How to Tune an 808 in Ableton Live

Your 808 doesn't quite sit with your melody, even though you're playing the right notes. Then the sample itself is probably off. Here's how to measure which note your 808 is on in Ableton Live and fix it.

Why your 808 has to be in tune

Your 808 is the bass of your beat and plays the root notes under your chords. If the sample is off, it clashes with your melody. You hear it most on a long 808.

According to Ableton, Simpler plays a sample at its own pitch when you play a C3. So if your 808 is actually an F, you hear an F when you play C3. Then not a single note matches what you see in your MIDI clip.

Step 1: find the key of your beat

Not sure what key your beat is in? Check it with the free Beat Lab or read how to find the key of a song. Then you know which root notes your 808 should play.

Step 2: put the Tuner after your 808

Load your 808 into Simpler and put the Tuner on the same track, after Simpler. Play a C3. According to Ableton, the Tuner shows the pitch of a monophonic sound and how far it is from the nearest semitone. With the Hertz/Cents switch you see that distance in cents. A cent is a hundredth of a semitone.

Two things to watch:

• Measure without distortion. Ableton says the Tuner works best with a clean, clear signal. A sound with lots of harmonics can throw it off. So turn off any saturation or distortion on your 808 while you measure.
• Use the Histogram view. It shows pitch over time. Handy, because some 808s have a click or a short pitch drop at the start. Read the note where the line is steady.

Step 3: put your 808 on the right note with Transpose

Did the Tuner show an F while you played a C3? Then your sample is 5 semitones above C. Set Transpose in Simpler to -5. According to Ableton, it goes up to 48 semitones up or down. Play a C3 again. The Tuner should now show a C.

Take the shortest route. You could also move an F up 7 semitones, but the further you shift an 808, the more its character can change.

Step 4: fine tune the last cents with Detune

Still a few cents sharp or flat? Use Detune. According to Ableton, it goes up to 50 cents up or down. If it's 20 cents flat, set Detune to +20. Then check again with the Tuner.

Step 5: listen in your beat

Turn your distortion back on and play the root notes under your chords. According to Ableton, the Tuner doesn't change your sound at all, so it can stay on the track. Does it sound calm and full now? Then your 808 is in tune. Still sounds weird on some notes? You might be playing a note outside your key. Read which chords go together.

Tip: put the note in your 808's file name, like "808 boom F.wav". Then next time you know right away how far to transpose.

Common mistakes

• Measuring with distortion on. Extra harmonics can confuse the Tuner.
• Reading the click. Look at the part where the tone is steady.
• Taking the long way. Transpose as few semitones as possible.
• Notes outside your key. A well tuned 808 still sounds off on a wrong note.

Looking for new 808s? NAME The Trap Oneshot Pack Vol. 1 includes 26 808s, among other sounds, royalty-free.

808 in tune? Read how to mix 808 and kick or how to sidechain in Ableton Live. Want sliding 808s? Read how to make a drill beat in Ableton Live. No beat yet? Start with how to make a trap beat in Ableton Live. Working in FL Studio? Read how to tune an 808 in FL Studio.

FAQ

How do I find out which note my 808 is on in Ableton?

Put the Tuner after Simpler and play a C3. The note the Tuner shows is the note of your sample.

Why don't I hear a C when I play a C?

According to Ableton, Simpler plays a sample at its own pitch on C3. If the sample is on a different note, you hear that note. Fix it with Transpose.

What's the difference between Transpose and Detune?

Transpose shifts in semitones, up to 48 up or down. Detune fine tunes in cents, up to 50 up or down.

Source: the Ableton Live manual on Simpler and the Tuner.