Intro
We use a comprehensive Ableton Live template designed with worship in mind to manage our entire song library for live performance purposes.
History
The original version of the set that we use was designed by Kristian Ponsford, worship pastor and creative director at Sunnyhill Church in the UK.
Kristian is a certified Ableton Live trainer and is part of the Multitracks.ocom team.
It was this template and tutorials by Kristian that finally gave me the knowledge to proceed with using Ableton Live as a primary performance and production workstation.
What it does
Currently this template provides 4 core functions:
- Click Track for in-ear monitoring.
- Backing Tracks and custom composed track automation for certain songs.
- Automated Patch Selection for the keyboard (and other instruments if so desired)
- Automated control of OnSong chord charts on the iPad.
Layout Details
Group Definitions
Tracks in this template are grouped to save space.
- VIP MIDI: This set of tracks is designed for live playback of individual VIP Multi Slots. Pre-recorded MIDI clips are stored here and may or may not be used. This is the MIDI equivalent of the Multi-Track columns.
- MIDI Routing: Handles inbound MIDI signals for instruments and external MIDI controls.
- VSTs: VST Tracks contain software instruments with various MIDI input sources. No audio output is selected on these tracks.
- Audio Routing:1 Audio routing tracks listen to the audio being produced by the VST tracks, routing them to the appropriate location.
- In Ear:2 Contain only tracks that will be routed to the in-ear system.
- Automation: Nearly all of the MIDI and IAC Driver automation is located in this group, with some exceptions.
- Our Tracks:3 Audio and MIDI tracks and instruments that contain original recorded and composed material.
- MultiTrack:3 A vast collection of Audio tracks for stems and backing track arrangements.
- Originals:3 Tracks that hold the original studio recording of any given song that we’ve captured from Spotify or YouTube, etc.
Group Definition Footnotes
Unless specified below, grouped tracks are set with Audio To “Sends Only” which indicates that they do not provide any direct routing to any external sources.
Track Details
| Group: VIP MIDI | ||
| Track Name | Type | Description |
| VIP MIDI | Group | This set of tracks is designed for live playback of individual VIP Multi Slots. Pre-recorded MIDI clips are stored here and may or may not be used. This is the MIDI equivalent of the Multi-Track columns. |
| Slot 1 | MIDI | |
| Slot 2 | MIDI | |
| Slot 3 | MIDI | |
| Slot 4 | MIDI | |
| Slot 5 | MIDI | |
| Slot 6 | MIDI | |
| Slot 7 | MIDI | |
| Slot 8 | MIDI | |
| Group: MIDI ROUTING | ||
| Track Name | Type | Description |
| MIDI ROUTING | Group | Handles inbound MIDI signals for instruments and external MIDI controls. |
| Lighting | MIDI | |
| Advance 61 | MIDI | |
| Pad Triggers | MIDI | |
| MIDI Chain | MIDI | |
| Brass Ensemble | MIDI | |
| Cello | MIDI | |
| Pads | MIDI | |
| Group: VST's | ||
| Track Name | Type | Description |
| VST's | Group | VST Tracks contain software instruments with various MIDI input sources. No audio output is selected on these tracks. |
| VIP3.0 | Instrument/Audio | |
| Brass | Instrument/Audio | |
| 21 Guitar-Soft | Instrument/Audio | |
| Cello | Instrument/Audio | |
| Pads | Instrument/Audio | |
| Cathedral | Instrument/Audio | |
| Choir | Instrument/Audio | |
| Group: Audio Routing | ||
| Track Name | Type | Description |
| Audio Routing | Group | Audio routing tracks listen to the audio being produced by the VST tracks, routing them to the appropriate location. |
| Slot 1 | Audio | |
| Slot 2 | Audio | |
| Slot 3 | Audio | |
| Slot 4 | Audio | |
| Slot 5 | Audio | |
| Slot 6 | Audio | |
| Slot 7 | Audio | |
| Slot 8 | Audio | |
| VST 2 | Audio | |
| Cello | Audio | |
| Pads | Audio | |
| Cathedral | Audio | |
| Strings | Audio | |
| Group: In Ear | ||
| Track Name | Type | Description |
| In Ear | Group | Contain only tracks that will be routed to the in-ear system. |
| Audio Cues | Audio | |
| Audio Cues Repeat | Audio | |
| Band Cue | Instrument | |
| Repeat Cue | Instrument | |
| Click | ||
| Click Rack | ||
| Group: Automation | ||
| Track Name | Type | Description |
| Automation | Group | Nearly all of the MIDI and IAC Driver automation is located in this group, with some exceptions. |
| Follow Scene | MIDI | |
| METRONOME | MIDI | |
| IAC CH2 | MIDI | |
| Song Select | MIDI | |
| Song Select | MIDI | |
| Song Reset/Scroll | MIDI | |
| Group: Our Tracks | ||
| Track Name | Type | Description |
| Our Tracks | Group | Audio and MIDI tracks and instruments that contain original recorded and composed material. |
| Drums | Audio | |
| Group: MultiTrack | ||
| Track Name | Type | Description |
| MultiTrack | Group | A vast collection of Audio tracks for stems and backing track arrangements. |
| Drums 1 | Audio | |
| Drums 2 | Audio | |
| Drums 3 | Audio | |
| Bass 1 | Audio | |
| Bass 2 | Audio | |
| Bass 3 | Audio | |
| Bass Syn | Audio | |
| EG1 | Audio | |
| EG2 | Audio | |
| EG3 | Audio | |
| AG1 | Audio | |
| AG2 | Audio | |
| AG3 | Audio | |
| Keys 1 | Audio | |
| Keys 2 | Audio | |
| Keys 3 | Audio | |
| Loop | Audio | |
| Piano | Audio | |
| Strings | Audio | |
| FX | Audio | |
| FX 2 | Audio | |
| BGVS 1 | Audio | |
| BGVS 2 | Audio | |
| Soprano | Audio | |
| Alto | Audio | |
| Tenor | Audio | |
| Choir | Audio | |
| Extras | Audio | |
| Automation | Audio | |
| Group: Originals | ||
| Track Name | Type | Description |
| Originals | Group | Tracks that hold the original studio recording of any given song that we've captured from Spotify or YouTube, etc. |
| Original Song 1 | Audio | |
| Original Song 2 | Audio | |
| Original Song 3 | Audio | |
| Pads | Audio | |
| Group: 91 Audio | ||
| Track Name | Type | Description |
| 91 Audio | Audio | |
-
Audio Routing feeds the main outs on the Scarlett 18i8 through “Ext. Out 1/2” and provide the main piano performance mix for FOH. ↩
-
The In Ear group is routed to “Ext. Out 5” which is the left side of the Scarlett 18i8’s right hand headphone jack. It is used exclusively to provide in-ear monitoring feeds to the ME-U Distribution Hub. ↩
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The Audio output settings are set to “Ext. Out 3/4.” 3 & 4 are the outputs on the Scarlett 18i8 that come from the left headphone jack on the front of the unit and are routed to fader strips 9 & 10 on the QU-32 to provide an independent mix for backing tracks. ↩ ↩2 ↩3