Ableton 10 PDF

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Ableton Re erence Manual Version 10

for Windows and Mac
Reference Manual by Dennis DeSantis, Michelle Hughes, Ian Gallagher, Kevin Haywood, Rose
Knudsen, Gerhard Behles, Jakob Rang, Robert Henke, Torsten Slama.
Schönhauser Allee 6-7 | 10119 Berlin, Germany

Contact Support: www.ableton.com/support/contact
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Copyright 2018 Ableton AG. All rights reserved. Made in Germany.
This manual, as well as the software described in it, is furnished under license and may be used or copied only in accor-
dance with the terms of such license. The content of this manual is furnished for informational use only, is subject to change
without notice, and should not be construed as a commitment by Ableton. Every effort has been made to ensure that the
information in this manual is accurate. Ableton assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may
appear in this book.
Except as permitted by such license, no part of this publication may be reproduced, edited, stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permis-
sion of Ableton.
Ableton, the Ableton Logo, the Live logo are trademarks of Ableton AG. Apple, Finder, GarageBand, Mac, Macintosh,
macOS, OS X and QuickTime are trademarks of Apple Inc, registered in the U.S. and other countries. Windows is a reg-
istered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries. Intel is a registered trademark of Intel
Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. SONiVOX is the brand name trademark of Sonic
Network, Inc. VST and ASIO are trademarks and software of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH. ReWire, Recycle and
REX2 are trademarks of Propellerhead Software AB. All other product and company names are trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective holders.
Content provided by:
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Chocolate Audio — www.chocolateaudio.com
Puremagnetik — www.puremagnetik.com
Cycling ‘74 — www.cycling74.com
SonArte — www.sonarte.ca
e-instruments — www.e-instruments.com
Zero-G — www.zero-g.co.uk
Goldbaby — www.goldbaby.co.nz
Sample Magic — www.samplemagic.com
Soniccouture — www.soniccouture.com
Loopmasters — www.loopmasters.com
Uppercussion — www.uppercussion.com
Physical Modeling technology provided by:
Applied Acoustics Systems — www.applied-acoustics.com
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Contents
Welcome to Live 21
1.1 The Ableton Team Says: Thank You ……………………………………………………………………21
1.2 What’s New in Live 10? …………………………………………………………………………………21
1.2.1 Device Additions and Improvements ........................................................................21
1.2.2 Capture MIDI ............................................................................................................ 22
1.2.3 Multi-Clip Editing ...................................................................................................... 22
1.2.4 Nested Group Tracks ................................................................................................ 23
1.2.5 Arrangement Editing Improvements ......................................................................... 23
1.2.6 Automation Improvements ........................................................................................ 24
1.2.7 Navigation Improvements ........................................................................................ 24
1.2.8 Mixing Improvements ............................................................................................... 25
1.2.9 Browser Improvements .............................................................................................. 25
1.2.10 Setup Improvements .................................................................................................. 26
1.2.11 Inter ace Improvements ............................................................................................ 26
1.2.12 File Handling Improvements ..................................................................................... 27
1.2.13 Max or Live Updates ............................................................................................... 28
1.2.14 Push Device Visualizations ....................................................................................... 28
1.2.15 Push Note Layouts ..................................................................................................... 28
1.2.16 Push MIDI Clip Mode ............................................................................................... 29
1.2.17 Additional Push Improvements ................................................................................. 29
First Steps 31
2.1 Learn About Live ……………………………………………………………………………………………31
2.1.1 Using the In o View and Index ..................................................................................31
2.2 Setting up Pre erences ………………………………………………………………………………… 32
2.3 The Main Live Screen …………………………………………………………………………………… 33
Authorizing Live 37
3.1 Copy Protection FAQs ………………………………………………………………………………… 37
3.1.1 Can I Use Live or Other Ableton Products Without a Serial Number? ................. 37
3.1.2 What i I Change My Computer’s Components? ................................................... 38
3.1.3 Can I Authorize Live More than Once?................................................................... 38
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3.1.4 Can I Play my Set rom a Computer That Is Not Authorized?................................ 38

3.1.5 What Do I Do About Problems or Questions Regarding Copy Protection? ......... 39
Live Concepts 41
4.1 The Browser …………………………………………………………………………………………………41
4.2 Live Sets …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 42
4.3 Arrangement and Session …………………………………………………………………………… 42
4.4 Tracks ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 43
4.5 Audio and MIDI ………………………………………………………………………………………… 46
4.6 Audio Clips and Samples ……………………………………………………………………………… 46
4.7 MIDI Clips and MIDI Files …………………………………………………………………………… 48
4.8 Devices and the Mixer ………………………………………………………………………………… 48
4.9 Presets and Racks ………………………………………………………………………………………… 52
4.10 Routing ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 52
4.11 Recording New Clips …………………………………………………………………………………… 53
4.12 Automation Envelopes ………………………………………………………………………………… 54
4.13 Clip Envelopes …………………………………………………………………………………………… 55
4.14 MIDI and Key Remote ………………………………………………………………………………… 56
4.15 Saving and Exporting ………………………………………………………………………………… 57
Managing Files and Sets 59

5.1 Working with the Browser …………………………………………………………………………… 59
5.1.1 Understanding the Browser’s Hierarchy .................................................................. 60
5.1.2 Downloading and Installing Packs in the Browser.................................................. 64
5.1.3 User Folders ............................................................................................................... 67
5.1.4 Searching or Files ..................................................................................................... 68
5.2 Sample Files ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 72
5.2.1 The Decoding Cache .................................................................................................73
5.2.2 Analysis Files (.asd) ....................................................................................................73
5.2.3 Exporting Audio and Video.......................................................................................74
5.3 MIDI Files ……………………………………………………………………………………………………81
5.3.1 Exporting MIDI Files ................................................................................................. 82
5.4 Live Clips …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 82
5.5 Live Sets …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 83
5.5.1 Creating, Opening and Saving Sets ....................................................................... 83
5.5.2 Merging Sets ............................................................................................................. 84
5.5.3 Exporting Session Clips as New Sets ...................................................................... 86
5.5.4 Template Sets ............................................................................................................. 86
5.5.5 Viewing and Changing a Live Set’s File Re erences ............................................... 87
5.6 Live Projects ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 88
5.6.1 Projects and Live Sets ................................................................................................ 89
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5.6.2 Projects and Presets ................................................................................................... 92

5.6.3 Managing Files in a Project ...................................................................................... 92
5.7 Locating Missing Files ………………………………………………………………………………… 92
5.7.1 Manual Repair .......................................................................................................... 93
5.7.2 Automatic Repair ....................................................................................................... 93
5.8 Collecting External Files ……………………………………………………………………………… 95
5.8.1 Collect Files on Export .............................................................................................. 96
5.9 Aggregated Locating and Collecting ……………………………………………………………… 97
5.10 Finding Unused Files …………………………………………………………………………………… 97
5.11 Packing Projects into Packs …………………………………………………………………………… 98
5.12 File Management FAQs ……………………………………………………………………………… 98
5.12.1 How Do I Create a Project? ..................................................................................... 98
5.12.2 How Can I Save Presets Into My Current Project? ................................................. 99
5.12.3 Can I Work On Multiple Versions o a Set? ............................................................ 99
5.12.4 Where Should I Save My Live Sets? ........................................................................ 99
5.12.5 Can I Use My Own Folder Structure Within a Project Folder? .............................. 99
Arrangement View 101

6.1 Navigation ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 101
6.2 Transport …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 103
6.3 Launching the Arrangement with Locators ……………………………………………………… 105
6.4 Time Signature Changes ……………………………………………………………………………… 106
6.5 The Arrangement Loop ………………………………………………………………………………… 108
6.6 Moving and Resizing Clips …………………………………………………………………………… 110
6.7 Audio Clip Fades and Cross ades ………………………………………………………………… 110
6.8 Selecting Clips and Time ……………………………………………………………………………… 113
6.9 Using the Editing Grid ………………………………………………………………………………… 114
6.10 Using the ...Time Commands ………………………………………………………………………… 115
6.11 Splitting Clips ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 116
6.12 Consolidating Clips ……………………………………………………………………………………… 117
Session View 119

7.1 Session View Clips ……………………………………………………………………………………… 119
7.2 Tracks and Scenes ……………………………………………………………………………………… 121
7.3 The Track Status Fields ………………………………………………………………………………… 123
7.4 Setting Up the Session View Grid …………………………………………………………………… 124
7.4.1 Select on Launch ......................................................................................................125
7.4.2 Removing Clip Stop Buttons ....................................................................................126
7.4.3 Editing Scenes ..........................................................................................................126
7.5 Recording Sessions into the Arrangement ………………………………………………………… 126
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Clip View 131

8.1 The Clip Box ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 134
8.1.1 Clip Activator Switch ................................................................................................134
8.1.2 Clip Name and Color ............................................................................................. 135
8.1.3 Clip Signature .......................................................................................................... 135
8.1.4 Clip Groove Chooser ............................................................................................. 135
8.1.5 Clip O set and Nudging ........................................................................................ 136
8.2 The Sample Box ………………………………………………………………………………………… 137
8.2.1 Warp Controls ..........................................................................................................137
8.2.2 Sample Loop/Region and Display ........................................................................ 138
8.2.3 Clip Pitch and Gain ................................................................................................. 144
8.2.4 Destructive Sample Editing ..................................................................................... 144
8.2.5 Saving De ault Clip Settings with the Sample ....................................................... 145
8.2.6 High Quality Interpolation ..................................................................................... 145
8.2.7 Clip Start and End Fades ........................................................................................ 146
8.2.8 Clip RAM Mode ...................................................................................................... 147
8.2.9 Reversing Samples .................................................................................................. 147
8.2.10 Cropping Audio Clips ............................................................................................. 148
8.2.11 Replacing and Editing the Sample ......................................................................... 148
8.3 The Notes Box …………………………………………………………………………………………… 149
8.3.1 Trans orm Tools ........................................................................................................ 149
8.3.2 Bank and Program Change .................................................................................... 150
8.3.3 MIDI Loop/Region ..................................................................................................151
8.4 Clip De aults and Update Rate ……………………………………………………………………… 151
Audio Clips, Tempo, and Warping 153

9.1 Tempo ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 153
9.1.1 Setting the Tempo .................................................................................................... 153
9.1.2 Tapping the Tempo .................................................................................................. 154
9.1.3 Nudging the Tempo ................................................................................................ 155
9.2 Time-Warping Samples ……………………………………………………………………………… 155
9.2.1 Tempo Master/Slave.............................................................................................. 156
9.2.2 Warp Markers ......................................................................................................... 157
9.2.3 Using Warp Markers .............................................................................................. 159
9.2.4 Quantizing Audio.................................................................................................... 165
9.3 Adjusting or Good Stretching Quality …………………………………………………………… 165
9.3.1 Beats Mode ............................................................................................................. 166
9.3.2 Tones Mode ............................................................................................................. 167
9.3.3 Texture Mode........................................................................................................... 167
9.3.4 Re-Pitch Mode ......................................................................................................... 167
9.3.5 Complex Mode ....................................................................................................... 167
9.3.6 Complex Pro Mode ................................................................................................ 168
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9.3.7 REX Mode ................................................................................................................ 168
Editing MIDI Notes and Velocities 171

10.1 Creating an Empty MIDI Clip ………………………………………………………………………… 171
10.2 The MIDI Editor …………………………………………………………………………………………… 172
10.3 MIDI Editor Navigation and Transport …………………………………………………………… 174
10.4 Editing MIDI ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 176
10.4.1 Non-Destructive Editing ...........................................................................................176
10.4.2 Folding and Looping ................................................................................................176
10.4.3 Grid Snapping......................................................................................................... 178
10.4.4 Editing Notes ........................................................................................................... 178
10.4.5 Changing Note Length ........................................................................................... 180
10.4.6 The ...Time Commands in the MIDI Editor ............................................................. 180
10.4.7 Quantizing Notes.................................................................................................... 180
10.4.8 Editing Velocities ......................................................................................................181
10.4.9 MIDI Note Stretch ................................................................................................... 184
10.4.10 Cropping MIDI Clips .............................................................................................. 185
10.4.11 Deactivating Notes ................................................................................................. 185
10.4.12 The Trans orm Tools ................................................................................................. 185
10.5 Multi-Clip Editing ………………………………………………………………………………………… 185
10.5.1 Editing in the Session View ..................................................................................... 186
10.5.2 Editing in the Arrangement View ............................................................................ 187
Converting Audio to MIDI 189

11.1 Slice to New MIDI Track ……………………………………………………………………………… 189
11.1.1 Resequencing Slices .................................................................................................191
11.1.2 Using E ects on Slices .............................................................................................191
11.2 Convert Harmony to New MIDI Track …………………………………………………………… 192
11.3 Convert Melody to New MIDI Track ……………………………………………………………… 192
11.4 Convert Drums to New MIDI Track ………………………………………………………………… 193
11.5 Optimizing or Better Conversion Quality………………………………………………………… 193
Using Grooves 195

12.1 Groove Pool ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 196
12.1.1 Adjusting Groove Parameters ................................................................................ 197
12.1.2 Committing Grooves ............................................................................................... 198
12.2 Editing Grooves ………………………………………………………………………………………… 199
12.2.1 Extracting Grooves.................................................................................................. 199
12.3 Groove Tips ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 199
12.3.1 Grooving a Single Voice ........................................................................................200
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12.3.2 Non-Destructive Quantization ...............................................................................200

12.3.3 Creating Texture With Randomization ...................................................................200
Launching Clips 201

13.1 The Launch Box …………………………………………………………………………………………… 201
13.2 Launch Modes …………………………………………………………………………………………… 202
13.3 Clip Launch Quantization……………………………………………………………………………… 203
13.4 Velocity ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 203
13.5 Legato Mode ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 204
13.6 Follow Actions …………………………………………………………………………………………… 205
13.6.1 Looping Parts o a Clip ...........................................................................................206
13.6.2 Creating Cycles ....................................................................................................... 207
13.6.3 Temporarily Looping Clips ...................................................................................... 207
13.6.4 Adding Variations in Sync ......................................................................................208
13.6.5 Mixing up Melodies and Beats ..............................................................................208
13.6.6 Creating Nonrepetitive Structures ..........................................................................209
Routing and I/O 211

14.1 Monitoring ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 212
14.2 External Audio In/Out ………………………………………………………………………………… 213
14.2.1 Mono/Stereo Conversions .....................................................................................214
14.3 External MIDI In/Out ………………………………………………………………………………… 214
14.3.1 The MIDI Ports List in the Pre erences ......................................................................214
14.3.2 Playing MIDI With the Computer Keyboard .......................................................... 215
14.3.3 Connecting External Synthesizers ...........................................................................215
14.3.4 MIDI In/Out Indicators ...........................................................................................216
14.4 ReWire Slave Routing ………………………………………………………………………………… 217
14.5 Resampling ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 218
14.6 Internal Routings ………………………………………………………………………………………… 219
14.6.1 Internal Routing Points ............................................................................................. 220
14.6.2 Making Use o Internal Routing ............................................................................. 222
Mixing 231
15.1 The Live Mixer …………………………………………………………………………………………… 231
15.1.1 Session Mixer Features ........................................................................................... 234
15.2 Audio and MIDI Tracks ………………………………………………………………………………… 235
15.3 Group Tracks ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 236
15.4 Return Tracks and the Master Track ………………………………………………………………… 238
15.5 Using Live’s Cross ader ………………………………………………………………………………… 239
15.6 Soloing and Cueing …………………………………………………………………………………… 242
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15.7 Track Delays ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 244
Recording New Clips 245

16.1 Choosing an Input ……………………………………………………………………………………… 245
16.2 Arming (Record-Enabling) Tracks …………………………………………………………………… 246
16.3 Recording ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 247
16.3.1 Recording Into the Arrangement ............................................................................ 247
16.3.2 Recording Into Session Slots ...................................................................................248
16.3.3 Overdub Recording MIDI Patterns ........................................................................250
16.3.4 MIDI Step Recording .............................................................................................. 251
16.4 Recording in Sync ……………………………………………………………………………………… 252
16.4.1 Metronome Settings ................................................................................................253
16.5 Recording Quantized MIDI Notes ………………………………………………………………… 254
16.6 Recording with Count-in ……………………………………………………………………………… 254
16.7 Setting up File Types …………………………………………………………………………………… 255
16.8 Where are the Recorded Samples? ………………………………………………………………… 255
16.9 Using Remote Control or Recording ……………………………………………………………… 255
16.10 Capturing MIDI …………………………………………………………………………………………… 257
16.10.1 Starting a New Live Set .......................................................................................... 257
16.10.2 Adding Material to an Existing Live Set ................................................................258
Working with Instruments and E ects 259

17.1 Using the Live Devices ………………………………………………………………………………… 261
17.1.1 Live Device Presets ..................................................................................................264
17.2 Using Plug-Ins …………………………………………………………………………………………… 270
17.2.1 Plug-Ins in the Device View .....................................................................................271
17.3 VST Plug-Ins ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 275
17.3.1 The VST Plug-In Folder ............................................................................................ 275
17.3.2 VST Presets and Banks ............................................................................................ 277
17.4 Audio Units Plug-Ins …………………………………………………………………………………… 278
17.5 Device Delay Compensation ………………………………………………………………………… 279
Instrument, Drum and E ect Racks 281

18.1 An Overview o Racks ………………………………………………………………………………… 282
18.1.1 Signal Flow and Parallel Device Chains ............................................................... 282
18.1.2 Macro Controls .......................................................................................................283
18.2 Creating Racks …………………………………………………………………………………………… 283
18.3 Looking at Racks ………………………………………………………………………………………… 284
18.4 Chain List …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 286
18.4.1 Auto Select ............................................................................................................... 287
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18.5 Zones ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 288

18.5.1 Signal Flow through Zones .....................................................................................288
18.5.2 Key Zones ................................................................................................................289
18.5.3 Velocity Zones .........................................................................................................290
18.5.4 Chain Select Zones .................................................................................................290
18.6 Drum Racks ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 292
18.6.1 Pad View .................................................................................................................. 294
18.7 Using the Macro Controls …………………………………………………………………………… 296
18.8 Mixing With Racks ……………………………………………………………………………………… 297
18.8.1 Extracting Chains ....................................................................................................298
Automation and Editing Envelopes 301

19.1 Recording Automation in Arrangement View …………………………………………………… 301
19.2 Recording Automation in Session View …………………………………………………………… 302
19.2.1 Session Automation Recording Modes .................................................................304
19.3 Deleting Automation …………………………………………………………………………………… 304
19.4 Overriding Automation ………………………………………………………………………………… 304
19.5 Drawing and Editing Automation ……………………………………………………………………305
19.5.1 Drawing Envelopes ................................................................................................. 307
19.5.2 Editing Breakpoints..................................................................................................308
19.5.3 Locking Envelopes ....................................................................................................310
19.5.4 Edit Menu Commands .............................................................................................310
19.5.5 Editing the Tempo Automation................................................................................. 311
Clip Envelopes 313

20.1 The Clip Envelope Editor ……………………………………………………………………………… 313
20.2 Audio Clip Envelopes …………………………………………………………………………………… 315
20.2.1 Clip Envelopes are Non-Destructive ......................................................................315
20.2.2 Changing Pitch and Tuning per Note .....................................................................315
20.2.3 Muting or Attenuating Notes in a Sample .............................................................316
20.2.4 Scrambling Beats .....................................................................................................317
20.2.5 Using Clips as Templates .........................................................................................318
20.3 Mixer and Device Clip Envelopes ………………………………………………………………… 318
20.3.1 Modulating Mixer Volumes and Sends ..................................................................319
20.3.2 Modulating Pan ....................................................................................................... 320
20.3.3 Modulating Device Controls .................................................................................. 320
20.4 MIDI Controller Clip Envelopes ……………………………………………………………………… 320
20.5 Unlinking Clip Envelopes From Clips ……………………………………………………………… 321
20.5.1 Programming a Fade-Out or a Live Set .................................................................321
20.5.2 Creating Long Loops rom Short Loops ................................................................. 322
20.5.3 Imposing Rhythm Patterns onto Samples ............................................................... 323
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20.5.4 Clip Envelopes as LFOs .......................................................................................... 324

20.5.5 Warping Linked Envelopes ..................................................................................... 324
Working with Video 325

21.1 Importing Video ………………………………………………………………………………………… 325
21.2 The Appearance o Video in Live …………………………………………………………………… 326
21.2.1 Video Clips in the Arrangement View .................................................................... 326
21.2.2 The Video Window ................................................................................................. 327
21.2.3 Clip View ................................................................................................................. 327
21.3 Matching Sound to Video …………………………………………………………………………… 328
21.4 Video Trimming Tricks …………………………………………………………………………………… 329
Live Audio E ect Re erence 333

22.1 Amp ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 333
22.1.1 Amp Tips .................................................................................................................. 335
22.2 Auto Filter ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 336
22.3 Auto Pan …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 339
22.4 Beat Repeat ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 340
22.5 Cabinet ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 342
22.5.1 Cabinet Tips .............................................................................................................343
22.6 Chorus ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 344
22.7 Compressor ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 345
22.7.1 Sidechain Parameters ............................................................................................. 349
22.7.2 Compression Tips ....................................................................................................350
22.7.3 Upgrading rom Legacy Mode .............................................................................. 351
22.8 Corpus ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 352
22.9 Drum Buss ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 356
22.10 Dynamic Tube …………………………………………………………………………………………… 358
22.11 Echo ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 359
22.11.1 Echo Tab ..................................................................................................................360
22.11.2 Modulation Tab ....................................................................................................... 361
22.11.3 Character Tab ..........................................................................................................362
22.11.4 Global Controls .......................................................................................................363
22.12 EQ Eight …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 364
22.13 EQ Three …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 367
22.14 Erosion ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 368
22.15 External Audio E ect …………………………………………………………………………………… 369
22.16 Filter Delay ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 370
22.17 Flanger ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 372
22.18 Frequency Shi ter ………………………………………………………………………………………… 373
22.18.1 Frequency Shi ter Tips ............................................................................................. 375
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22.19 Gate ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 376

22.20 Glue Compressor ………………………………………………………………………………………… 378
22.20.1 Sidechain Parameters .............................................................................................380
22.21 Grain Delay ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 381
22.22 Limiter ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 383
22.23 Looper ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 384
22.23.1 Feedback Routing....................................................................................................389
22.24 Multiband Dynamics …………………………………………………………………………………… 389
22.24.1 Dynamics Processing Theory ..................................................................................390
22.24.2 Inter ace and Controls ............................................................................................ 392
22.24.3 Sidechain Parameters ............................................................................................. 394
22.24.4 Multiband Dynamics Tips ....................................................................................... 394
22.25 Overdrive ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 396
22.26 Pedal ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 397
22.26.1 Pedal Tips and Tricks ...............................................................................................399
22.27 Phaser ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 400
22.28 Ping Pong Delay ………………………………………………………………………………………… 401
22.29 Redux ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 403
22.30 Resonators ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 404
22.31 Reverb ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 405
22.31.1 Input Processing.......................................................................................................405
22.31.2 Early Re ections ......................................................................................................406
22.31.3 Global Settings ........................................................................................................406
22.31.4 Di usion Network ...................................................................................................407
22.31.5 Output ......................................................................................................................407
22.32 Saturator …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 408
22.33 Simple Delay ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 410
22.34 Spectrum …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 411
22.35 Tuner ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 413
22.36 Utility ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 415
22.37 Vinyl Distortion …………………………………………………………………………………………… 417
22.38 Vocoder …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 418
22.38.1 Vocoder Tips ............................................................................................................ 420
Live MIDI E ect Re erence 423

23.1 Arpeggiator ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 423
23.1.1 Style and Rate Sections .......................................................................................... 424
23.1.2 Transposition and Velocity Sections ....................................................................... 426
23.2 Chord ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 427
23.3 Note Length ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 428
23.4 Pitch ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 429
23.5 Random ……………………………………………………………………………………………………430
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23.6 Scale ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 431

23.7 Velocity ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 432
Live Instrument Re erence 435

24.1 Analog ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 435
24.1.1 Architecture and Inter ace ......................................................................................436
24.1.2 Oscillators ................................................................................................................437
24.1.3 Noise Generator .....................................................................................................438
24.1.4 Filters ........................................................................................................................439
24.1.5 Amplifers .................................................................................................................440
24.1.6 Envelopes ................................................................................................................. 441
24.1.7 LFOs .........................................................................................................................443
24.1.8 Global Parameters ..................................................................................................444
24.2 Collision …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 446
24.2.2 Excitator Tab ............................................................................................................447
24.2.3 Resonator Tabs ........................................................................................................449
24.2.4 LFO Tab ....................................................................................................................453
24.2.5 MIDI Tab ..................................................................................................................454
24.2.6 Sound Design Tips...................................................................................................456
24.3 Electric ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 457
24.3.2 Mallet Section .........................................................................................................458
24.3.3 Fork Section .............................................................................................................459
24.3.4 Damper Section.......................................................................................................459
24.3.5 Pickup Section .........................................................................................................460
24.3.6 Global Section ........................................................................................................460
24.4 External Instrument ……………………………………………………………………………………… 461
24.5 Impulse ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 463
24.5.1 Sample Slots ............................................................................................................463
24.5.2 Start, Transpose and Stretch ...................................................................................464
24.5.3 Filter ..........................................................................................................................465
24.5.4 Saturator and Envelope ..........................................................................................465
24.5.5 Pan and Volume ......................................................................................................465
24.5.6 Global Controls .......................................................................................................465
24.5.7 Individual Outputs ...................................................................................................466
24.6 Operator …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 466
24.6.1 General Overview ..................................................................................................466
24.6.2 Oscillator Section ....................................................................................................468
24.6.3 LFO Section ............................................................................................................. 471
24.6.4 Envelopes................................................................................................................. 472
24.6.5 Filter Section ............................................................................................................ 474
14
24.6.6 Global Controls ....................................................................................................... 476

24.6.7 Glide and Spread ...................................................................................................477
24.6.8 Strategies or Saving CPU Power ..........................................................................477
24.6.9 Finally... .................................................................................................................... 478
24.6.10 The Complete Parameter List................................................................................... 478
24.7 Sampler ……………………………………………………………………………………………………488
24.7.1 Getting Started with Sampler .................................................................................488
24.7.2 Multisampling ..........................................................................................................488
24.7.3 Title Bar Options ......................................................................................................489
24.7.4 Sampler’s Tabs......................................................................................................... 491
24.7.5 The Zone Tab ........................................................................................................... 491
24.7.6 The Sample Tab .......................................................................................................498
24.7.7 The Pitch/Osc Tab ...................................................................................................505
24.7.8 The Filter/Global Tab .............................................................................................507
24.7.9 The Modulation Tab .................................................................................................510
24.7.10 The MIDI Tab ............................................................................................................513
24.7.11 Importing Third-Party Multisamples ........................................................................514
24.8 Simpler ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 514
24.8.1 Playback Modes ......................................................................................................516
24.8.2 Warp Controls ..........................................................................................................521
24.8.3 Filter .......................................................................................................................... 522
24.8.4 Envelopes................................................................................................................. 524
24.8.5 LFO ........................................................................................................................... 525
24.8.6 Global Parameters .................................................................................................. 526
24.8.7 Context Menu Options ........................................................................................... 527
24.8.8 Strategies or Saving CPU Power .......................................................................... 528
24.9 Tension ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 529
24.9.1 Architecture and Inter ace ...................................................................................... 529
24.9.2 String Tab .................................................................................................................530
24.9.3 Filter/Global Tab ....................................................................................................537
24.9.4 Sound Design Tips...................................................................................................540
24.10 Wavetable ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 541
24.10.1 Wavetable Synthesis ............................................................................................... 541
24.10.2 Oscillators ................................................................................................................ 542
24.10.3 Sub Oscillator ..........................................................................................................543
24.10.4 Filters ........................................................................................................................544
24.10.5 Matrix Tab................................................................................................................545
24.10.6 Mod Sources Tab .................................................................................................... 547
24.10.7 MIDI Tab ..................................................................................................................550
24.10.8 Global and Unison Controls ..................................................................................550
15
Max or Live 553

25.1 Using Max or Live Devices …………………………………………………………………………… 553
25.2 Editing Max or Live Devices ………………………………………………………………………… 554
25.3 Max Dependencies …………………………………………………………………………………… 555
25.4 Learning Max Programming …………………………………………………………………………556
Max or Live Devices 557

26.1 Max or Live Instruments ……………………………………………………………………………… 557
26.1.1 DS Clang .................................................................................................................557
26.1.2 DS Clap ...................................................................................................................558
26.1.3 DS Cymbal ..............................................................................................................559
26.1.4 DS FM ......................................................................................................................560
26.1.5 DS HH ...................................................................................................................... 561
26.1.6 DS Kick .....................................................................................................................562
26.1.7 DS Sampler ..............................................................................................................563
26.1.8 DS Snare ..................................................................................................................564
26.1.9 DS Tom .....................................................................................................................565
26.2 Max or Live Audio E ects …………………………………………………………………………… 566
26.2.1 Envelope Follower...................................................................................................566
26.2.2 LFO ...........................................................................................................................567
26.2.3 Shaper ......................................................................................................................568
26.3 Max or Live MIDI E ects ……………………………………………………………………………… 569
26.3.1 Envelope ..................................................................................................................569
26.3.2 Expression Control ................................................................................................. 571
26.3.3 Note Echo ................................................................................................................ 572
MIDI and Key Remote Control 573

27.1 MIDI Remote Control …………………………………………………………………………………… 573
27.1.1 Natively Supported Control Sur aces ................................................................... 574
27.1.2 Manual Control Sur ace Setup .............................................................................. 576
27.1.3 Takeover Mode .......................................................................................................577
27.2 The Mapping Browser ………………………………………………………………………………… 578
27.2.1 Assigning MIDI Remote Control ............................................................................. 578
27.2.2 Mapping to MIDI Notes ......................................................................................... 579
27.2.3 Mapping to Absolute MIDI Controllers .................................................................580
27.2.4 Mapping to Relative MIDI Controllers ..................................................................580
27.2.5 Computer Keyboard Remote Control ....................................................................583
Using Push 585

28.1 Setup ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 586
16
28.2 Browsing and Loading Sounds ………………………………………………………………………586

28.3 Playing and Programming Beats ……………………………………………………………………588
28.3.1 Loop Selector...........................................................................................................588
28.3.2 16 Velocities Mode .................................................................................................590
28.3.3 64-Pad Mode .........................................................................................................590
28.3.4 Loading Individual Drums ....................................................................................... 591
28.3.5 Step Sequencing Beats ...........................................................................................592
28.3.6 Real-time Recording ................................................................................................ 594
28.3.7 Fixed Length Recording ..........................................................................................596
28.4 Additional Recording Options ……………………………………………………………………… 598
28.4.1 Recording with Repeat ............................................................................................598
28.4.2 Quantizing ...............................................................................................................599
28.5 Playing Melodies and Harmonies ………………………………………………………………… 600
28.5.1 Playing in Other Keys..............................................................................................602
28.6 Step Sequencing Melodies and Harmonies …………………………………………………… 604
28.6.1 Adjusting the Loop Length.......................................................................................606
28.7 Melodic Sequencer + 32 Notes ……………………………………………………………………608
28.7.1 32 Notes ..................................................................................................................608
28.7.2 Sequencer ................................................................................................................609
28.8 Navigating in Note Mode …………………………………………………………………………… 610
28.9 Controlling Live’s Instruments and E ects ………………………………………………………… 611
28.10 Mixing with Push ………………………………………………………………………………………… 612
28.11 Recording Automation ………………………………………………………………………………… 614
28.12 Step Sequencing Automation ………………………………………………………………………… 615
28.12.1 Note-Specifc Parameters .......................................................................................615
28.12.2 Per-Step Automation ................................................................................................616
28.13 Controlling Live’s Session View ……………………………………………………………………… 617
28.13.1 Session Overview ....................................................................................................618
28.14 Setting User Pre erences ……………………………………………………………………………… 619
28.15 Push Control Re erence ………………………………………………………………………………… 622
Using Push 2 635

29.1 Setup ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 636
29.2 Browsing and Loading Sounds ………………………………………………………………………636
29.3 Playing and Programming Beats ……………………………………………………………………640
29.3.1 Loop Selector ..........................................................................................................640
29.3.2 16 Velocities Mode ................................................................................................. 642
29.3.3 64-Pad Mode .........................................................................................................643
29.3.4 Loading Individual Drums .......................................................................................643
29.3.5 Step Sequencing Beats ...........................................................................................647
29.3.6 Real-time Recording ................................................................................................650
29.3.7 Fixed Length Recording ..........................................................................................652
17
29.4 Additional Recording Options ………………………………………………………………………653

29.4.1 Recording with Repeat ............................................................................................653
29.4.2 Quantizing ...............................................................................................................654
29.4.3 Arrangement Recording..........................................................................................655
29.5 Playing Melodies and Harmonies ………………………………………………………………… 656
29.5.1 Playing in Other Keys..............................................................................................658
29.6 Step Sequencing Melodies and Harmonies …………………………………………………… 660
29.6.1 Adjusting the Loop Length....................................................................................... 661
29.7 Melodic Sequencer + 32 Notes ……………………………………………………………………663
29.7.1 32 Notes ..................................................................................................................664
29.7.2 Sequencer ................................................................................................................664
29.8 Working with Samples ………………………………………………………………………………… 666
29.8.1 Classic Playback Mode ..........................................................................................668
29.8.2 One-Shot Mode...................................................................................................... 670
29.8.3 Slicing Mode ........................................................................................................... 671
29.9 Navigating in Note Mode …………………………………………………………………………… 674
29.10 Working With Instruments and E ects …………………………………………………………… 675
29.10.1 Adding, Deleting, and Reordering Devices ..........................................................677
29.10.2 Working with Racks ................................................................................................ 678
29.11 Track Control And Mixing …………………………………………………………………………… 680
29.11.1 Rack and Group Track Mixing ...............................................................................683
29.12 Recording Automation ………………………………………………………………………………… 685
29.13 Step Sequencing Automation …………………………………………………………………………686
29.14 Clip Mode ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 686
29.14.1 Using MIDI Tracks in Clip Mode ...........................................................................688
29.14.2 Real-Time Playing Layouts ......................................................................................689
29.14.3 Sequencing Layouts ................................................................................................689
29.14.4 Note-Specifc Parameters ...................................................................................... 691
29.15 Controlling Live’s Session View ……………………………………………………………………… 692
29.15.1 Session Overview ...................................................................................................694
29.16 Setup Menu ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 694
29.17 Push 2 Control Re erence ……………………………………………………………………………… 697
Link, Synchronization, and ReWire 705

30.1 Setting up Link …………………………………………………………………………………………… 705
30.2 Using Link ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 706
30.3 Synchronizing via MIDI………………………………………………………………………………… 708
30.3.1 Synchronizing External MIDI Devices to Live .......................................................708
30.3.2 Synchronizing Live to External MIDI Devices .......................................................709
30.3.3 Sync Delay................................................................................................................710
30.4 Connecting via ReWire ………………………………………………………………………………… 710
30.4.1 Running Live in ReWire Master Mode .................................................................... 711
18
30.4.2 Running Live in ReWire Slave Mode ...................................................................... 711

30.4.3 More on ReWire ......................................................................................................712
Computer Audio Resources and Strategies 713

31.1 Managing the CPU Load ……………………………………………………………………………… 713
31.1.1 CPU Load rom Multichannel Audio .......................................................................714
31.1.2 CPU Load rom Tracks and Devices ........................................................................714
31.1.3 Track Freeze ..............................................................................................................715
31.2 Managing the Disk Load ……………………………………………………………………………… 717
Audio Fact Sheet 719

32.1 Testing and Methodology …………………………………………………………………………… 719
32.2 Neutral Operations ……………………………………………………………………………………… 719
32.2.1 Undithered Rendering ............................................................................................. 720
32.2.2 Matching sample rate/no transposition.................................................................721
32.2.3 Unstretched Beats/Tones/Texture/Re-Pitch Warping ..........................................721
32.2.4 Summing at Single Mix Points .................................................................................721
32.2.5 Recording external signals (bit depth >/= A/D converter) ................................. 722
32.2.6 Recording internal sources at 32 bit ...................................................................... 722
32.2.7 Freeze, Flatten ......................................................................................................... 722
32.2.8 Bypassed E ects ...................................................................................................... 723
32.2.9 Routing ..................................................................................................................... 723
32.2.10 Splitting Clips ........................................................................................................... 724
32.3 Non-Neutral Operations ……………………………………………………………………………… 724
32.3.1 Playback in Complex and Complex Pro Mode.................................................... 724
32.3.2 Sample rate conversion/transposition .................................................................. 725
32.3.3 Volume Automation ................................................................................................. 725
32.3.4 Dithering ................................................................................................................... 725
32.3.5 Recording external signals (bit depth < A/D converter)...................................... 726
32.3.6 Recording internal sources below 32 bit ............................................................... 726
32.3.7 Consolidate ............................................................................................................. 726
32.3.8 Clip ades................................................................................................................. 726
32.3.9 Panning .................................................................................................................... 727
32.3.10 Grooves ................................................................................................................... 727
32.4 Tips or Achieving Optimal Sound Quality in Live ……………………………………………… 727
32.5 Summary and Conclusions …………………………………………………………………………… 728
MIDI Fact Sheet 729

33.1 Ideal MIDI Behavior …………………………………………………………………………………… 729
33.2 MIDI Timing Problems ………………………………………………………………………………… 730
19
33.3 Live’s MIDI Solutions …………………………………………………………………………………… 730

33.4 Variables Outside o Live’s Control ………………………………………………………………… 731
33.5 Tips or Achieving Optimal MIDI Per ormance ………………………………………………… 734
33.6 Summary and Conclusions …………………………………………………………………………… 735
Live Keyboard Shortcuts 737

34.1 Showing and Hiding Views …………………………………………………………………………… 737
34.2 Accessing Menus ………………………………………………………………………………………… 738
34.3 Adjusting Values ………………………………………………………………………………………… 738
34.4 Browsing …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 738
34.5 Transport …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 739
34.6 Editing ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 739
34.7 Loop Brace and Start/End Markers ……………………………………………………………… 740
34.8 Session View Commands ……………………………………………………………………………… 741
34.9 Arrangement View Commands ……………………………………………………………………… 741
34.10 Commands or Tracks …………………………………………………………………………………… 742
34.11 Commands or Breakpoint Envelopes ……………………………………………………………… 743
34.12 Key/MIDI Map Mode and the Computer MIDI Keyboard ………………………………… 743
34.13 Zooming, Display and Selections …………………………………………………………………… 743
34.14 Clip View Sample Display …………………………………………………………………………… 744
34.15 Clip View MIDI Editor ………………………………………………………………………………… 744
34.16 Grid Snapping and Drawing ………………………………………………………………………… 745
34.17 Global Quantization …………………………………………………………………………………… 745
34.18 Working with Sets and the Program ……………………………………………………………… 746
34.19 Working with Plug-Ins and Devices ………………………………………………………………… 746
34.20 Using the Context Menu ……………………………………………………………………………… 747
Index 748
20
Welcome to Live 21
Chapter 1
Welcome to Live
1.1 The Ableton Team Says: Thank You
Live is the result o musicians wanting a better way to create, produce and per orm music us-
ing a computer. A great deal o e ort has been put into making Live easy and un to use, yet
at the same time capable o helping you create music with unlimited depth and sophistication.
This e ort continues even as you read these lines... in act, a new, improved Live version might
already be available or download! Please check on our website now1, or choose the Check or
Updates command rom the Help menu.
We hope you enjoy using Live and that it enhances your creative process.
Your Ableton Team.
1.2 What’s New in Live 10?
1.2.1 Device Additions and Improvements

•Wavetable (page 541) is a new dual-oscillator wavetable synthesizer that’s both easy to
program and deeply power ul.
•Echo (page 359) is a new and highly- exible delay e ect with lots o modulation possi-
bilities. It’s capable o a wide range o sounds rom classic analog-style delays to modern,
digital approaches.
1 http://www.ableton.com/downloads
Welcome to Live 22
•Drum Buss (page 356) is a new e ect that brings analog-style character, body, and glue
to drum tracks. Drum Buss combines a range o commonly used drum processing tools into
a single device:
•Pedal (page 397) is a new e ect, inspired by three classic guitar distortion pedals. Pedal
is capable o a range o distortion sounds rom warm overdrive to aggressive distortion to
heavy and broken uzz tones.
•Utility’s (page 415) Gain control can now be adjusted rom -infnity dB to +35 dB. The
Le t/Right Phase buttons now invert the signal at Utility’s input rather than at its output. A
Bass Mono section allows you to convert requencies below an adjustable point to mono,
with an adjustable crossover control.
•EQ Eight (page 364) can now boost or cut requencies down to 10 Hz.
1.2.2 Capture MIDI

Capture MIDI (page 257) introduces a new way o (not) thinking about MIDI recording.
Now, Live is always listening to MIDI input on armed or input-monitored tracks. Press the Cap-
ture MIDI button a ter you’ve played to create a clip containing your music. Live will automati-
cally try to fnd the tempo and set appropriate loop boundaries.
With Capture MIDI, you never have to worry about losing your experiments and improvisations
because you orgot to start recording. You can always capture what you’ve just played, a ter
you’ve played it.
1.2.3 Multi-Clip Editing

Up to eight MIDI clips can be viewed simultaneously in the Detail View.
Within the multi-clip view (page 185), clicking a clip’s notes or its loop bar selects this clip or
editing.
I multiple clips o di erent lengths are selected, the editor will show as many loop iterations as
are necessary or the clips to realign.
Welcome to Live 23
1.2.4 Nested Group Tracks

Group Tracks (page 236) can now be created or moved within other Group Tracks. There is
no limit to the number o nested Group Tracks.
1.2.5 Arrangement Editing Improvements

•Holding [CTRL](PC) / [CMD](Mac) while scrolling will zoom to the mouse pointer’s posi-
tion. Holding [ALT] while scrolling will zoom the amplitude or pitch o the selected tracks.
•All Arrangement clips within a time selection can be moved using the le t and right arrow
keys. Hold [ALT](PC) / [CMD](Mac) while scrolling to temporarily toggle the grid on or o .
•[CTRL][Shi t](PC) / [ALT][Shi t](Mac)-dragging within an Arrangement clip will slide the
material within the clip without moving the clip itsel . Hold [ALT](PC) / [CMD](Mac) while
dragging to temporarily toggle the grid on or o .
•Holding [Shi t] while dragging the edge o a warped audio clip in the Arrangement will
stretch the audio.
•Arrangement clips can be moved by dragging the upper hal o the clip. Dragging in the
lower hal will select time.
•It’s now possible to activate, deactivate, or reverse a selected range o time. I the time
selection includes only a portion o a clip or multiple clips, Live will split the clips as neces-
sary, then per orm the action on the split clips.
•Live now plays back MIDI notes in the Arrangement even i playback is started at a posi-
tion a ter the beginning o the notes. This behavior can be toggled o or on via the Chase
MIDI Notes command in the Options menu.
•Double-clicking in a MIDI track in the Arrangement will create a new clip. The clip will be
the length o the Arrangement’s grid resolution.
•When editing in the Arrangement or Detail View, Follow is now paused rather than dis-
abled. Follow will resume when scrubbing or restarting playback.
•[CTRL][L](PC) / [CMD][L](Mac) will now toggle the Arrangement loop on or o .
•Audio or MIDI fles can be imported via an “Import...” command in the Create menu. The
Welcome to Live 24
fle will be inserted at the Insert Marker position in the Arrangement View or in the selected
clip slot in the Session View.
•The Lock Envelopes switch (page 310) can be MIDI or key mapped.
1.2.6 Automation Improvements

•Clip ades are now always available directly on the clip i the track is tall enough.
•In the Arrangement, all automation lanes are shown or hidden via the Automation Mode
button or the [A] key. When automation lanes are visible, the content lanes are minimized
to the height o the clip headers.
•It is possible to Split or Consolidate clips in a time selection within an automation lane.
•Introduced ade edge handles in the Arrangement View, which allow users to change the
duration o a ade in (via the Fade In Start Handle) and ade out (via the Fade Out End
Handle) without a ecting the ade peaks. However, a ade edge cannot move beyond the
ade peak. To do this, the clip start/end must be used to increase the size o the clip.
•Breakpoints now snap to the grid (or to existing breakpoints) when moved horizontally.
•Breakpoint values can now be adjusted vertically without moving the breakpoints in time.
•Automation segments can be moved horizontally.
•It is now possible to create an automation breakpoint by double-clicking anywhere in an

envelope editor/automation lane. In the Arrangement, this means that MIDI clips can only
be created by double-clicking in the content lane.
•Automation values are now displayed when hovering over or dragging breakpoints or
automation segments.
•The [Shi t] modifer is no longer required or moving automation segments past existing
breakpoints.
1.2.7 Navigation Improvements

•In Arrangement View, Detail View, Simpler and Sampler, holding [CTRL](PC) / [CMD]
Welcome to Live 25
(Mac) while scrolling will zoom to the mouse pointer’s position.
•The Detail View now zooms to show the selected time within an Arrangement clip.
•Pressing [Z] will zoom to the time selection in the Arrangement and Detail Views. Press
[Shi t][Z] to zoom back out.
•On U.S. keyboards, it is now possible to zoom by pressing [+] without holding [Shi t].
•Audio e ects can now be dragged to the Master track’s Scene Launch area.
•Dragging clips rom an existing track to the clip/device drop area creates a new track with
those clips, and also the devices rom the original track.
•Dragging rozen clips and tails to the clip/device drop area in the Arrangement View cre-
ates a new rozen track (which also contains the devices rom the original track).
•Holding [Shi t] while scrolling will scroll horizontally on both Mac and Windows (this pre-
viously only worked on Macs).
•The Show All Tracks command in the View and context menus in the Arrangement View
minimizes all tracks, allowing you to see as many as possible on your screen.
1.2.8 Mixing Improvements

A number o small improvements make mixing easier:
•A [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) command can switch each track’s Pan control to a

Split Stereo Pan control. In Split Stereo mode, you can adjust the stereo position o the le t
and right channels independently.
•Double-clicking on a knob or slider will reset it to its de ault value.
•Individual Drum Rack pads can now be routed to one o the Drum Rack’s internal return
chains.
1.2.9 Browser Improvements

•A new Collections section (page 60) o the browser allows you to tag browser items
Welcome to Live 26
with up to seven colors. Each color can also be given a custom name. Searching or brows-
ing within a Collection will then show only items with that tag applied.
•Uninstalled Packs or Packs with available updates can be installed directly rom the brows-
er.
•Group Tracks (including nested Group Tracks) now appear when un olding Sets in the
browser, and can be dragged into the current Set.
1.2.10 Setup Improvements

•It is now possible to provide custom names or input and output channels via the Input/
Output Confg buttons in the Audio pre erences. These names then appear in all Input/
Output choosers.
•It is now possible to choose between di erent metronome sounds via the Metronome’s
pull-down and context menus.
•The Metronome can be set to click at various note divisions via its pull-down and context
menus. The de ault Auto setting ollows the time signature’s denominator. Note divisions
that don’t ft into one bar o the current time signature will be disabled.
•When Enable Only While Recording is enabled in the Metronome’s pull-down and context
menus, the Metronome will only be audible while recording. The Enable Only While Re-
cording setting is not saved and must be enabled every time Live is started.
•The Computer MIDI Keyboard is now o by de ault, and can be toggled on and o with
the [M] key.
•Context menu items now react when the mouse is released, instead o a ter the initial
mouse click. This makes it possible to drag away rom a selection to cancel triggering an
item, while keeping the context menu open. When hovering over disabled context menu
items, they are no longer highlighted.
1.2.11 Inter ace Improvements

•Updated the appearance o clips.
•Enabled sample dots on wave orms. When zooming in, it’s easier to see where samples
Welcome to Live 27
are on the Beat Time Ruler.
•MIDI notes are now drawn in their clip’s color in the Note Editor.
•Added an Assign Track Color to Clips menu item to the context menu o track headers. The
command applies the track color only to clips in the currently active view (Session or Ar-
rangement).
•Incorporated a new ont throughout the inter ace.
•Live’s dials and sliders now look sharp at any zoom level.
•Introduced a set o fve new Themes (page 32) in place o the previously available Live
“Skins”.
•The clip/device drop area is now always displayed in Session View to enable dragging.
•Added Pen Tablet Mode to Live’s Look/Feel Pre erences. Pen Tablet Mode allows graphic
tablets and touch screens to control Live. This replaces the “AbsoluteMouseMode” entry o
the options.txt fle.
•Live now supports HiDPI monitors on Windows 10.
1.2.12 File Handling Improvements

•The Undo history is no longer cleared when saving a Live Set.
•The Export Audio/Video dialog now shows toggles or Encode PCM and Encode MP3.
When Encode PCM is on, a lossless audio fle is created. WAV, AIFF, and FLAC ormats
are available or PCM export. When Encode MP3 is on, a CBR 320 kbps MP3 fle is cre-
ated. It is possible to export PCM and MP3 simultaneously. I neither toggle is enabled, the
Export button will be disabled.
•Saving a Set creates a Backup older within the Project. This older contains the 10 most
recently saved versions o the Set.
•Recorded audio fles now include a timestamp in the flename.
•Live Sets now load samples aster, which may reducing the loading time o some Sets.
Welcome to Live 28
•Large Live Sets can now be closed 5-10 times aster.
Numerous changes or Windows 10:

•Live now supports the Jump List.
•When using Live 9 and 10 in parallel, they no longer ask or admin rights i you start them
interchangeably.
•Owners o both Live 9 and 10 can choose which version o Live to open a Live Set with, by
using the [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) command on that Set and selecting “Open
With”.
•It is now possible to associate .als fles with a specifc Live version, via “Control Panel” -
“Apps” - “De ault Apps”.
1.2.13 Max or Live Updates

•Max or Live is now bundled with the Live installation and is loaded whenever Live is
started.
•Max or Live devices can now support multiple audio inputs and outputs, and routing is
available via the Live API.
1.2.14 Push Device Visualizations

•Compressor’s Gain Reduction view and Sidechain controls are now available on Push 2.
•EQ Eight’s flters and spectrum are now visible on Push 2’s display.
•Operator’s envelopes are now displayed graphically on Push 2’s display.
1.2.15 Push Note Layouts

•Melodic Sequencer + 32 Notes is a new note layout on Push 1 (page 608) and Push 2
(page 663) that uses the bottom 32 pads or notes and the top 32 as a step sequencer.
Pressing notes selects them or sequencing. This mode allows or real-time playing and step
Welcome to Live 29
sequencing at the same time. Holding Note (Push 1) or Layout (Push 2) temporarily shows
the loop length controls in the f th row o pads.
•When using the Loop Selector layout in Drum Racks and Simpler’s Slicing Mode, holding
Note (Push 1) or Layout (Push 2) momentarily toggles the 16 Velocities layout.
•When using the 64-pad layout, holding Note (Push 1) or Layout (Push 2) momentarily
shows the loop length controls in the top row o pads.
•Holding Shi t while pressing Note (Push 1) or holding Shi t while pressing Layout (Push 2)
now locks the alternate layout on. Pressing Note (Push 1) or Layout (Push 2) again returns
to the original layout.
•Layouts are now remembered per track.
•Holding Duplicate and tapping a loop length pad copies the contents o that page and
allows you to paste it to another page by tapping the corresponding loop length pad.
•Holding Delete and tapping a loop length pad deletes the content o that page.
1.2.16 Push MIDI Clip Mode

•When using MIDI tracks in Clip Mode (page 686), Push 2’s display shows the notes
within the selected MIDI clip.
•MIDI clips can be cropped rom Push 2.
1.2.17 Additional Push Improvements

•Control Sur aces, including Push 1 and 2, are now available when Live runs as a ReWire
slave.
•The Repeat button’s state is now remembered or each track.
•Added Split Stereo Pan Mode to Push 1 and 2. When Split Stereo Pan Mode is active
while in Global Mix Mode, the current pan value is displayed but the pan dial is inactive.
In Track Mix Mode, either the pan dial or stereo pan sliders are shown, depending on the
active pan mode.
Welcome to Live 30
•It is now possible to convert audio to MIDI rom Push 2, via the Convert button.
•The Collections older or color labels is now a root level entry in the Push 2 browser.
•Nested chains can now be displayed, olded, and un olded on Push 2.
•On Push 2, holding a track’s selection button arms the track.

