Thank you for this great review and welcome to the Ableton family 🔥 (check out Live 12.1 beta for native auto-tune plug-in and more !) Happy to help you in your music making journey !
When I first switched to ableton from FL, I distinctly remember googling how to automate 3rd party plugins expecting it to be some drawn out difficult process, I was overjoyed when I saw how simple it is
@@KavanDignam It is very difficult initially in FL, so much so that I actually would avoid using certain plugins opposed to the native plugins, until I found out how. It's a few extra steps, and it should be made more obvious.
@@KavanDignam yeah but FL literally does it better. Even better than iZotope and i've tested it. But besides, the stem splitter isn't even the new update, thats been out since the last one. The real updates are the chord generator, the search playback tools, FL cloud, optimizations to performance, the new effect plugins, automation tools etc. And the updates are literally FREE every time, I can't imagine in 2024 why anyone would want to leave FL for any other daw that forces you to pay $100+ to upgrade every time. I've been using it since 2007 and I have never looked back.
5:53 You don't need to manually select the parameter. Just click any button you want to automate, and Live will automatically launch the automation for the corresponding parameter.
I remember using FL for 2 years in college, then during my gap year between college and uni i brought myself Ableton and taught myself how to use the DAW, i would 100% recommend Ableton, obviously DAWs can be just person preference but the shift between FL and Ableton was huge for me, and had definitely made me grow as a producer
2:15 You do realize you can resize every window and lock them in a spot so FL always opens like that and will look like abletons layout? Or detach elements to move to another monitor. The chaotic windows has always been my biggest gripe but its pretty easy to fix.
@@4am446he just talking about resizing the screens and moving them around. I recently switched mine to four sections. Top left is drum rack, bottom left mixer, top right arrangement view and bottom right is the piano roll. its gap space for my background to show and my browse hides when im not using it in the middle. Pretty nice, i love ableton to but the view gets boring sometimes so i switch back n forth when one piss me off.
FL studio Arrangement , pattern management, mixing workflow are unbeatable. You can have a complete song structure with basic mix in FL in less than 30 mn all instruments included. I remembered trying Ableton and struggling doing lot of basic things related to the pre cited features. I've learnt lot of softwares in my life but struggled with Ableton after many attempt.
I also switched from fl to Ableton last year. I love Ableton a lot more but I will say I miss the fl piano roll. FL has the best piano roll out of any daw
@@DJBEARZNEWJAZZThat's a problem i personnaly have with FL (but it's the better interface i've found nowadays so i stick on it), they try to assist you asf, bro i don't need a Chord Generator i'm an artist i can do it myself, please imagine-line, release a workflow update (being more static and less labyrinthine) instead
you can convert stuff to midi through Edison in FL studio which is a bit more complex also you cant choose between melody/drums and stuff its just plain midi and you choose the sound you want. (right click on a sample -> convert to midi)
Welcome to the club, Kavan! FL is a powerhouse that most producers outside of Hip-Hop often underestimate, still stuck in the past I guess. Ableton's Piano Roll can be made a lot better with a few tweaks, especially in Live 12. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!
@@KavanDignam I’m a user since 2004, so the Piano Roll has always been legendary. Also the stem separation is superior and FLEX has also gotten a lot better.
@@KavanDignam both Ableton and FL studio ! Well I bought FL studio long ago and it has always free updates so I always keep it installed on my computer. Same thing with Ableton Live. Although I updated to Live 12 when it came out this time around.
Few things I thought u were going to mention, in 4:43 where u are finding a tamborine sound, the browser shows that wave icon with the line next to the sound, that's the similarity search feature which would go through your whole sound library and find sounds that sounds similar. That works for basically any sound but I use it for finding similar sounding drum hits etc. Also ableton improved their midi so there are generators, strums and many more things that weren't mentioned. Also the Warp modes is a category in itself that's super powerful.
Ive always bounced between the two for the last 8-10 years. I love the ease of mixing in Ableton and sample chopping but i find my mixes dont sound as full in Ableton compared to FL. FL seems to have alot more punch and i can dirty up my music alot easier than in Ableton. Playing my music live in Ableton is so much easier and i have alot less lag than FL. At the end of the day it just depends on what you are creating,but its good to switch between daws to keep your creativity at a high.
These are mostly good points. When I tried Ableton I found the interface too busy and it showing too much, and in FL i like that I can customize the toolbar and make any arrangement of the windows or mixer style I want to fit a laptop screen. Another big advantage I found was the left-click add and right-click delete in the playlist and piano roll in FL. I just feel like I'm clicking all day the way other DAWs do it.
Btw you can just press "A" to bring up automation. Also you don't need to use the drop down menu; just press whatever button you want to automate. Also works inside of third party UIs.
