Arrangement view in Ableton Live is a nightmare! Any tips?

[inkwarp]

this is only valid for version 10 i believe.
there is no slip editing in 9x

[generaldiomedes]

Cubase likes to have a little button for everything and clutter your workspace (as do most daws). Ableton does not, basic difference. Therefore things might not be obvious at first glance, but once it clicks it is IMHO the most productive of the daws.

There are way too many tips and tricks just to start listing them - watch some tutorial videos would be my only suggestion.

[J-909]

In Cubase this is so simple: you grab the edges to resize, you grab the center to move, you grab the center and alt (I think) to offset the internal content.

Either I didn't explain clearly or you're missing my point. It's not the way you resize, grab or move. It's that I have to keep on going down to the sample editor to set the actual position of the sample content in the clip. For instance, resizing makes it a loop by default which I generally don't like, I just want some empty space to add in some notes. In Bitwig resizing and looping are in different corners of the clip (like it should be).

Not to speak about the fact that if I want to listen to a clip with a little bit of anticipation of the play position and the clip itself while I edit it I have to keep on clicking to set the playhead (workflow killer).

But you're right, the functions themselves are like in Cubase. It's the additional steps/considerations needed that slow me down.

[J-909]

How it should be: You place the playhead somewhere and whatever you do it should stay there until you decide otherwise.

Save your default project so that there is a marker at the beginning of the project, name it something like "Start", with a key bound to it (I've used "Q" for well over a decade for this). Then set this "playhead" where ever you currently want it to be. When ever you wish to play from there, you press Q and then space. It's absolutely second nature by now. When ever you wish to play from where ever it would play otherwise, don't press Q . This way, no matter where you are in the project, whether you're editing MIDI or whatever, editing and arranging anything, you can always go back to this start marker and start playback there.

I started using Live when the Start Marker was actually a specific feature used to control playback start position, without a key command, and I got so used to it I have used this method ever since that feature was removed.

That is the type of tips/workarounds I was talking about. Very nice!

(Time saver defo. Still not as convenient as just leaving the playhead somewhere like Cubase, Logic, etc)

[J-909]

Cubase likes to have a little button for everything and clutter your workspace (as do most daws). Ableton does not, basic difference. Therefore things might not be obvious at first glance, but once it clicks it is IMHO the most productive of the daws.

There are way too many tips and tricks just to start listing them - watch some tutorial videos would be my only suggestion.

I've watched hundreds of videos, and they're all so starting-to-produce-music I have no time or patience for them. Like I said to people suggested reading the manual, I hardly needed any video for Cubase's general workflow. (That doesn't mean Cubase is not missing stuff, like looping a clip, but it's not so limiting for me)

I was interested in tips for those features missing in Ableton regarding arrangement.

[jonljacobi]

Live is not Cubase and the sooner you stop trying to drive a round peg into a square hole, the easier it will be. Consider that everything is geared towards live performance and real time editing and stuff will start making sense.

[tooneba]

OP is trying to use it for production, and expressing the frustration of its quirk caused by it being geared towards live performance and real time editing. So asking tips.

Suggesting to do live performance and real time editing isn't answer. It's rather what s/he is trying to bypass.

[Kinh]

Live is not Cubase and the sooner you stop trying to drive a round peg into a square hole, the easier it will be. Consider that everything is geared towards live performance and real time editing and stuff will start making sense.

Ableton is not simply for performance. Its actually very deep. You make it sound like its only for djs, maybe because of the word 'live'. Do you actually use it?

[Guenon]

It's that I have to keep on going down to the sample editor to set the actual position of the sample content in the clip.

But you don't. In the above gif, that's exactly what I'm doing, without going down to the sample editor. If you mean something else, be more specific

For instance, resizing makes it a loop by default which I generally don't like, I just want some empty space to add in some notes.

"Add in some notes" is, in turn, about MIDI, not sample content. How do you intend to "add in some notes" without going to the MIDI editor in the first place? By recording?

Not to speak about the fact that if I want to listen to a clip with a little bit of anticipation of the play position and the clip itself while I edit it I have to keep on clicking to set the playhead (workflow killer).

No, you don't. But now you already know that

[Guenon]

That is the type of tips/workarounds I was talking about. Very nice!

(Time saver defo. Still not as convenient as just leaving the playhead somewhere like Cubase, Logic, etc)

In my opinion it's better than just leaving the playhead somewhere. This way I can also locate instantly by the active selection and/or clicking on empty space in the arrangement. When ever I'm using a traditional sequencer, I configure it to work this way, if it's available in the options (clicking empty space = locate play position, discrete playhead controlled with a separetely activated marker). Each to their own, etc

[DJ Warmonger]

Live is not Cubase and the sooner you stop trying to drive a round peg into a square hole, the easier it will be.

This. I see OP is more concerned about what Live cannot (or supposedly cannot) do, rather than exploring what it can do and what Live does well.

It's like trying to play guitar and complaining it does not have a sequencer, really

[Guenon]

Ctrl-e to cut. Hold and move the part. Highlight the two clips and consolidate.

Nice (Still missing simplicity when cutting many times a single sample tho)

[Guenon]

I see OP is more concerned about what Live cannot (or supposedly cannot) do, rather than exploring what it can do and what Live does well.

[Guenon]

Guys stop suggesting reading the manual

This isn't about reading a manual (I already know how things are done.

No you don't.

[J-909]

That is the type of tips/workarounds I was talking about. Very nice!

(Time saver defo. Still not as convenient as just leaving the playhead somewhere like Cubase, Logic, etc)

In my opinion it's better than just leaving the playhead somewhere. This way I can also locate instantly by the active selection and/or clicking on empty space in the arrangement. When ever I'm using a traditional sequencer, I configure it to work this way, if it's available in the options (clicking empty space = locate play position, discrete playhead controlled with a separetely activated marker). Each to their own, etc

You seem to not want to understand my points at all. I will only answer to this one cos I get bored of trying to explain you why some things in Live are not as convenient as in other DAW's (NOT ALL things, but many, I'm not a daw sectarist).

For example in this case: You affirm that I'm complaining about the fact that clicking somewhere in the background for setting the playhead. AND I AM F** NOT!!! I am complaining about the fact that Live decides to set the playhead at the beginning of a selection without asking me or not letting me avoid it. If clicking the background is the way for setting the playhead this is great (probably even better than Cubase's way to set it), but that is not the problem.

Stop writing like you decide whether what I complain about or ask for is correct or not (it's not about correction it's about convenience).

PD: The only answer in which you actually got me is the Ctrl+E to cut. You're right, it can be easy, even tho I knew about it I was ignoring it. And yet it takes huge time and movements compared to Cubase's or Logic's, cos you need to click (in a very tiny view) and then Ctrl+E many times. In botth Cubase and Logic that is done maintining a modifier key and clicking one after the other in seconds. But Ok, I buy it.