First Steps 31
Chapter 2
First Steps
2.1 Learn About Live
Live comes with a set o interactive lessons to take you step by step through the key eatures o
the program. The lessons are organized in a table o contents, which can be opened directly in
the program via the Help menu. We highly recommend ollowing the lessons. Many users have
told us that the lessons helped them become amiliar with the program very quickly.
We also recommend that you read the Live Concepts chapter (page 41), which encapsulates
everything that Live is and can do, and is there ore a worthwhile read or both beginners and
experienced users. The remaining chapters o this manual serve as in-depth re erence or the
material introduced in Live Concepts.
2.1.1 Using the In o View and Index

Live’s In o View tells you the name and unction o whatever you place the mouse over. For cer-
tain items, you can create your own text and it will appear in this window.
First Steps 32
The In o View and its Show/Hide Button.
I you require more in ormation on a specifc user inter ace element or topic, please consult this
re erence manual. The index, ound at the end o the manual, contains the names o all user in-
ter ace elements and will lead you to the relevant section.
2.2 Setting up Pre erences

Live’s Pre erences window is where you can fnd various settings that determine how Live looks,
behaves and inter aces with the outside world. This window is accessed rom the Pre erences
command, which in Windows is available in the Options menu and in OS X is available in the
Live menu. Pre erences can also be accessed with the [CTRL][,](PC) / [CMD][,](Mac) shortcut.
Live’s Pre erences are distributed over several tabs:
•In the Look/Feel tab, you can modi y various settings, including the language used or text
display and the color scheme, or “Theme,“ or the Live user inter ace. This is also where
you can adjust the size o objects displayed on the screen: the Zoom Display slider allows
you to zoom Live’s screen to any percentage between 50% and 200% o the standard
inter ace size.
•The Audio Pre erences are used to set up Live’s audio connections with the outside world
via an audio inter ace. Please take the time to ollow the program’s built-in “Setting up Au-
dio I/O“ lesson, which will walk you through all the steps required to set up and optimize
the settings or any given system. To access the lesson, use the Help View command rom
First Steps 33
the Help menu.
•The Link/MIDI Pre erences are used to help Live recognize external devices or three sepa-
rate and distinct purposes:
―Playing MIDI notes. To learn how to route an external device into Live or MIDI input,
or how to send MIDI to an external device, please see the Routing and I/O chapter
(page 214).
―Controlling parts o the inter ace remotely. This subject is covered in detail in the
MIDI and Key Remote Control chapter (page 573).
―Syncing the program with external devices, either via Ableton Link or via MIDI.
Please see the Link, Synchronization, and ReWire chapter (page 705) or details.
•The File/Folder Pre erences pertain to Live’s fle management (page 59) and the loca-
tion o plug-in devices (page 270).
•The Library Pre erences allow you to speci y a de ault location or various types o in-
stalled fles, including Packs and your User Library, as well as whether or not samples and
other fles are sel -contained when saving Sets (page 96).
•The Record/Warp/Launch Pre erences allow customizing the de ault state or new Live
Sets (page 83) and their components (page 131), as well as selecting options or
new recordings (page 245).
•The Licenses/Maintenance Pre erences are used to manage licensing and installation o
the Live plat orm (page 37).
2.3 The Main Live Screen

Most o your work in Live happens in the main Live screen. This screen consists o a number o
views, and each view manages a specifc aspect o your Live Set, which is the type o document
that you create and work on in Live. I you have multiple monitors (or even one very large moni-
tor), you can open a second window to display all o Live’s views at the same time.
Each one o the selector buttons at the screen borders calls up a specifc view; clicking this one,
or instance, opens and closes Live’s browser:
First Steps 34
The Browser Selector.
You can run Live in Full Screen Mode by selecting the Full Screen command rom the View menu.
Full Screen Mode can also be toggled by pressing [F11](PC) / [CTRL][CMD][F](Mac). On Win-
dows and versions o OS X prior to 10.9, you can leave Full Screen mode by clicking a button
that appears in the lower right corner o the screen.
Turn Full Screen O (Windows and OS X 10.8 or older).
When using OS X version 10.9 or higher, Live uses the operating system’s native ull screen con-
trols. You can turn Full Screen Mode on by clicking the arrows in the top right corner.
Turn Full Screen On (OS X 10.9 or higher).
When in Full Screen Mode on OS X version 10.9 or higher, Live’s menus will appear when mov-
ing your mouse pointer to the top o the screen. You can turn Full Screen Mode o by clicking the
arrows on the right side o the menu bar.
Enabling the Second Window option via [CTRL][Shi t][W](PC) / [CMD][Shi t][W](Mac) or in the
View menu opens a second window that will display an alternate collection o Live’s views.
I Live’s browser is open, you can adjust the main window’s horizontal split by dragging.
First Steps 35
Adjusting the Main Window Split.

First Steps 36
Authorizing Live 37
Chapter 3
Authorizing Live
Live is protected against illegal use by a copy protection scheme. This scheme has been de-
signed to meet the highest security standards while avoiding hassles or our customers. I you
fnd this procedure to be an inconvenience, please understand that the copy protection secures
your investment: It allows Ableton to provide you with support and to continue developing Live.
Please be aware that the standard Live license grants you the right to use Live on only one com-
puter at a time. You can, however, authorize Live more than once under the legal and technical
conditions described later (page 37).
The frst time you run Live, you will be prompted to complete the authorization process. The so t-
ware will walk you through the steps.
I the computer that you wish to authorize is connected to the internet, you can authorize imme-
diately by pressing the appropriate button in the dialog box. I you do not have an internet con-
nection, press the “No internet on this computer“ button and ollow the instructions.
3.1 Copy Protection FAQs
3.1.1 Can I Use Live or Other Ableton Products Without a Serial

Number?
I you do not (yet) own Live or its add-on products, you can still try them out, but saving and
exporting will be disabled.
Authorizing Live 38
I trying Live or another product raises your interest in purchasing it, please visit the Ableton web-
shop2. This site contains in ormation about Ableton’s distributor and dealer network. It also o ers
you the opportunity to buy Ableton products online.
3.1.2 What i I Change My Computer’s Components?

I you change your computer components or some reason, Live may indeed ask you to autho-
rize the so tware another time. Live does not need to be reauthorized when computer peripher-
als are replaced (audio or MIDI hardware, printers, modems). But you may need to authorize
again i the motherboard, processor or network card is replaced. On some computers, re ormat-
ting a hard drive will require a new authorization.
3.1.3 Can I Authorize Live More than Once?

The standard Live license allows you to use Live on only one computer at a time. However, the
Ableton server will provide you with two authorizations in good aith that you will use Live on
only one machine at a time.
You can there ore run Live on both a studio desktop computer and a tour laptop, but not at the
same time.
Should the Ableton server reject your demand or another authorization, please contact Able-
ton’s technical support3.
To use Live on more than one computer at a time, you may require a secondary license or a site
license. Ableton o ers these licenses at special rates.
3.1.4 Can I Play my Set rom a Computer That Is Not

Authorized?
Even i Live is not authorized, you can still load and per orm a Live Set with no time limitation.
You cannot, however, save or export your work. When you go on tour, consider taking along
your Live USB installer and a backup o the last state o your Live Set(s). In case o an emergen-
cy, you can install and run Live on any computer available and play your backup Live Set(s).
2 http://www.ableton.com/shop
3 http://www.ableton.com/help
Authorizing Live 39
3.1.5 What Do I Do About Problems or Questions Regarding

Copy Protection?
Please visit Ableton’s technical support page.
Authorizing Live 40
Live Concepts 41
Chapter 4
Live Concepts
This chapter introduces the essential concepts o Live. We advise you to read this chapter early
in your Live career, as a solid understanding o the program’s basic principles will help you ully
exploit Live’s potential or your music-making.
4.1 The Browser

Live’s browser (page 59) is the place where you interact with your library o musical assets:
the core library o sounds that are installed with the program, any additional sounds you’ve
installed via Ableton Packs, presets and samples you’ve saved, your Ableton and third-party
devices, and any olders that you’ve added manually.
Live’s Browser.
Live Concepts 42
4.2 Live Sets

The type o document that you create and work on in Live is called a Live Set (page 83). Live
Sets reside in a Live Project — a older that collects related materials — and can be opened ei-
ther through the File menu’s Open command or via Live’s browser.
A Live Set in the Browser.
4.3 Arrangement and Session

The basic musical building blocks o Live are called clips. A clip is a piece o musical material: a
melody, a drum pattern, a bassline or a complete song. Live allows you to record and alter clips,
and to create larger musical structures rom them: songs, scores, remixes, DJ sets or stage shows.
A Live Set consists o two environments that can hold clips: The Arrangement is a layout o clips
along a musical timeline; the Session is a real-time-oriented “launching base” or clips. Every
Session clip has its own play button that allows launching the clip at any time and in any order.
Each clip’s behavior upon launch can be precisely specifed through a number o settings (page
201).
Clips in the Session View (Le t) and in the Arrangement View (Right).
The Arrangement is accessed via the Arrangement View (page 101) and the Session via the
Session View (page 119). I you’re using Live in a single window, you can toggle between the
Live Concepts 43
two views using the computer’s [Tab] key or their respective selectors. I you’re using two win-
dows, pressing [Tab] will swap the Session and Arrangement rom one window to the other.
Because the two views have distinct applications, they each hold individual collections o clips.
However, it is important to understand that toggling or swapping the views simply changes the
appearance o the Live Set and does not switch modes, alter what you hear or change what is
stored.
The Arrangement and Session View Selectors.
The Arrangement View and the Session View interact in use ul ways. One can, or instance, im-
provise with Session clips and record a log o the improvisation (page 126) into the Arrange-
ment or urther refnement. This works because Arrangement and Session are connected via
tracks.
4.4 Tracks
Tracks host clips and also manage the ow o signals, as well as the creation o new clips
through recording, sound synthesis, e ects processing and mixing.
A Track in the Arrangement View.
The Session and Arrangement share the same set o tracks. In the Session View, the tracks are
laid out in columns, while in the Arrangement View they are stacked vertically, with time moving
rom le t to right. A simple rule governs the cohabitation o clips in a track:
Live Concepts 44
A track can only play one clip at a time.
There ore, one usually puts clips that should play alternatively in the same Session View column,
and spreads out clips that should play together across tracks in rows, or what we call scenes
(page 121).
A Scene in the Session View.
At any one time, a track can be playing either a Session clip or an Arrangement clip, but never
both. So, who wins? When a Session clip is launched, the respective track stops whatever it is
doing to play that clip. In particular, i the track was playing an Arrangement clip, it will stop it in
avor o the Session clip — even as the other tracks continue to play what is in the Arrangement.
The track will not resume Arrangement playback until explicitly told to do so.
This is what the Back to Arrangement button is or, which is ound in the Master Track in the Ses-
sion View and at the top-right o the scrub area in the Arrangement View. This button lights up
to indicate that one or more tracks are currently not playing the Arrangement, but are playing a
clip rom the Session instead.
Live Concepts 45
The Back to Arrangement Button in the Session View.
The Back to Arrangement Button in the Arrangement View.
We can click this button to make all tracks go back to playing the Arrangement. Each track in the
Arrangement View also has its own Back to Arrangement button, allowing you to resume Ar-
rangement playback o only certain tracks.
A Single Track’s Back to Arrangement Button.
We can also capture the current state into the Arrangement by activating the Arrangement Re-
cord button. Disengaging Record Mode or stopping Live using the Stop button leaves us with an
altered Arrangement.
Live Concepts 46
4.5 Audio and MIDI

Clips represent recorded signals. Live deals with two types o signals: audio and MIDI. In the
digital world, an audio signal is a series o numbers that approximates a continuous signal as
generated by a microphone or delivered to a loudspeaker. A MIDI signal is a sequence o com-
mands, such as “now play a C4 at mezzo piano.“ MIDI is a symbolic representation o musical
material, one that is closer to a written score than to an audio recording. MIDI signals are gen-
erated by input devices such as MIDI or USB keyboards 4.
It takes an instrument (page 259) to convert MIDI signals into audio signals that can actually
be heard. Some instruments, such as Live’s Simpler (page 514), are or chromatic playing o
one sound via the keyboard. Other instruments, such as Live’s Impulse (page 463), have a di -
erent percussion sound assigned to each keyboard key.
Audio signals are recorded and played back using audio tracks, and MIDI signals are recorded
and played back using MIDI tracks. The two track types have their own corresponding clip
types. Audio clips cannot live on MIDI tracks and vice versa.
In ormation about inserting, reordering and deleting audio and MIDI tracks is ound here (page
235).
4.6 Audio Clips and Samples

An audio clip contains a re erence to a sample (also known as a “sound fle“ or “audio fle“) or
a compressed sample (such as an MP3 fle). The clip tells Live where on the computer’s drives to
fnd the sample, what part o the sample to play and how to play it.
When a sample is dragged in rom Live’s built-in browser, Live automatically creates a clip to
play that sample. Prior to dragging in a sample, one can audition or preview it directly in the
browser; the switch in the browser with the headphone icon activates previewing.
4 For an introduction to MIDI and digital audio, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midi and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_audio.
Live Concepts 47
Samples Are Dragged in rom Live’s Browser.
Live o ers many options or playing samples in exciting new ways, allowing you to create an
abundance o new sounds without actually changing the original sample — all the changes are
computed in real time, while the sample is played. The respective settings are made in the Clip
View (page 131), which appears on screen when a clip is double-clicked.
An Audio Clip’s Properties as Displayed in the Clip View.
Many power ul manipulations arise rom Live’s warping capabilities (page 155). Warping
means changing the speed o sample playback independently rom the pitch so as to match the
song tempo. The tempo can be adjusted on the y in the Control Bar’s Tempo feld.
The Control Bar’s Tempo Field.
The most elementary use o this technique, and one that usually requires no manual setup, is
synchronizing sample loops to the chosen tempo. Live’s Auto-Warp algorithm actually makes it
easy to line up any sample with the song tempo, such as a recording o a drunken jazz band’s
Live Concepts 48
per ormance. It is also possible to radically change the sonic signature o a sound using extreme
warp settings.
4.7 MIDI Clips and MIDI Files

A MIDI clip contains musical material in the orm o MIDI notes and controller envelopes. When
MIDI is imported rom a MIDI fle (page 81), the data gets incorporated into the Live Set,
and the original fle is not re erenced therea ter. In Live’s browser, a MIDI fle appears with a
special icon, and with the .mid fle extension.
MIDI Files Are Dragged in rom Live’s Browsers.
As you’d expect, a MIDI clip’s contents can be accessed and edited (page 171) via the Clip
View, or instance to change a melody or “paint“ a drum pattern.
A MIDI Clip’s Properties as Displayed in the Clip View.
4.8 Devices and the Mixer

A track can have not only clips but also a chain o devices (page 259) or processing signals.
Double-clicking a track’s title bar brings up the Device View, which shows the track’s device
chain.
Live Concepts 49
The Device View Displaying a MIDI Track’s Device Chain.
Live’s built-in audio e ects (page 333), MIDI e ects (page 423) and instruments (page
435) are available rom the browser and can be added to tracks by dragging them rom there
into the Device View, or into a Session or Arrangement track.
Live’s Built-in Devices Are Available rom the Browser.
You can also use plug-in devices (page 270) in Live. VST and Audio Units (Mac OS X only)
Plug-ins are available rom the browser’s Plug-Ins label.
Live Concepts 50
Plug-In Devices Are Available rom the Browser’s Plug-Ins Label.
Consider an audio clip playing in an audio track. The audio signal rom the clip reaches the le t-
most device in the chain. This device processes (changes) the signal and eeds the result into the
next device, and so on. The number o devices per track is theoretically unlimited. In practice, the
computer’s processor speed imposes a limit on the number o devices you can use at the same
time, a topic that deserves separate discussion (page 713). Note that the signal connections
between audio devices are always stereo, but the so tware’s inputs and outputs can be confg-
ured to be mono in the Audio Pre erences.
When the signal has passed through the device chain, it ends up in Live’s mixer (page 231). As
the Session and Arrangement share the same set o tracks, they also share the mixer. The mixer
can be shown in both views or convenience. To optimize the screen layout, the individual mixer
sections can be shown or hidden using the View menu’s entries.
The Live Mixer in the Arrangement View (Le t) and Session View (Right).
The mixer has controls or volume, pan position and sends, which adjust the contribution each
track makes to the input o any return tracks. Return tracks only host e ects, and not clips. Via
their sends, all tracks can eed a part o their signal into a return track and share its e ects.
Live Concepts 51
The mixer also includes a cross ader (page 239), which can create smooth transitions between
clips playing on di erent tracks. Live’s cross ader works like a typical DJ mixer cross ader, ex-
cept that it allows cross ading not only two but any number o tracks — including the returns.
Live’s Cross ader.
Devices that receive and deliver audio signals are called audio e ects. Audio e ects are the
only type o device that ft in an audio track or a return track. However, two more types o de-
vices are available or use in MIDI tracks: MIDI e ects and instruments.
Consider a MIDI track playing a clip. The MIDI signal rom the clip is ed into the track’s device
chain. There, it is frst processed by any number o MIDI e ects. A MIDI e ect receives and
delivers MIDI signals. One example is the Scale e ect, which maps the incoming notes onto a
user-defned musical scale. The last MIDI e ect in the chain is ollowed by an instrument. Instru-
ments, or instance Live’s Simpler and Impulse, receive MIDI and deliver audio. Following the
instrument, there can be any number o audio e ects — as in an audio track.
A MIDI E ect, an Instrument and an Audio E ect in a MIDI Track.
I a MIDI track has no instrument (and no audio e ects), then the track’s output is a plain MIDI
signal, which has to be sent somewhere else to be converted into audio. In this case, the track’s
mix and Send controls disappear rom the mixer.
Live Concepts 52
The Mixer or a MIDI Track without an Instrument.
4.9 Presets and Racks

Every Live device can store and retrieve particular sets o parameter values as presets (page
264). As presets are stored independently rom Live Sets, new presets become part o your
user library that any project can draw rom.
Live’s Instrument, Drum and E ect Racks (page 281) allow saving combinations o devices
and their settings as a single preset. This eature allows or the creation o power ul multi-device
creations and e ectively adds all the capabilities o Live’s MIDI and audio e ects to the built-in
instruments.
4.10 Routing
As we have seen, all tracks deliver signals, either audio or MIDI. Where do these signals go?
This is set up in the mixer’s In/Out section, which o ers, or every track, choosers to select a
signal source and destination. The In/Out section, accessible through the View menu’s In/Out
option, is Live’s “patchbay.“ Its routing options (page 211) enable valuable creative and tech-
nical methods such as resampling, submixing, layering o synths, complex e ects setups and
more.
Live Concepts 53
Track Routing Is Set up Using the In/Out Section in the Arrangement (Le t) or Session View (Right).
Signals rom the tracks can be sent to the outside world via the computer’s audio and MIDI inter-
aces, to other programs that are connected to Live via ReWire (page 710) or to other tracks
or devices within Live. Tracks can also be combined into a Group Track (page 236) which
serves as a submixer or the selected tracks.
Likewise, a track can be set up to receive an input signal to be played through the track’s de-
vices. Again, tracks can receive their input rom the outside, rom a ReWire program or rom
another track or device in Live. The Monitor controls regulate the conditions under which the
input signal is heard through the track.
It is also possible to route signals to external hardware devices rom within a track’s device
chain, by using the External Audio E ect (page 369) and External Instrument (page 461)
devices. (Note: these devices are not available in the Lite or Intro Editions.)
4.11 Recording New Clips

Audio tracks and MIDI tracks can record their input signal and thereby create new clips (page
245). Recording is enabled on a track by pressing its Arm button. With multiple tracks se-
lected, pressing any o their Arm buttons will arm all o them. You can also hold down the [CTRL]
(PC) / [CMD](Mac) modifer when clicking the Arm buttons to arm several tracks at once. I the
Exclusive Arm option is enabled in the Record Pre erences, inserting an instrument into a new or
empty MIDI track will automatically arm the track. When the Control Bar’s Arrangement Record
button is on, every armed track records its input signal into the Arrangement. Every take yields a
new clip per track.
Live Concepts 54
Track Arm Buttons, as They Appear in the Session View.
It is also possible to record into Session View slots on the y (page 248). This technique is
very use ul or the jamming musician, as Session recording does not require stopping the music.
Clicking the Session Record button records a new clip in the selected Session scene in all armed
tracks.
The Control Bar’s Session Record Button.
Clicking the Session Record button again defnes the end o the recording and launches the new
clips. As these actions are subject to real-time launch quantization, the resulting clips can be
automatically cut to the beat.
The Control Bar’s Quantization Chooser.
Session recording in conjunction with overdubbing and Record Quantization is the method o
choice or creating drum patterns, which are built up by successively adding notes to the pattern
while it plays in a loop. It only takes a MIDI keyboard (or the computer keyboard) and a MIDI
track with Live’s Impulse percussion instrument to do this (page 463).
4.12 Automation Envelopes

O ten, when working with Live’s mixer and e ects, you will want the controls’ movements to
become part o the Set. The movement o a control across the Arrangement timeline or Session
Live Concepts 55
clip is called automation (page 301); a control whose value changes over time is automated.
Automation is represented by breakpoint envelopes, which can be drawn, edited and recorded
in real-time.
The Automated Pan Control and its Envelope.
Practically all mixer and e ect controls in Live can be automated, even the song tempo. Record-
ing automation is straight orward: all changes o a control that occur while the Control Bar’s
Automation Arm and Arrangement Record buttons are on become automation in the Arrange-
ment View. Automation is recorded to Session View clips i controls are adjusted while recording
with the Automation Arm button enabled.
Changing an automated control’s value while not recording is similar to launching a Session clip
while the Arrangement is playing: It deactivates the control’s automation (in avor o the new
control setting). The control will stop tracking its automation and rest with the new value until the
Re-Enable Automation button is pressed or a Session clip that contains automation is launched.
4.13 Clip Envelopes

Envelopes can be ound in both tracks and clips. Clip envelopes (page 313) are used to au-
tomate or modulate device and mixer controls. Audio clips have, in addition, clip envelopes to
in uence the clip’s pitch, volume and more; these can be used to change the melody and rhythm
o recorded audio. MIDI clips have additional clip envelopes to represent MIDI controller data.
Clip envelopes can be unlinked rom the clip to give them independent loop settings, so that
larger movements (like ade-outs) or smaller gestures (like an arpeggio) can be superimposed
onto the clip’s material.
Live Concepts 56
An Envelope or Clip Transposition.
4.14 MIDI and Key Remote

To liberate the musician rom the mouse, most o Live’s controls can be “remote-controlled“
via an external MIDI controller. Remote mappings are established in MIDI Map Mode (page
578), which is engaged by pressing the MIDI switch in the Control Bar.
In this mode, you can click on any mixer or e ect control, and then assign it to a controller sim-
ply by sending the desired MIDI message ( or example, by turning a knob on your MIDI control
box). Your assignments take e ect immediately a ter you leave MIDI Map Mode. Session clips
can be mapped to a MIDI key or even a keyboard range or chromatic playing.
MIDI keys and controllers that have been mapped to Live’s controls are not available or record-
ing via MIDI tracks. These messages are fltered out be ore the incoming MIDI is passed on to
the MIDI tracks.
The Key/MIDI Map Controls.
Session clips, switches, buttons and radio buttons can be mapped to computer keyboard keys as
well. This happens in Key Map Mode (page 583), which works just like MIDI Map Mode.
Live o ers, in addition to this general purpose mapping technique, dedicated support or Able-
ton Push (page 585) and Push 2.
Live Concepts 57
4.15 Saving and Exporting

Saving a Live Set saves everything it contains, including all clips, their positions and settings,
and settings or devices and controls. An audio clip can, however, lose the re erence to its cor-
responding sample i it is moved or deleted rom disk. The links between samples and their clips
can be preserved with a special command, Collect and Save (page 95), which makes a
copy o each sample and stores it in a project older along with the Live Set.
A separate Save button in the Clip View saves a set o de ault clip settings (page 145) along
with the sample, so that each time the sample is dragged into the program, it will automatically
appear with these settings. This is especially use ul i you have made warp settings or a clip and
want to use it in multiple Live Sets.
Exporting audio rom Live can be done rom both the Session and Arrangement Views. By de-
ault, Live will export the audio coming through on the Master output as an audio fle o your
specifcations via Export Audio/Video (page 74).
Live can also export individual MIDI clips as MIDI fles (page 82).
Exporting and saving material or later use in Live can be done very conveniently with the Live
Clip ormat (page 82). Session View clips can be dragged back out o a Live Set to the
browser, and thereby exported to the disk as Live Clips.
A Live Clip in the Browser.
Live Clips are a very power ul way o storing ideas, as they save not only the clip’s Clip View
settings, but also the corresponding track’s instruments and e ects chain. Live Clips in the brows-
er can be previewed and added to any open Live Set just like sample fles. In the Live Set, they
restore the original clip’s creative options.
Using Live Clips, you can build your own personalized library o :
Live Concepts 58
•MIDI sequences with matching instruments and e ects, e.g., a MIDI drum pattern with the
associated Impulse and e ects settings;
•Di erent regions or loops (page 138) re erencing the same source fle;
•Variations o a sample loop created by applying Warp Markers (page 155), clip enve-
lopes (page 313) and e ects (page 259);
•Ideas that may not ft your current project but could be use ul in the uture.
Chapter 5
Managing Files and Sets

Various types o fles are used in making music with Live, rom those containing MIDI (page
81) and audio (page 72), to more program-specifc fles such as Live Clips (page 82)
and Live Sets (page 83). This chapter will explain everything you need to know about work-
ing with each o these fle types in Live. However, we should frst take a look at Live’s browser,
through which most fles arrive in the program.
5.1 Working with the Browser

Live’s browser is the place where you interact with your library o musical assets: the core library
o sounds that are installed with the program, any additional sounds you’ve installed via Ableton
Packs, presets and samples you’ve saved, your Ableton and third-party devices, and any older
on your hard drive that contains samples, tracks, etc.
The Browser.
The browser display is divided into le t and right sections, called the sidebar and the content
pane respectively. To resize the sections, drag the divider line horizontally.
5.1.1 Understanding the Browser’s Hierarchy

Working in the browser involves choosing one o the labels rom the Collections, Categories or
Places sections in the sidebar, and then selecting rom the items that appear in the content pane.
Collections
The Collections labels each have their own assignable color, which you can use to tag items
(including olders) that appear in the browser’s content pane. These labels (or “tags”) enable
you to quickly organize and access particular browser items ( or example, your avorite or most-
used items).
You can assign Collections labels via a selected item’s [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) con-
text menu, or by using the number key shortcuts [1] through to [7]. Use [0] to reset color assign-
ments.
Note that Collections labels can also be assigned to multiple browser items within a selection.
Additionally, it is possible to assign a color label to di erent item “types”. For example, you can
assign the same color label to a drum sound, a MIDI e ect, and a plug-in.
Clicking on a Collections label in the sidebar shows all items tagged with that color. Folders that
appear in the Collections labels can be un olded to show their contents.
The Edit Button in the Browser.
Each label can be renamed via their [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu, or by
pressing [CTRL][R](PC) / [CMD][R](Mac). You can choose which labels are visible in the brows-
er, by clicking the Edit button next to the Collections header, and checking the Show/Hide Label
option next to each label.
Editing Shown and Hidden Collections in the Browser.

To exit Edit Mode, press the “Done” button.
The Done Button in the Browser.
Note that when a hidden unassigned color becomes assigned to a browser item, the Collections
label or that color will be shown in the sidebar automatically. However, visible color labels are
not automatically hidden i all their assignments are removed.
Browser Items and Their Assigned Colors in the Content Pane.
In the content pane, square icons indicate the respective color(s) assigned to each item. Note
that although multiple colors can be assigned to an item, no more than three o those colors will
be shown in the content pane.
Categories
The Categories labels show all items o a given type, regardless o where they are in your
library. Use this section to explore and discover all o the instruments and sounds you have in-
stalled. The Categories section is organized as ollows:
•Sounds — all o your Instrument Racks (page 281) and instrument presets, organized by
the type o sound they make (rather than by their devices.)
•Drums — all o your drum presets. This includes ull drum kits, which are available as Drum
Racks, as well as single drum hits, which are delivered as Instrument Racks.
•Instruments — all o your Instrument Racks, as well as “raw” Live instruments and their pre-
sets, organized by device (rather than by the type o sound.)
•Audio E ects — all o your Audio E ect Racks, as well as “raw” Live audio e ects devices
and presets.
•MIDI E ects — all o your MIDI E ect Racks, as well as “raw” Live MIDI e ects devices
and presets.
•Max or Live — all o your Max or Live (page 553) devices and presets, as well as any
Racks that are built with those devices, organized into Audio E ect, Instrument and MIDI
E ect olders.
•Plug-Ins — your third-party VST and/or Audio Units plug-ins (page 270).
•Clips — all o your Live Clips.
•Samples — all o your raw audio samples.
•All results — this section appears a ter you’ve typed something into the search feld. It
shows search results or every section o the browser in a single list.
Places
The Places labels show the contents o olders on your hard drives. Use this section when you
want to access a particular place, such as a older you’ve added or an add-on Pack. The actual
contents o the Places section will vary depending on how you’ve confgured your library, but
will contain at least the ollowing:
•Packs — all Packs that come pre-installed with Live, as well as any that you’ve installed
yoursel . Each Pack appears as a older in the content pane, which can be un olded to
reveal that Pack’s contents. Presets, samples, and Live Clips installed by Packs will also ap-
pear in the appropriate Categories labels. The Packs label also shows updates or installed
Packs, as well as additional Packs that you can install. Please re er to Downloading and
Installing Packs in the Browser (page 64) or more in ormation.
•User Library — the User Library is the de ault location or items you save yoursel , including
de ault presets, grooves, your personalized Racks and device presets, your own samples,
Live Clips, etc. Files that you save to your User Library will also be available in the appro-
priate Categories labels.
•Current Project — all o the fles that are contained in the currently active Project (page
88). I you’re working on a Live Set that you haven’t yet saved, the current Project re ers
to a temporary location.
•any olders rom any o your hard drives that you’ve added to Live’s Browser.
Moving through the fles in Live’s browser can be done with either the mouse or the computer
keyboard:
•Scroll up and down in the Browser with the up and down arrow keys, the mousewheel, or
by clicking and dragging while holding the [CTRL][ALT](PC) / [CMD][ALT](Mac) modifer.
•Close and open olders, or move between the sidebar and content pane with the le t and
right arrow keys.
By de ault, any previously open olders will close when you open a new one, but you can over-
ride this behavior by holding [CTRL](PC) / [CMD](Mac) while opening new olders.
5.1.2 Downloading and Installing Packs in the Browser

The Packs label in the browser shows you all Packs that come pre-installed with Live, as well as
any that you’ve installed yoursel .
To check or existing updates or your installed Packs, navigate to the Packs label and expand
the Updates section.
Available Updates or Installed Packs Appear in the Browser.
You can also view Packs that you own, but have not installed. These uninstalled Packs appear in
the Available Packs section within the Packs label.
Downloadable Packs Appear in the Browser.
You can download any o these Updates or Available Packs by pressing the download icon next
to it.
Press the Download Icon to Download a Pack.
While the Pack is downloading, the download icon changes to a pause icon that indicates the
progress o the Pack’s download.
Press the Pause Icon to Pause a Pack Download. The Download Progress Is Indicated in Yellow.
Should you need to, you can pause downloads and resume them at a later point. To pause a
download, press the pause icon. When a download is paused, the paused icon changes back
to a download icon.
To resume a paused download, press the download icon again.
(Note: you can download multiple selected Packs at the same time. You can also pause and
resume downloading multiple selected Packs.)
When the download is complete, you can install the Pack by pressing the Install button.
Press the Install Button to Install a Pack.
Upon pressing the Install button, Live will display a progress bar that indicates the status o the
process.
Note that you can download a Pack, pause, resume or cancel a download, or install a Pack by
choosing the appropriate command in that Pack’s [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context
menu.
Sometimes you might need to know the size o a Pack be ore you download and install it. For ex-
ample, you may have limited space on your hard drive. You can confgure the browser to show
the size o all Packs that appear in the Updates and Available Packs sections. To do this, [right-
click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) on the Name header in the browser’s content pane and choose
the Size option in the context menu.
Show or Hide the Size o Packs in the Browser.
You can delete an installed Pack via its [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu. Note
that deleted Packs will appear in your list o Available Packs.
It is possible to confgure Live’s Pre erences to show or hide Updates and Available Packs in the
browser. To do this, press the Show Downloadable Packs toggle in the Library Pre erences.
Show or Hide Downloadable Packs in the Browser.
5.1.3 User Folders

Live’s browser allows you to work with your creative tools regardless o where they are installed
on your computer. This allows you to, or example, store large sample collections on one or
more external drives, and still use the browser to access their contents - there is no need to keep
them in a single centralized location.
In order to work with your own olders in Live, you must frst add them to the browser, either by
dropping them directly into Live rom the Explorer (Windows)/Finder (Mac) or by pressing the
Add Folder button in the browser’s sidebar.
A ter adding a user older, Live will scan it, which “teaches” the browser about its contents. Fol-
lowing this, it will appear in the Places section o the sidebar.
Note: adding a user older does not actually move the older to a new location, but simply
makes it available in Live’s browser. I you reorganize your drives using Explorer (Windows)/
Finder (Mac), Live may not be able to fnd user olders i they’ve been moved. For example, i
a user older is contained on an external hard drive, and Live is opened without the drive at-
tached, the user older will still appear in the browser but will be grayed out. You can attempt to
fnd it by using the [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu’s Locate Folder command,
or tell Live to “ orget” this older via the Remove rom Sidebar command. You can also use this
command to remove olders that aren’t missing, but which you simply don’t want to work with
anymore.
5.1.4 Searching or Files

Live’s browser is equipped with a search feld that flters the contents o the selected sidebar la-
bel as you type. To search across all locations, press [CTRL][F](PC) / [CMD][F](Mac).
The Browser’s Search Field.
The results will include fles that match all search terms, as opposed to any. For example, i
you search or “acoustic bass,“ the search will yield all acoustic bass sounds — not all acoustic
sounds and all bass sounds.
For mouse- ree searching, we suggest the ollowing sequence o shortcuts:
1. [CTRL][F](PC) / [CMD][F](Mac) to place a cursor in the search feld;
2. Type your search terms;
3. Down arrow key to jump to the search results;
4. Up and down arrow keys to scroll the search results;
5. [ESC] to clear the search feld, showing all o the contents o the selected sidebar label.
Previewing Files
Live allows you to preview samples, clips, and instrument presets in the browser be ore they are
imported into the program. To enable previewing, activate the Preview switch next to the Preview
Tab at the bottom o the browser.
The Preview Switch.
Hint: You can preview fles even when the Preview switch is not activated by pressing [Shi t][En-
ter] or the right arrow key.
Click on a fle (or use the up and down arrow keys) to select it. Click in the Tab’s scrub area
to make playback jump to that point. (Note that it is not possible to scrub clips that have been
saved with Warp turned o .)
You can select Live Clips in the browser to load them into the Preview Tab.
You can also preview Live’s instrument presets in the Preview Tab. When selected, you’ll hear a
short audio example o the preset, so you can get an idea o how it sounds be ore loading it.
With the Raw button enabled, fles will preview at their original tempo and will not loop. With
Raw disabled, Live will try to preview fles in sync with the current Set, so that you can better
judge which samples will work or you. Please note that scrubbing is not possible when Raw is
enabled.
The previewing volume can be adjusted using the mixer’s Preview Volume knob.
The Preview Volume Knob.
I your audio hardware o ers multiple audio outs, you can privately audition, or cue, fles via
headphones connected to a separate pair o outs — while the music continues to play. To learn
how to set up Live or cueing, please re er to the relevant section (page 242) o the Mixing
chapter.
Adding Clips rom the Browser

There are several ways to add clips to a Live Set:
•Files can be dragged and dropped rom the browser into tracks in the Session or Arrange-
ment View. Dragging and dropping material rom the browser into the space to the right o
Session View tracks or below Arrangement View tracks will create a new track and place
the new clip(s) there.
Dropping a Clip to Create a New Track.

•In the Session View, double-clicking or pressing [Enter] on a fle in the browser will auto-
matically create a new track to the right o the other tracks and load it with the clip.
•Files can be dropped directly into Live rom the Explorer (Windows)/Finder (Mac).
Hot-Swap Mode
In addition to the drag-and-drop method o loading fles rom the browser, Live o ers a Hot-
Swap Mode to reduce your mouse travel. Hot-Swap Mode can be toggled on and o with
the [Q] key, and establishes a temporary link between the browser and, or example, a virtual
instrument. While in Hot-Swap Mode, you can step through samples or presets to audition them
“in place,“ that is, within the instrument. Hot-swapping or presets is covered in the Live Device
Presets section (page 264). Let’s go through an example o hot-swapping samples:
Live’s built-in Impulse instrument eatures eight sample-player slots that can be flled by dropping
samples into them. Alternatively, we can click the Hot-Swap button that appears as we move the
mouse over a slot.
The Hot-Swap Button in an Impulse Slot.
Clicking the Hot-Swap button or pressing the [Q] key engages Hot-Swap Mode:
The Browser in Hot-Swap Mode.

While in Hot-Swap Mode, pressing the up or down arrow key moves to the next fle in the con-
tent pane, and pressing [Enter] or double-clicking the fle loads it into the Impulse slot (presum-
ably while Impulse is playing incoming MIDI notes). The link between the browser and the in-
strument will be broken i a di erent view is selected, or i the [Q] key or the Hot-Swap button is
pressed again. Hot-swapping can also be cancelled with a press o the [ESC] key or by pressing
the close button in the Hot-Swap bar at the top o the browser.
When Hot-Swap Mode is re-entered, the browser will show the location o the currently loaded
sound and pre-select it.
5.2 Sample Files

A sample is a fle that contains audio data. Live can play both uncompressed fle ormats (WAV,
AIF and Sound Designer II or Mac) and compressed fle ormats (MP3, AAC, Ogg Vorbis, Ogg
FLAC and FLAC). (Please note that not all o these fle ormats can be played in the Lite Edition.)
A note on using Variable Bit Rate (VBR) les: Please install QuickTime or decoding purposes i
you do not already have it on your system. It can be downloaded rom the Apple website5.
As Live plays the samples directly rom disk, you can work with a large number o (large)
samples without running into RAM memory limitations. Please note, however, that you may run
into disk throughput problems i your disk is nearly ull, and/or (on Windows systems) highly
ragmented. Hard drive rotation speed can also a ect disk per ormance. Re er to the section on
managing the disk load (page 717) or more in ormation.
Live can combine uncompressed mono or stereo samples o any length, sample rate or bit depth
without prior conversion. To play a compressed sample, Live decodes the sample and writes the
result to a temporary, uncompressed sample fle. This usually happens quickly enough that you
will be able to play the sample right away, without waiting or the decoding process to fnish.
Note: When adding a long sample to a project, Live might tell you that it cannot play the sample
be ore it has been analyzed. Please see the section on analysis (page 73) or an explana-
tion.
5 http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download
5.2.1 The Decoding Cache

To save computational resources, Live keeps the decoded sample fles o compressed samples
in the cache. Maintenance o the cache is normally not required, as Live automatically deletes
older fles to make room or those that are new. You can, however, impose limits on the cache
size using the File/Folder Pre erences’ Decoding Cache section. The cache will not grow larger
than the Maximum Cache Size setting, and it will always leave the Minimum Free Space on the
hard disk. Pressing the nearby Cleanup button will delete all fles not being used by the current
Live Set.
Pre erences or the Decoding Cache.
5.2.2 Analysis Files (.asd)

An analysis le is a little fle that Live creates when a sample fle is brought into the program
or the frst time. The analysis fle contains data gathered by Live to help optimize the stretching
quality, speed up the wave orm display and automatically detect the tempo o long samples
(page 161).
When adding a long sample to a project, Live might tell you that it cannot play the sample be-
ore it has been analyzed. This will not happen i the sample has already been analyzed (i.e.,
Live fnds an analysis fle or this sample), or i the Record/Warp/Launch Pre erences’ Auto-
Warp Long Samples pre erence (page 155) has been deactivated.
An analysis fle can also store de ault clip settings or the sample:
Clicking the Clip View’s Save button (page 145) will store the current clip’s settings with the
sample’s analysis fle. The next time the sample is dragged into Live, it will appear with all its clip
settings intact. This is particularly use ul or retaining Warp Marker settings with the sample. Stor-
ing de ault clip settings with the analysis fle is di erent rom saving the clip as a Live Clip.
While analysis fles are a handy way to store de ault in ormation about a particular sample’s
settings, keep in mind that you can use di erent settings or each clip within a Live Set — even i
those clips re er to the same sample on disk. But i you drag a new version o the sample into a
Live Set, Live will use the settings stored in the analysis fle or the newly created clip.
The analysis fle’s name is the same as that o the associated sample, with an added “.asd“ ex-
tension. Live puts this analysis fle in the same older as the sample.
Samples that have an .asd fle are displayed like this in the browser.
Samples without an .asd fle look like this.
The analysis fles themselves do not appear in Live’s browser.
Note that you can suppress the creation o .asd fles by turning o the Create Analysis Files op-
tion in the File/Folder Pre erences. All data (except or the de ault clip settings) can be recreated
by Live i the .asd fle is missing, however this will take some time or longer samples.
5.2.3 Exporting Audio and Video

The File menu’s Export Audio/Video command allows you to export Live’s audio output as new
samples. The resulting fles can be used to burn an audio CD or listening purposes or a data
CD, which could serve as a backup o your work or be used with other digital audio applica-
tions. I your set includes video, you can also use the Export Audio/Video command to export
this to a new video fle, which will be created in the same directory as the rendered audio fles.
(Note: video export is not available in the Lite and Intro Editions.) You can also upload your ex-
ported audio fles directly to your SoundCloud account.
Selection Options
The Render Dialog’s Selection Options.
The Export dialog’s Rendered Track chooser o ers several options or which audio signal to
render:
The Rendered Track Chooser.
•Master — the post- ader signal at Live’s Master output. I you are monitoring the Master
output, you can be sure that the rendered fle will contain exactly what you hear.
•All Individual Tracks — the post- ader signal at the output o each individual track, includ-
ing return tracks and MIDI tracks with instruments. Live will create a separate sample or
each track. All samples will have the same length, making it easy to align them in other
multitrack programs.
•Selected Tracks Only — this is identical to the All Individual Tracks option, but only renders
tracks that were selected prior to opening the Export dialog.
•(single tracks) — the post- ader signal at the output o the selected track.
The other Selection felds determine the start time and length o the exported material:
•Render Start — sets the position at which rendering will begin.
•Render Length — determines the length o the rendered sample.
Tip — a ast way to set both the Render Start and Length values is to select a range o time in
the Arrangement View prior to invoking the Export Audio/Video command. But remember — a
rendered audio fle contains only what you heard prior to rendering. So, or example, i you’re
playing back some combination o Session View clips and Arrangement material, then that is
what will be captured in your rendered fle — regardless o which view is active when you ren-
der.
Rendering Options
Audio Rendering Options.

The Export dialog o ers several audio rendering options:
•Render as Loop — I this is activated, Live will create a sample that can be used as a loop.
For example, suppose your Live Set uses a delay e ect. I Render as Loop is on, Live will
go through the rendering process twice: The frst pass will not actually write samples to
disk, but add the specifed delay e ect. As the second pass starts writing audio to disk, it
will include the delay “tail“ resulting rom the frst pass.
•Convert to Mono — I this is activated, Live will create a mono fle instead o a stereo fle.
•Normalize — I this is activated, the sample resulting rom the render process will be nor-
malized (i.e., the fle will be amplifed so that the highest peak attains the maximum avail-
able headroom).
•Create Analysis File — I this is activated, Live will create an .asd fle that contains analysis
in ormation about the rendered sample. I you intend to use the new sample in Live, check
this option.
•Sample Rate — Note that your choice o sample rate works as ollows: i you select a
sample rate equal to or higher than the rate you’re using in your project (as set in the Audio
tab o Live’s Pre erences), Live will export in a single step, at the sample rate you’ve chosen
in the Export dialog. I you export at a sample rate that is lower than your current project
sample rate, Live will frst export at the current project sample rate and then downsample
the fle in a second step using a high-quality process. Note that this may take a ew mo-
ments.
•Upload Audio to SoundCloud — I activated, a helper application will launch that will al-
low you to upload your exported audio fle to SoundCloud.
Encoding Options
Audio Encoding Options.
•Encode PCM — I activated, a lossless audio fle is created.
•File Type — WAV, AIFF, and FLAC ormats are available or PCM export.
•Bit Depth, Dither Options — I you are rendering at a bit depth lower than 32-bit, choose
one o the dither modes. Dithering adds a small amount o noise to rendered audio, but
minimizes arti acts when reducing the bit depth. By de ault, Triangular is selected, which
is the “sa est“ mode to use i there is any possibility o doing additional processing on
your fle. Rectangular mode introduces an even smaller amount o dither noise, but at the
expense o additional quantization error. The three Pow-r modes o er successively higher
amounts o dithering, but with the noise pushed above the audible range. Note that dither-
ing is a procedure that should only be applied once to any given audio fle. I you plan to
do urther processing on your rendered fle, it’s best to render to 32-bit to avoid the need
or dithering at this stage. In particular, the Pow-r modes should never be used or any
material that will be sent on to a urther mastering stage — these are or fnal output only.
(Please note that the Pow-r modes are not available in the Intro and Lite Editions.)
•Encode MP3 — I activated, a CBR 320 kbps MP3 fle is created. It is possible to export
PCM and MP3 simultaneously. I neither toggle is enabled, the Export button will be dis-
abled.
Video Rendering Options
Video Rendering Options.
(Note: video rendering is not available in the Intro and Lite Editions.)
In addition to settings or audio rendering, the Export dialog provides additional options or
rendering video:
•Create Video — I this is activated, a video fle will be created in the same directory as
your rendered audio. Note that this option is only enabled i you have video clips in the
Arrangement View. Also, it is not possible to only render a video fle — enabling video
rendering will always produce a video in addition to rendered audio.
•Video Encoder — This chooser allows you to select the encoder to use or the video ren-
dering. The choices you have here depend on the encoders you have installed.
•Video Encoder Settings — This button opens the settings window or the selected encoder.
Note that the settings options will vary depending on the encoder you have chosen. Cer-
tain encoders have no user-confgurable options. In this case, the Edit button will be dis-
abled.
Once you’ve made your selections and clicked Export to begin the rendering process, audio
rendering will begin. A ter the audio rendering is complete, the video will be rendered. Note
that, depending on the encoder used, video rendering may occur in more than one pass. Live
will display a progress bar that will indicate the status o the process.
Unless you’ve specifed a special window size or aspect ratio in the encoder settings, the ren-
dered video fle will play back exactly as it appeared during real time playback in Live. The
video fle will also contain the rendered audio.
For more in ormation about working with video in Live, see the chapter on video (page 325).
Real-Time Rendering
Normally, rendering happens as an o ine process. But i your set contains an External Audio
E ect (page 369) or External Instrument (page 461) that routes to a hardware e ects device
or synthesizer, the rendering process is a bit di erent. In this case, rendering the master output
happens in real time. I you render single tracks, all tracks that don’t route to an external device
anywhere in their signal paths will be rendered o ine. Then, any tracks that do access these
devices will be rendered in real time. Live will automatically trace each track’s signal ow and
detect i real-time rendering is necessary. You’ll then be presented with several options when you
start to render:
Waiting or External Devices to Become Silent.
•Skip — By de ault, Live will wait or ten seconds be ore starting a real-time render. This
should allow any sound rom external devices to ade out, but i you need more time ( or
example, i you’re waiting or a long reverb tail), you can increase the wait time by typing
a new number in the number box. On the other hand, i you’re sure that your external de-
vices aren’t making any sound, you can speed the process along by pressing “Skip,“ which
will start the render immediately.
A ter the render has begun, the dialog changes to show a recording progress bar:
Real-Time Rendering in Progress.

•Auto-Restart on drop-outs — Rendering in real-time requires somewhat more CPU power

than non-real-time rendering, and in some cases drop-outs (small gaps or glitches in the
audio) can occur. Live detects when drop-outs happen, and rendering will start again rom
the beginning i the Auto-Restart option is enabled.
•Restart — manually restarts the rendering process.
•Cancel — stops the rendering process and deletes the partially rendered fle.
The number o rendering attempts (i there has been more than one) will also be listed in the dia-
log box. I you fnd that dropouts and restarts keep happening, you should close other running
applications to allow more processing power or rendering. Please see the chapter on computer
audio resources (page 713) or more tips on improving per ormance.
5.3 MIDI Files

A MIDI le contains commands that prompt MIDI compatible synthesizers or instruments, such
as Live’s Simpler, to create specifc musical output. MIDI fles are exported by hardware and
so tware MIDI sequencers. Importing MIDI fles into Live works di erently than with samples:
MIDI fle data is incorporated into the Live Set, and the resulting MIDI clips lose all re erence to
the original fle. MIDI fles appear with a special icon in the browser.
A MIDI File in the Browser.
You can import MIDI fles by using the browser or the Create menu’s Import MIDI File... com-
mand. Note that when using the Import MIDI File... command in the Arrangement View, the fle
will be inserted at the Insert Marker position. When using the command in the Session View, the
fle will be inserted in the currently selected clip slot.
5.3.1 Exporting MIDI Files

Live MIDI clips can be exported as Standard MIDI fles. To export a MIDI clip, use the File
menu’s Export MIDI Clip command. This command will open a fle-save dialog, allowing you to
choose the location or your new MIDI fle.
Exporting a MIDI fle is di erent rom saving the clip as a Live Clip.
5.4 Live Clips

Individual audio or MIDI clips can be exported to disk in the Live Clip ormat or easy retrieval
and reuse in any project. Audio clips only contain re erences to samples on disk (rather than the
audio data itsel ), so they are very small, which makes it easy to develop and maintain your own
collection.
To save a clip rom the open Live Set to disk, simply drag it to the Places section o the browser
and drop it into the Current Project or any user older. For audio clips, Live will manage the
copying o the clip’s sample into this new location based on the selection in the Collect Files on
Export chooser (page 96). You can then type in a new name or the clip or confrm the one
suggested by Live with [Enter].
A Live Clip in the Browser.
Live Clips are a great way o storing your ideas or later use or development, as they save not
only the original clip, including all its clip and envelope settings, but also the original track’s de-
vices. In order to recreate a Live Clip’s device chain, either drag it into a track containing no clips
or devices, or drag it into the space in the Session or Arrangement View containing no tracks.
Note that Live Clips that are imported into tracks already containing devices or clips will appear
with their clip settings but not their devices. You could, or instance, drop a bassline Live Clip on
an existing track that drives a bass instrument, rather than creating a new track.
Clips belonging to any Live Sets already on disk are also Live Clips. Please see the section on
merging Sets (page 84) or more on this topic.
Note that storing de ault clip settings with a sample’s analysis fle is di erent rom saving a Live
Clip. The de ault clip in the .asd fle annotates the sample with sensible de ault values (warp,
gain and pitch settings) so that it will play in a defned way when it is added to a Set. Live Clips,
on the other hand, are stored on disk as separate musical ideas. For example, you could create
a number o variations rom the same audio clip by using di erent warp, pitch, envelope and
e ect settings, and store them all as separate Live Clips. In the browser, you could then inde-
pendently sort and preview these clips, even though they are all re erring to the same source
sample.
5.5 Live Sets

The type o document that you create and work on in Live is called a Live Set. Think o this as a
single “song.“ Sets must be saved inside projects, so that Live can keep track o and manage all
o the various components o the Live Set: Live Clips, device presets, any samples used, etc.
5.5.1 Creating, Opening and Saving Sets

Use the File menu’s New Live Set command to create new Live Sets, and the Open Live Set or
Open Recent Set command to open existing ones. In the browser, you can double-click or press
[Enter] on a Live Set to open it.
The File menu’s Save Live Set command saves the current Live Set exactly as it is, including all
clips and settings.
You can use the Save Live Set As command to save the current Live Set under a di erent name
and/or in a di erent directory location, or the Save a Copy command to create a copy o the
current Live Set with a new name and/or new directory location.
5.5.2 Merging Sets

Live makes it easy to merge Sets, which can come in handy when combining work rom di er-
ent versions or pieces. To add all tracks (except the return tracks) rom one Live Set into another,
drag the Set rom the browser into the current Set, and drop it onto any track title bar or into
the drop area next to or below the tracks. The tracks rom the dropped Set will be completely
reconstructed, including their clips in the Session and Arrangement View, their devices, and their
automation.
Session View Drop Area or Importing Live Sets.
Arrangement View Drop Area or Importing Live Sets.
I you pre er to import individual tracks rom a Set, you can un old the Live Set in the browser just
as i it were a older.
Un olding a Set to Reveal its Contents.
You can now drag the individual tracks and drop them as described at the beginning o this
section. Any grooves (page 195) that were saved with your Set are also available as a older
within the un olded Set.
You can also drag Group Tracks (page 236) and nested Group Tracks rom Live’s browser.
Group Tracks can be expanded in the browser, allowing you to load an individual track rom
within.
In addition to un olding Sets, you can urther un old the tracks within the Sets to access the indi-
vidual Session View clips that were used on the track:
Revealing the Session View Clips Contained in a Set.

