12.1.1 Release Notes
Oct 30, 2024
Bugfixes
- Fixed an issue where Live would hang on startup.
October 8, 2024
Auto Shift is a new realtime monophonic pitch tracking and correction device with formant shifting, available in all Live editions. Its design makes it especially suitable for working with vocals but it can be used with any other monophonic signals. It is also possible to play and harmonize the incoming signal polyphonically via the MIDI sidechain.
Auto Shift includes two modulation sources: a dedicated vibrato LFO and a multi-purpose LFO that allow you to modulate all important features of the device. When in MIDI mode, the device is capable of MPE modulation as well.
The device also comes with Live Mode that you can enable to reduce latency. This can be particularly useful for live performances.
Auto Shift supports both built-in scales and user-defined scales.
Drum Sampler is a new instrument tailored to playing back one-shot samples in Drum Racks. It includes essential sample playing features such as sample start and length controls, an AHD amplitude envelope, Transpose and Detune controls, a filter section, and a number of playback effects which allow to time stretch and loop samples, apply frequency and ring modulation, layer a sub-oscillator or noise, add punch or degrade the sound.
Drum Sampler's compact filter section allows you to select one of four filters optimized for playing back drum hits: 12 or 24 dB low-pass filter, 12 dB high-pass, or a simple single-band half-parametric EQ to emphasize or notch out a portion of the spectrum.
Velocity or Slide in Drum Sampler can be used to modulate volume as well as an additional parameter that you can select, such as one of the envelope controls, filter or a playback effect.
Drum Sampler can also be used as the new default for Drum Racks: to do so, simply right-click on a Drum Rack pad containing Drum Sampler and select "Save as Default Pad" from the context menu. Note that when a Drum Pad is selected, you can now simply double click a sample in the browser to load it inside the current pad: if the pad is empty, the default for Drum Racks will be used - otherwise the currently selected device (if different from the default) will be used instead.
Drum Sampler is available in all Live editions.
The Limiter effect has been completely overhauled both in sound and appearance. An improved envelope makes Limiter's release smoother, which is especially noticeable when longer release times are used. A completely new UI provides better level and gain reduction metering and a more pleasant look.
A Mid/Side routing mode was added, which can be used to limit the monophonic and the stereo portion of the signal independently. For both Mid/Side mode as well as the Left/Right routing, Gain Reduction Link now works as a continuous parameter, so that users can blend the effect of gain reduction across the two channels with more freedom.
Besides the Standard mode of operation, Limiter now includes Soft Clip and True Peak modes. Soft Clip introduces gentle clipping to signals approaching the ceiling level, whereas True Peak prevents peaks between samples. The new Maximize toggle allows you to control the dynamic range and loudness with a single control, Threshold.
Saturator has been fundamentally redesigned, so that the main view is focused around the most important parameters. A real time visualization displays the signal level over the curve.
A new Bass Enhancer shaper curve was added, perfect for processing low-end signals such as 808 kick drums and synth basslines. The curve comes with a dedicated Threshold parameter, which makes it possible to seamlessly morph between soft and hard clipping. Only signals above the set threshold will be saturated.
An additional clipping mode for the second stage was added: alongside Soft, you can now opt for a Hard Clipping stage.
In the expanded view, the pre-shaper EQ curve is displayed alongside input and output spectra, for superior control over the Color parameters.
The new Find and Select Notes feature introduces additional workflow for selecting notes in the MIDI Note Editor, including searching for specific notes using different filters.
Find and Select Notes can be activated by clicking on the magnifying glass button located in the Clip Content Editor Settings. When Find and Select Notes is active, you can use the following filters to look for and select notes:
You can combine the available filters to make more precise note selections.
When Find and Select Notes is on, the new repeated time selection feature can be used to make evenly spaced selections. To create repeated time selections, first make a selection that will be used as the basis for the size of the repeated selections, then press Shift and click and drag in the MIDI Note Editor.
Find and Select Notes also makes it possible to select notes of multiple pitches, by holding Shift and clicking on different keys in the piano ruler.
Chopping MIDI notes is now easier and more powerful thanks to a new dedicated MIDI Transformation. It is also still possible to chop notes through the Chop note operation in the MIDI Note Editor, which now features improved workflow.
A new Chop MIDI Tool is available in the Transform tab/panel. The tool allows chopping selected notes into up to 64 parts, selecting or designing patterns for note chunks and gaps, extending selected chunks relatively to others, and adding random variations.
