Getting the best audio quality from Ableton

Hi all, a problem that has been bugging me when playing out with Ableton the last month or two is the sound quality of my sets. I've been noticing that whenever someone follows me using vinyl, the difference is definately notable, and whilst I don't sound awful when playing, it's clear that I'm not sounding as good as I should be. Whilst obviously MP3's will never quite get to the quality of a well cut record, I was under the impression a good 320 kbps should do the job fine.

Fiddling about putting tracks into Ableton tonight, I've just realized that Ableton is sounding like shit compared to Winamp (yes, it's taken me a while to figure this out for some reason!) The sound in Ableton seems a bit quieter and more midrangey, the subs aren't hitting and it generally sounds like crap (this is when I've disabled all EQ's)

Trying to find an answer to this problem, I've been reading up and I'm trying to use Asio4All instead of the default MME/DirectX drivers that I fear may be at fault. However, I don't know if there's a compatability problem with my shitty internal Sigmatel soundcard as I'm completely failing to get any output when the Asio4All function is selected in Ableton's preferences menu. I'm starting to get really annoyed. Anyone fancy helping out? I can provide screenshots if needed. Cheers!

not sure if this is related or not but i use the 'repitch' stretching mode as the sound doesn't break up the more you stretch it.

If you're using the headphone out then that may be a problem, but this isn't really something in which i'm very knowledgeable

are you using any of the timestretching at all? it doesn't sound great. i've not used live since a while back when it had no mp3 support but even back then i thought it sounded pretty crappy simply doing playback with any change in pitch at all (no stretching, just straight increase/decrease in play speed), no idea why. changing your drivers should only affect the latency not the sound quality. have you tried using wavs and comparing the playback qual between them and winamp?

I'm timestretching to mix, but not in extreme ways. When the track is played at it's original speed it still sounds shoddy to what comes out of Winamp. I'm using 'Complex' mode... can't see that being what's doing it though? Comparing a FLAC, it still doesn't sound as clean to my ears.

Try what jimbob said and use the repitch algorithm, it will make it the right pitch for the speed, best for mixing as its the most like vinyl, means you have to pick tunes as you would if you were playing a vinyl set though - no mental abletoncore mashups! The complex algorithm is dodgy, the only thing its useful for is when you're using the envelope to automate pitch transposition - i use complex mode + transpose down for a nice tape/vinyl stop effect - no need for plugins. Anyway - off on a tangent now - try repitch or beat, not complex.

Right, what I've done to test what you guys are saying -

Load up a well produced tune with plenty of bass (in this case Face Off by Ewun) 3 times, one in Winamp, one my Warped version with Complex on, and a third copy in Ableton of the MP3 that's in Repitch... I think there's a slight improvement though truth be told I'm coming back to this tomorrow as I think my ears are tired after listening intently to the same tune for ages!

If this is the case, and I end up having to change my Warp mode for my hundreds of tracks, will it be a simple case of just selecting it from the drop down bar? I won't have to change my markers will I? Because that thought makes my blood run cold!

If you're playing a track in which the rythm isn't 100% quantatized (which i don't expect you will be), then your markers will keep the beats spot on as they would in complex mode, but obviously the pitch will go abit wonky. Other than that it's sound

The warp markers wont move when you switch algorithm.

With something as precise as electronic music you shouldnt be having to move around individual markers anyway - if you've got it right you won't have to touch them.

I usually put the track in session view, unwarp it, put the start arrow on the first beat then use the transpose control to line up the waveform with the grid. Then rewarp, and pitch back down if you want - easy as.

the problem is simple - dont use complex. tracks sound shit with the complex setting. if youre time-stretching then always use beat (or repitch) - set it to 16ths/8ths depending on what the bass notes are like so that they dont sound too jittery.

Yep, just having a mix now after changing all my tracks to Repitch. Far far more enjoyable and easy on the ears! Cheers guys :) Strange how you learn things when you're working out how to use a program you seem to stick to through habit, even though they aren't in your favour and you don't know it. Oh well!