You can browse, preview and import Session View clips rom the Set as i they had been stored
as individual Live Clips. This means that any Live Set can serve as a pool o sounds or any other,
suggesting creative reuse and crossover.
5.5.3 Exporting Session Clips as New Sets

You can export a selection o Session View clips as a new Live Set by dragging them to the
browser. To export a Set, frst click and drag, or use the [Shi t] or [CTRL](PC) / [ALT](Mac) modi-
fers, to select more than one Session View clip. Then, simply drag and drop the clips into the
Current Project or any user older, where you can either confrm Live’s suggested name or type in
one o your own.
5.5.4 Template Sets

Use the File/Folder Pre erences’ Save Current Set as De ault button to save the current Live Set
as the de ault template. Live will use these settings as the initialized, de ault state or new Live
Sets. You can use this to pre-confgure:
•Your multichannel input/output setup.
•Preset devices, like EQs and Compressors, in every track.
•Computer key mappings (page 583).
•MIDI mappings (page 573).
To delete your custom template Set, press the Clear button in the File/Folder Pre erences. This
will restore the built-in actory template. You can also temporarily load the built-in actory tem-
plate by holding [Shi t] while selecting New Live Set rom the File menu.
In addition to this “master” de ault template, you can create additional template Sets or di er-
ent types o projects, each with their own unique confguration o tracks, devices, etc. To do this,
create a older called “Templates” within your User Library. Any Sets saved to this older will
then unction as templates: they will load with the confguration you saved, but with the name
Untitled.als, ready to be used as a new Set.
Multiple Template Sets in the User Library
5.5.5 Viewing and Changing a Live Set’s File Re erences

To view a list o the fles re erenced by the current Live Set, choose the Manage Files command
rom the File menu, click the Manage Set button, and then click the View Files button. Live will
display one line or each fle used by the Live Set. To list all clips or instruments in the Live Set
where the fle is actually used, click the triangle to expand the line. Here is what you can do:
•Replace a fle — Dragging a fle rom the browser and dropping it on an entry in the list
makes the Live Set re erence the new fle instead o the old one. For samples used in audio
clips, Live retains the clip properties; the Warp Markers are kept i the new sample has the
same or a greater length as the old sample and discarded otherwise. Please note that re-
placing a sample will change all clips in your set that re erence this sample.
Every Entry in the File Re erence List is a Drop Target or Files.
•Hot-swap fles — Using the Hot-Swap button at the le t-hand side o each entry, you can
quickly browse through alternatives or the fle that is currently being re erenced. This is like
dragging fles here, only quicker.
The File Re erence List’s Hot-Swap Button.
•Edit a re erenced sample — using an external application (which can be chosen in the
Pre erences’ File/Folder tab). Clicking the Edit button will open the re erenced sample in
the external application. The sample will remain o ine as long as the Edit switch is en-
gaged. For samples used in audio clips, the current set o Warp Markers is retained only i
the sample length remains the same as be ore. Note that the Edit button is only available
or samples, not or other types o fles such as Max or Live devices (page 553).
The File Re erence List’s Edit Switch.
•View a fle’s location — The Location column states i a fle is missing (page 92), or i it
resides in your User Library, a Project or somewhere else (“external“). When un olded, the
entry shows the specifc places in the Set where the fle is used.
The File Re erence List’s Location Column.
5.6 Live Projects

A Live Project is a older containing Live-related fles that belong together. Consider, or exam-
ple, work on a piece o music: You start out with an empty Live Set; you record audio and there-
by create new sample fles; you drag in samples rom collections; you save di erent versions o
the Live Set along the way so that you can go back and compare. Perhaps you also save Live
Clips or device presets that “belong“ to this particular musical piece. The project older or this
Live Project will maintain all the fles related to this piece o music — and Live’s File Manager will
provide the tools you need to manage them (page 92).
5.6.1 Projects and Live Sets

When you save a Live Set under a new name or in a new older location, Live will create a new
project older and store the Live Set there — unless you are saving the Live Set into an existing
Live Project. Let’s look at an example to illustrate this process:
We have recorded some audio into a new Live Set. We now save the Live Set under the name
“Tango“ on the Desktop. The Desktop is available in the browser because we have previously
added it as a user older. Here is the result as displayed by the Live browser:
A Live Set and its Recordings in a Live Project Folder.
The project older (“Tango Project“) contains the Live Set (“Tango.als“) and a Samples older,
which in turn contains a Recorded older with two samples in it. Note that the current Project is
also indicated in the title bar o Live’s application window.
Next, we record another track into our Project. We save the modifed version o the Live Set un-
der a new name so that we do not lose the previous version. Accepting the Save As command’s
de ault suggestion, we store the new version o the song in the Tango Project older.
A Second Version o the Live Set Has Been Added to the Project.
The Tango Project now contains two Live Sets, and its Samples/Recorded older contains the
samples used by both o them.
And now or something completely di erent: We choose the File menu’s New Live Set command
and record a samba tune. As this has nothing to do with our tango dabblings, we decide to save
it outside the Tango Project older, say on the Desktop. Live creates a new project older named
Samba Project next to Tango Project.
A New Project Was Added Next to Tango Project.
So ar we have seen how to create Live Projects and save versions o Live Sets into them. How
do we open a Project? Simply by opening any o its contained Live Sets. Double-clicking “Tango
with Piano.als“ opens that Set and the associated Project — as displayed in Live’s title bar.
Let’s suppose that, in the course o our work on “Tango with Piano.als,“ we get sidetracked: The
piece evolves towards something entirely di erent, and we eel that it should live in a Project o
its own. So, we “Save As...“ under a new name and in some location outside the current Project,
say the Desktop:
A New Project Was Added by Saving a Live Set Outside its Original Project.
Note that the new project older has no Samples older (yet). “Electro with Piano.als“ is still re er-
encing the piano sample rom the original Tango Project. There is nothing wrong with this except
or when the Tango Project is moved away or deleted; then “Tango with Piano.als“ will be miss-
ing samples. You can prevent this by collecting external fles (page 95). Even a ter the act,
Live’s tools or searching missing fles (page 92) can help solve this problem.
There is actually no need to keep a Project’s Live Set exactly one level below the Project itsel .
Within a project older, you can create any number o sub- olders and move fles around to or-
ganize them as desired, although you many need to use the File Manager to “teach“ the Project
about the changes you’ve made (page 99).
In general, Live will do what it can to prevent situations such as orphaned (Project-less) Live Sets,
which have the potential o con using both the user and Live’s fle management tools. It cannot,
however, control situations in which Sets or fles are moved out o order and become disorga-
nized via the Explorer (Windows)/Finder (Mac).
A note or users o older Live versions: Live does not allow overwriting Live Sets that were cre-
ated by older major versions to prevent compatibility problems. Instead, you will be requested to
“Save As...“. Doing this will insure that the newly saved Live Sets reside in project olders.
5.6.2 Projects and Presets

By de ault, new instrument and e ect presets are stored in your current Project. At times how-
ever, it may make more sense to save a preset to another older or to your User Library, so that
you can access them rom other Projects. You can drag a preset between olders a ter saving it
(page 266), or simply drag the title bar o the device over a older in the sidebar, wait or the
content pane to open, and then drop it into the content pane, adding it to the older.
When saving presets that contain samples to a new location, Live may copy the samples de-
pending on the settings in the Collect Files on Export chooser in the Library Pre erences. You can
then type in a new name or the device or confrm the one suggested by Live with [Enter].
5.6.3 Managing Files in a Project

Live’s File Manager o ers several convenient tools or managing Projects. Once you’ve opened
a Live Set that is part o the Project you wish to manage, choose the Manage Files command
rom the File menu, and then click the Manage Project button. The File Manager will present you
with an overview o the Project’s contents and tools or:
•locating fles that the Project is missing;
•collecting external fles into the Project (page 95);
•listing unused fles in the Project (page 97);
•packing a Project in Pack ormat (page 98);
5.7 Locating Missing Files

I you load a Live Set, Live Clip or preset that re erences fles which are missing rom their re -
erenced locations, Live’s Status Bar (located at the bottom o the main screen) will display a
warning message. Clips and instrument sample slots that re erence missing samples will appear
marked “O ine,“ and Live will play silence instead o the missing samples.
Live’s File Manager o ers tools or repairing these missing links. Click on the Status Bar message
to access these. (This is actually a shortcut or choosing the Manage Files command rom the File
menu, clicking the Manage Set button, and then clicking the Locate button ound in the Missing
Files section.) The File Manager will present you with a list o the missing fles and associated
controls.
The File Manager’s List o Missing Files.
5.7.1 Manual Repair

To manually fx a broken fle re erence, locate the missing fle in the browser, drag it over to the
File Manager and drop it on the respective line in the list o missing fles. Note that Live will not
care i the fle you o er is really the fle that was missing.
5.7.2 Automatic Repair

Live o ers a convenient automatic search unction or repairing fle re erences. To send Live on
a search, click the Automatic Search section’s Go button. To reveal detailed options or guiding
the automatic search unction, click the neighboring triangular-shaped button.
Automatic Repair Options in the File Manager.
•Search Folder — includes a user-defned older, as well as any sub- olders, in the search.
To select the older, click the associated Set Folder button.
•Search Project — includes this Set’s project older in the search.
•Search Library — includes the Live Library in the search.
For each missing fle, the automatic search unction may fnd any number o candidates. Let’s
consider the ollowing cases:
•No candidate ound — you can choose another older and try again, or locate the sample
manually.
•One candidate ound — Live accepts the candidate and considers the problem solved.
•Several candidates ound — Live requires your assistance: Click the Hot-Swap button (i.e.,
the le tmost item in every line o the list o missing fles) to have the browser present the
candidates in Hot-Swap Mode. You can now double-click the candidates in the browser
to load them, as the music plays i you like.
5.8 Collecting External Files

To prevent a Live Set rom containing broken fle re erences, Live provides the option o collect-
ing (i.e., copying) them into the Set’s project older. This is accomplished via the File Manager:
•Choose the Manage Files command rom the File menu
•Click the Manage Set button
•Un old the triangular-shaped old button in the External Files section.
Options or Collecting External Files.
Separated by location (other Projects, the User Library, installed by actory Packs, and else-
where — sample collections rom external drives, or example), the File Manager provides:
•A fle count and the associated disk space used;
•A Show button that will list the fles in the browser;
•A Yes/No toggle or engaging or disengaging collection.
Note: Make sure to confrm your choices by clicking the File Manager’s Collect and Save but-
ton!
The File Manager’s Collect and Save Button.
The File menu’s Collect All and Save command is a shortcut that collects and saves all external
fles re erenced by the current Set, including those rom Live’s Core Library or other installed
Packs. Note that this can cause a lot o copying, especially i your Live Set uses large multisam-
ple collections!
5.8.1 Collect Files on Export

When you save Live Clips, device presets or tracks by dragging them into the Browser, Live man-
ages the copying o associated fles based on the selection made in the Collect Files on Export
chooser in the Library Pre erences. This chooser provides the ollowing options:
•Always, the de ault setting, will copy fles into the same older as the clip, preset, or track
without notifcation.
•When Ask is selected, Live provides a dialog box with options or copying fles.
•Never means that fles will not be copied when saving.

5.9 Aggregated Locating and Collecting

Instead o having to deal with problems while you are in a creative mode, you might pre er put-
ting aside some dedicated housekeeping time to solve all the problems in one go. Using Live’s
File Manager, you can fnd missing fles and collect external fles not only or the current Live Set
but also or:
•The User Library — choose the Manage Files command rom the File menu; then click the
Manage User Library button.
•The current Live Project — choose the Manage Files command rom the File menu; then
click the Manage Project button.
•Any Live Project — [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) on a Project in the browser’s con-

tent pane, and choose the Manage Project option.
•Any selection o Live Sets, Live Clips, Live Presets — [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac)
on the respective items in the browser, and choose the Manage Files command.
Remember to click the Collect and Save button at the bottom o the File Manager when you are
fnished. Otherwise your changes will be discarded.
5.10 Finding Unused Files

Live’s File Manager can fnd the unused fles in a Project or you. You can then review them and
decide to delete them individually or collectively. When searching or “unused“ fles, Live will
inspect each fle in a Project older, checking i it is re erenced by any o the Live Sets, Live Clips
or device presets in the Project. I not, the fle is regarded as unused — even i other Projects or
programs still use it.
To fnd the unused fles or the currently open Project, choose the Manage Files command rom
the File menu, click the Manage Project button, and then click on the triangular-shaped old but-
ton next to “Unused Files“ to access a summary and the Show button. Clicking the Show button
makes the browser list the unused fles; there, you can preview samples (page 69) and delete
them i you like.
Note you can also fnd the unused fles rom the Library: choose the Manage Files command
rom the File menu, then click the Manage Library button, and then see the Unused Files section.
Last but not least, you can fnd the unused fles or all Projects ound in a specifc older (and its
sub- olders): [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) on a older in the browser and choose the
Manage Projects command, then see the Unused Files section. Live inspects each Project indi-
vidually and labels a fle unused even i another Projects in the same older does use that fle. To
prevent losses, you may want to rst collect the les into their respective Projects and then purge
the Projects o unused les.
5.11 Packing Projects into Packs

Live’s File Manager provides the option o packing a Live Project in Pack ormat or convenient
archiving and trans er. To do this, choose the Manage Files command rom the File menu, click
the Manage Project button, and then click on the triangular-shaped old button next to “Pack-
ing.“ Click the Create Pack button to bring up a fle-select dialog where you can speci y the
name and location o a new Pack fle. Creating a new Pack rom a Project does not a ect the
Project. I you want the Project deleted, you can delete it using the browser.
Live employs lossless compression techniques to minimize the fle size o Packs. Depending on
the audio materials in a Project, this saves up to 50 percent in fle size.
To unpack a Pack (i.e., to restore the original Live Project), double-click the Pack fle (.alp), drag
it into the Live main window, or locate it via the File menu’s Install Pack command. Live will then
install the Pack to its de ault location and it will appear in the Packs label in the browser.
5.12 File Management FAQs
5.12.1 How Do I Create a Project?

A Project is automatically created whenever you save a Live Set, except when you save it into a
preexisting Project.
5.12.2 How Can I Save Presets Into My Current Project?

You can save presets directly to the current project by dragging rom the device’s title bar and
dropping into the Current Project label in the browser. You can then use the File Management
tools, collect any re erenced samples, etc.
5.12.3 Can I Work On Multiple Versions o a Set?

I you’d like to work on di erent versions o the same Live Set, save them into the same Project.
This will usually be the Project that was created when you saved the frst version o the Live Set. I
a Project contains multiple Live Sets it will only collect one copy o any samples used by the vari-
ous versions, which can save disk space and help with organization.
5.12.4 Where Should I Save My Live Sets?

You can save Live Sets anywhere you want, but saving to pre-existing Project olders can cause
problems, and should be reserved or special cases. You should only save a Live Set to an exist-
ing Project i it is somehow related to the Project — or example, an alternate version o a song
that’s already in the Project.
5.12.5 Can I Use My Own Folder Structure Within a Project

Folder?
You can organize your fles any way you want within a Project, but you’ll need to use the File
Manager to relink the fles that you’ve moved around:
1. In Live’s Browser or via your operating system, reorganize the fles and olders within your
Project older.
2. Navigate to the Project older in the Browser and choose Manage Project via the [right-
click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu.
3. I you’ve changed the original location o any samples used in the Project, the Missing
Samples section o the File Manager will indicate this. Click the Locate button to search or
the samples.
4. Since you know that your samples are all in the Project older, un old Automatic Search.
Then enable the Search Project and Fully Rescan Folders options. Finally, click Go to initi-
ate the search.
5. When searching is complete, click Collect and Save at the bottom o the File Manager to
update the Project.
Chapter 6
Arrangement View
The Arrangement View displays the Arrangement, which contains music laid out along a song
timeline, like a multitrack tape.
A Piece o Music in the Arrangement View.
The Arrangement View is a power ul editing tool that easily lets you combine and arrange MIDI,
loops, sound e ects, video and complete pieces o music.
6.1 Navigation
Live o ers several ast methods or zooming and scrolling the Arrangement display:
8 1 2-3 4 5 6 7
Navigating the Arrangement View.
1. To smoothly change the zoom level, click and drag vertically in the beat-time ruler at the
top o the Arrangement View (you can also drag horizontally to scroll the display).
2. To zoom in and out around the current selection progressively, you can use the computer
keyboard’s [+] and [-] keys, or scroll with the mousewheel or trackpad while holding the
[CTRL](PC) / [CMD](Mac) modifer. To “pan“ the display, click and drag while holding the
[CTRL][ALT](PC) / [CMD][ALT](Mac) modifer. Double-clicking in the beat-time ruler also
zooms to the current selection. I nothing is selected, double-clicking the beat-time ruler
zooms out to show the entire Arrangement.
3. To zoom in the current selection completely, press [Z] or use the View menu’s Zoom to Ar-
rangement Time Selection command. (Note that i you select time on a single Arrangement
clip, the Clip View display (page 138) will zoom in on that selected time.) You can revert
back to the previous zoom state by pressing [Shi t][Z]. Note that pressing [Shi t][Z] another
time will zoom the Arrangement out completely.
4. To vertically zoom a selected track, scroll inside the Track Display Area with the mouse-
wheel or trackpad while holding the [ALT] modifer. Note that i the Arrangement contains
a time selection, all tracks with selected content will zoom vertically.
5. The Arrangement Overview is like a “bird’s-eye view“ o your music. It always shows the
complete piece, rom start to end. The black rectangular outline represents the part o the
Arrangement that is currently displayed in the Arrangement display below. To scroll the
display, click within the outline and drag le t or right; to zoom out and in, drag up and
down.
6. To change the displayed part o the Arrangement, drag the outline’s le t and right edges.
7. To see a specifc part o the Arrangement in more detail, click on it in the Overview and
drag downwards to zoom in around that part. Note that you can also drag horizontally to
scroll the display. Using this method, you can zoom and scroll to ocus around any part o
the Arrangement with just one mouse motion.
8. To have the Arrangement display ollow the song position and scroll automatically, turn on
the Follow switch, or use the Follow command rom the Options menu. Follow will pause i
you make an edit or scroll the view horizontally in the Arrangement. Follow will start again
once you stop or restart playback, or click in the Arrangement or clip scrub area.
6.2 Transport
There are a number o ways to control Live’s transport with the computer keyboard and mouse:
1. You can start Arrangement playback by clicking the Control Bar’s Play button, and stop
playback by clicking the Stop button. Arrangement playback can also be toggled on and
o by pressing the keyboard’s space bar.
The Play and Stop Buttons in the Control Bar.
2. You can set the Arrangement playback position by clicking anywhere along the Arrange-
ment to place the ashing insert marker. You can return the Arrangement play position to
1.1.1 by double-clicking the Stop button or by pressing the Home key (PC) / Function + le t
arrow key (Mac).
Arrangement Playback Begins rom the Insert Marker.

To continue playback rom the position where it last stopped, rather than rom the insert
marker, hold down the [Shi t] modifer while pressing the space bar.
3. When Permanent Scrub Areas is enabled in Live’s Look/Feel Pre erences, clicking in the
scrub area above the tracks will make playback jump to that point. The size o these jumps
is quantized according to the Control Bar’s Quantization menu setting. While the mouse is
held down over the scrub area, a portion o the Arrangement the size o the chosen quan-
tization setting will be repeatedly played. With small quantization settings, or a setting o
“None,“ this allows you to scrub through the music. Activating the Options menu’s Chase
MIDI Notes command allows MIDI notes to play back even i playback begins a ter the
MIDI note’s start time.
When the Permanent Scrub Areas pre erence is o , you can still scrub by [Shi t]-clicking
anywhere in the scrub area or in the beat time ruler.
Scrubbing Arrangement Playback.
4. The song position can be adjusted numerically using the Control Bar’s Arrangement Posi-
tion felds.
Setting the Play Position in the Arrangement Position Fields.
The Arrangement Position felds show the song position in bars-beats-sixteenths. To change
the values:
•Click and drag up or down in any o these felds.
•Click and type a number, then hit [Enter].
•Click and decrement or increment the value with the up and down arrow keys .
5. Arrangement playback can be started at a particular point in one o your clips using the
scrub area in the Clip View (page 131).
6. Several Arrangement playback positions can be set using launchable locators (page
105).
Note that any computer keyboard key or MIDI message can be mapped to the transport con-
trols, as described in the respective chapter (page 573).
6.3 Launching the Arrangement with Locators
Using Locators to Launch Play in the Arrangement.
Locators can be set at any point in the Arrangement. This can be done in real time during play-
back or recording with the Set Locator button, and will be quantized according to the global
quantization value set in the Control Bar. Clicking the Set Locator button when the Arrangement
is not playing will create a locator at the insert marker or selection start. You can also create a
locator using the context menu in the scrub area above the tracks or via the Create menu. Note
that the position o a new locator is quantized according to the Control Bar’s Quantization menu
setting.
The Locator Controls.

You can recall (jump to) locators by clicking on them, or with the Previous and Next Locator
buttons below the Set button. Locators can also be recalled using MIDI/key mapping (page
573). Note that locator recall is subject to quantization. Double-clicking a locator will select it
and start Arrangement playback rom that point.
A ter jumping to the frst or last locator in the Arrangement, the Previous and Next Locator but-
tons will jump to the Arrangement start or end, respectively.
Locators can be moved by clicking and dragging, or with the arrow keys on your computer key-
board.
To name a locator, select it by clicking its triangular marker, and choose the Rename Edit menu
command (or use the [CTRL][R](PC) / [CMD][R](Mac) shortcut). You can also enter your own in o
text (page 31) or a locator via the Edit In o Text command in the Edit menu or in the locator’s
[right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu. Locators can be removed with your com-
puter’s [Backspace] or [Delete] key , the Create menu, or the Delete Locator button.
Note that the locator [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu o ers a quick way o
looping playback (page 108) between two locators with its Loop To Next Locator command.
The locator [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu’s Set Song Start Time Here com-
mand can be used to overrule the de ault “play starts at selection“ rule: when this command is
checked, play starts at the locator.
6.4 Time Signature Changes
Time Signature Changes.
Live’s time signature can be changed at any point in the Arrangement by using time signature
markers. These can be added at the insert marker position via the Create menu, or anywhere
below the beat-time ruler using the [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu. Time
signature markers appear just below the beat time ruler, but this marker area is hidden i a Set
contains no meter changes, reeing up additional space at the top o the Arrangement.
In many ways, time signature markers look and unction like locators; they can be moved with
the mouse or with your computer keyboard’s arrow keys, and their value can be changed using
the Edit menu’s Edit Value command (or with the [CTRL][R](PC) / [CMD][R](Mac) shortcut). They
can be also be deleted using the [Backspace] or [Delete] key, or via delete commands in the Edit
and Create menus.
The time signature marker [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu o ers a number o
eatures, including a Delete All Time Signature Changes command and options to loop or select
the area up to the next time signature marker.
Any time signature with a one- or two-digit numerator and a denominator o 1, 2, 4, 8 or 16

can be used as a time signature marker value. The numbers must be separated by a delimiter
such as a slash, comma, period, or any number o spaces. These marker values can also be set
by adjusting the time signature felds in the Control Bar, either by typing in values or dragging
the numerator and denominator sliders. This will change the time signature marker value at the
current play location, and works either with the transport stopped or during playback. When the
Arrangement contains time signature changes, the time signature editor displays an automation
LED in the upper le t corner.
The Time Signature Editor Can Change Time Signature Marker Values, and Shows an Automation
LED.
Time signature markers are not quantized; they may be placed anywhere in the timeline, and
their positioning is only constrained by the editing grid (page 114). This means that it is pos-
sible to place meter changes in “impossible“ places — such as be ore the end o the previous
measure. This creates a ragmentary bar, which is represented in the scrub area by a cross-
hatched region. Live is happy to leave these incomplete measures as they are, but i you’d like
your Set to con orm to the rules o music theory, you can use the two [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-
click](Mac) context menu options to “correct“ incomplete bars.
A Fragmentary Bar and its Resolution Options.
Delete Fragmentary Bar Time deletes the duration o the ragmentary bar rom the Arrangement,
thereby moving any audio or MIDI on either side o the deleted area closer together in the time-
line. The next time signature marker will now all on a “legal“ barline.
Complete Fragmentary Bar inserts time at the beginning o the ragmentary bar, so that it be-
comes complete. The next time signature marker will now all on a “legal“ barline.
Please note that these resolution options a ect all tracks — deleting and inserting time changes
the length o the entire Arrangement.
I you import a MIDI fle (page 81) into the Arrangement, you’ll be given an option to import
any time signature in ormation that was saved with the fle. I you choose to do this, Live will au-
tomatically create time signature markers in the correct places. This makes it very easy to work
with complex music created in other sequencer or notation so tware.
6.5 The Arrangement Loop
The Control Bar’s Loop Switch.
For Live to repeatedly play a section o the Arrangement, activate the Arrangement loop by
clicking on the Control Bar’s Loop switch.
The Loop Start Fields (Le t) and the Loop Length Fields (Right).
You can set loop length numerically using the Control Bar felds: The le t-hand set o felds deter-
mines the loop start position, while the right-hand set determines loop length.
The Edit menu’s Loop Selection command accomplishes all o the above at once: It turns the Ar-
rangement loop on and sets the Arrangement loop brace to whatever timespan is selected in the
Arrangement. You can toggle the Loop Selection command on and o using the [CTRL][L](PC) /
[CMD][L](Mac) shortcut.
The Arrangement’s Loop Brace.
The loop brace can be selected with the mouse and manipulated with commands rom the com-
puter keyboard:
• the right and le t arrow keys nudge the loop brace to the le t/right by the current grid set-
ting (page 114).
• the up and down arrow keys shi t the loop brace le t/right in steps the size o its length.
•The [CTRL](PC) / [CMD](Mac) modifer used with the arrow le t and right keys shortens or
lengthens the loop by the current grid setting.
•The [CTRL](PC) / [CMD](Mac) modifer with the arrow up and down keys doubles or
halves the loop length.
You can also drag the Arrangement’s loop brace: Dragging the le t and right ends sets the loop
start and end points; dragging between the ends moves the loop without changing its length.
The loop’s [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu’s Set Song Start Time Here com-
mand can be used to overrule the de ault “play starts at selection“ rule: when this command is
checked, play starts at the loop start.
6.6 Moving and Resizing Clips

A piece o audio or MIDI is represented in the Arrangement View by a clip sitting at some song
position in one o Live’s tracks.
Moving a Clip.
Dragging a clip moves it to another song position or track.
Changing a Clip’s Length.
Dragging a clip’s le t or right edge changes the clip’s length.
Clips snap to the editing grid, as well as various objects in the Arrangement including the edges
o other clips, locators and time signature changes.
To slide the contents o a clip within the clip’s boundaries, hold [CTRL][Shi t](PC) / [ALT][Shi t]
(Mac) while dragging the clip’s wave orm or MIDI display. To bypass grid snapping, hold down
[CTRL][ALT][Shi t] (PC) / [CMD][ALT][Shi t](Mac) while dragging the clip’s contents.
6.7 Audio Clip Fades and Cross ades

The beginning and end o audio clips in the Arrangement View have adjustable volume ades.
Additionally, adjacent clips on the same audio track can be cross aded.
Fade controls are always available or audio clips, provided that Automation Mode (page
305) is disabled, and the tracks containing those clips are at least three units tall (Note: i a
clip’s track is too small, you can simply adjust the height o the track until the ade controls ap-
pear.)
To access the ade controls in an audio clip, simply hover over that clip with the mouse. Here is
what you can do with the ade controls:
1. Click and drag the ade in and ade out handles to change the length o the ade. The
Fade In Start and Fade Out End handles allow you to change the duration o a ade in or
ade out without a ecting the ade peaks. However, ade edges cannot move beyond ade
peaks.
2. Click and drag the ade curve handle to change the shape o the ade’s curve.
Fades in the Arrangement View.
You can also set the length o a ade by selecting a range o time within the clip (page 113)
that includes the clip’s beginning or end and executing the Create Fade In/Out command in the
Create menu.
Adjacent audio clips can be cross aded. Creating and editing cross ades is similar to creating
and editing start and end ades:
•click and drag a ade handle over the opposite clip’s edge to create a cross ade
•click and drag the slope handle to adjust the shape o the cross ade’s curve
•select a range o time that includes the boundary between the adjacent clips and execute
the Create Cross ade command rom the Create menu.
Cross aded Clips.
Selecting a ade handle and pressing the [Delete] deletes the ade, unless the Create Fades on
Clip Edges option is enabled in the Record/Warp/Launch Pre erences. In this case, pressing
[Delete] returns the ade handle to a de ault length o 4 ms. With this option enabled, new clips
in the Arrangement View will have these short “declicking“ ades by de ault.
Automatically Create Short Fades At Clip Edges.
Another result o enabling the Create Fades on Clip Edges option is that adjacent audio clips will
get automatic 4 ms cross ades. These can then be edited just like manually-created cross ades.
There are some limits to the length o ades and cross ades:
•Fades cannot cross a clip’s loop boundaries.
•A clip’s start and end ades cannot overlap each other.
When a ade handle is selected, a dotted black line will appear on the relevant clip to indicate
the limit or that ade handle. This is especially help ul when editing cross ades, because one
clip’s loop boundary may be “hidden“ under the other clip.
Note that ades are a property o clips rather than the tracks that contain them, and are inde-
pendent o automation envelopes (page 301).
6.8 Selecting Clips and Time

With the exception o moving and resizing clips, Arrangement editing in Live is selection-based:
You select something using the mouse, then execute a menu command (e.g., Cut, Copy, Paste,
Duplicate) on the selection. This editing method lends itsel to an e fcient division o labor be-
tween the two hands: One hand operates the mouse or trackpad, while the other hand issues the
keyboard shortcuts or the menu commands. The menu eventually is only used as a re erence or
looking up the keyboard shortcuts.
Here is how selection works:
•Clicking a clip selects the clip.
•Clicking into the Arrangement background selects a point in time, represented by a ash-
ing insert marker. The insert marker can then be moved in time with the le t and right arrow
keys, or between tracks via the up and down arrow keys. Holding [CTRL](PC) / [ALT](Mac)
while pressing the le t and right arrow keys snaps the insert marker to locators and the
edges o clips in the selected track or tracks.
•Clicking and dragging selects a timespan.
•To access the time within a clip or editing, “un old“ its track by clicking the button next
to the track name.
Adjusting an Un olded Track’s Height.
•Clicking and dragging in the lower hal o the clip’s wave orm or MIDI display allows you
to select time within the clip. You can adjust the height o the un olded track by dragging
the split line below the Un old Track button. Note that you can resize all tracks in the Ar-
rangement View at once, by holding [ALT] while resizing a single track. You can also un-
old all o your tracks at once by holding down the [ALT](PC) / [ALT](Mac) modifer when
clicking the button.
•Clicking on the loop brace is a shortcut or executing the Edit menu’s Select Loop com-
mand, which selects all material included within the loop.
Clicking the Loop Brace to Select the Loop or Editing.
•Holding [Shi t] while clicking extends an existing selection in the same track or across
tracks. You can also hold [Shi t] and use the arrow keys to manipulate the selection.
•Pressing the [0] key deactivates a selection o material, even i it contains multiple clips.
Note that pressing the [0] key while a track header is selected will deactivate that track.
•It is possible to reverse (page 147) a selection o audio material, even i it contains mul-
tiple audio clips. To do this, select the range o time you want to reverse, and choose the
Reverse Clip(s) command rom the clip’s [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu
or press the [R] shortcut key. (Note that it isn’t possible to reverse a selection that contains
MIDI clips.)
•You can use the le t and right arrow keys to nudge a selection o material in either direc-
tion.
6.9 Using the Editing Grid

To ease editing, the cursor will snap to grid lines that represent the meter subdivisions o the song
tempo. The grid can be set to be either zoom-adaptive or fxed.
You can set the width o both zoom-adaptive and fxed grid lines using the [right-click](PC) /
[CTRL-click](Mac) context menu available in either the Arrangement View track area or the Clip
View display.
The ollowing shortcuts to Options menu commands allow quickly working with the grid:
•Use [CTRL][1](PC) / [CMD][1](Mac) to narrow the grid, doubling the density o the grid
lines (e.g., rom eighth notes to sixteenth notes).
•Use [CTRL][2](PC) / [CMD][2](Mac) to widen the grid, halving the density o the grid lines
(e.g., rom eighth notes to quarter notes).
•Use [CTRL][3](PC) / [CMD][3](Mac) to toggle triplets mode; this would, or instance,

change the grid rom eighth notes to eighth note triplets.
•Use [CTRL][4](PC) / [CMD][4](Mac) to turn grid snapping on or o . When the grid is o ,

the cursor does not snap to meter subdivisions.
•Use [CTRL][5](PC) / [CMD][5](Mac) to toggle fxed and adaptive grid modes.
The current spacing between adjacent grid lines is displayed in the lower right corner o the Ar-
rangement View or Clip View.
You can hold down the [ALT](PC) / [CMD](Mac) modifer while per orming an action to bypass
grid snapping. I the grid is already disabled, this modifer will temporarily enable it.
6.10 Using the ...Time Commands

Whereas the standard commands like Cut, Copy and Paste only a ect the current selection,
their “... Time“ counterparts act upon all tracks by inserting and deleting time. Any time signature
markers within the selected region will also be a ected.
•Cut Time cuts a selection o time rom the Arrangement, thereby moving any audio or MIDI
on either side o the cut area closer together in the timeline. This command reduces the
length o your Arrangement by whatever amount o time you have cut. Note that the Cut
Time command a ects all tracks, not only the selected ones.
A Gap Between Clips Has Been Cut by First Selecting It (Le t), Then Executing the Cut Time Com-
mand (Right).
•Paste Time places copied time into the Arrangement, thereby increasing its overall duration
by the length o time you have copied.
•Duplicate Time places a copy o the selected timespan into the Arrangement, thereby in-
creasing its overall duration by the length o the selection.
•Delete Time deletes a selection o time rom the Arrangement, thereby moving any audio
or MIDI on either side o the deleted area closer together in the timeline. This command
reduces the length o your Arrangement by the amount o time you have deleted. Note that
the Delete Time command a ects all tracks, not only the selected ones.
•Insert Silence inserts as much empty time as is currently selected into the Arrangement,
be ore the selection.
6.11 Splitting Clips

The Split command can divide a clip or isolate part o it.
To split a clip in two halves, do the ollowing:
1. Un old the track;
2. In the wave orm or MIDI display, click at the position where you want the clip to be split;
3. Execute the Split command.
To isolate a part o a clip, do the ollowing:

1. Un old the track;
2. In the wave orm or MIDI display, drag a selection over the part o the clip you want to
isolate;
3. Execute the Split command to divide the original clip into three pieces.
The Result o Splitting a Clip.
6.12 Consolidating Clips

The Consolidate command replaces the material in the Arrangement View selection with one
new clip per track. This is very use ul or creating structure.
Consolidating Several Clips Into a New Clip.
Suppose you have, by editing or improvising, come up with a layout o clips that sound good in
Arrangement Loop mode. Selecting that part o the Arrangement, or instance by using the Edit
menu’s Select Loop command, and then executing the Consolidate command creates a new clip
that can be treated as a loop. You can now, or instance, drag the clip edges to create more
repetitions. You might also want to drag the new loop via the Session View selector into a Ses-
sion View slot or real-time arrangement purposes.
When operating on audio clips, Consolidate actually creates a new sample or every track in
the selection. The new samples are essentially recordings o the time-warping engine’s audio
output, prior to processing in the track’s e ects chain and mixer. Hence, the new sample incor-
porates the e ects o in-clip attenuation, time-warping and pitch shi ting, and o the respective
clip envelopes (page 313); however, it does not incorporate the e ects. To create a new sam-
ple rom the post-e ects signal, please use the Export Audio/Video command (page 74).
The new samples can be ound in the current Set’s Project older, under Samples/Processed/
Consolidate. Until the Set is saved, they remain at the location specifed by the Temporary
Folder (page 255).
Session View 119
Chapter 7
Session View
In Live’s Arrangement View (page 101), as in all traditional sequencing programs, everything
happens along a fxed song timeline. For a number o applications, this is a limiting paradigm:
•When playing live, or when DJing, the order o pieces, the length o each piece and the
order o parts within each piece is generally not known in advance.
•In the theatre, sound has to react to what happens on stage.
•When working along with a piece o music or a flm score, it can be more e fcient and
inspirational to start with an improvisation, which is later refned into the fnal product.
This is exactly what Live’s unique Session View is or.
7.1 Session View Clips
The Controls or a Session View Clip.

Session View 120
1. Each clip in the Session View has a triangular button at the le t edge. Click the button with
the mouse to “launch“ clip playback at any time, or pre-select a clip by clicking on its
name, and launch it using the computer’s [Enter] key. You can then move on to the neigh-
boring clips using the arrow keys. Please re er the manual section on clip launch settings
(page 201) or details on how to customize this behavior.
2. Click on a square Clip Stop button to stop a running clip, either in one o the track’s slots,
or in the Track Status eld below the Session grid.
Pressing the [0] key while a Session View clip(s) is selected will deactivate that clip(s).
Clips can be controlled remotely with the computer keyboard or a MIDI controller (page 573).
They can even be mapped to MIDI note ranges so that they play chromatically.
Clips can be played at any time and in any order. The layout o clips does not predetermine their
order; the Session grid o ers random access to the clips it contains.
Notice that, even i you stop playback or a Session View clip, the Play button in the Control Bar
will remain highlighted, and the Arrangement Position felds will continue running. These felds
keep a continuous ow o musical time going, so that you can always know your position in song
time during a live per ormance or while recording into the Arrangement (page 126), regard-
less o what your individual Session clips are doing.
You can always return the Arrangement Position felds to 1.1.1 and stop playback or the entire
Live Set by pressing the Control Bar’s Stop button twice.
The Arrangement Position Fields and the Stop Button.
Slots in Group Tracks (page 236) show a shaded area to indicate that at least one o the
contained tracks contains a clip in that scene. The color o the shading is the color o the le t-
most clip in the group. These group slots also contain launch buttons which will launch all o the
respective clips. Group slots which have no corresponding clips contain stop buttons. Clicking in
any group slot selects all o the clips it re ers to.
Session View 121
Group Slots and Group Launch Buttons.
7.2 Tracks and Scenes

Each vertical column, or track, can play only one clip at a time. It there ore makes sense to put
a set o clips that are supposed to be played alternatively in the same columns: parts o a song,
variations o a drum loop, etc.
Resized Session View Tracks.
For convenient access to more clips at once, you can resize Session View tracks by clicking
and dragging at the edges o their title bars. Tracks can be narrowed this way so that only Clip
Launch buttons and essential track controls are visible. Note that you can resize all Session View
tracks at once by holding [ALT] while resizing a single track.
Session View 122
A Scene in the Session View.
Note that pressing the [0] key while a Session View track header is selected will deactivate that
track.
The horizontal rows are called scenes. The Scene Launch buttons are located in the rightmost
column, which represents the Master track (page 238). To launch every clip in a row simulta-
neously, click on the associated Scene Launch button. This can be very use ul in organizing the
live per ormance o a song with multiple parts.
The scene below a launched scene will automatically be selected as the next to be launched un-
less the Select Next Scene on Launch option in the Launch Pre erences is set to “O .“ This allows
you to trigger scenes rom top to bottom without having to select them frst. Computer keys or a
MIDI controller can be used to launch scenes and scroll between them (page 581).
Scenes can be renamed using the Rename command in the Edit menu or the [right-click](PC) /
[CTRL-click](Mac) context menu. One can quickly rename several scenes by executing the Re-
name command and using the computer’s [Tab] key to move rom one scene to the next. You can
also enter your own in o text or a scene via the Edit In o Text command in the Edit menu or in
the scene’s [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu. The context menu also contains a
color palette where you can choose a custom scene color.
Scenes can be reordered by drag-and-drop. Multiple adjacent or nonadjacent scenes can

be selected at once by [Shi t]-clicking or [CTRL]-clicking, respectively. I you drag a selection
o nonadjacent scenes, they will be collapsed together when dropped. To move nonadjacent
scenes without collapsing, use [CTRL] + the up or down arrow keys instead o the mouse.
Scene names can be both descriptive and unctional; i Live detects a viable tempo and/or time
signature as part o a scene name, the project will automatically adjust to these parameters
when the scene is launched. To assign a tempo to a scene, select the scene and rename it with a
viable tempo (e.g., “96 BPM“). Any tempo can be used, as long as it is within the range allowed
by Live’s Tempo control (20-999 BPM). To assign a time signature to a scene, rename the scene
Session View 123
with a meter in the orm o “x/y“ (e.g., “4/4“). Any time signature can be used, provided it has a
numerator between 1 and 99 and a denominator with a beat value o 1, 2, 4, 8 or 16.
Tempo and time signature changes can coexist within a single scene name, and can appear
in any position as long as they are separated rom each other by at least one character. For
example, “2/4+108 BPM“, “72 BPM;7/8“ and “60 BPM Chorus 3/4“ are all scene names that
will cause simultaneous meter and tempo changes.
These Scenes Will Change the Tempo and Time Signature.
Scenes with tempo and/or time signature changes in their names will have a colored Scene
Launch button.
7.3 The Track Status Fields

You can tell a track’s status by looking at the Track Status feld just above the active track’s mixer
controls:
A Track Playing a Looping Session Clip.
The pie-chart icon in a clip track represents a looping Session clip (page 138). The number to
the right o the circle is the loop length in beats, and the number at the le t represents how many
times the loop has been played since its launch. A pie-chart without numbers appears in the
Track Status feld or a Group Track i at least one clip in a contained track is currently playing.
Session View 124
... A One-shot Session Clip...
The progress-bar icon represents a one-shot (non-looping) Session clip. The value displays the
remaining play time in minutes:seconds.
... Monitoring the Input...
A microphone icon appears in an audio track that is set to monitor its input (page 212). A key-
board icon appears in a MIDI track under these same circumstances.
... Playing the Arrangement.
I the track is playing clips rom the Arrangement, a miniature display representing the Arrange-
ment clips being played appears.
7.4 Setting Up the Session View Grid

Clips arrive in the Session View by being imported rom the browser or through recording (page
245).
Session View 125
Dropping Multiple Clips Into the Session View.
I you are dragging multiple clips into your Set, Live de aults to arranging them in one track;
vertically in the Session View or horizontally in the Arrangement View. Hold down [CTRL](PC) /
[CMD](Mac) prior to dropping them so as to lay the clips out in multiple tracks instead. Note: this
works or raw audio or MIDI fles but not or Live Clips (page 82) (because they can contain
their own embedded devices).
Clips can be moved around the Session grid by drag-and-drop. To move several clips at once,
select them by using the [Shi t] or [CTRL](PC) / [CMD](Mac) modifer be ore dragging. You can
also click into an empty slot and “rubber-band“ select rom there.
7.4.1 Select on Launch

By de ault, clicking a Session View clip’s Launch button also selects the clip, since you will typi-
cally want the Clip View to show the newly launched clip. However, some power-users don’t
want the current ocus (e.g., a return track’s devices) to disappear just because a clip has been
launched, especially when starting a clip in order to try it with the return track device settings.
Turn o the Select on Launch option rom the Launch Pre erences i you pre er the view to remain
as is when you launch clips or scenes.
Session View 126
7.4.2 Removing Clip Stop Buttons
Slots Without Clip Stop Buttons.
You can add and remove Clip Stop buttons rom the grid using the Edit menu’s Add/Remove
Stop Button command. This is use ul or pre-confguring the scene launch behavior: I , or in-
stance, you don’t want scene 3 to a ect track 4, remove the scene 3/track 4 Stop button.
7.4.3 Editing Scenes

In addition to the standard Edit menu commands such as cut, copy, paste and duplicate, there
are two use ul commands in the Create menu that apply specifcally to scenes:
•Insert Scene inserts an empty scene below the current selection.
•Capture and Insert Scene inserts a new scene below the current selection, places copies o
the clips that are currently running in the new scene and launches the new scene immedi-
ately with no audible interruption. This command is very help ul when developing materials
in the Session View. You can capture an interesting moment as a new scene and move on,
changing clip properties and trying clip combinations. (Note: the number o scenes is lim-
ited in the Intro and Lite Editions.)
7.5 Recording Sessions into the Arrangement

Your Session View playing can be recorded into the Arrangement, allowing or an improvisa-
tional approach to composing songs and scores.
Session View 127
The Control Bar’s Arrangement Record Button.
When the Arrangement Record button is on, Live logs all o your actions into the Arrangement:
•the clips launched;
•changes o those clips’ properties (page 131);
•changes o the mixer and the devices’ controls, also known as automation (page 301);
•tempos and time signature changes, i they are included in the names o launched scenes.
To fnish recording, press the Arrangement Record button again, or stop playback.
The Arrangement Selector.
To view the results o your recording, bring up the Arrangement View. As you can see, Live has
copied the clips you launched during recording into the Arrangement, in the appropriate tracks
and the correct song positions. Notice that your recording has not created new audio data, only
clips.
The Session clips and the Arrangement clips in one track are mutually exclusive: Only one can
play at a time. When a Session clip is launched, Live stops playing back that track’s Arrange-
ment in avor o the Session clip. Clicking a Clip Stop button causes the Arrangement playback
to stop, which produces silence.
Arrangement playback does not resume until you explicitly tell Live to resume by clicking the
Back to Arrangement button, which appears in the Arrangement View and lights up to remind
you that what you hear di ers rom the Arrangement.
Session View 128
The Back to Arrangement Button in the Session View.
The Back to Arrangement Button in the Arrangement View.
To disable all Arrangement clips simultaneously, click on the Stop All Clips button in the Master
Track Status feld. The clips in the Arrangement and in the Session View exist independently rom
one another, which makes it easy to improvise into the Arrangement over and over again until it’s
right.
The Stop All Clips Button.
Furthermore, you can move clips not only within the Session grid, but also rom the Session View
to the Arrangement and vice versa by using Copy and Paste, by dragging clips over the or
Session View 129
selectors, or by simply dragging clips between the two windows i you’ve enabled the Second
Window option via [CTRL][Shi t][W](PC) / [CMD][Shi t][W](Mac) or in the View menu.
When pasting material rom the Arrangement into the Session View, Live attempts to preserve
the temporal structure o the clips by laying them out in a matching top-to-bottom order. Moving
through the scenes rom the top down, you can reconstruct the original arrangement. This is use-
ul or taking a composed piece o music back to the improvisational stage.
Another way to move material rom the Arrangement to the Session is with the Arrangement
View’s Consolidate Time to New Scene command, which is available rom the Create menu or
in the [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu o an Arrangement selection. This com-
mand consolidates the material within the selected time range to one new clip per track. The
new clips are placed into a new Session View scene below the previously selected scene. Note
that, as with the Arrangement’s Consolidate command (page 117), this command creates a
new sample or every audio track in the selection that contained at least one clip.
Session View 130
Clip View 131
Chapter 8
Clip View
The Clip View is where clip properties can be set and adjusted.
The Clip View.
Clicking on the Clip Overview or double-clicking a clip in the Session or Arrangement View
opens the Clip View. I you’re using dual monitors, the Clip View will open in the same window
you just clicked. To switch the Clip View to the other window, press [Shi t][Tab]. (Tip: single-
clicking a clip will show that clip in the Clip View, but will not move the Clip View rom its current
window. This allows you to, or example, dedicate one window to detailed clip editing while
using the other window or your work in the Session or Arrangement.)
Clicking the Clip Overview Opens the Clip View.
In the Session View, clicking on a Track Status Field opens the Clip View or editing the clip that
is currently running in the track.
Clip View 132
Clicking a Session View Track Status Field Opens the Clip View.
The properties o more than one clip can be edited collectively in the Clip View as a multi-selec-
tion. To create a multi-selection, click and drag rom an empty clip slot to highlight the clips, or
select one clip and use the [CTRL](PC) / [CMD](Mac) or [Shi t] modifers to add to your selec-
tion. The properties available in the Clip View or a multi-selection depend on the contents o the
clips; generally only properties which the clips have in common are shown.
Creating a Clip Multi-Selection.
Controls such as sliders and knobs behave slightly di erently when they are part o a multi-
selection. I the clips in a multi-selection have di ering values or any particular knob or slider
parameter (clip transposition, or example), the range o these values will be displayed and can
be adjusted with the control. Dragging the knob or slider to its absolute maximum or minimum
value will make the clips’ settings therea ter identical, adjustable as a single value.
MIDI clips and audio clips in Live have di erent sets o properties and, consequently, do not
share the same set o Clip View controls. The two types o clips do have the ollowing in com-
mon:
•The Clip box contains basic clip settings.
•The Envelopes box and the Envelope Editor manage the clip’s envelopes, which are used
to automate or modulate the e ects, mixer, and clip or MIDI controls. Clip envelopes and
their associated Clip View components are covered in detail in a separate manual chapter
(page 313).
Clip View 133
•The Launch box controls clip launch behavior and, as such, only appears or Session View
clips. Setting Session View clip launch properties is covered in detail in a separate manual
chapter (page 201).
Audio clips have these additional Clip View controls:
•The Sample Display toggles with the Envelope Editor on the right-hand side o the Clip
View, and controls Live’s sample-warping capabilities and clip playback settings (page
138).
•The Sample box contains settings pertaining to how the clip plays its sample and displays it
in the Sample Display.
The Clip View or an Audio Clip.
MIDI clips have these additional Clip View controls:
•The MIDI Editor toggles with the Envelope Editor on the right-hand side o the Clip View,
and allows editing and creating MIDI notes and velocities (page 171).
•The Notes box contains settings pertaining to how Live plays a MIDI clip, as well as a col-
lection o tools or trans orming the notes within the clip.
The Clip View or a MIDI Clip.
To make best use o the screen real estate, you can show or hide the Launch, Envelopes, and
Sample or MIDI boxes using the Clip View Box selector in the Clips box. You can also toggle
Clip View 134
between the Sample Display/MIDI Editor and the Envelope Editor by clicking in the title bars o
the Sample/Notes box and the Envelopes box, respectively.
The Clip View Box Selector Shows and Hides Various Clip View Components.
8.1 The Clip Box
The Clip Box.
8.1.1 Clip Activator Switch

Using this switch, you can deactivate a clip so that it does not play when launched in the Session
View or during Arrangement playback. Clips can also be activated/deactivated directly rom
the Session or Arrangement View with their [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menus.
Clip View 135
8.1.2 Clip Name and Color

The Clip Name feld allows naming the clip. By de ault, a clip’s name matches the name o the
fle it re erences but, in general, the clip name is independent rom the fle name.
You can also rename a clip by selecting it in the Session grid or Arrangement View and using
the Rename command in the Edit menu or the clip’s [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context
menu. This method also allows you to create your own in o text or the clip via the Edit In o Text
command.
Renaming an audio clip does not rename the re erenced sample fle. To rename a fle, select it in
Live’s browser, and then choose the Edit menu’s Rename command.
Newly created clips take the same color as the track on which they’re created, but the Clip
Color chooser allows you to choose a clip color manually.
You can quickly apply the track’s color to each o its clips by using the Assign Track Color to
Clips command in the track header’s [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu.
To apply a Group Track’s (page 236) color to all o its contained tracks and clips, you can use
the Assign Track Color to Grouped Tracks and Clips command in the respective Group Track
header’s [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu.
Note that when using the Assign Track Color to Clips or Assign Track Color to Grouped Tracks
and Clips command in Session View, the color change will only a ect Session clips. Likewise, us-
ing either command in Arrangement View will only change the color o Arrangement clips.
8.1.3 Clip Signature

Using the Clip Signature felds, you can speci y the time signature o a MIDI or audio clip. This
setting is relevant only or display; it does not a ect playback. Please note that Clip Signature
is completely separate rom the project’s time signature, and can be set independently or each
clip. This makes it easy to create complex polymetric textures by simultaneously triggering clips
with di erent meters and/or loop lengths.
8.1.4 Clip Groove Chooser

The Clip Groove chooser selects the groove used or the clip rom the grooves available in the
Groove Pool (page 196).
Clip View 136
The Clip Groove Chooser.
The “Open Groove Pool“ entry in this chooser can be used to open the Groove Pool i it is
closed. I you want to quickly try out a variety o grooves, you can enable the Hot-Swap button
above the chooser and then step through the grooves in the browser while the clip plays.
The Commit button under the chooser “writes“ the current groove settings to the clip and disables
the assigned groove. I the groove uses the Velocity parameter, committing on an audio clip will
create a volume Clip Envelope (page 313) in order to convert the groove’s velocity in orma-
tion into audio volume changes. Note that this will overwrite any volume Clip Envelope that was
already in the clip.
8.1.5 Clip O set and Nudging

To jump within a playing clip in increments the size o the global quantization period, you can
use the Nudge Backward/Forward buttons in the Clip box.
Using the Nudge Backward/Forward Buttons to Jump Through a Clip.

Clip View 137
These buttons can also be mapped to keys or MIDI controllers (page 573). In MIDI Map
Mode, a scrub control will appear between the Nudge Backward/Forward buttons and can be
assigned to a rotary encoder wheel or continuous scrubbing.
The Scrub Control in MIDI Map Mode.
With quantization set to values less than one bar, it is easy to o set clip playback rom Live’s
master clock by launching clips, using the Nudge Backward/Forward buttons or scrubbing
within the clip (page 140).
8.2 The Sample Box
8.2.1 Warp Controls
The Sample Box Warp Controls.

