> Step by step

2. Sequencing and editing a synth part in Arrangement View

1

In an empty Live project (create one by selecting File » New Live Set), use the View switcher buttons, (or your computer’s Tab key) to switch to the Arrangement View. Set the tempo of the session to the required BPM (beats per minute) by clicking or dragging the field shown above – we’re going for 108bpm.

2

In the Categories section, select the Instruments tab, then choose an instrument – we’re going for the Wavetable synth (a new addition in Live 10). Drag the instrument onto the MIDI track to load it. Once loaded, ensure that the record arm button is lit up red so you can hear the sounds as you play.

3

Open the Wavetable submenu and choose a suitable preset – they’re divided up by instrument type. Click the blue headphones button to enter Preview mode so that you can hear the sounds as you flick through them. We’ve ended up plumping for the Collossus Guitar preset from the Synth Keys section. Double-click its name to load it.

4

Make a new MIDI clip by clicking and dragging on a MIDI track to the number of bars in length that you want the new clip to be – this one is going to be two bars long. Right-click the highlighted area and select Insert MIDI Clip from the menu, or use the Shift/Command-M keyboard shortcut.

5

The thin grey bar with triangles at either end in the ruler section is the Loop Bracket, or cycle region. Click and drag the loop bracket to position it, then extend it to the required loop length. To loop the clip, either right-click it and select Loop from the menu, or click the Loop button in the transport bar.

6

Drag the Device View area’s upper boundary upwards to expand the piano roll display. Press the B key on your keyboard to enter Draw mode and click to draw notes at the positions shown. Click the blue headphones icon above the keyboard to hear the notes as you draw them in. If you make a mistake, simply click an existing note to delete it.

7

The notes are entered at the default length dictated by the current grid value, which in this case is 16th-notes. To change the length, use the Command-A keyboard shortcut to select all the notes, then drag the right edge of one of them to the left to shorten all of them to about half of their original length.

8

With the notes still selected, hit B again to turn Draw mode off. Hold down the Alt ( Option) key on your computer keyboard and drag the whole part up to the notes above, as shown here. This copies the single line you just programmed to make a series of two-note chords. But something’s wrong – the notes highlighted here are the wrong pitch.

9

Shift-click to select the incorrect notes, then, to move them to the right pitches, drag them to the correct position (one semitone lower). Alternatively, just tap the Down arrow key on your computer keyboard to nudge them down a semitone. Similarly, a tap on the Up arrow will shift notes up a semitone.