New Features
Accessibility
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:
- Select filters and tags in a browser category. Use [CTRL] (Win) / [CMD] (Mac) to multiselect tags within the same Tag Group.
- Use the browser's search bar (corresponding filter results will also be displayed).
- Search for specific tags in the search bar using the format: #[tag]. For example, if you are looking for samples tagged as "punchy" type "#punchy." Autocomplete suggestions for tags will be shown as you type.
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
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.
Keyboard Navigation
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:
- [Tab] moves to the next control.
- [Shift][Tab] moves to the previous control.
- [CTRL][Tab] (Windows) / [ALT][Tab] (Mac) moves to the next control in the same row.
- [CTRL][Shift][Tab] (Windows) / [ALT][Shift][Tab] (Mac) moves to the previous control in the same row.
When Use Tab to Move Focus is off, pressing the [Tab] key will switch between 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:
- Wrap Tab Navigation - When this option is enabled, navigating with Tab will not stop at the last control in a focused view, but will navigate back to the first control. If the first control is selected, using [Shift][Tab] will navigate to the last control.
- Move Clips with Arrow Keys - This option is enabled by default, and lets you use the left and right arrow keys to move the time selection in Arrangement View.
You can navigate to different areas of Live’s interface using the following shortcuts:
- [ALT][0] - focus the Control Bar
- [ALT][1] - focus Session View
- [ALT][2] - focus Arrangement View
- [ALT][3] - focus Clip View
- [ALT][4] - focus Device View
- [ALT][5] - focus the browser
- [ALT][6] - focus Groove Pool
- [ALT][7] - focus Help View
Improved keyboard navigation in Live’s Preferences:
- [Tab] and [Shift][Tab] keys can be used to navigate between options inside the Preferences tabs. These shortcuts work regardless of whether the Use Tab to Move Focus option is active or not.
- When focusing on the options inside Preferences tabs, up and down arrow keys can be used to change the state of a toggle, make adjustments, or cycle through the available options for a given preference.
- For options that utilize toggle buttons, it is possible to toggle between states or trigger an action by using the [Enter] key.
- It is possible to navigate the Preference Page Chooser using [ALT][Tab] and [Shift][ALT][Tab] or the up and down arrow keys when the chooser is focused. If the keyboard focus is inside any given Preferences tab, use the [Shift][Tab] shortcut once or more to return the focus to the Preference Page Chooser.
Additional keyboard navigation improvements:
- It is now possible to use keyboard shortcuts to navigate to identical controls across tracks in the Arrangement View. Enabling the Navigate menu's Use Tab Key to Move Focus command and using the shortcuts [ALT][Tab] and [Shift][ALT][Tab] will jump from the currently selected control to the same control in the next or previous track.
- In Session View, the [PgUp] and [PgDwn] keys now move up or down by eight scenes at a time, instead of jumping to the first or last scenes.
- When focused on a track's Session slot, Arrangement lane, or mixer controls, pressing [Esc] will jump to that track's header.
- On Windows, the [ALT] key now behaves as it does in other applications. Pressing [ALT] without a corresponding shortcut key will focus the Global menu, which can then be navigated using the arrow keys or alphanumeric keys as expected.
- The behavior of radio button keyboard navigation is now consistent with other applications on macOS and Windows:
- When navigating to a radio button group using [Tab] or [Shift][Tab], the selected radio button will be focused, instead of the first or last one in the group.
- When using Previous/Next Neighbor navigation with [CTRL][Tab] or [CTRL][Shift][Tab] to focus a radio button, the selected radio button will be focused, instead of the first or last one in the group.
- Added a Mixer entry to the Navigate menu, which brings focus to the mixer in Arrangement View. The corresponding keyboard shortcut is [Shift][ALT][M].
Keyboard Workflow
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:
- [CTRL][F9] (Win) / [CMD][F9] (Mac) - sets the clip start marker to the selected time area of the MIDI Note Editor.
- [CTRL][F10] (Win) / [CMD][F10] (Mac) - sets the clip loop start marker to the selected time area of the MIDI Note Editor.
- [CTRL][F11] (Win) / [CMD][F11] (Mac) - sets the clip loop end marker to the selected time area of the MIDI Note Editor.
- [CTRL][F12] (Win) / [CMD][F12] (Mac) - sets the clip end marker to the selected time area of 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:
- [A] - toggles Arrangement automation mode
- [B] - toggles Draw Mode
- [S] - toggles soloing or un-soloing the selected track
- [Z] - toggles zooming into the Arrangement selection
- [F1] through [F8] - toggles the Track Activator switch on and off for the first eight tracks
- [Tab] - toggles between Arrangement and Session View
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:
- Adjust note velocity: [ALT] up and down arrow keys (Win) / [CMD] up and down arrow keys (Mac)
- Adjust note velocity deviation: [ALT][Shift] up and down arrow keys (Win) / [CMD][Shift] up and down arrow keys (Mac)
- Adjust note chance: [CTRL][ALT] up and down arrow keys (Win) / [CMD][ALT][Shift] up and down arrow keys (Mac)
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:
- Show/Hide Browser: [CTRL][ALT][5] (Win) / [CMD][ALT][5] (Mac)
- Show/Hide Groove Pool: [CTRL][ALT][6] (Win) / [CMD][ALT][6] (Mac)
- Show/Hide Help View: [CTRL][ALT][7] (Win) / [CMD][ALT][7] (Mac)
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
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.
