Hi all
So a slightly esoteric thread here but I need help. I’ve been using Note for a few years now and ironically it has become my main source of inspiration even though I own around 20k worth of other devices.
I’ve become really happy with this idea, that my music making device is always with me. I have enough for an album which I would like to make a reality but I am at a crossroads when it comes to moving from these Sets to real projects.
I am a Logic user of over 15 years and am very comfortable using it when it comes to composition and mixing/mastering.
Does anyone else use Ableton as a starting point or like me, an instrument in its own right and then move to something else?
Any advice for how to export individual sounds from drum racks, separating and exporting stems from sets and dealing with moving between two different pieces of software would be greatly appreciated.
For context I have a degree in audio engineering but this was back when I thought there was a future in Pro Tools giving me a solid wage.
I don’t have a super-helpful answer as I only use Ableton Live & Note, but Live makes stem export pretty straightforward. So you should be able to import from Note to Live, and then export stems from Live that you can import in Logic.
The challenge I see is that your Note projects will all be set up in session view rather than the arranger, but if you “perform” the scenes into the arranger, you’ll have an arrangement ready to package as stems for Logic.
Live will also export individual tracks as MIDI if you want to swap out one of the Ableton devices for a different synth or even some of your studio gear to track in Logic.
This is great info, exactly the response I’m looking for! More is welcome 
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Some random thoughts which may be useful (or not!)
From what you’re saying, the easiest way to do this would be to open the project in Live, and then render the stems out. You have to record the Session View clips into Arrangement View and then export the individual tracks.
On your general question, I tried (and failed) to switch to Logic. I guess like so often, the first thing you learn sticks with you and for me that was Live. Especially the creative tools you mention like the MIDI manipulation, the sequencers, the options within Max for Live. In the end it wasn’t worth the hassle learning the 2 environments. However I did bring some of the setup ideas (busses etc) back from Logic into Live.
The idea of creating in Live, using it as an instrument and then mixing in Logic has 100% crossed my mind. Logic has some exceptional mixing tools, and some lovely creative options like Beatbreaker, StepFX etc (plus Mastering Assistant is no slouch either). As a working theory I love the idea of make in Ableton and mix in Logic. The idea of 2 distinct sessions for creativity and mix/master makes a lot of sense. But given where Live has got to with the tools it has on board, it’s sortof easier for me to stick there for the whole process.
I also (and this is way off the beaten track) like the idea that instead of buying plugins, a better shout is to buy 2 DAWs with slightly different strengths. If Ableton and Logic was a super DAW that would be amazing!
Live is really creative and I wouldn’t be without that. It’s a really solid option for mix and master now with the new tools like Limiter and new Auto Filter. I find Logic less intuitive for the creative part, but the on board sounds are mega, and the mixing tools are stellar. So on balance, Ableton works as a one and done choice because it has enough of everything for me. But happy to have the Logic license in case I change my mind.
…i was always using logic for crossing the sonic finish line…
no matter which daw or hw setup is in use for the first creative sparkles…
end of the day, all u want and need to proceed are audiostems in 48 k, to drop them into a blank logic arrangement and take it from there…
if u come from any ableton content, to transfer easily, bounce all audio elements within the same overall length…48k wav files are no storage issue anymore these days…and to deal with various audio stems that all have the same length, even if some just “play” during a hook or some sort of solo part, is priceless when u handle the overall logistics…
end of all days, since it’s all nothing but zeros and ones, what u want is a folder for each “song” that contains all “the tapes” and a few summed up mixes of that song on at least two external drives…and ur work is safe beyond ur lifeline…
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Great replies so far! And yes, I ultimately think of Ableton as a groove box and Logic like a traditional DAW.
It’s actually liberating to leave all the automation, questions of musical taste etc in one area and have another dedicated to the more clinical approach that mixing and mastering requires.
Totally going to export stems from Ableton at the same length, seems like a solid way to not get myself bogged down in admin when it comes to creating my Logic sessions!
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