Set up a microphone stand in the quietest part of your room, away from windows, air vents and creaking floorboards. Adjust the telescopic stem so the collar sits at the same height as your mouth. Slot your microphone into the collar.
Double-click the Ableton logo on your computer. The most recent session will open automatically. To open a blank session, click "File" and select "New Track."
Connect your preferred audio interface to the computer. The cable required varies according the audio interface, but it is typically either a USB or Firewire cable. Connect the cable to the relevant port on the computer. The audio interface converts the audio from your microphone into data that Ableton can understand.
Connect the female end of an XLR cable to your microphone. Connect the other end to the "XLR Input" on the audio interface.
Open the "Arrange" window. Ableton has an arrangement interface and a mixing interface; each with different layouts and tools. Click the circular tab with the three vertical lines, located top-right of your screen, to select "Arrange."
Click "File" and select "New Audio Track." By selecting audio, you assign the connected audio interface as the default input device. Name the track "Vocal 1."
Audition the microphone. Sing into it at the loudest volume you intend to use when recording. If the red warning light on the "Vocal 1" channel strip begins to flash, the signal is too strong and is causing distortion. Mitigate this by turning down the "Gain" dial on the audio interface. Continue to audition and tweak until you find the loudest possible setting that doesn't create distortion.
Connect a pair of headphones to the "Headphone Out" jack on the rear of your audio interface. Headphones are essential so that the mix doesn't spill back into the microphone. You can't record audio with a microphone if the mix is playing back through the speakers.
Hit "Record" and deliver your vocal. If you aren't happy with it, delete the audio from the arrangement window and rerecord.