MIDI Note Editing Operations
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.
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. To split a note or multiple notes into parts based on the current grid settings, press [CTRL][E] (Win) / [CMD][E] (Mac).
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 [CTRL][E] (Win) / [ALT][E] (Mac) 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. 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 will add 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).
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.
MIDI Note Probability Groups
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:
- Use the Edit menu command Group Notes (Play All).
- Use the shortcut [CTRL][G] (Win) / [CMD][G] (Mac).
- Use the [right-click](Win) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu option Group Notes (Play All) or Group Notes (Play One) in the MIDI Note Editor.
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) opposed to 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:
- Play All – All notes will be played (or not) depending on the Chance amount.
- Play One – Only one note in the group will be played at a time based on the Chance amount.
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 in 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:
- Arpeggiate splits up chords into smaller arpeggiated notes based on the chosen pattern settings.
- Connect fills empty gaps between successive notes or chords by adding connecting notes with specified density, length, rate, and pitch settings.
- Ornament adds short strokes (flam) or grace notes at the beginning of existing notes.
- Quantize applies quantization based on the chosen grid options.
- Recombine rearranges the properties of a series of notes so that the pitch, length, or velocity settings of one note in the series are applied to a different note.
- Span adjusts the length of note end times using legato, tenuto, or staccato timing.
- Strum applies an offset to note start times for all successive notes in a chord, starting at either the highest or lowest note.
- Time Warp stretches or compresses notes based on the speed curve as determined by two adjustable breakpoints.
MIDI Generators:
- Rhythm generates a rhythmic pattern of notes and velocity accents.
- Seed randomly generates notes using adjustable pitch, duration, and velocity ranges.
- Shape generates a sequence of notes with varying pitches based on drawn shapes or selected shape presets.
- Stacks generates between one and four chords based on various chord rules that can be further tweaked and inverted.
Each MIDI Tool has a Transform or Generate toggle; when enabled, any changes that get made to the tool’s parameters are applied to notes in real-time. When switched off, parameters can be adjusted freely, and the changes will only be applied when 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:
- Velocity Shaper allows transforming note velocities using an envelope.
- Rhythm Euclidean generates a rhythmic pattern of notes.
These tools utilize the new Array and String objects that were recently added to Max 8.6.0.
To create a custom MIDI Tool, you can 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.
Mixer in Arrangement
The Session View mixer is now accessible in Arrangement View.
You can click the Mixer view control at the bottom right corner of Live's window to expand or collapse the mixer in either 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.
Pitch and Time Utilities
In Clip View, the Notes 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:
- Fit to Scale moves notes to fit within the current clip scale.
- Invert flips the notes "upside-down" so that the highest note is swapped with the lowest note.
- Transpose adjusts the pitch transposition for notes in either semitones or scale degrees, if the clip has an active scale.
- Add Interval creates new notes at the given number of semitones or scale degrees as specified in the Interval Size parameter.
Time Tools:
- Double stretches notes, the time region, or loop by a factor of 2.
- Halve compresses notes, the time region, or loop by a factor of 2.
- Stretch Factor compresses or stretches notes by a factor that can be set in the range from ÷10 to x10.
- Set Length determines the note length of notes, including fitting note lengths to grid or selected time range.
- Humanize adds an amount of slight random variation to note start times specified in the Humanize Amount slider, ranging from 0% to 100%.
- Reverse reverses notes horizontally around the center of the time selection. If no time is selected, all notes in the clip will be reversed.
- Legato lengthens or shortens each note so that it is just long enough to reach the beginning of the next note.
Roar
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, Multiband, Mid/Side, and Feedback. In Multiband 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.
Scale Awareness
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, a new Highlight Scale option appears in the MIDI Note Editor. When 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 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.
Screen Reader Support
With the introduction of screen reader support, most of Live's core workflows are now accessible to screen reader users. The following areas of Live can be used with screen readers:
- Transport controls
- Browser search
- Arrangement View
- Session View
- Clip and Scene properties
- MIDI clip editing
- Native effects and instruments
- MIDI and Key mapping
- Working with grooves
- Tuning systems
Third-party devices are also currently compatible with screen readers but only to a certain extent.
The following areas are not supported for screen readers in Live 12:
- Browser filtering and tagging
- Audio warping
- Automation, modulation, and MPE editing
- Max for Live devices
- MIDI and audio metering
Similarity Search
Similarity Search can be used to find similar sounds based on a reference file for audio samples, instrument presets, and drum presets.
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) / [CTRL][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. 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.
Please note that it might take a while for Live to analyze larger libraries and for the feature to be usable for all files. Also, Similarity Search does not support samples longer than 60 seconds.
