DAW (Ableton, Logic etc...) project templates

[bastos]

Well, I could use some creative advises/suggestions on this.

Do you guys have one default project template and, if you do, what it looks like? Are you willing to share some of them?

I've been struggling with this issue, starting project management/workflow, for a while and I'm really curious to see what you guys are using. Thanks.

[wouterdewitte]

I just have a very simple template with a couple of tracks with instruments i use frequently and some analysing stuf on my master channel and some group busses

[Críoch]

Span on the master. Scenes mapped to buttons on my midi keyboard / numbers on my computer keyboard.

[Wiu]

I used Logic 8 for about 6 years. I intended to setup some custom templates but never got around to it. I can't say it particularly effected my workflow or creativity though. I just use the default template in Ableton so far too.

I'm not really sure what there is to 'struggle' with here. Simply having some templates will not improve your creativity or workflow that much I'd of thought.

[oddmyth]

Useful things to put in a project template (ableton specific):

- EQ on each channel type (audio/midi/return/master).
- Utility on each channel type (audio/midi/return/master).
- Spectrum analyzer on master channel.
- Sampler/Simpler on audio channel.

I used that as a default template for a while, but adding new channels always involved cloning an existing channel.
So I discovered how to make these my default channels when inserted a new channel type:

https://www.ableton.com/answers/reverti ... monitoring

Now this template really only includes the master channel.

I also have one with template for drums (kd on the 1's, snare on the 2/4, hihat on the 1/2 notes etc.) and some other synth templates for types of techno, but mostly I use a really simple template.

[Planar]

Glue compressor, Satin, britson bus and analyser on the master.

A send with Valhalla room setup with a reasonable preset for 170bpm.
Another send with Saturn.

My channel preset (nice Ableton feature if you don't know about it) has Britson channel and pro-q 2.

I don't have any musical content or instruments in my template.

[Planar]

So I discovered how to make these my default channels when inserted a new channel type:

https://www.ableton.com/answers/reverti ... monitoring

Great minds eh! But it's much easier to create defaults than this method. Create a new empty midi/audio track. Add your desired plugins and right click the channel and there is a 'save as default' option.

[Alume]

Every project is totally blank for me. keeps things going.

[bastos]

Great tips guys, keep 'em coming.

[willemb]

I've got a basic logic template with loads of channels with the exs24 sampler loaded on every channel, i keep meaning to make a new template with eq on every channel, and some metering on the master, but i havent got round to doing it yet.

[GLinet]

Klaghelm DC8C and SDRR (never ever hurts), Pro-q, Satin, and valhalla on send. Blank slate for the rest.

[ashley BORG]

Mine's quite detailed....

I have default audio and midi channels with Satson >Gate >EQ >Utility>Span

But then also a default D16 909 & 808 with Satins set on the groups.

I have a kick group set up with the EKS and x2 send channels for adding different qualities such as more low or high end. These can be turned off or adjusted via gains. They also have FX such as Voxengo Old school verb on the strips.

Satin & Satson on the master.

Also have Aalto, Analog (set up like a 90s patch), FM8 and lazerbass (with satin & overdrive) all mapped to specific midi channels on the beatstep and MPK49. Obviously not all are used everytime, but great starting points when my time is very precious.
Works for me, very glad I took the time to set it all up.

[Planar]

What's with the gates on your channels, Ashley, are you using them a lot?

[Lost to the Void]

Mine's quite detailed....

I have default audio and midi channels with Satson >Gate >EQ >Utility>Span

But then also a default D16 909 & 808 with Satins set on the groups.

I have a kick group set up with the EKS and x2 send channels for adding different qualities such as more low or high end. These can be turned off or adjusted via gains. They also have FX such as Voxengo Old school verb on the strips.

Satin & Satson on the master.

Also have Aalto, Analog (set up like a 90s patch), FM8 and lazerbass (with satin & overdrive) all mapped to specific midi channels on the beatstep and MPK49. Obviously not all are used everytime, but great starting points when my time is very precious.
Works for me, very glad I took the time to set it all up.

Why would you have Satin on the master, and then on busses?

That`s like recording to tape twice before finalisation. Maybe good occasionally, but as a standard you could soon end up with claggy mush.

[ashley BORG]

Mine's quite detailed....

I have default audio and midi channels with Satson >Gate >EQ >Utility>Span

But then also a default D16 909 & 808 with Satins set on the groups.

I have a kick group set up with the EKS and x2 send channels for adding different qualities such as more low or high end. These can be turned off or adjusted via gains. They also have FX such as Voxengo Old school verb on the strips.

Satin & Satson on the master.

Also have Aalto, Analog (set up like a 90s patch), FM8 and lazerbass (with satin & overdrive) all mapped to specific midi channels on the beatstep and MPK49. Obviously not all are used everytime, but great starting points when my time is very precious.
Works for me, very glad I took the time to set it all up.