Mouse workflow was improved for the Chop note operation, making the mouse and keyboard interactions more similar.
When chopping notes into more or fewer parts with the mouse, changing the number of parts into which notes are chopped is now achieved with the following workflow:
It is still possible to add the Shift modifier key to increase/decrease the number of parts by a power of two.
New MPE MIDI Tools can be used to create curves for MPE parameters of selected notes, with changes visible in the Clip Content Editor's MPE View Mode. Two MPE MIDI Transformation Tools are now available: Glissando and LFO.
The Glissando MIDI Tool ties successive notes or groups of simultaneous notes, making the pitch bend envelope of each note connect to the pitch of the successive one. Controls in the Transformation allow to adjust the shape and starting point of the envelope. At least two notes must be selected in order to use Glissando.
The LFO MIDI Tool sets an oscillating envelope for one of the MPE parameters of selected notes: Pitch Bend, Pressure or Slide. It is possible to select a shape, rate and set a global amplitude envelope for the oscillator.
The LooperDevice LOM class now offers a new export_to_clip_slot function. Calling the function with a valid LOM ID of an empty clip slot as an argument on a non-frozen audio track will export Looper's content to a clip in that slot.
It is now possible to associate a scale with an audio clip using dedicated controls in Clip View's Main Clip Properties tab/panel. Setting a scale in an audio clip doesn’t affect the audio playback itself (similar to how the clip time signature setting doesn’t affect playback) but it is forwarded to scale aware devices on the device chain.
As a result of this change, Auto Pitch becomes the first scale aware audio effect.
A groove is now loaded with the default Live Set and automatically applied to any new MIDI clip. By default, the Global Groove Amount is set to 0%, so all you need to do to apply the groove is adjust this value. The Global Groove Amount is visible in the Groove Pool and, once a MIDI clip is added to the Set, also in the transport bar.
In the Groove Pool, there is a new Auto Load Groove toggle, on by default, that controls whether a groove is auto-loaded on new MIDI clips. You can switch the toggle off and no grooves will be auto-loaded. A dedicated Hot-Swap button allows you to select which groove you would like to be auto-loaded.
It is now possible to use the new Undo History feature in order to display a list of the available undo and redo steps, with the possibility to undo and redo multiple steps at once by clicking on an entry in the list, or by selecting an entry with the arrow keys and pressing Enter.
The "Undo History" option is available in the View menu and can also be opened with the shortcut Ctrl + Alt + Z (Win) / Cmd + Option + Z (Mac).
It is now possible to switch from the standard-height browser to a full-height view of the browser, stretching all the way down to the Status Bar.
The "Full-Height Browser" option is available in the drop-down menu next to the Show/Hide Browser toggle, as well as in the View menu.
Any samples under 60 seconds are now analyzed and automatically assigned a tag which best matches their sound.
Auto tags can be shown and hidden in the browser using a new Include Auto Tags toggle, and can be removed or changed to user tags in the Tags Editor. Files which have been auto-tagged use blue checkmarks in the Tag Editor, while user tags use yellow checkmarks.
VST3 plug-ins will now be assigned a tag based on VST3 meta data if the plug-in uses a VST Sub Category that maps to one of Live's categories.
Note: All plug-ins will be rescanned when upgrading to Live 12.1 for the first time. This eliminates potential issues with Live hanging or crashing after the install, and allows for the plug-ins to be tagged automatically.
Accessibility: Filters and Tags Editor now work meaningfully with screen readers and can be navigated and selected using the keyboard.
The CC Control effect now offers a convenient MIDI CC learn mode. When the Learn toggle is on, the device can receive CC data via regular track or device input. The user can then select one of the customizable controls to learn the specific CC data being sent.
The Echo effect now allows to freely adjust smoothing time for the Repitch parameter. This allows to adjust how slow or fast a new delay time is applied.
New Phase Reset and Phase Spread parameters are available in Meld's Settings tab. They allow to restart the oscillator phases with a MIDI note and to spread the start position of the oscillator phases, respectively.
The Envelope Follower modulator device now includes a sidechain routing, which allows to route another signal source from other tracks and mix it with the source of the track the device is added to. This feature can be useful in achieving a ducking effect.
The Tuner device now supports tuning systems.
Release Velocity now has a dedicated lane below the MIDI Note Editor.
General MIDI Tools Improvements
Tuning Systems Improvements
Tuning systems with 12 notes per octave will now work with Live's collection of built-in scales. Note that this feature is not currently supported in scale-aware MIDI Tools and other pitch editing utilities, such as Fit To Scale.