Similar Sample Swapping
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.
You can use the Return to Reference context menu option to go back to the original sample that was used as the basis for establishing sound similarity, or the Save as Similarity Reference option 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:
- Swap All Pads to Previous Similar Sample - swaps all pads in the Rack to the previous similar sample.
- Swap All Pads to Next Similar Sample - swaps all pads in the Rack to the next similar sample.
- Swap to Previous Similar Sample - swaps an individual pad to the previous similar sample.
- Swap to Next Similar Sample - swaps an individual pad the next similar sample.
- Lock Pad for Similar Sample Swapping - locks an individual pad so that the sample is not updated when swapping out samples in the entire Rack.
You can also hold the [ALT] key to temporarily display the similarity swapping options.
As in Simpler, you can go back to the original sample using the Return to Reference context menu option , or set the currently loaded sample as the new reference sound using the Save as Similarity Reference option.
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.
Toggle Clip View Alongside Device View
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 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.
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 Breakout View is no longer constrained by the browser, it stretches across the entire application window.
Tuning Systems
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 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.
UI View Styling
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), have been updated as follows:
- New view controls for the browser, Session/Arrangement View, the mixer, and Info View have been added to the outer corners of Live's window and can be toggled to show/hide the corresponding views.
- New Live Themes have been added with specific options for warm/cool tones and high contrast. Live can also be set to follow your operating system's Light or Dark theme.
- When using a second window, the zoom level of Live’s first and second windows can be adjusted independently in the Display & Input Preferences.
- The Groove Pool selector has been removed for now. The Groove Pool can now be shown/hidden via the new drop-down menu next to the Show/Hide Browser and Groove Pool toggle, and it can still be shown/hidden via the View menu's Groove Pool option.
- The Show/Hide controls for all Session/Arrangement View mixer sections (i.e., In/Out, Sends, Returns, Mixer, Track Delays, Crossfader, and Performance Impact) have been removed for now. The various mixer sections can still be shown/hidden via the View menu's respective options.
- The Arrangement View's Clip Overview area, Beat-Time Ruler, and Time Ruler have been visually integrated into the Arrangement View.
- Scrollbars have been redesigned and will now appear as an element inside the scrolled area. Added a Show Scroll Bars option to the Display & Input Preferences, which can be set to "Always" or "When Scrolling". When selecting the latter, scrollbars will only appear in the UI while scrolling or if the current scroll position changes through another action, such as changing the size of Live’s window.
- Live’s Preferences now use a new tab styling.
- The borders around all of Live's views have been removed.
- All main views now have a slight rounding at their edges.
- The Control Bar now adapts to the application’s window width so that all controls fit within 1280px width screen resolution.
Feature Improvements
Arrangement View
- MIDI clips can now be reversed in Arrangement View by pressing the [R] key.
- The full clip content is now displayed for deactivated clips in Arrangement View.
- A new toggle to the right of the Time Ruler can be used to switch on vertical waveform zooming for all audio clip waveforms. There is also a slider to set the zoom factor, which can be applied in x (multiplied by) or dB (which can be selected using the right-click context menu). The waveforms in Arrangement View and the Clip View's Sample Editor will be displayed using the set zoom level. If there is a positive zoom level set it will also be applied to audio clip waveforms as they are recorded.
- A new Move Clips with Arrow Keys option has been added to the Display & Input Preferences. When enabled, it is possible to move selected clips using the left and right arrow keys in Arrangement View. When switched off, the left arrow key will collapse the time selection to the start point, and the right arrow key will collapse the time selection to the end point.
- Moving the Insert Marker to the edges of clips with [CTRL] (Win) / [ALT] (Mac) and the left/right arrow keys now works in Automation Mode.
- When selecting a track, take lane or automation lane header in Arrangement View while the Clip/Device View is open, that lane's content is now also selected.
- The Optimize Arrangement Height/Width toggles in Arrangement View are now situated underneath the Main track, next to the time ruler and the new waveform vertical zoom controls.
Browser
- The new All category replaces the “All results” category that previously appeared when entering a term in the search field. When using search, the results displayed in the All category are any items from the entire library (Packs, Plug-ins, Max for Live, User Library and folders) that match the search query, displayed as a flat list.
- Almost all items within the browser’s categories can now be multi-selected.
- When unfolding a Live Set in the browser, the expanded list of tracks now includes the Set’s return tracks and Main track. You can unfold the tracks in the Set to reveal a Devices icon representing their device chains. You can then move these chains into the currently open Set using drag and drop or by double-clicking on the chain. The Device settings from the original Set are retained, but any previously recorded automation is not.
- Sorting plug-ins by Rank in the header of Live’s browser now sorts content by the frequency of use, as expected.
- Users can now view Live’s browser history. The Browse Forward and Browse Back buttons next to the search bar can be used to take a step forward or back in the browser’s history.
- The browser can be opened and closed by dragging away from and towards the window margin, respectively.
