Behind the Space Bar

I’ve helped thousands of people get more out of Ableton. But you shouldn’t trust me.

Apparently the best way to trigger anyone who uses Ableton is to show them another way to do things. I’ve spent years creating hundreds of videos and tutorials about using Ableton on stage, and most people have found them helpful (over 4,000 people have now downloaded my free tracks template: http://fromstudiotostage.com/template).

But a lot of people are pretty resistant to it. Some ask thoughtful questions or bring up fair points but some still refuse to try something new. Here’s my response.

If you’re stepping on stage to do anything, embarrassing mistakes are part of the job. I share some of mine and some of my favorites that you all shared with me.

If you’ve ever experienced a major on-stage fail, you know what it’s like to want to just crawl into a hole…forever. But you gotta laugh at yourself and just take it on the chin. Especially because you’re not alone! Everyone has been there.

Check out some of these stories of major on-stage fails to give yourself a little encouragement and help you have a short memory for that kinda stuff.

Jeff is the creator of one of my favorite MIDI controllers ever made: the Oakboard Mini.

In this interview, Jeff talks about how he came up with the idea for the Oakboard Mini, and how that eventually grew into a fully-fledged music software and hardware company. I love Jeff’s story because he never set out to start a company. He just started solving his own problems by learning to code. He built a small MIDI controller to do exactly what he needed it to do. Turns out he wasn’t the only one experiencing those problems, and Oaktone was born!

Jeff is an incredibly talented and endlessly curious person. In addition to owning and running Oaktone, Jeff is an Ableton Certified Trainer, a worship leader, songwriter, and producer.

Sometimes what seems like the simplest solution is actually the worst.

If you’re using your computer to run in-ears, there are a lot of things that can go wrong. I’m as much an advocate for using computers on stage as anyone, but this is one thing that you shouldn’t use your computer for.

I’ve got 8 reasons why and what you should do instead.

P.S. What do you use to run in-ears?

Here’s how to use tracks on stage, without cheating and feeling like a fraud.

We’ve all seen those videos of a pop artist’s performance going sideways with tracks and all of the sudden the whole world knows they’re lip-syncing.

And yeah, I’m not a fan of that. But that’s not what the way most artists use tracks. Some of the best musicians in the world are using tracks on stage. And they’re doing it in a way that maintains the authenticity of musicianship and skilled performance.

In this video, you’ll learn 7 tips for how to start using tracks, without feeling like you’re “faking it” or feeling like a fraud.

I’ve been an Ableton Certified Trainer for 13 years. These are the 8 most common questions I get.

I take a few minutes to answer each question, but I also share where you can get loads of free resources to dive deeper into each topic.

My suggestions on the best gear for live performance 👇

https://fromstudiotostage.com/gear

Session View vs. Arrangement View 👇

https://youtu.be/l_4lIV3Ehqc

https://youtu.be/sukloetXkJE

Should you become an Ableton Live Certified Trainer 👇

https://youtu.be/vCQY7mkgp1E

How to use a stop track and MIDI Controller at the same time 👇

https://youtu.be/CvIWHIfAYn4

Difference between Ableton Versions: 👇

https://youtu.be/CljzUUluyFY

Best Version of Ableton Live for Running Tracks 👇

https://youtu.be/ZW-_2MmMGM4

Where can I buy Ableton Live? 👇

https://youtu.be/VNdinDInRig

How to Solve Ableton Live's 1025 Measure Problem when Syncing Live Sets 👇

https://youtu.be/meDcxZwcHfg

🤬 Ableton Keeps Crashing! 7 Steps To Guarantee You Fix the Problem 👇

https://youtu.be/tJ2Udgl4nCk

What’s the best app for your worship band? [FREE QUIZ] 👇

https://multitracks.app/

Prime vs. Playback vs. Ableton Live 👇

https://youtu.be/I8rEM1w2syQ

Playback or Ableton Live? 👇

https://youtu.be/xNYxr4efE-s

Prime or Ableton Live?👇

https://youtu.be/HVpK0lTo7vw

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Mike is a pro drum tech and playback tech — building and setting up rigs for some of the biggest metal artists to…Avril Lavigne and Smashing Pumpkins? Yep.

Plus, he’s a From Studio to Stage student.

Mike was kind enough to hop on a call with me and share his story about becoming a playback tech and what really helped him get to the point he’s at now working with these pro artists and bands.

He also shares some great stories from the road and even some nice little tid bits of advice for aspiring drum and playback techs.