Additional Live Improvements
It is now possible to split Arrangement clips (both audio and MIDI) from the Clip View, using the dedicated Split Clip command in the Sample Editor or MIDI Note Editor or the following keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + E (Windows) / Cmd + Shift + E (Mac).
Time selection, split and crop clip operations are now available in unwarped audio clips.
It is now possible to edit pitch bend in tracks containing Drum Racks using a dedicated lane in the MPE Editor.
Added the following improvements to filtering in the browser:
Made the following changes to the browser's context menus:
Aug 6, 2024
No Live specific release notes, please refer to the release notes of Push 3 (Push 2.0.20 with Live 12.0.20).
July 23, 2024
No Live specific release notes, please refer to the release notes of Push 3 (Push 2.0.15 with Live 12.0.15).
June 28, 2024
June 5, 2024
Accessibility - Added some improvements for MIDI Note selection announcements:
Updated the Core Library:
It is now possible to type in values (for pitches you can type a note number, e.g., 60 instead of the note name e.g., C3, and using spaces for text input is also supported, e.g., "Hi Hat") using the keyboard for the following MIDI Tool parameters when they are focused:
Some improvements for the Meld device:
Added some improvements to context menu entries in the Live UI:
Highlighting and selecting tracks when using Solo and Track Activator buttons now work in a consistent way:
The following Looper properties are now available in the Max for Live API:
Updated the behavior of the Scene Tempo and Scene Time Signature fields in the Main track:
Made the following changes to the Windows installer for Live:
Made the following minor adjustments to Roar’s UI:
Fixed a couple of small issues in Meld:
Fixed two small bugs in the Roar device:
Accessibility: Added the following fixes:
Accessibility: Fixed the following issues:
Fixed a few issues in the Recombine MIDI Tool:
Fixed some small issues when using the Add Interval option with Drum Racks or sampled instruments:
Fixed the following issue with Max for Live devices:
April 18, 2024
March 14, 2024
Please note that for Mac installations Live 12 is only supported on macOS Big Sur or higher.
Accessibility
Browser Filtering and Tags
CC Control
Keyboard Navigation
Keyboard Workflow
Meld
MIDI Note Editing Operations
MIDI Note Probability Groups
MIDI Tools
Max for Live MIDI Tools
Mixer in Arrangement
Pitch and Time Utilities
Roar
Scale Awareness
Screen Reader Support
Similarity Search
Similar Sample Swapping
Toggle Clip View Alongside Device View
Tuning Systems
UI View Styling
Improved accessibility support on macOS and Windows; this includes many updates such as new themes with high-contrast variants, improved organization of Live's Preferences menu, as well as support for screen reader software and other assistive devices. While any screen reader software should work, we recommend VoiceOver (Mac) and NVDA (Win) for the best experience.
In Live’s Options menu, there is a new Accessibility entry which contains commands corresponding to different accessibility preferences, such as "Speak Menu Commands" and "Speak Minimum and Maximum Slider Values".
As part of the accessibility implementation, many improvements for keyboard navigation and keyboard workflows have also been added. You can find out more about these updates in the related subsections of the release notes.
The browser now includes a set of filters which can be used to search and find specific content using descriptive tags.
Relevant filters are displayed based on which category of the browser is selected. To search with all available filters, use the All label in the browser’s Library. Filter Groups can be hidden/shown by right-clicking the Filters header in the browser, or by right-clicking on individual Filter Group names.
You can search for content and tags in the following ways:
When viewing populated filter results, you can save the current search using the Add Label button to the right of the Results header in the browser content pane. Once saved, a custom label is created in the browser's sidebar that contains the filter results. As new items are tagged, the content will also be updated in any relevant saved custom labels.
You can use the toggle to the right of the filters to show/hide the Tags Editor. A collection of default tags is included for all of Live’s built-in content.
The Tags Editor lists all tags in each filter and you can create new user tags for any filter by clicking Add Tag... at the bottom of the Tags Editor.
New Tag Groups can be created by clicking Add Group... in the Tags Editor. User created tags or tag groups can be deleted or renamed via their [right-click](Win) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menus.
Tags can be assigned to/removed from the selected item in the browser content pane by clicking the checkboxes next to the tag names in the Tags Editor.
Note that tags have replaced folder groups within the browser’s category labels.
CC Control is a new utility device that can be used to send MIDI CC messages to hardware devices, or used in automation lanes on MIDI clips to send out MIDI CC data during a performance.