- Parts of the browser will now run asynchronously, and therefore won’t block the UI anymore when using large libraries. If needed, asynchronous mode can be switched off using the Options.txt entry: _Feature.Browser.AsyncLoading=off.
- Added a "Browser File Preview" entry to the Options menu. When enabled, this option will automatically play the selected browser item.
- The Sounds category now shows all built-in presets and user presets.
- Core Library updates:
- New presets were added for the new Meld and Roar devices.
- Most of the samples and Racks released with Note are now also available in the Live Core library.
- Operator presets now have Note Pitch Bend enabled.
Clip View
Editor View Modes
- The MIDI and audio editing parameters in Live 11’s Tool tabs have been moved to the top of the MIDI Note Editor/Sample Editor and are now stored in different tabs referred to as Editor View Modes. You can cycle to the next or previous view mode using the keyboard shortcuts [ALT][Tab] and [ALT][Shift][Tab].
- In audio clips, the following Editor View Modes are available:
- Sample - displays the audio file and sample editing options.
- Envelopes - displays the Envelope Editor. This mode replaced the Envelopes tab/panel; the respective controls are now displayed at the bottom of the Envelopes Editor.
- In MIDI clips, the available Editor View Modes are:
- Notes - displays the MIDI Note Editor and Velocity/Chance Editors (except in Live editions where Chance is not supported). The Randomize, Randomize Range, and Velocity Range (renamed to Velocity Deviation) controls previously located in the Notes tab/panel are now displayed at the bottom of the Notes Editor. A drop-down menu can be used to show/hide the Velocity and Chance lanes. A lane header's context menu allows swapping the currently visible lane with a hidden lane, making it possible to quickly change which lane is visible.
- Envelopes - displays the Envelopes Editor. This mode replaced the Envelopes tab/panel; the respective controls are now displayed at the bottom of the Envelopes Editor. Note that when the Envelopes Editor is open, the Pitch and Time Utilities, MIDI Transformative and Generative Tools tabs/panels are disabled.
- MPE - displays the MPE Editor. This mode replaced the Note Expression tab/panel. The expression lane names were removed from the lane headers, and they are now displayed when hovering over the lanes. A drop-down menu can be used to show/hide the Slide, Pressure, Velocity, and Release Velocity (previously named "R.Velocity") expression lanes. A lane header's context menu allows swapping the currently visible lanes with hidden lanes, making it possible to quickly change which lanes are visible.
MIDI Note Editor/Sample Editor Updates
- The Quantize Settings dialog was replaced by a Quantize tab/panel in audio clips and the Quantize MIDI Tool in MIDI clips. The Edit menu's Quantize command and the [CTRL][Shift][U] (Win) / [CMD][Shift][U] (Mac) keyboard shortcut now open the Quantize Settings controls in their new locations.
- Multiple audio clips can now be quantized at the same time. If the Current Grid option is selected, the Triplets option will now be grayed out.
- Grid Options are now accessible from the Sample/MIDI Note Editor title bar.
- The shortcuts Narrow Grid [CTRL][1] (Win) / [CMD][1] (Mac) and Widen Grid [CTRL][2] (Win) / [CMD][2] (Mac) have been added to the context menus in the MIDI Note Editor and Sample Editor, as well as in the Grid chooser within both Editors.
- Added a Step Input Mode entry to the Options menu, enabled when a single MIDI clip is selected. When activated, Step Input Mode will arm the track containing the clip, focus the Clip View and toggle the Computer MIDI Keyboard, to allow for faster step recording using either the Computer MIDI Keyboard or an external MIDI device. Note that the Step Input Mode menu entry is not a toggle.
- Added clip modulation and MIDI mapping support for the following warp modes:
- Beats - Transient Envelope
- Tones - Grain Size
- Texture - Grain Size, Flux
- Complex Pro - Formants, Envelope
- Added the Normalize Clip Sample command to the Sample Editor’s context menu.
- The MIDI Step Input buttons are now located next to the Grid Options in the MIDI Note Editor’s title bar when in Key or MIDI mapping mode.
- The Fold to Notes (previously Fold) and Fold to Scale commands were added to the View menu.
- When a scale is enabled in Clip View or in the Control Bar, the Fold to Scale option becomes available in the MIDI Note Editor. A Highlight Scale checkbox also becomes available and allows switching scale highlighting on and off.
- The Fold to Notes and Fold to Scale modes can be toggled by pressing [F] and [G] keys respectively. Note that if the Computer MIDI Keyboard is on, you need to also add the [Shift] key for the shortcuts to work.
- A "MIDI Editor Note Preview" command has been added to the Options menu.
- The MIDI Editor Preview button is now located above the piano roll.
- When the MIDI Editor Preview switch is enabled, selecting one or more notes using the computer keyboard navigation controls [CTRL] + left/right or up/down arrow keys (Win) / [ALT] + left/right or up/down arrow keys (Mac) will play the notes. When using multi-clip editing, keyboard selection will also work if Focus mode is enabled.
- Added the Crop Clip to Time Selection command to the time selection context menu in the Sample Editor and MIDI Note Editor.