Clip View 138
When the Warp switch is o , Live plays the sample at its original, “normal“ tempo, irrespective
o the current Live Set tempo. This is use ul or samples that have no inherent rhythmic structure:
percussion hits, atmospheres, sound e ects, spoken word and the like. Turn the Warp switch on
to play rhythmically structured samples (such as sample loops, music recordings, complete music
pieces, etc.) in sync with the current song tempo.
To veri y this, note that a warped sample’s speed ollows the tempo as you change the Control
Bar’s Tempo control.
Live o ers a number o controls to adjust the time-warping engine or optimal stretching qual-
ity (page 165). For accurate warping, Live needs to know the sample’s metrical structure. For
properly prepared loops, tempo and duration are calculated automatically; most o the time this
is accurate enough that the sample is immediately ready or use in Live. For other samples, you
may have to provide some hints. We will examine these topics thoroughly in the Audio Clips,
Tempo, and Warping chapter (page 153).
8.2.2 Sample Loop/Region and Display
Zooming and Scrolling
The Clip Zoom/Scroll Area.

Clip View 139
Zooming and scrolling in the Sample Display work much like they do in the Arrangement View
(page 101). When Warp is disabled, zooming and scrolling can be done anywhere in the
upper hal o the Sample Display. When Warp is enabled, however, scrolling only happens in
the beat-time ruler.
Click and drag vertically in these areas to smoothly change the zoom level, and horizontally to
scroll the display.
To zoom in on the current time selection, press [Z] or use the View menu’s Zoom to Clip Selection
command. You can revert back to the previous zoom state by pressing [Shi t][Z]. Note that press-
ing [Shi t][Z] another time will zoom the Clip View out completely.
The Clip Overview.
The Clip Overview provides additional zoom/scrolling unctionality. It always shows the com-
plete clip, rom start to end. The black rectangular outline represents the part o the clip that is
currently displayed. You can click within the outline and drag horizontally or vertically to scroll
or zoom.
To have the Sample Display ollow the play position and scroll automatically, turn on the Follow
switch, or use the Follow command rom the Options menu. Follow will pause i you make an
edit in the Sample Editor. Follow will start again once you stop or restart playback, or click in the
Arrangement or clip scrub area.
The Follow Switch.

Clip View 140
Playing and Scrubbing Clips

The section o the sample that plays when a clip is launched is set with the clip’s region and loop
controls (page 141). An unlooped clip will play rom its start marker to its end marker or until it
is stopped.
The Clip Start and End Markers.
These markers can be clicked and dragged to new positions in the Sample Display, or they can
be moved with the le t and right arrow keys. To move the entire clip region (i.e., both the start
and end markers), select either marker, hold down [ALT], and use the arrow keys.
Using Clip Start and End Controls to Change Clip Length.
You can also adjust the clip start and end numerically using the respective value felds to the le t
o the Sample Display. For warped clips, these felds display values as bars-beats-sixteenths; or
unwarped clips, the display is in minutes-seconds-milliseconds. Notice that you can use the Set
Clip View 141
buttons here to place the markers during playback. Setting markers this way is quantized ac-
cording to global quantization.
When Permanent Scrub Areas is enabled in Live’s Look/Feel Pre erences, clicking in the lower
hal o the wave orm or in the beat-time ruler will make clip playback jump to that point.
The Clip Scrub Area.
The size o this jump is quantized by the global quantization setting, which can be quickly
changed using the [CTRL][6](PC) / [CMD][6](Mac), [7], [8], [9], and [0] shortcuts. While the
mouse is held down over the scrub area, a portion o the clip the size o the chosen quantization
setting will be repeatedly played. With small quantization settings, or a setting o “None,“ this
allows you to scrub through the music. Activating the Options menu’s Chase MIDI Notes com-
mand allows MIDI notes to play back even i playback begins a ter the MIDI note’s start time.
When the Permanent Scrub Areas pre erence is o , you can still scrub by [Shi t]-clicking any-
where in the scrub area or in the beat time ruler.
Looping Clips
To have the clip play as a (potentially infnite) loop, turn on the Loop switch. Note that the Warp
switch must be activated be ore the Loop switch is accessible, as unwarped clips cannot be
looped.
You can click and drag to change the position and length o the loop brace in the Sample Dis-
play, or you can type exact values into the Loop Length and Position felds to the le t o the dis-
play.
Clip View 142
The Clip Loop Controls.
The loop brace can be selected with the mouse and its position changed with commands rom
the computer keyboard:
•the le t and right arrow keys nudge the loop brace to the le t/right by the current grid set-
ting (page 114).
•the up and down arrow keys shi t the loop brace le t/right in steps the size o its length.
•[CTRL](PC) / [CMD](Mac) plus the le t or right arrow shortens or lengthens the loop brace
by the current grid setting.
•[CTRL](PC) / [CMD](Mac) plus the up or down arrow doubles or halves the loop length.
•(MIDI clips only) The loop’s length and its contents can be duplicated at once via the Edit
Menu’s Duplicate Loop command. Any notes to the right o the loop will be moved, so that
they maintain their position relative to the end o the loop.
Regardless o the position o the loop brace, clip play will begin at the position marked by the
start marker, which means you can set up the clip to run into a loop.
Clip View 143
Setting the Clip to Run Into a Loop.
The Loop Length and Position felds are equipped with Set buttons, which can be used to create
loops spontaneously during playback:
Playing the clip and then clicking the Set Loop Position button moves the beginning o loop to the
current playback position (rounded to the global quantization setting) and engages the loop.
Then, clicking the Set Loop Length button moves the end o the loop to the current playback po-
sition. This lets you capture the music in a loop on the y.
While the loop is still o , you can click the Set Loop Length button to set the loop to end at the
current playback position without changing its preset length. This simultaneously activates loop-
ing.
The Set buttons, the Loop switch, the loop brace and the start/end markers can all be mapped
to MIDI controls (page 573). You could, or example, use a rotary encoder to move the loop
through a sample in increments the size o the chosen quantization interval.
Clip View 144
8.2.3 Clip Pitch and Gain
The Clip Pitch and Gain Controls.
The Transpose control shi ts the clip pitch in semitones.
The Detune feld fne-tunes the clip in cents (100 cents = one semitone).
The Clip Gain slider, calibrated in dB, changes the clip gain.
8.2.4 Destructive Sample Editing
The Launch Sample Editor Button.
The Edit button opens the sample in an external sample editing application, which you can spec-
i y in the File/Folder Pre erences. To process a sample in an external program, you have to stop
Live’s playback. When you return to Live, the edited version o the sample will be played back.
The current set o Warp Markers is retained only i the sample length remains the same as it did
prior to editing. Remember that changes made to one sample may a ect other clips that play the
same sample.
Clip View 145
8.2.5 Saving De ault Clip Settings with the Sample
The Save De ault Clip Button.
The Save De ault Clip button saves the current clip’s settings with the sample. With multiple clips
selected, this button will save them all simultaneously. Once saved, Live will restore the current
clip settings whenever you drop the sample into a Live Set. This is especially use ul with regards
to the Warp Markers, which have to be set correctly or Live to play long fles in sync. Note that
you can use the Save button without a ecting any existing clips; Save just saves de ault settings
or uture clips using this sample.
The clip data becomes part o the analysis fle that accompanies the sample (page 73).
Note that storing de ault clip settings with the sample is di erent rom saving the clip as a Live
Clip (page 82), which also saves devices and device settings.
8.2.6 High Quality Interpolation
The High Quality Switch.
I the High Quality switch is on, Live uses an advanced sample-rate conversion algorithm that
provides better sound quality at the expense o a higher CPU load. Samples processed with the
Hi-Q algorithm generate less distortion, particularly at high requencies, when transposing a
sample and/or matching an imported sample’s sampling rate to the system’s sampling rate. With
this mode enabled, samples can be transposed roughly 19 semitones in either direction be ore
aliasing is likely to be audible.
Note: As o Live 7, the Hi-Q mode uses an algorithm that produces even smaller audible arti acts
than in previous versions. Although we think this has greatly improved sound quality, any Sets
Clip View 146
made in older versions that used Hi-Q mode may now sound di erent. For this reason, we have
provided a Legacy Hi-Q Mode option, which is enabled by de ault in the Options menu when-
ever you load an old Set that has Hi-Q enabled or any clips. Simply disable this option i you
wish to use the new mode.
8.2.7 Clip Start and End Fades
The Clip Fade Switch.
The Clip Fade switch, when enabled, applies a short ade to the clip start and end to avoid
clicks at the clip edges. The length o the ade is signal-dependent and ranges rom 0-4 millisec-
onds.
This switch is only available or clips in Session View. In Arrangement View, clip ades are ad-
justed via envelopes (page 110).
The Clip Fade switch is on by de ault or all new clips when the Create Fades on Clip Edges op-
tion is enabled in the Record/Warp/Launch Pre erences.
Automatically Create Short Fades At Clip Edges.

Clip View 147
8.2.8 Clip RAM Mode
The RAM Mode Switch.
I the RAM Mode switch is on, Live is loading the audio re erenced by the clip into the com-
puter’s memory rather than reading it rom disk in real time. RAM Mode can help with these
problems:
•Your computer’s hard disk is too slow to deliver audio or as many tracks as desired in real
time. For more in ormation on disk-related problems, please re er to Managing the Disk
Load (page 717).
•You are experiencing audio dropouts when playing clips in Legato Mode (page 204).
•Use RAM Mode with care, as RAM is usually a scarce resource. Your computer is using
the hard disk or swapping out RAM contents that have not been used in a while. The more
clips you are running in RAM Mode, the higher the likelihood or them to be swapped out.
Live can handle disk overloads more grace ully than swapped-out audio arriving late:
Disk overloads result in unwanted mutes, whereas RAM overload results in both mutes and
rhythmical “hiccups.“
8.2.9 Reversing Samples
The Reverse Button.
This unction creates a new sample by reversing the sample re erenced by the current clip. It then
reapplies the old clip’s settings (according to some rules that we will explain in a moment), and
replaces the original sample with the reversal in the Clip View. The new sample can be ound,
Clip View 148
a ter saving the Live Set, in the Set’s Project older, under Samples/Processed/Reverse. Until the
Set is saved, new samples remain at the location specifed by the Temporary Folder.
There are a ew rules or the reversing process. First, any Warp Markers will remain fxed to their
positions in the sample. This means that a Warp Marker on the downbeat o the second bar o
a clip will end up on the downbeat o the second-to-last bar a ter reversal. Clip loop/region
settings are similarly ipped. Second, clip envelopes remain fxed to their position in time. There-
ore, a mixer volume envelope that lowers the volume o the frst hal o a clip will continue to do
exactly that a ter reversal.
The reversal process is quite ast (about as ast as copying), but or very long samples it might
take a little time. When this is the case, the Status Bar in the lower portion o the Live screen
will give you a progress display, and urther actions in the program will be temporarily locked
(though running clips will continue to play). You can play the reversed clip and per orm other ac-
tions in the program as soon as Live begins to draw the new wave orm into the Sample Display.
Once a sample is reversed, a link to the reversed sample will be maintained until you quit the
program, and reversing the same clip again (or a copy) will be instantaneous.
In the Arrangement View, it is possible to reverse a selection o material, even i it contains

multiple clips. To do this, select the range o time you want to reverse, and choose the Reverse
Clip(s) command rom the clip’s [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu, or press the
[R] shortcut key.
It is not recommended that you reverse clips in a live per ormance situation, as a slight glitch can
sometimes occur while Live reapplies the warp and loop settings.
8.2.10 Cropping Audio Clips

The Sample Display’s [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu includes the Crop Sam-
ple command. This unction creates, similarly to the Reverse unction, a new sample by copy-
ing the one currently in use - but only the excerpt that is actually used. The new sample can be
ound, a ter saving the Live Set, in the Set’s Project older, under Samples/Processed/Crop. Until
the Set is saved, the new sample remains at the location specifed by the Temporary Folder.
8.2.11 Replacing and Editing the Sample

To replace the sample re erenced by the clip with a di erent one, drop the new sample directly
rom the browser into the Clip View. Clip settings like pitch and volume will be retained. The
Clip View 149
Warp Markers will be retained only i the new sample has the exact same length as the old
sample.
The Sample Display’s [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu includes the Manage
Sample File command. This opens the File Manager or the current Set with the sample re er-
enced by the clip selected. From there, you can replace and destructively edit the sample (page
87), in such a way that all clips and instruments re erencing the sample will be a ected. You
can also use the Show in Browser command in the [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context
menu to reveal the fle in the browser.
8.3 The Notes Box
The Notes Box.
8.3.1 Trans orm Tools
The Notes Box Trans orm Tools.

Clip View 150
The Note Box’s trans orm tools allow or ast manipulation o a MIDI clip’s contents. These con-
trols a ect the selected notes or time range. I nothing is selected, they a ect the whole clip.
•the Transpose slider transposes the selection. Type a number to transpose by semitones.
Type a note name to set the lowest note. Adding a “-” be ore the note name sets the highest
note.
•the :2 and *2 buttons double or halve the playback speed o the selection, respectively.
•Rev reverses the selection so that the last note swaps places with the frst note.
•Inv ips the selection “upside-down” so that the highest note is swapped with the lowest
note.
•Legato lengthens (or shortens) each selected note so that it is just long enough to reach the
beginning o the next note.
•Dupl. Loop doubles the material within the loop brace (as well as the length o the loop
brace itsel ), zooming as necessary to show the entire loop. Any notes to the right o the
loop will be moved, so that they maintain their position relative to the end o the loop.
For a more detailed discussion o MIDI editing, see the chapter on this topic (page 171).
8.3.2 Bank and Program Change
The Notes Box Bank and Program Controls.
Live can send MIDI bank/program change messages to external devices and plug-ins that sup-
port MIDI program change messages. According to the settings in these controls, launching a
Clip View 151
clip also sends its bank/program change message. I you are using Live to send MIDI to your
synth, this means that each MIDI clip in your Live Set can play a di erent sound on your synth.
Live o ers messages or 128 banks with 128 sub-banks, each o which has 128 programs.
Please see the documentation that came with your synthesizer to determine how many o these
messages it can use. I you do not want your clip to send program or bank change messages,
simply set the bank/program choosers to “---.“
8.3.3 MIDI Loop/Region
The Notes Box Clip Start/End and Loop Controls.
These controls manage how the contents o a MIDI clip are played and shown in the MIDI Edi-
tor. They work the same way as those or audio clips (page 138).
In the MIDI Editor, the zoom/scroll area is located above the beat-time ruler, the scrub area just
below.
8.4 Clip De aults and Update Rate

You can change the rate at which Live applies your Clip View settings to a running clip. Clip
View changes will be quantized by the rate selected rom the Clip Update Rate chooser in the
Record/Warp/Launch Pre erences. Certain clip settings, such as Launch Mode and Warp
Mode, can be set up as de aults or all new clips. This is also done in the Record/Warp/Launch
Pre erences.
Clip View 152
Chapter 9
Audio Clips, Tempo, and

Warping
Unlike music stored on tape or in a traditional digital audio workstation, the music in Live remains
“elastic“ at all times. Live is capable o time-warping samples while streaming them rom disk so
as to synchronize them to the current Live Set’s tempo. This happens without a ecting the pitch,
which can be changed independently. Mixing and matching audio rom di erent origins is
there ore extremely easy.
9.1 Tempo
9.1.1 Setting the Tempo
The Control Bar’s Tempo feld allows you to change the playback tempo o your Live Set at any
time, in real time. You can even automate the tempo (page 311) to create smooth or sudden
tempo changes along the song timeline. For maximum tempo control during per ormance, you
can MIDI map (page 573) separate controllers to the Tempo feld on both sides o the decimal
point. Setting one knob to control coarse tempo in BPM and another to control fne tempo in
hundredths o a BPM allows or enough precision to adjust to live per ormers or other unsynchro-
nized sources.
You can have an external sequencer (or drum machine) play along with Live or have Live play
along with the sequencer. The respective settings are made in the Link/MIDI Pre erences. Please
re er to the chapter on synchronization (page 705) or details.
9.1.2 Tapping the Tempo
The Tap Button.
You can use Live’s Tap Tempo unction to set the tempo at any time. As you click the Control Bar’s
Tap Tempo button once every beat, the tempo o the Live Set will ollow your tapping.
The Key Map Mode Switch.
You can also assign the Tap button to a computer key instead o using the mouse. Click on the
Control Bar’s KEY switch to enter Key Map Mode; then select the Tap button; press the key you
would like to use or tapping; click the KEY switch again to leave Key Map Mode. The assign-
ment will take e ect immediately. The Tap button can also be assigned to a MIDI note or control-
ler, like a oot switch, in a similar ashion. Although Live responds to your tapping immediately,
it does apply some degree o inertia to prevent sluggish behavior in the so tware. The more taps
Live receives in a row, the more precisely it will be able to conclude the desired tempo.
I the “Start Playback with Tap Tempo” button is enabled in Live’s Record/Warp/Launch Pre er-
ences, you can also use tapping to count in: I you are working in a 4:4 signature, it takes our
taps to start song playback at the tapped tempo. Starting playback o Live’s transport by tapping
the tempo will automatically adjust the playback position o any apps that are connected via
Ableton Link (page 705). This ensures that those apps remain tempo synced, and also at the
correct position in the musical phrase.
9.1.3 Nudging the Tempo
The Phase Nudge Up/Down Buttons.
Although Live can be easily synchronized via Link or to external MIDI devices (page 705), you
may fnd yoursel in situations in which you need to adjust to sources that aren’t locked to one
tempo, such as live musicians or turntables. As long as your Set’s tempo is basically the same as
that o the unsynchronized material, you can use the Phase Nudge Up/Down buttons to tempo-
rarily speed up or slow down Live’s playback to match what you hear. As with the Tap button,
these buttons are much easier to use when mapped to MIDI controllers.
9.2 Time-Warping Samples

Live’s ability to play any sample in sync with a chosen tempo is a unique and important eature.
In addition, you can “warp“ the rhythmic ow o a piece, changing its “ eel,“ or even move notes
to other meter positions.
An audio clip’s warping properties are set in the Sample box (page 137), which is a sub-
section o the Clip View.
The Sample Box’s Warping Controls.

The most signifcant control here is the Warp switch, which toggles an audio clip’s warping on or
o . The Warp section o Live’s Pre erences will determine the de ault warp settings or new clips,
but they can always be overridden here on a per-clip basis.
When the Warp switch is o , Live plays the sample at its original, “normal“ tempo, irrespective
o the current Live Set’s tempo. This is use ul or samples that have no inherent rhythmic structure:
percussion hits, atmospheres, sound e ects, spoken word and the like. Turn the Warp switch on
to play rhythmically structured samples (such as sample loops, music recordings, complete music
pieces, etc.) in sync with the current song tempo.
To direct Live’s assumptions about new samples, use the Record/Warp/Launch tab o Live’s
Pre erences. I the Auto-Warp Long Samples pre erence is on, Live assumes that long samples
contain music that should be played in sync with the Live Set’s tempo. I you would rather have
Live de ault to playing long samples as they are, disengage this pre erence.
9.2.1 Tempo Master/Slave

All warped clips in the Arrangement View have one urther option: They can be defned as tem-
po masters by toggling their Master/Slave switches. Any number o clips can be set as tempo
masters, but only one clip at a time can actually be the tempo master. This distinction is always
granted to the bottom-most, currently playing clip in the Arrangement View.
The clip that is the current tempo master will play as i warping was o , but with one important
di erence — the rest o the Live Set will be warped so that it plays in sync with the current tempo
master.
This is achieved by adding tempo automation to the Master track or the duration o the tempo
master clip. You will notice that the Tempo feld in Live’s Control Bar becomes disabled in this
state; this is because all tempo control is handed over to the tempo master clip.
When toggling a clip’s Master/Slave switch, or when deleting a clip that was set as tempo
master, the Master track tempo automation is removed again, restoring the proper tempo to the
region. I you wish instead to keep the generated tempo automation to continue working with it,
then [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) on the Control Bar’s Tempo feld, and choose the Un-
slave Tempo Automation command. All clips will then be set to Slave, but the tempo automation
will remain in place.
Note that when Live’s EXT switch is enabled (page 708), the Master/Slave switch has no e ect
and appears disabled).
9.2.2 Warp Markers

Think o a sample as a rubber-band that you want to pin to a (musical time) ruler. In Live, the
pins are called Warp Markers. A Warp Marker locks a specifc point in the sample to a specifc
place in the measure. You can use any number o Warp Markers to create an arbitrary mapping
o the piece’s inherent rhythm to a musical meter.
Warp Markers are set in the Clip View’s Sample Display by double-clicking in the upper hal o
the sample. They can then be dragged or moved with the arrow keys to di erent points in time.
Warp Markers can also be deleted by double-clicking them, or by pressing the computer key-
board’s [Backspace] or [Delete] key a ter selecting them.
Double-Clicking In the Sample Creates a Warp Marker.
When working with your clip, you can have Live scroll the Sample Display to ollow playback.
Use the Control Bar’s Follow switch to activate this eature. (Note that Follow will pause i you
make an edit in the Sample Editor. Follow will start again once you stop or restart playback, or
click in the Arrangement or clip scrub area.)
It also might be help ul to vertically resize the Sample Display by dragging on the split line be-
tween the Clip View and the Session View track area.
The Follow Switch in the Control Bar.
Transients and Pseudo Warp Markers

When you frst load a sample into Live, Live automatically analyzes the audio and fnds its
transients. These are the points in the audio where notes or events begin, and are usually good
places to put Warp Markers. Transients appear as small markers at the top o the sample display
a ter zooming in.
Transient Markers.
As you mouse over transients, temporary “pseudo“ Warp Markers appear. These have the
same shape as regular Warp Markers, but they’re gray. Double-clicking or dragging a pseudo
Warp Marker creates an actual Warp Marker or, i there are no Warp Markers later in the clip,
changes the tempo or the clip segment. Holding the [CTRL](PC) / [CMD](Mac) modifer while
creating a Warp Marker on a transient also creates Warp Markers at the adjacent transients.
Holding the [Shi t] modifer while clicking on a pseudo Warp Marker allows you to drag the
transient to a new position. Once a Warp Marker has been created, holding [Shi t] while drag-
ging the Warp Marker will move the wave orm beneath the marker, rather than the marker itsel .
You can also select a range o time and create Warp Markers at all o the transients within the
range via the Create menu’s “Insert Warp Markers“ command. I there are no transients within
your time selection, a Warp Marker will be created at the end o the selection.
Although Live usually does a good job o placing transients in the right places, you can delete
and create transients as well, via the corresponding commands in the Create menu.
Saving Warp Markers

Your Warp Markers will automatically be saved with the Live Set, but you may also want to save
them with the sample fle itsel , so that they are reconstructed anytime you drag the fle into Live.
To do this, click the Clip View’s Save button (page 145).
Note that i a sample has a saved set o Warp Markers (page 73), Auto-Warp will have no
e ect. When this is the case, you can use any o the [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context
menu commands described in this section to initiate auto-warping.
9.2.3 Using Warp Markers

In the ollowing sections, we will look at a couple o applications or time-warping samples.
Warping is, o course, an optional property o clips.
Syncing Straight Loops

When you import a sample that represents a well-cut musical loop o 1,2,4 or 8 bars in length,
Live usually makes the correct assumptions to play the loop in sync with the chosen tempo. It cre-
ates two Warp Markers, one at the sample’s beginning and one at the end.
A Two-Bar Loop as It Appears in the Clip View, by De ault.
The Seg. BPM feld displays Live’s guess o the loop’s tempo; i you happen to know the tempo o
the loop, you can type it in here. Sometimes Live’s guess o the original tempo is wrong by hal or
double. I so, correct this by clicking on the buttons labeled *2 and :2, respectively. The sample
plays at double speed when you press :2 because you are changing Live’s interpretation o the
sample’s tempo, which serves as a point o re erence or determining the required time-stretch
actor.
Note that it’s possible to fne-tune the Seg. BPM value by:
•adjusting its slider control in the Sample Box
•or, in the Arrangement, holding [Shi t] while dragging a clip’s edge

Syncing Uncut Loops

When importing a loop that has not been edited into a well-cut loop, Live will play it out o sync.
Suppose there is a portion o silence at the sample beginning, prior to the frst beat. You can
easily correct this by placing a Warp Marker at the beginning o the audio and dragging it so
that it lines up with the beginning o bar one in the timeline. Likewise, you can eliminate silence
a ter the actual loop end by placing a Warp Marker at the sample’s right edge.
Setting the Warp Markers or a Poorly Cut Loop.
Syncing Odd-Length Loops

I you import a sample that contains a seven-bar loop, Live initially assumes the loop is eight
bars long (or our, depending on its length) and plays it out o sync. For correct playback, the
marker at the end o the sample needs to be at the beginning o bar eight, not bar nine. To fx
this, simply drag the ending marker to the correct position.
I Live’s initial guess had been a our-bar loop, the eighth bar may not initially be visible. In that
case, you can drag the Warp Marker at the end toward the right until the eight becomes visible.
Manipulating Grooves
You can now create any number o Warp Markers by double-clicking within the clip or on tran-
sient locations. Drag in a “straight“ looped sample, set a ew Warp Markers, and move them
around to see what happens. Warp Markers really serve two purposes:
1. to provide a “correct“ interpretation o the ow o musical time in the sample;

2. to mess up the ow o time in the sample.
I a single event in a percussive audio loop comes late, just pin a Warp Marker to it and drag the
marker to the correct beat position. You may want to pin the adjacent events as well, to avoid
a ecting neighboring regions in the sample.
Using Warp Markers to Manipulate the Groove.
“Removing“ a sample’s natural groove by applying Warp Markers is an interesting creative

method, particularly in conjunction with Live’s ability to impose an artifcial groove onto clips in
real-time (page 195).
Syncing Longer Pieces

Live’s Auto-Warp algorithm makes longer samples and entire songs readily available or in-
tegration into your project. You can use the browser or the Create menu’s Import Audio File...
command to import long samples or MP3, AAC, Ogg Vorbis, Ogg FLAC and FLAC fles. (Please
note that not all o these fle ormats can be played in the Intro and Lite Editions.)
Note that when using the Import Audio File... command in the Arrangement View, the fle will be
inserted at the Insert Marker position. When using the command in the Session View, the fle will
be inserted in the currently selected clip slot.
When you drag an audio fle into Live that is too long to justi y the assumption that it is a loop or
a one-shot, Live will auto-warp the clip by de ault (though this can be changed in the Record/
Warp/Launch Pre erences).
Note that, or the auto-warp mechanism to work, fles which are being imported into the pro-
gram or the frst time will need to undergo a frst-time analysis process and will not be immedi-
ately available or playing or editing.
Auto-Warp’s Results in the Clip View.
As long as Auto-Warp made the correct set o in ormed guesses, the clip will be ready to play
in per ect sync with the Live Set’s tempo. However, i Auto-Warp does not quite do what you
want, you can control its results. The remainder o this section will ocus on various ways o guid-
ing Live’s auto-warping. Remember that the metronome in the Control Bar will probably come in
handy as you warp longer pieces.
The Metronome Switch.
It might happen that Auto-Warp guesses the tempo correctly but gets the downbeat wrong. To
remedy this, you can do one o the ollowing:
•Hold the [Shi t] key while dragging the frst Warp Marker. This will allow you to adjust the
position o the wave orm under the Warp Marker.
•Zoom in and create a Warp Marker on the downbeat. Then drag it to the beginning o bar
1 in the timeline;
•Use the start marker’s [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu to select the Set
1.1.1 Here command.
Using the Context Menu to Direct Auto-Warp.
Directing Auto-Warp is also relatively simple when you have imported a per ectly cut loop. You
can tell Auto-Warp to work accordingly using the Warp Sample As ...-Bar/Beat Loop com-
mand. Live will propose a loop length that makes the most sense given the current Live Set’s
tempo. Decreasing the Live Set’s tempo can, or instance, lead Live to assume the loop is 8 bars
at 90 BPM instead o 16 bars at 180 BPM.
You can also direct Auto-Warp to work on a selected portion o a sample. This is use ul i , or
example, you’d like to warp and loop an isolated breakbeat rom a ull song. To do this, frst
drag in the background o the sample editor to select the part o the sample you’d like to warp.
Then use the Warp Selection As ...-Bar/Beat Loop command. Live will make its best guess about
the correct loop length, set the loop markers to match, and then warp the selection so that it fts
in this time.
Warping a Selected Portion o a Sample.
Sometimes more accurate control o Auto-Warp is necessary. The best way to go about warping
a clip that requires more detailed attention is in sections, working gradually rom le t to right. You
can set a Warp Marker by double-clicking in the sample to the right o each correctly warped
section, “pinning“ it into place. The shortcuts or working with the clip loop brace and start/end
markers can speed up this process considerably (page 138).
You might also fnd it help ul to select multiple Warp Markers or moving by selecting them with
the [Shi t] or [CTRL](PC) / [CMD](Mac) modifers held down.
The our Warp From Here commands provide various ways o resetting Warp Markers to the
right o the selected grid marker or Warp Marker, leaving Warp Markers to the le t untouched.
These commands are also available rom the start marker.
•Warp From Here runs the Auto-Warp algorithm on the material to the right o the selected
marker.
•Warp From Here (Start At ...) directs Auto-Warp to use the current Live Set’s tempo as a
starting point or tempo tracking. The strategy here is as ollows:
1. Deactivate the Warp switch or the clip so that it plays unwarped;
2. Use the Control Bar’s Tap Tempo button to tap along, thereby setting the Live Set’s tempo
to match that o the clip;
Turn warping on again and use the Warp From Here (Start At ...) command to tell Auto-Warp to
use your tapped tempo as a re erence.
•Warp From Here (Straight) tells Auto-Warp that this is a clip with no tempo variations
(common in electronically produced works). Auto-Warp will then set a single Warp Marker
derived rom its guess o the fle’s original tempo.
•Warp ... BPM From Here will also set a single Warp Marker, but in this case, Auto-Warp is
orced to interpret the clip as exactly matching the Live Set’s tempo. This is use ul in cases
when you happen to know the exact BPM value o an electronically-produced work and
can type it into the Control Bar be ore warping.
Multi-Clip Warping
When clips o equal length are multi-selected, adding or changing Warp Markers or one clip
will apply identical Warp Markers to all. This is convenient in any situation where several tracks
have the same rhythm, and you wish to alter the timing o each recording in the same way. A
common scenario would be when multi-tracking a band’s per ormance, where the musicians all
play in time with each other, yet the timing itsel is in some way awed.
9.2.4 Quantizing Audio

In the previous section, you learned how to adjust the timing o events in audio fles by manu-
ally dragging Warp Markers along the timeline. But it is also possible to automatically snap the
entire sample to the grid at once by using the Quantize command. To do this, click in the back-
ground o the sample editor and choose the Quantize command rom the Edit menu, or use the
[CTRL](PC) / [CMD](Mac) hotkey. This will quantize using de ault settings, or the settings that
you previously applied.
To adjust your quantization parameters, open the Quantization Settings dialog rom the Edit
menu.
Quantizing Audio Samples.
Using the options presented here, you can select either the current grid size or a specifc meter
value or quantization. You can also quantize without that “quantized“ eel by adjusting the
Amount control, which will move Warp Markers by a percentage o the set quantization value.
9.3 Adjusting or Good Stretching Quality

Live o ers a number o time-stretching modes to accommodate all sorts o audio material. Each
clip’s time-stretching mode and associated parameters are set in the Clip View’s Sample Box.
The warp modes are di erent varieties o granular resynthesis techniques. Granular resynthesis
achieves time compression and expansion by repeating and skipping over parts o the sample
(the “grains“). The warp modes di er in the selection o grains, as well as in the details o over-
lapping and cross ading between grains.
Let’s investigate which warp modes work best or di erent types o signals and how to adjust the
warping controls or “clean“ stretching. It’s also un to “misuse“ these controls to achieve interest-
ing arti acts instead o accurate stretching.
9.3.1 Beats Mode

Beats Mode works best or material where rhythm is dominant (e.g., drum loops as well as most
pieces o electronic dance music). The granulation process is optimized to preserve transients in
the audio material.
Use the Preserve control to preserve divisions in the sample as boundaries when warping. For
the most accurate results, particularly with percussive material, choose Transients. This setting
uses the positions o the analyzed (or user-created) transients to determine warping behavior. To
preserve specifc beat divisions regardless o the sample’s contents, choose one o the fxed note
values. For some interesting rhythmic arti acts, choose large note values in conjunction with pitch
transposition.
The Transient Loop Mode chooser sets the looping properties or the clip’s transients:
Loop O — Each segment o audio between transients plays to its end and then stops. Any
remaining time between the end o a segment and the next transient will be silent.
Loop Forward — Each segment o audio between transients plays to its end. Playback then
jumps back to a zero-crossing near the middle o the segment and continues looping until the
time when the next transient occurs.
Loop Back-and-Forth — Each segment o audio between transients plays to its end. Play-
back then reverses until it reaches a zero-crossing near the middle o the segment, and then
proceeds again towards the end o the segment. This pattern continues until the time when the
next transient occurs. This mode, in conjunction with the Preserve Transients selection, can o ten
result in very good quality at slower tempos.
The Transient Envelope slider applies a volume ade to each segment o audio. At 100, there is
no ade. At 0, each segment decays very quickly. Long envelope times can help to smooth clicks
at the end o segments, while short times can be used to apply rhythmic gating e ects.
9.3.2 Tones Mode

Tones Mode serves well or stretching material with a more or less clear pitch structure, such as
vocals, monophonic instruments and basslines.
Grain Size provides rough control over the average grain size used. The actual grain size is
determined in a signal-dependent manner. For signals with a clear sense o pitch contour, a
small grain size works best. Larger grain sizes help avoid arti acts that can occur when the pitch
contour is unclear, but the trade-o can be audible repetitions.
9.3.3 Texture Mode

Texture Mode works well or sound textures with an ambiguous pitch contour (e.g., polyphonic
orchestral music, noise, atmospheric pads, etc.). It also o ers rich potential or manipulating all
kinds o sounds in a creative way.
The Grain Size control determines the grain size used, but unlike in Tones Mode, this is a setting
that Live will use unaltered, without considering the signal’s characteristics.
Fluctuation introduces randomness into the process. Larger values give more randomness.
9.3.4 Re-Pitch Mode

In Re-Pitch Mode, Live doesn’t really time-stretch or compress the music; instead, it adjusts the
playback rate to create the desired amount o stretching. In other words, to speed up playback
by a actor o 2, it’s transposed up an octave. This is like the “DJ stretching method“ o using
variable-speed turntables to sync two records, or what happens to samples in traditional sam-
plers when they’re transposed.
The Transpose and Detune controls have no e ect in Re-Pitch Mode.
9.3.5 Complex Mode

Complex Mode is a warping method specifcally designed to accommodate composite signals
that combine the characteristics covered by other Warp Modes; it works well or warping entire
songs, which usually contain beats, tones and textures.
Complex Mode is a rather CPU-intensive unction, using approximately ten times the CPU
resources required by the other Warp Modes. As such, you may want to reeze tracks (page
715) where Complex Mode is used or record (page 245) the results as a new clip to use as
a substitute.
Please note that Complex Mode is not available in the Intro and Lite Editions.
9.3.6 Complex Pro Mode

Complex Pro Mode uses a variation o the algorithm ound in Complex mode, and may o er
even better results (although with an increase in CPU usage.) Like Complex Mode, Complex Pro
works especially well with polyphonic textures or whole songs.
The Formants slider adjusts the extent to which the ormants o the sample are compensated
when transposing. At 100%, the original ormants will be preserved, which allows or large
changes in transposition while maintaining the sample’s original tonal quality. Note that this
slider has no e ect i the sample is played back untransposed.
The Envelope slider also in uences the spectral characteristics o the material. The de ault setting
o 128 should work well or most audio. For very high-pitched samples, you may have better
results with lower Envelope values. Likewise, low-pitched material may sound better with higher
values.
Please note that Complex Pro Mode is not available in the Intro and Lite Editions.
9.3.7 REX Mode

REX Mode di ers rom the other Warp modes in several ways. Most notably, it is not available
as an option in the Clip View’s Sample Box, but is instead enabled automatically when loading
a fle in REX ormat. REX fles, associated with the program ReCycle by Propellerhead So tware,
contain embedded tempo and timing in ormation and will synchronize to your Set’s tempo just
like any other audio fle.
Although REX fles are audio fles, they can quickly be trans ormed into playable instruments via
the Slice to New MIDI Track command (page 189), which is available in the Create Menu or
the [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu or the clip.
Warp Markers/parameters, Clip Envelopes (page 313) that a ect warping properties, and
the Clip Nudge (page 136) controls are not available or REX fles.
Please note that REX fle support is not available in the Intro and Lite Editions.
Chapter 10
Editing MIDI Notes and

Velocities
A MIDI clip in Live contains notes and controller data or playing a MIDI instrument. This instru-
ment can be a virtual instrument in a MIDI track’s device chain (page 259) or an external synth
ed via the track’s output routing (page 211). The MIDI clip (page 48) provides the device
with a musical score to play, speci ying note pitch, length, position and dynamics (re erred to as
velocity in the MIDI lexicon). MIDI is composed and edited in Live’s MIDI Editor.
10.1 Creating an Empty MIDI Clip

MIDI clips are created
•by means o recording (page 245);
•or by capturing MIDI (page 257);
•or by double-clicking an empty Session slot in a MIDI track;
•or by selecting an empty Session slot in a MIDI track and choosing the Create menu’s In-
sert MIDI Clip(s) command;
•or by double-clicking on the track display o a MIDI track in the Arrangement View;
•or, in the Arrangement View, by selecting a timespan in a MIDI track and choosing the
Create menu’s Insert MIDI Clip(s) command.
10.2 The MIDI Editor

To bring up the MIDI Editor, double-click a MIDI clip to open the Clip View. You can use the Clip
View Box selector to make sure the Notes box (page 149) is showing, then click in the title bar
o the Notes box to bring up the MIDI Editor on the right-hand side o the screen.
The MIDI Editor.
The MIDI Editor is divided into two editing windows: the upper Note Editor and the lower Veloc-
ity Editor. You can resize the Velocity Editor by dragging on the split line that runs between it and
the Note Editor. You can also show and hide the Velocity Editor using the triangular button on
the le t-hand side o the split line.
The Control Bar’s Draw Mode Switch.
Switch to Draw Mode by activating the Control Bar’s Draw Mode switch or by pressing the
[B] key. You can now draw MIDI notes into the Note Editor with the mouse. Deactivating Draw
Mode allows notes to be selected and moved around via clipboard operations or by clicking
and dragging, either vertically to change their transposition, or horizontally to change their po-
sition in time. MIDI notes can also be added and deleted by double-clicking when Draw Mode
is inactive.
Previewing MIDI Notes.
Provided your MIDI track’s device chain contains an instrument (page 259), activating the
Preview switch in the MIDI Editor allows you to hear notes as you select and move them. I the
MIDI track is armed, activating Preview also allows you to step record (page 251) new notes
into the clip. Note that the Preview switch’s on/o state applies to all MIDI tracks in the Live Set.
Note velocity is adjusted in the Velocity Editor, by clicking and dragging on the associated
markers. You can also use Draw Mode in the Velocity Editor: It will draw identical velocities or
all notes within a grid “tile.”
A ter drawing a ew notes and moving them around, you will probably want to know how to get
around in the Note Editor. So, be ore we get into detailed editing in ormation, we will frst ex-
plain MIDI Editor navigation.
10.3 MIDI Editor Navigation and Transport
Note Scale Position Is Shown Vertically and Beat-Time Horizontally.
The MIDI Editor has both vertical and horizontal navigation. Along the horizontal axis lies a
time ruler, which shows note position along a musical timeline. The vertical axis contains the note
ruler, displaying octaves C-2–C8, and a representation o a piano keyboard (the piano roll).
Note that i the Preview switch at the top o the piano roll is activated, you can listen to the results
o your piano roll playing.
MIDI Editor Navigation.
1. To smoothly change the time-zoom level, click and drag vertically in the time ruler. Drag
horizontally in the time ruler to scroll rom le t to right.
2. Click and drag vertically in the note ruler to change which octaves are shown, or drag
horizontally to change the vertical zoom size o MIDI notes and the keyboard.
3. Click and drag over one or more notes to select them, or over a portion o the editor’s
background to select a range o time. Then, double-click on the note ruler or time ruler to
automatically zoom in on your selection. I nothing is selected, double-clicking the note
ruler will zoom in on the area rom the lowest to the highest note in the clip, while double-
clicking the time ruler will zoom out to show the time between the frst and last note.
4. To zoom in and out around the current selection, use the computer keyboard’s [+] and [-]
keys.
5. The Clip Overview just beneath the MIDI Editor can also be used or navigation. It always
shows the complete contents o the selected MIDI clip. The black rectangular outline repre-
sents the part o the clip that is currently displayed in the Editor above. To scroll, click within
the outline and drag le t or right; to zoom in and out, drag up and down.
6. Change the length o what is shown in the Editor by dragging the le t or right edges o the
outline in the Clip Overview.
7. To quickly change what is shown in the Editor, click on a section that you want to examine
in the Clip Overview, then drag downwards to zoom in, or scroll by dragging le t and
right.
The Control Bar’s Follow Switch.
The area displayed in the Note Editor can be set to scroll with playback using the Follow switch
rom the Control Bar. Follow will pause i you make an edit in the Note Editor, and will start
again once you stop or restart playback, or click in the Arrangement or clip scrub area.
When Permanent Scrub Areas is enabled in Live’s Look/Feel Pre erences, clicking in the scrub
area below the beat-time ruler starts playback rom that point, rounded by the global quantiza-
tion setting. (Tip: activating the Options menu’s Chase MIDI Notes command allows MIDI notes
to play back even i playback begins a ter the MIDI note’s start time.)
When the Permanent Scrub Areas pre erence is o , you can still scrub by [Shi t]-clicking any-
where in the scrub area or in the beat-time ruler. Learning about the loop/region controls (page
151) and associated shortcuts can also be help ul in getting around in the MIDI Editor and
playing selections quickly and easily.
As you work with MIDI, you may fnd yoursel needing extra screen space. You can click and
drag vertically on the window split between the Session or Arrangement View and the Clip View
to enlarge the MIDI Editor.
Enlarge the MIDI Editor by Dragging the Window Split Between Session and Clip Views.
10.4 Editing MIDI
10.4.1 Non-Destructive Editing

You can always return your MIDI clip to its previous state by using the Edit menu’s Undo com-
mand. Furthermore, i the MIDI clip being edited originated in a MIDI fle on your hard drive,
none o your editing will alter the original MIDI fle, as Live incorporates its contents into your
Live Set when importing.
10.4.2 Folding and Looping

An important eature o the MIDI Editor is the Fold button, located in the upper le t corner. Acti-
vating this button will immediately hide all rows, or key tracks, that do not contain MIDI notes in
each MIDI clip. This means that the available key tracks in each clip in your Set will di er, de-
pending on which notes exist in that clip.
This is very use ul when working with percussion kits, or example, which are o tentimes mapped
out along a keyboard in sections corresponding to percussion type (e.g., snares grouped to-
gether two octaves down rom hi-hat cymbals, etc.). When working with a MIDI fle created by
such a mapping, sometimes only one or two o each type o percussion sound is used, and it
becomes unnecessary to view the entire keyboard range. (Note: olding the Note Editor is not
possible when editing multiple clips (page 185).)
The Fold Button Extracts Key Tracks Containing Notes.
When editing MIDI, you might fnd that you want to change which part o the clip you are listen-
ing to, or loop the clip in order to listen to it repeatedly. You can use the loop/region markers
(page 138) or this.
Use the Loop/Region Markers to Select a Specifc Region o the Clip to Play.
I Fold is deactivated on a track containing a Drum Rack (page 292), the MIDI Note Editor
only shows rows with notes corresponding to a pad with devices on it. I Fold is activated, only
rows containing notes are displayed.
Tip: Selecting the loop brace in a MIDI clip and pressing [CTRL][D](PC) / [CMD][D](Mac) dou-
bles the length o the loop brace and zooms as necessary to show the entire loop. Any notes to
the right o the loop will be moved, so that they maintain their position relative to the end o the
loop.
10.4.3 Grid Snapping

Most unctions in the MIDI Editor are subject to grid snapping (page 114). But when adjusting
events with the mouse, the grid is “magnetic”; event positions can be moved reely up to the pre-
vious or next grid line and then will snap i you continue to drag. You can hold down the [ALT]
(PC) / [CMD](Mac) modifer while per orming an action to bypass grid snapping.
Note movements will also snap to an “o set,” which is based on the original placement o the
note relative to the grid. This is use ul or preserving a groove or loose playing style that you do
not necessarily want to “set straight.”
10.4.4 Editing Notes

Editing in the MIDI Editor is similar to editing in the Arrangement (page 113). In both cases,
your actions are selection-based: you select something using the mouse, then execute a menu
command (e.g., Cut, Copy, Paste, Duplicate) on the selection.
Here is how selection works:
•Clicking a note selects the note. Multiple notes can be selected in unison: “rubber-band”
select more than one note with one mouse motion by clicking in empty space, then drag-
ging to enclose the notes in the dotted line that appears. [Esc] deselects all selected notes.
•Clicking into the background o the MIDI Editor selects a point in time, represented by a
ashing insert marker.
•Clicking and dragging in the background selects a timespan. Press [Enter] to toggle the
selection between the timespan and any notes that begin within it.
A ter placing the insert marker, you can manipulate it using your computer keyboard.
•Press the le t or right arrow keys to move the insert marker to the le t or right, according to
the grid settings. [CTRL](PC) / [ALT](Mac) plus the le t or right arrow keys moves the insert
marker to the next note boundary.
•Hold down [Shi t] while pressing the arrow keys to extend or retract the selected timespan
by moving the insert marker. [ALT](PC) / [ALT](Mac) plus [Shi t] while pressing the arrow
keys extends or retracts rom the opposite side o the selection.
•The insert marker can be moved to the beginning or end o a MIDI clip by pressing the
[Home] or [End] key, respectively.
As we have seen, notes in the MIDI Editor can be moved both horizontally (changing their posi-
tion in time) and vertically (changing their transposition). They can be moved either by clicking
and dragging, or with the arrow keys on your computer keyboard. Notes moved with the arrow
keys are always subject to grid and o set snapping, while notes dragged with the mouse can be
reely moved until reaching the previous or next grid or o set point. I you are playing the clip
while you edit notes, you can listen to them play in their new assignments as you change them.
Several key modifers also apply to note editing:
•To transpose selected notes by octave, hold down [Shi t] while pressing the up or down
arrow keys.
•[Shi t] plus the le t or right arrow keys extends or retracts the duration o selected notes,
according to the grid settings. To extend or retract notes without snapping to the grid, also
hold [ALT](PC) / [CMD](Mac).
•To change the selection to the next note in the same key track, hold [CTRL](PC) / [ALT]
(Mac) while pressing the le t or right arrow keys. [CTRL](PC) / [ALT](Mac) plus the up or
down arrow keys moves the selection to the next note in time.
•To nudge notes without snapping to the grid, hold [ALT](PC) / [CMD](Mac) and press the
le t or right arrow keys.
•You can use the [Shi t] modifer to click and add individual notes or additional “rubber-
band” selections to your current selection. You can also remove a single note rom your
selection by holding down [Shi t] and clicking on it. Holding [Shi t] and clicking on the
piano roll adds all notes in a single key track to the current selection, or removes them i
they were already selected.
Selecting a note (or notes) makes it subject to commands rom the Edit menu, such as Copy and
Paste. Notes in the clipboard will be pasted starting at the location o the insert marker. You
can also use the [CTRL](PC) / [ALT](Mac) modifer to click and drag copies o notes to a new
location. I you click and drag to move notes but then decide that you would like to copy them
instead, you can press the [CTRL](PC) / [ALT](Mac) modifer even a ter starting the drag.
When editing or drawing, you may sometimes place a new note on top o one that already ex-
ists. I the new note overlaps with the beginning o the original note, the original note will vanish.
I the new note overlaps with the “tail” o the original, the original note’s length will change so
that it lasts just until the new note’s beginning.
10.4.5 Changing Note Length

Clicking and dragging on a note’s le t or right edges changes its length. As with note positions,
note lengths can be adjusted reely up to the previous or next grid line but will be quantized
when dragging urther unless the [ALT](PC) / [CMD](Mac) modifer is held down.
Changing Note Length.
Tip: To set a group o notes to the same length, select them all, grab the end o the longest one,
drag them all down to zero length and then extend them.
10.4.6 The ...Time Commands in the MIDI Editor

The standard clipboard commands like Cut, Copy and Paste only a ect the currently selected
notes (or the notes within a time selection). But, as in Arrangement editing (page 115), there
are “... Time” commands that act upon the entire MIDI clip by inserting and deleting time.
Note that these operations do not change the clip start/end position or the loop brace settings.
•Duplicate Time places a copy o the selected timespan into the clip, along with any con-
tained notes.
•Delete Time deletes a selection o time rom the MIDI clip, thereby moving any notes on
either side o the deleted area closer together in the timeline.
•Insert Time inserts as much empty time as is currently selected into the clip, be ore the se-
lection.
10.4.7 Quantizing Notes

There are three options or quantizing MIDI notes in Live. First, you can quantize MIDI notes as
you record them (page 254). Secondly, as previously mentioned, you can move notes so that
they snap to the visible grid lines. Finally, you can select a note or notes and choose the Quan-
tize command rom the Edit menu, or use the [CTRL][U](PC) / [CMD][U](Mac) hotkey. The frst
time you do this, you will see a dialog box with several quantization options. This will quantize
using de ault settings, or the settings that you previously applied.
To adjust your quantization parameters, open the Quantization Settings dialog rom the Edit
menu.
Quantizing MIDI Notes.
Using the options presented here, you can select either the current grid size or a specifc meter
value or quantization and set either the note start or end (or both) to be quantized. Quantizing
the note end will stretch the note so that it ends at the chosen meter subdivision. You can also
quantize notes without giving them that “quantized” eel using the Amount control, which will
move notes only by a percentage o the set quantization value.
10.4.8 Editing Velocities

To change velocity or a MIDI note, click and drag on the associated marker in the Velocity Edi-
tor. (To help you locate the velocity marker belonging to a MIDI note that may be stacked verti-
cally with others, Live highlights the velocity marker or whichever note your mouse is hovering
over.) Velocity changes will be shown numerically in a small display in the time ruler.
Changing Note Velocity.
As in the Note Editor, you can select multiple velocity markers to change by clicking with the
[Shi t] modifer held down.
Tip: To set a group o notes so that they all have the same velocity, select their markers in the
Velocity Editor, drag them up or down to either maximum or minimum velocity, and then adjust
velocity to the desired value.
As we saw earlier, Draw Mode allows drawing identical velocities or all notes within a grid tile.
While in Draw Mode, velocity drawing is limited to only those notes that are currently selected.
To draw markers individually (as you would want to with a crescendo, or instance) deactivate
grid snapping with the [CTRL][4](PC) / [CMD][4](Mac) shortcut, or simply hold down the [ALT]
(PC) / [CMD](Mac) modifer.
Drawing Identical Velocities (Le t) and a Crescendo (Right).
Tip: To draw a velocity ramp with notes that are all in the same key track, click a key in the piano
roll to select all notes within the desired key track. Make sure Draw Mode is activated and draw
the ramp into the Velocity Editor. This will a ect only the selected notes.
Tip #2: To draw a linear velocity ramp across a selection o notes, frst select the notes that
should be a ected (using the [Shi t] modifer to select non-adjacent notes i necessary). Make
sure Draw Mode is not activated and draw the line into the Velocity Editor while holding the
[CTRL](PC) / [CMD](Mac) modifer.
Notes in the Note Editor display their velocity in their coloring — light notes play so tly, and vice
versa. To change the velocity o notes without the Velocity Editor open, click any selected note
and drag vertically while pressing the [ALT](PC) / [CMD](Mac) modifer.
Vertical movements in Draw Mode correspond to velocity changes. This means that, with one
horizontal motion and one vertical motion, you can draw multiple notes and their velocities
without releasing the mouse button. I you change velocity with this vertical movement, Live will
remember the change and use your new velocity on any notes that you draw a terward.
Note-O Velocity
By de ault, the Velocity Editor allows you to adjust note-on velocities. But you can toggle the
editor to show note-o velocities via options in the editor’s [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac)
context menu.
The Velocity Editor Showing Note-O Velocities.
Please note that note-o (or “release”) velocity is a somewhat esoteric parameter, and is only
supported by certain devices. Ableton’s Sampler instrument (page 488), or example, provides
note-o velocity as a controller or a variety o parameters.
10.4.9 MIDI Note Stretch
MIDI Note Stretch Markers.
When multiple notes or a range o time are selected in the Note Editor, Note Stretch markers
will appear, allowing notes to be scaled proportionally in time. The markers are a pair o down-
ward-pointing indicators that snap to the beginning and end o the selection.
By clicking and dragging one o the markers horizontally, the selected notes will move and
stretch so that they continue to occupy the same proportion o time that they did when they were
initially selected. As with notes, Note Stretch markers can be reely moved until reaching the pre-
vious or next grid or o set point, a ter which they will snap to the Note Editor’s grid lines unless
the grid is not shown or the [ALT](PC) / [CMD](Mac) modifer is held while dragging.
When the mouse is between the Note Stretch markers, a “pseudo” stretch marker will appear.
Dragging this stretches or compresses the material between the fxed markers without a ecting
the material outside o them. The pseudo stretch marker has the same grid snapping behavior as
fxed markers.
When notes (but not time) are selected, one marker can be dragged beyond the boundary o
the other, which will “re ect” the order o the stretched notes in relation to their initial sequence;
this is sometimes re erred to as “retrograde” behavior.
Adjusting the Note Stretch markers will also adjust the timing o any o the clip’s linked clip enve-
lopes. Unlinked clip envelopes are not a ected.
10.4.10 Cropping MIDI Clips

