Multiband Processing with Ableton Live Pt.1

Multiband processing. That magic trick that all producers talks about but never explains exactly what it is. Sure, we all know that there are several multiband compressor vst plugins available, and even a couple of multiband effect suites, but exactly what is multiband processing, and how does it work?

Why do you need it, and why would you want to use it?

The basic concept of multiband processing is to take an audio source, split it up into frequency bands (consider a basic DJ eq; low, mid, and hi), then process each band individually. This is a favourite trick amongst producers used to get something to sit perfectly in your mix, whether you need to tighten up the low-end while warming up the mids, or to completely destroy the mid while having a frequency dependent reverb on the highs; Multiband is where it´s at.

Now folks, in the early days of the DAW generation we would have had to use several tracks, or several sends and returns to perform such a simple task, but since we are using Ableton Live, we can save all those send tracks for something better (there is also another reason why you wouldn´t want to do that; Live splits the cpu core load per track, meaning that its virtually impossible to assign one core for a multiband process, unless you use a rack).

Infact, it´s so easy to do multiband processing with Live it´s almost ridiculous. Simply make a rack with several chains (check the manual for more info on racks and how they work), select the frequency range you want to process (cut out all other frequencies with an eq) and that is basically it. Now, stacking up audio effects after that EQ means that those frequencies are the only ones that will be affected.

So, what does this mean for you, the Producer?

With multiband processing you have total control of all the frequencies, as opposed to the whole frequency spectrum. Producers like control, and so do we. With that said, lets get down business!

Putting theory to practice; racks 101 and a couple of general tips.

The complete Ableton project files for the following tutorial are available to download here.

Let´s start by examining this drum-loop sample for a brief moment. Sample >>>Click to Play. This beat has a lot of stuff happening to it. It also sounds incredibly dull.

Let’s Get Dirty

Let´s pretend that we want to make it a bit more dirty, and a bit more punchy, while still keeping the high-end clear, popping out of the mix. The first thing to do is:

1.  Make an Audio Rack, and separate the high-end.

2. Drop the audio rack into your track.

3. Drop an Eq8 inside the first chain and select the frequency range, something like this would do:

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4. We´re also going to drop a gate after that EQ and a Compressor to accentuate certain hits without accenting the whole break, like so:

Click Image to Expand

Seperate the Mid-end

Now we make a new chain in the rack and select another band of frequencies to process. The mid-end could surely use some attention, so isolate that and then we´ll make a dry chain too while we´re at it (unprocessed).

Click Image to Expand

Multiband Processing with Ableton Live Part 2  >>>

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