There are default controls for mod wheel, pitch bend, and pressure data, as well as several additional custom controls that can be configured for individual MIDI messages. The custom controls also appear on Push for easy navigation.
The Custom A button control can be used to send Sustain messages by default, or if set to another CC message, can toggle between sending minimum/maximum values to a MIDI device.
If CC automation already exists for the same CC message chosen in the device, the data will be merged.
Most of Live’s menus, views and controls can now be navigated using the computer keyboard.
A new Navigate menu has been added to Live's menu bar which contains commands for moving keyboard focus to different areas of the UI, as well as the option to toggle the Use Tab to Move Focus functionality on or off.
When on, the Tab key can be used to switch between different controls in a selected view. The following shortcuts related to this behavior are:
When Use Tab to Move Focus is off, pressing the [Tab] key will switch between the Session and Arrangement View, as in previous Live versions.
The Use Tab to Move Focus option can also be enabled in Live's Display & Input Preferences, which also include the additional Navigation and Keyboard options:
Navigation between the previous and next controls of an area, such as a single track in the Session View, can be done using the following shortcuts:
To navigate between rows of controls, such as from one track volume slider to another in the Session View, use the following shortcuts:
You can navigate to different areas of Live’s interface using the following shortcuts:
Improved keyboard navigation in Live’s Preferences:
Additional keyboard navigation improvements:
Various keyboard shortcuts have been added and updated to make it easier to work and navigate in Live directly from a computer keyboard.
Shortcuts that contain a single letter key, such as [S] to solo a track, can now be used even when the Computer MIDI Keyboard is enabled by adding [Shift], e.g., [Shift][S].
The [Delete] key can be used to return radio buttons (for example, track volume buttons) to their default state.
Tracks can be frozen using the new shortcut [CTRL][ALT][Shift][F] (Win) / [CMD][ALT][Shift][F] (Mac).
A new submenu called Clip Markers has been added to the Edit menu, which allows you to set clip start, end, and loop markers to MIDI clips when in Clip View. The corresponding shortcuts are also available in the [right-click](Win) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu in the MIDI Note Editor:
The new command Move Insert Marker To Playhead in the Playback menu, also accessible via the shortcut [CTRL][Shift][Space] (Win) / [CMD][Shift][Space] (Mac), will move the Arrangement insert marker to the location of the playhead.
Some shortcuts can now be momentarily latched. This means you can hold down the shortcut key and briefly toggle the shortcut action. After releasing the key, Live’s UI will return to its previous state. Momentary latching becomes available after holding down a shortcut key for about 500 ms. The following shortcut keys can be momentarily latched:
If needed, momentary latching can be turned off using the Options.txt entry: -DisableHotKeyLatching
In the MIDI Note Editor, if the insert marker is selected, you can use [ALT] + the up and down arrow keys to select the next and previous notes.
In the MIDI Note Editor, it is possible to adjust note velocity and chance with the following keyboard shortcuts:
It is now possible to resize an Arrangement clip with the keyboard by putting the insert marker at either edge of the clip, pressing [Enter] and then using the left or right arrow key to resize. Pressing [Enter] again will apply the resize action. Pressing [ESC] will cancel the resize action.
The commands Fold/Unfold Selected Tracks [U] and Collapse/Unfold All Tracks [Shift][U] have been added to the View menu.
The keyboard shortcut for the Control Bar's Follow switch was changed to [ALT][Shift][F].
Updated keyboard shortcuts for the View menu's Browser and Groove Pool entries, and introduced a new keyboard shortcut for the View menu's Help View entry:
When the Computer MIDI Keyboard is enabled, all hotkeys on the first and home rows are disabled to prevent causing unexpected changes to a Set when hitting a wrong key.
Added a shortcut for toggling Record in the Session View: [CTRL][Shift][F9] (Win) / [CMD][Shift][F9] (Mac).
The keyboard shortcut for the metronome was changed to [O].
Meld is a powerful and versatile bi-timbral macro oscillator synthesizer that comes with Live 12 Suite. Meld’s deep sound-shaping capabilities can be used to create evolving textural sounds, rhythmic drones, harmonic effects, atonal sounds and more.
Meld features two macro oscillator engines (A and B) which can be layered to create a wide variety of sounds. Each engine is a full synth on its own, and offers unique shaping and tonal variations depending on the chosen oscillator type.
