Tools / Ableton Live / Sound design
Practical calculators and step-by-step Ableton Live sound-design tutorials.
Calculate the details
Tempo & timing
Calculate straight, dotted and triplet note times, delay rates, reverb pre-delay and tempo-related decay references.
Use calculatorPitch & frequency
Convert notes and frequencies with MIDI values, cents deviation, adjustable A4 tuning, period, octaves and wavelength.
Use calculatorDigital audio timing
Convert samples and milliseconds at common audio sample rates, with exact values and explicit nearest, floor and ceiling whole-sample rounding.
Use calculatorDigital audio timing
Estimate theoretical audio-path latency from buffer size, sample rate, input and output stages, processing samples and known fixed delays.
Use calculatorBrowse by instrument
161 / Sub Bass / Drift
Build Willow Arc, a deep mono sub bass in Ableton Drift. A triangle adds definition, an octave-down sine supplies weight, and a 151 Hz low-pass filter plus Soft Sine saturation keeps the sound deep but audible.
Read tutorial
Audition Willow Arc
Download WEBM ↓157 / Plucked String / Tension
Umber Grove is a plucked string sound made with Tension, Saturator, Reverb and Utility. Exciter Type: Plectrum; Exc Stiffness: 38 %; String Decay: 45 %.
Read tutorial
Audition Umber Grove
Download WEBM ↓145 / Bass / Drift
Sorrel Hollow is a bass sound made with Drift, Saturator and Utility. LP Freq: 244 Hz; Env 1 Attack: 6.80 ms; Env 1 Release: 203 ms.
Read tutorial
Audition Sorrel Hollow
Download WEBM ↓143 / Brass / Analog
Solar Brass is a brass sound made with Analog, Chorus-Ensemble, Reverb and Utility. F1 Freq: 950 Hz; AEG1 Attack: 35 ms.
Read tutorial
Audition Solar Brass
Download WEBM ↓142 / Synth Keys / Analog
Smoke Veil is a synth keyboard sound made with Analog, Chorus-Ensemble, Reverb and Utility. F1 Freq: 868 Hz; AEG1 Attack: 5 ms.
Read tutorial
Audition Smoke Veil
Download WEBM ↓138 / Filtered Pad / Wavetable
Slate Cove is a filtered pad sound made with Wavetable, Chorus-Ensemble, Reverb and Utility. Flt 1 Freq: 839 Hz; Amp Attack: 660 ms; Amp Release: 1.87 s.
Read tutorial
Audition Slate Cove
Download WEBM ↓119 / Strings / Wavetable
Ribbon Ensemble is a string sound made with Wavetable, Chorus-Ensemble, Reverb and Utility. Flt 1 Freq: 4.20 kHz; Amp Attack: 450 ms; Amp Release: 1.80 s.
Read tutorial
Audition Ribbon Ensemble
Download WEBM ↓118 / Organ / Operator
Reedlight Organ is an organ sound made with Operator, Chorus-Ensemble, Reverb and Utility. Algorithm: Alg. 11; Filter Freq: 5.60 kHz; Ae Decay: 800 ms.
Read tutorial
Audition Reedlight Organ
Download WEBM ↓116 / Electric Keys / Electric
Quartz Trail is an electric keyboard sound made with Electric, Saturator, Reverb and Utility. Pickup Model: R; M Stiffness: 28 %; F Tine Vol: 33 %.
Read tutorial
Audition Quartz Trail
Download WEBM ↓115 / Evolving Synth / Meld
Quartz Ripple is an evolving synth sound made with Meld, Delay, Reverb and Utility. A Osc Type: Swarm Triangle (♭♯); A Filter Freq: 1.72 kHz; A Amp Attack: 1.03 s.
Read tutorial
Audition Quartz Ripple
Download WEBM ↓112 / Mallet Keys / Collision
Porcelain Steps is a mallet keyboard sound made with Collision, Reverb and Utility. Res 1 Type: Marimba; Res 1 Decay: 1.50 s; Mallet Stiffness: 38 %.