- When cropping MIDI clips, notes that extend beyond the selected cropping range are trimmed to fit within the new clip boundaries.
- The sample information of an audio clip (i.e., the file name, sample rate, bit depth, and channel count) is now displayed in the Sample Editor’s title bar instead of the clip's title bar.
- Loop controls will now be hidden when the Linked switch is toggled in Clip View’s Envelopes panel.
- The duration of note preview when holding down the mouse on the note or the piano roll was increased.
- The Clip Gain slider design has been updated to show a scale representing the highest and lowest possible gain amounts, as well as a colored bar that appears when making adjustments above or below 0 dB. This design now matches the updated meters in the mixer.
- The velocity ramp controls now display the velocity of the first and last note in the selection. They become inactive if the selection has fewer than two notes.
- It is now possible to split and chop notes in Expression View Mode, with the same interaction patterns as in Notes mode. Note that this functionality does not work if Draw Mode is active.
- The Randomize button and Randomize Range slider were moved to the MIDI Editor footer in both the Velocity and Chance lanes. Randomize now uses a specific starting point to generate random values every time the button is pressed, making results more predictable as you adjust the amount of randomization.
- The Velocity Range slider was renamed to Velocity Deviation and moved to the MIDI Editor footer.
Additional Clip View Improvements
- Clip View and Device View can now be toggled open by clicking on the entire length and width of the Clip and Device View Selectors. Previously, the clickable area was smaller.
- Clip View and Device View toggles will now be displayed in yellow whenever the views associated with them are selected.
- The Quantize command [CTRL][U] (Win) / [CMD][U] (Mac) has been improved to apply within a time selection when relevant.
- Added an Invert Selection command to the Edit menu, which inverts the selection of notes in the MIDI Note Editor. Invert Selection is also accessible via the MIDI Note Editor's context menu or the [CTRL][Shift][A] (Win) / [CMD][Shift][A] (Mac) keyboard shortcut.
- It is now possible to label a clip’s notes with their MIDI note numbers instead of accidentals, by using the new MIDI Note Number command in the piano roll’s context menu. Also, the Accidentals/MIDI Note Number setting most recently applied to a clip will now be used for the next created clip.
Devices
Arpeggiator
- Added a toggle to the device's title bar that collapses/expands the device view.
- Added a Use Current Scale toggle to the device's title bar. When enabled, and if a clip has an active scale, Arpeggiator follows the scale selected in the Current Scale Root Note and Current Scale Name choosers, which is indicated by purple dots on the Root Note and Scale choosers in the device. If a scale is not active, the device follows the scale selected in its own Root Note and Scale choosers.
- Updated the UI of the device to feature a display which includes Style, Hold, Offset, and Groove controls, as well as a visualization of the selected Arpeggiator pattern.
- Added Previous/Next Style Pattern arrow buttons respectively to the left and right side of the Style Pattern visualization, below the Style chooser. The buttons allow cycling through and choosing the rhythmical pattern used by Arpeggiator.
- Adjusted some spacing and rearranged some controls.
- The Distance control is grayed out when Steps is set to 0.
- When Arpeggiator uses a scale (either the current clip scale or an internal scale selected from Arpeggiator’s own transpose mode chooser), the Distance parameter will display scale degrees instead of semitones.
- The Arpeggiator device now transforms per-note pitch bend messages in scale when the Use Current Scale option is enabled.
Chord
- Added a Use Current Scale toggle to the device's title bar. When enabled, and if a clip has an active scale, Pitch follows the scale selected in the Current Scale Root Note and Current Scale Name choosers.
- Added a Strum control that can be used to insert a delay between the notes in the chord. The Strum Tension control can be used to accelerate or decelerate the strumming. Note that Strum Tension is only enabled if Strum is activated.
- Added a Strum Crescendo parameter that applies an additional multiplier to the velocities of notes in a chord, in addition to the already existing Velocity parameters. Positive values produce velocities with an upwards ramp, whereas negative values produce velocities with a downwards ramp. The velocity ramp is applied to outgoing notes in the order in which they're played. Note that Strum Crescendo is only enabled if Strum is activated.
- Added a Velocity/Chance toggle that allows adjusting velocity/probability values for each note.
- Added a Learn feature that saves chord parameter settings from its MIDI input. When the Learn button is activated, the Shift and Velocity parameter settings will be overwritten by the next played chord.
- Added LEDs next to each shift dial, to indicate when the corresponding note is played.
- Chord can now send MPE data to notes by enabling the Send Per Note Events to Generated Notes context menu option. When scale awareness is enabled, Chord will transform pitch bend messages so that bent chords stay within the scale.
Envelope MIDI
- The ADSR envelope display was updated to allow changing slopes directly in the envelope UI as well as with the Attack, Decay and Release Slopes sliders.
- Envelope MIDI features a new implementation of Sync mode. Note that this may result in a slight sound difference compared to previous device builds.
