If it reaches past 0, you will experience digital clipping.

Peak Level – Use this as a visual indicator for the peak dB of a particular track in Ableton.

Lets go over these three parts and why they are important. The three most important areas when it comes to metering visually in Ableton Live. Your instrument tracks and master track should now display like this: Make sure you expand your Master Channel as well. Click and drag one “snap” to the right (for Audio and MIDI tracks) or left (for Master and Send tracks).Ĭlick and drag here to expand Ableton’s channels horizontally. Expand horizontally by holding your mouse cursor to the top right of the channel (where the track title bar is). Next, you’re going to expand your meters horizontally. Click and drag upwards about two “snaps” until you can see small lines and two new white meters.Ĭlick and drag here to expand Ableton’s Leveling Meters. Your mouse will turn into an icon with a double sided arrow. To do this, enter Session View and hold your mouse right above the meter of a channel. Setting Up For Precise Metering In Ableton Liveįirst, start off by expanding your tracks in Ableton. To do so will require both your ears and eyes. It is crucial your levels are set properly before the Mastering stage begins. Mixing is a very subjective topic, I will go over some basics here, but a more detailed article on the subject will come at a later time (how to EQ, add Compression, etc). More like a one bar loop with only 4 tracks, but the theory and technique here can be applied to full arrangements with plenty of tracks. However, if you’re looking to “enhance” your overall mix on a basic level, you’ve come to the right place.įor simplicity, the example song is not a full arrangement. I agree that put into the hands of a professional Mastering Engineer, your mixes will probably come out sounding better. This tutorial serves to show that Mastering your songs can be done in Ableton Live.

All of this is subjective, so please feel free to share your comments or tips. I cover adjusting Levels, Limiting and overall EQ. This guide is meant to get your overall mix sounding competitive with other “pro” mixes. Disclaimer: I am not a Mastering Engineer, nor do I pretend to be.

Master your track