Live, you’ll want to first go to “Options -> Preferences” as illustrated by the screen shot below:
After clicking “Preferences” this panel should appear:
IMPORTANT:
To set the configuration for separate cue mixing capabilities, enable or disable the outputs you would like to route from Ableton to an external source.
Sample Rate Section
- IN/OUT SAMPLE RATE – This will determine the audio quality coming into Ableton Live (your guitar, synth, etc) as well as the output quality. 44100 is CD quality and is usually good enough for common uses.
- DEFAULT SR PITCH CONVERSION – Enable this option for the highest possible quality when it comes to audio clips and samples. To reduce the load on your CPU, disable this option. Most modern computers can handle this, and it is recommended to keep it on.
LATENCY
In a network, latency, a synonym for delay, is an expression of how much time it takes for a packet of data to get from one designated point to another (The delay between physically playing the notes and the noise coming out of the CPU.)
- BUFFER SIZE – The lower the buffer size (64 is usually the lowest) the less latency you will have (a key hit on a MIDI keyboard will respond faster). This sounds like a great idea, but the reality is, it’s unstable and can cause audio dropout rather quickly.The higher the buffer size (up to 4096, usually) will create a “safer” way to work (your CPU is freed up to deal with more effects, etc) which is why this is sometimes ideal when mixing.The recommended buffer size with most audio cards is 256.
- INPUT AND OUTPUT LATENCY – This is where your latency is visually represented. The lower the number, the better. When you hit a note on your MIDI keyboard, and it lags a bit before any sound comes out, this means you have high latency. It starts to get really noticeable in the 30ms+ range. Lower this by lowering your buffer size.
- DRIVER ERROR COMPENSATION – Use this setting to compensate for a much more accurate latency reading between Ableton Live and your audio interface.
- OVERALL LATENCY – This is essentially the time it takes for the computer to process sound coming in, then play it back out.
Test Section
- TEST TONE – This option will toggle your test tone on and off. All other elements of Ableton Live will be muted while this is running. This option also activates the CPU usage simulator.
- TEST TONE VOLUME – Always start with the volume set at it’s default (-36db) and raise it up if needed.
- TONE FREQUENCY – Use this option to change to frequency of the sine wave used for the test tone. Ranges from 20hz to 20,000hz.
- CPU USAGE SIMULATOR – While the test tone is enabled, you can slide this value up or down. You can use this in conjunction with your buffer settings to check for audio drop outs. Use this to find the sweet spot for your audio buffer.
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