ableton live 12 suite revealed:
beat repeat.
yup, at long last i'm getting round to the undersung, underused and much underexplained 'beat repeat';
this fantastically powerful effect is very capable of producing an immense variety of different results from what is actually a much simpler control set than appears at first glance, so panic no longer as I break it down such that you'll never again be baffled by it's mysteries and instead find yourself diving into the world of slicing, gating, stutters, pitch-drops, fadeouts, filter-sweep edits and other rhythmic wonders; This powerful tool can produce an incredible range of effects and may seem complex at first glance, but with a little guidance, you'll be ready to create everything from subtle rhythmic enhancements to wild, glitchy effects.
Let’s break down Beat Repeat’s main controls into intuitive sections and look at how each can shape your sound.
1. The Core Controls
We'll group Beat Repeat’s controls into two main categories for easier navigation:
a) Rhythmic Controls:
- Pattern Controls – These set the rhythm of the repeats.
- Probability Controls – These determine how often effects will trigger.
so to start things off easy, here's a screenshot with probability and pattern control sections highlighted:
Exploring the Rhythmic Controls
our first highlighted groups are the rhythmic settings, those that control
- the pattern the repeats occur in marked in magenta; and,
- the probability of various events occuring in lime.
the main pattern section occupies the majority of the overview display and is where you'll find the heart of Beat Repeat’s timing and probability settings;
- Interval: Sets the primary time division for repeats. Combine it with the Grid control to determine the length and resolution of the repeated audio slices.
- Grid: Defines the granularity of slices within each interval, allowing for precise control over how finely the audio is divided.
- Gate: Controls how many segments are active within each interval, effectively silencing certain segments.
- Offset: Shifts the start point of the repeats along the timeline, moving the repeats forward or backward within the interval.
The Probability section brings unpredictability to your repeats:
- Chance: Controls how likely a repeat is to trigger. Set from 0% (never) to 100% (every time).
- No Triplets: Locks the repeats to binary subdivisions, avoiding triplet-based rhythms.
- Variation: Introduces variations in repeat patterns. When active, Beat Repeat will change the pattern of repeats, creating more dynamic rhythmic movement. Select how often variations occur, using options like 1/4, 1/8, or Auto for maximum unpredictability.
let's now use our next screenshot to actually explain how these various sections work and interact:
Here we have on the second screenshot the displays and controls for:
- the main overview in green,
- filter section in red,
- the pitch section in yellow; and,
- the volume section in purple.
b) Processing Controls:
i. Main Overview – The master settings for Beat Repeat.
ii. Filter Section – Shape the sound of the repeats with bandpass filtering.
iii. Pitch Section – Control pitch changes in the repeats.
iv. Volume Section – Control the dynamics and blending of repeats.
i. Main overview display. This info crammed lil' screen will tell you everything that's going on in one glance.
Processing Controls in Depth
Now let’s look at how Beat Repeat shapes the sound of each repeat through filtering, pitch, and volume.
ii. Filter:
A simple but powerful bandpass filter applies to each repeat:
- Frequency: Adjusts the center frequency of the filter.
- Q: Controls the resonance, or how sharp the filter’s peak is. High resonance values accentuate frequencies around the center frequency, creating distinct filter sweeps.
iii. Pitch:
dictates the total shift in pitch applied to the repeated sounds in semitones up to one octave and the [pitch decay] setting how much each successive repeat is lower than the previous to create a pitch-drop effect. n.b. pitch-shift is achieved by lengthening segments with but not making any adjustment for length change resulting in some weird effects at higher values.
iv. Volume:
Sets the initial volume of the repeats. Values range from boosted (+6 dB) to silent (-inf).
Decay: Gradually lowers the volume of each repeat, creating a fade-out effect.
A choice of mixer modes, via radio buttons, either:
- Mix: Blends the original audio with the repeats.
- Ins: Mutes the original audio when repeats are active.
- Gate: Passes only the repeats, similar to a "wet-only" effect, ideal for sends.
Visualizing the Beat Repeat in Action
The final setup can be seen in a piano roll-style representation, showing how variations in division, offset, chance, and volume can alter the rhythm in real-time along with examples of pitch shift/drop, filtering and initial/decaying volume variations.. This visualization makes it easy to fine-tune your settings and achieve specific effects.
by choosing different combinations of these settings you should be able to achieve anything from quick'n'easy stutter edits, aphex twin/autechre style rhythmic carnage, subtle filter or volume fades and ghosts, or simple echoes that act like lil fills n breaks!
Crafting Your Sound
With these controls, Beat Repeat can create anything from minimal stutter edits to full-on rhythmic chaos:
Quick Stutters: Lower the Interval and Grid settings, add moderate Chance, and use Gate mode for quick stutter effects.
Complex Glitch Patterns: Experiment with high Variation and Auto setting for variations, and engage No Triplets to keep things tight.
Pitch Drops and Filter Sweeps: Increase Pitch Decay and Q for descending tones with rhythmic filter sweeps.
Dynamic Echoes and Fills: Use Volume Decay with Mix mode to create ghostly echoes, perfect for subtle rhythmic fills.
By combining these settings, you’ll discover countless ways to transform your beats—adding texture, energy, and rhythm to your tracks in Ableton Live 12 Suite.
