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Arranging and Workflow Techniques w/ Carl Bee

 

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Arranging and Workflow Techniques w/ Carl Bee

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Course Lessons

Course Preview

Less than 1 minute

The 4-Bar Loop

12 minutes

Building the Arrangement

13 minutes

Arranging by Subtracting

26 minutes

Live Q&A

Live Q&A

19 minutes

About This Course

Getting from a ‘loop’ to a ‘song’ is a difficult process, both technically and conceptually. Carl Bee breaks down the arrangement process as simply as possible in Ableton Live; teaching you to kick the habit of being stuck in a loop and improve your workflow.

He shares his ‘live’ approach to arranging, treating the track as if it were a live set by automating parameters in real-time, and then using subtraction to build around the sections. 

If you find that you’re often stuck at the arranging stage, this will be a great session to learn and adapt faster workflows. Overall, Carl shows you how to stay creative and use your intuition to finish your tracks. 

You will learn how to:

  • Create an arrangement from a loop.
  • Improve your workflow. 
  • Commit to ideas and work with what you have. 
  • Use automation and filtering. 
  • Arrange as a subtractive process. 
  • Use loops in a creative way. 
  • Consolidate MIDI and audio. 
  • Create build-ups and breakdowns.

Lessons: 

1. The 4-Bar Loop

Carl starts with a classic 4-bar loop and talks you through each of his elements. He talks about how he starts thinking about the arrangement process early on by choosing his sounds based on the parameters of the plugin, and how he can evolve and automate them throughout the track.

2. Building the Arrangement

Now that we have a solid foundation for the bassline, drums and mids. Carl begins by duplicating his loop for the estimated length of the track. The key is ‘to get out of the loop’ as fast as possible and fill the empty space. He goes through each channel and automates elements such as the filter cut-off and envelope based on how he feels his arrangement should go.

3. Arranging by subtracting

Now that Carl has filled the timeline, the process of building the arrangement becomes one of subtraction rather than addition. He uses trial and error by playing around with removing elements, this method allows you to be creative and hear what each section needs, which can be hard to do if you’re stuck in a loop.

4. Live Q&A

Carl recaps his tutorial, going over his technique to get arrangements done quickly. He states this process of using subtraction allows you to ‘fill in the blanks’ and add elements based on feeling, where you will naturally start to notice things compared to being stuck in a loop. 

  • Do you re-edit your recorded audio?
  • Will you be doing another class?
  • What synth did you use on your last track ‘Trains’? 
  • What is your approach to staying in key?

Meet Your Teacher

Carl Bee

Carl Bee is a dynamic and eclectic DJ & Producer from Malta but has quickly risen to worldwide acclaim. Carl’s musical influences range from deep house to minimal, tech-house to techno, an aural embodiment of his broad sonic palette across several sub genres. 

Amassing a wealth of releases on esteemed labels such as Carl Cox’s ‘Intec’, Joris Voorn’s ‘Green’, Abode, Break New Soil & Saved Records to name a few; Carl has garnered support from some of the biggest names in dance music including: Solomon, Richie Hawtin, Marco Carola, Pete Tong and many more. 

Carl is also the co-founder of his own weekly party Gringos, taking place at UNO every summer in Matla. He’s hosted artists on a weekly basis such as Kolsch, Green Velvet, Dubfire, The Martinez Brothers, Eats Everything, Tiga, and loads more. Carl is quickly cementing a reputation as one of the most hard-working artists on the scene.

Discussions

Dream of finally finishing that draft or launching that side-hustle? Make your next creative project your best yet, with simple steps from creative superstar Emma Gannon!

Discussions

Dream of finally finishing that draft or launching that side-hustle? Make your next creative project your best yet, with simple steps from creative superstar Emma Gannon!

About This Class 

Dream of finally finishing that draft or launching that side-hustle? Make your next creative project your best yet, with simple steps from creative superstar Emma Gannon!

In this new class, Emma shares the framework that allowed her to overcome self-doubt and carve her own path as an author, broadcaster, and podcast host. The secret to her success? Fed up with feeling afraid—of failure, of not being good enough, even of success—Emma dug into the science behind self-sabotage and learned exactly how to get out of her own way.

Now, Emma is sharing what she’s learned so that you can do the same: unlock your creative potential while feeling energized and empowered! 

Together with Emma, you will:

  • Identify the patterns in your life, and let go of habits that don’t serve you
  • Cut out comparison to figure out what you really want and need
  • Silence your inner critic by talking back to negative beliefs and behaviors
  • Own your success and vulnerability—both go hand-in-hand with creativity

Packed with insights and examples from Emma’s personal journey, this class is designed for every creative who needs a pep-talk or extra push to get started—and includes five exclusive downloadable worksheets to support you along the way.

Whether you’re looking to break through block, remove self-imposed pressure, or simply approach each new project with intention, this 45-minute class will unlock your confidence as a creative. Get started and celebrate taking the first step!

______________________________

All you need to follow along is a pen and paper. Download the worksheets to follow along with Emma’s exercises, or jot your thoughts in a notebook.

Resources

  • Introduction
  • Week one

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