the piano roll has really improved in live 12 (and you have all your generative /modifier stuff) but there are are also many keyboard shortcuts to know that can make things a lot easier (shift + up or down for example, or cmd+ 1/2/3/4 as the basis for the grid settings, or cmd + E (+ scroll) in live 12)
theres also a lot of simple commands in ableton that just make workflow even quicker (probably same in fl but just saying in case u dont know) such as hitting A on ur laptop keys while midi playing is turned off will open up automation rather than clicking the automation button. midi playing can also be toggled by hitting M. Theres so many that just help so much
@KavanDignam ctrl t for a new audio track, ctrl shift t for new midi track is so helpful, without them I was so stuck first day of ableton highlighting an area on the playlist then hitting ctrl M will make a midi clip of the highlighted area, better than double clicking on the playlist and dragging out the clip to the length u want hitting 0 will mute/deactivate a channel or a single clip or even a note in a clip depending on which you've selected Ctrl spacebar plays from the last play marker you set which can be helpful while u tryna do surgery on a certain small section, when u have to repeat it over and over just spam ctrl spacebar lol there's a lot more that I can't remember off the top of my head I'm not at my laptop rn but yea, I'm so glad I chose ableton over fl I was so close to getting fl but I switched up last minute lol
Bro I love your video style, super funny and informational at the same time and you made great points. I started on FL but started using Logic and finally Ableton, I can honestly say Ableton is the most versatile and intuitive for production/recording out of the three. I will continue to use each for their strengths and recommend the same for anyone who might not want to commit themselves to one DAW. Cheers
Another trick for automation instead of clicking turn on automation and then selecting the parameters in the drop down menu you can right click any parameter you want to automate and you’ll see a “show automation in lane” this will automatically turn on automation view and make that your selected automation. “Show automation in new lane” is also useful if you want to be able to see multiple automations on the same track at once.
For automation, you can literally just press "A" on the keyboard, and click any parameter you want to automate, and the automation lane for that exact parameter will pop up, even for third party plugins.
Just so you know, you can clip in the glue compressor. Could literally have zero compression and use it as a clipper. Plus there are clipping algorithms in the saturator. I have never missed the soft clipper in FL since using saturator
I tried both. Ableton is better and more comfortable in almost every way BUT I don’t know why (i wanted to know though hahah) when I’m in FL Im easily inspired. Even It is a lot busier and not that practical as Ableton, someway I feel more inspired in FL. Maybe is for the simplicity of the channel rack to start beats, that I kinda replace in Ableton with the drumrack. I don’t know why I like to suffer in FL when Ableton is so good and I know how to do everything I want to do there too. Even the drumrack, you can add effects right there to any one shot. It is so smooth. I wanted to get inspired in Ableton too hahahh
In Ableton. Use the glue compressor and turn the compression All the way off. Top right corner there’s a soft clip feature. Almost the same effect as fl
nice video about the comparison between #1 EDM and Djs weapon and #1 Hip Hop beat-makers tool! i myself use 2 main one is Logic and 2nd is Ableton Live both are great
I have used ableton trial it is not for me liked bitwig studio better though I still use fl as my main daw the new update is going in right direction, I don't I need to switch good for you, have fun keep making good music
Honest question. FL sounds apparently quite beefier than Ableton. People say flip the phase and it will null and all the summing algorythms are the same. But FL has really a quite unique sound that suits modern bass heavy music IMHO. Do you feel a difference between these DAWS? I feel like with Ableton the sound is often not that bass heavy and warm.
If you want a good clipper that is actually as good it's standard clip. I switched to ableton about 3 years ago it's so easy to everything the only thing i miss is the piano roll but it made me play stuff more. I can't do without the capture midi button fl dumps the whole last 2 mins.
@@KavanDignam Kazrog KClip 3, I own STD Clip and Kazrog, Kazrog is on another level. STD Clip is really good, but KClip Smoothing + gain/level matching is unparalleled.
There’s a soft clipper in the glue compressor device. It’s not the same sound as FL but it gets the job done for mixes. Ableton is also adding their own autotune in the coming months. It’s currently in beta.
Nah, I've used Ableton since 7 and, while practical and low cpu, 3rd party vsts do the job way better for clipping and glueing. Want to glue like a pro? Get an SSL Bus compressor and read its manual. Want a good clipper? Go with STD Clipper or Kazrog KClip 3 - the later being better imo.
@@beatsandstuff well ofc. The stock plugins are made to be as easy for the program to use as possible, so adding latency from trying to replicate analog modeling or saturation from clipping is not the MO. Many 3rd party vsts will sound much better than what’s offered in the stock library: kazrog actually has a free clipper and analog obsession has their own version of an ssl quad bus compressor. I encourage those to look for free/paid plugins that work well for what they’re worth if you’re serious about pushing a mix or production further. However, when it comes to fast, in line workflow, there are at least options available in the plugin library, that’s all.
@@cytocache1238 Agreed, I would personally avoid the free Kazrog and buy the full on clipper. Totally worth it. On the SSL, I got the Waves one for 29 bucks, but I reckon there are other options which may have better DSP algos, still it's night and day from ableton's glue with its soft clipper. Edit: My last master was saved with KClip 3, I cannot see myself mastering without it from now on -I produce Tech House btw.
How was the switch? Is there a learning curve going from FL to Ableton or is it like transferring to the same store in a different place where you just need to re-learn where everything is?
I used FL, I went to Ableton (I had progress), I went to FL again and I had progress, I went back to Ableton even better and in the end... Cubase serves me very well, Dua Lipa's producer (Ian Kirkpatrick ) and also from Ava Max, Jong Kook (Cirkut) and others (Zedd also uses it), they are producers who use Cubase, and I highly recommend it! Cubase has the same features that Fl and Ableton have
@@KavanDignam yes man, What I wanted to say in my comment is that both will bring you advances and that Cubase, because it has similar functions and some different things, was what worked for me, what matters is how you use the DAW and not the DAW itself.
What you mean by "auto quantize" is really time stretching the clip to the bpm of your project. Sometimes Ableton calculates the bpm incorrectly and you still have to edit the tempo in the clip editing. Quantizing audio clips is when Ableton detects transients in the audio clip and based on groove you choose (either quantize, swing, etc.) it fixes it in time. Also in FL Studio there is an option to turn audio files into midi files, you just gotta look a little closer hehe. But yeah, I've been using FL Studio for over 12 years and then got to Ableton and almost cried when I realized the workflow is like 999 times quicker. Cool video none of the less.
