Knowing how to quantize in Ableton Live is a quick and easy tool to have at your disposal. If you’re hoping to learn how to quantize both audio and MIDI in Ableton, then you’ve come to the right place. This guide will walk you through the simple steps of each process, adding another music production hack to your arsenal.
Quantizing is a process used by producers to adjust MIDI and audio notes to a fixed position on a grid. Say you’ve recorded some bass guitar and the notes seem to be slightly out of time with the rest of the recordings and MIDI clips in your project. The position of each note in the bass line can be quantized so that it aligns perfectly with the set grid and the rest of the instruments.
Ableton’s quantize feature is super easy to use and can actually be achieved by using a shortcut (read on to find out more). However, when producing your own music, it’s also good to learn how to achieve the outcome of these processes manually. In the examples below, we’ve used Mac. However, the same steps can be used on Windows to achieve the same outcome.
Quick Answer
Click on the MIDI clip and go to Edit > Quantize/Quantize settings > Set parameters > Apply. Or, click on the audio clip and select Warp > Edit > Quantize/Quantize settings > Set parameters > Apply.
How to quantize MIDI files in Ableton live
The first way you can use Ableton’s quantize feature is by adjusting MIDI clips. This can be really helpful if you’re recording your MIDI clip and would like it to align perfectly with the rest of your project. To start, have your clip recorded and ready to go.
Step
Select the MIDI clip
Select the MIDI clip you would like to quantize by double clicking on it. By doing this the MIDI editor will appear at the bottom of the page, showing the notes and their positioning in the grid.
Step
Select Edit > Quantize settings/Quantize
Select the ‘Edit’ option in the top left corner. From the drop-down menu that appears you can either select ‘Quantize’ which will quantize the midi track automatically or select ‘Quantize settings’ which will allow you to set the parameters of quantization.
You can quantize automatically and access the quantize settings by using shortcuts. To quantize automatically on Mac press ⌘U, and to access the quantize settings press ⇧⌘U. To quantize automatically on Windows press Crtl + U, and to access the quantize settings press ⇧Crtl + U.
Step
Select parameters in the quantize settings window
If you select ‘Quantize settings’ a small window will appear in the middle of the page. This window offers changeable parameters to quantize your recording. These include:
- Quantize to – Allows for you to select the quantization grid that is used. In this example, the Midi recording will be quantized to sixteenth notes.
- Adjust note – Allows for you to decide whether you want the start or the end of the note to be quantized. You can select both, but it will be set to start by default.
- Amount – This means how much the notes will be put in the quantized position. If the amount is at 100% then the note is perfectly placed in the grid.
Step
Select ‘Apply’
Once you have adapted the parameters in the quantize settings you can press ‘Apply’. This will quantize the MIDI recording instantly.
How to quantize audio files in Ableton
Quantizing audio in Ableton is a simple process that follows similar steps to the ones outlined above. The only difference is that audio files use warp markers to alter timings within the timeline of the project. An audio will be snapped to the position of the quantized markers in the editor, therefore it’s important to make sure the markers match up with the initial attack of each note.
To get started, have your audio clip ready to go on your project.
Step
Ensure ‘Warp’ is on
To adjust and quantize audio files Ableton needs to use ‘Warp’ markers. This means you’ll have to switch on the ‘Warp’ button found in the bottom left of the screen when the audio file is selected. Press on the button to turn it on – it will appear orange.
Step
Select Edit > Quantize settings/Quantize
Select the ‘Edit’ option in the top left corner. From the drop-down menu that appears you can either select ‘Quantize’ which will quantize the midi track automatically or select ‘Quantize settings’ which will allow you to set the parameters of quantization.
You can quantize automatically and access the quantize settings by using shortcuts. To quantize automatically press ⌘U, and to access the quantize settings press ⇧⌘U.
Step
Input in the quantize settings window
If you select ‘Quantize settings’ a small window will appear in the middle of the page. This window offers changeable parameters to quantize your recording. Unlike when quantizing MIDI recordings, this window will only show two options. These include:
- Quantize to – Allows for you to select the quantization grid that is used. In this example, the Midi recording will be quantized to an eighth note.
- Amount – This means how much the notes will be put in the quantized position. If the amount is at 100% then the note is perfectly placed in the grid.
Step
Select ‘Apply’
Once you have adapted the parameters in the quantize settings you can press ‘Apply’. This will quantize the audio instantly, and the notes should snap into place.
If you’ve followed the steps above correctly, your audio file will have shifted into place, and you should be able to see a visible change in its position on the grid. The example below demonstrates how subtle the shift in position can be:
Does quantizing affect audio quality?
Unfortunately, quantizing can affect the audio quality of recordings. When a recording is being quantized, it is effectively being stretched or shortened in length. This means that, depending on how much it is stretched, quantizing can certainly create sonic issues and affect the quality of an audio clip.
Wrapping up
Quantizing is a great tool that can create a crisper sound on a musical project. By quantizing, you’re ensuring that all the tracks included in your project are aligned perfectly with the grid and each other. Follow the simple steps outlined above to quantize either MIDI or audio files in Ableton Live.