Artists mentioned in the episode Mike has worked with...

• Ministry
• Avril Lavigne
• Sevendust
• Smashing Pumpkins
• Testament

Want to join the same community Mike is a part of? 

https://fs2s.link/mike-subscribe

I’ve made this dead simple. These are the only 5 pieces of gear you need to start running tracks with your band.

When it comes to buying gear to run tracks, you’ve got more options than you know what to do with. And if you’re just starting out, it’s hard to know what’s actually necessary versus what can wait til later.

Well, I’m making it easy. These 5 pieces of gear give you everything you need to start running tracks.

Plus, learn about the Ableton template that 4,000+ musicians and touring artists are using to build sets in minutes and make things easy on stage.

The 2023 Gear Guide 👇

http://fromstudiotostage.com/gear

The Free Tracks Template & Email Course 👇

http://fromstudiotostage.com/template

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0:00 How to Start Using Tracks with Your Band

0:15 Behind the Space Bar Intro

0:31 Use Ableton Live on Stage for Tracks and 2 Free Resources That Will Help

1:14 5 Pieces of Gear You Need to Use Multitracks

2:16 Resource 1: Ableton Live Standard

3:00 Resource 2: Computer

4:28 Resource 3: Audio Output

5:21 Resource 4: MIDI Controller

6:29 The Four Resources You Need So Far

7:38 Resource 5: Monitoring Solution

10:01 Summary of the Five Resources You Need

11:07 Subscribe on YouTube and Leave a Rating or Review on Spotify or Apple Podcast

11:35 Implement the 3-Part Framework for Using Tracks to Efficiently Run Tracks on Stage

12:46 3-Part Framework (1): Template for Live Performance

13:07 3-Part Framework (2): Format Every Song the Same Way

13:22 3-Part Framework (3): Build Your Set Using Formatted Songs

13:32 Use My Free Templates to Learn How to Format Songs

14:48 Summary: Apply the 5 Things You Need, and the 3-Part Framework

15:37 Wrap Up: Leave a Rating or Review, Share and Subscribe for More!

I branched out from Ableton and live audio for two whole years to run a video broadcast. What I learned surprised me.

I never wanted to be a broadcast video guy, and honestly, I don’t know if I’ll do it again. But for 2 years, that was my job. And it was 100% worth it.

It made me a better Ableton trainer and playback tech, and it taught me some basic principles that I apply every day in what I do now.

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0:00 Things I Learned as a Broadcast Video Director

0:11 Behind the Space Bar: My Experience as a Broadcast Video Director

5:43 Tip 1: It's All Signal Flow

6:48 Tip 2: Building rigs / video systems are really, really fun!

8:09 Tip 3: It Was a Fun Combo of Technical / Creative

12:50 Tip 4: It Opened LOTS of Doors

16:19 Subscribe to Learn More About Ableton Live and Share This Video

17:00 Tip 5: Building Modular and Redundant Systems

19:11 Tip 6: Learning More About Another Skillset is ALWAYS Beneficial

20:06 Tip 7: I Get Bored Easily

22:25 Tip 8a: Always Use a Videohub

24:49 Tip 8b: It's Never the Videohub

25:29 Tip 9: Buy a Decimator

27:29 Tip 10: Avoid Hacks and Use What Works

29:27 Summary and Final Advice: Take the Difficult Path

30:16 Subscribe, leave a rating and comment!

I used to see other people in my industry as a threat. And it turned me into a bit of a jerk.

But I eventually flipped the script and became a champion of others rather than just viewing them as the competition. I guess I’m still a jerk, but I’ve made a lot of progress (yep, it really was that bad).

So to build on this, I’m focusing on community over competition in 2023. And I’ve distilled my experience into 5 tips to help you stop seeing other people as the competition and start celebrating them as part of your community.

Got some of your own advice on this topic? Drop a comment to share it with us!

0:00 Why I'm Valuing Community Over Competition in 2023

0:09 Behind the Space Bar: What Led Me to Choosing Community Over Competition

2:17 5 Reasons to Value Community Over Competition

2:27 Reason 1: You Can't Possibly / Physically Do EVERY Job

4:24 Reason 2: The Best / Most Skilled People I Know Are Open-handed

8:51 Reason 3: Community Inspires Learning

10:43 Reason 4: Community Makes You Better

13:47 Reason 5: Competition Makes the Community Better and Vice Versa

14:40 My Goal for 2023 is Community Over Competition - Share your goals below!

15:31 Wrap Up: Leave a Review, Share and Subscribe for More!