I would definitely switch to Ableton if it had something like the channel rack. It is just so much quicker for me to drag a bunch of stuff in the channel rack and click around to make a pattern
FL literally has all of those features with the exception of the instant quantization and the ease of making a bus group. And even then, making a bus is super easy in FL. All you have to do is just highlight the channels you want to add to the bus and then right click on the designated mixer channel you wish to send them to.
@@KavanDignam it's been reported by the FL Studio dev them self that the playlist is being reworked right now it will be there when it's done, and eventually unlimited mixer and playlist audio quantization and manipulation will come along once it's done the switch you did is kinda a bit L imo.
Fl studio 24 has the option now to auto stretch all audio samples. You find it under macros. And now there is a shortcut for making samples unique. At the rate with which it improves, all issues will be addressed sooner than later. I am pretty sure.
Yah bro u r the best .. Ableton live is game changer ...also studio one is great daw ... Ableton live now has a pitch plugin (native auto-tune) called pitchift
i recently just switched to Ableton from FL and i love Ableton more but, your first point i’m afraid is not so strong. With Fl you could have just hit ‘fit to tempo’ on the sample and it would have automatically quantized.
"but if you use that someone probably needs to check your harddrive" actually made me burst out laughing😂😂😂 great video bro and sick seeing my comment pop up at the start✌
@@KavanDignam The first thing is the everything stock, in my opinion, is really good quality. Quality sounds quality effects. The same thing with ableton w the buses and aesthetically it looks cleaner, similar to pro tools
@@homeofinstrumental1955 ong, ableton aint all that. everyone talks about how much better it is then fl but its piano roll is literally useless compared to fl
I’m one of the few who did the opposite. Native ableton user, switched to FL. Abletons workflow is second to none, I feel like I’m having a stroke when trying to automate in FL… but I’m sorry, FL sounds better. For me this mostly comes down to interpolation through pitch shifting, time stretching and use of samplers… FL is cleaner, and this is provable.
Hi, I'm not telling your didn't have great points. But it seems like you don't know that if in FL you click on the audio clip and select adjust to bpm it automatically quantizes it. Or that you just have to touch a knob in a 3rd party plugin and then click last tweeked> create automatization and BOOM you have your automatization clip created in 3 seconds. I think the only real advantages of Ableton vs FL among the ones that you said is the browser and maybe the one about the busses
FL bus channel: it's recommended to pick some random channel mixer, and choose to dock to the right, then choose the mixer that was routed from the channel, and then click on the down arrow under that knob. If you want sidechain, right click on that arrow and choose to sidechain. I mean yeah, it was to simulate how people routed the mixer irl, but bruh, this is Digital Audio Workstation, don't force everyone to do that tedious stuffs that other DAW don't have to. Ableton bus channel: just right click on the empty channel and choose "insert return track", and all midi/audio track have already routed to that. To add some extra, FL has stem separation, and that crap does better job at removing vocal than RX imo. Though turn an audio to midi is rather convoluted (kinda). You have to open Edison from the sample menu on the top left, that section called "edit sample", then choose "dump into piano roll" (or some sort) to convert them to midi.
Have you seen the new native autotune for Ableton that has just dropped with the beta? Also, there are tonnes of good M4L clippers. The B-314 clipper from Osprey is free and amazing.
are all these features in standard? Thats the version im thinking of purchasing, just unsure if any of these are only in Suite and unsure whether your on Suite or Standard so figured I'd ask
As a power user with FL all the things you didn't know you could do I learned in my first year it's so easy to automate 3rd party plugins SO EASYYYYYYYYYYYYYY haha but I was hear for a reason as I'm considering the switch haha also busses are so easy on fl but then again I have my own template setup sop when ever it's time to make music I go in to my template mixer is set up and I find it so easy also FL was the first to do audio to midi
I am considering learning FL studio even though I use Logic Pro because in studio collab sessions a lot of producers I meet use FL and it's hard for me to get my share of ideas across sometimes. I feel more like I'm Rick Rubin by instructing the other producer what drums or FX I want on the track sometimes LOL
Thank you for the video, Kavan. I am a newbie, wanting to make Hip Hop sample-based beats. I have never used any DAW before. I don't want to tap out beats or play basslines on my computer keyboard. I would rather play it on some pads. Can you recommend a 16 pad midi controller that will seamlessly run Ableton? Thank you.
My verdict is... If you just want to make beats and a beginner then FL studio is the go. No need to switch but if you want to do serious production, singer/songwriter shit, do sessions, gear compatibility basically the lines of pop, country, edm etc then other daws such as logic, Cubase, studio one and Ableton are better off for you. Not that the above can't be done in FL but for work flow and in the long run they are better as you develop your carrier. If your a sound design nerd then currently my go to will be bitwig and Ableton. Mixing and mastering then pro tools, logic, reaper for its cpu efficiency, and luna would be my picks . Bottom line all draws are capable and basically do the same thing some better than others in different cases and this is coming from a long time Ableton user and have tried different daws or engaged with other producers using different daws. Chose what works best for your purpose.with compromises of course
i switched to ableton 4 years ago after 10 years of fl studio. FL Studio is great , but the workflow and overview in ableton are such a huge advantage over fl studio that I can't understand why advanced producers are stuck on fl studio
Tbh I think if you set up the windows in FL to be like ableton it’s not that different. His demonstration in the vid made it look like you couldn’t resize the windows. (I haven’t used Abelton before but I don’t see the difference in layout)
Workflow is Ableton is just so much more streamlined. Routing and keeping your playlist organized in FL is a pain. Also I much prefer the stock plugins in Ableton. That said, FL's piano roll and automation is king. Not to mention how awesome Transistor Bass, Harmor and Sytrus are. Best solution? Route FL into Ableton. Best of both worlds! Compose in FL, mix in Ableton.
