In our latest video, we are going to look at using XLN audio’s amazing drum machine XO. With XO, we will be looking at loading our own samples, editing samples, routing and most importantly generating our own techno beats.

We will also look at setting up XO so you can quickly load it into any session and have a beat going in minutes which is perfect for people with little time on their hands.

What we aim to do in the blog post is outline 5 Ableton Tips, that are either overlooked or just so hidden we would never find them without someone lighten the way for us. These Ableton tips are not just for the beginner producer but also the advance producers among us. There are tips to help make your bass sounds beefier, new chord techniques and a few gems to help speed up your workflow. First up, let’s take a look at follow actions.

FM synthesis can seem a very mysterious beast and via a series of tutorials we are going to help demystify this for you, so you can take full control over your FM synths and make all the sounds you desire. 

In this how-to tutorial, we are going to look at creating a four-note chord only using operator from Ableton. The huge advantage of using this technique over programming your chord in a midi clip or via a chord midi effect is that you get full control over each note. Meaning you can have say, a different waveform, envelope and volume (just to name a few) per note. 

So, if you would like to learn more about FM synthesis keep reading

With the invention of the modern daw which is an all-encompassing workstation with a whole of host of controls, instruments and audio effects (plus so much more) it has never been easier to start making music. Almost all the effects have the parameter controls you could ever wish for. But sadly some do not (like redux), but for the Ableton user this is never a worry, we can simply make them ourself. 

How do we do this I hear you ask, well in this how-to tutorial we are going to be showing you how to make a Dry/Wet control for redux. This is hugely important in the sound design, production and even the mixing stage. It allows you to be able to dial in the exact amount of your chosen effect.

With the release of Dystopian Signals, we at Mind Flux thought it would beneficial to follow the release up with some informational video. This video is designed to help you use the pack to create some Dark Techno ideas. Cause as we all know that creating that initial spark can be the hardest part of producing music.

With Techno its all about experimentation and within Techno over, the last 3 decades producers have continually pushed the boundaries of the musical norms. One clear example of this is making bass lines from soaking your kick in reverb a practise which in all music engineering books is frowned upon. 

But let's be honest the grey-haired folk who wrote these books have probably never been to a club in their lifes and therefore have never embraced the gut rumbling power this technique can provide.

We at Mind Flux have created an audio effects rack for Ableton that has adapted this power. The rack has a selection of tools that allow you to easily create techno rumbling kick drums that will leave your studio walls shaking. Simply load a kick of your choice and let it roll. 

Samples are an amazing source of inspiration but the fact is everyone who buys the pack has access to the same set of sounds, so the question is how do you go about making those sounds your own. Well in the blog post we will show you a selection of ways to do that.

Without a doubt Ableton is the most user friendly DAW when it comes to work flow and being able to get your ideas down quickly but there are a multitude of ways to make Ableton truly your own. In this series of blog posts we aim to showcase a number of ways to make Ableton work for you.

Sometimes when trying to build an chord progression or chord melody you seem to just jump instinctively for the same chord, for me its the Minor 7th. While I would say this is my and many peoples favourite chord it does end up with your ideas sounding rather similar to everyone else. 

So to help breath new life into your stale chord progressions and chord melodies we at Mind Flux have built a chord randomiser which with the selection of over 80 chord variations will output a new chord at the rate and depth of your choice.

In this blog post, we are going to have a look at mixing Dark Techno drums using only Ableton Live 10 stock audio effects. And by the end of it, you will see that is all you need to create slamming techno drums

In this latest blog post we are going to be exploring how to create a rusty down right dirty chord that is perfect for Dark Techno. To create this dark techno chord we will be using Ableton’s gargantuan new synth Wavetable as well as a selection of Ableton stock midi and audio effects. Wavetable is the perfect synth for Dark Techno sound design as you have a huge selection of wavetables to choose from and all can be easily manipulated and morphed. 

When creating dark techno sounds you can throw the rule book out the window. Most engineering books will say not to use time-based (delay and reverb) effects on low-end sounds but in techno, we say F that. So let's start breaking the rules.