This would be option 3 then 
My preference too, to beef up and EQ individual samples and tracks. I like my reverb tails and other fx to be clean.
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A mix of option 1 and 2. I often start something. Then add the Heat. But alot of the times the mix needs to be adjusted to work with the heat. Some elements might pop out too much after Heat is applied. Mostly if you use the envelope follower as a compressor. Or get heavy with the eq.
So when you say Option 1 (create and mix) do you mean, make the track on the gear and balance/mix the sounds and then at the end add some subtle heat? I wonder how you feel about using the internal effects as part of the process of Option 1? Say you have a RYTM and a Four. How early/often do you use the internal delay/chorus/compressor etc on the “master” of the device?
When I first got this gear I tried to use the individual outs into Ableton, and not use the master effects at all, prefering to get the sounds “right,” first and have each track have it’s own effects (VSTs), but as I’ve gone on, and found myself ditching the laptop for everything except recording a “take” I record from the master of each device (actually it is AR into A4 into AH into laptop) I lean into the effects as soon as it makes the sound better. What I am saying is that I now think the internal effects are integral to the sound design process on the AR and A4.
I understand, I think, what Dave Mech is saying, it is very hard to go from subtle Heat to WAMPING the resonance and cutoff of the peak filter around the bass freq with an LFO. In the same way, if you have 4 tracks on the A4 and ONE of them wants a delay that is very wide with slow timing and high feedback, well, what about the other tracks? I guess if you’re asking specifically about using Heat in a live setting, that leaves you with Option 1, and using Heat to enhance once everything else is as good as it can be, right?
(Sorry for such a long message, but I think I am in a similar boat, and am trying to work out similar things)
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Exactly that. Make the track without Heat at all. Then add it in on Clean Boost mode probably for some final, subtle polishing, rather than using Heat as an integral part of the sound.
Regarding what gear I’m using, it’s only Rytm (not A4), so FX are ‘limited’ to delay/reverb sends, master distortion/compression (though I never use the compressor), and individual track FX like overdrive, filtering, bitcrushing, etc. The problem of wanting two different delays is mitigated by either only using one delay or by resampling. Resampling is a godsend here because lowcut can be permanently added to certain tracks and resampled into a new sound. Make sense?
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Sure does. Thanks for taking the time to explain.
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No worries. Actually, writing out the above has made me think I can resample through the Heat as part of the process (and all without having to rewire anything). Hmm, that sounds good, so I might give it a go. This is something others have suggested this above 
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Yeah heat is a wonderful tool for sound design and then slam in on the master for that extra touch.
Actually the saturation circuit is also great for this when used in a subtle way. I use it when performing live rather than clean boost.
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Nice! And thank you for all the wonderful advice in your previous post too. Currently, I really love the Enhancement circuit the most, even on the master. I embrace noise and artefacts in my tracks so it works out great in that respect and ‘enhances’ the wash of background noise and atmospheric reverbs nicely.
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I miss having the Heat, on the lookout for another. I would use it on the master while I’m creating, then when recording would use it on each individual element/stem for colour, then use it to glue everything together before the mastering stage.
I try to not have anything on the master (especially a limiter) but I do like a bit of saturation.
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I use the ah as master effect and sound card/overbridge extension for my octatrack.
It’s expensive but great.
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I’ve been an option 2 guy for years, it hasn’t been until recently that I finally got OB running smooth and tried using the AH as more of a send or resampling box.
Really loving the automation possibilities in the DAW, so fun slapping a bunch of M4L LFOs on parameters and getting weird.
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Does anyone know if its possible to turn off automation recording while using Heat? I’m doing full takes through Heat and recording onto a new track into Ableton but its also recording all of my knob tweaks as automation, which I don’t want. I have the record enable button turned off on the track that I don’t want automation recorded on. A bit confused as to how to navigate this. Any thoughts?
It’s an Ableton Live problem. Search turn off or disable record automation for complaints about it. Also, it seems (unless it’s been fixed in an update I’m unaware of since I stopped using Live on version 9) the only way to “solve” it is to delete the recorded automation after the fact 
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Always mix your track to sound as good as possible without any effects or processing. It’s extremely easy to add almost any kind of saturation or compression to a well mixed track. For live, I do that, and bring my Heat. I can check how the speakers sound at the venue, and have control on how I want to use it. If you mixed up a track with super saturated bass that sounds great at home, and the club monitors are tin cans. You’re going to want to adjust to that.
Sometimes there’s a sound guy. I don’t trust the sound guy. I’ve been doing my own mixing and mastering for 20 years. Clean, Thoughtful Mix > Compressed Mix. It’s a blank slate, easy to work with
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I agree with you for the most part, a few thoughts from personal experience and preference:
Once you know how to mix properly, mixing into compression can actually be very inspiring and can get you to different places to get a certain sound than without that technique. But it’s most important in this case that you have a good understanding of how to mix without this technique, and a good ear for subtle compression. So you know what is happening and how to adjust things accordingly in stead of, for example, pushing levels harder and harder.
Regarding ‘the sound guy’: this is highly dependent on the venue. If the venue is a bit bigger I will definitely trust the sound guy, because I’m not as familiar with the sound system as he is. Also, adjusting your sound to a system in an empty venue won’t reflect how it will sound with crowd in the venue. So here a sound guy is useful. Best to get him or her on your side and to talk about what you think is important .
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