Thank you for this great review and welcome to the Ableton family 🔥 (check out Live 12.1 beta for native auto-tune plug-in and more !) Happy to help you in your music making journey !
i love you guys, follow me on instagram plz!!!
ABLETON GANG 🔥🗣️
I’m making the switch soon pls give me a discount ❤
pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez make piano roll bettter
Don’t let your pride for your main daw stop you from learning other ones.
biggest of facts!
When I first switched to ableton from FL, I distinctly remember googling how to automate 3rd party plugins expecting it to be some drawn out difficult process, I was overjoyed when I saw how simple it is
fr, because it's so easy to do i find myself doing it way way more
@@KavanDignam It is very difficult initially in FL, so much so that I actually would avoid using certain plugins opposed to the native plugins, until I found out how. It's a few extra steps, and it should be made more obvious.
its one button in fl. and its easy as ever. One button and tweak the parimeters you wish to automate. easy as pie
I wasn’t ready for you to throw shots within the first 45 seconds. I literally L’dOL
@@mrwideeye81 i was about to type this very comment hahaha
bro bout to drop "why i switched back to fl" with this new update lol
hahahaha i don't see it bro! I use a third party stem splitter
@@KavanDignamnobody care
@@nihiqallam5616 💀
@@KavanDignam yeah but FL literally does it better. Even better than iZotope and i've tested it. But besides, the stem splitter isn't even the new update, thats been out since the last one. The real updates are the chord generator, the search playback tools, FL cloud, optimizations to performance, the new effect plugins, automation tools etc. And the updates are literally FREE every time, I can't imagine in 2024 why anyone would want to leave FL for any other daw that forces you to pay $100+ to upgrade every time. I've been using it since 2007 and I have never looked back.
@@KavanDignam brodie look at the new update you're literally in lose
5:53 You don't need to manually select the parameter. Just click any button you want to automate, and Live will automatically launch the automation for the corresponding parameter.
you goat thank you!
I remember using FL for 2 years in college, then during my gap year between college and uni i brought myself Ableton and taught myself how to use the DAW, i would 100% recommend Ableton, obviously DAWs can be just person preference but the shift between FL and Ableton was huge for me, and had definitely made me grow as a producer
yessir I agree if you just wanna program drums FL is the go if you want to make music then I'd go FL
2:15 You do realize you can resize every window and lock them in a spot so FL always opens like that and will look like abletons layout? Or detach elements to move to another monitor. The chaotic windows has always been my biggest gripe but its pretty easy to fix.
i still pref the ableton layout
How do you lock them? And unlock in case I wanna change it plsss
@@4am446he just talking about resizing the screens and moving them around. I recently switched mine to four sections. Top left is drum rack, bottom left mixer, top right arrangement view and bottom right is the piano roll. its gap space for my background to show and my browse hides when im not using it in the middle. Pretty nice, i love ableton to but the view gets boring sometimes so i switch back n forth when one piss me off.
FL studio Arrangement , pattern management, mixing workflow are unbeatable. You can have a complete song structure with basic mix in FL in less than 30 mn all instruments included. I remembered trying Ableton and struggling doing lot of basic things related to the pre cited features. I've learnt lot of softwares in my life but struggled with Ableton after many attempt.
that's surprising bro i found the transition pretty seemless and ableton forces me to be more meaningful with what i make
😂😂😂
bro spit facts. Can't argue a single thing so far. Fl studio still got 1 or 2 things, but in the grand scheme of things...
my guy! you need to make the switch!
fr, but Ableton is not iconic unlike FL. i use both, an even more (Cubase and Logic for vocals) but FL is goat...
I think it's great to start the journey with FL and later switch to Ableton (if the skills will require more)
facts for just drum programming FL is the best DAW
I also switched from fl to Ableton last year. I love Ableton a lot more but I will say I miss the fl piano roll. FL has the best piano roll out of any daw
yes i agree i miss it a lot if im honest the ableton piano roll isn't it at all! what else do you miss?
Bro we got chord generators & snap to scale plus note repeat built in our piano roll bro come back to id
@@DJBEARZNEWJAZZ yeah I saw that new update and it’s aight. Personally I wouldn’t touch the chord generator or note repeat
Do you know that you can use it inside ableton? Look some info in net about fl vsti
@@DJBEARZNEWJAZZThat's a problem i personnaly have with FL (but it's the better interface i've found nowadays so i stick on it), they try to assist you asf, bro i don't need a Chord Generator i'm an artist i can do it myself, please imagine-line, release a workflow update (being more static and less labyrinthine) instead
you can convert stuff to midi through Edison in FL studio which is a bit more complex also you cant choose between melody/drums and stuff its just plain midi and you choose the sound you want. (right click on a sample -> convert to midi)
thanks man!
Welcome to the club, Kavan! FL is a powerhouse that most producers outside of Hip-Hop often underestimate, still stuck in the past I guess. Ableton's Piano Roll can be made a lot better with a few tweaks, especially in Live 12. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!
what's your IG bro i got some questions for you!