MIDI data that is outside o the loop brace can be deleted by means o the Crop Clip command.
Simply [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) on a MIDI clip in the Session or Arrangement View
and select this option. Unlike cropping audio clips (page 148), cropping a MIDI clip does not
create a new fle on disk.
10.4.11 Deactivating Notes

To deactivate, or mute, a note (or notes) in the MIDI Editor, select it and press [0]. The Deacti-
vate Note(s) command will mute the note, making it appear gray in the display. Press [0] again
to reactivate notes. You can de- or reactivate all o the notes in a single key track at once by
clicking a key on the piano roll and pressing [0].
10.4.12 The Trans orm Tools

In addition to the editing possibilities within the MIDI Editor itsel , the Notes Box’s trans orm tools
(page 149) o er a number o ways to quickly manipulate the notes within a MIDI clip.
10.5 Multi-Clip Editing

In the Note Editor, you can view notes in multiple MIDI clips at the same time. This helps you to
see melodic and rhythmic relationships between di erent clips when creating and refning musi-
cal ideas, and allows you to edit material across separate tracks and scenes more quickly.
When multiple MIDI clips are selected:
•The notes rom these clips will be shown together in the Note Editor. Only one clip will be
active or editing at a time. The active clip’s notes will be shown in that clip’s color, while
the inactive clips’ notes will be shown in gray.
•Loop bars will appear above the Note Editor. Each loop bar represents a di erent clip in
the current selection. The active clip’s loop bar will be shown in the clip’s color, while the
inactive ones will be shown in grey.
Multi-Clip Loop Bars in the Note Editor.
•Hovering the mouse over an inactive clip’s notes or loop bar will reveal that clip’s color,
helping you to choose a di erent clip in the current selection to edit. Clicking on a clip’s
note or loop bar switches to that clip or editing.
•The title bar will show the name o the clip selected or editing. This can be particularly
use ul or identi ying di erent clips with the same color. (Note: i a clip has no name, the
title bar will display the name o the track containing the clip instead.)
•You can edit the clips using the Clip Name, Clip Color and Clip Time Signature commands
in the Clip box (page 134).
Note: Folding (page 176) the Note Editor is not possible when editing multiple clips.
Multi-clip editing works di erently depending on whether you are working in the Session or Ar-
rangement View. These di erences are explained in more detail below.
10.5.1 Editing in the Session View

In the Session View, you can select and view up to eight looped MIDI clips at the same time. In
the Note Editor, loop bars are ordered vertically (frst by track, and then by scene).
I multiple clips o di erent lengths are selected, the Note Editor will show as many loop itera-
tions as necessary or the clips to realign. Loop points are represented by black vertical lines in
the Note Editor. Clips with a start marker set be ore the loop start are represented by a bar at the
top o the Note Editor.
While multi-clip editing is use ul or looking at clips across di erent tracks, it can also come in
handy when you need to compare and edit multiple clips within the same track. For example,
you can create evolving pattern progressions by adding notes to a clip, then making a variation
to the clip in the ollowing scene and so on, while maintaining an overview o the other clips in
the track.
10.5.2 Editing in the Arrangement View

In the Arrangement View, it is possible to select and view MIDI clips rom up to eight tracks,
across a selection o time. In the Note Editor, loop bars are ordered vertically by track and hori-
zontally by time.
The Note Editor will not show silence be ore or a ter the selection o clips – instead, it will ft its
display range to show the beginning o the frst clip up to the end o the last clip in the selection.
I the selection contains looped and unlooped clips, the Loop button will appear hal colored.
Chapter 11
Converting Audio to MIDI

(Note: the eatures discussed in this chapter are not available in the Intro and Lite Editions.)
Although Live’s warping allows or audio fles to be used much more exibly than in traditional
audio so tware, there are also a number o ways to extract musical in ormation rom audio clips
and place it into MIDI clips, or additional creative possibilities.
When an audio clip is selected, our conversion commands are available in the Create Menu or
the [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu or the clip.
Context Menu Commands For Converting Audio To MIDI.
11.1 Slice to New MIDI Track

This command divides the audio into chunks which are assigned to single MIDI notes. Slicing
di ers rom the Convert commands below, in that it doesn’t analyze the musical context o your
original audio. Instead, it simply splits the original audio into portions o time, regardless o the
content. The Drum Rack (page 292) provides an ideal environment or working with sliced
fles, and most o the setup happens automatically a ter you make a ew choices:
The Slicing Dialog.
When you select Slice to New MIDI track, you’ll be presented with a dialog box. This o ers a
list o slicing divisions, as well as a chooser to select the Slicing Preset. The top chooser allows
you to slice at a variety o beat resolutions or according to the clip’s transients or Warp Markers.
Since a Rack can contain a maximum o 128 chains, Live won’t let you proceed i your choice
would result in more than 128 slices. You can fx this by either setting a lower slice resolution or
by selecting a smaller region o the clip to slice. I your audio fle is in REX ormat (page 168),
the slicing will be based on the fle’s internal timing in ormation and you won’t see this chooser.
The Slicing Preset chooser contains a ew Ableton-supplied slicing templates, as well as any o
your own that you may have placed in your User Library’s de ault presets older (page 267).
With “Preserve warped timing” enabled, the clip will be sliced in such a way that timing altera-
tions as a result o warping are preserved. With this option disabled, any changes that result
rom warping will not be re ected in the sliced clip; the sliced version will instead sound like the
original, “raw” audio.
Once you’ve made your slicing choices and clicked OK, a number o things will happen:
1. A new MIDI track will be created, containing a MIDI clip. The clip will contain one note or
each slice, arranged in a chromatic sequence.
2. A Drum Rack will be added to the newly created track, containing one chain per slice.
Each chain will be triggered by one o the notes rom the clip, and will contain a Simpler
with the corresponding audio slice loaded.
3. The Drum Rack’s Macro Controls will be pre-assigned to use ul parameters or the Sim-
plers, as determined by the settings in the selected slicing preset. In the actory Slicing
presets, these include basic envelope controls and parameters to adjust the loop and
cross ade properties o each slice. Adjusting one o these Macros will adjust the mapped
parameter in each Simpler simultaneously.
Note: Live will take a ew moments to process all o this in ormation.
Playing the MIDI clip will trigger each chain in the Drum Rack in order, according to the timing
in ormation that you specifed or that was embedded in the audio. This opens up many new edit-
ing possibilities, including:
11.1.1 Resequencing Slices
Rearranging the Sliced MIDI Data.
By de ault, your sliced MIDI data will orm a chromatically-ascending “staircase“ pattern in or-
der to trigger the correct chains in their original order. But you can create new patterns by simply
editing the MIDI notes (page 176). You can achieve a similar e ect by dragging the Drum
Rack’s pads onto each other to swap their note mappings.
11.1.2 Using E ects on Slices

Because each slice lives in its own chain in the Drum Rack, you can easily process individual slic-
es with their own audio e ects. To process several slices with the same set o e ects, multi-select
their chains in the Drum Rack’s chain list and press [CTRL][G](PC) / [CMD][G](Mac) to group
them to their own nested Rack. Then insert the e ects a ter this new sub-Rack.
For even more creative possibilities, try inserting MIDI e ects (page 423) be ore the Drum
Rack. The Arpeggiator and Random devices can yield particularly interesting results.
Slicing is most commonly applied to drum loops, but there’s no reason to stop there. Experiment
with slicing audio rom di erent sources, such as voices and ambient textures. The same sorts o
resequencing and reprocessing operations can be applied to anything you slice — sometimes
with unexpected results.
11.2 Convert Harmony to New MIDI Track

This command identifes the pitches in a polyphonic audio recording and places them into a clip
on a new MIDI track. The track comes preloaded with an Instrument Rack (page 281) that
plays a piano sound (which can, o course, be replaced by another instrument i you choose).
Note that this command, as with the other Convert commands, di ers rom slicing in that the
generated MIDI clip does not play the original sound, but instead extracts the notes and uses
them to play an entirely di erent sound.
The Convert Harmony command can work with music rom your collection, but you can also get
great results by generating MIDI rom audio recordings o yoursel playing harmonic instruments
such as guitar or piano.
11.3 Convert Melody to New MIDI Track

This command identifes the pitches in monophonic audio and places them into a clip on a new
MIDI track.
The track comes preloaded with an Instrument Rack that plays a synthesizer sound. Using the
Rack’s “Synth to Piano” Macro, you can adjust the timbre o this sound between an analog-style
synth and an electric piano. The instrument was designed to be versatile enough to provide a
good preview, but can o course be replaced with another instrument i you choose.
The Melody to MIDI Instrument Rack.
The Convert Melody command can work with music rom your collection, but also allows you
to record yoursel singing, whistling, or playing a solo instrument such as a guitar and use the
recording to generate MIDI notes.
11.4 Convert Drums to New MIDI Track

This command extracts the rhythms rom unpitched, percussive audio and places them into a clip
on a new MIDI track. The command also attempts to identi y kick, snare and hihat sounds and
places them into the new clip so that they play the appropriate sounds in the preloaded Drum
Rack. Any additional sounds (such as cymbals, toms, or other percussion) will be retained but
placed on a silent note lane or manual editing.
As with the Convert Melody command, you can adjust the transient markers in the audio clip
prior to conversion to determined where notes will be placed in the converted MIDI clip.
Convert Drums works well with recorded breakbeats, but also with your own recordings such as
beatboxing or tapping on a sur ace.
11.5 Optimizing or Better Conversion Quality

The Convert commands can generate interesting results when used on pre-existing recordings
rom your collection, but also when used on your own recorded material. For example, you can
record yoursel singing, playing guitar, or even beatboxing and use the Convert commands to
generate MIDI that you can use as a starting point or new music.
For the most accurate results, we recommend the ollowing:
•Use music that has clear attacks. Notes that ade in or “swell” may not be detected by the
conversion process.
•Work with recordings o isolated instruments. The Convert Drums command, or example,
works best with unaccompanied drum breaks; i other instruments are present, their notes
will be detected as well.
•Use uncompressed, high-quality audio fles such as .wav or .ai . Lossy data ormats such
as mp3 may result in unpredictable conversions, unless the recordings are at high bitrates.
Live uses the transient markers (page 157) in the original audio clip to determine the divisions
between notes in the converted MIDI clip. This means that you can “tune” the results o the con-
version by adding, moving, or deleting transient markers in the audio clip be ore running any o
the Convert commands.
Although each o the commands has been designed or a particular type o musical material,
you can sometimes get very interesting results by applying the “wrong” command. For example,
Convert Harmony will usually create chords. So running it on a monophonic clip (like a vocal re-
cording) will o ten generate notes that weren’t present in the original audio. This can be a great
way to spark your creativity.
Using Grooves 195
Chapter 12
Using Grooves
The timing and “ eel“ o each clip in your Set can be modifed through the use o grooves. Live
comes with a large selection o grooves, which appear as .agr fles in the browser.
Groove Files in the Browser.
The easiest way to work with library grooves is to drag and drop them rom the browser directly
onto clips in your Set. This immediately applies the timing characteristics o the groove fle to
the clip. I you want to quickly try out a variety o grooves, you can enable the Hot-Swap but-
ton above a clip’s Clip Groove chooser (page 135) and then step through the grooves in the
browser while the clip plays.
Using Grooves 196
The Hot-Swap Groove Button.
Grooves can be applied to both audio and MIDI clips. In audio clips, grooves work by adjusting
the clip’s warping behavior (page 155), and thus only work on clips with Warp enabled.
12.1 Groove Pool

Once you’ve applied a groove fle, you can modi y its behavior by adjusting its parameters in
the Groove Pool, which can be opened or closed via its selector button at the bottom o Brows-
er.
The Groove Pool Selector Button.
You can also double-click grooves in the browser to load them directly to the Groove Pool be-
ore applying them to a clip. The Groove Pool contains all grooves that have been loaded in this
way or that are being used in clips. “Inactive“ grooves (those that are not being used by a clip)
appear with their parameters grayed out.
Note: In Live Intro and Lite, grooves can be loaded rom the browser and applied to clips, but
cannot be edited in the Groove Pool.
Using Grooves 197
The Groove Pool.
12.1.1 Adjusting Groove Parameters

Grooves in the Groove Pool appear in a list, and o er a variety o parameters that can be modi-
fed in real time to adjust the behavior o any clips that are using them. You can also save and
hot-swap grooves via the buttons next to the Groove’s name.
The Groove Pool’s controls work as ollows:
•Base — The Base chooser determines the timing resolution against which the notes in the
groove will be measured. A 1/4 Base, or example, means that the positions o the notes in
the groove fle are compared to the nearest quarter note, and all notes in any clips that are
assigned to that groove will be moved proportionally towards the positions o the groove
notes. At a base o 1/8th, the groove’s notes are measured rom their nearest eighth note.
Notes in the groove that all exactly on the grid aren’t moved at all, so the corresponding
notes in your clips will also not be moved.
•Quantize — adjusts the amount o “straight“ quantization that is applied be ore the groove
is applied. At 100%, the notes in your clips will be snapped to the nearest note values, as
selected in the Base chooser. At 0%, the notes in clips will not be moved rom their original
positions be ore the groove is applied.
•Timing — adjusts how much the groove pattern will a ect any clips which are using it.
•Random — adjusts how much random timing uctuation will be applied to clips using the
selected groove. At low levels, this can be use ul or adding subtle “humanization“ to high-
ly quantized, electronic loops. Note that Random applies di ering randomization to every
voice in your clip, so notes that originally occurred together will now be randomly o set
both rom the grid and rom each other.
Using Grooves 198
•Velocity — adjusts how much the velocity o the notes in clips will be a ected by the veloc-
ity in ormation stored in the groove fle. Note that this slider goes rom -100 to +100. At
negative values, the e ect o the groove’s velocity will be reversed; loud notes will play
quietly and vice versa.
•Global Amount — this parameter scales the overall intensity o Timing, Random and Veloc-
ity or all o the available groove fles. At 100%, the parameters will be applied at their as-
signed values. Note that the Amount slider goes up to 130%, which allows or even more
exaggerated groove e ects. I grooves are applied to clips in your Set, the Global Amount
slider will also appear in Live’s Control Bar.
The Global Groove Amount Slider in the Control Bar
12.1.2 Committing Grooves
The Commit Groove Button.
Pressing the Commit button below the Clip Groove chooser “writes“ your groove parameters
to the clip. For MIDI clips, this moves the notes accordingly. For audio clips, this creates Warp
Markers at the appropriate positions in the clip.
A ter pressing Commit, the clip’s Groove chooser selection is automatically set to None.
Using Grooves 199
12.2 Editing Grooves

The e ect that groove fles have on your clips is a combination o two actors: the parameter
settings made in the Groove Pool and the positions o the notes in the groove fles themselves. To
edit the contents o groove fles directly, drag and drop them rom the browser or Groove Pool
into a MIDI track. This will create a new MIDI clip, which you can then edit, as you would with
any other MIDI clip. You can then convert the edited clip back into a groove, via the process
below.
12.2.1 Extracting Grooves

The timing and volume in ormation rom any audio or MIDI clip can be extracted to create a
new groove. You can do this by dragging the clip to the Groove Pool or via the Extract Groove
command in the clip’s [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu.
Extract Grooves From Audio or MIDI Clips.
Grooves created by extracting will only consider the material in the playing portion o the clip.
Note: grooves cannot be extracted rom clips in the Intro and Lite Editions.
12.3 Groove Tips

This section presents some tips or getting the most out o grooves.
Using Grooves 200
12.3.1 Grooving a Single Voice

Drummers will o ten use variations in the timing o particular instruments in order to create a
convincing beat. For example, playing hi-hats in time but placing snare hits slightly behind the
beat is a good way o creating a laid-back eel. But because groove fles apply to an entire clip
at once, this kind o subtlety can be di fcult to achieve with a single clip. Provided your clip uses
a Drum or Instrument Rack, one solution can be to extract the chain (page 298) containing the
voice that you want to independently groove. In this example, we’d extract the snare chain, cre-
ating a new clip and track that contained only the snare notes. Then we could apply a di erent
groove to this new clip.
12.3.2 Non-Destructive Quantization

Grooves can be used to apply real-time, non-destructive quantization to clips. To do this, simply
set the groove’s Timing, Random and Velocity amounts to 0% and adjust its Quantize and Base
parameters to taste. With only Quantize applied, the actual content o the groove is ignored, so
this technique works the same regardless o which Groove fle you use.
12.3.3 Creating Texture With Randomization

You can use a groove’s Random parameter to create realistic doublings. This can be particu-
larly use ul when creating string textures rom single voices. To do this, frst duplicate the track
containing the clip that you want to “thicken.“ Then apply a groove to one o the clips and turn
up its Random parameter. When you play the two clips together, each note will be slightly (and
randomly) out o sync with its counterpart on the other track.
Launching Clips 201
Chapter 13
Launching Clips
The Live Session View is set apart by the act that it gives you, the musician, a spontaneous en-
vironment that encourages per ormance and improvisation. An important part o how you take
advantage o the Session View lies within how you confgure your various Session View clips.
This chapter explains the group o settings used to defne how each Session View clip behaves
when triggered, or “launched.“
13.1 The Launch Box

Remember that clips in the Session View are launched by their Clip Launch buttons (page 119)
or remote control (page 573). Clip launch settings are made in the Launch box. The Launch
box only applies to Session View clips, as Arrangement View clips are not launched but played
according to their positions in the Arrangement.
To view the Launch box, open the Clip View (page 131) o a Session View clip by double-
clicking the clip, then activating the le tmost Clip View Box selector panel.
Use the Clip View Box Selector to Bring up the Launch Box.
Launching Clips 202
Note that you can edit the launch settings o more than one clip at the same time by frst select-
ing the clips and then opening the Clip View.
13.2 Launch Modes
The Clip Launch Mode Chooser.
The Launch Mode chooser o ers a number o options or how clips behave with respect to
mouse clicks, computer keyboard actions or MIDI notes:
•Trigger: down starts the clip; up is ignored.
•Gate: down starts the clip; up stops the clip.
•Toggle: down starts the clip; up is ignored. The clip will stop on the next down.
•Repeat: As long as the mouse switch/key is held, the clip is triggered repeatedly at the clip
quantization rate.
Launching Clips 203
13.3 Clip Launch Quantization
The Clip Quantization Chooser.
The Clip Quantization chooser lets you adjust an onset timing correction or clip triggering. To
disable clip quantization, choose “None.“
To use the Control Bar’s Global Quantization setting, choose “Global.“ Global quantization can
be quickly changed using the [CTRL][6](PC) / [CMD][6](Mac), [7], [8], [9], and [0] shortcuts.
Note that any setting other than “None“ will quantize the clip’s launch when it is triggered by
Follow Actions (page 205).
13.4 Velocity
The Velocity Amount Field.

Launching Clips 204
The Velocity Amount control allows you to adjust the e ect o MIDI note velocity on the clip’s
volume: I set to zero, there is no in uence; at 100 percent, the so test notes play the clip silently.
For more on playing clips via MIDI, see the respective section (page 573).
13.5 Legato Mode
The Legato Mode Switch.
Suppose you have gathered, in one track, a number o looping clips, and you now want to tog-
gle among them without losing the sync. For this you could use a large quantization setting (one
bar or greater), however, this might limit your musical expression.
Another option, which works even with quantization turned o , is to engage Legato Mode or
the respective clips. When a clip in Legato Mode is launched, it takes over the play position rom
whatever clip was played in that track be ore. Hence, you can toggle clips at any moment and
rate without ever losing the sync.
Legato Mode is very use ul or creating breaks, as you can momentarily play alternative loops
and jump back to what was playing in the track be ore.
Unless all the clips involved play the same sample (di ering by clip settings only), you might
hear dropouts when launching clips in Legato Mode. This happens because you are unexpect-
edly jumping to a point in the sample that Live has had no chance to pre-load rom disk in ad-
vance. You can remedy this situation by engaging Clip RAM Mode (page 147) or the clips in
question.
Launching Clips 205
13.6 Follow Actions

Follow Actions allow creating chains o clips that can trigger each other in an orderly or random
way (or both). A clip’s Follow Action defnes what happens to other clips in the same group a ter
the clip plays. A group is defned by clips arranged in successive slots o the same track. Tracks
can have an unlimited number o groups, separated by empty slots.
3
The Follow Action Controls.
1. The Follow Action Time control defnes when the Follow Action takes place in bars-beats-
sixteenths rom the point in the clip where play starts. The de ault or this setting is one bar.
2. The Follow Action choosers allow selecting two di erent Follow Actions, A and B.
3. The Chance A and Chance B controls set the likelihood o each o the two Follow Actions
occurring. I a clip has Chance A set to 1 and Chance B set to 0, Follow Action A will oc-
cur every time the clip is launched. As we can see rom this example, a Chance setting
o 0 means that an action will never happen. Changing Chance B to 10 in this scenario
makes Follow Action A occur much less o ten — approximately once out o every ten clip
launches.
There are eight Follow Actions available:
“Stop“ simply stops the clip a ter it has played or the chosen Follow Action Time. Note that
this overrides clip loop/region settings.
“Play Again“ restarts the clip.

Launching Clips 206
“Previous“ triggers the previous clip (the one above the current one).
“Next“ triggers the next clip down in the group. I a clip with this setting is last in a group, this
Follow Action triggers the frst clip.
“First“ launches the frst (top) clip in a group.
“Last“ launches the last (bottom) clip in a group.
“Any“ plays any clip in the group.
“Other“ is similar to “Any,“ but as long as the current clip is not alone in the group, no clip will
play consecutively.
There is also the possibility to have no Follow Action by selecting “No Action,“ or leaving the
chooser blank.
Note that a Follow Action happens exactly a ter the duration that is specifed by the Follow Ac-
tion Time controls unless clip quantization is set to a value other than “None“ or “Global.“ Fol-
low Actions circumvent global quantization but not clip quantization.
So why do you need these things? Music is repetition and change. Music based on loops or
short melodic ragments has a tendency to sound static. Follow Actions allow you to create struc-
tures that will repeat but can also be surprising. Remember that you can always record (page
245) the results o your experiments, so this can provide a good source or new material.
In the ollowing sections we will look at some practical examples and ideas or Follow Actions.
13.6.1 Looping Parts o a Clip

Let’s say that you want to play a longer clip, but then you want only the last eight bars to loop.
You can set this up using Follow Actions:
1. Drag the clip into the Arrangement View and make sure that the Clip View’s Loop switch is
not activated. Use the Edit menu’s Split command (page 116) to split the clip between the
non-looping and looping parts.
2. Click and drag the resulting two clips into the Session View by letting the mouse cursor
hover over the Session View selector. Drop the two clips into a track. They now orm a Fol-
low Action group.
Launching Clips 207
Creating a Group With the Two Clips.
3. Set up Follow Actions or the frst clip. You will want to make Follow Action Time equal to
the clip’s length. Set the Follow Action A chooser to “Next,“ with a Chance setting o 1,
leaving Follow Action B alone. Now this clip is set up to advance to the looping clip a ter it
plays.
4. Activate the Loop switch or the second clip.
The frst clip will now proceed to the second a ter it has played in its entirety; the second clip will
simply play in a loop until it is stopped.
13.6.2 Creating Cycles

One o the most obvious possibilities that Follow Actions open up is using a group o samples to
orm a musical cycle. I we organize several clips as a group and use the “Play Next Clip“ Fol-
low Action with each clip, they will play one a ter the other ad infnitum, or until we tell them to
stop.
Cycles can be peppered with occasional rearrangements through the addition o other Follow
Actions, such as “Any,“ with smaller relative Chance settings.
13.6.3 Temporarily Looping Clips

There are some interesting applications o Follow Actions when it comes to creating temporary
musical loops.
Launching Clips 208
The de ault setting or Follow Action is actually a 1:0 chance that “No Action“ happens a ter the
Follow Action Time, which means that there is e ectively no Follow Action. But now, imagine a
group consisting o one single clip. Follow Action A is set to “Play Again,“ with a Chance o 8.
Follow Action B is set to “No Action,“ with a Chance o 1. The clip uses a long sample, and Fol-
low Time is set to one bar. Clicking on the clip will play the frst bar, a ter which it will be very
likely that it will play the frst bar again. However, a ter a ew repetitions, it will eventually come
to Action B — “No Action“ — and continue playing the rest o the sample.
Or, a clip can be played rom its start to a specifc point, when its Follow Action tells it to “Next.“
The same fle can be used in the next clip in the group, but this one can be set to loop. This sec-
ond clip can have any manner o Follow Action settings, so that it might then play orever, or a
specifed time or until random chance leads to the next clip in the group.
13.6.4 Adding Variations in Sync

Paired with clip envelopes (page 313) and warping (page 155), Follow Actions can be used
to create all sorts o interesting variations within a group o similar clips. You could, or example,
use Follow Actions to randomly trigger clips with di erent MIDI controller clip envelopes, so that
fne variations in pitch bend or modulation o an instrument or synth could occur as the clips in a
group interacted. Audio clips could morph between di erent e ect or clip transposition settings.
Using Follow Actions and Legato Mode together provides a power ul way o gradually chang-
ing a melody or beat. Imagine that you have several identical clips o a melody that orm a
group, and they are set up to play in Legato Mode. Whenever their Follow Actions tell them to
move on to another clip in the group, the melody will not change, as Legato Mode will sync the
new play position with the old one in beat-time. The settings and clip envelopes o each clip (or
even the actual notes contained in a MIDI clip) can then be slowly adjusted, so that the melody
goes through a gradual metamorphosis.
13.6.5 Mixing up Melodies and Beats

You can let Follow Actions per orm unpredictable remixes and solos or you: Use a clip contain-
ing a beat or melody, and copy it so that there are several instances o it orming a group. Alter-
natively, you can use several di erent beats or melodies that you want to mix together. The start
and end (page 138) or each clip can be set di erently, as can clip envelopes (page 313)
and other clip settings. As long as Follow Action Time in each clip is equal to the length o the
clip that you want to play, you can set up two Follow Actions with di erent Chance values in
each clip, launch a clip, and surprise yoursel .
Launching Clips 209
13.6.6 Creating Nonrepetitive Structures

Follow Actions are great when it comes to sound installations, as they allow you to create struc-
tures that play or weeks or months and never exactly repeat. You can set the Follow Action Time
controls in a series o clips to odd intervals, and the clips will interact with each other so that they
never quite play in the same order or musical position. Remember that each clip can have two
di erent Follow Actions with corresponding Chance settings... have un!
Launching Clips 210
Routing and I/O 211
Chapter 14
Routing and I/O

In the context o Live, “routing“ is the setup o the tracks’ signal sources and destinations (i.e.,
their inputs and outputs). Most routing happens in the mixer’s track In/Out section, which o ers,
or every track, choosers to select a signal source and destination. The mixer’s In/Out section is
Live’s “patchbay.“
The In/Out section can be independently shown or hidden rom the Session and Arrangement
Views. Toggle its visibility using the I/O Mixer Section selector, or via the View menu’s In/Out
option.
The Mixer’s In/Out Section and Mixer Section Selectors.
For every track that can play clips, the In/Out section has the same layout:
•The upper chooser pair (“Audio/MIDI From“) selects the track’s input. Audio tracks have
an audio input, and MIDI tracks have a MIDI input. Return tracks receive their input rom
the respective sends (page 238).
•The Monitor radio button selects the monitor mode: the conditions under which the track’s
input is heard through the track.
•The lower chooser pair (“Audio/MIDI To“) selects the track’s output. All tracks have audio
Routing and I/O 212
outputs, except or MIDI tracks without instruments. Remember that instruments convert
MIDI to audio (page 48).
Within a chooser pair, the upper chooser selects the signal category (“Ext.,“ or instance, or ex-
ternal connections via an audio or MIDI inter ace), and is called the Input/Output Type chooser.
I this signal type o ers sub-selections or channels, they are available rom the lower chooser, or
the Input/Output Channel chooser. In our “Ext.“ example, these would be the individual audio/
MIDI inputs and outputs.
14.1 Monitoring
“Monitoring,“ in the context o Live, means passing a track’s input signal on to the track’s output.
Suppose you have set up an audio track to receive its input signal rom a guitar. Monitoring
then means that the signal rom your live guitar playing actually reaches the track’s output, via
the track’s device chain. I the track’s output is set to “Master,“ you can hear the guitar signal,
processed by whatever e ects are used (and delayed by whatever latency the audio hardware
inter ace incurs), over your speakers.
The In/Out section o ers, or every audio track and MIDI track, a Monitor radio button with the
ollowing three options:
•The de ault Auto-monitoring setting does the right thing or most straight orward recording
applications: Monitoring is on when the track is armed (record-enabled) (page 245), but
monitoring is inhibited as long as the track is playing clips.
Audio and MIDI Track Arm Buttons.
•To permanently monitor the track’s input, regardless o whether the track is armed or clips
are playing, choose In. This setting e ectively turns the track into what is called an “Aux“
on some systems: the track is not used or recording but or bringing in a signal rom else-
Routing and I/O 213
where ( or instance, a ReWire slave program). With this setting, output rom the clips is
suppressed. An “In“ monitoring setting can be easily recognized even when the In/Out
section is hidden by the orange color o the track’s Activator switch.
•Monitoring can be turned o altogether by choosing the O option. This is use ul when
recording acoustic instruments which are monitored “through the air,“ when using an ex-
ternal mixing console or monitoring or when using an audio hardware inter ace with a
“direct monitoring“ option that bypasses the computer so as to avoid latency. Generally,
it is pre erable to work with an audio inter ace that allows or negligible latencies (a ew
milliseconds). I you are recording into Live with monitoring set to “O ,“ you may want to
make the Audio Pre erences’ Overall Latency adjustment, which is described in the built-in
program tutorial on setting up the Audio Pre erences.
I multiple tracks are selected, pressing one o the Monitor buttons applies this selection to all o
the selected tracks.
14.2 External Audio In/Out

An audio inter ace’s inputs are selected by choosing “Ext. In“ rom the Input Type chooser o an
audio track. The Input Channel chooser then o ers the individual input channels. Entries in this
chooser each have meters next to their names to help you identi y signal presence and overload
(when the meter ashes red). Setting up the audio inter ace’s outputs works the same way via the
output chooser pair. I multiple tracks are selected, any changes you make to these choosers will
be applied to all selected tracks.
The list o available inputs and outputs depends on the Audio Pre erences, which can be
reached via the Input and Output Channel choosers’ “Confgure...“ option. Note that the Audio
Pre erences also provide access to the Channel Confguration dialogs, which determine which
inputs and outputs are used, and whether they are available to Live as mono or stereo pairs.
Essentially, the Channel Confguration dialog tells Live what it needs to know about how the
computer is connected to the other audio components in your studio.
You can rename any input and output channels that appear in the Channel Confguration dia-
logs. I changed, the new name(s) will be displayed in the corresponding Input / Output Chan-
nel chooser drop-down. You can rename channels more quickly by using the [Tab] key to move
between them. Note that changed names are always associated with their respective audio
device.
Routing and I/O 214
14.2.1 Mono/Stereo Conversions

When a mono signal is chosen as an audio track’s input, the track will record mono samples;
otherwise it will record stereo samples. Signals in the track’s device chain are always stereo,
even when the track’s input is mono or when the track plays mono samples.
Mono is turned into stereo simply by using the identical signal or le t and right channels. When
a track is routed into a mono output, the le t and right signals are added together and attenu-
ated by 6 dB to avoid clipping.
14.3 External MIDI In/Out

MIDI rom the outside world is routed into Live just like audio. From the Input Type chooser o a
MIDI track, you can either select a specifc MIDI input port or “All Ins,“ which is the merged input
o all external MIDI ports. The Input Channel chooser o ers the individual input channels o the
selected MIDI port and the merged signal o all channels, “All Channels.“ As is the case with
audio inputs, the Input Channel chooser also has meters next to every entry to represent activity
on the respective input channel. I multiple MIDI tracks are selected, any changes you make to
these choosers will be applied to all selected tracks.
14.3.1 The MIDI Ports List in the Pre erences
The MIDI Ports List in the Pre erences.
You can confgure which MIDI ports are made available to Live using the MIDI Ports section o
the Link/MIDI Pre erences. All available input and output ports are listed here. For Live’s tracks
to receive/send MIDI rom/to a specifc MIDI port, the corresponding switch in the Track col-
umn must be set to On. You can use any number o MIDI ports or track input and output; the
mixer’s In/Out choosers allow them to be addressed individually.
Routing and I/O 215
14.3.2 Playing MIDI With the Computer Keyboard

The computer keyboard can be used or generating MIDI notes rom computer keyboard
strokes. To turn the computer MIDI keyboard on, use the Control Bar’s Computer MIDI Keyboard
button, or the [M] shortcut to the Options menu entry.
Activating the Computer MIDI Keyboard.
The center row o letter keys on the keyboard will play notes corresponding to the white keys
on a piano, beginning on the le t with the note C3. The black keys on a piano correspond to the
upper row o computer keys. The our le tmost letters on the lower row o the keyboard (Z,X,C,
and V on a U.S.-English keyboard) are used to transpose the note range and to set velocity, as
ollows:
•The le tmost keys (Z and X) adjust the keyboard’s octave range.
•The next two keys (C and V) adjust incoming note velocity by intervals o twenty (20, 40,
60, and so on).
As it happens, when the computer keyboard is set to send notes between C3 and C4, the keys
are mapped to MIDI notes such that the center row o the keyboard (ASDF...) addresses the Im-
pulse percussion sampler’s sample slots (page 463). This means that you can play and record
drum patterns right o the computer keyboard.
Note that when the computer MIDI keyboard is activated, it will “steal“ keys that may have oth-
erwise been assigned to remote-control (page 583) elements o the Live inter ace. To prevent
this, you can turn the computer MIDI keyboard o when it is not needed.
14.3.3 Connecting External Synthesizers

Routing MIDI to an external synthesizer is straight orward: The Output Type chooser is set to
whatever MIDI port the synthesizer is connected to; the Output Channel chooser is used to select
which MIDI channel to send on.
In addition to routing via a track’s In/Out section, it is also possible to route rom within a track’s
device chain by using the External Instrument device (page 461). In this case, you can send
Routing and I/O 216
MIDI out to the external synthesizer and return its audio — all within a single track. (Note: the
External Instrument device is not available in the Intro and Lite Editions.)
Important: I you are using a keyboard synthesizer both as a master keyboard to play into Live
and as a sound generator, then please make sure to check the synthesizer’s “Local O “ unc-
tion. Every synthesizer has this unction, which e ectively separates the keyboard rom the sound
generator, allowing you to treat both components as i they were separate devices. This allows
you to use Live as the hub o your MIDI studio, which receives MIDI rom the keyboard and dis-
patches the incoming MIDI, as well as the MIDI rom the clips, as appropriate.
14.3.4 MIDI In/Out Indicators

Live’s Control Bar contains three pairs o indicator LEDs that tell you about incoming and outgo-
ing MIDI. These indicators tell you not only about the presence o signals, but also about their
use. In every pair, the upper indicator ashes when a MIDI message is received, and the lower
indicator ashes when a MIDI message is sent.
The Control Bar’s MIDI Indicators.
The three indicator pairs represent, rom le t to right:
1. MIDI Clock and Timecode signals that are used or synchronizing Live with other sequenc-
ers (page 705). Note that this set o indicators is only visible when an external sync
source has been enabled in the MIDI Ports List in the Pre erences;
2. MIDI messages that are used or remote-controlling Live’s user-inter ace elements (page
573);
3. MIDI messages coming rom and going to Live’s MIDI tracks.
MIDI messages that are mapped to remote-control Live’s user-inter ace elements are “eaten up“
by the remote control assignment and will not be passed on to the MIDI tracks. This is a common
cause o con usion that can be easily resolved by looking at the indicators.
Routing and I/O 217
14.4 ReWire Slave Routing

Live can operate as a ReWire master or slave in cooperation with another ReWire application.
As a ReWire master, Live can send MIDI to, and receive audio rom, any ReWire slave applica-
tion installed on the same computer.
An Audio Track Receiving Audio From and a MIDI Track Sending MIDI to Reason.
The ollowing example shows how to send MIDI rom one o Live’s MIDI tracks into an instrument
within Propellerhead’s Reason, and then route the audio result back into an audio track:
1. First, start Live.
2. Then, start Reason and set up the Reason rack as desired.
3. Select “Reason“ rom the MIDI track’s Output Type chooser.
4. The Output Channel chooser presents you with a list o the instruments that you currently
have in your Reason rack; select the instrument you want to address.
5. Select “Reason“ rom the audio track’s Input Type chooser.
6. From the audio track’s Input Channel chooser, select the audio channel that corresponds to
the instrument to which you are sending MIDI.
7. Set the audio track’s Monitor radio button to “In.“
8. Select “All Ins“ rom the MIDI track’s Input Type chooser.
Routing and I/O 218
9. Arm the MIDI track.
Now, any MIDI that you are playing into Live will arrive in Reason, which will generate the cor-
responding audio back into the audio track, ready or urther processing in Live’s mixer and
e ects. I you want to continue work on the project without reopening Reason, simply record
Reason’s audio by arming the audio track and engaging Record Mode.
A similar procedure is possible with the External Instrument device. The ollowing example shows
how to send MIDI rom within a track’s device chain and return the audio to the same track:
1. First, start Live.
2. Then, start Reason and set up the Reason rack as desired.
3. Insert an External Instrument device into a MIDI track.
4. Select “Reason“ rom the External Instrument’s frst MIDI To chooser.
5. The second chooser presents you with a list o the instruments that you currently have in
your Reason rack; select the instrument you want to address.
6. From the External Instrument’s Audio From chooser, select the audio channel that corre-
sponds to the instrument to which you are sending MIDI.
7. Arm the MIDI track.
8. Adjust the External Instrument’s Gain knob as necessary.
14.5 Resampling
Live’s Master output can be routed into an individual audio track and recorded, or resampled.
Resampling can be a un and use ul tool, as it lets you create samples rom what is currently hap-
pening in a Live Set that can then be immediately integrated. It can be used to record tracks that
include processor-intensive devices, so as to delete the devices, or or quickly previewing be ore
rendering to disk (page 74).
The “Resampling“ option in any audio track’s Input Type chooser will route the Master output to
that track. You can then decide on what exactly you will be resampling and mute, solo or other-
Routing and I/O 219
wise adjust the tracks that are eeding the Master output. You will probably want to use the Mas-
ter Volume meter to make sure that your level is as high as possible without clipping (indicated
by red in the meter). Then you can arm the track and record into any o its empty clip slots (page
248). Note that the recording track’s own output will be suppressed while resampling is taking
place, and will not be included in the recording.
Samples created by resampling will be stored in with the current Set’s Project older (page
88), under Samples/Recorded. Until the Set is saved, they remain at the location specifed
by the Temporary Folder (page 255).
14.6 Internal Routings

Live’s mixer and external routing devices allow or inter-track routings. These routings, albeit
potentially con using, enable many valuable creative and technical options. Via the mixer, inter-
track routing can work two ways:
1. Track A is set up to send its output signal to Track B. This is possible because every track
that can receive an output signal o the appropriate type rom Track A shows up in its Out-
put Type chooser.
2. Track B is set up to receive its input signal rom Track A. This works because every track that
delivers a signal o the appropriate type appears in Track B’s Input Type chooser.
Two Ways to Route Track A into Track B.

Routing and I/O 220
Both approaches result in Track A’s output being ed into Track B. Approach 1 leaves Track B’s
in/out settings alone, and we can, at any time, add more tracks that eed their output into Track
B. This is the method o choice or “many-to-one“ routings such as submixes or several MIDI
tracks playing the same instrument. In this scenario, soloing Track B will still allow you to hear the
output o the tracks that are eeding it. Also, you can still solo Track A and hear its output signal.
In this case, all other tracks are muted, including those that might also eed into Track B. Techni-
cally, what you hear is the output o Track B, with everything except Track A’s signal removed.
Approach 2, on the other hand, leaves Track A una ected except or Track B tapping its output.
We can easily add more tracks like Track B that all tap Track A’s output. Instrument layering is a
good example o such a “one-to-many“ routing setup.
14.6.1 Internal Routing Points

Signals travel rom Live’s tracks into their respective device chains and then into the track mixer,
where they might become panned or have their levels altered by the tracks’ aders.
Whenever a track’s Audio From input chooser is set to another track (as described in the previ-
ous section’s Approach 2), the signal received can be tapped rom one o three di erent points
chosen rom the Input Channel chooser: Pre FX, Post FX or Post Mixer.
Tap Points or Track Routing.
•Pre FX taps the signal that is coming directly rom a track, be ore it has been passed on to
the track’s device chains (FX) or mixer. There ore, changes that are made to the tapped
track’s devices or mixer have no e ect on the tapped signal. Soloing a track that taps an-
other track Pre FX will allow you to hear the tapped track.
•Post FX taps the signal at the output o a track’s device chains (FX), but be ore it has been
passed back to the track mixer. Changes to the tapped track’s devices will there ore alter
Routing and I/O 221
the tapped signal, but changes to its mixer settings will not. Soloing a track that taps an-
other track Post FX will allow you to hear the tapped track.
•Post Mixer taps the fnal output o a track, a ter it has passed through its device chains
and mixer. Soloing a track that taps another track Post Mixer will not allow you to hear the
tapped track.
Routing Points in Racks
Tap Points or Every Chain in a Track.
I a track has one or more Instrument or E ect Racks (page 281) in its device chain, internal
routing points (Pre FX, Post FX and Post Mixer) will also be available or every chain within the
Rack. I a track contains one or more Drum Racks (page 292), internal routing points will be
available or any o the Rack’s return chains. Each Rack will also be listed in the Input Channel
chooser:
•(Rack Name) | (Chain Name) | Pre FX — The signal will be tapped rom the point that it
enters the Rack, be ore it reaches the chain’s devices.
•(Rack Name) | (Chain Name) | Post FX — The signal will be tapped rom the end o the
chain, but be ore it passes to the chain’s mixer.
Routing and I/O 222
•(Rack Name) | (Chain Name) | Post Mixer — The signal will be tapped rom the output
o the chain’s mixer, just be ore the point where all o the chains in the Rack are summed
together to create the Rack’s output.
Soloing a track that taps a Chain at any o these points will still allow you to hear the output at
that point.
14.6.2 Making Use o Internal Routing

This section presents several internal routing examples in more detail.
Post-E ects Recording

Let’s say that you are eeding a guitar into Live, building up a song track by track, overlaying
take onto take. It is certainly power ul to have a separate e ects chain per track or applying di -
erent e ects to di erent takes — a ter the act. You might, however, want to run the guitar signal
through e ects (a noise gate or an amp model, or instance) be ore the recording stage, and
record the post-e ects signal.
An Example Setup or Post-E ects Recording.
This is easily accomplished by devoting a special audio track or processing and monitoring the
incoming guitar signal. We call this track “Guitar“ and drag the desired e ects into its device
chain. We do not record directly into the Guitar track; instead we create a couple more tracks to
use or recording. Those tracks are all set up to receive their input Post FX rom the Guitar track.
Note that we could also tap the Guitar track Post Mixer i we wished to record any level or pan-
ning rom it.
Routing and I/O 223
As or monitoring, we set the Guitar track’s Monitor radio button to In, because we always want
to listen to our guitar through this track, no matter what else is going on in Live. The other tracks’
Monitor radio buttons are set to O .
Recording MIDI as Audio

When working with MIDI and complex so tware instruments, it is sometimes more use ul to re-
cord the resulting audio than the incoming MIDI. A single MIDI note can prompt, or example,
Native Instruments’ Absynth to produce something that sounds more like a piece o music than
a single tone. This output lends itsel more to representation as an audio wave orm than a single
note in a MIDI clip, particularly when comparing the editing options.
Recording the Output o a Complex Instrument in Audio Tracks.
A setup similar to the one described above (page 222) accomplishes the task. We have one
MIDI track hosting the virtual instrument, and we use additional audio tracks to record the audio
result o playing the instrument.
Routing and I/O 224
Creating Submixes
Submixing the Individual Drums o a Drum Kit.
Suppose we have the individual drums o a drum kit coming in on separate tracks or multitrack
recording. In the mix, we can easily change the volumes o the individual drums, but adjusting
the volume o the entire drum kit against the rest o the music is less convenient. There ore, we
add a new audio track to submix the drums. The individual drum tracks are all set to output to the
submix track, which outputs to the Master. The submix track gives us a handy volume control or
the entire drum kit.
Alternatively, you could combine the separate drum tracks into a Group Track (page 236) or
even more exibility. This automatically creates the necessary output routings and also allows
you to hide or show the component tracks.
Submixing by setting a track’s Output Type to Sends Only
A third possibility is to use Live’s return tracks or submixing. This is done by selecting the Sends
Only option in a track’s Output Type, then turning up a Send control as desired. The correspond-
ing return track will then act as a submixer channel.
Routing and I/O 225
Several MIDI Tracks Playing the Same Instrument

Consider a MIDI track containing a virtual instrument — a Simpler playing a pad sound, or ex-
ample. We have already recorded MIDI clips into this track when we realize that we would like
to add an independent, parallel take or the same instrument. So we add another MIDI track.
We could now drag another Simpler into the new track, but we would really like to reuse the
Simpler rom the pad track, so that changing the pad’s sound a ects the notes rom both tracks.
Feeding an Additional MIDI Track Into an Existing MIDI Track to Reuse its Instrument.
This is accomplished by setting the new MIDI track’s Output Type chooser to “Pad.“ Note that
the Output Channel chooser now o ers a selection o destinations: We can either eed the new
track’s output into the input o the pad track, or we can directly address the Simpler. The “Track
In“ option in the Output Channel represents the pad track’s input signal (the signal to be record-
ed), which is not what we want. We instead select “Simpler Ch. 1“ to send the new track’s MIDI
directly to the Simpler, bypassing the recording and monitoring stage. With this setup, we can
choose to record new takes on either track and they will all play the same pad sound.
Routing and I/O 226
The Instrument Has Been Isolated in a Dedicated Track.
We might be bothered by the act that muting the pad track (by turning o its Activator switch)
also mutes the other MIDI track. To be precise, the other track keeps playing, but its MIDI is
played by an instrument that is out o the mix. This can be easily remedied by cutting the clips
rom the pad track and pasting them into a third track that can be independently muted (and that
can hold its own MIDI e ects). The original pad track now acts as a mere instrument container.
As we are not recording new clips into this track, we can set its Input Type chooser to “No Input,“
which makes its Arm button disappear and helps to avoid con usion when the mixer’s In/Out
section is hidden.
Tapping Individual Outs From an Instrument

Some so tware instruments, like Live’s Impulse percussion sampler, o er multiple audio outputs
or the signals they produce. By de ault, Impulse mixes the output o its eight sample slots inter-
nally and delivers the mix at the instrument’s audio out. Any audio e ects ollowing Impulse in
the same track process the composite signal. Sometimes it is desirable to take an individual drum
sound out o the mix or individual e ects processing and mixing. This is possible because Im-
pulse o ers its sample slots as audio sources to other tracks.
Routing and I/O 227
Using Impulse’s Individual Outs to Separately Process Sample Slots.
We simply create an audio track and select rom its Input Type chooser the track with the Im-
pulse. The Input Channel chooser now o ers, in addition to Pre FX, Post FX and Post Mixer,
Impulse’s eight individual outputs, labeled according to the sample used in each slot. Notice that
routing an individual output rom Impulse into another track automatically takes this signal out
o Impulse’s own internal mix. This convenience is not standard behavior o most plug-in instru-
ments, however. Soloing a track that taps one o Impulse’s sample slots will still allow you to hear
the output o that slot.
Using Multi-Timbral Plug-In Instruments

Many plug-in instruments support multi-timbral operation. A multi-timbral instrument is like sev-
eral instruments in one, with each component “part“ (or whatever term the manu acturer uses)
receiving MIDI on a separate MIDI channel. Usually, the multi-timbral instrument o ers indi-
vidual outputs so that the parts can be separately routed into the mixer. Or, the instrument might
o er a submixer o its own.
Routing and I/O 228
Tracks Feeding MIDI to and Tapping Audio From the Parts o a Multi-Timbral Instrument.
Sending MIDI rom the mixer to a multi-timbral instrument is a variation o a case described
above (page 225). One MIDI track hosts the multi-timbral instrument, and additional MIDI
tracks are used to eed its individual parts. Each additional MIDI track has its Output Type
chooser pointed to the track that contains the instrument, and its Output Channel chooser re er-
encing the target MIDI channel. Additional audio tracks can then be used to tap the instrument’s
individual outputs, as described earlier (page 226).
It is also possible to use the External Instrument device to route MIDI to (and audio rom) the
secondary outputs on multi-timbral plug-ins. This scenario eliminates the need to create an ad-
ditional audio track or each tapped output:
1. Insert the multi-timbral instrument on a MIDI track.
2. Insert an External Instrument device on another MIDI track.
3. Select the track that contains the instrument in the frst MIDI To chooser on the External
Instrument device.
4. Select the MIDI channel to route to in the second chooser on the External Instrument de-
vice.
5. From the External Instrument’s Audio From chooser, select a secondary output on the in-
strument to which you are sending MIDI.
Repeat steps 2-5 to eed and tap additional components o your multi-timbral instrument. You
could also put the entire system o External Instrument devices into a single track, by placing
each one in a Rack’s device chain.
Routing and I/O 229
Note that the main outputs o the multi-timbral instrument will still output to the track that contains
the instrument — only auxiliary outputs are available to the External Instrument device.
Feeding Sidechain Inputs

Some e ects have so-called “sidechain inputs.“ A vocoder, or instance, imposes spectral char-
acteristics taken rom one signal (say, spoken word) onto another signal, or instance a string
pad. The vocoder is inserted as an audio e ect into the string track. It has a sidechain input or
the speech signal, which has to be delivered rom another track. So, we create an additional
audio track named “Speech“ and set its Output Type chooser to the “Strings“ track. From the
Output Channel chooser, we select the vocoder’s sidechain input.
Routing a Speech Signal Into a Vocoder’s Sidechain Input.
Some vocoder plug-ins include a built-in synthesizer to generate the “carrier“ signal. In this
case, the only di erence rom the above procedure is that the vocoder instrument is dragged
into a MIDI track. Feeding the sidechain audio input works as described above.
A number o Ableton’s built-in devices have their own sidechain controls with integrated routing
choosers that match those ound in tracks. Thus when using these devices, it is not necessary to
ollow the above procedure — you can simply select the sidechain source rom within the device
itsel .
Layering Instruments
Suppose that we have a MIDI track containing an instrument playing a string sound, which we
would like to augment by adding a brass sound playing the same notes. This can be easily done
Routing and I/O 230
by adding a MIDI track that contains an instrument playing the brass sound and setting its Input
Type chooser to tap the string track’s Post FX signal.
Using an Auxiliary MIDI Track to Layer Instruments.
Perhaps you wonder why this works, given that the string track’s output is audio and not MIDI.
When routing MIDI in rom another track, we are tapping the MIDI at the latest possible stage,
which is a ter any MIDI E ects, and just be ore the instrument.
Mixing 231
Chapter 15
Mixing
15.1 The Live Mixer
Live includes a mixer section that is accessible rom two views:
The Arrangement View Mixer.
In the Arrangement View, the mixer appears as a horizontal strip to the right o the track area.
To display all mixer controls or a track, un old the track using the button next to its name, and
adjust its height accordingly.
Mixing 232
The Session View Mixer.
The Session View is a standard vertical mixer layout, which you may fnd more intuitive than
the Arrangement mixer. Note that the [Tab] key toggles between the Arrangement and Session
Views i you’re working with a single window. I you’re working with two windows, the [Tab] key
swaps the Arrangement and Session between the windows, which allows you to see your Ar-
rangement while using the Session mixer.
The View menu options listed below show or hide mixer components. You can use di erent mixer
view setups in the Session View and in the Arrangement View:
•In/Out
•Sends
•Returns
•Mixer
•Track Delays
•Cross ader
The Mixer Section selectors on the right-hand side o the screen duplicate the View Menu com-
mands, making it possible to quickly show or hide di erent mixer components.
Mixing 233
The Mixer Section Selectors.
Let’s look at the mixer controls:
5 6
2 4
3 1
4 1
5
6
2 3
The Mixer Controls.
1. The Meter shows both peak and RMS output levels or the track. While monitoring, how-
ever, it shows peak and RMS input levels. Peak meters show sudden changes in level, while
RMS meters give a better impression o perceived loudness.
2. The Volume control adjusts the track’s output level. With multiple tracks selected, adjusting
the volume o one o them will adjust the others as well.
3. The Pan control has two di erent modes: the de ault Stereo Pan Mode, and Split Stereo
Pan Mode. In Stereo Pan Mode, the Pan control positions the track’s output in the stereo
feld. To reset the Pan control to center, click on its associated triangle. In Split Stereo Pan
Mode, the sliders let you adjust the position o the track’s le t and right input channels
separately. Double-click on the sliders to reset them. You can switch between the two pan
modes via the Pan control’s [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu. With mul-
tiple tracks selected, adjusting the pan knob or one o them will adjust the others as well.
4. To mute the track’s output, turn o the Track Activator switch. With multiple tracks selected,
toggling one o their Track Activators will toggle the others as well.
5. The Solo switch solos the track by muting all other tracks, but can also be used or cueing
Mixing 234
(page 242). With multiple tracks selected, pressing any o their Solo switches will solo all
o them. Otherwise, tracks can only be soloed one at a time unless the [CTRL](PC) / [CMD]
(Mac) modifer is held down or the Exclusive Solo option in the Record/Warp/Launch
Pre erences is deactivated.
6. I the Arm Recording button is on, the track is record-enabled (page 245). With multiple
tracks selected, pressing any o their Arm switches will arm all o them. Otherwise, tracks
can only be armed one at a time unless the [CTRL](PC) / [CMD](Mac) modifer is held
down or the Exclusive Arm option in the Record/Warp/Launch Pre erences is deactivated.
With Exclusive Arm enabled, inserting an instrument into a new or empty MIDI track will
automatically arm the track.
15.1.1 Session Mixer Features
The Session Mixer’s Possibilities.
The Mixer section o the Session Mixer has several additional eatures that are not visible by
de ault. The mixer is resizable, and dragging upwards on the top o the mixer will extend the
height o the track meters, adding tick marks, a numeric volume feld and resettable peak level
indicators. Increasing a track’s width in this state will add a decibel scale alongside the meter’s
tick marks.
These enhancements are tailored or use in traditional mixing settings, but are available anytime
the Mixer section is displayed.
Mixing 235
Because o the enormous headroom o Live’s 32-bit oating point audio engine, Live’s meters
can be driven ar “into the red“ without causing the signals to clip. The only time that signals over
0 dB will be problematic is when routing to or rom physical inputs and outputs, like those o
your sound card, or when saving audio to a fle.
Nevertheless, Live provides this optional visual eedback or signals that travel beyond 0 dB in
any track.
15.2 Audio and MIDI Tracks

