Ableton Live ships with everything you need for a solid vocal chain, and its Audio Effect Rack lets you save the whole chain as one preset. Here's how to build one with stock devices, in the order that works (the reasons are in vocal chain order explained).
- Pitch: Auto Shift (Live 12.1 and later)
- EQ Eight for the high-pass and mud cuts
- Compressor then Glue Compressor for two-stage control
- Multiband Dynamics for sibilance, Saturator for grit
- Delay and reverb on return tracks, not on the vocal
The stock Ableton vocal chain
| # | Device | Job |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auto Shift | Pitch correction. Set the key and scale first. (Earlier versions of Live need a third-party tuner.) |
| 2 | EQ Eight | High-pass around 80–100 Hz, cut mud at 200–400 Hz |
| 3 | Compressor | Peak control: fast attack, 4:1, 3–5 dB of gain reduction |
| 4 | Glue Compressor | Gentle levelling, 2–3 dB |
| 5 | Multiband Dynamics | Tame the top band where sibilance lives (5–10 kHz), or use a dedicated de-esser |
| 6 | Saturator | A little drive for harmonics and presence |
| 7 | EQ Eight | Broad presence lift (2–5 kHz) and a gentle air shelf |
Starting values for steps 2 to 4: vocal EQ cheat sheet and vocal compression settings.
Delay and reverb on return tracks
New Live sets come with two return tracks. Put Echo or Delay on Return A and Reverb (or Hybrid Reverb in Suite) on Return B, both fully wet, and use the vocal track's send knobs. Lead, doubles and adlibs then share one space, and you can automate a send for delay throws. Settings: vocal delay settings and vocal reverb settings.
Save it as an Audio Effect Rack
- Select all the devices on the vocal track (click the first, shift-click the last).
- Group them into an Audio Effect Rack (Cmd/Ctrl+G).
- Map the controls you change most to macros: tune amount, compressor threshold, saturation drive, de-ess amount.
- Save the rack to your User Library. Next session, drag it onto any vocal track.
Rap vs singing in Ableton
- Rap: firmer compression, more Saturator drive, mostly delay. Full walkthrough: how to mix rap vocals.
- Singing: gentler compression, a longer reverb, careful de-essing on sustained notes.
- Adlibs: their own track and rack, with Auto Filter for a telephone tone. See how to mix adlibs.
Using Waves chains in Ableton
Third-party chains run inside a single device slot. For Waves chains, open Browser → Plug-ins → Waves, drag StudioVerse Audio Effects onto the vocal track and load the .xps preset. You can still put it inside your own rack next to stock devices. More in StudioVerse and StudioRack explained.
FAQ
Does Ableton have stock pitch correction?
Yes, since Live 12.1: Auto Shift. Older versions need a third-party tuner.
Does Ableton have a de-esser?
There's no device called de-esser, but Multiband Dynamics (or an EQ Eight band you automate) does the job. Many people use a third-party de-esser.
Where do Ableton racks save?
In your User Library, under Presets → Audio Effects → Audio Effect Rack, unless you choose another folder.