@@KavanDignam matthewvere_
@@KavanDignam matthewvere_
@@KavanDignam savoringthesage
This DID NOT make me wanna switch. LOL! Good luck to you boys!
what are your fave FL features?
@@KavanDignam I’m a user since 2004, so the Piano Roll has always been legendary. Also the stem separation is superior and FLEX has also gotten a lot better.
@@alvinedwards434 and also cross fade its small but its game changer
@@alvinedwards434is there anyway you can change the piano roll Color of FL? Fl has the best piano roll but the color is just uninspiring.
@@KavanDignamlifetime updates
I can't be the only one that use multiple daws on the regular depending my mood that week
thats insane! which is your fave?
@@KavanDignam both Ableton and FL studio ! Well I bought FL studio long ago and it has always free updates so I always keep it installed on my computer. Same thing with Ableton Live. Although I updated to Live 12 when it came out this time around.
Kudos!
@@KavanDignamI do the same thing! I go between Ableton, Cubase, Reason, and my own Reaper layout/theme that I pretend is my own daw called Cosmic!
I was thinking of doing this in case theres things about Ableton that im missing out on from Cakewalk by bandlab. And as of now cakewalk is also free
Few things I thought u were going to mention, in 4:43 where u are finding a tamborine sound, the browser shows that wave icon with the line next to the sound, that's the similarity search feature which would go through your whole sound library and find sounds that sounds similar. That works for basically any sound but I use it for finding similar sounding drum hits etc. Also ableton improved their midi so there are generators, strums and many more things that weren't mentioned. Also the Warp modes is a category in itself that's super powerful.
great vid nonetheless
thank you bro! you will know ableton better than me i've only been on it 4 months!
Ableton has Auto-Shift now which is my favorite Auto-Tune-ish plugin I've ever used
i agree man, i released this one week before it came out lol
there's a free soft clipper called "clipper" by initial audio that you can put on your master in Ableton and it'll give you that "FL" sound 🔥
ok ok ok thank you for this, this is a game changer!
Freeclip2 as well
Ive always bounced between the two for the last 8-10 years. I love the ease of mixing in Ableton and sample chopping but i find my mixes dont sound as full in Ableton compared to FL. FL seems to have alot more punch and i can dirty up my music alot easier than in Ableton. Playing my music live in Ableton is so much easier and i have alot less lag than FL. At the end of the day it just depends on what you are creating,but its good to switch between daws to keep your creativity at a high.
this is perfect!
These are mostly good points. When I tried Ableton I found the interface too busy and it showing too much, and in FL i like that I can customize the toolbar and make any arrangement of the windows or mixer style I want to fit a laptop screen. Another big advantage I found was the left-click add and right-click delete in the playlist and piano roll in FL. I just feel like I'm clicking all day the way other DAWs do it.
i 1000% agree with the clicking it's a great point
Btw you can just press "A" to bring up automation. Also you don't need to use the drop down menu; just press whatever button you want to automate. Also works inside of third party UIs.
thank you bro appreciate it!
@@KavanDignamHas to be shift+a to get that A. I was pressing "a" and nothing happend.
the piano roll has really improved in live 12 (and you have all your generative /modifier stuff) but there are are also many keyboard shortcuts to know that can make things a lot easier (shift + up or down for example, or cmd+ 1/2/3/4 as the basis for the grid settings, or cmd + E (+ scroll) in live 12)
still not as good as fl imo
Only thing I miss from FL is the piano roll, but the faster workflow in Live makes it up for me.
yes I agree I do wish they would spend more time making their piano roll a lot better
theres also a lot of simple commands in ableton that just make workflow even quicker (probably same in fl but just saying in case u dont know) such as hitting A on ur laptop keys while midi playing is turned off will open up automation rather than clicking the automation button. midi playing can also be toggled by hitting M. Theres so many that just help so much
i still need to learn a lot of the shortcuts which are your favourites?
@KavanDignam ctrl t for a new audio track, ctrl shift t for new midi track is so helpful, without them I was so stuck first day of ableton
highlighting an area on the playlist then hitting ctrl M will make a midi clip of the highlighted area, better than double clicking on the playlist and dragging out the clip to the length u want
hitting 0 will mute/deactivate a channel or a single clip or even a note in a clip depending on which you've selected
Ctrl spacebar plays from the last play marker you set which can be helpful while u tryna do surgery on a certain small section, when u have to repeat it over and over just spam ctrl spacebar lol
there's a lot more that I can't remember off the top of my head I'm not at my laptop rn but yea, I'm so glad I chose ableton over fl I was so close to getting fl but I switched up last minute lol
Bro I love your video style, super funny and informational at the same time and you made great points. I started on FL but started using Logic and finally Ableton, I can honestly say Ableton is the most versatile and intuitive for production/recording out of the three. I will continue to use each for their strengths and recommend the same for anyone who might not want to commit themselves to one DAW. Cheers
thanks for the love bro!
I'm glad you found your bread and butter, some people just like the flow... and there's never anything wrong with that
yessir man
Finally! somebody said it. the automation in FL is super frustrating. but my potato computer can't run ableton until I get an SSD and a RAM upgrade.
bro i got a mac m1 max and it changed everything!
Another trick for automation instead of clicking turn on automation and then selecting the parameters in the drop down menu you can right click any parameter you want to automate and you’ll see a “show automation in lane” this will automatically turn on automation view and make that your selected automation. “Show automation in new lane” is also useful if you want to be able to see multiple automations on the same track at once.