Expression Control
- The UI of Expression Control has been completely overhauled. It is now possible to edit modulation sources in separate tabs, each of which includes its own curve display. As in the other updated modulator devices, the Modulate toggle can be used to apply modulation to a target without taking over the value completely. This new version of Expression Control replaces the older one, which has been renamed to Expression Control Legacy; when opening Live Sets from Live 11 that contain Expression Control, the legacy version of the device will be loaded.
LFO
- A new Steps parameter can be used to adjust up to 24 steps in the selected waveform.
- A new Shape parameter allows bending or skewing the selected waveform.
- Added Stray, a new LFO waveform type.
- Added Glider, a new LFO waveform type.
- A dynamic offset line has been added.
- A 10x toggle for audio rate modulation has been added.
Max for Live Devices Improvements
- The LFO, Shaper, Expression Control, Envelope Follower, Envelope MIDI, and Shaper MIDI devices now support modulation; this means that a parameter's relative value can be modulated without taking the value over completely. The behavior can be controlled via the Mod toggle. There are also Modulation Polarity switches which can be used to flip the polarity of the modulation. If the Mod toggle is switched off, any mapped modulation behaves exactly as it did prior to this change, e.g., the parameter value is taken over and cannot be adjusted independently.
- Clip Modulation is now enabled on all built-in Max for Live device parameters.
- The devices now feature faster load times and optimized performance.
- In modulator devices:
- Non-LCD numboxes now use slider controls.
- The visual mapping state is canceled after trying to map to a parameter that was already mapped.
- Patch code is formatted and commented consistently, using all latest Max features, for users who open up the devices (note that this does not apply to DS devices).
Multiband Dynamics
- The Multiband Dynamics device’s interface has been updated. The Time (Attack and Release) parameters, Above Threshold and Ratio parameters, and Below Threshold and Ratio parameters are now displayed in individual sections.
Note Length
- Added a Latch mode, which you can turn on using the new Latch button beneath the Trigger Source switch. Latch mode operates differently based on whether the Trigger Source switch is set to Note On or Note Off. If Note On is selected, latched notes will end when all keys and a sustain pedal (if connected) are released and a new Note On message is received. If Note Off is selected, latched notes will start playing when all keys and a sustain pedal (if connected) are released and a new Note Off message is received.
- Swapped the positions of the Gate and Length knobs.
- Split the Time mode toggle into two separate buttons, now positioned below the Length knob.
- Renamed the "Release Vel.2" control to "Rel Vel".
- Renamed the "Decay Time" control to "Decay".
Operator
- Added per-note pitch-bend support to the Operator device, which can be enabled via the Enable Note Pitch Bend context menu entry in the device's title bar. Note: Switching this option off can help preserve a stable pitch when using an MPE controller as input.
Pitch
- Added a Use Current Scale toggle to the device's title bar. When enabled, and if a clip has an active scale, Pitch follows the scale selected in the Current Scale Root Note and Current Scale Name choosers.
- Added Step Down/Up (-/+) buttons and a dedicated Step Width slider underneath the Pitch control. The Step Down/Up buttons decrease/increase the Pitch parameter by the distance set in the Step Width slider. All of these controls can be assigned Key and/or MIDI mappings.
- Repositioned the Lowest and Range sliders.
- Added a Mode drop-down menu containing three different modes to choose from: Block, Fold, and Limit. The selected mode determines what happens to notes outside of the range defined by the Lowest and Range parameters.
- The Pitch device now transforms per-note pitch bend messages in scale when the Use Current Scale option is enabled.
Random
- Added a Use Current Scale toggle to the device's title bar. When enabled, and if a clip has an active scale, Random follows the scale selected in the Current Scale Root Note and Current Scale Name choosers.
- The Scale parameter has been renamed to Interval to avoid confusion with Live’s new Current Scale features.
- The Mode switch has been split into two separate toggles: Random and Alt.
- Random now transforms per-note pitch bend messages in scale when the Use Current Scale option is enabled.
Sampler
- A new Round Robin feature has been added to the Sampler device’s Zone Editor. This feature lets you cycle through samples in four different ways: Forward, Backward, Other, and Random. The Zone Editor also has a Round Robin Reset Interval selector, which resets the counter at a chosen time interval (¼ Bar, ½ Bar, 1 Bar, 2 Bars, or 4 Bars).
Shaper
- The Shaper device now offers different play modes: Loop, One-shot and Manual. In the Manual mode, the adjusted shape can be scrolled through back and forth with a dial, while the One-shot mode offers a mappable button to trigger the Shape once.
Scale
- If there is an active clip in the track containing the device, Scale's parameters now follow the clip’s Root Note and Scale Name settings.
- When following the song or clip scale, the effective scale and root note are indicated in the Base and Scale name choosers.
- Added info text for the Scale Name chooser and Transpose knob.
Other Device Improvements
- Drum Rack return chains can now be reordered.
- When selecting two or more chains within a Drum, Instrument, Audio Effect, or MIDI Effect Rack, the parameters of the selected chains can be altered at the same time.
- Improved delay time calculations in the Echo device, which ensures more consistent and reliable sound effects.