Two envelopes are available for Amp and Modulation per engine, which both offer various looping modes. The Link toggles can be used to apply the same envelope or filter settings to the A and B engines.
A diverse set of modulation routings are accessible in a fully mappable and expandable matrix. Meld also contains two LFOs for each engine: the first is an LFO waveform that is fed into an LFO FX section that contains two possible effects which can be used to finely tune the resulting modulation, and the second is a simple LFO that can be used for standard LFO modulation.
Several filter options are available for each oscillator engine, as well as two scale aware resonator choices in the Filters section. Individual panning, tone, and volume controls can be used to further refine each engine’s sound independently. The Tone control is a combined low/high-pass filter that can be used to round out the signal before it reaches the device’s final output.
The Settings tab contains Glissando, Portamento, and Glide Time options for each engine, as well as Osc Key Tracking toggles. When Osc Key tracking is off, the oscillator will play at a constant pitch of C3 for all MIDI notes or, if using a scale, at the root note of the scale in the C3 octave. It is also possible to enable scale awareness for the oscillators or filters.
In Meld’s Global section, you can choose between Poly or Mono voice mode, set the Stacked Voices amount (similar to unison voices), add a bit of saturation with the Drive control, and adjust the global volume.
Meld’s deep modulation and routing capabilities allow for playful and expressive performances with Push 3 and other MPE controllers, but Meld also provides expressive playfulness with non-MPE devices.
New commands for editing MIDI notes have been added, making it quick and convenient to adjust notes directly in the MIDI Note Editor.
Split divides a note into two or more parts by using either the mouse or computer keyboard. Note that in order to use this functionality with the mouse, Draw Mode must be switched off.
Split with mouse – Hold [E] and click inside a note at the desired location or drag vertically across it to split it. You can split multiple notes simultaneously in the same way: make a note selection, then click at the desired location in any of the selected notes to split them or drag vertically across the selection to split the notes.
Split with keyboard – If no note is selected, press [CTRL][E] (Win) / [CMD][E] (Mac) to split the note at the insert marker location or at the boundaries of the time selection.
Chop divides selected notes into multiple parts based on the current grid settings or in equal parts, either by using the mouse or computer keyboard.
Chop with mouse – Hold [E][CTRL] (Win) / [E][ALT] (Mac) and hover the cursor over a note, so that the cursor changes to an arrow and dashed line symbol. Click on a note and drag up to divide the note into equal parts, increasing by one as you drag up. You can hold the [Shift] key together with the shortcut and the number of equal parts will increase by a factor of two as you drag up (note that [Shift] will have no effect if the Computer MIDI Keyboard is switched on). The same operations can be applied to multiple notes simultaneously.
Chop with keyboard – Use the shortcut [CTRL][E] (Win) / [CMD][E] (Mac) to chop notes into parts based on the current grid settings. While still holding the shortcut keys, you can use the up and down arrow keys to divide notes into equal parts instead of grid steps. The up arrow key adds more divisions, while the down arrow key uses fewer divisions. If you add the [Shift] key, the up and down arrow keys will divide notes by a power of two (note that [Shift] will have no effect if the Computer MIDI Keyboard is switched on).
It is possible to split and chop notes in Notes and Expression view modes.
Join creates a single note from all selected notes that have the same pitch. Any MPE envelope data will be preserved when notes are joined. Use the Join Notes Edit menu command, the context menu option in the MIDI Note Editor, or the shortcut [CTRL][J] (Win) / [CMD][J] (Mac) to join selected notes.
Span (Fit to Time Range) extends selected notes so that their start and end times match the current time selection. For example, if you select multiple notes that have varying end times within a time selection of the first two bars of a four bar clip, using Span will adjust the notes so that they start at 1.1.1 and end at 3.1.1. Use the Fit to Time Range context menu option or the shortcut [CTRL][ALT][J] (Win) / [CMD][ALT][J] (Mac) to span notes.
When using letter-based shortcuts, such as [E] to Split, make sure that the Computer MIDI Keyboard option is switched off so that the keyboard triggers the shortcut and not a MIDI note. Alternatively, you can add the [Shift] key to the shortcut in order to be able to use it while the Computer MIDI Keyboard is on (note that operations that use shortcuts which include the [Shift] key will have no effect in that case).
A single Chance value can now be assigned to a group of notes so that either all notes play according to the set probability, or only one note out of the group plays at a time.
