I'm trying a new workflow here: bassline/synths recorded from my instrument play in the background (as a simple printed audio file), while I add soft gear on a new Ableton save to develop the track further (usually, polyphonic synths or drums).

Not only the CPU usage goes lower, similar to an empty project, but it also helps to continue with sound design without thinking too much about other channels. Each additional save could take the track to another direction. I record new stems in these side project files, then go back to the initial one, and merge all audio files together. MIDI is kept in subprojects, avoiding CPU overload, whereas recorded audio is mixed in the main project.

Let me know if you have any questions or comments; hope you like the idea.

 

Another good one, approved by me and my neighbours (sorry, neighbours ).
Nice featuring of the hardware (as always).

 

im not well versed in the genre but are we not supposed to have any sort of valley breakdown or change?

 

this is only somewhat related, but i with the last 3-4 months started screwing around with softube's modular, and YES OBVIOUSLY it's not a real modular synth BUT it DOES emulate it enough that at least to me there feels like a real difference making a sound on that then say, u-he Diva. I mean- again OBVIOUSLY yes its a different workflow, but what is harder to define is that when I'm using the modular it really feels like 20 years ago with me in a basement of a 7 dude bachelor pad learning to make patches on my novation KS-5 (which is still sitting next to me as my midi controller. poor synth hasn't been used for years)- the blend of having to think in this logical way but also being surprised constantly by the results... super fun stuff.

i see what you guys have walls of modules- beyond it looking like a space ship. also rings and clouds by mutable....so so lovely. the softube lets you just use the modular as an FX rack as well, and those end up on sends for sure.


TO actually get around to your post, given that i'm just using a fake modular- as much fun as i have with using the modular, i see a lot of sense in how you're going about it (or more or less going about it, i just woke up my reading comprehension isn't 100% yet lol) - because the modular is more "ORGANIC" than any other synth i've used, i feel like it's great for sound design or getting an inspiration or whatever- to get a broad stroke started on a song- terrific. it's not necessarily a surgical tool though, or at least me using definitely isn't haha. so to print in audio static cool sounds to use seems to make sense to me, especially as you're being thorough sounds like. I try to keep everything in midi so i can change shit later if i need, if it becomes a cpu issue i'll print it to audio but i'm still keeping a frozen track with the midi for sure.