- Removed the MPE label from the title bars of the following devices: Electric, Simpler, Sampler, Wavetable as all Live instruments can now support MPE.
Device View
- Audio and MIDI signal meters in the Device View are now taller, making them significantly easier to read.
- Added a background and rounded corners to device drop areas.
- When adding an audio effect to a device chain in which there are no instruments present, there is now an additional audio meter visible on the right side of the instrument drop area.
- Device chain input meters are now displayed on the separator between the Info View and Device View if the Info View is open.
- Device chain input meters are now displayed on the leftmost edge of the Device View if the Info View is closed.
Interface
- Added a Resync External Hardware option for sending resync messages to clock-synced hardware. When Sync is enabled for a device, you can set the resync behavior using the drop-down menu in the MIDI port’s output via the Link, Tempo & MIDI Preferences. In the same Preferences page, you can also enable the Show Resync Button, which will then display a Resync External Hardware indicator in Live’s Control Bar.
- Added a Playback menu, which contains commands related to playback and recording.
- The Master Track was renamed to "Main Track", and the Master routing target was renamed to "Main".
- The View menu now has a Scene Tempo and Time Signature entry, which shows or hides scene tempo and time signature values in the Main Track.
- Live's demo Set can now be loaded using the new Load Demo Set entry in the Help menu.
- Using the "Insert Empty MIDI Clips" command in the Create menu or in the context menu for multiple selected empty clip slots (Session View) or multiple selected empty MIDI track lanes (Arrangement View) now creates multiple empty MIDI clips.
- You can now freeze and flatten tracks in a single step using the new "Freeze and Flatten Track" command. This command can be found in the Edit menu, or the right-click context menu of a Track Title Bar.
- The "Track Delay" option in the View menu was renamed to "Track Options". When opened, Track Options still features the Track Delay control, as well as a new Keep Latency button. When Keep Latency is on with monitoring active, the recording reflects the monitoring latency. When Keep Latency is off, Live no longer uses the monitoring latency in the recording. When monitoring is off, the Keep Latency control is disabled. If recording two tracks with monitoring enabled at the same time, one with Keep Latency on, and one with Keep Latency off, the former will show the recorded audio later on the timeline.
- Return tracks can now be copied, pasted, duplicated, and reordered.
- Switching between the Session View and Arrangement View when dragging a clip to the respective view selector button now happens immediately in the second window.
- When selecting a clip or time selection in Session or Arrangement View, the content in the track will remain selected when switching between Session and Arrangement. This means that the track highlighting will stay with the expected track when moving between views.
- Holding down the mouse-wheel now pans views in Live, such as the Arrangement View, Session View, or any scrollable area.
- Resetting a value to its default by either double-clicking on a slider or pressing the Delete key is now possible in more places in Live.
- If an audio device selected in the Preferences doesn't open correctly, the audio device chooser will now preserve the selection instead of reverting to the last used device.
- Live’s Splash, About and Welcome screens now feature a new look.
- The list of tabs in Live's Preferences is now named the Preference Page Chooser.
- The Look/Feel Preferences have been split into two new tabs: Display/Language/Input and Theme/Colors. The Theme/Color Preferences contain a new section called Theme, which can be used to set Live’s theme, as well as adjust the theme’s color tone and contrast. There is also an option to “Follow System” which will set Live’s theme based on the system’s currently selected light/dark mode preference.
- Live's title bar now uses the Colors system setting for light/dark mode on Windows 10 and 11.
- Inactive controls in Live’s Control Bar now use the same foreground color.
- On macOS, when viewing an existing Live Set, the main window now shows an icon that represents the document. You can right-click on the icon to reveal the directory path for the Live Set.
- The project name has been removed from the title bar.
- Live's default Set now has the Cue Out volume set to -6 dB.
- Replaced the link in the Help menu that points to Ableton's homepage with one that points to Ableton's Help page.
- Added a link to ableton.com to the Help View’s front page.
- Help View's Table of Contents has been updated for Live 12.
- Updated the What’s New lesson to include new Live 12 features. The lesson will be updated and expanded throughout the beta phase.
- Updated software texts in various areas of Live.
Max for Live
- Updated the bundled Max build to version 8.6.0.
- Max is now started during the splash screen loading process when opening Live.
- Introduced live.modulate~ object, which allows users to modulate Live parameters from within Max for Live.
- Introduced live.map object, designed to make it simpler to retrieve the name, Live API ID and Live Object Modal path of parameters. The object is intended to simplify patches that obtain information about parameters through clicking interactions.
- Using Live to open the Max editor no longer opens the in-app Max Tour.
- Max no longer checks for updates when using Live to open the Max editor.
- Introduced support for the @normalized attribute in live.remote~ object.
