Introduction
In this tutorial we are going to look at layering drum samples in Ableton Live 11 using Instrument Racks.
Layering sounds is a great way to create full, rich sounding instruments by combining multiple samples with different tones to create complex sounds.
We are going to layer our sounds inside drum rack by utilising Ableton’s powerful instrument rack plugin.
This technique can be used to layer instruments inside Ableton Live so it’s not just limited to drum samples, you can also layer synthesisers and other samplers too.
Layering Drum Samples in Ableton Live using Instrument Racks – Method
1. Create a Drum Rack
Let’s start by creating a drum rack or open a preset drum kit from the drums folder.
2. Select a Sample
Choose the sample you would like to layer and double click on the drum rack cell so you can see the sample.
3. Group
Now right click on the name of the sample in the device view and select group from the drop down menu.
This should add an instrument rack group around your original sample.
4. Open Chains View
Click on the chains view icon with the 3 horizontal lines in the instrument rack group around our instrument.
The chains view allows us to see our chains within our new group. Chains are essentially layers within our instrument rack. We can add, edit and delete chains from within this view.
5. Add a new Chain
Now find your sample you would like to add as a layer on your original sample and drag and drop the sample into the drop an instrument or sample area.
You should see a new chain has been created with your sample or instrument name.
In order to edit your new layer you need to select the new chain and this will allow you to edit the sample.
Each chain can also have it’s own individual audio effects too. You can add these directly to each chain by dragging the audio effect onto each chain.
Or you can see in the session view that the original drum rack cell has been turned into a group, which can be opened up revealing the individual chains.
Summary and thoughts
Layering instruments is a very easy and effective way to create complex instruments and sounds without having to programme or edit synthesisers or instruments.
There can be issues when layering samples though as the layered waveforms may clash or create other problems in your mix due to phase, but with the right knowledge you can avoid these solutions with simple fixes.
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