How to Make Slowed + Reverb in Ableton Live with Re-Pitch
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Ableton Live has a built-in warp mode that does exactly what you need for slowed + reverb: Re-Pitch. With it, speed and pitch drop together, like a turntable spinning slower. Here is how to slow a track down with it, how to pick the right tempo and how to add reverb without your mix turning to mud.
Why Re-Pitch and not just a lower tempo?
Normally Live keeps your audio at the same pitch when you change the tempo. That is great for producing, but for slowed + reverb you want the pitch to drop. According to Ableton's manual, Re-Pitch adjusts the playback rate the way a DJ does on a turntable: double the speed and the pitch goes up an octave. The same works the other way round.
Turning Warp off completely does not work. The clip then plays at its original tempo, whatever you do with the tempo of your Set.
Step 1: put your track in the Arrangement View
Drag your WAV or MP3 into an audio track in the Arrangement View. Live usually estimates the clip's tempo when you import it. If that does not match the real tempo of your track, your slowed version will be off too. To be safe, measure the tempo with the free Beat Lab BPM and key finder and set that number on the clip.
Step 2: set the clip to Re-Pitch
Double-click the clip to open the Clip View. Keep Warp on and choose Re-Pitch as the warp mode. According to Ableton, the Transpose control does not work in this mode: the pitch now follows the speed.
Step 3: lower the tempo
First set the tempo of your Set to the tempo of your track. Then lower it in the tempo field in the Control Bar. A warped clip follows that tempo, and with Re-Pitch the pitch comes along. For the classic slowed sound, choose 0.80 times the original tempo.
| Speed | 140 BPM track | 100 BPM track | Pitch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.90× | 126 BPM | 90 BPM | almost 2 semitones lower |
| 0.85× | 119 BPM | 85 BPM | almost 3 semitones lower |
| 0.80× | 112 BPM | 80 BPM | almost 4 semitones lower |
| 0.75× | 105 BPM | 75 BPM | 5 semitones lower |
| 1.25× (sped up) | 175 BPM | 125 BPM | almost 4 semitones higher |
Below 0.75× the vocal also slides down a lot, which quickly sounds muddy. Start around 0.80× and listen to whether the song can take more.
Step 4: Reverb on a return track
Put the reverb on a return track instead of directly on your audio track. The send knob on your track decides how much reverb you get. According to Ableton, the Reverb device comes with Intro, Standard and Suite. Hybrid Reverb is Suite only.
- Turn up Size and Decay for that big, sleepy space.
- A little Predelay keeps the words clear before the reverb kicks in.
- Filter the low end out of the reverb with Reverb's input filters. Your 808 and kick stay tight.
More on reverb that does not get muddy in how to make slowed + reverb: the basics.
Step 5: export
Export your version as a WAV or MP3 from the File menu. Which settings to pick is covered in how to export a beat in Ableton Live.
Making a sped up version in Ableton Live
Same trick with a higher tempo. A 140 BPM track? Set your Set to 175 BPM and it plays at 1.25×, almost 4 semitones higher. Leave the reverb off or keep it very low. More on speeds and vocals in how to make a sped up song.
FAQ
My track gets slower but not lower. Why?
The clip is set to a different warp mode, like Complex or Beats. Those keep the pitch the same. Choose Re-Pitch.
My track does not get slower at all.
Warp is probably off. Without Warp the clip does not follow the tempo of your Set.
What speed is best?
Around 0.80× is the most common starting point. For a heavier version, head towards 0.70×.
Can I do this without Ableton?
Yes. Drop your track into the free slowed + reverb maker and download your WAV within a minute.
Sources: Ableton's Live 12 manual on audio clips, tempo and warping, the audio effect reference and the edition comparison.