Audio and MIDI tracks in Live are or hosting and playing clips, as explained earlier (page
41).
You can add new audio and MIDI tracks to your Live Set’s mixer using the appropriate Create
menu commands.
Tracks can also be created by double-clicking or pressing [Enter] on fles in the browser to load
them, or by dragging objects rom the Browser into the space to the right o Session View tracks
or below Arrangement View tracks. Devices or fles loaded into Live in this manner will cre-
ate tracks o the appropriate type (e.g., a MIDI track will be created i a MIDI fle or e ect is
dragged in).
Dragging one or multiple clips rom an existing track into the space to the right o Session View
tracks or below Arrangement View tracks creates a new track with those clips and the original
track’s devices.
A track is represented by its track title bar. You can click on a track title bar to select the track
and then execute an Edit menu command on the track. One such command is Rename. One can
quickly rename a series o tracks by executing this command (or the Rename shortcut [CTRL][R]
(PC) / [CMD][R](Mac)) and then using the [Tab] key to move rom title bar to title bar. When a #
symbol precedes a name, the track will get a number that updates automatically when the track
is moved. Adding additional # symbols will prepend the track number with additional zeros. You
can also enter your own in o text (page 31) or a track via the Edit In o Text command in the
Edit menu or in the tracks’ [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu.
Mixing 236
Tracks are Represented by Track Title Bars.
You can drag tracks by their title bars to rearrange them, or click and drag on their edges to
change their width (in the Session View) or height (in the Arrangement View).
Multiple adjacent or nonadjacent tracks can be selected at once by [Shi t]-clicking or [CTRL]-
clicking, respectively. I you drag a selection o nonadjacent tracks, they will be collapsed to-
gether when dropped. To move nonadjacent tracks without collapsing, use [CTRL] + arrow keys
instead o the mouse.
When multiple tracks are selected, adjusting one o their mixer controls will adjust the same con-
trol or the other tracks. I the tracks in the multi-selection have di ering values or any particular
knob or slider parameter (volume, or example), this di erence will be maintained as you adjust
the parameter.
I you drag a track’s title bar to the Browser it will be saved as a new Set. I a track contains au-
dio clips, Live will manage the copying o the re erenced sampled into this new location based
on the selection in the Collect Files on Export chooser (page 96). You can then type in a
name or the newly created Set or confrm the one suggested by Live with [Enter].
Tracks are deleted using the Edit menu’s Delete command.
15.3 Group Tracks

You can combine any number o “normal“ audio or MIDI tracks into a special kind o summing
container called a Group Track. To create a Group Track, select the tracks to include and ex-
ecute the Edit menu’s Group Tracks command. You also use this command to nest an existing
Group Track(s) within a new Group Track.
Group Tracks cannot contain clips, but they are similar to audio tracks in that they have mixer
controls and can host audio e ects. Group Tracks provide a quick way to create submixes (page
224), and also o er the ability to old and un old their contained clip tracks via the button
in the title bar. This can help you to organize large Sets by hiding away tracks that you don’t
need to see.
Mixing 237
An Un olded Group Track Visualized in Session View...
When tracks are placed into a group, their Audio To routing choosers (page 219) are au-
tomatically assigned to their Group Track unless they already had a custom routing (i.e. to a
destination other than “Master.“) You can also use a Group Track purely as a “ older“ track by
rerouting the outputs o the contained tracks to some other destination.
...and in Arrangement View.
Once a Group Track has been created, tracks can be dragged into or out o the group. Delet-
ing a Group Track deletes all o its contents, but a group can be dissolved back into individual
tracks by executing the Edit Menu’s Ungroup Tracks command.
Group Tracks in Arrangement View show an overview o the clips in the contained tracks. In
Session View, slots in Group Tracks have launch and stop buttons whenever at least one clip is
available in a given scene. Launching or stopping this button has the same e ect as launching or
stopping all contained clips. Likewise, selecting a Group Slot serves as a shortcut or selecting
all o the contained clips.
Mixing 238
To apply a Group Track’s color to all o its contained tracks and clips, you can use the Assign
Track Color to Grouped Tracks and Clips command in the respective Group Track header’s
[right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu.
Note that when using the Assign Track Color to Grouped Tracks and Clips command in Session
View, the color change will only a ect Session clips. Likewise, using either command in Arrange-
ment View will only change the color o Arrangement clips.
I a Group Track contains a soloed track or nested Group Track, its Solo button will appear hal
colored.
Solo Button o a Group Track Containing a Soloed Nested Group Track.
15.4 Return Tracks and the Master Track

In addition to Group Tracks and tracks that play clips, a Live Set has a Master track and return
tracks; these cannot play clips, but allow or more exible signal processing and routing.
The return tracks and the Master track occupy the right-hand side o the Session mixer view and
the bottom end o the Arrangement View.
Note that you can hide and show the return tracks using the Returns command in the View menu.
Like the “normal“ clip tracks, the returns and the Master can host e ects devices. However,
whereas a clip track’s e ect processes only the audio within that track, return tracks can process
audio sent to them rom numerous tracks.
For example, suppose you want to create rhythmic echoes with a delay e ect. I you drag the e -
ect into a clip track, only clips playing in this track will be echoed. Placing this e ect in a return
track lets it receive audio rom any number o tracks and add echoes to them.
Mixing 239
The Send Controls and Pre/Post Toggle.
A clip or group track’s Send control regulates how much o the track’s output eeds the associat-
ed return track’s input. What’s more, even the return track’s own output can be routed to its input,
allowing you to create eedback. Because runaway eedback can boost the level dramatically
and unexpectedly, the Send controls in Return tracks are disabled by de ault. To enable them,
[right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) on a Return track’s Send knob and select Enable Send or
Enable All Sends.
Every return track has a Pre/Post toggle that determines i the signal a clip track sends to it is
tapped be ore or a ter the mixer stage (i.e., the pan, volume and track-active controls). The “Pre“
setting allows you to create an auxiliary mix that is processed in the return track, independently
o the main mix. As the return track can be routed to a separate output, this can be used to set up
a separate monitor mix or an individual musician in a band.
The Master track is the de ault destination or the signals rom all other tracks. Drag e ects here
to process the mixed signal be ore it goes to the master output. E ects in the Master track usually
provide mastering-related unctions, such as compression and/or EQ.
You can create multiple return tracks using the Create menu’s Insert Return Track command, but
by defnition, there is only one Master track.
15.5 Using Live’s Cross ader

Live includes a cross ader that can create smooth transitions between clips playing on di erent
tracks. Live’s cross ader works like a typical DJ-mixer cross ader, except that it allows cross ad-
ing not only two, but any number o tracks — including the returns.
Mixing 240
The Cross ader and Selector.
The cross ader is accessed via the Session View’s mixer selectors. It eatures seven di erent
cross ade curves so that you can choose the one that fts your style the best. To change the
curve, [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) on the cross ader, then select an entry rom the con-
text menu.
Choose rom Seven Cross ader Curves.
The chart below details the power level and response o each cross ader curve.
Mixing 241
A+B Power Level Crossfader Response
Transition
Dipped
Intermediate
Constant Power
Slow Fade
Slow Cut
Fast Cut
Cross ader Curve Properties.
The cross ader can be mapped to any continuous MIDI controller (absolute or incremental)
(page 573). In addition to the cross ader’s central slider, its absolute le t and right positions are
separately available or MIDI or keyboard mapping. There are two special scenarios or remote
control with respect to the cross ader:
•A key mapped to any one o the three assignable cross ader positions (le t, center or right)
will toggle the cross ader’s absolute le t and right positions.
•Mapping to two o the three felds allows or a “snapping back“ behavior when one o the
assigned keys is held down and the other is pressed and released.
Mixing 242
Cross ade Assign Buttons.
Each track has two Cross ade Assign buttons, A and B. The track can have three states with re-
spect to the cross ader:
•I neither Assign button is on, the cross ader does not a ect the track at all.
•I A is on, the track will be played unattenuated as long as the cross ader is in the le t hal
o its value range. As the cross ader moves toward the right across the center position, the
track ades out. At the cross ader’s rightmost position, the track is muted.
•Likewise, i B is on, the track’s volume will be a ected only as the cross ader moves le t
across its center position.
It is important to understand that the Cross ade Assign buttons do not a ect the signal routing:
The cross ader merely in uences the signal volume at each track’s gain stage. The track can be
routed to an individual output bus regardless o its cross ade assignment. In studio parlance, you
can think o the cross ader as an on-the- y VCA group.
As with almost everything in Live, your cross ading maneuvers can be recorded into the Ar-
rangement (page 301) or later in-depth editing. To edit each track’s cross ade assignment,
please choose “Mixer“ rom the Envelope Device chooser and “X-Fade Assign“ rom the Control
chooser. The cross ader’s automation curve is accessible when “Mixer“ is chosen rom the Mas-
ter track’s Device chooser and “Cross ade“ is selected rom its Control chooser.
15.6 Soloing and Cueing

By de ault, soloing a track simply mutes all other tracks (except in some cases where tracks
are eeding other tracks (page 219)). The signal rom the soloed tracks is heard through their
respective outputs, with the pan setting o each track preserved. Soloing a clip track leaves
Mixing 243
any return tracks audible, provided that the Solo in Place option is enabled in the Solo button’s
[right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu. Solo in Place can also be set as the de ault
behavior by selecting the entry in the Options menu.
Soloing a return track mutes the main output o all other tracks, but still allows you to hear any
signals that arrive at the return via track sends.
Live allows you to replace the standard soloing operation with a cueing operation that lets you
preview tracks as though you were cueing a record on a DJ mixer. This allows choosing clips and
adjusting e ects without the audience hearing, be ore bringing tracks into the mix.
In order to set Live up or cueing, you must be using an audio inter ace with at least our dedicat-
ed outputs (or two dedicated stereo outputs). The respective settings are accessible in the Ses-
sion View mixer. Make sure you have the Mixer and In/Out options checked in the View menu.
5 4 3 2 1
The Cueing-Related Session Mixer Controls.
1. The Master Out chooser selects the output on your inter ace to be used as the main output.
2. The Cue Out chooser selects the output on your hardware inter ace to be used or cueing.
This has to be set to an output other than that selected or the Master. I the desired outputs
don’t show up in these choosers, please check the Audio Pre erences.
3. Activate cueing by setting the Solo/Cue Mode switch to “Cue.“
4. The tracks’ Solo switches are now replaced by Cue switches with headphone icons. When
a track’s Cue switch is pressed, that track’s output signal will be heard through the output
Mixing 244
selected in the Cue Out chooser. Note that the Track Activator switch on the same track still
controls whether or not the track is heard at the Master output.
5. The Cue Volume control adjusts the volume o the cueing output.
Note that when cueing is set up and activated, the output o audio fles that you are previewing
in the browser is also heard through the Cue Out.
15.7 Track Delays

A Track Delay control is available or every track in Live. The control allows delaying or pre-de-
laying the output o tracks in milliseconds in order to compensate or human, acoustic, hardware
and other real-world delays.
This section o the inter ace can be shown or hidden using its respective Mixer Section selector.
The Track Delay Control and Selector.
We do not recommend changing track delays on stage, as it could result in undesirable clicks or
pops in the audio signal. Micro-o sets in Session View clips can be achieved using the Nudge
Backward/Forward buttons in the Clip View (page 136), however track delays can be used in
the Arrangement View or such o sets.
Note that delay compensation or plug-ins and Live devices is a separate eature (page 279),
and is automatic by de ault. Unusually high Track Delay settings or reported latencies rom plug-
ins may cause noticeable sluggishness in the so tware. I you are having latency-related di fcul-
ties while recording and playing back instruments, you may want to try turning o device delay
compensation, however this is not normally recommended. You may also fnd that adjusting the
individual track delays is use ul in these cases. Note that the Track Delay controls are unavail-
able when device delay compensation is deactivated.
Chapter 16
Recording New Clips

This chapter is about recording new clips rom audio and MIDI input signals. Note that this is
a di erent kind o recording than the capturing o Session clips into the Arrangement (page
126).
For success ul audio recording, please make sure the audio pre erences are set up properly. For
more on this, please see the built-in program lesson on setting up Audio Pre erences. Also, keep
in mind that devices such as microphones, guitars and turntables do not operate at line level,
meaning that they will need to have their levels boosted be ore they can be recorded. For these
devices, you must there ore use either an audio inter ace with a preamp, or an external preamp.
On MIDI tracks, it is possible to “capture” played material a ter you’ve played it, without the
need to press the Record button be orehand. This allows or more reedom and exibility when
you want to improvise or experiment. For more in ormation, please re er to Capturing MIDI
(page 257).
16.1 Choosing an Input

A track will record whatever input source is shown in its In/Out section, which appears when the
View menu’s In/Out option is checked. (In the Arrangement View, un old and resize the track in
order to completely see the In/Out section.)
The Track In/Out Section in the Arrangement (Le t) and Session View (Right).
Audio tracks de ault to recording a mono signal rom external input 1 or 2. MIDI tracks de ault
to recording all MIDI that is coming in through the active external input devices (page 214).
The computer keyboard can be activated as a pseudo-MIDI input device (page 215), allow-
ing you to record MIDI even i no MIDI controller hardware is currently available.
For every track, you can choose an input source other than the de ault: any mono or stereo ex-
ternal input, a specifc MIDI channel rom a specifc MIDI-in device, audio rom ReWire slave
programs or a signal coming rom another track. The Routing chapter (page 211) describes
these options in detail.
16.2 Arming (Record-Enabling) Tracks
Track Arm Buttons in the Arrangement (Le t) and Session (Right) Mixers.
To select a track or recording, click on its Arm button. It doesn’t matter i you click a track’s
Arm button in the Session View or in the Arrangement View, since the two share the same set o
tracks.
By de ault, armed tracks are monitored, meaning that their input is passed through their device
chain and to the output, so that you can listen to what is being recorded. This behavior is called
“auto-monitoring“ and you can change it to ft your needs (page 212).
I you are using a natively supported control sur ace, arming a MIDI track will automatically lock
this control sur ace to the instrument in the track (page 574).
Clicking one track’s Arm button unarms all other tracks unless the [CTRL](PC) / [CMD](Mac)
modifer is held. I multiple tracks are selected, clicking one o their Arm buttons will arm the
other tracks as well. Arming a track selects the track so you can readily access its devices in the
Device View.
16.3 Recording
Recording can be done in both the Session and the Arrangement Views. I you want to record
onto more than one track simultaneously and/or pre er viewing the recording linearly and in-
progress, the Arrangement View may be the better choice. I you want to break your recording
seamlessly into multiple clips or record while you are also launching clips in Live, use the Session
View.
16.3.1 Recording Into the Arrangement
1 3 4 6 5 5
Recording Into the Arrangement.
1. Pressing the Control Bar’s Arrangement Record button starts recording. The specifc behav-
ior depends on the state o the “Start Playback with Record” button in the Record/Warp/
Launch pre erences. When enabled, recording starts as soon as the button is pressed.
When disabled, recording will not start until the Play button is pressed (or Session clips are
launched.) Tip: regardless o the state o this pre erence, holding [Shi t] while pressing Ar-
rangement Record will engage the opposite behavior.
2. Recording creates new clips in all tracks that have their Arm button on.
3. When MIDI Arrangement Overdub is enabled, new MIDI clips contain a mix o the signal
already in the track and the new input signal. Note that overdubbing only applies to MIDI
tracks.
4. To prevent recording prior to a punch-in point, activate the Punch-In switch. This is use ul
or protecting the parts o a track that you do not want to record over and allows you to set
up a pre-roll or “warm-up“ time. The punch-in point is identical to the Arrangement Loop’s
start position.
5. Likewise, to prevent recording a ter the punch-out point, activate the Punch-Out switch. The
punch-out point is identical to the Arrangement Loop’s end position.
6. When you are recording into the Arrangement Loop (page 108), Live retains the audio
recorded during each pass.
You can later “unroll“ a loop recording, either by repeatedly using the Edit menu’s Undo com-
mand or graphically in the Clip View: A ter loop recording, double-click on the new clip. In the
Clip View’s Sample Display, you can see a long sample containing all audio recorded during
the loop-recording process. The Clip View’s loop brace defnes the audio taken in the last pass;
moving the markers le t lets you audition the audio rom previous passes.
16.3.2 Recording Into Session Slots

You can record new clips, on the y, into any Session slots.
1 5 4 2 3
Recording Into the Session View.
1. Set the Global Quantization chooser to any value other than “None“ to obtain correctly
cut clips.
2. Activate the Arm button or the tracks onto which you want to record. Clip Record buttons
will appear in the empty slots o the armed tracks.
3. Click the Session Record button to record into the selected scene in all armed tracks. A
new clip will appear in each clip slot, with a red Clip Launch button that shows it is cur-
rently recording. To go rom recording immediately into loop playback, press the Session
Record button again.
4. Alternatively, you can click on any o the Clip Record buttons to record into that slot. To go
rom recording immediately into loop playback, press the clip’s Launch button.
5. To stop a clip entirely, press its Clip Stop button or the Stop button in the Control Bar.
It is possible to stop playback and prepare or a new “take” with the New button. The New but-
ton stops clips in all armed tracks and selects a scene where new clips can be recorded, creat-
ing a new scene i necessary. Note that the New button is only available in Key Map Mode and
MIDI Map Mode. Detailed steps or creating keyboard assignments are available in Computer
Keyboard Remote Control (page 583). Please re er to MIDI and Key Remote Control (page
573) or more in ormation about MIDI assignments.
The New Button Appears in the Control Bar When Key Map Mode Is Active.
Note that, by de ault, launching a Session View scene will not activate recording in empty re-
cord-enabled slots belonging to that scene. However, you can use the Start Recording on Scene
Launch option rom the Record/Warp/Launch Pre erences to tell Live that you do want empty
scene slots to record under these circumstances.
16.3.3 Overdub Recording MIDI Patterns

Live makes pattern-oriented recording o drums and the like quite easy. Using Live’s Impulse
instrument and the ollowing technique, you can successively build up drum patterns while listen-
ing to the result. Or, using an instrument such as Simpler, which allows or chromatic playing,
you can build up melodies or harmonies, note by note.
1. Set the Global Quantization chooser to one bar.
2. To automatically quantize the notes you are about to record, choose an appropriate value
or Record Quantization (page 254).
3. Double-click any o the Session View slots in the desired MIDI track (the one containing
the Impulse or other instrument). A new, empty clip will appear in the slot. The new clip will
de ault to a loop length o one bar, but you can change that by double-clicking the clip
and changing its loop properties (page 149).
4. Arm the track.
5. Press the Session Record button.
6. The notes you play are added into the looping clip, and you can observe your recording in
the Clip View.
7. The clip overdubs as it loops, allowing you to build your pattern layer by layer. However, i
you would like to pause recording or a moment to rehearse, you can deactivate overdub-
bing by pressing the Session Record button again. The contents o the clip will continue
to play, but you can play along without being recorded. When you are ready to record
again, press the Session Record button once again. Subsequent presses o the Session
Record button will toggle between playback and overdub.
Note that holding [ALT](PC) / [ALT](Mac) while double-clicking the empty slot to create a new
clip will implicitly arm the track and launch the clip.
At any time while overdub recording is going on, you can use the Undo command to remove the
last take, or even draw, move or delete notes in the Clip View’s Note Editor.
16.3.4 MIDI Step Recording

The MIDI Editor allows you to record notes with the transport stopped by holding down keys on
your controller or computer MIDI keyboard and advancing the insert marker according to the
grid settings. This process, known as step recording, allows you to enter notes at your own pace,
without needing to listen to a metronome or guide track.
2 1 3
Step Recording in the MIDI Editor.

1. Arm the MIDI track that contains the clip into which you want to record.
2. Enable the Preview switch in the clip’s MIDI Editor.
3. Click in the MIDI Editor to place the insert marker at the position where you want to begin
recording.
Pressing the right arrow key on your computer keyboard will move the insert marker to the right,
according to the grid settings. Any notes that are held down as you press the right arrow key will
be added to the clip. I you continue holding notes as you press the right arrow key again, you
will extend their duration. To delete notes that you’ve just recorded, keep them depressed and
press the le t arrow key.
The step recording navigators can also be MIDI mapped (page 255).
16.4 Recording in Sync

Live keeps the audio and MIDI you have recorded in sync, even when you later decide on a
di erent song tempo. In act, Live allows you to change the tempo at any time be ore, a ter and
even during recording. You could, or instance, cheat a bit by turning down the tempo to record
a technically di fcult part, and pull it up again a terwards.
It is important to record in sync to make sure everything will later play in sync.
The Metronome Switch.
The easiest way to record in sync is to play along with or to use the built-in metronome, which is
activated via its Control Bar switch and will begin ticking when the Play button is pressed or a
clip is launched.
The Preview Volume Knob.
To adjust the metronome volume, use the mixer’s Preview Volume knob. Further metronome set-
tings can be adjusted via the pull-down menu next to the metronome switch.
Notice that Live’s metrical interpretation o the material in a clip can be edited, at any time, using
Warp Markers (page 157). Warp Markers can be used to fx timing errors and to change the
groove or eel o your audio or MIDI recordings. Using Warp Markers, you can fx things that
would otherwise require complicated editing or could not be done at all.
16.4.1 Metronome Settings

You can access the Metronome Settings menu via the pull-down switch next to the metronome,
or by opening the context menu via [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) on the metronome itsel .
The menu lets you set the count-in length or recording (page 254). You can also change the
sound o the metronome’s tick.
The Rhythm settings allow you to set the beat division at which the metronome ticks. With the
de ault “Auto” setting, the tick interval ollows the time signature’s denominator. Beat divisions
that do not ft into one bar o the current time signature will appear disabled.
I the currently selected beat division no longer fts in a bar due to a time signature change, the
metronome’s tick will revert to the “Auto” setting. However, i the time signature is changed in a
way that makes the beat division ft in a bar again, the tick will revert to ollowing the selected
beat division.
When Enable Only While Recording is checked and the metronome is activated, the metronome
will be highlighted while transport is running, but will only be audible while recording. I you are
recording into the Arrangement while the Punch-In switch is active, the metronome will only be
audible a ter the punch-in point.
16.5 Recording Quantized MIDI Notes

I you will be recording MIDI, you have the option o automatically quantizing MIDI notes while
recording. The Record Quantization chooser in the Edit menu allows selecting the meter subdivi-
sions with which your recorded notes will align. When recording into the Arrangement, record
quantization is an independent step in Live’s Undo history. This means that i , or example, you
recorded with Record Quantization set to “Eighth Note Triplet Quantization“ and then changed
your mind, using the Edit menu’s Undo command would undo only the quantization and leave
your recording otherwise intact.
For Session and Arrangement recording, the Record Quantization setting cannot be changed
mid-recording.
When overdub recording with the Clip View Loop activated, changes to the Record Quantiza-
tion take e ect immediately, and they cannot be separately undone with the Edit menu com-
mand.
Recorded MIDI notes can also be quantized post-recording with the Edit menu’s Quantize com-
mand, as described in the chapter on editing MIDI (page 180).
16.6 Recording with Count-in

A count-in or recording can be set via the pull-down menu next to the Metronome switch. When
set to any value other than “None,“ Live will not begin recording until the count-in is complete.
The Arrangement Position felds in the Control Bar display the count-in in blue as bars-beats-
sixteenths.
The Count-In is Displayed in the Control Bar.
The count-in runs rom negative bars-beats-sixteenths (beginning at -2.1.1., or example, with a
Count-In setting o 2 bars) up to 1.1.1., at which point recording commences.
Note that count-in recording does not apply when using Link or when Live is synced to external
MIDI devices or being used as a ReWire slave (page 705).
16.7 Setting up File Types

The ollowing Pre erences rom the Record/Warp/Launch tab are relevant to the sample fles
that are created by recording:
•The sample fle type you would like Live to create can be chosen rom the File Type choos-
er in the Record/Warp/Launch Pre erences.
•The bit depth o the sample fle you will create by recording can be chosen rom the Bit
Depth chooser in the Record/Warp/Launch Pre erences.
You can save time by setting up reasonable de aults or the clips you are recording in the Re-
cord/Warp/Launch Pre erences tab. In particular, it is smart to indicate the rough category o
sound to be recorded by choosing the appropriate de ault Warp Mode. I you decide later on a
di erent song tempo, the program will automatically maintain good sound quality (page 165),
usually without urther adjustment.
16.8 Where are the Recorded Samples?

Recorded samples are stored with the current Set’s Project older, under Samples/Recorded.
Until the Set is saved, it remains at the location specifed by the Temporary Folder pre erence
which is ound in the Pre erences’ File/Folder tab. To make sure Live will not run out o disk space
while recording into a new Set, please make sure the Temporary Folder is on a drive/partition
with su fcient ree space.
16.9 Using Remote Control or Recording

Using Key Map Mode and MIDI Map Mode (page 573), you can operate Live’s recording
unctions without using the mouse.
You can map the Control Bar’s Arrangement Record and transport controls as well as the track
Arm buttons. For recording into the Session slots, you can map the Session Record and New but-
tons, the individual slots, and the relative navigation controls to initiate recording remotely; or
instance:
The Scene Up/Down Buttons.
One key is used to jump to the next scene...
A Track Launch Button.
... and another key to start and end recording in the respective track.
You can also map the step recording navigators (page 251).
The Step Recording Arrows.
This allows you to, or example, use MIDI oot pedals to move the clip’s insert marker, thereby
keeping both hands ree or playing a keyboard.
16.10 Capturing MIDI

Live is always listening to MIDI input on armed (page 246) or input-monitored tracks (page
212), and Capture MIDI lets you retrieve the material you’ve just played on those tracks. This
is particularly use ul i you orgot to press the Record button be ore playing, or i you pre er to
improvise or experiment reely without the stress o recording.
The Capture MIDI Button in the Control Bar.
To capture the MIDI notes you just played, press the Capture MIDI button. (Note: on Push (page
585) or Push 2 (page 635), you can trigger Capture MIDI by holding the Record button and
pressing the New button.)
Capture MIDI behaves di erently depending on the state o the Live Set. We will look at these
di erent behaviors below.
(Note: Capture MIDI is not available in the Lite Edition.)
16.10.1 Starting a New Live Set

I the Live Set contains no other clips and the transport is stopped:
•A new clip containing the phrase you played will be created on every monitored MIDI
track. Note that Capture MIDI will only add clips to the Session or Arrangement View,
depending on which View is currently in ocus.
•Capture MIDI will detect and adjust the song tempo, set appropriate loop boundaries
and place the played notes on the grid. Note that Capture MIDI’s tempo detection will set
the tempo in the 80-160 BPM range. I you consider the played material to be at a tempo
outside this range, you can adjust the song tempo to your liking. (Tip: to help Capture MIDI
detect a phrase correctly, it is recommended to end playing on the frst beat (or “down-
beat”) o the next bar.)
•Live’s transport will immediately begin to run, and play back the captured loop. This allows
you to create overdubs i you wish ( or more in ormation about overdubbing with Capture
MIDI, re er to the section Adding Material to an Existing Live Set below).
•All o your played material will be saved in the clip, and any notes that you played be ore
the detected phrase will appear prior to the clip start marker. This enables you to adjust the
start/end or loop markers to set a di erent loop. (Tip: to discard unwanted material outside
the set loop, simply [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) on the clip and select the Crop
Clip command.)
16.10.2 Adding Material to an Existing Live Set

I Live’s transport is running, there are already other clips in the Live Set, or the tempo is slaved
(page 711) or automated (page 311):
•Capture MIDI will not detect or adjust the song tempo. Instead, Capture MIDI will use the
existing tempo to detect a meaning ul musical phrase rom your played material and cre-
ate a loop.
•While the transport is running, you can “play along” with other clips. You can also use
Capture MIDI to “overdub” a playing clip, by playing over it on the same track. Pressing
the Capture MIDI button will add the material you just played on top o the existing clip’s
content, allowing you to build your pattern layer by layer.
•All o your played material will be saved in the clip, and any notes that you played be ore
the detected phrase will appear prior to the clip start marker. This allows you to adjust the
start/end or loop markers to set a di erent loop.
Working with Instruments and Effects 259
Chapter 17
Working with Instruments and

E ects
Every track in Live can host a number o devices. These devices can be o three di erent sorts:
•MIDI e ects act upon MIDI signals and can only be placed in MIDI tracks.
•Audio e ects act upon audio signals and can be placed in audio tracks. They can also be
placed in MIDI tracks as long as they are “downstream“ rom an instrument.
•Instruments are devices that reside in MIDI tracks, receive MIDI and output audio.
The Device View is where you insert, view and adjust the devices or the selected track. To select
a track and open the Device View to access its devices, double-click the track’s name. The De-
vice View appears in the bottom area o the Live screen.
Devices in the Device View.

To save space in the Device View, a device can be collapsed by double-clicking on its title bar
or by choosing Fold rom its [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu.
Devices Can Be Folded.
To learn about a particular device and how to operate it, consult the Live Audio E ect Re erence
(page 333), Live MIDI E ect Re erence (page 423) or the Live Instrument Re erence (page
435).
To learn about creating and using custom groupings o instruments and e ects, check out the
Instrument, Drum and E ect Racks chapter (page 281).
Get “hands-on“ with devices by assigning their parameters to MIDI or key remote control (page
573).
17.1 Using the Live Devices
Devices in Live’s Browser.
Live’s built-in devices can be accessed in the browser. You will notice that Live’s Synths, Audio
E ects, and MIDI E ects each have their own labels in the browser’s sidebar.
The easiest way to place a device in a track is to double-click on it in the browser, which creates
a new track to hold the device. Alternatively, select a destination track by clicking within it, then
select a device or preset in the browser and press [Enter] to add it to the selected track.
You can also drag devices into tracks or drop areas in the Session and Arrangement Views, or
into the Device View. Dragging a sample to the Device View o a MIDI track creates a Simpler
instrument with this sample loaded.
Note: I you are using an external input signal to eed your Live track using the de ault settings,
the track’s Arm button in the mixer must be activated in order to hear the input through the de-
vices in your track’s device chain. On MIDI tracks, this is normally activated automatically when
inserting an instrument.
MIDI and Audio Track Arm Buttons.
This is how you would play live instruments through e ects on a track, or example, or use a
MIDI keyboard’s input to play a track’s instrument. Note that you can easily move rom this setup
into recording new clips or urther use in Live (page 245). I you have alternative monitoring
pre erences, please see the Monitoring section (page 212) to learn how to make these set-
tings.
To add another device to the track, simply drag it there or double-click its name to append it to
the device chain. Signals in a device chain always travel rom le t to right.
You can drop audio e ects in at any point in an audio track’s device chain, keeping in mind that
the order o e ects determines the resulting sound. The same is true or a MIDI track’s device
chain.
I you drop an instrument into a MIDI track’s device chain, be aware that signals ollowing (to
the right o ) the instrument are audio signals, available only to audio e ects. Signals preceding
(to the le t o ) the instrument are MIDI signals, available only to MIDI e ects. This means that it’s
possible or a MIDI track’s device chain to hold all three types o devices: frst MIDI e ects, then
an instrument, and fnally audio e ects.
A MIDI Track’s Device Chain Can Contain All Three Device Types.
To remove a device rom the chain, click on its title bar and press your computer’s [Backspace]
or [Delete] key, or select Delete rom the Edit menu. To change the order o devices, drag a de-
vice by its title bar and drop it next to any o the other devices in the Device View. Devices can
be moved to other tracks entirely by dragging them rom the Device View into the Session or
Arrangement Views.
Edit menu commands such as cut, copy, paste and duplicate can be used on devices. Pasted
devices are inserted in ront o the selected device. You can paste at the end o a device chain
by clicking in the space a ter the last device, or by using the right arrow key to move the selec-
tion there. Generally, devices can be placed, reordered and deleted without interrupting the
audio stream.
Device Activator Switches.
Devices are turned on and o using their Activator switches. Turning a device o is like tempo-
rarily deleting it: The signal remains unprocessed, and the device does not consume CPU cycles.
Live devices generally do not load down the CPU unless they are active. For more in ormation,
please re er to the CPU load section (page 713). The Freeze Track command discussed there
is especially help ul when working with CPU-intensive devices.
Devices in Live’s tracks have input and output level meters. These meters are help ul in fnding
problematic devices in the device chain: Low or absent signals will be revealed by the level
meters, and relevant device settings can then be adjusted, or the device can be turned o or
removed.
The Level Meters Between Devices in a Chain.
Note that no clipping can occur between devices because there is practically unlimited head-
room. Clipping can occur when an overly strong signal is sent to a physical output or written to a
sample fle.
Further in ormation about track types in Live can be ound in the Routing and I/O chapter (page
211), including in ormation on using return tracks to distribute the e ect o a single device
amongst several tracks. A ter reading about using devices in Live, it might also be interesting to
look into clip envelopes (page 313), which can automate or modulate individual device pa-
rameters on a per-clip basis.
17.1.1 Live Device Presets

Every Live device can store and retrieve their parameter settings as presets. Each device ap-
pears in the content pane o the browser as a older that can be opened to reveal its presets.
Presets in the Browser.
You can browse and load presets quickly with the computer keyboard:
•Scroll up and down using the up and down arrow keys.
•Close and open device olders using the le t and right arrow keys.
•Press [Enter] to load a device or preset.
Pressing [Q] or clicking a device’s Hot-Swap Presets button will temporarily link the browser to a
device and reveal its presets. With the device and browser linked in this manner, you can quickly
browse and audition di erent presets. In Hot-Swap Mode, devices and presets are loaded au-
tomatically upon selection in the browser. To load a device’s de ault actory settings, select the
parent older o its presets (i.e., the one with the device’s name) rom the browser.
Note that pressing [Q] to enter Hot-Swap mode will swap rom the last selected device on a
given track. I no device was selected, swap will be enabled rom the frst audio e ect (on audio
tracks) or the instrument (on MIDI tracks).
The Hot-Swap Presets Button.
The link between the browser and the device will be broken i a di erent view is selected, or i
the [Q] key or the Hot-Swap button is pressed again. Preset hot-swapping can also be cancelled
with a press o the [Esc] key or by pressing the close button in the Hot-Swap bar at the top o the
browser.
Note that although importing via the browser is the recommended method, presets can also be
dropped directly into Live rom the Explorer (Windows)/Finder (Mac).
Saving Presets
You can create and save any number o your own presets in the browser’s User Library.
The Save Preset Button.
Click the Save Preset button to save a device’s current settings (including any custom in o text)
as a new preset. You will be redirected to the browser, where you can press [Enter] to use Live’s
suggested name, or you can type one o your own. To cancel preset saving, press the [Esc] key.
You can also save presets to specifc olders in the Places section o the browser (such as your
Current Project older) by dragging rom the title bar o the device and dropping into the brows-
er location o your choice.
For detailed in ormation on what can be done with the browser, please see the Managing Files
and Sets chapter (page 59). For more on how to store project-specifc presets, see the ap-
propriate section (page 92).
De ault Presets
Presets saved to the De aults olders in your User Library will load in place o the generic device
settings. There are also De aults olders that allow you to:
•customize how Live responds to various user actions, such as sample dropping, slicing,
and converting audio to MIDI.
•cause newly-created MIDI and audio tracks to load with certain devices already in place,
complete with custom parameter settings.
•load VST and Audio Units plug-ins with a specifc collection o parameters already confg-
ured in Live’s panel.
The De ault Presets olders in the User Library.
To save the current settings o a Live device as a de ault preset, open the [right-click](PC) /
[CTRL-click](Mac) context menu on the device’s header and select “Save as De ault Preset.“ This
works or all o Live’s instruments, MIDI e ects and audio e ects (including the various types o
Racks (page 281)). I you have already saved a de ault preset or a particular device, Live will
ask you be ore overwriting it.
To create a de ault confguration preset or a VST or Audio Unit plug-in:
•Load the selected plug-in to a track

•From the plug-in’s Confgure Mode (page 273), set up your desired collection o param-
eters
•Open the [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu on the track header and se-
lect “Save as De ault Confguration”
I you have both VST and Audio Units versions o a particular plug-in installed, you can create
separate de ault confguration presets or each type. Note that de ault presets or plug-ins do
not save the settings o the confgured parameters; only the parameter confguration within Live’s
panel is saved.
To create de ault presets or MIDI and audio tracks:
•Load the device(s) you would like as de ault onto a track (or no devices, i you would like
your de ault track to be empty)
•Adjust the device parameters as you like
•Open the [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu on the track header and se-
lect “Save as De ault [Audio/MIDI] Track”
To speci y how Live behaves when dragging a sample to a Drum Rack or the Device View o a
MIDI track:
•Create an empty Simpler or Sampler
•Adjust the parameters as you like
•Drag the edited device to the “On Drum Rack“ or “On Device View“ older, which can be
ound in the De aults/Dropping Samples olders in your User Library. Drum Rack pad de-
aults can also be saved via a [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu option on
a Drum Rack’s pad
To adjust how Live behaves when slicing an audio fle:
•Create an empty Drum Rack
•Add an empty Simpler or Sampler to the Drum Rack to create a single chain
•Add any additional MIDI or Audio E ects to this chain

•Adjust parameters in any o the devices
•Assign Macro Controls (page 296) to any o the controls in the chain’s devices
•Drag the entire Drum Rack to the De aults/Slicing older in your User Library
You can create multiple slicing presets and choose between them in the Slicing Preset chooser in
the slicing dialog.
Note that slicing is not available in the Intro and Lite Editions.
To create de ault presets or converting Drums, Harmony, or Melody to MIDI (page 192):
•Create a MIDI track containing the instrument you would like to use as your de ault or a
particular conversion type. (Note that de ault presets or converting drums must contain a
Drum Rack)
•Add any additional MIDI or Audio E ects to the track
•Adjust parameters in any o the devices
•I you’re using multiple devices, group them to a Rack
•Drag the entire Rack to the appropriate older in De aults/Audio to MIDI in your User Li-
brary
In addition to these “master” de ault presets, you can also create de ault presets that are specifc
to only one Project. This can be use ul i , or example, you’re using specialized device or track
confgurations or a particular Set, and would like to create variations o the Set which will also
have access to these presets, but without overwriting the more generalized de ault presets you
use or your other types o work. To create Project-specifc de ault presets:
•Recreate the De aults older and any desired sub olders within the Project older.
•Depending on which types o Project-specifc de aults you’d like to work with, adjust the
corresponding device parameters, track settings, etc.
•Save the device or track to the appropriate older in your Project-specifc De aults older.
Now, whenever you’ve loaded a Set rom this Project, any de ault presets that you’ve saved into
these Project olders will be used instead o those ound in the User Library. Note that the [right-
click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu options or saving de ault presets will save them to
your main User Library, and so cannot be used to save Project-specifc de aults.
17.2 Using Plug-Ins

The collection o devices that you can use in Live can be extended with plug-ins. Live supports
Steinberg Media’s VST Plug-ins ormat, as well as the Audio Units (AU) Plug-ins ormat (Mac OS
X only).
Working with VST and Audio Units Plug-ins is very much like working with Live devices. VST and
AU instruments can only be placed in Live MIDI tracks and, like Live instruments, they will receive
MIDI and output audio signals. Plug-in audio e ects can only be placed in audio tracks or ol-
lowing instruments. Please see the previous section, Using the Live Devices (page 261), or
details.
Plug-Ins in the Browser.
Audio Units and VST Plug-ins are browsed and imported using the browser’s Plug-In label. Plug-
in instruments can be di erentiated rom plug-in e ects in the browser, as they appear with a
keyboard icon.
Note that plug-in presets are only available in the browser or Audio Units Plug-ins. In some
instances, actory presets or Audio Units will only appear in the browser once the device has
been placed in a track and its Hot-Swap button activated.
Note: The frst time you start Live, no plug-ins will appear in the Plug-In label as you must frst
“activate“ your plug-in sources. Activating your plug-in sources tells Live which plug-ins you
want to use and where they are located on your computer. In ormation on activating (and de-
activating) plug-in sources can be ound later in this chapter, in the sections on the VST Plug-in
older (page 275) and Audio Units Plug-ins (page 278).
Note or “Intel® Mac“ users: Intel® Mac computers cannot natively run VST or AU plug-ins that
have been written or the PowerPC plat orm. Only plug-ins o type Universal or Intel® can be
used in Live.
I you install/de-install a plug-in while the program is running, Live will not detect your changes
or implement them in the browser until the next time you start the program. Use the Rescan but-
ton in the File/Folder Pre erences to rescan your plug-ins while Live is running, so that newly
installed devices become immediately available in the browser.
You can also rescan i you believe that your plug-in database has somehow become corrupted.
Holding down the [ALT](PC) / [ALT](Mac) modifer while pressing Rescan will delete your plug-
in database altogether and run a clean scan o your plug-ins.
17.2.1 Plug-Ins in the Device View
A VST Plug-In in the Device View.
Once a plug-in is dragged rom the browser into a track, it will show up in the Device View. For
plug-ins with up to 64 modifable parameters, a Live panel will represent all o the parameters
as horizontal sliders. Plug-ins that contain more than 64 parameters will open with an empty
panel, which you can then confgure to show the parameters you want to access. The plug-in’s
original inter ace can be opened in a separate window (page 272).
The Plug-In Un old Button.
You can view or hide the plug-in’s parameters by toggling the button in the plug-in’s title bar.
The X-Y control feld can be used to control two plug-in parameters at once and is there ore
especially well-suited or live control. To assign any two plug-in parameters to the Live panel X-Y
feld, use the drop-down menus directly beneath it.
Showing Plug-In Panels in Separate Windows
The Plug-In Edit Button.
The Plug-In Edit button opens a oating window that shows the original VST or Audio Units Plug-
in panel. Changing parameters on the oating window has the same e ect as changing them in
the Live panel, and vice versa.
There are a ew important Plug-In Pre erence settings or working with plug-in edit windows:
•I activated, the Auto-Open Plug-In Custom Editor Pre erence assures that plug-in custom
editor windows open automatically when plug-ins are loaded into tracks rom the browser.
•I the Multiple Plug-In Windows option in the Plug-In Pre erences is activated, you can
open any number o plug-in windows at once. Even with this option o , you can hold
down the [CTRL](PC) / [CMD](Mac) modifer when opening a new plug-in window to
keep the previous window(s) rom closing.
•Using the Auto-Hide Plug-In Windows pre erence, you can choose to have Live display
only those plug-in windows belonging to the track that is currently selected.
You can use the View menu’s Show/Hide Plug-In Windows command or the [CTRL][ALT][P](PC)
/ [CMD][ALT][P](Mac) shortcut to hide and show your open plug-in windows. Notice that the
name o the track to which the plug-in belongs is displayed in the title bar o the plug-in editor
window.
Plug-In Con gure Mode
The Confgure Button.
Confgure Mode allows you to customize Live’s panel to show only the plug-in parameters that
you need to access. To do this:
•Enter Confgure Mode by pressing the “Confgure“ button in the device’s header.
•Click on a parameter in the plug-in edit window to add it to Live’s panel. (For some plug-
ins, it may be necessary to actually change the parameter’s value. Additionally, certain
plug-ins do not “publish“ all o their parameters to Live. These parameters cannot be
added to Live’s panel.)
While in Confgure Mode, parameters in Live’s panel can be reordered or moved by dragging
and dropping them to new locations. Parameters can be deleted by pressing the [Delete] key. I
you try to delete a parameter that has existing automation data, clip envelopes, or MIDI, key or
Macro mappings, Live will warn you be ore proceeding.
The parameters that you assign are unique or each instance o a given plug-in in your Set, and
are saved with the Set. I you would like to save a setup using a particular collection o param-
eters, you can create a Rack (page 281) containing the confgured plug-in. Racks can then be
saved to your User Library and loaded into other Sets. You can also save a particular parameter
confguration as a de ault preset (page 267).
Certain plug-ins do not have their own windows, and instead only show their parameters in
Live’s panel. For these plug-ins, it is not possible to delete parameters when in Confgure Mode
(although they can still be moved and reordered).
There are several ways to add plug-in parameters to Live’s panel without entering Confgure
Mode:
•Adjusting a parameter in the plug-in’s oating window creates temporary entries or that
parameter in the clip envelope and automation choosers, as well as the choosers in the
panel’s X-Y feld. These entries are removed when you adjust another parameter. To make
the entry permanent (thus adding it to Live’s panel), either edit the parameter’s automation
or clip envelope, select another parameter in the automation or clip envelope choosers or
select the temporary parameter in one o the X-Y feld’s choosers.
•When a parameter is changed on a plug-in’s edit window during recording, automation

data is recorded automatically. When recording is stopped, the automated parameters are
automatically added to Live’s panels or any plug-ins that were adjusted.
•When in MIDI, key or Macro mapping mode, adjusting any parameter in the plug-in’s
window will create it in Live’s panel. The new panel entry will be automatically selected,
allowing you to map it immediately.
Once a plug-in is placed in a track and you have (optionally) confgured its parameters in Live’s
panel, you can use it just like a Live device:
•You can map MIDI controller messages to all o the parameters in Live’s panel.
•You can drag or copy the device to di erent locations in the device chain or to other
tracks, according to the rules o audio e ects and instruments.
•You can automate or modulate its continuous parameters with clip envelopes.
•You can use the multiple I/O eatures o some plug-ins by assigning them as sources or
targets in the routing setup o tracks. See the Routing and I/O chapter (page 211) or
details.
•You can create custom in o text or the plug-in.

17.3 VST Plug-Ins
17.3.1 The VST Plug-In Folder

When you start Live or the frst time, you will need to activate your VST Plug-in sources be ore
working with VST Plug-ins. Depending on your computer plat orm, you may also have to tell Live
about the location o the VST Plug-in older containing the devices you want to use. In order to
set up your VST sources, press the Activate button in the browser’s Plug-In panel, or open the
File/Folder Pre erences by pressing [CTRL][,](PC) / [CMD][,](Mac). There you will fnd the Plug-
In Sources section.
Setting up VST Plug-In Sources or Windows.
For Windows, proceed as ollows:
1. Use the VST Plug-In Custom Folder entry to tell Live about the location o your VST Plug-ins:
Click the Browse button to open a older-search dialog or locating and selecting the ap-
propriate older.
2. Once you have selected a VST Custom Folder and Live has scanned it, the path will be
displayed. Note that, on Windows, Live may have ound a path in the registry without the
need or browsing.
3. Make sure that the Use VST Plug-In Custom Folder option is set to “On,“ so that your se-
lected older is an active source or VST Plug-ins in Live. Note that you can choose not to
use your VST Plug-ins in Live by turning o the Use VST Plug-In Custom Folder option.
Setting up VST Plug-In Sources or Mac OS X.
Set up your VST Plug-ins under Mac OS X by doing the ollowing:
1. Your VST Plug-ins will normally be installed in the ollowing older in your home and local
directories: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST. You can turn Live’s use o these plug-ins on or
o with the Use VST Plug-ins in System Folders option.
2. You may have an alternative older in which you store your VST Plug-ins (perhaps those
that you use only with Live). You can use VST Plug-ins in this older in addition to, or instead
o , those in the System olders. To tell Live about the location o this older, click the Browse
button next to the VST Plug-In Custom Folder entry to open a older-search dialog or lo-
cating and selecting the appropriate older.
3. Note that you can turn o your VST Plug-ins in this older using the Use VST Plug-In Custom
older option.
Once you have confgured your Plug-In Pre erences, the browser will display all plug-ins it fnds
in the selected VST Plug-in older(s) as well as any sub- olders.
It is also possible to use VST Plug-ins stored in di erent olders on your computer. To do this,
create a Mac OS or Windows alias o the older where additional VST Plug-ins are stored, and
then place the alias in the VST Plug-In Custom older (or in the VST Plug-In System older on Mac
OS X) selected in Live’s File/Folder Pre erences. The alias can point to a di erent partition or
hard drive on your computer. Live will scan the set VST Plug-in older as well as any alias olders
contained therein.
Some VST Plug-ins contain errors or are incompatible with Live. During the scanning process,
these may cause the program to crash. When you re-launching Live, a dialog will appear to
in orm you about which plug-in caused the problem. Depending on what Live detects about the
plug-in, you may be given the choice between per orming another scan or making the problem-
atic plug-in unavailable. I you choose to rescan and they crash the program a second time, Live
will automatically make them unavailable, meaning that they will not appear in the browser and
will not be rescanned again until they are reinstalled.
17.3.2 VST Presets and Banks

Every VST Plug-in instance “owns“ a bank o presets. A preset is meant to contain one complete
set o values or the plug-in’s controls.
To select a preset rom the plug-in’s bank, use the chooser below the title bar. The number o
presets per bank is fxed. You are always working “in“ the currently selected preset, that is, all
changes to the plug-in’s controls become part o the selected preset.
The VST Plug-In Preset Chooser.
Note that VST presets are di erent rom Live device presets: Whereas the presets or a Live
device are shared among all instances and Live Sets, the VST presets “belong“ to this specifc
instance o the VST Plug-in.
To rename the current preset, select the VST’s Device Title Bar and execute the Edit menu’s Re-
name Plug-In Preset command. Then type in a new preset name and confrm by pressing [Enter].
Renaming a VST Plug-In Preset.
VST presets and banks can be imported rom fles. Clicking a VST’s Load Preset or Bank button
brings up a standard fle-open dialog or locating the desired fle.
The VST Load Preset or Bank Button (Le t) and Save Preset or Bank Button (Right).
Windows only: Please select rom the File Type flter in the Windows dialog whether you want to
locate VST Presets (VST Program Files) or VST Banks (VST Bank Files).
To save the currently selected preset as a fle, click the VST Save Preset or Bank button to bring
up a standard fle-save dialog; select “VST Preset“ rom the Format menu (Macintosh)/ rom the
File Type menu (Windows); select a older and name. For saving the entire bank as a fle, pro-
ceed likewise but choose “VST Bank“ as a fle type/ ormat.
17.4 Audio Units Plug-Ins

Audio Units Plug-ins are only available in Mac OS X. In most respects, they operate just like VST
Plug-ins.
An Audio Units Plug-In.
The frst time you open Live, Audio Units Plug-ins will not appear in the browser. In order to acti-
vate your Audio Units as a plug-in source, please press the Activate button in the browser’s Plug-
In label, or go to the File/Folder Pre erences by pressing [CTRL][,](PC) / [CMD][,](Mac). There
you will fnd the Plug-In Sources section. Turning on the Use Audio Units option activates Audio
Units Plug-ins so that they appear in Live’s browser.
Note that you can always turn this option o later i you decide not to use Audio Units.
Activating Audio Units Plug-Ins.
Audio Units Plug-ins sometimes have a eature that allows choosing between di erent modes or
the device. You might be able to choose, or example, between di erent levels o quality in the
rendering o a reverb. Choosers or these device modes can only be accessed through the origi-
nal plug-in panel, which is opened using the Plug-In Edit button.
Opening an Audio Units Plug-In Window.
Audio Units have presets that unction just like those or the Live e ects. However, some AU pre-
sets cannot be dragged to di erent locations in the browser, as they are read-only.
Audio Units presets have an .aupreset extension and are stored in the ollowing directory ac-
cording to their manu acturer’s name:
[Home]/Library/Audio/Presets/[Manu acturer Name]/[Plug-in Name]
17.5 Device Delay Compensation

Live automatically compensates or delays caused by Live and plug-in instruments and e ects,
including those on the return tracks. These delays can arise rom the time taken by devices to
process an input signal and output a result. The compensation algorithm keeps Live’s tracks in
sync while minimizing delay between the player’s actions and the audible result.
Device delay compensation is on by de ault and does not normally have to be adjusted in any
way. However, Live Sets that were created with Live 4 or earlier will open without device delay
compensation. To manually turn latency compensation on (or o ), use the Delay Compensation
option in the Options menu.
When Delay Compensation is on, the Reduced Latency When Monitoring option is available in
the Options menu. This option toggles latency compensation on and o or tracks which have in-
put monitoring on. When enabled, input-monitored tracks will have the lowest possible latency,
but may be out o sync with some other tracks in your Set (such as Return tracks, which are still
delay compensated.) When disabled, all tracks will be in sync, but input-monitored tracks may
have higher latency.
Note that tempo-synced e ects and other devices that get timing in ormation rom Live’s internal
clock may sound out o sync i they are placed in a device chain a ter devices which cause de-
lay.
Unusually high individual track delays (page 244) or reported latencies rom plug-ins may
cause noticeable sluggishness in the so tware. I you are having latency-related di fculties
while recording and playing back instruments, you may want to try turning o device delay
compensation, however this is not normally recommended. You may also fnd that adjusting the
individual track delays is use ul in these cases, but please note that the Track Delay controls are
unavailable when device delay compensation is deactivated.
Note that device delay compensation can, depending on the number o tracks and devices in
use, increase the CPU load.
Instrument, Drum and Effect Racks 281
Chapter 18
Instrument, Drum and E ect

Racks
Inside An Audio E ect Rack.
A Rack is a exible tool or working with e ects, plug-ins and instruments in a track’s device
chain. Racks can be used to build complex signal processors, dynamic per ormance instruments,
stacked synthesizers and more. Yet they also streamline your device chain by bringing together
your most essential controls. While Racks excel at handling multiple devices, they can extend the
abilities o even a single device by defning new control relationships between its parameters.
Racks greatly expand upon the concept o device groups introduced in Live 5. The device
groups o any Live Sets imported rom Live 5 are automatically converted to Racks. Note that
these Live Sets, once saved, can no longer be opened in older versions o Live.
18.1 An Overview o Racks
18.1.1 Signal Flow and Parallel Device Chains
Inside An Audio E ect Rack.
In any o Live’s tracks, devices are connected serially in a device chain, passing their signals
rom one device to the next, le t to right. By de ault, the Device View displays only a single chain,
but there is actually no limit to the number o chains contained within a track.
Racks allow (among other things) additional device chains to be added to any track. When a
track has multiple chains, they operate in parallel: In Instrument and E ect Racks, each chain
receives the same input signal at the same time, but then processes its signal serially through its
own devices. The output o each o the parallel chains is mixed together, producing the Rack’s
output.
Drum Racks also allow multiple parallel chains to be used simultaneously, but their chains pro-
cess input somewhat di erently: Rather than receiving the same input signals, each Drum Rack
chain receives input rom only a single assigned MIDI note.
The entire contents o any Rack can be thought o as a single device. This means that adding a
new Rack at any point in a device chain is no di erent than adding any other device, and Racks
can contain any number o other Racks. I more devices are placed a ter a Rack in a track’s de-
vice chain, the Rack’s output is passed on to them, as usual.
18.1.2 Macro Controls
The Macro Controls.
One unique property o Racks are their Macro Controls.
The Macro Controls are a bank o eight knobs, each capable o addressing any number o
parameters rom any devices in a Rack. How you use them is up to you — whether it be or con-
venience, by making an important device parameter more accessible; or defning exotic, multi-
parameter morphs o rhythm and timbre; or or constructing a mega-synth, and hiding it away
behind a single customized inter ace. See Using the Macro Controls (page 296) or a detailed
explanation o how to do this.
For the greatest degree o expression, try MIDI-mapping (page 578) the Macro Controls to
an external control sur ace.
18.2 Creating Racks

Four Rack variants cover the range o Live’s devices: Instrument Racks, Drum Racks, Audio E ect
Racks and MIDI E ect Racks. Just as with track types, each kind o Rack has rules regarding the
devices it contains:
•MIDI E ect Racks contain only MIDI e ects, and can only be placed in MIDI tracks.
•Audio E ect Racks contain only audio e ects, and can be placed in audio tracks. They
can also be placed in MIDI tracks, as long as they are “downstream“ rom an instrument.
•Instrument Racks contain instruments, but can additionally contain both MIDI and audio
e ects. In this case, all MIDI e ects have to be at the beginning o the Instrument Rack’s
device chain, ollowed by an instrument, and then any audio e ects.
•Drum Racks (page 292) are similar to Instrument Racks; they can contain instruments as
well as MIDI and audio e ects and their devices must be ordered according to the same
signal ow rules. Drum Racks can also contain up to six return chains o audio e ects, with
independent send levels or each chain in the main Rack.
There are di erent ways to create Racks. A new, empty Rack can be created by dragging a
generic Rack preset (“Audio E ect Rack,“ or example) rom the browser into a track. Devices
can then be dropped directly into the Rack’s Chain List or Devices view, which are introduced in
the next section.
I a track already has one or more devices that you would like to group into a Rack, then simply
select the title bars o those devices in the Device View, and [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac)
on one o the title bars to reveal the Group and Group to Drum Rack commands in the context
menu. Note that i you repeat this command again on the same device, you will create a Rack
within a Rack. You can also group multiple chains within a Rack using the same procedure. Do-
ing this also creates a Rack within a Rack. In the Device View, the contents o Racks are always
contained between end brackets: Just as with punctuation or in mathematics, a Rack within a
Rack will have a pair o brackets within a pair o brackets.
To ungroup devices, dismantling their Racks, select the Rack’s title bar, and then use the Edit
menu or the context menu to access the Ungroup command.
18.3 Looking at Racks

1 2 3 4 5
Components o an E ect Rack.

