Click To Download Abelton Live R&B Mix

Don't get me wrong, I love DJ'ing from my MK12's using vinyl but I have to say recently I've learned Abelton Live and it's pretty awesome. Triggering samples at the press of the keyboard it's so freaking easy to create a flawless mix. While I haven't mastered many of Abelton's features I have become somewhat proficient using the warp feature while mixing tracks.

Warping is essentially speeding up or slowing down the music to match a master tempo or the previous song. It's like placing a record on a turntable platter and being able to mix while rarely needing to touch the pitch adjust. So I've established you don't need to be a brain surgeon to use the software but what does that mean for the listener. Does it actually help to produce a better more dynamic mix and therefore a more exciting party? I think so.

I've done some field testing and I've learned and observed a couple things about using this software.

1. Once you import your music, you can literally cue each track on tempo, using just a keystroke. This can be pretty cool if you want to play just a short segment of a song. Or some DJ's / musicians like Girl Talk for instance, use this functionality to trigger multiple clips which play simultaneously over one another to create a new song (aka the remix or mash-up). Which might I add sound really cool.

2. Is a laptop DJ sexy? Has sitting at the keyboard replaced the treasure hunt in your record bin. I mean, I certainly think it looks cooler to command multiple pieces of hardware to create a cohesive mix. I asked my girlfriend and she seemed to agree. "The DJ should be moving around" she said. Moments later recoiling on her remark, "well I guess as long as the party is hopping does it matter". In my opinion, I think it does. More than ever, the DJ icon or role has become a sex symbol to some degree.

3. Broadcasting and remixing music has never been more accessible to the general public. Take one part laptop, one part mp3 collection, and Ableton Live or a similar sequencing software and bammmmm. You are in business! Speaking of business - more than ever I think the job of a DJ can be a very lucrative gig.

Alright Marc, so if it's that easy why don't you give it a try. Easy there bubkiss, alright I will! Tune in to judge for yourself. This 77minute mix contains a bunch of R&B and Hip-Hop. Can you dig it?

Merry X-mas to all,
Marc