For automation, you can literally just press "A" on the keyboard, and click any parameter you want to automate, and the automation lane for that exact parameter will pop up, even for third party plugins.
FL has a plugin dedicated for quantizing, it's called newtime... For those wondering. It's very similar to the warping Ableton does
its so bad tho
The soft clipper point is so fast, I've only ever used ableton so discovering soft clippers was like seeing colour for the first time
big facts
Just so you know, you can clip in the glue compressor. Could literally have zero compression and use it as a clipper. Plus there are clipping algorithms in the saturator. I have never missed the soft clipper in FL since using saturator
Thank for helping me make my decision final. Ableton it is. LFGD
love that bro! get to work!
you can stack record and buss and audio to midi and stem split it’s just about learning the daw
ye I had an older version of FL
I tried both. Ableton is better and more comfortable in almost every way BUT I don’t know why (i wanted to know though hahah) when I’m in FL Im easily inspired. Even It is a lot busier and not that practical as Ableton, someway I feel more inspired in FL. Maybe is for the simplicity of the channel rack to start beats, that I kinda replace in Ableton with the drumrack. I don’t know why I like to suffer in FL when Ableton is so good and I know how to do everything I want to do there too. Even the drumrack, you can add effects right there to any one shot. It is so smooth. I wanted to get inspired in Ableton too hahahh
I think tbh using multiple DAW's isnt that bad im proper not a big fan of drum programming in ableton
In Ableton. Use the glue compressor and turn the compression All the way off. Top right corner there’s a soft clip feature. Almost the same effect as fl
nice video about the comparison between #1 EDM and Djs weapon and #1 Hip Hop beat-makers tool! i myself use 2 main one is Logic and 2nd is Ableton Live both are great
I have used ableton trial it is not for me liked bitwig studio better though I still use fl as my main daw the new update is going in right direction, I don't I need to switch good for you, have fun keep making good music
that's facts bro they all do the same thing anyway it just depends which works best for you
I use ableton and bro i fckn love its workflow and ui, for me its so intuitive and satisfying
facts bro but i hatew the piano roll
Honest question. FL sounds apparently quite beefier than Ableton. People say flip the phase and it will null and all the summing algorythms are the same. But FL has really a quite unique sound that suits modern bass heavy music IMHO. Do you feel a difference between these DAWS? I feel like with Ableton the sound is often not that bass heavy and warm.
i 10000% agree the sound drivers in FL Studio are better than ableton, it's not a myth it'a true
If you want a good clipper that is actually as good it's standard clip. I switched to ableton about 3 years ago it's so easy to everything the only thing i miss is the piano roll but it made me play stuff more. I can't do without the capture midi button fl dumps the whole last 2 mins.
im gonna download that bro! ye i agree the piano roll ain't it but it forces you to play more stuff
@@KavanDignam Kazrog KClip 3, I own STD Clip and Kazrog, Kazrog is on another level. STD Clip is really good, but KClip Smoothing + gain/level matching is unparalleled.
There’s a soft clipper in the glue compressor device. It’s not the same sound as FL but it gets the job done for mixes. Ableton is also adding their own autotune in the coming months. It’s currently in beta.
Nah, I've used Ableton since 7 and, while practical and low cpu, 3rd party vsts do the job way better for clipping and glueing. Want to glue like a pro? Get an SSL Bus compressor and read its manual. Want a good clipper? Go with STD Clipper or Kazrog KClip 3 - the later being better imo.
@@beatsandstuff well ofc. The stock plugins are made to be as easy for the program to use as possible, so adding latency from trying to replicate analog modeling or saturation from clipping is not the MO. Many 3rd party vsts will sound much better than what’s offered in the stock library: kazrog actually has a free clipper and analog obsession has their own version of an ssl quad bus compressor. I encourage those to look for free/paid plugins that work well for what they’re worth if you’re serious about pushing a mix or production further. However, when it comes to fast, in line workflow, there are at least options available in the plugin library, that’s all.
@@cytocache1238 Agreed, I would personally avoid the free Kazrog and buy the full on clipper. Totally worth it. On the SSL, I got the Waves one for 29 bucks, but I reckon there are other options which may have better DSP algos, still it's night and day from ableton's glue with its soft clipper.
Edit: My last master was saved with KClip 3, I cannot see myself mastering without it from now on -I produce Tech House btw.
thanks bro
How was the switch? Is there a learning curve going from FL to Ableton or is it like transferring to the same store in a different place where you just need to re-learn where everything is?
nah it's pretty easy bro you just gotta learnt the keyboard shortcuts
I used FL, I went to Ableton (I had progress), I went to FL again and I had progress, I went back to Ableton even better and in the end... Cubase serves me very well, Dua Lipa's producer (Ian Kirkpatrick ) and also from Ava Max, Jong Kook (Cirkut) and others (Zedd also uses it), they are producers who use Cubase, and I highly recommend it!
Cubase has the same features that Fl and Ableton have
whatever works best for you man i might try it!
@@KavanDignam yes man, What I wanted to say in my comment is that both will bring you advances and that Cubase, because it has similar functions and some different things, was what worked for me, what matters is how you use the DAW and not the DAW itself.
@@KavanDignam try and make a video 😄
What you mean by "auto quantize" is really time stretching the clip to the bpm of your project. Sometimes Ableton calculates the bpm incorrectly and you still have to edit the tempo in the clip editing. Quantizing audio clips is when Ableton detects transients in the audio clip and based on groove you choose (either quantize, swing, etc.) it fixes it in time.
