Accelerator Essential Producer: Ableton Focus
Have Questions? Meet With an Advisor or Tour Our Studios Before You Enroll.
A fun, fast-paced dive into music-making with Ableton Live.
This 5-class experience is built for music lovers who want to learn the basics of producing original tracks with Ableton Live. Explore beat-making, arranging, and creative effects as you experiment with electronic music production in a guided, hands-on environment. No experience necessary — just bring your curiosity and love for sound. The Essential Producer includes classes in Ableton Live, Songwriting and Arranging, Sound Engineering, Sound Design and Synthesis, and Mixing and Mastering.
Give us a call at 415-417-7543 to learn more.
Payment plans are available through Paypal and Klarna.
PLEASE NOTE: You will be asked to create an account here at musiccityaccelerator.com before you can complete the purchase of your program or class.
4 Pathway Groups • 12 Courses
Block 1
Music Production With Ableton Live Block 1
No fixed duration
An introduction to Ableton Live, learning the user interface, and working with MIDI and audio.
Syllabus
What to expect from this course
Module 1
Welcome to Ableton Live MIDI + Loops
Module 2
Intro to Warping, Audio Recording, and Saving a Project
Module 3
Arrangement View and Audio/MIDI Effects Devices
Songwriting and Arranging Block 1
No fixed duration
Learn rhythm, scales and modes, harmony, and melody by producing percussion and drums, bass, leads, and other instruments
Syllabus
Module 1 - Welcome to Producing & Arranging
Welcome to Producing & Arranging
Module 2 - Harmony, Melody, and Bass
Harmony, Melody, and Bass
Module 3 - Composing IS Producing/ Welcome to the Modes
Module 4 - Aeolian, Dorian, Mixolydian, and Phrygian
Module 5 - Mode Mixing in the "Four Corners"
Sound Engineering Block 1
No fixed duration
Learn the fundamentals of signal flow, studio gear, analog and digital audio, the physics of sound, and how microphones work.
Syllabus
Module 1 - Introduction to Signal Flow, Studio Gear and our Studios
Module 2 - The Tom Dowd Story and Introduction to Digital Audio
Module 3 - Understanding Sound
Module 4 - The dB, Electronics and Gear
Module 5 - How Microphones Work
Block 2
Music Production With Ableton Live Block 2
No fixed duration
Ableton Live's synthesizers and sampler instruments, and audio/MIDI effects
Module 4
Analog, Operator, and Wavetable Synthesis
Module 5
Sampler Devices
Module 6
Audio & MIDI Effects
Sound Engineering Block 2
No fixed duration
Learn practical microphone techniques, audio processing with effects, setting up recording sessions, and practical techniques for recording different instruments.
Module 6 - Mics in Use
Module 7 - Processing Audio - EQ & Dynamics
Module 8 - Processing Audio - Time Based Effects, Saturation, Extras
Module 9 - Setting up and Running a Recording Session
Module 10 - Recording Vocals
Module 11 - Recording Guitar
Songwriting and Arranging Block 2
No fixed duration
Learn to finish songs with strategies for arranging them, and techniques to mix your music that complements your songwriting
Module 6 - Arranging your Track
Module 7 - Studying the forms of Arrangement
Module 8 - Strategies for Arranging (Song forms 2)
Module 9 - Mixing
Module 10 - Pre-Final Review
Module 11 - Listen to Masters and Discuss Final Projects
Block 3
Music Production With Ableton Live Block 3
No fixed duration
Ableton Live's Drum Rack device, advanced production workflows, and vocal production techniques
Module 7
Drum (racks) and Bass
Module 8
Workflows: Finding your Process
Module 9
Vocals in Ableton
Sound Design and Synthesis Block 1
No fixed duration
Learn the fundamentals of designing your own instruments and sounds for music. Learn how to describe sounds we hear, the building blocks of electronic instruments, synthesis and sampling techniques, and sound processing with effects.
Syllabus
The Course Syllabus for Sound Design and Synthesis
Module 1
Week 1
Module 2
Speaking and Thinking about Sound Overview
Module 3
Beyond the Fundamental – Additive, FM, and Wavetable Synthesis Overview
Module 4
Physical Modeling and Modulating the Physical - From Synthesis to Sampling Overview
Module 5
Audio Editing as Sound Design Overview
Module 6
Sound Design with Effects 1 - Compression, Filters, and Waveshaping Overview
Mixing And Mastering Block 1
No fixed duration
Learn to mix music step-by-step, including volume leveling, stereo panorama, EQ, compression, creative effects, and automation.
Syllabus
Module 1 - Introduction to Mixing - Volume/Level Mixing
Module 2 - Mixing: Panorama & Stereo Width
Module 3 - Mixing: EQ
Module 4 - Mixing Compression
Module 5 - Mixing Effects
Module 6 - Mixing Automation
Block 4
Music Production With Ableton Live Block 4
No fixed duration
Creative techniques, mixing and mastering in Ableton Live, and the final project.
Module 10
Making Connections: Creative Uses of Ableton Live
Module 11
Mixing & Mastering in Live
Module 12
Live Arrangement/Performance and Final Project Listen Through
Mixing And Mastering Block 2
No fixed duration
Learn to finish your mix and use bus and group processing, learn to prepare your mix for mastering, and learn the techniques of mastering for music.
Module 7 - Finishing Your Mix - Bus Processing
Module 8 - Welcome to Mastering - Prep, EQ, & Reverb
Module 9 - Mastering Techniques
Module 10 - Finalizing Your Master
Module 12 Final Day - Listen to Final Masters
Sound Design and Synthesis Block 2
No fixed duration
Continue learning sound processing with effects, advanced modulation techniques, sound recreation and genre specific sound creation, and the final project.
Module 7
Sound Design with Effects 2 - Time-based Effects Overview
Module 8
Sound Design with Effects 3 - Spectral Processing, Pitch Shifting, Vocoding, Granular, AM, MFL FX Overview
Module 9
Control - LFOs, Modulation, Automation, MIDI for Sound Design, Randomness Overview
Module 10
Combining Resources Overview
Module 11
Their Sound, Your Sound Overview
Module 12
Palette Creation and Final Project Evaluation Overview
Pathway Complete!
All courses offered by Music City Accelerator are for avocational and personal enrichment purposes only. We do not offer degrees, diplomas, or certificates intended to qualify students for employment. No course or program is represented to lead to job placement, licensure, or occupational credentialing.