Why would you have Satin on the master, and then on busses?

That`s like recording to tape twice before finalisation. Maybe good occasionally, but as a standard you could soon end up with claggy mush.

Sounds alright actually. It's defo not sounding like a claggy mush. I'm not running it on every channel only on the D16 909 (it appears to work, I've got pretty light presets on)
On the master again it's a pretty light preset, and I like the hiss effect.

It may not be "correct" but it doesn't seem to be destroying dynamics either. After the way I used compressors & limiters on the master in Logic. I've tried to be much more careful.


@Planar yeah I use the gate a creative tool, can be interesting using the sidechain, and also messing with attack, release, hold settings can do some interesting things to certain sounds. I find it to be an extra layer of control which I appreciate.
This is just something I picked up through my various reading material, it seems to suit the way I work.

[ozias_leduc]

i'm never entirely happy with my template, so i change it regularly. currently i just have a few busses like percussion, synth (which contains compressor for sidechaining if i'm in the mood), delay (with 2 dubstations in a rack for stereoness), reverb (valhalla vintageverb)

all busses have satson bus on them

master has satson bus and ableton spectrum analyser

but i also have saved racks of all of my plugins in the library (organized the way i want), so that a satson channel is on them, and some main parameters already assigned to macros. that saves a bit of time.

[msl]

Yeah I have templates for both, I think its a must, at least to have the basics set up and ready to go so your not wasting time. My Logic template has more in it, I have all my midi routing set up on channels and ready to go, I just delete whatever ones I end up not using. I have lots of effect busses set up (but deactivated) with some of my favourite effect chains, and some standard compression/limiting on the master. This template changes over time of course. Ableton is much more simple I just have a few channels set up for midi and audio routing again. I have an instance of Sonimus on all channels in both.


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[UN!T]

My template is more about identification than stacking eq on channels. Instruments are labelled by colour. ProOne is brown, Xt is dark grey. The colours are always the same no matter the DAW or position of the instrument. I also lay out the sounds of my instrument in a specific way. 1-8 drums. 9 bass, 10-12 poly synth, 13-16 poly synth 2 or samples. Channels 17-32 are a second layer and are laid out in the same manner. This way the 909 kick sits above the 808 kick. Effectively creating 2 layers on the sequencer. I also have eq and some other effects set up too but this isn't really a major consideration for me.

I also keep a bunch of default song patterns for a quick start. 4/4 kick, 4,4 hats, 2/4 clap a few basic variations as well as some turn arounds in the patterns too. I can turn on the kit and have several basic patterns running pretty much instantly. I can then move into creating some ideas straight away.

[bastos]

Roughly, guys, how many channels do you employ per project? I'm really struggling to fill my songs. I always think that I miss some depth, I find them empty, but I don't wont to overdo them.

[1nfinitezer0]

My channel preset (nice Ableton feature if you don't know about it) has Britson channel and pro-q 2.

Dayum, that solves a pet peeve of mine and will be very helpful for default volumes to -9dB! thx

Roughly, guys, how many channels do you employ per project? I'm really struggling to fill my songs. I always think that I miss some depth, I find them empty, but I don't wont to overdo them.

There's no clear answer to this IMHO. It really depends on the type of elements your using, how much frequency space and time they occupy, etc. Use reference material to check whether you are achieving what you desire.



I find a template set helps increase the workflow speed, especially with mappings that you always use. Then you can just consistently reach for stuff without having to stop. So yeah, midi-mapping to my mixer, but moreso a lot of keyboard mappings, mostly for jumping to different channels and navigating clips when I can't be arsed to boot up the monome.

Plugin-wise, it's pretty sparse.

Main channel: TT dynamic range meter, spectrum, utility with on/off mapped for mono check. Some default sends with my favourite reverb, delay and dj effects (a 5 piece effects rack with macros for select, tweak and freak. The idea was from ill.Gates, but I assume he got it from Tarekith or something. 5 channels is useful for knowing where you are by feel because non-endless encoders never reach the 6 o'clock).

Channel-wise I've just got 4 busses setup: the SonEQ for 4 knob quick EQ, and a knob with Bento-San's mapulator for DJ mixer style HPF/LPF. Other three knobs are sends. This bus technique isn't really working out for me though, so I'll probably scrap it. Annnnd a whole bunch of empty channels for audio and midi with the mappings ready but no plugins.

And finally, a feedback bus as an audio channel from a delay send and back, with a bunch of distortion, filtering, delay and limiting. But I find feedback is kinda CPU heavy in Ableton, so I'm mostly moving this to the mixdown stage with the stems. Been working on a mixdown template, but it's got a ways to go.