Read tutorial
Audition Porcelain Steps
Download WEBM ↓106 / Pad / Meld
Build Polar Beacon, an airy animated Meld pad. Pronounced Swarm motion and a bright filter support a soft triangle body, while a slower octave layer, moving stereo echoes and reverb create a distant beacon-like bloom.
Read tutorial
Audition Polar Beacon
Download WEBM ↓103 / Bass / Analog
Pewter Loom is a bass sound made with Analog, Saturator and Utility. F1 Freq: 455 Hz; AEG1 Attack: 5 ms.
Read tutorial
Audition Pewter Loom
Download WEBM ↓101 / Bass / Analog
Pearl Well is a bass sound made with Analog, Saturator and Utility. F1 Freq: 209 Hz; AEG1 Attack: 5 ms.
Read tutorial
Audition Pearl Well
Download WEBM ↓095 / Electric Keys / Electric
Ochre Tines is an electric keyboard sound made with Electric, Saturator, Reverb and Utility. Pickup Model: R; M Stiffness: 44 %; F Tine Vol: 48 %.
Read tutorial
Audition Ochre Tines
Download WEBM ↓064 / Pad / Wavetable
Indigo Arc is a pad sound made with Wavetable, Chorus-Ensemble, Reverb and Utility. Flt 1 Freq: 1.61 kHz; Amp Attack: 1.18 s; Amp Release: 3.04 s.
Read tutorial
Audition Indigo Arc
Download WEBM ↓058 / Evolving Synth / Meld
Hazel Loom is an evolving synth sound made with Meld, Delay, Reverb and Utility. A Osc Type: Swarm Triangle (♭♯); A Filter Freq: 1.55 kHz; A Amp Attack: 1.03 s.
Read tutorial
Audition Hazel Loom
Download WEBM ↓053 / Snare / Operator
Flint Snap is a snare sound made with Operator, Saturator, Reverb and Utility. Algorithm: Alg. 11; Filter Freq: 160 Hz; Ae Decay: 110 ms.
Read tutorial
Audition Flint Snap
Download WEBM ↓044 / Kick / Operator
Build Ember Thump from a retriggered sine oscillator, shape its punch with a 42 ms pitch envelope, then add Analog Clip harmonics and mono output.
Read tutorial
Audition Ember Thump
Download WEBM ↓043 / Synth Keys / Analog
Dune Reach is a synth keyboard sound made with Analog, Chorus-Ensemble, Reverb and Utility. F1 Freq: 564 Hz; AEG1 Attack: 8 ms.
Read tutorial
Audition Dune Reach
Download WEBM ↓040 / Plucked String / Tension
Coral Isle is a plucked string sound made with Tension, Saturator, Reverb and Utility. Exciter Type: Plectrum; Exc Stiffness: 30 %; String Decay: 65 %.
Read tutorial
Audition Coral Isle
Download WEBM ↓038 / Lead / Wavetable
Coral Crown is a lead sound made with Wavetable, Saturator, Delay and Utility. Flt 1 Freq: 772 Hz; Amp Attack: 4.40 ms; Amp Release: 186 ms.
Read tutorial
Audition Coral Crown
Download WEBM ↓036 / Bass / Analog
Copper Circuit is a bass sound made with Analog, Saturator and Utility. F1 Freq: 270 Hz; AEG1 Attack: 5 ms.
Read tutorial
Audition Copper Circuit
Download WEBM ↓035 / Evolving Synth / Meld
Clover Prism is an evolving synth sound made with Meld, Delay, Reverb and Utility. A Osc Type: Swarm Triangle (♭♯); A Filter Freq: 1.72 kHz; A Amp Attack: 392 ms.
Read tutorial
Audition Clover Prism
Download WEBM ↓031 / Pad / Meld
Build Cinder Orbit, a dark drifting Meld pad. A low-filtered triangle swarm swells beneath a quiet octave layer, while opposing voice spread, modulated echoes and reverb create slow stereo movement.
Read tutorial
Audition Cinder Orbit
Download WEBM ↓022 / Synth Keys / Analog
Apricot Pulse is a synth keyboard sound made with Analog, Chorus-Ensemble, Reverb and Utility. F1 Freq: 950 Hz; AEG1 Attack: 5 ms.