Also in FL Studio there is an option to turn audio files into midi files, you just gotta look a little closer hehe.
But yeah, I've been using FL Studio for over 12 years and then got to Ableton and almost cried when I realized the workflow is like 999 times quicker.
Cool video none of the less.
thanks man and great to know your thoughts on these
I would definitely switch to Ableton if it had something like the channel rack. It is just so much quicker for me to drag a bunch of stuff in the channel rack and click around to make a pattern
ye i feel that, I miss the piano roll a lot too
I feel this, Ableton is just an easier work flow for me, but I do still love making beats in fl.
i agree it's good to be able to use multiple DAWs
FL literally has all of those features with the exception of the instant quantization and the ease of making a bus group. And even then, making a bus is super easy in FL. All you have to do is just highlight the channels you want to add to the bus and then right click on the designated mixer channel you wish to send them to.
if they added auto quantization i'd switch back mainly cos I miss the sound of FL and the piano roll
@@KavanDignam it's been reported by the FL Studio dev them self that the playlist is being reworked right now it will be there when it's done, and eventually unlimited mixer and playlist audio quantization and manipulation will come along once it's done the switch you did is kinda a bit L imo.
Fl studio 24 has the option now to auto stretch all audio samples. You find it under macros. And now there is a shortcut for making samples unique. At the rate with which it improves, all issues will be addressed sooner than later. I am pretty sure.
Or u can just group tracks / make a return track and just control the send volume for each with maximum control
2:30 i do that same thing with my face when i focus bro 😭😭
thank god it's not just me bro hahahaha
when I started making music I used FL, but after 2 weeks I started using Ableton Live and it was the best decision I made haha.
Ableton Live = 🐐🔥
facts bro
Ableton's stock effects and instruments are also pretty dang good, they don't beat many plugins but I still use them heavily.
facts i only use ableton reverb
I only switched from Ableton to FL due to how expensive these updates are for how little features are added for Ableton.
yes i agree to whole piano roll needs an overhaul too
Yah bro u r the best .. Ableton live is game changer ...also studio one is great daw ...
Ableton live now has a pitch plugin (native auto-tune) called pitchift
yessir bro it's fire af
i recently just switched to Ableton from FL and i love Ableton more but, your first point i’m afraid is not so strong.
With Fl you could have just hit ‘fit to tempo’ on the sample and it would have automatically quantized.
my FL would always mess it up, I did have FL20 tho
"but if you use that someone probably needs to check your harddrive" actually made me burst out laughing😂😂😂 great video bro and sick seeing my comment pop up at the start✌
thank you for always showing support and helping me out with content man means so much!
Switched from fl to logic in feb and haven’t looked back. I still use fl here and there but I’m a logic head now lol
what are your favourite logic features?
@@KavanDignam The first thing is the everything stock, in my opinion, is really good quality. Quality sounds quality effects. The same thing with ableton w the buses and aesthetically it looks cleaner, similar to pro tools
Is Ok making only sample based beats without knowing music theory?
yes
🤣 enjoyed the edits
thank you man
I use both, and honestly, both have pluses and minuses. Both equally good!
i agree depends how you use them!
Love Ableton
my guy
damn i love fl but this made me want to try ableton
free 3 month trial where you get access to the entire daw
if you switch you won't got back bro
I've tried switching to ableton but I'm back on fl because ableton piano roll is ass
@@homeofinstrumental1955 ong, ableton aint all that. everyone talks about how much better it is then fl but its piano roll is literally useless compared to fl
I’m one of the few who did the opposite. Native ableton user, switched to FL. Abletons workflow is second to none, I feel like I’m having a stroke when trying to automate in FL… but I’m sorry, FL sounds better. For me this mostly comes down to interpolation through pitch shifting, time stretching and use of samplers… FL is cleaner, and this is provable.
i agree the sound difference is massive
Hi, I'm not telling your didn't have great points. But it seems like you don't know that if in FL you click on the audio clip and select adjust to bpm it automatically quantizes it. Or that you just have to touch a knob in a 3rd party plugin and then click last tweeked> create automatization and BOOM you have your automatization clip created in 3 seconds. I think the only real advantages of Ableton vs FL among the ones that you said is the browser and maybe the one about the busses
not as good sorry
only thing that makes the difference huge is the buss"ing. makes it easier to finish tracks. and making music is all about finishing tracks
facts
Always enjoy watching these the editing has really come a far way. Sad to to FL go but also want to learn how to use other programs
my guy appreciate the love as always!
7:00 what plugin alternative do u recommend for autotune as an ableton user?
they now have native autotune!
@@KavanDignam what is it called? also its probably for suite users, I only have intro
so basically spending 5 years in FL Studio without even understanding any FL Studio workflow, got it.
yeesir !
welcome to the ableton gangg ayy! lmk if u need any tips!! excited to see ur new vids in ableton 🙏
bro i need all the shortcuts for the piano roll!
And Yeah, everything he mentioned on the video, Fl studio does, But the Workflow is just different, he may be more comfortable using Ableton Workflow.
facts man
i switch back and forth ableton and fl all the time. Best of both worlds
if u could only keep one which would it be?
Bro these features are all coming in the next update of FL 😭
fl still ain't it bro
FL bus channel: it's recommended to pick some random channel mixer, and choose to dock to the right, then choose the mixer that was routed from the channel, and then click on the down arrow under that knob. If you want sidechain, right click on that arrow and choose to sidechain. I mean yeah, it was to simulate how people routed the mixer irl, but bruh, this is Digital Audio Workstation, don't force everyone to do that tedious stuffs that other DAW don't have to.