There are a few different ways to group note probabilities together:
Once grouped, a single marker will be available for the set of grouped notes in the Chance editor. The marker will have a diamond handle (Play All) or triangle handle (Play One) rather than a circle handle, to visually signal that it affects grouped notes, not a single note.
Right-clicking on a grouped note marker lets you pick from two options:
Grouped notes can be ungrouped using the Edit command Ungroup Notes, shortcut [CTRL][Shift][G] (Win) / [CMD][Shift][G] (Mac), or by right-clicking on a grouped note marker and selecting Ungroup Notes. Once ungrouped, individual markers will be available for each note in the Chance editor.
Hovering over a note that belongs to a group now highlights all the notes within the group.
The Status Bar now indicates the Probability Group Type when selecting multiple notes. When all the notes belong to the same group the type is listed explicitly, otherwise it is marked with an asterisk.
The Probability Group Type selected when grouping notes or changing the group’s type will now be used as the default type for the next note group created through the Edit menu or using the [CTRL][G] (Win) / [CMD][G] (Mac) keyboard shortcut.
A small triangle displayed on MIDI notes that have a probability value of <1.0 is now also displayed when a note belongs to a probability group (even if the probability of this group is 1).
Introduced MIDI Tools, a set of MIDI Transformations and Generators which can be used to automatically shape and create MIDI notes in creative and surprising ways.
In Clip View, two new Tools tabs have been added, one containing transformations and the other generators.
MIDI Transformations:
MIDI Generators:
Each MIDI Tool has an Auto Apply toggle, labeled as Transform or Generate depending on the type of the tool. When toggled on, any changes that are made to the tool’s parameters are applied to notes in real-time. When toggled off, parameters can be adjusted freely, and the changes will only be applied after pressing the Apply button. The Reset button can be used to restore the tool's parameters to the default values.
Changes made to MIDI Tool parameters are saved with Live Sets.
In addition to the built-in MIDI Tools, new Max for Live objects can be used to create custom MIDI Transformations and Generators.
By default, two Max for Live MIDI Tools are included in the Clip View’s Transformation Tools and Generative Tools tabs/panels:
These tools utilize the new Array and String objects that were recently added to Max 8.6.0.
The Transformation/Generator Selector menu also contains two template devices that can be used as a basis for creating custom Max for Live MIDI Tools. To create a custom MIDI Tool, click on the Edit button when a Max for Live MIDI Tool is selected to open its corresponding Max patcher. You can change the existing parameters and then save the updated patcher as a new .amxd file.
For custom MIDI Tools to show in Clip View, they must be saved to a folder in Live's Places.
In the browser, Max for Live MIDI Tools can be found in the All and Max for Live labels. Max for Live MIDI Tools can also be found using the new filters MIDI Transformation and MIDI Generator within the Device Function filter group.
The Session View mixer is now accessible in the Arrangement View.
You can click the Mixer View toggle at the bottom right corner of Live's window to expand or collapse the mixer in either the Session or Arrangement View. Using the drop-down menu next to the toggle, you can select which areas of the mixer are displayed, e.g., I/O, Sends, Track Volume, etc.
The mixer can also be opened from the View menu using the Mixer entry or the shortcut [CTRL][ALT][M] (Win) / [CMD][ALT][M] (Mac).
The term "mixer" now refers to the entire subview that contains In/Out, Sends, Returns, Volume, Track Delay, Crossfader, and Performance Impact controls.
You can configure individual mixer sections and Return Tracks using the Mixer Controls entry in the View menu.
The section that contains meters is now called Volume and it currently doesn’t have an assigned shortcut.
The sections to the right of Track Headers in the Arrangement View are now called Arrangement Track Controls. You can configure their visibility as well as the visibility of the Return Tracks in the View menu under the Arrangement Track Controls entry. Arrangement Track Controls no longer have shortcuts assigned to them since these are now used for the mixer sections.
In Clip View, the Notes tab/panel has been renamed to Pitch and Time Utilities and has been divided into two sections: Pitch and Time, which contain controls for adjusting note pitch and timing, respectively.
Pitch Tools:
Time Tools:
Roar is a dynamic saturation audio effect that comes with Live 12 Suite. Roar can comfortably move from subtle and precise mastering-grade warmth to wild and unpredictable sound mangling.
Input signals can be routed into one of five different routing modes: Single, Serial, Parallel, Multi Band, Mid Side, and Feedback. In Multi Band mode, Low/High crossover frequencies are available. In Feedback mode, you can blend between the direct and the feedback signal. Drive and Tone controls can be used to adjust the incoming signal before it is sent to the Gain Stage section.