Read tutorial
Audition Apricot Pulse
Download WEBM ↓021 / Lead / Wavetable
Amber Lantern is a lead sound made with Wavetable, Saturator, Delay and Utility. Flt 1 Freq: 1.09 kHz; Amp Attack: 4.40 ms; Amp Release: 191 ms.
Read tutorial
Audition Amber Lantern
Download WEBM ↓019 / Evolving Synth / Meld
Amber Crown is an evolving synth sound made with Meld, Delay, Reverb and Utility. A Osc Type: Swarm Triangle (♭♯); A Filter Freq: 2.07 kHz; A Amp Attack: 473 ms.
Read tutorial
Audition Amber Crown
Download WEBM ↓018 / Percussion / Operator
Alder Well is a percussion sound made with Operator, Saturator, Reverb and Utility. Algorithm: Alg. 1; Filter Freq: 5.33 kHz; Ae Decay: 1.10 s.
Read tutorial
Audition Alder Well
Download WEBM ↓013 / Bass / Wavetable
Build Submerged Pulse Horn, a bass-weighted Wavetable synth horn. A sine sub anchors the low register while a narrow pulse, tuned upper harmonic, slow filter swell and wide dark room create its horn-like character.
Read tutorial
Audition Submerged Pulse Horn
Download WEBM ↓012 / Keys / Wavetable
Blend two saw waves and a sine sub, apply random modulation to filter cutoff and drive, then add Delay and Reverb.
Read tutorial
Audition Random Filter Keys
Download WEBM ↓011 / Pad / Wavetable
Build Swelling Pulse Pad from two Pulse PW oscillators, a long volume bloom and a separately timed filter opening, then add a soft stereo tail.
Read tutorial
Audition Swelling Pulse Pad
Download WEBM ↓010 / Pad / Drift
Excite a resonant filter with noise in Drift, add upper and lower octave echoes with two Shifters, then surround the tone with Reverb.
Read tutorial
Audition Resonant Octave Mist
Download WEBM ↓009 / Keys / Drift
Shape a Shark Tooth tone in Drift, blend in band-pass filtering, then add Redux texture and a spacious Reverb tail.
Read tutorial
Audition Faded Circuit Keys
Download WEBM ↓008 / Keys / Wavetable
Blend three pitched tones in Wavetable, shape the strike with a filter envelope, then add Saturator and Reverb.
Read tutorial
Audition Hammered Room Keys
Download WEBM ↓007 / Bell / Wavetable
Tune three bell tones in Wavetable, soften them with a lowpass filter, then add Reverb, Auto Pan-Tremolo and Redux.
Read tutorial
Audition Lo-Fi Bell
Download WEBM ↓006 / Pad / Operator
Blend three saw waves in Operator, soften their filter contour, then add Chorus-Ensemble and a diffuse room tail.
Read tutorial
Audition Detuned Room Pad
Download WEBM ↓005 / Lead / Analog
Detune two pulse waves, shape their filter envelope, add saturation, then finish with flanging and Echo.
Read tutorial
Audition Resonant Pulse Lead
Download WEBM ↓004 / Bass / Operator
Build Three Octave Bass as a monophonic saw-wave octave stack with slow beating, a driven filter contour and Analog Clip saturation.
Read tutorial
Audition Three Octave Bass
Download WEBM ↓003 / Pad / Operator
Draw a ringing high tone, layer lower partials with different envelopes, then add slow modulation and Chorus-Ensemble.
Read tutorial
Audition Slow Harmonic Pad
Download WEBM ↓002 / Bass / Operator
Build Hollow Pulse Bass by balancing a strong second harmonic against a quieter fundamental, then animate its fourth harmonic, filter and pitch.
Read tutorial
Audition Hollow Pulse Bass
Download WEBM ↓001 / Lead / Operator
Use four oscillators in Operator, add a downward pitch envelope, then apply chorus, delay and reverb.
Read tutorial
Audition Falling Spectral Lead
Download WEBM ↓