1 2 6 3 4 5
Components o a Drum Rack.
1. Racks have distinct views that can be shown or hidden as needed. There ore, every Rack
has a view column on its ar le t side that holds the corresponding view selectors. The ac-
tual view selectors available di er depending on whether an Instrument, Drum or E ect
Rack is being used.
2. Macro Controls
3. Chain List. In Drum Racks, this view can include both drum chains and return chains.
4. Devices
5. Racks are also identifable by their round corners, which bracket and enclose their content.
When the Devices view is shown, the end bracket visually detaches itsel to keep the Rack
hierarchy clear.
6. Pad View (page 294). This is unique to Drum Racks.
To move, copy or delete an entire Rack at once, simply select it by its title bar (as opposed to the
title bars o any devices that it contains). When selected, a Rack can also be renamed by using
the Edit menu’s Rename command. You can also enter your own in o text or a Rack via the Edit
In o Text command in the Edit menu or in the Racks’s [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context
menu.
When all o a Rack’s views are hidden, its title bar will old into the view column, making the
entire Rack as slim as possible. This has the same e ect as choosing Fold rom the [right-click]
(PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu or double-clicking on the Rack’s title bar.
I you would like to locate a particular device in a Rack without searching manually through its
entire contents, you will appreciate this navigation shortcut: [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac)
on the Device View selector, and a hierarchical list o all devices in the track’s device chain will
appear. Simply select an entry rom the list, and Live will select that device and move it into view
or you.
Navigate Racks Quickly Via a Context Menu.
18.4 Chain List
The Chain List in an Audio E ect Rack.
As signals enter a Rack, they are frst greeted by the Chain List. We will there ore also choose
this point or our own introduction.
The Chain List represents the branching point or incoming signals: Each parallel device chain
starts here, as an entry in the list. Below the list is a drop area, where new chains can be added
by dragging and dropping presets, devices, or even pre-existing chains.
Note: Racks, chains and devices can be reely dragged into and out o other Racks, and even
between tracks. Selecting a chain, then dragging and hovering over another Session or Ar-
rangement View track will give that track ocus; its Device View will open, allowing you to drop
your chain into place.
Since the Device View can show only one device chain at a time, the Chain List also serves as a
navigational aid: The list selection determines what will be shown in the adjacent Devices view
(when enabled). Try using your computer keyboard’s up and down arrow keys to change the
selection in the Chain List, and you’ll fnd that you can quickly ip through the contents o a Rack.
The Chain List also supports multi-selection o chains, or convenient copying, organizing and
regrouping. In this case, the Devices view will indicate how many chains are currently selected.
Each chain has its own Chain Activator, as well as Solo and Hot-Swap buttons. Chains in Instru-
ment, Drum and Audio E ect Racks also have their own volume and pan sliders, and Drum Rack
chains have additional send level and MIDI assignment controls. Like Live Clips, entire chains
can be saved and recalled as presets in the browser. You can give a chain a descriptive name
by selecting it, then choosing the Edit menu’s Rename command. You can also enter your own
in o text or a chain via the Edit In o Text command in the Edit menu or in the chain’s [right-click]
(PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu. The context menu also contains a color palette where
you can choose a custom chain color.
18.4.1 Auto Select
Auto Select in an Audio E ect Rack.
When the Auto Select switch is activated, every chain that is currently processing signals be-
comes selected in the Chain List. In Drum Racks, this eature will select a chain i it receives its
assigned MIDI input note. In Instrument and E ect Racks, Auto Select works in conjunction with
zones, which are discussed next, and is quite help ul when troubleshooting complex confgura-
tions.
18.5 Zones
Zones are sets o data flters that reside at the input o every chain in an Instrument or E ect
Rack. Together, they determine the range o values that can pass through to the device chain.
By de ault, zones behave transparently, never requiring your attention. They can be reconfg-
ured, however, to orm sophisticated control setups. The three types o zones, whose editors are
toggled with the buttons above the Chain List, are Key, Velocity, and Chain Select. The adjacent
Hide button whisks them out o sight.
Note: Audio E ect Racks do not have key or velocity zones, since these two zone types flter
MIDI data only. Likewise, Drum Racks have no zones at all; they flter MIDI notes based on
choosers in their chain lists.
Zones contain a lower, main section, used or resizing and moving the zone itsel , and a narrow
upper section that defnes ade ranges. Resizing o either section is done by clicking and drag-
ging on its right or le t edges, while moving is accomplished by clicking and dragging a zone
rom anywhere except its edges.
18.5.1 Signal Flow through Zones

To understand how zones work, let’s examine the signal ow in a MIDI E ect Rack. Our MIDI
E ect Rack resides in the device chain o a MIDI track, and there ore processes MIDI signals.
We will assume that it contains our parallel device chains, each containing one MIDI e ect.
1. All MIDI data in the track is passed to its device chain, and there ore into the input o the
MIDI E ect Rack.
2. Our MIDI E ect Rack has our device chains, all o which receive the same MIDI data at
the same time.
3. Be ore any MIDI data can enter a device chain, it must be able to pass through every zone
in that chain. Every chain in a MIDI E ect Rack has three zones: a key zone, a velocity
zone and a chain select zone.
4. An incoming MIDI note gets compared to a chain’s key zone. I the MIDI note lies within
the key zone, it is passed to the next zone or comparison; i it does not, then we already
know that the note will not be passed to that chain’s devices.
5. The same comparisons are made or the chain’s velocity and chain select zones. I a note
also lies within both o these zones, then it is passed to the input o the frst device in that
chain.
6. The output o all parallel chains is mixed together to produce the MIDI E ect Rack’s fnal
output. I there happened to be another device ollowing a ter the Rack in the track’s de-
vice chain, it would now receive the Rack’s output or processing.
18.5.2 Key Zones
The Key Zone Editor.
When the Key button is selected, the Key Zone Editor appears to the right o the Chain List, il-
lustrating how each chain maps to the ull MIDI note range (nearly 11 octaves). Chains will only
respond to MIDI notes that lie within their key zone. The zones o individual chains may occupy
any number o keys, allowing or exible “keyboard split“ setups.
Key zone ade ranges attenuate the velocities o notes entering a chain.
18.5.3 Velocity Zones
The Velocity Zone Editor.
Each chain in an Instrument Rack or MIDI E ect Rack also has a velocity zone, speci ying the
range o MIDI Note On velocities that it will respond to.
The Velocity Zone Editor, when displayed, replaces the Key Zone Editor to the right o the Chain
List. MIDI Note On velocity is measured on a scale o 1-127, and this value range spans the top
o the editor. Otherwise, the unctionality here is identical to that o the Key Zone Editor.
Velocity zone ade ranges attenuate the velocities o notes entering a chain.
18.5.4 Chain Select Zones
The Chain Select Editor.
Activating the Chain button in an Instrument or E ect Rack displays the Chain Select Editor.
These Racks have chain select zones, which allow you to flter chains spontaneously via a single
parameter. The editor has a scale o 0-127, similar to the Velocity Zone Editor. Above the value
scale, however, you will fnd a draggable indicator known as the Chain selector.
The chain select zone is a data flter just like the other zones; although all chains in a Rack re-
ceive input signals, only those with chain select zones that overlap the current value o the Chain
selector can be addressed and thereby produce output.
By de ault, the chain select zones o Instrument and MIDI E ect Racks flter only notes, ignoring
all other incoming MIDI events (such as MIDI CCs). To flter all MIDI events, enable the Chain
Selector Filters MIDI Ctrl option, available in the context menu [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click]
(Mac) o a Rack’s Chain Select Ruler.
In MIDI E ect Racks, ade ranges attenuate the velocities o notes entering a chain. In Instrument
Racks and Audio E ect Racks, which both output audio signals, ade ranges attenuate the vol-
ume level at each chain’s output. So what happens, then, i the Chain selector is moved outside
o the chain select zone where a sound is currently playing? I the zone ends in a ade range, the
chain’s output volume is attenuated to zero while the Chain selector is outside o the zone. I the
zone had no ade range, the output volume is not attenuated, allowing the chain’s e ects (like
long reverb tails or delays) to ade out according to their own settings.
Let’s consider how we can make use o chain select zones in a per ormance situation:
Making Preset Banks Using Chain Select
Using Chain Select Zones to Create E ects Presets.
Unlike the other zone types, the de ault length o a chain select zone is 1, and the de ault value
is 0. From this setup, we can quickly create “preset banks“ using the Chain Select Editor.
Again, we will use a Rack with our chains as our starting point. Each o the our chains contain
di erent e ects that we would like to be able to switch between. To make this a “hands-on“
experience, we have MIDI-mapped the Chain selector to an encoder on an external control
sur ace.
Let’s move the chain select zones o the second and third chains so that each o our zones is oc-
cupying its own adjacent value: The frst chain’s zone has a value o 0, the second chain’s zone
has a value o 1, the third has a value o 2, and the ourth has a value o 3.
Since each o our chain select zones has a unique value, with no two zones overlapping, we
now have a situation where only one chain at a time can ever be equal to the Chain selector
value (shown at the top o the editor). There ore, by moving the Chain selector, we determine
which chain can process signals. With our MIDI encoder at hand, we can now ip e ortlessly
between instrument or e ect setups.
Cross ading Preset Banks Using Fade Ranges
Cross ading Between E ects Presets Using Chain Select Zones.
Taking the previous example one step urther, we can tweak our chain select zones to produce a
smooth transition between our “presets.“ To accomplish this, we will make use o our zones’ ade
ranges.
To create some room or ading, let’s extend the length o our zones a bit. Setting the zones as
shown maintains our exclusive values or our presets, so that each still has one point where
neither o the others are heard. We cross ade between the presets over eight steps. I this is too
rough a transition or your material, simply reposition the zones to maximize the ade ranges.
18.6 Drum Racks

We’ve already talked a bit about Drum Racks, and most o their eatures are the same as those
ound in Instrument and E ect Racks. But Drum Racks have a slightly di erent layout, some
unique controls and special behavior that is optimized or creating drum kits.
1 2 3 4
The Chain List in a Drum Rack.
1. In addition to the standard selectors ound on all Racks, Drum Racks have our additional
controls in the view column. From top to bottom, these are toggles or the Input/Output,
Send, and Return sections, and the Auto Select button.
2. Input/Output Section. The Receive chooser sets the incoming MIDI note to which the drum
chain will respond. The list shows note names, MIDI note numbers and standard GM drum
equivalents. The Play slider sets the outgoing MIDI note that will be sent to the devices in
the chain. The Choke chooser allows you to set a chain to one o sixteen choke groups.
Any chains that are in the same choke group will silence the others when triggered. This
is use ul or choking open hihats by triggering closed ones, or example. I “All Notes“ is
selected in the Receive chooser, the Play and Choke choosers are disabled — in this case,
the chain simply passes the note that it receives to its devices. The small Preview button to
the le t o these choosers fres a note into the chain, making it easy to check your mappings
away rom a MIDI controller.
3. Mixer Section. In addition to the mixer and Hot-Swap controls ound in other Rack types,
Drum Racks also have send sliders. These sliders allow you to set the amount o post- ader
signal sent rom each drum chain to any o the available return chains. Note that send con-
trols are not available until return chains have been created.
4. Return Chains. A Drum Rack’s return chains appear in a separate section at the bottom o
the chain list. Up to six chains o audio e ects can be added here, which are ed by send
sliders in each o the drum chains above.
The Audio To chooser in the mixer or return chains allows you to route a return chain’s output to
either the main output o the Rack or directly to the return tracks o the Set.
18.6.1 Pad View
Pad View.
The Pad View is unique to Drum Racks and o ers an easy way to map and manipulate samples
and devices. Each pad represents one o the 128 available MIDI notes. The pad overview to the
le t shi ts the set o visible pads up or down in groups o 16, either by dragging the view selector
to a new area or by using your computer keyboard’s up and down arrow keys. Use the [ALT](PC)
/ [CMD](Mac) modifer to shi t the view by single rows instead.
Almost any object rom Live’s browser — samples, e ects, instruments and presets — can be
dragged onto a pad, mapping automatically to the pad’s note and creating or reconfguring
internal chains and devices as necessary. Dropping a sample onto an empty pad, or example,
creates a new chain containing a Simpler, with the dropped sample ready to play rom the pad’s
note. I you then drag an audio e ect to the same pad, it is placed downstream rom the Simpler
in the same chain. To replace the Simpler, simply drop another sample onto the same pad — any
downstream audio e ects or upstream MIDI e ects will be le t intact and only the Simpler and
sample will be replaced.
In addition to dragging objects rom the browser, pads can also be flled quickly via Hot-Swap.
I you’re in Hot-Swap mode, pressing the [D] key will toggle the Hot-Swap target between the
Drum Rack itsel and the last selected pad.
I a multi-selection o samples is dropped onto a pad, new Simplers and chains will be mapped
upwards chromatically rom this pad, replacing any other samples that may have already been
assigned to the pads in question (but, as be ore, leaving any e ects devices alone). [ALT](PC) /
[CMD](Mac)-dragging a multi-selection layers all o the samples to a single pad, by creating a
nested Instrument Rack.
Dragging a pad to another pad swaps the note mapping between the pads. This means that any
MIDI clips triggering the a ected notes will now play the “wrong“ sounds — although this might
be exactly what you want. [ALT](PC) / [CMD](Mac)-dragging one pad to another will layer any
chains rom both pads in a nested Instrument Rack.
You can always change your mappings rom within the chain list as well, by adjusting the Re-
ceive choosers. The Pad View will update automatically to re ect your changes. I you set the
same Receive note or multiple chains, that note’s pad will trigger them all.
I you’re working with lots o nested Racks, the inner structure can quickly become complicated.
Pad View can make it much easier to work by letting you ocus on only the top level: the notes
and sounds. It’s important to remember that a pad represents a note, rather than a chain. More
specifcally, it represents all chains, no matter how deep in the Rack, that are able to receive that
pad’s note. What you can control with each pad is related to how many chains it represents:
•An empty pad shows only the note it will trigger. When you mouse over it, the Status Bar
will display this note, as well as the suggested GM instrument.
•A pad that triggers only one chain shows the name o the chain. In this case, the pad
serves as a handy ront-end or many controls that are normally accessed in the chain list,
such as mute, solo, preview and Hot-Swap. You can also rename and delete the chain via
the pad.
•A pad that triggers multiple chains shows “Multi“ as its name, and its mute, solo and pre-
view buttons will a ect all o its chains. I you mute and solo chains individually within the
chain list, the pad’s icons re ect this mixed state. Hot-Swap and renaming are disabled or
a Multi pad, but you can delete all o its chains at once.
Although Pad View is designed or easy editing and sound design, it also excels as a per or-
mance inter ace, particularly when triggered by a hardware control sur ace with pads. I your
pad controller is one o Ableton’s natively supported control sur aces (page 574), simply
select it as a control sur ace in the Link/MIDI tab o Live’s Pre erences. From then on, as long as
you have a Drum Rack on a track that’s receiving MIDI, your pad controller will trigger the pads
that are visible on your screen. I you scroll the pad overview to show a di erent set o pads,
your controller will update automatically.
18.7 Using the Macro Controls
Making Macro Control Assignments in Map Mode.
With the potential or developing complex device chains, Macro Controls keep things manage-
able by taking over the most essential parameters o a Rack (as determined by you, o course).
Once you have set up your ideal mapping, the rest o the Rack can be hidden away.
The Macro Control view’s dedicated Map button opens the door to this behavior. Enabling
Macro Map Mode causes three things to happen:
•All mappable parameters rom a Rack’s devices will appear with a colored overlay;
•Map buttons will appear beneath each Macro Control dial;
•The Mapping Browser (page 578) will open.
The ollowing steps will get you started mapping:
1. Enable Macro Map Mode by clicking the Map mode button;
2. Select a device parameter or mapping by clicking it once;
3. Map the parameter by clicking on any Macro Control’s Map button. The details will be
added to the Mapping Browser. By de ault the Macro will take its name and units rom the
device parameter it is controlling.
4. Refne the value range i desired using the Min/Max sliders in the Mapping Browser. In-
verted mappings can be created by setting the Min slider’s value greater than the Max
slider’s value. The current values can also be inverted by pressing [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-
click](Mac) on the entry in the Mapping Browser.
5. Select another device parameter i you’d like to create more mappings, or click on the
Map mode button once more to exit Macro Map Mode.
Note that once assigned to a Macro Control, a device parameter will appear disabled, since
it hands over all control to the Macro Control (although it can still be modulated externally, via
Clip Envelopes (page 313)).
You can edit or delete your assignments at any time using the Mapping Browser (which only ap-
pears when Map Mode is enabled).
I more than one parameter is assigned to a single Macro, the Macro’s name will revert to its ge-
neric name (e.g., Macro 3). The Macro’s units will also change to a 0 to 127 scale, except when
all parameters possess both the same unit type and the same unit range.
Macro controls can be given custom names, colors and in o text entries via the corresponding
commands in the Edit menu or the context menu.
18.8 Mixing With Racks

Any Instrument or Drum Rack that contains more than one chain can be viewed and mixed
alongside the tracks in the Session View’s mixer. A track that contains these Racks will have a
button in its title bar, which will old the Rack’s mixer in or out. Likewise, any nested chains within
the Rack will also have this button. This makes it easy to get an overview o your Rack’s hierarchy
— or hide it when you just want to work on your mix.
Mixing Rack Chains in the Session View.
Chains in the Session View mixer look similar to tracks, but they have no clip slots. Their mixing
and routing controls mirror those ound in the Rack’s chain list, so any changes made to these
controls in either area will be re ected in the other immediately. Likewise, many chain operations
such as reordering, renaming and regrouping can be per ormed rom either the mixer or the
chain list. Clicking in a chain’s mixer title bar shows only that chain’s devices in the Device View.
As with tracks, when chains are multiselected in the Session View mixer, adjusting a mixer pa-
rameter or one o the chains will adjust the same parameter in the other selected chains. Note
that this behavior only applies to parameters adjusted via the Session mixer and not when ad-
justing the same parameters in the Rack’s chain list.
18.8.1 Extracting Chains

All chains can be dragged rom their parent Racks and placed into other tracks or Racks, ei-
ther rom the chain list or rom the Session View mixer. A Drum Rack’s return chains can also be
extracted, and will create new return tracks i dragged to the mixer. Drum chains have an ad-
ditional eature: when dragged rom the mixer to a new track, they take their MIDI notes with
them. For example, i you are working on a MIDI drum loop within a single track and decide that
you would like to move just the snare onto its own track, simply select the snare chain’s title bar
in the mixer and drag it to the mixer’s drop area. This creates a new track with the ull contents o
the snare chain: both its devices and its MIDI data. I you would like to extract only the devices,
drag rom the chain list instead o rom the mixer.
Extracting Drum Chains in the Mixer Extracts MIDI Data.

Chapter 19
Automation and Editing

Envelopes
O ten, when working with Live’s mixer and devices, you will want the controls’ movements to
become part o the music. The movement o a control across the song timeline or Session clip is
called automation; a control whose value changes in the course o this timeline is automated.
Practically all mixer and device controls in Live can be automated, including the song tempo.
19.1 Recording Automation in Arrangement View

Automation can be recorded to the Arrangement View in two ways:
1. by manually changing parameters while recording new material directly into the Arrange-
ment.
2. by recording a Session View per ormance into the Arrangement (page 126), i the Ses-
sion clips contain automation.
During Session-to-Arrangement recording, automation in Session clips is always recorded to the

Arrangement, as are any manual changes to parameters in tracks that are being recorded rom
the Session.
When recording new material directly to the Arrangement, the Automation Arm button deter-
mines whether or not manual parameter changes will be recorded.
The Automation Arm Button.

When Automation Arm is on, all changes o a control that occur while the Control Bar’s Ar-
rangement Record button is on become Arrangement automation. Try recording automation
or a control; or instance a mixer volume slider. A ter recording, play back what you have just
recorded to see and hear the e ect o the control movement. You will notice that a little LED has
appeared in the slider thumb to indicate that the control is now automated. Try recording auto-
mation or track panning and the Track Activator switch as well; their automation LEDs appear in
their upper le t corners.
Volume, Pan and the Track Activator Switch Have Been Automated.
19.2 Recording Automation in Session View

Automation can also be recorded to Session View clips. Here is how it works:
1 2 3
Controls or Recording Session Automation.
1. Enable the Automation Arm button to prepare or automation recording.
2. Activate the Arm button or the tracks onto which you want to record. Clip Record buttons
will appear in the empty slots o the armed tracks.
3. Click the Session Record button to begin recording automation.
It is also possible to record automation into all playing Session clips, regardless o whether or
not they are in armed tracks. This is done via the Session Automation Recording switch in the
Record/Warp/Launch Pre erences.
The Session Automation Recording Pre erence.
This allows you to, or example, overdub Session automation into an existing MIDI clip without
also recording notes into the clip.
Any automation in Session View becomes track-based automation when clips are recorded or
copied into Arrangement View.
19.2.1 Session Automation Recording Modes

The automation recording behavior di ers depending on how you adjust parameters while
recording. When using the mouse, recording stops immediately when you let go o the mouse
button. This is re erred to in some editing applications as “touch” behavior. When adjusting pa-
rameters via knobs or aders on MIDI controllers, recording will continue as long as you adjust
the controller. When you let go, recording will continue until the end o the clip’s loop and then
will “punch out” automatically. This is known as “latch” behavior in some applications.
19.3 Deleting Automation

To delete all automation data, [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) on an automated control to
open its context menu and select Delete Automation. The automation LED disappears, and the
control’s value stays constant across the entire Arrangement timeline and in any Session View
clips. You can also delete selected portions o automation by editing breakpoint envelopes
(page 305).
19.4 Overriding Automation

In practice, you will o ten want to try out new control moves without overwriting existing automa-
tion data in the Arrangement. Well, nothing is orever in the world o infnite Undo (page 176),
but it’s easy to disable a control’s automation temporarily to avoid overwriting existing data: I
you change an automated control’s value while not recording, the automation LED goes o to
indicate the control’s automation is inactive. Any automation is there ore overridden by the cur-
rent manual setting.
When one or more o the automated controls in your Live Set are not active, the Control Bar’s
Re-Enable Automation button lights up.
The Re-Enable Automation Button.
This button serves two purposes. It reminds you that the current state o the controls di ers rom
the state captured in Session clips or the Arrangement, and you can click on it to reactivate all
automation and thereby return to the automation state as it is written “on tape.“
You can also re-enable automation or only one parameter via the Re-Enable Automation option
in the [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu or that parameter. And in the Session
View, you can re-enable overridden automation by simply relaunching a clip that contains auto-
mation.
19.5 Drawing and Editing Automation

In the Arrangement View and in Session View clips, automation can be viewed and edited as
breakpoint envelopes.
Here is how automation editing works in the Arrangement:
3 5 1 4 2
6 7
Automation Envelopes in the Arrangement View.
1. To show automation envelopes, enable Automation Mode by clicking the toggle button
above the track headers, or using the [A] shortcut to the View menu item. Note that you
can disable Automation Mode by pressing the toggle button or [A] shortcut key again.
2. Clicking on a track’s mixer or device controls will display this control’s envelope on the clip
track.
3. Envelopes appear in the track’s main automation lane, “on top o “ the audio wave orm
or MIDI display. (This is use ul or lining up breakpoints with the track’s audio or MIDI
content.) An envelope’s vertical axis represents the control value and the horizontal axis
represents time. For switches and radio buttons, the value axis is “discrete”, meaning that it
operates with non-continuous values (e.g. on/o ).
4. The Device chooser either selects the track mixer, one o the track’s devices, or “None“ to
hide the envelope. It also provides you with an overview o which devices actually have
automation by showing an LED next to their labels. You can make things clearer still by
selecting “Show Automated Parameters Only“ rom the bottom o the chooser.
5. The Automation Control chooser selects a control rom the device chosen in the Device
chooser. The labels o automated controls have an LED.
Once an envelope has been selected on the track, several new buttons appear:
6. The button moves the envelope into its own automation lane below the clip. You can
then select another automation parameter rom the choosers to view it simultaneously.
Holding [CTRL](PC) / [CMD](Mac) while pressing the button moves the selected enve-
lope, as well as all automated envelopes, into their own automation lane(s) below the clip.
I the Device chooser is set to “None“, this button will be hidden.
7. The button hides its respective automation lane. Note that hiding a lane rom view does
not deactivate its envelope. Holding [ALT](PC) / [ALT](Mac) while clicking the button
removes the selected automation lane, as well as any subsequent automation lanes in that
track.
Clicking [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) on an automation lane header opens a context

menu with additional options or viewing envelopes. This context menu also contains commands
to quickly clear all automation envelopes or the track or any o its devices.
Automation editing or Session View clips is covered in detail in the Clip Envelopes chapter
(page 313).
19.5.1 Drawing Envelopes

With Draw Mode enabled, you can click and drag to “draw“ an envelope curve.
The Draw Mode Switch.
To toggle Draw Mode, select the Draw Mode option rom the Options menu, click on the Con-
trol Bar’s Draw Mode switch, or press [B]. Holding [B] while editing with the mouse temporarily
toggles Draw Mode.
Drawing an Envelope.
Drawing creates steps as wide as the visible grid, which you can modi y using a number o
handy shortcuts (page 114). Holding down the [Shi t] modifer while dragging vertically al-
lows you to adjust the automation value o a step at a fner resolution.
For reehand drawing, you can hide the grid using the Snap to Grid Options menu entry or the
[CTRL][4](PC) / [CMD][4](Mac) shortcut. To temporarily enable reehand drawing while the
grid is shown, hold down [ALT](PC) / [ALT](Mac) while drawing.
19.5.2 Editing Breakpoints

With Draw Mode o , the envelope display looks and works di erently. The line segments and
the breakpoints connecting them become draggable objects. Clicking and dragging in the enve-
lope’s background defnes a selection. Here is what you can do:
•Click at a position on a line segment to create a new breakpoint there.
•Double-click anywhere in the envelope display that is not on a line segment, to create a
new breakpoint there.
•Click on a breakpoint to delete it.
•Click and drag a breakpoint to move it to the desired location. I the breakpoint you are
dragging is in the current selection, all other breakpoints in the selection will ollow the
movement. When dragging a breakpoint, a thin black vertical line will appear to help you
see where your breakpoint is positioned in relation to the grid lines.
•Click near (but not on) a line segment or hold [Shi t] and click directly on a line segment to
select it. With the mouse button held down, drag to move the line segment to the desired
location. I the line segment you are dragging is in the current time selection, Live will insert
breakpoints at the selection’s edges and the entire segment will move together.
To Move all Breakpoints Within the Selection, Drag Any One o Them.
•Breakpoints created close to a grid line will automatically snap to that line. Breakpoints
and line segments can be moved reely up to the next or previous grid line, and then will
snap to each ollowing or preceding grid line i you continue to drag.
•Breakpoint and line segments movements will also snap to an “o set,” which is based on
the original placement o each breakpoint relative to the grid. Furthermore, breakpoints
and line segments will snap to time positions where neighboring breakpoints exist. You
can remove a neighboring breakpoint by continuing to drag a breakpoint or line segment
“over” it horizontally.
•To help you edit breakpoints more quickly, automation values are shown when you create,
hover over, or drag a breakpoint. Note that when hovering over or dragging a selected
line segment, the automation value shown will correspond to the breakpoint closest to the
cursor.
A Breakpoint’s Automation Value.
•When moving a line segment or breakpoint, hold [Shi t] while dragging to restrict move-
ment to either the horizontal or vertical axis.
•Hold down the [ALT](PC) / [CMD](Mac) modifer while dragging horizontally to bypass
grid snapping. Holding down the [Shi t] modifer while dragging vertically allows you to
adjust the breakpoint or line segment value at a fner resolution.
•Hold [ALT](PC) / [ALT](Mac) and drag a line segment to curve the segment. Double-click
while holding [ALT](PC) / [ALT](Mac) to return the segment to a straight line.
A Curved Envelope Segment
19.5.3 Locking Envelopes

When moving Arrangement View clips, Live normally moves all automation with the clip. Some-
times, you might want to lock the envelopes to the song position rather than to the clips, and the
Lock Envelopes switch does just that.
You can also choose to lock envelopes rom the Options menu.
The Lock Envelopes Switch.
19.5.4 Edit Menu Commands

When working with automation data in the Arrangement View, several Edit menu commands
behave di erently depending on whether or not your selection is within the clip track or its auto-
mation lanes.
Cut, Copy, Duplicate or Delete commands applied to an envelope selection within a single lane
will only apply to this envelope. The clip itsel and other automation that occurs in that time se-
lection will be una ected. You can also work with envelopes in multiple lanes simultaneously.
I you want your edits to apply to both the clip and all o its associated envelopes, ensure the
Lock Envelopes switch is disabled and apply edit commands to a selection in the clip track.
Note that Live allows you to copy and paste envelope movements not only rom one point in time
to another, but also rom one parameter to another. Since the parameters may be completely
unrelated, this can have unexpected (but possibly interesting) results.
19.5.5 Editing the Tempo Automation

The ability to dynamically stretch and compress audio to track any tempo or tempo variation is
one o Live’s specialties. In Live, the song tempo is just another automated control.
To edit the song tempo envelope, un old the Master track in Arrangement View, choose “Mixer“
rom the top envelope chooser and “Song Tempo“ rom the bottom one.
The Tempo Envelope.
When adjusting the tempo envelope, you might want to scale the value axis display, which is the
unction o the two value boxes below the envelope choosers: The le t box sets the minimum, and
the right box sets the maximum tempo displayed, in BPM.
Note that these two controls also determine the value range o a MIDI controller (page 573)
assigned to the tempo.
Clip Envelopes 313
Chapter 20
Clip Envelopes
Every clip in Live can have its own clip envelopes. The aspects o a clip that are in uenced by
clip envelopes change depending upon clip type and setup; clip envelopes can do anything
rom representing MIDI controller data to automating or modulating device parameters. In this
chapter, we will frst look at how all clip envelopes are drawn and edited, and then get into the
details o their various applications.
20.1 The Clip Envelope Editor
Use the Clip View Box Selector to bring up the Envelopes Box.
To work with clip envelopes, bring up the Clip View’s Envelopes box by clicking the button at
the bottom o the Clip View. The Envelopes box contains two choosers or selecting an envelope
to view and edit.
Clip Envelopes 314
The Clip View’s Envelopes Box.
The top menu is the Device chooser, which selects a general category o controls with which to
work. Device chooser entries are di erent or di erent kinds o clips:
•Audio clips have entries or “Clip” (the clip’s sample controls), every e ect in the track’s
device chain, and the mixer.
•MIDI clips have entries or “MIDI Ctrl“ (MIDI controller data), every device in the track’s
device chain, and the mixer.
The bottom menu, the Clip Envelope Control chooser, selects among the controls o the item
chosen in the top menu. In both choosers, parameters with altered clip envelopes appear with
LEDs next to their names. You can simpli y the appearance o these choosers by selecting “Only
show adjusted envelopes” rom either o them.
The techniques or drawing and editing clip envelopes are the same as those or automation
envelopes in the Arrangement View (page 305). Please see Recording Automation in Session
View (page 302) or in ormation on recording Session View automation.
To delete a clip envelope (i.e., to set it back to its de ault value), [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click]
(Mac) in the Clip View’s Envelope Editor to open its context menu and select Clear Envelope.
Let us now look at some uses o clip envelopes.

Clip Envelopes 315
20.2 Audio Clip Envelopes

Clip envelopes extend Live’s “elastic“ approach to audio and, in conjunction with Live’s audio
e ects, turn Live into a mighty sound-design tool. Using clip envelopes with audio clips, you can
create an abundance o interesting variations rom the same clip in real time — anything rom
subtle corrections to entirely new and unrelated sounds.
20.2.1 Clip Envelopes are Non-Destructive

Using clip envelopes, you can create new sounds rom a sample without actually a ecting the
sample on disk. Because Live calculates the envelope modulations in real time, you can have
hundreds o clips in a Live Set that all sound di erent, but use the same sample.
You can, o course, export a newly created sound by rendering (page 74), or by resampling
(page 245). In the Arrangement View, you can use the Consolidate command (page 117) to
create new samples.
20.2.2 Changing Pitch and Tuning per Note

Drop a sample loop rom the browser into Live and play it. Select “Clip” in the Device chooser
and “Transposition Modulation” in the Control chooser. You can now alter the pitch transposition
o individual notes in the sample as you listen to it.
The ast way to do this is by enabling Draw Mode (page 307) and drawing steps along the
grid. Deactivate Draw Mode to edit breakpoints and line segments. This is use ul or smoothing
the coarse steps by horizontally displacing breakpoints.
Clip Envelopes 316
The Transposition Envelope with Steps (Top) and Ramps (Bottom).
Note that the warp settings determine how accurately Live’s time-warping engine tracks the
envelope shape. To obtain a more immediate response, reduce the Grain Size value in Tones or
Texture Mode, or choose a smaller value or the Granulation Resolution in Beats Mode.
To correct the tuning o individual notes in the sample, hold down the [CTRL](PC) / [CMD](Mac)
modifer while drawing or moving breakpoints to obtain a fner resolution.
To scroll the display, hold down the [CTRL][ALT](PC) / [CMD][ALT](Mac) modifer while drag-
ging.
Pitch is modulated in an additive way. The output o the transposition envelope is simply added
to the Transpose control’s value. The result o the modulation is clipped to stay in the available
range (-48..48 semitones in this case).
20.2.3 Muting or Attenuating Notes in a Sample

Select “Clip” in the Device chooser and “Volume Modulation” in the Control chooser. By draw-
ing steps in Draw Mode or creating shapes with breakpoints, you can impose an arbitrary vol-
ume shape onto the sample.
Clip Envelopes 317
Imposing a Volume Envelope on a Sample.
The volume envelope’s output is interpreted as a relative percentage o the clip volume slider’s
current value. The result o the clip envelope’s modulation can there ore never exceed the abso-
lute volume setting, but the clip envelope can drag the audible volume down to silence.
20.2.4 Scrambling Beats

One very creative use o clip envelopes is to modulate the sample o set. Sample o set modula-
tion makes the most sense or rhythmical samples, and is only available or clips that are set up
to run in the Beats Warp Mode.
Try sample o set modulation with a one-bar drum loop: Make sure Beats Mode is chosen; in the
Envelopes box, choose “Clip“ rom the Device chooser and “Sample O set“ rom the Control
chooser. The Envelope Editor appears with a vertical grid overlay. In envelope Draw Mode, set
steps to non-zero values to hear the loop scrambled. What is going on?
Imagine the audio is read out by a tape head, the position o which is modulated by the enve-
lope. The higher a value the envelope delivers, the arther away the tape head is rom its center
position. Positive envelope values move the head towards the “ uture,“ negative values move it
towards the “past.“ Fortunately, Live per orms the modulation in beats rather than centimeters: A
vertical grid line is worth a sixteenth note o o set and the modulation can reach rom plus eight
sixteenths to minus eight sixteenths.
Sample o set modulation is the tool o choice or quickly creating interesting variations o beat
loops. We discourage using this technique or “analytical“ cut-and-splice tasks; they are much
easier to per orm using Live’s Arrangement View, and the results can easily be consolidated into
new clips.
Clip Envelopes 318
Repeating Steps and Slowing Time with the Sample O set Envelope.
Some sample o set envelope gestures have a characteristic e ect: a downward “escalator“
shape, or instance, e ectively repeats the step at the envelope’s beginning. Similarly, a smooth
ramp with a downwards slope is slowing time and can create nice slurring e ects when the
slope is not quite exactly 45 degrees; try this with a 1/32 Granulation Resolution.
20.2.5 Using Clips as Templates

As you are making creative use o clip envelopes, the clips containing them develop a li e o
their own, independent o the original sample. You might wonder at a point: What does this
clip sound like with a di erent sample? This is easy to fnd out by selecting the clip so that it is
displayed in the Clip View and dragging the desired sample rom the browser, or the Session
or Arrangement View, onto the Clip View. All clip settings, including the envelopes, will remain
unaltered; only the sample will be replaced.
20.3 Mixer and Device Clip Envelopes

Clip envelopes can be used to automate or modulate mixer and device controls. Since mixer
and device controls can potentially be controlled by both types o envelopes at the same time
(and also by the Arrangement’s automation envelopes (page 305)), this is a potential source
o con usion. However, modulation envelopes di er rom automation envelopes in one important
way: Whereas automation envelopes de ne the value o a control at any given point in time,
modulation envelopes can only infuence this defned value. This di erence allows the two types
o envelopes to work together in harmony when controlling the same parameter.
Imagine that you have recorded volume automation or an audio clip so that it gradually ades
out over our bars. What happens to your ade-out when you create a modulation envelope that
Clip Envelopes 319
gradually increases the mixer volume over our bars? At frst, your ade-out will become a cre-
scendo, as the modulation envelope gradually increases the volume within the range allowed by
the automation envelope. But, once the decreasing automated value meets with the increasing
modulation envelope value, the ade-out will begin, as automation orces the absolute control
value (and the operable range o the modulation envelope) down.
Modulation envelopes or the mixer and devices are hidden by de ault in the Clip Envelope
Control choosers, but can be shown by selecting the Show Modulation option available in
the [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu on controls. Modulation envelopes are
always labelled with the word “Modulation” in the name, while automation envelopes are la-
belled only with the name o the parameter.
Both automation and modulation clip envelopes are available or clips in Session View, while
Arrangement View clips only have modulation envelopes.
20.3.1 Modulating Mixer Volumes and Sends

Notice that there are actually two modulation envelopes that a ect volume: Clip Volume Modu-
lation and Track Volume Modulation. The latter is a modulation or the mixer’s gain stage and
there ore a ects the post-e ect signal. To prevent con usion, a small dot below the mixer’s vol-
ume slider thumb indicates the actual, modulated volume setting.
Modulating the Mixer Volume. The Little Dot Below the Volume Slider Thumb Represents the Modu-
lated Volume Setting.
As you raise and lower the Volume slider, you can observe the dot ollowing your movement in a
relative ashion.
Modulating the track’s Send controls is just as easy. Again, the modulation is a relative percent-
age: The clip envelope cannot open the send urther than the Send knob, but it can reduce the
actual send value to minus infnite dB.
Clip Envelopes 320
Modulating a Send. The Blue Segment o the Send Knob’s Position Ring Indicates the Modulated
Value.
20.3.2 Modulating Pan

The Pan modulation envelope a ects the mixer pan stage in a relative way: The pan knob’s
position determines the intensity o the modulation. With the pan knob set to the center position,
modulation by the clip envelope can reach rom hard le t to hard right; the modulation amount is
automatically reduced as you move the pan knob towards the le t or right. When the pan knob is
turned all the way to the le t, or instance, the pan modulation clip envelope has no e ect at all.
20.3.3 Modulating Device Controls

All devices in a clip’s track are listed in the upper clip envelope Device chooser. Modulating de-
vice parameters works similarly to modulating mixer controls. When modulating device controls,
it is important to keep in mind the interaction between modulation and automation envelopes:
unlike a device preset (page 261), the clip envelope cannot defne the values or the devices’
controls, it can only change them relative to their current setting.
20.4 MIDI Controller Clip Envelopes

Whether you are working with a new MIDI clip that was recorded directly into Live, or one rom
your fles, Live allows you to edit and create MIDI controller data or the clip in the orm o clip
envelopes.
Choose “MIDI Ctrl“ rom a MIDI clip’s Device chooser and use the Clip Envelope Control
chooser below it to select a specifc MIDI controller. You can create new clip envelopes or any
Clip Envelopes 321
o the listed controllers by drawing steps or using breakpoints. You can also edit clip envelope
representations o controller data that is imported as part o your MIDI fles or is created while
recording new clips: names o controllers that already have clip envelopes appear with an adja-
cent LED in the Clip Envelope Control chooser.
Live supports most MIDI controller numbers up to 119, accessible via the scroll bar on the right
side o the menu. Note that devices to which you send your MIDI controller messages may not
ollow the conventions o MIDI control assignments, so that “Pitch Bend“ or “Pan,“ or example,
will not always achieve the results that their names imply.
A MIDI Controller Clip Envelope.
Many o the techniques described in the ollowing section on unlinking a clip envelope rom its
associated clip can be adapted or use with MIDI controller clip envelopes.
20.5 Unlinking Clip Envelopes From Clips

A clip envelope can have its own local loop/region settings. The ability to unlink the envelope
rom its clip creates an abundance o exciting creative options, some o which we will present in
the rest o this chapter.
20.5.1 Programming a Fade-Out or a Live Set

Let us start with a straight orward example. Suppose you are setting up a Live Set and wish to
program a ade-out over eight bars to occur when a specifc audio clip is launched — but all
you have is a one-bar loop.
Clip Envelopes 322
3 4
1 2
Using a Clip Envelope to Create a Fade-Out Over Several Repetitions o a Loop.
1. Choose the Clip or Mixer Volume envelope, and unlink it rom the sample.
The clip envelope’s loop braces now appear colored to indicate this envelope now has its
own local loop/region settings. The loop/region controls in the Envelopes box “come to
li e.“ I you toggle the envelope’s Loop switch, you’ll notice the Sample box’s Loop switch
is not a ected. The sample will keep looping although the envelope is now playing as a
“one-shot.”
2. Type “8“ into the le tmost envelope loop-length value box.
3. Zoom the envelope display out all the way by clicking on the Envelope’s time ruler and
dragging upwards.
4. Insert a breakpoint at the region end and drag it to the bottom.
Now, as you play the clip, you can hear the one-bar loop ading out over eight bars.
20.5.2 Creating Long Loops rom Short Loops

Let us take this a step urther. For a di erent part o your set, you would like to use the same one-
bar loop — because it sounds great — but its repetition bores you. You would like to somehow
turn it into a longer loop.
Clip Envelopes 323
We depart rom the clip we just set up to ade out over eight bars. Activate the clip volume
envelope’s Loop switch. Now, as you play the clip, you can hear the eight-bar ade-out repeat-
ing. You can draw or edit any envelope to superimpose onto the sample loop. This, o course,
not only works or volume but or any other control as well; how about a flter sweep every our
bars?
Note that you can create as much time as needed in the Envelope Editor, either by dragging the
loop braces beyond the view limit, or by entering values into the numeric region/loop controls.
You can choose an arbitrary loop length or each envelope, including odd lengths like 3.2.1. It
is not hard to imagine great complexity (and con usion!) arising rom several odd-length enve-
lopes in one clip.
The Sample (Le t) and Envelope (Right) Start Marker.
To keep this complexity under control, it is important to have a common point o re erence. The
start marker identifes the point where sample or envelope playback depart rom when the clip
starts.
Note that the start/end markers and loop brace are subject to quantization by the zoom-adap-
tive grid (page 114), as is envelope drawing.
20.5.3 Imposing Rhythm Patterns onto Samples

So ar, we have been talking about imposing long envelopes onto small loops. You can also
think o interesting applications that work the other way around. Consider a sample o a song
that is several minutes long. This sample could be played by a clip with a one-bar volume en-
velope loop. The volume envelope loop now works as a pattern that is repeatedly “punching“
holes into the music so as to, perhaps, remove every third beat. You can certainly think o other
parameters that such a pattern could modulate in interesting ways.
Clip Envelopes 324
20.5.4 Clip Envelopes as LFOs

I you are into sound synthesis, you may want to think o a clip envelope with a local loop as an
LFO. This LFO is running in sync with the project tempo, but it is also possible to set up a loop
period odd enough to render the envelope unsynchronized. By hiding the grid, you can adjust
the clip envelope loop start and end points completely independent o meter grid.
20.5.5 Warping Linked Envelopes

When in Linked mode, clip envelopes respond to changes in the clip’s Warp Markers. This
means that moving a warp marker will lengthen or shorten the clip envelope accordingly. Addi-
tionally, Warp Markers can be adjusted rom within the envelope editor.
Clip Envelopes and Warp Markers Can Be Adjusted Together.

Chapter 21
Working with Video

Live’s exible architecture makes it the per ect choice or scoring to video. You can trim video
clips to select parts o them and use Warp Markers to visually align music in the Arrangement
View with the video. You can then render (page 74) your edited video fle along with your
audio.
Be ore diving in, you will want to be amiliar with the concepts presented in the Audio Clips,
Tempo, and Warping chapter (page 153).
I you are interested in syncing Live with external video equipment, you’ll also want to read the
chapter on synchronization (page 705).
(Note: video support is not available in the Intro and Lite Editions.)
21.1 Importing Video

Live can import movies in Apple QuickTime ormat (.mov) to be used as video clips. Movie fles
appear in Live’s browser and can be imported by dragging them into the Live Set.
Note that Live will only display video or video clips residing in the Arrangement View. Movie
fles that are loaded into the Session View are treated as audio clips.
21.2 The Appearance o Video in Live
21.2.1 Video Clips in the Arrangement View

A video clip in the Arrangement View looks just like an audio clip, except or the “sprocket holes“
in its title bar.
A Video Clip in the Arrangement View.
For the most part, video clips in the Arrangement View are treated just like audio clips. They can
be trimmed, or example, by dragging their right or le t edges. However, there are some edit-
ing commands that, when applied to a video clip, will cause it to be replaced by an audio clip
(which by defnition has no video component). This replacement only occurs internally — your
original movie fles are never altered. The commands which will cause this are: Consolidate,
Reverse and Crop.
21.2.2 The Video Window
The Video Window in the Arrangement View.
The Video Window is a separate, oating window that always remains above Live’s main win-
dow. It can be dragged to any location you like, and it will never get covered up by Live. You
can toggle its visibility with a command in the View menu. The Video Window can be resized
by dragging its bottom right-hand corner. The size and location o this window are not specifc
to the Set, and will be restored when you open a video again. The video can be shown in ull
screen (and optionally on a second monitor) by double-clicking in the Video Window. [ALT](PC)
/ [ALT](Mac) double-click in the Video Window to restore it to original size o the video.
Movies with Partial Tracks

In the QuickTime fle ormat, the audio and video components do not have to span the entire
length o a movie; gaps in playback are allowed. During gaps in video, Live’s Video Window
will display a black screen; gaps in audio will play silence.
21.2.3 Clip View

Soundtrack composers will want to note the Tempo Master option in Live’s Clip View. When
scoring to video, video clips are usually set as tempo masters, while audio clips are le t as tempo
slaves. These are, there ore, the de ault warp properties o clips in the Arrangement View. In this
scenario, adding Warp Markers to a video clip defnes “hit points“ that the music will sync to.
Note that a video clip’s Warp switch needs to be activated in order or the clip to be set as the
tempo master.
Setting a Video Clip as Tempo Master.
Remember rom the Audio Clips, Tempo, and Warping chapter (page 153) that, although any
number o warped Arrangement clips can have the Tempo Master option activated, only the
bottom-most, currently playing clip is the actual tempo master.
This also means that it is possible or video clips that are not the current tempo master to become
warped, resulting in warped video output in the Video Window.
Warp Markers
While dragging a Warp Marker belonging to a video clip, you will notice that the Video Win-
dow updates to show the corresponding video rame, so that any point in the music can be eas-
ily aligned with any point in the video clip.
Since Live displays a movie fle’s embedded QuickTime markers, they can be used as convenient
visual cues when setting Warp Markers.
21.3 Matching Sound to Video

In Live, it takes just a ew steps to get started with video. Let’s look at a common scenario —
matching a piece o music to edits or hit points in a video:
1. Make sure that Live’s Arrangement View is visible. I you’re using Live on a single monitor,
your computer keyboard’s [Tab] key will toggle between the Session View and Arrange-
ment View.
2. Drag a QuickTime movie rom Live’s browser and drop it into an audio track in the Ar-
rangement View. The Video Window will appear to display the video component o the
movie fle. (Remember that you can move this window to any convenient location on the
screen.)
3. Now that the video clip is loaded, drag an audio clip into the Arrangement View’s drop
area. A new track will automatically be created or it. Un old both tracks so you can see
their contents by clicking the buttons to the le t o their names.
4. Double-click on the video clip’s title bar to view it in the Clip View. In the Sample box,
make sure that the Warp button is enabled. Warped clips in the Arrangement View can be
set as tempo master or slave. We want the Master/Slave switch set to Master, which will
orce the rest o the clips in the Live Set to adapt to the video clip’s tempo (i.e., its normal
playback rate).
5. Now add Warp Markers to the video clip, and adjust them to your liking. The locations
o the Warp Markers defne the synchronizing points between our music and our video.
Notice how the video clip’s wave orm in the Arrangement View updates to re ect your
changes as you make them.
6. I desired, enable the Arrangement Loop (page 108) to ocus on a specifc section o the
composition.
7. When you have fnished, choose the Export Audio/Video command rom Live’s File menu.
All o your audio will be mixed down and saved as a single audio fle. You can also export
your video fle using this command.
21.4 Video Trimming Tricks

Commonly, composers receive movie fles with a ew seconds o blank space be ore the “real“
beginning o the action. This pre-roll (“two-beep“) serves as a sync re erence or the mixing
engineer, who expects that the composer’s audio fles will also include the same pre-roll. While
working on music, however, the pre-roll is in the composer’s way: It would be more natural or
the movie action to start at song time 1.1.1 and SMPTE time 00:00:00:00. This can be accom-
modated by trimming video clips, as ollows.
1. First, we drop a movie fle at the start o the Arrangement (1.1.1).

