Double-click the Ableton logo on your desktop to open the program. It may take a few seconds to load.
Click "File," and select new live set. If you have set your input parameters as defaults, they open as you saved them, with the various effects and processing already applied. If not, the inputs are blank, with no pre-determined parameters set. The inputs appear in columns on your screen, listed as "channel 1," "Channel 2" through to "Channel 6." If your Ableton is configured for two monitors, more channels appear. Add input channels by selecting "File" and selecting "Add." Select "Channel" when prompted.
Select an input type, which are Lline-level", "MIDI" and "Audio." Line-level is for synthesizers, external is for drum machines, and turn tables are for outboard effects. "MIDI" is for software sounds and devices. "Audio" is for microphones, electric guitars and instruments that require amplification. To change the input from an audio input to a MIDI input, double-click on "Audio," then select "MIDI" from the drop-down menu.
Click "Library" to access the input settings menu, which contains your effects and sound files. Select the effect from the menu, and drag it onto the channel to change the parameters of the input. Release your left mouse button to drop it in to apply the effect to the input. To adjust the virtual knobs on the effect interface, click the knob, and drag your mouse up to increase and down to decrease it.
Click "Audio From" on the input channel strip to change the source. A drop-down menu appears with a list of audio sources. Select a new audio source, such as "Sampler" or "Turntable." The contents of the drop-down menu depend on which devices are connected to your audio interface.
Click "Audio To" on the input to select the destination of the signal for that input. The menu provides options that depend on which devices are connected. Selecting "Master" sends the signal out to the speakers.