Depending on which routing mode is selected, you can apply a shaper curve to the signal in one or more gain stages. Roar offers a selection of wide saturation shaper curves, varying from subtle to distorted, that can be adjusted further using Amount and Bias controls. Several filter options are available and can be applied before or after the shaper.
There are two LFOs, an Envelope Follower, and a Noise generator for complex modulation possibilities, as well as an expansive Modulation Matrix for easy mappings for most of the device’s parameters. You can use the toggle in the device title bar to access the matrix in an expanded view.
Feedback can be added to define the amount of signal that gets fed back into the device’s input using various time modes. The feedback signal can also be inverted and adjusted with a band-pass filter.
The Compress control lets you determine the amount of masterbus compression, while the global Output control sets the overall processed signal in dB.
Live 12 offers a new way of choosing and viewing scales, as well as the option of applying scales across MIDI effects and devices.
You can now select or change a scale for clips using the Scale Mode controls in Live's Control Bar.
The Scale Mode controls will also reflect any changes when clips with different scales are played, making it easy to see at a glance which scales are in use in a Set.
When multiple clips are selected with different scale values, these differences are indicated with asterisks in the Current Scale Name and Current Scale Root Note drop-down menus.
When multiple clips are selected with different scale awareness states (e.g., if a scale is active or not), this difference is indicated by partially color-filling the Scale Mode toggle.
When multiple clips are selected, changes to scale settings made in the Control Bar will apply to all selected clips.
In Clip View, when a scale is active, new Highlight Scale and Fold to Scale options appear in the MIDI Note Editor. When Highlight Scale is enabled, the key tracks that belong to notes of the scale will be highlighted in a unique purple color that is used to signify scale awareness throughout Live. When Fold to Scale is on, only the key tracks that belong to notes of the scale will be displayed in the MIDI Note Editor.
When a scale is active, the pitch-related parameters in MIDI Tools and Pitch and Time Utilities will also use the selected scale.
The built-in MIDI effects Arpeggiator, Chord, Pitch, Random, and Scale have new Use Current Scale toggles in their device title bars. When switched on, the clip's current scale will be applied and pitch-based device parameters can be adjusted in scale degrees opposed to semitones.
In the Meld device, it is also possible to enable scale awareness for the oscillators or filters.
With the introduction of screen reader support, most of Live's core workflows are now accessible to screen reader users. The following Live features can be used with screen readers:
The following features are not supported for screen readers in Live 12:
Third-party devices are supported for screen reader use, but only to a certain extent.
Similarity Search can be used to find sounds similar to a reference file and works with audio samples, instrument presets, and drum presets. Please note that Similarity Search does not support samples longer than 60 seconds.
In the browser, compatible files will include a Similarity Search icon, clicking on which will return a list of sounds similar to the given file. You can also right-click on an item and select Show Similar Files or use the [CTRL][Shift][F] (Win) / [CMD][Shift][F] (Mac) shortcut to view this list. The reference file will be shown in the search field and all relevant similar sounding items will be listed below in the order from most to least similar. The results will be populated in the All label in the browser. To the right of each result is a visual representation of how similar an item is compared to the reference sound.
Custom-saved browser categories will remember and reestablish the sound file on which the Similarity Search was based when the category was saved. Note that in such a custom-saved category, the reference file will not be displayed in the search field when opening the category.
Core Library content is pre-analyzed for sound similarity features. Please note that it might take a while for Live to analyze larger libraries and for the feature to be usable for all files.
A similarity sound analysis section is displayed in the Status Bar when background scanning and analysis are in progress to provide information on the current status. The Pause button next to the analysis state can be used to stop the analysis for sound similarity. While it is a paused, the Resume button can be used to start the analysis again. There are a few different states that are shown:
In addition to searching for similar sounds, it is also possible to swap samples based on their similarity in the Simpler and Drum Rack devices using Similar Sample Swapping.
In Simpler, you can click the Swap to Previous Similar Sample or Swap to Next Similar Sample buttons at the bottom right corner of the Sample Display next to the Hot-Swap button to load and cycle through similar sounds. Alternatively, you can cycle through samples using the [CTRL] (Win) / [CMD] (Mac) + left and right arrows shortcut.
You can use the Return to Reference context menu option or the [CTRL] (Win) / [CMD] (Mac) + down arrow key shortcut to go back to the original sample that was used as the basis for establishing sound similarity, while the Save as Similarity Reference option or the [CTRL] (Win) / [CMD] (Mac) + up arrow key shortcut can be used to set the currently loaded sample as the new reference sound.