- The Live Object Model paths of the following items can now be obtained via their context menus:
- clip slots
- Session clips
- Arrangement clips
- tracks
- scenes
- devices
- device parameters
- Rack chains
- Drum Rack pads
- The Live Object Model paths of the following items can now be copied via their context menus:
- track
- scene
- session clip slot
- session clip
- arrangement clip
- device
- device parameter
- device rack chain/drum chain
- drumpad
- mixer device/volume
- mixer device/panning
- mixer device/left split stereo
- mixer device/right split stereo
- mixer device/track activator
- mixer device/sends
- chain mixer device/chain_activator
- chain mixer device/panning
Mixer Improvements
- The overall design of the mixer has been updated to improve visibility:
- Mixer faders now have larger handles, which have also been moved to the left of the meters. The dB values remain on the right of the meters.
- The meters now provide better contrast and have rounded corners.
- The maximum possible height for the mixer panel has been increased.
- The meter gradient was overhauled and now shows a gradient starting at -16 dB towards 0 dB to have better visual guidance in this critical area of mixing.
- The meter ballistics for peak and RMS metering have been improved.
- Mouse handling has been improved in order to avoid sudden volume jumps.
- A toggle that opens/closes the mixer in Session or Arrangement View has been added to the Status Bar. Next to the toggle, there is a drop-down menu that can be used to select which areas of the mixer to display, e.g., In/Out, Sends, and so on. The enabled areas are stored with the individual view, rather than being linked across Session and Arrangement.
- Added a 6-pixel-high stripe that mirrors the track color to the bottom of the mixing area in order to help with navigation and track identification.
Push 1 and 2
- Push 2 will now use the same technology as Push 3, instead of using a remote script. This introduces some UI changes to Push 2. It is possible to force the use of the remote script by adding the option -Push2UseLegacyScript to Live's Options.txt file.
- Changing probability values of grouped notes from Push 2 will affect all notes in that group and the grouped value in Live.
- Added tuning system support for Push 1. When a tuning system is active, the note layout is adjusted accordingly. In this mode, the additional scale controls are disabled and only a Layout option is available in the Scales menu.
Push 3
- The Load Previous and Load Next actions are now assigned to the lower display buttons instead of the upper display buttons.
- The Preview button and text now change color depending on whether Preview is active or not.
- Push 3 supports the newly introduced tuning systems. When a tuning system is loaded in Live, Push’s pads and interface will update to reflect the change:
- When using no tuning system or a tuning system with twelve notes with identical intervals between adjacent notes (equal temperament), the full Scales menu is available.
- When using a tuning system with twelve notes with differing intervals between adjacent notes (non-equal temperament), the root note selector is not available in the Scales menu.
- When using a tuning system that is not built with twelve notes, the Scales menu is displayed in the same way as before for all tuning systems: with one list for configuring the interval between rows in semitones.
- The Layout control has more options to help suit the different needs of different systems. Adjust this control to change the number of semitones each row is offset from the one below it. For example, if
- Layout is set to 5st the first pad will be pitch 1, then the pad above it will be pitch 6, and the pad above that will be pitch 11, and so on.
- In Melodic mode, Push's pads will display the root note of the system in the track color, and all other notes of the system in white.
- The sequencers update to indicate the correct pitches in the normal levels of white.
- Note names in Push’s Clip View will be updated to reflect whatever notes are used in a loaded tuning system.
- When Push 3 is set to MPE Expression Mode and Note Pitch Bend is set to Automatic, pitch bend will be disabled if a tuning system is enabled in Live.
- New parameter banks for the Live 12 devices Meld, Roar, and CC Control have been added to Push 3 and 2.
- The Random and Arpeggiator device parameter banks have been updated.
- The Scale parameter in the Random device has been renamed to Interval to match the updated device UI.
- Updated parameter banks for the Scale and Chord MIDI effects.
Session View
- Changed the behavior of moving clips from Session View to Arrangement View:
- Looped clips taken from the same scene will be extended so that they span the same duration as the longest clip in the selection.
- Clips taken from different scenes are ordered sequentially and clips taken from the same scene are aligned vertically so that they also play in the same order in Arrangement as in Session.
- When selecting a track header in Session View, the slot selection is no longer collapsed when the track has a selected slot. This keeps the highlighted track and the device chain in sync with the current clip shown in the Clip View.
- Added a [CTRL][Enter] (Win) / [CMD][Enter] (Mac) keyboard shortcut for triggering the Clip Stop button for all tracks with selected slots. The button will be highlighted when the shortcut is used.
Setup
- A Keep Monitoring Latency in Recorded Audio option has been added to the [right-click](Win) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu of the Monitor radio buttons for each track. This option is enabled by default, but when unchecked, recordings will have the same latency as if recorded with monitoring set to Off, regardless of which monitoring mode is selected.
- Live can now import and export audio files greater than 4 GB (such as .bwf and .rf64 files) by using the ITU Broadcast Wave file format. Please note, however, that Live does not support Sony Digital Pictures Wave64 files, which have the extension .w64.
- When clicking a link to ableton.com from Live, the website now loads in the language set in Live’s Preferences. Previously, the website’s language was based on the web browser’s settings.
Tempo Follower
- When deleting a track containing a clip whose tempo is being followed, the tempo automation is also deleted.