Ableton bus channel: just right click on the empty channel and choose "insert return track", and all midi/audio track have already routed to that.
To add some extra, FL has stem separation, and that crap does better job at removing vocal than RX imo. Though turn an audio to midi is rather convoluted (kinda). You have to open Edison from the sample menu on the top left, that section called "edit sample", then choose "dump into piano roll" (or some sort) to convert them to midi.
the preview of ableton's browser is also a game changer
facts i agree
Have you seen the new native autotune for Ableton that has just dropped with the beta? Also, there are tonnes of good M4L clippers. The B-314 clipper from Osprey is free and amazing.
ima try that thanks so much
@@KavanDignam lmk what you think
are all these features in standard? Thats the version im thinking of purchasing, just unsure if any of these are only in Suite and unsure whether your on Suite or Standard so figured I'd ask
As a power user with FL all the things you didn't know you could do I learned in my first year it's so easy to automate 3rd party plugins SO EASYYYYYYYYYYYYYY haha but I was hear for a reason as I'm considering the switch haha also busses are so easy on fl but then again I have my own template setup sop when ever it's time to make music I go in to my template mixer is set up and I find it so easy also FL was the first to do audio to midi
You can use FL stock plugins in ableton OTT is great but Fruity EQ 2 so damn nostalgic I think even gross beat works ? Idk tho
looool i just need that piano roll
All Daw's have good features but I think Ableton is the best ... and its more versatile for sure
10000% man! how long have you been on ableton?
@@KavanDignam since 2017
I want to switch to ableton i been on fl for a while and the workflow in ableton looks better. I LIVE FL STUDIO LOOK BUT i prefer work flow.
switch bro!
That's it! Switching from FL to Ableton was the best decision ever I made in my production career! Nothing will ever take me back to FL
love that bro, what's your favourite features?
Especially Push 2/3❤❤❤
need to try one of those
I am considering learning FL studio even though I use Logic Pro because in studio collab sessions a lot of producers I meet use FL and it's hard for me to get my share of ideas across sometimes. I feel more like I'm Rick Rubin by instructing the other producer what drums or FX I want on the track sometimes LOL
ye learn all daw's great skill to have
Thank you for the video, Kavan. I am a newbie, wanting to make Hip Hop sample-based beats. I have never used any DAW before. I don't want to tap out beats or play basslines on my computer keyboard. I would rather play it on some pads. Can you recommend a 16 pad midi controller that will seamlessly run Ableton? Thank you.
Mpd 218 is ableton compatible I’m pretty sure
mpd akai bro definitely!
Hi!Can you please tell me the version of abletton you use here?
live 12
Oh man , the climax is super😂
hahahah thanks man
I SAW VULF COMPRESSOR DID U BUY IT IS IT GOOD???
it's very good get it!
waiting for that Logic vid in 5 years
loooool true
What is the website you were downloading the tracks from?
they're beats i've made
same reasons why I started using Ableton years ago
you still on ableton bro?
Why not use both🤔
i may try that bro
i just forgot how easy is to learn ableton, i take that for granted 😂
great daw
My verdict is... If you just want to make beats and a beginner then FL studio is the go. No need to switch but if you want to do serious production, singer/songwriter shit, do sessions, gear compatibility basically the lines of pop, country, edm etc then other daws such as logic, Cubase, studio one and Ableton are better off for you. Not that the above can't be done in FL but for work flow and in the long run they are better as you develop your carrier. If your a sound design nerd then currently my go to will be bitwig and Ableton. Mixing and mastering then pro tools, logic, reaper for its cpu efficiency, and luna would be my picks . Bottom line all draws are capable and basically do the same thing some better than others in different cases and this is coming from a long time Ableton user and have tried different daws or engaged with other producers using different daws. Chose what works best for your purpose.with compromises of course
this is an amazing description of the strong points of each DAW!
Aint going to lie will this be the time i switch?
it better be baby!
Creating a bus in fl is easy. You just your route the sound in the mixer to another mixer slot you putting the effect in
yes but it's easier in ableton
Bro this is more hilarious than anything, i hear your points but damn you're funny😂😂😂😂😂Pure Gold.😂😂😂😂
means the world thanks bro hahaha
@KavanDignam Ma man👊🏽
FL Studio has a convolver reverb as well it’s called fruity convolver. Does the same thing and has 100+ more presets
I support your decision to make music in Excel
looool thanks bro
i switched to ableton 4 years ago after 10 years of fl studio. FL Studio is great , but the workflow and overview in ableton are such a huge advantage over fl studio that I can't understand why advanced producers are stuck on fl studio
i agree 10000% bro
Tbh I think if you set up the windows in FL to be like ableton it’s not that different. His demonstration in the vid made it look like you couldn’t resize the windows. (I haven’t used Abelton before but I don’t see the difference in layout)
That's because you don't understand the law of fl studio. Regardless of the duration of use, 90% of people are not using fl properly.
Ableton workflow is smoother for sure
by far bro
There is a native autotune for ableton. It comes with the packs & its called autotuna
only just
Workflow is Ableton is just so much more streamlined. Routing and keeping your playlist organized in FL is a pain. Also I much prefer the stock plugins in Ableton.
That said, FL's piano roll and automation is king. Not to mention how awesome Transistor Bass, Harmor and Sytrus are.
Best solution? Route FL into Ableton. Best of both worlds! Compose in FL, mix in Ableton.
can you get the FL piano roll in ableton?!