In Drum Racks, the Show/Hide Sample Swap Buttons toggle at the right of the device's title bar can be switched on to display similarity swapping options for both the entire Rack and individual pads:
You can also hold the [ALT] key to temporarily display the similarity swapping options, as well as use the [CTRL] (Win) / [CMD] (Mac) + left and right arrows shortcut to swap previous and next similar samples respectively.
As in Simpler, you can go back to the original sample using the Return to Reference context menu option or keyboard shortcut, or set the currently loaded sample as the new reference sound using the Save as Similarity Reference option or shortcut.
When using Hot-Swap mode with Simpler, Drum Rack, or an individual Drum Rack pad, clicking the Show Similar Files button next to the selected sample in the browser will display similar-sounding samples which can then be loaded into the device as needed.
Note that Similar Sample Swapping does not support samples longer than 60 seconds.
It is now possible to access Clip View and Device View at the same time.
To open both views simultaneously, use the triangle buttons next to the Clip View and Device View Selectors located to the left of the Mixer View toggle in the bottom-right corner of the Live window, or use the keyboard shortcuts [CTRL][ALT][3] (Win) / [CMD][ALT][3] (Mac) for showing Clip View and [CTRL][ALT][4] (Win) / [CMD][ALT][4] (Mac) for showing Device View.
When only one of the views is displayed, you can still switch between them using the [Shift][Tab] keyboard shortcut or by clicking on the respective view selector tab. When both are shown, [Shift][Tab] will move the focus between the two views. (Note that in order for the shortcut to work, the Use Tab Key to Navigate option in Live's Display & Input Preferences must be switched off.)
Holding [ALT] and clicking on either the Clip View or Device View toggle will open both views at the same time.
Note that the width of the Device View when the view is expanded is no longer constrained by the browser, it stretches across the entire application window.
Live now supports Scala files, which can be used in Sets to access new tuning options apart from Live’s default 12TET tuning. The Live 12 Core Library also includes a set of various tuning systems, which you can find in the new Tunings label in the browser.
You can select the Tuning entry in Live’s View menu or double-click an .ascl file in the browser to open the Tuning panel. When browsing tuning systems in the Tunings label of the browser, a description containing number of notes per octave, short description and defined source for the .ascl file is shown in the Info View.
When a tuning system is loaded, the corresponding pitches will be played when using any of Live's built-in instruments, as well as any MPE-enabled plug-ins and external instruments, provided that the pitch bend range is set to 48 semitones. Note that non-MPE-enabled instruments or instruments with different pitch bend ranges will play out of tune.
Plug-ins and Max for Live MIDI effects will also be adjusted to follow a loaded tuning system. Note that Drum Racks will automatically bypass a loaded tuning system when added to MIDI tracks.
When a tuning system is loaded into a Set, the scale controls and features in MIDI clips and in the Control Bar will be hidden.
In the Tuning panel of the browser, additional options are available for adjusting the reference pitch of a loaded tuning system. The default octave for tuning system reference pitch is set to 3.
The toggle to the left of a tuning system's name can be used to access the details of the tuning system in an expanded view. The following details are taken from the description included in the Scala file and displayed in Live: Source, Link, and Number of notes per octave.
The details of a tuning system file are displayed in the Info View when hovering over a loaded tuning system's name
A loaded tuning system can be saved as an .ascl file by clicking the floppy disk icon in the Tuning section of the browser.
The Bypass Tuning toggle in the I/O section of the mixer can be used to bypass a loaded tuning system for an individual MIDI track.
It is also possible to configure a track tuning layout for external MIDI controllers using the Track Tuning MIDI Mapper chooser in the I/O section. When using tuning systems with different MIDI controller layouts, it is possible to see the corresponding input key for different notes in the Status Bar when hovering over notes in the piano roll.
You can select a loaded tuning system and press the [Delete] key to return to Live's default of 12-tone equal temperament.
Live’s UI has been modernized and streamlined, making it easier to view at a glance.
The overall appearance of Live's various views (such as the Arrangement View, Clip View, Session View, and Live's browser and Preferences) has been updated as follows:
Arrangement View
Browser
Clip View
Devices
Device View
Interface
Max for Live
Mixer Improvements
Push Improvements
Session View
Setup
Tempo Follower
Max for Live devices now correctly release focus when navigating away from them using a mouse.