Ableton Live 2: Choosing the Best New Warp Modes for Your Content

Live 2 expands on Ableton’s revolutionary concept of elastic audio by improving the way the software stretches audio. Live 2 gives the user the ability to select from several types of time stretching/pitch correction optimized for different types of source material.

In the Clip View’s Warp box, there is an option labeled “Mode” where these different settings lie. For a sample with obvious transients, like a drum pattern, we recommend you choose the “Beats” mode. The “Tones” mode is optimal for a sample with obvious pitches, like a vocal or single instrument. For a sample with a variety of pitched elements, choose “Texture.” The last option, “Re-Pitch” will produce a “natural” pitch shift by playing back the audio at a different sample rate, similar to playing analog tape or vinyl too fast or too slow. Have fun experimenting with the different algorithms. Use them not only to clean up sound, but also to twist sound in new directions!