A Video Clip at the Start o the Arrangement.
2. Next, we double-click on the video clip’s title bar to display its contents in the Clip View.
There, we drag the Start Marker to the right so the video clip starts at the beginning o the
action.
Dragging the Start Marker behind the Pre-Roll.
3. Now, both the action and the music to be composed start at 1.1.1 / 00.00.00.00. Once
the music is done and ready to be rendered to disk, we need to bring back the pre-roll:
4. In the Arrangement View, we select all materials (Edit menu/Select All), then drag the en-
tire composition a ew seconds to the right:
The Video Clip and the Final Clip o Music.
5. Now, we click on the video clip’s title bar (to deselect everything else), then drag the video
clip’s le t edge to the le t as ar as possible to reveal the pre-roll again.
The Video Clip with Pre-Roll Restored.
The Export Audio/Video command, by de ault, creates sample fles as long as the Arrangement
selection; as the video clip is still selected, the exported sample fle will have the exact same
duration as the original movie fle, including the pre-roll.
Live Audio Effect Reference 333
Chapter 22
Live Audio E ect Re erence

Live comes with a selection o custom-designed, built-in audio e ects. The Working with Instru-
ments and E ects chapter (page 259) explains the basics o using e ects in Live.
22.1 Amp
The Amp E ect.
(Note: the Amp e ect is not available in the Intro, Lite and Standard Editions.)
Amp is an e ect that emulates the sound and character o seven classic guitar amplifers. Devel-
oped in collaboration with So tube, Amp uses physical modelling technology to provide a range
o authentic and usable amplifer tones, with a simple and consistent set o controls.
There are seven amp models to choose rom:
•Clean is based on the ”Brilliant” channel o a classic amp rom the ’60s. This amp was
widely used by guitarists o the British Invasion.
•Boost is based on the ”Tremolo” channel o the same amp, and is great or edgy rock ri s.
•Blues is based on a ’70s-era guitar amp with a bright character. This classic amp is popu-
lar with country, rock and blues guitarists.
•Rock is modeled a ter a classic 45 watt amp rom the ’60s. This is perhaps the best known
rock amp o all time.
•Lead is based on the ”Modern” channel o a high-gain amp popular with metal guitarists.
•Heavy is based on the ”Vintage” channel o the same amp and is also ideal or metal and
grunge sounds.
•Bass is modeled a ter a rare PA rom the ’70s which has become popular with bass players
due to its strong low end and ” uzz” at high volumes.
Although the real-world versions o these amplifers all have unique parameters, Live’s Amp e -
ect uses the same set o controls or each model. This makes it very easy to quickly change the
overall character o your sound without having to make numerous adjustments.
Gain adjusts the level o input to the preamplifer, while Volume adjusts the output stage o the
power amplifer. Although Gain and Volume work together to determine Amp’s overall level,
Gain is the primary control or the distortion amount. Higher Gain settings result in a more dis-
torted sound. When using the Blues, Heavy and Bass models, high Volume levels can also add
considerable distortion.
The Bass, Middle and Treble knobs are EQ controls that adjust the timbre o the sound. As on a
real-world amplifer, Amp’s EQ parameters interact with each other — and with the rest o Amp’s
parameters — in non-linear and sometimes unpredictable ways. For example, increasing EQ
levels can, in some cases, also increase the amount o distortion.
Presence is an additional tone control or mid/high requencies in the power amp stage. Its
in uence on the sound varies considerably depending on the amp model used but can add (or
subtract) ”edge” or ”crispness.”
The Output switch toggles between mono and stereo (Dual) processing. Note that in Dual mode,
Amp uses twice as much CPU.
The Dry/Wet control adjusts the balance between the processed and dry signals.
22.1.1 Amp Tips

Because Amp is modeled on real-world analog devices, its behavior can sometimes be di fcult
to predict. Here are some tips on getting the most out o Amp:
Amps and Cabinets

Guitar amps are designed to be used with accompanying speaker cabinets. For this reason,
Amp comes with a companion e ect called Cabinet (page 342) which is designed to be used
a ter Amp in a device chain. I you’re looking or authenticity, we recommend this signal ow. But
you can also achieve interesting and exotic sounds by using Amp and Cabinet independently.
Electricity
The various circuits in guitar amps work with a continuous and fxed amount o electricity. For
this reason, turning up a particular parameter may inadvertently decrease the amount o avail-
able energy somewhere else in the amp. This is particularly noticeable in the EQ controls. For
example, turning up Treble can reduce the level o bass and midrange requencies. You may fnd
that you need to care ully adjust a number o seemingly unrelated parameters to get the results
you want.
More than guitars

While Amp and Cabinet sound great with guitars, you can get very interesting results by eeding
them with drums, synthesizers or other sound sources. For example, try using Amp with Operator
(page 466) or Analog (page 435) to add analog grit to your digital sounds.
22.2 Auto Filter
The Auto Filter E ect.
The Auto Filter e ect provides classic analog flter emulation. It can be modulated by an enve-
lope ollower and/or an LFO to create moving flter e ects. The envelope ollower can track
either the fltered signal or an external sidechain source.
Auto Filter o ers a variety o flter types including lowpass, highpass, bandpass, notch, and a
special Morph flter. Each flter can be switched between 12 and 24 dB slopes as well as a se-
lection o analog-modeled circuit behaviors developed in conjunction with Cytomic that emulate
hardware flters ound on some classic analog synthesizers.
The Clean circuit option is a high-quality, CPU-e fcient design that is the same as the flters used
in EQ Eight (page 364). This is available or all o the flter types.
The OSR circuit option is a state-variable type with resonance limited by a unique hard-clipping
diode. This is modeled on the flters used in a somewhat rare British monosynth, and is available
or all flter types.
The MS2 circuit option uses a Sallen-Key design and so t clipping to limit resonance. It is mod-
eled on the flters used in a amous semi-modular Japanese monosynth and is available or the
lowpass and highpass flters.
The SMP circuit is a custom design not based on any particular hardware. It shares characteris-
tics o both the MS2 and PRD circuits and is available or the lowpass and highpass flters.
The PRD circuit uses a ladder design and has no explicit resonance limiting. It is modeled on the
flters used in a legacy dual-oscillator monosynth rom the United States and is available or the
The most important flter parameters are the typical synth controls Frequency and Resonance.
Frequency determines where in the harmonic spectrum the flter is applied; Resonance boosts
requencies near that point.
When using the lowpass, highpass, or bandpass flter with any circuit type besides Clean, there
is an additional Drive control that can be used to add gain or distortion to the signal be ore it
enters the flter.
The Morph flter has an additional Morph control which sweeps the flter type continuously rom
lowpass to bandpass to highpass to notch and back to lowpass.
Tip: you can quickly snap the Morph control to a lowpass, bandpass, highpass, or notch setting
via dedicated options in the [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu o the Morph
knob.
You can adjust Frequency and Resonance by clicking and dragging in the X-Y controller or via
the knobs. You can also click on the Freq and Res numeric displays and type in exact values.
When using the non-Clean circuit types, the Resonance control allows or sel -oscillation. At
Resonance values above 100%, the flter will continue to ring indefnitely even a ter the input
signal has been stopped. The pitch o the sel -oscillation depends on both the Frequency and
Resonance values.
The Envelope section controls how the envelope modulation a ects the flter requency. The
Amount control defnes the extent to which the envelope a ects the flter requency, while the
Attack control sets how the envelope responds to rising input signals. Low Attack values cause
a ast response to input levels; high values integrate any changes gradually, creating a looser,
slower response. Think o it as adding inertia to the response.
Lower Release values cause the envelope to respond more quickly to alling input signals. Higher
values extend the envelope’s decay.
Normally, the signal being fltered and the input source that triggers the envelope ollower are
the same signal. But by using sidechaining, it is possible to flter a signal based on the envelope
o another signal. To access the Sidechain parameters, un old the Auto Filter window by tog-
gling the button in its title bar.
Enabling this section with the Sidechain button allows you to select another track rom the choos-
ers below. This causes the selected track’s signal to trigger the flter’s envelope ollower, instead
o the signal that is actually being fltered.
The Gain knob adjusts the level o the external sidechain’s input, while the Dry/Wet knob allows
you to use a combination o sidechain and original signal as the envelope ollower’s trigger.
With Dry/Wet at 100%, the envelope ollower tracks the sidechain source exclusively. At 0%,
the sidechain is e ectively bypassed. Note that increasing the gain does not increase the volume
o the source signal in the mix. The sidechain audio is only a trigger or the envelope ollower
and is never actually heard.
The Auto Filter also contains a Low Frequency Oscillator to modulate flter requency in a peri-
odic ashion. The respective Amount control sets how much the LFO a ects the flter. This can be
used in conjunction with or instead o the envelope ollower.
The Rate control specifes the LFO speed. It can be set in terms o hertz, or synced to the song
tempo, allowing or controlled rhythmic fltering.
Available LFO wave orm shapes are sine (creates smooth modulations with rounded peaks and
valleys), square, triangle, sawtooth up, sawtooth down, and sample and hold (generates ran-
dom positive and negative modulation values) in mono and stereo.
There are two LFOs, one or each stereo channel. The Phase and O set controls defne the rela-
tionship between these two LFOs.
Phase keeps both LFOs at the same requency, but can set the two LFO wave orms ”out o
phase” with each other, creating stereo movement. Set to ”180”, the LFO outputs are 180 de-
grees apart, so that when one LFO reaches its peak, the other is at its minimum.
Spin detunes the two LFO speeds relative to each other. Each stereo channel is modulated at a
di erent requency, as determined by the Spin amount.
For sample and hold (“S&H”), the Phase and Spin controls are not relevant and do not a ect the
sound. Instead, the Auto Filter o ers two kinds o sample and hold: The upper sample and hold
type available in the chooser provides independent random modulation generators or the le t
and right channels (stereo), while the lower one modulates both channels with the same signal
(mono).
The Quantize Beat control applies quantized modulation to the flter requency. With Quantize
Beat o , requency modulation ollows the control source (the Envelope, LFO, or manually-
adjusted cuto .) Turning this eature on updates the flter modulation rhythmically with ”stepped”
changes that track the master tempo. The numbered buttons represent 16th notes, so, or ex-
ample, selecting ”4” as a beat value produces a modulation change once per beat.
Legacy Filters
I you open a Set that was created in a version o Live older than version 9.5, any instance o
Auto Filter in the Set will open with legacy flters in place o the flters discussed previously. These
consist o 12 dB or 24 dB lowpass, bandpass and highpass flters, as well as a notch flter, and
do not eature a Drive control. Each Auto Filter loaded with the legacy flters shows an Upgrade
button in the title bar. Pressing this button will permanently switch the flter selection to the newer
models or that instance o Auto Filter. Note that this change may make your Set sound di erent.
22.3 Auto Pan
The Auto Pan E ect.
(Note: the Auto Pan e ect is not available in the Lite Edition.)
Auto Pan o ers LFO-driven manipulation o amplitude and panning or creating automatic pan-
ning, tremolo and amplitude modulation, and beat-synchronized chopping e ects.
Auto Pan’s LFOs modulate the amplitude o the le t and right stereo channels with sine, triangle,
sawtooth down or random wave orms.
The Shape control pushes the wave orm to its upper and lower limits, ”hardening” its shape. The
wave orm can be set to ”Normal” or ”Invert” (use ”Invert” to, or example, create the saw up
wave orm rom the saw down wave orm).
LFO speed is controlled with the Rate control, which can be set in terms o hertz. Rate can also
be synced to the song tempo.
Though both LFOs run at the same requency, the Phase control lends the sound stereo move-
ment by o setting their wave orms relative to each other. Set this to ”180”, and the LFOs will be
per ectly out o phase (180 degrees apart), so that when one reaches its peak, the other is at its
minimum. Phase is particularly e ective or creating vibrato e ects.
The O set control shi ts the start point o each LFO along its wave orm.
The device’s in uence on incoming signals is set with the Amount control.
22.4 Beat Repeat
The Beat Repeat E ect.
Beat Repeat allows or the creation o controlled or randomized repetitions o an incoming sig-
nal.
The Interval control defnes how o ten Beat Repeat captures new material and begins repeating
it. Interval is synced to and set in terms o the song tempo, with values ranging rom ”1/32” to ”4
Bars.” The O set control shi ts the point defned by Interval orward in time. I Interval is set to ”1
Bar,” or example, and O set to ”8/16”, material will be captured or repetition once per bar on
the third beat (i.e., hal way, or eight-sixteenths o the way, through the bar).
You can add randomness to the process using the Chance control, which defnes the likelihood
o repetitions actually taking place when Interval and O set ”ask” or them. I Chance is set to
100 percent, repetitions will always take place at the given Interval/O set time; i set to zero,
there will be no repetitions.
Gate defnes the total length o all repetitions in sixteenth notes. I Gate is set to ”4/16”, the rep-
etitions will occur over the period o one beat, starting at the position defned by Interval and
O set.
Activating the Repeat button bypasses all o the above controls, immediately capturing material
and repeating it until deactivated.
The Grid control defnes the grid size — the size o each repeated slice. I set to ”1/16”, a slice
the size o one sixteenth note will be captured and repeated or the given Gate length (or until
Repeat is deactivated). Large grid values create rhythmic loops, while small values create sonic
arti acts. The No Triplets button sets grid division as binary.
Grid size can be changed randomly using the Variation control. I Variation is set to ”0”, grid
size is fxed. But when Variation is set to higher values, the grid uctuates considerably around
the set Grid value. Variation has several di erent modes, available in the chooser below: Trigger
creates variations o the grid when repetitions are triggered; 1/4, 1/8 and 1/16 trigger varia-
tions in regular intervals; and Auto orces Beat Repeat to apply a new random variation a ter
each repetition — the most complex orm o grid variation in Beat Repeat (especially i triplets
are also allowed).
Beat Repeat’s repetitions can be pitched down or special sonic e ects. Pitch is adjusted through
resampling in Beat Repeat, lengthening segments to pitch them down without again compressing
them to adjust or the length change. This means that the rhythmical structure can become quite
ambiguous with higher Pitch values. The Pitch Decay control tapers the pitch curve, making each
repeated slice play lower than the previous one. Warning: This is the most obscure parameter o
Beat Repeat.
Beat Repeat includes a combined lowpass and highpass flter or defning the passed requency
range o the device. You can turn the flter on and o , and set the center requency and width o
the passed requency band, using the respective controls.
The original signal (which was received at Beat Repeat’s input) is mixed with Beat Repeat’s
repetitions according to one o three mix modes: Mix allows the original signal to pass through
the device and have repetitions added to it; Insert mutes the original signal when repetitions are
playing but passes it otherwise; and Gate passes only the repetitions, never passing the original
signal. Gate mode is especially use ul when the e ect is housed in a return track.
You can set the output level o the device using the Volume control, and apply Decay to create
gradually ading repetitions.
22.5 Cabinet
The Cabinet E ect.
(Note: the Cabinet e ect is not available in the Intro, Lite and Standard Editions.)
Cabinet is an e ect that emulates the sound o fve classic guitar cabinets. Developed in collabo-
ration with So tube, Cabinet uses physical modelling technology to provide a range o authentic
sounds, with optimized mics and mic positioning.
The Speaker chooser allows you to select rom a variety o speaker sizes and combinations. The
chooser’s entries indicate the number o speakers and the speaker size in inches. For example,
”4x12” means our 12-inch speakers. In the real world, more and larger speakers generally
means higher volumes.
The Microphone chooser changes the position o the virtual microphone in relation to the speak-
er cabinet. Near On-Axis micing results in a bright, ocused sound, while Near O -Axis is more
resonant and a bit less bright. Choose the Far position or a balanced sound that also has some
characteristics o the virtual ”room.”
Near Off-Axis Near On-Axis
Far
Cabinet Mic Positions.
The switch below the Microphone chooser toggles between a Dynamic and Condenser mic.
Dynamic mics are a bit grittier and commonly used when close-micing guitar cabinets because
they are capable o handling much higher volumes. Condenser mics are more accurate, and are
commonly used or micing rom a distance. O course, Cabinet’s virtual condenser mic won’t be
damaged by high volume levels, so eel ree to experiment.
The Output switch toggles between mono and stereo (Dual) processing. Note that in Dual mode,
Cabinet uses twice as much CPU.
22.5.1 Cabinet Tips

Here are some tips or using Cabinet:
Amps and Cabinets

Guitar cabinets are normally ed by guitar amps. For this reason, Cabinet is paired with Amp
(page 333), and the two are normally used together. But you can also achieve interesting and
exotic sounds by using Amp and Cabinet separately.
Multiple mics
A common studio technique is to use multiple mics on a single cabinet, and then adjust the bal-
ance during mixing. This is easy to do by using Live’s Audio E ect Racks (page 281). Try this:
•confgure one instance o Cabinet as you like
•put the Cabinet into an Audio E ect Rack
•duplicate the Rack chain that contains the original Cabinet as many times as you like
•in the additional chains, choose a di erent Microphone setting and/or mic type
•adjust the relative volumes o the Rack’s chains in the Rack’s mixer
22.6 Chorus
The Chorus E ect.
The Chorus e ect uses two parallel time-modulated delays to create chorus (thickening) and
anging e ects.
Each delay has its own delay time control, calibrated in milliseconds. Delay 1 has a highpass
flter that can remove low requencies rom the delayed signal. Greater highpass values let only
very high requencies pass through to Delay 1.
Delay 2 can switch among three di erent modes. When o , only Delay 1 is audible. In Fix
Mode, only Delay 1’s delay time will be modulated. When Mod is activated, Delay 2 will re-
ceive the same modulation as Delay 1.
To set both delay lines to Delay 1’s delay time, turn on the link button (”=”). This is especially use-
ul i you want to change both delays with a single gesture.
The Modulation X-Y controller can impart ”motion” to the sounds. To change the modulation rate
or the delay times, click and drag along the horizontal axis. To change the amount o modula-
tion, click and drag along the vertical axis.
You can also make changes by entering parameter values in the Amount and Rate felds below
the X-Y controller. The Amount value is in milliseconds, while the modulation requency rate is in
Hertz.
Clicking the *20 switch multiplies the modulation requency by 20 to achieve more extreme
sounds.
The Feedback control determines how much o the output signal eeds back into the input, while
the Polarity switch sets (surprise!) the polarity. Polarity changes have the most e ect with high
amounts o eedback and short delay times.
The Dry/Wet control adjusts the balance between the processed and dry signals. Set it to 100
percent when using Chorus in a return track.
Enabling the Crisp option via the [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu can improve
the sound quality, particularly at higher requencies. This is enabled by de ault, except when
loading Sets that use Chorus and were made in earlier versions o Live.
22.7 Compressor
The Compressor E ect.

A compressor reduces gain or signals above a user-settable threshold. Compression reduces

the levels o peaks, opening up more headroom and allowing the overall signal level to be
turned up. This gives the signal a higher average level, resulting in a sound that is subjectively
louder and ”punchier” than an uncompressed signal.
A compressor’s two most important parameters are the Threshold and the compression Ratio.
The Threshold slider sets where compression begins. Signals above the threshold are attenuated
by an amount specifed by the Ratio parameter, which sets the ratio between the input and out-
put signal. For example, with a compression ratio o 3, i a signal above the threshold increases
by 3 dB, the compressor output will increase by only 1 dB. I a signal above the threshold in-
creases by 6 dB, then the output will increase by only 2 dB. A ratio o 1 means no compression,
regardless o the threshold.
The orange Gain Reduction meter shows how much the gain is being reduced at any given mo-
ment. The more reduction, the more audible the e ect; a gain reduction above 6 dB or so might
produce the desired loudness, but signifcantly alters the sound and is easily capable o destroy-
ing its dynamic structure. This is something that cannot be undone in later production steps. Keep
this in mind especially when using a compressor, limiter or sound loudness-maximizing tool in
the master channel. Less is o ten more here.
Because compression reduces the volume o loud signals and opens up headroom, you can use
the Output (Out) control so that the peaks once again hit the maximum available headroom. The
Output meter shows the output signal’s level. Enabling the Makeup button automatically com-
pensates the output level i the threshold and ratio settings change.
Dry/Wet adjusts the balance between the compressed and uncompressed signals. At 100%,
only the compressed signal is heard, while at 0%, the device is e ectively bypassed.
The Knee control adjusts how gradually or abruptly compression occurs as the threshold is ap-
proached. With a setting o 0 dB, no compression is applied to signals below the threshold, and
ull compression is applied to any signal at or above the threshold. With very high ratios, this
so-called ”hard knee” behavior can sound harsh. With higher (or ”so t”) knee values, the com-
pressor begins compressing gradually as the threshold is approached. For example, with a 10
dB knee and a -20 dB threshold, subtle compression will begin at -30 dB and increase so that
signals at -10 dB will be ully compressed.
Compressor’s display can be switched between several modes via switches in the bottom cor-
ners o the display:
•The Collapsed view shows only the essential controls.
Compressor’s Collapsed View
•The Trans er Curve shows the input level on the horizontal axis and output level vertically.
This view is use ul or setting the Knee parameter, which is visible as a pair o dotted lines
around the threshold.
Compressor’s Trans er Curve.
•The Activity view shows the level o the input signal in light gray. In this mode, the GR and
Output switches toggle between showing the amount o gain reduction in orange or the
output level in a darker gray. These views are use ul or visualizing what’s happening to the
signal over time.
Compression Activity Display, Showing Input and Output.
The Attack and Release controls are essential parameters or controlling the response time o
Compressor by defning how ast it reacts to input-level changes.
Attack defnes how long it takes to reach maximum compression once a signal exceeds the
threshold, while Release sets how long it takes or the compressor to return to normal operation
a ter the signal alls below the threshold. With Auto Release enabled, the release time will adjust
automatically based on the incoming audio.
A slight amount o attack time (10-50 ms) allows peaks to come through unprocessed, which
helps preserve dynamics by accentuating the initial portion o the signal. I these peaks cause
overloads, you can try shortening the attack time, but extremely short times take the ”li e” out o
the signal, and may lead to a slight “buzziness” caused by distortion. Short release times can
cause ”pumping” as the compressor tries to fgure out whether to compress or not; while gener-
ally considered an undesirable e ect, some engineers use it on ull drum kits to give unusual
”sucking” e ects. Care ul adjustment o attack and release times is essential when it comes to
compression o rhythmical sources. I you are not used to working with compressors, play a
drum loop and spend some time adjusting Attack, Release, Threshold and Gain. It can be very
exciting!
A compressor can only react to an input signal once it occurs. Since it also needs to apply an at-
tack/release envelope, the compression is always a bit too late. A digital compressor can solve
this problem by simply delaying the input signal a little bit. Compressor o ers three di erent
Lookahead times: zero ms, one ms and ten ms. The results may sound pretty di erent depending
on this setting.
Compressor can be switched between three basic modes o operation. With Peak selected,
Compressor reacts to short peaks within a signal. This mode is more aggressive and precise,
and so works well or limiting tasks where you need to ensure that there are absolutely no signals
over the set threshold. RMS mode causes Compressor to be less sensitive to very short peaks
and compress only when the incoming level has exceeded the threshold or a slightly longer
time. RMS is closer to how people actually perceive loudness and is usually considered more
”musical.”
In Expand mode, the Ratio can also be set to values below 1. In this state, Compressor acts as
an upward expander, and will increase the gain when signals exceed the threshold. (For more
in ormation about the various types o dynamics processing, see the Multiband Dynamics chap-
ter (page 389).)
In addition to these modes, Compressor can be switched between two envelope ollower
shapes that o er urther options or how the device measures and responds to signal levels. In
linear (Lin) mode, the speed o the compression response is determined entirely by the Attack
and Release values. In logarithmic (Log) mode, sharply compressed peaks will have a aster
release time than less compressed material. This can result in smoother and less noticeable com-
pression than Lin mode. Note that the Lin/Log switch is not visible in Compressor’s collapsed
view.
22.7.1 Sidechain Parameters
The Compressor Device With Sidechain Section.
Normally, the signal being compressed and the input source that triggers the compressor are the
same signal. But by using sidechaining, it is possible to compress a signal based on the level o
another signal or a specifc requency component. To access the Sidechain parameters, un old
the Compressor window by toggling the button in its title bar.
The sidechain parameters are divided into two sections. On the le t are the external controls.
Enabling this section with the Sidechain button allows you to select any o Live’s internal routing
points (page 220) rom the choosers below. This causes the selected source to act as the com-
pressor’s trigger, instead o the signal that is actually being compressed.
you to use a combination o sidechain and original signal as the compressor’s trigger. With Dry/
Wet at 100%, the compressor is triggered entirely by the sidechain source. At 0%, the sidechain
is e ectively bypassed. Note that increasing the gain does not increase the volume o the source
signal in the mix. The sidechain audio is only a trigger or the compressor and is never actually
heard.
Note that automatic Makeup is not available when using external sidechain.
On the right o the external section are the controls or the sidechain EQ. Enabling this section
causes the compressor to be triggered by a specifc band o requencies, instead o a complete
signal. These can either be requencies in the compressed signal or, by using the EQ in conjunc-
tion with an external sidechain, requencies in another track’s audio.
The headphones button between the external and EQ sections allows you to listen to only the
sidechain input, bypassing the compressor’s output. Since the sidechain audio isn’t ed to the
output, and is only a trigger or the compressor, this temporary listening option can make it much
easier to set sidechain parameters and hear what’s actually making the compressor work.
22.7.2 Compression Tips

This section presents some tips or using Compressor e ectively, particularly with the sidechain
options.
Mixing a Voiceover
Sidechaining is commonly used or so-called ”ducking” e ects. For example, imagine that
you have one track containing a voiceover and another track containing background music.
Since you want the voiceover to always be the loudest source in the mix, the background music
must get out o the way every time the narrator is speaking. To do this automatically, insert a
Compressor on the music track, but select the narration track’s output as the external sidechain
source.
Sidechaining in Dance Music

Sidechaining/ducking is a dance music producer’s secret weapon because it can help to ensure
that basslines (or even whole mixes) always make room or the kick drum. By inserting a com-
pressor on the bass (or master) track and using the kick drum’s track as the sidechain input, you
can help to control problematic low requencies that might inter ere with the kick drum’s attack.
Using the sidechain EQ in conjunction with this technique can create ducking e ects even i you
only have a mixed drum track to work with (as opposed to an isolated kick drum). In this case,
insert the Compressor on the track you want to duck. Then choose the drum track as the external
sidechain source. Then enable the sidechain EQ and select the lowpass flter. By care ully adjust-
ing the Frequency and Q settings, you should be able to isolate the kick drum rom the rest o the
drum mix. Using the sidechain listen mode can help you tune the EQ until you fnd settings you’re
happy with.
22.7.3 Upgrading rom Legacy Mode

Compressor’s internal algorithms were updated in Live 9, in collaboration with Dr. Joshua D.
Reiss o the Centre or Digital Music, Queen Mary University o London.
Live Sets that use Compressor and which were made in earlier versions o Live will show an Up-
grade button in the title bar o each instance o Compressor when loading the Set in Live 9. Press
the Upgrade button in order to upgrade that Compressor instance to the latest, improved algo-
rithms. Note that this may cause your Set to sound di erent.
22.8 Corpus
The Corpus E ect.
(Note: the Corpus e ect is not available in the Intro, Standard and Lite Editions.)
Corpus is an e ect that simulates the acoustic characteristics o seven types o resonant objects.
Developed in collaboration with Applied Acoustics Systems, Corpus uses physical modelling
technology to provide a wide range o parameters and modulation options.
The requency and/or decay rate o the resonance can be MIDI modulated, by enabling the
Frequency and/or O Decay switches in the Sidechain section. Toggle the button in Corpus’s
title bar to access Sidechain parameters. The MIDI From choosers allow you to select the MIDI
track and tapping point rom which to receive MIDI note in ormation.
With Frequency enabled, the tuning o the resonance is determined by the incoming MIDI note.
I multiple notes are held simultaneously, the Last/Low switch determines whether the last or the
lowest note will have priority. The Transpose and Fine knobs allow or coarse and fne o set o
the MIDI-modulated tuning. PB Range sets the range in semitones o pitch bend modulation.
With Frequency disabled, the Tune control adjusts the base requency o the resonance in Hertz.
The corresponding MIDI note number and fne tuning o set in cents is displayed below.
Enabling O Decay causes MIDI note o messages to mute the resonance. The slider below the
switch determines the extent to which MIDI note o messages mute the resonance. At 0%, note
o s are ignored, and the decay time is based only on the value o the Decay parameter, which
is located under the Resonance Type selector. This is similar to how real-world mallet instruments
such as a marimbas and glockenspiels behave. At 100%, the resonance is muted immediately at
note o , regardless o the Decay time.
You can hide or show the Sidechain parameters by toggling the button in Corpus’s title bar.
This button will light up i the sidechain is active.
Corpus contains a Low Frequency Oscillator (LFO) to modulate the resonant requency. The
Amount control sets how much the LFO a ects the requency.
The Rate control specifes the LFO speed. It can be set in terms o Hertz, or synced to the song
tempo, allowing or controlled rhythmic modulation.
Available LFO wave orm shapes are sine (creates smooth modulations with rounded peaks and
valleys), square, triangle, sawtooth up, sawtooth down and two types o noise (stepped and
smooth).
Although only one set o LFO controls is visible, there are actually two LFOs, one or each stereo
channel. The Phase and Spin controls defne the relationship between these two LFOs.
Phase (available only when the LFOs are synced to song tempo) keeps both LFOs at the same
requency, but can set the two LFO wave orms ”out o phase” with each other, creating stereo
movement. Set to ”180”, the LFO outputs are 180 degrees apart, so that when one LFO reaches
its peak, the other is at its minimum. With Phase set to ”360” or ”0” the two LFOs run in sync.
Spin (only available when the LFOs are in Hertz mode) detunes the two LFO speeds relative to
each other. Each stereo channel is modulated at a di erent requency, as determined by the
Spin amount.
For the noise wave orms, the Phase and Spin controls are not relevant and do not a ect the
sound.
Spread detunes the two resonators in relation to each other. Positive values raise the pitch o the
le t resonator while lowering the pitch o the right one, while negative values do the opposite. At
0%, the resonators are tuned the same.
The resonance type chooser allows you to select rom seven types o physically modeled reso-
nant objects:
•Beam simulates the resonance properties o beams o di erent materials and sizes.
•Marimba, a specialized variant o the Beam model, reproduces the characteristic tuning o
marimba bar overtones which are produced as a result o the deep arch-cut o the bars.
•String simulates the sound produced by strings o di erent materials and sizes.
•Membrane is a model o a rectangular membrane (such as a drum head) with a variable

size and construction.
•Plate simulates sound production by a rectangular plate (a at sur ace) o di erent materi-
als and sizes.
•Pipe simulates a cylindrical tube that is ully open at one end and has a variable opening
at the other (adjusted with the Opening parameter.)
•Tube simulates a cylindrical tube that is ully open at both ends.
The resonator quality chooser controls the tradeo between the sound quality o the resonators
and per ormance by reducing the number o overtones that are calculated. ”Basic” uses minimal
CPU resources, while ”Full” creates more sophisticated resonances. This parameter is not used
with the Pipe or Tube resonators.
The Decay knob adjusts the amount o internal damping in the resonator, and thus the decay
time.
The Material knob adjusts the variation o the damping at di erent requencies. At lower values,
low requency components decay slower than high requency components (which simulates
objects made o wood, nylon or rubber). At higher values, high requency components decay
slower (which simulates objects made o glass or metal). This parameter is not used with the Pipe
or Tube resonators.
The Radius parameter is only available or the Pipe and Tube resonators. Radius adjusts the ra-
dius o the pipe or tube. As the radius increases, the decay time and high requency sustain both
increase. At very large sizes, the undamental pitch o the resonator also changes.
The Decay and Material/Radius parameters can also be controlled with the X-Y controller.
Ratio is only available or the Membrane and Plate resonators, and adjusts the ratio o the ob-
ject’s size along its x and y axes.
The Brightness control adjusts the amplitude o various requency components. At higher values,
higher requencies are louder. This parameter is not used with the Pipe or Tube resonators.
Inharm. (Inharmonics) adjusts the pitch o the resonator’s harmonics. At negative values, re-
quencies are compressed, increasing the amount o lower partials. At positive values, requen-
cies are stretched, increasing the amount o upper partials. This parameter is not used with the
Pipe or Tube resonators.
Opening, which is only available or the Pipe resonator, scales between an open and closed
pipe. At 0%, the pipe is ully closed on one side, while at 100% the pipe is open at both ends.
The Listening L and R controls adjust the location on the le t and right resonator where the vibra-
tions are measured. At 0%, the resonance is monitored at the object’s center. Higher values
move the listening point closer to the edge. These parameters are not used with the Pipe or Tube
resonators, which are always measured in the middle o their permanently open end.
The Hit knob adjusts the location on the resonator at which the object is struck or otherwise ac-
tivated. At 0%, the object is hit at its center. Higher values move the activation point closer to the
edge. This parameter is not used with the Pipe or Tube resonators.
The processed signal is ed through a lowpass and highpass flter that can be controlled with an
X-Y controller. To defne the flter bandwidth, click and drag on the vertical axis. To set the posi-
tion o the requency band, click and drag on the horizontal axis. The flter can be toggled on or
o with the Filter switch.
Width adjusts the stereo mix between the le t and right resonators. At 0%, both resonators are
ed equally to each side, resulting in mono output. At 100%, each resonator is sent exclusively to
one channel.
Bleed mixes a portion o the unprocessed signal with the resonated signal. At higher values,
more o the original signal is applied. This is use ul or restoring high requencies, which can
o ten be damped when the tuning or quality are set to low values. This parameter is unavailable
with the Pipe or Tube resonators.
Gain boosts or attenuates the level o the processed signal, while the Dry/Wet control adjusts
the balance between the dry input signal and the signal sent to Corpus’s processing. Turning
Dry/Wet down will not cut resonances that are currently sounding, but rather stop new input
signals rom being processed.
Corpus contains a built-in limiter that automatically activates when the audio level is too high.
This is indicated by the LED in the upper-right corner o Corpus’s display.
22.9 Drum Buss
The Drum Buss E ect.
(Note: the Drum Buss e ect is not available in the Intro and Lite Editions.)
Drum Buss is an analog-style drum processor that was designed to add body and character to a
group o drums, while gluing them together in a tight mix.
The Trim slider lets you reduce the input level be ore any processing is applied to the signal.
The Comp toggle applies a fxed compressor to the input signal be ore it is processed by the dis-
tortion. The compressor is optimized or balancing out groups o drums, with ast attack, medium
release and moderate ratio settings, as well as ample makeup gain.
There are three types o distortion which can be applied to the input signal. Each distortion type
adds an increasing degree o distortion, while lending its own character to the overall sound:
•So t: waveshaping distortion
•Medium: limiting distortion
•Hard: clipping distortion with bass boost
For more intensity, it is possible to drive the input prior to distorting it. The Drive control lets you
determine how much drive is applied to the input signal.
Drum Buss combines commonly-used drum processing tools or shaping the mid-high range and
flling out the low end, which we will look at in the ollowing sections.
Mid-High Frequency Shaping

The mid-high requency shaping tools are designed to add clarity and presence to drums such
as snares and hi-hats.
Crunch adjusts the amount o sine-shaped distortion applied to mid-high requencies.
The Damp control is a low-pass flter, which removes unwanted high requencies that can occur
a ter adding distortion.
The Transients knob emphasizes or de-emphasizes the transients o requencies above 100 Hz.
Positive values add attack and increase sustain, resulting in a ull, “punchy” sound. Negative
values also add attack, but decrease sustain. This tightens up the drums, giving them a sharper,
more crisp sound with less room and rattle.
Low-End Enhancement
Drum Buss’s low-end enhancement is made up o two tools: a resonant flter, which dramatically
boosts bass requencies, as well as a Decay control, which allows you to adjust the decay rate
o both the incoming audio and the signal processed by the resonant flter. These tools help you
to fll out the low-end o your drums.
The Boom knob adjusts the amount o low-end enhancement that the resonant flter produces.
The Bass Meter lets you see the Boom’s e ect on the signal, which can be particularly use ul i
you can’t hear it.
The Freq knob adjusts the requency o the low-end enhancer. Force To Note lets you tune the
low-end enhancer by setting its requency to the value o the nearest MIDI note.
The Decay control adjusts the decay rate o the low requencies. When the Boom amount is set
to 0%, the decay a ects the incoming (post-drive and distortion) signal only. When the “Boom
Level” is adjusted above 0%, the decay a ects both the incoming and processed signals.
To solo the result o the low- requency enhancer, enable Boom Audition via the headphone icon.
Output
The Output Gain slider sets the amount o gain applied to the processed signal.
22.10 Dynamic Tube
The Dynamic Tube E ect.
(Note: the Dynamic Tube e ect is not available in the Intro and Lite Editions.)
The Dynamic Tube e ect in uses sounds with the peculiarities o tube saturation. An integrated
envelope ollower generates dynamic tonal variations related to the level o the input signal.
Three tube models, A, B and C, provide a range o distortion characteristics known rom real
amplifer tubes. Tube A does not produce distortions i Bias is set low, but will kick in whenever
the input signal exceeds a certain threshold, creating bright harmonics. Tube C is a very poor
tube amp that produces distortions all the time. The qualities o Tube B lie somewhere between
these two extremes.
The Tone control sets the spectral distribution o the distortions, directing them into the higher
registers, or through the midrange and deeper.
The Drive control determines how much signal reaches the tube; greater Drive yields a dirtier
output. The intensity o the tube is controlled by the Bias dial, which pushes the signal into the
celebrated realms o nonlinear distortion. With very high amounts o Bias, the signal will really
start to break apart.
The Bias parameter can be positively or negatively modulated by an envelope ollower, which is
controlled with the Envelope knob. The more deeply the envelope is applied, the more the Bias
point will be in uenced by the level o the input signal. Negative Envelope values create expan-
sion e ects by reducing distortion on loud signals, while positive values will make loud sounds
dirtier.
Attack and Release are envelope characteristics that defne how quickly the envelope reacts to
volume changes in the input signal. Together, they shape the dynamic nature o the distortions.
Note that i Envelope is set to zero, they will have no e ect.
Cut or boost the device’s fnal signal level with the Output dial.
Aliasing can be reduced by enabling Hi-Quality mode, which can be accessed via the [right-
click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu. This improves the sound quality, particularly with
high requency signals, but there is a slight increase in CPU usage.
22.11 Echo
The Echo E ect.
(Note: the Echo e ect is not available in the Intro, Lite and Standard Editions.)
Echo is a modulation delay e ect that lets you set the delay time on two independent delay
lines, while giving you control over envelope and flter modulation.
The Channel Mode buttons let you choose between three di erent modes: Stereo, Ping Pong
and Mid/Side.
The Le t and Right delay line controls let you choose the delay time, which can be set in beat
divisions or milliseconds, depending on the state o the Sync switch. Note that when the Mid/
Side channel mode is selected, the Le t and Right delay line controls are replaced with Mid and
Side knobs.
You can use the Sync Mode choosers to select one o the ollowing beat-synced modes: Notes,
Triplet, Dotted and 16th. Note that when switching between Sync Modes, the resulting changes
are only audible while the Sync switch is set to Sync.
When Stereo Link is engaged, changing either channel’s delay line control, Sync switch or Sync
Mode settings will apply the changes to both sides.
Changing the Delay O set sliders shortens or extends the delay time by ractional amounts, thus
producing the ”swing” type o timing e ect ound in drum machines. Note that when Stereo Link
is enabled, the Delay O set can still be adjusted individually or the two delay lines.
The Input knob sets the amount o gain applied to the dry signal. To apply distortion to the dry
signal, press the “D” button.
The Feedback parameter defnes how much o each channel’s output signal eeds back into the
delay lines’ inputs. The “Ø“ button inverts each channel’s output signal be ore adding it back to
their inputs.
22.11.1 Echo Tab

The Echo tab provides a visualization and control o the delay lines and flter parameters.
Echo’s Tunnel Visualization.
The Echo Tunnel’s circular lines represent the individual repeats, progressing rom the outside o
the tunnel to its center. The distance between the lines indicates the time between the repeats,
and the white dots in the middle orm a fxed 1/8th note grid or re erence. You can adjust the
delay times or each delay line by clicking and dragging in the display.
Echo’s Filter.
The Filter toggle enables a high-pass and low-pass flter. The HP slider adjusts the cuto re-
quency o the high-pass flter and the adjacent Res slider adjusts the high-pass flter’s resonance.
The LP slider adjusts the cuto requency o the low-pass flter, and you can use the Res slider on
the right side to adjust the low-pass flter’s resonance.
The Filter Display makes it possible to visualize the flter curves. To show or hide the Filter Dis-
play, use the triangular toggle button. You can also adjust the flter parameters by clicking and
dragging either o the flter dots in the Filter Display.
22.11.2 Modulation Tab

Echo’s Modulation tab contains an LFO that modulates flter requency and delay time, and an
envelope ollower that can be blended with the LFO.
Echo’s Modulation Tab.
You can choose rom one o six di erent modulation wave orms including sine, triangle, saw-
tooth up, sawtooth down, square, and noise. The selected wave orm will appear in the display,
which you can drag to adjust the modulation requency.
When Sync is enabled, modulation is synchronized to the song tempo. You can use the Rate
slider to set the requency o the modulation oscillator in beat divisions. When Sync is disabled,
you can use the Freq slider to adjust requency o the modulation oscillator in Hertz.
Phase adjusts the amount o o set between the wave orms or the le t and right channel. At
180°, the channels will be per ectly out o phase.
Mod Delay adjusts the amount o modulation that is applied to the delay time. Modulation x4
scales the delay time modulation depth by a actor o our. With short delay times, this produces
deep anging sounds.
Mod Filter adjusts the amount o modulation that is applied to the flter.
Env Mix blends between the modulation oscillator and an envelope ollower. At 100%, only the
envelope’s modulation will be heard. At 0%, only the LFO’s modulation will be heard.
22.11.3 Character Tab

Echo’s Character tab contains parameters that control dynamics and add imper ections to your
sound.
Echo’s Character Tab.
Gate enables a gate at Echo’s input. It mutes the signal components below its threshold. Thresh-
old sets the threshold level that incoming audio signals must exceed in order to open the gate.
Release sets how long it takes or the gate to close a ter the signal has dropped below the
threshold.
When Ducking is enabled, the wet signal is proportionally reduced as long as there is an input
signal. Ducking begins to a ect the output signal when the input level exceeds the set Threshold.
Release sets how long it takes or ducking to stop a ter the input signal drops below the thresh-
old.
When enabled, Noise introduces noise to simulate the character o vintage equipment. You can
adjust the Amount o noise added to the signal, and Morph between di erent types o noise.
When enabled, Wobble adds an irregular modulation o the delay time to simulate tape delays.
You can adjust the Amount o wobble added to the signal, and Morph between di erent types
o wobble modulation.
Repitch causes a pitch variation when changing the delay time, similar to the behavior o hard-
ware delay units. When Repitch is disabled, changing the delay time creates a cross ade be-
tween the old and new delay times.
Note that in order to save CPU, the Echo device turns itsel o at least eight seconds a ter its
input stops producing sound. However, Echo will not switch o i both the Noise and Gate pa-
rameters are enabled.
22.11.4 Global Controls

The Reverb knob sets the amount o reverb added, and you use the Reverb Location chooser to
set where the reverb is added in the processing chain: pre delay, post delay, or within the eed-
back loop. Use the Decay slider to lengthen or shorten the reverb tail.
The Stereo control sets the stereo width o the wet signal. 0% yields a mono signal whereas val-
ues above 100% create a widened stereo panorama.
The Output sets the amount o gain applied to the processed signal. The Dry/Wet knob adjusts
the balance between the processed and dry signals. Set this to 100% when using Echo in a re-
turn track.
22.12 EQ Eight
The EQ Eight E ect.
(Note: the EQ Eight e ect is not available in the Intro and Lite Editions.)
The EQ Eight e ect is an equalizer eaturing up to eight parametric flters per input channel, use-
ul or changing a sound’s timbre.
The input signal can be processed using one o three modes: Stereo, L/R and M/S. Stereo
mode uses a single curve to flter both channels o a stereo input equally. L/R mode provides an
independently adjustable flter curve or the le t and right channels o a stereo input; M/S mode
(Mid/Side) provides the same unctionality or signals that have been recorded using M/S en-
coding. In all modes, the requency spectrum o the output is displayed behind the flter curves
when the Analyze switch is on.
When using the L/R and M/S modes, both curves are displayed simultaneously or re erence,
although only the active channel is editable. The Edit switch indicates the active channel, and is
used to toggle between the two curves.
Each flter has a chooser that allows you to switch between eight responses. From top to bottom
in the choosers, these are:
•48 or 12 dB/octave Low cut (cuts requencies below the specifed requency);
•Low shel (boosts or cuts requencies lower than the specifed requency);
•Bell curve (boosts or cuts over a range o requencies);

•Notch (sharply cuts requencies within a narrow range);
•High shel (boosts or cuts requencies higher than the specifed requency);
•12 or 48 dB/octave High cut (cuts requencies above the specifed requency).
Each flter band can be turned on or o independently with an activator switch below the
chooser. Turn o bands that are not in use to save CPU power. To achieve really drastic fltering
e ects, assign the same parameters to two or more flters.
To edit the flter curve, click and drag on the flter dots in the display. Drag-enclose multiple flter
dots to adjust them simultaneously, either with the mouse or with your computer keyboard’s ar-
row keys. Horizontal movement changes the flter requency, while vertical movement adjusts
the flter band’s gain. To adjust the flter Q (also called resonance or bandwidth), hold down
the [ALT](PC) / [ALT](Mac) modifer while dragging the mouse. Note that the gain cannot be
adjusted or the low cut, notch and high cut flters. In these modes, vertical dragging adjusts the
flter Q.
To get an even better view, you can toggle the location o the display between the device chain
and Live’s main window by clicking the button in EQ Eight’s title bar. When using this expand-
ed view, all eight flters can be edited simultaneously in the Device View.
EQ Eight’s Controls With the Display Expanded.
By de ault, EQ Eight’s output spectrum is shown in the display. I you would pre er to work en-
tirely “by ear,” you can turn o the Analyze button to disable the spectrum view.
With Adaptive Q enabled, the Q amount increases as the amount o boost or cut increases. This
results in a more consistent output volume and is based on the behavior o classic analog EQs.
To temporarily solo a single flter, enable Audition mode via the headphone icon. In Audition
mode, clicking and holding on a flter dot allows you to hear only that flter’s e ect on the output.
You can also select a band or editing by clicking near its number and then edit parameter val-
ues with the Freq, Gain and Q dials (and/or type values into the number felds below each dial).
As boosting will increase levels and cutting will decrease levels, use the global Gain slider to
optimize the output level or maximum level consistent with minimum distortion.
The Scale feld will adjust the gain o all flters that support gain (all except low cut, notch and
high cut).
Context Menu Options

Several o EQ Eight’s controls are only available via the [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac)
context menu. These include:
•Oversampling - enabling this option causes EQ Eight to internally process two times the
current sample rate, which allows or smoother flter behavior when adjusting high re-
quencies. There is a slight increase in CPU usage with Oversampling enabled.
•Shel Scaling Legacy Mode - As o Live 9, the shape o EQ Eight’s shel flters has been
improved. Live Sets that use EQ Eight and which were made prior to Live 9 may sound
slightly di erent. To ensure that older Sets sound exactly the same, the Shel Scaling Leg-
acy Mode option will be enabled by de ault when loading an old Set that uses EQ Eight.
You can disable this via a [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu entry in EQ
Eight’s title bar.
Note: as o Live 9, the “Hi-Quality” [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu option

has been removed. EQ Eight now always operates in this mode.
22.13 EQ Three
The EQ Three E ect.
I you have ever used a good DJ mixer you will know what this is: An EQ that allows you to ad-
just the level o low, mid and high requencies independently.
Each band can be adjusted rom -infnite dB to +6 dB using the gain controls. This means that
you can completely remove, or example, the bass drum or bassline o a track, while leaving the
other requencies untouched.
You can also turn on or o each band using the On/O buttons located under the gain controls.
These buttons are especially handy i assigned to computer keys.
EQ Three gives you visual confrmation o the presence o a signal in each requency band using
three LEDs. Even i a band is turned o , you can tell i there is something going on in it. The inter-
nal threshold or the LEDs is set to -24 dB.
The requency range o each band is defned via two crossover controls: FreqLo and FreqHi. I
FreqLo is set to 500 Hz and FreqHi to 2000 Hz, then the low band goes rom 0 Hz to 500 Hz,
the mid band rom 500 Hz to 2000 Hz and the high band rom 2000 Hz up to whatever your
soundcard or sample rate supports.
A very important control is the 24 dB/48 dB switch. It defnes how sharp the flters are cutting
the signal at the crossover requency. The higher setting results in more drastic fltering, but needs
more CPU.
Note: The flters in this device are optimized to sound more like a good, power ul analog flter
cascade than a clean digital flter. The 48 dB Mode especially does not provide a per ect linear
trans er quality, resulting in a slight coloration o the input signal even i all controls are set to
0.00 dB. This is typical behavior or this kind o flter, and is part o EQ Three’s unique sound. I
you need a more linear behavior choose 24 dB Mode or use the EQ Eight.
22.14 Erosion
The Erosion E ect.
The Erosion e ect degrades the input signal by modulating a short delay with fltered noise or
a sine wave. This adds noisy arti acts or aliasing/downsampling-like distortions that sound very
”digital.”
To change the sine wave requency or noise band center requency, click and drag along the
X-axis in the X-Y feld. The Y-axis controls the modulation amount. I you hold down the [ALT](PC)
/ [ALT](Mac) modifer key while clicking in the X-Y feld, the Y-axis controls the bandwidth. Note
that bandwidth is not adjustable when Sine is selected.
The Frequency control determines the color, or quality, o the distortion. I the Mode control is set
to Noise, this works in conjunction with the Width control, which defnes the noise bandwidth.
Lower values lead to more selective distortion requencies, while higher values a ect the entire
input signal. Width has no e ect in Sine Mode.
Noise and Sine use a single modulation generator. However, Wide Noise has independent
noise generators or the le t and right channels, which creates a subtle stereo enhancement.
22.15 External Audio E ect
The External Audio E ect.
(Note: the External Audio E ect is not available in the Intro and Lite Editions.)
The External Audio E ect is a bit di erent than Live’s other e ects devices. Instead o processing
audio itsel , it allows you to use external (hardware) e ects processors within a track’s device
chain.
The Audio To chooser selects the outputs on your computer’s audio hardware that will go to your
external device, while the Audio From chooser selects the inputs that will bring the processed
signal back into Live. As with the track inputs and outputs, the list o available inputs and outputs
depends on the Audio Pre erences, which can be reached via the ”Confgure...” option at the
bottom o each chooser.
Below each chooser is a Peak level indicator that shows the highest audio level attained. Click
on the indicators to reset them.
The Gain knobs next to the choosers adjust the levels going out o and back into Live. These lev-
els should be set care ully to avoid clipping, both in your external hardware and when returning
the audio to your computer.
percent i using the External Audio E ect in a return track.
The Invert button inverts the phase o the processed signal coming back into Live.
Since hardware e ects introduce latency that Live cannot automatically detect, you can manu-
ally compensate or any delays by adjusting the Hardware Latency slider. The button next to this
slider allows you to set your latency compensation amount in either milliseconds or samples. I
your external device connects to Live via a digital connection, you will want to adjust your la-
tency settings in samples, which ensures that the number o samples you speci y will be retained
even when changing the sample rate. I your external device connects to Live via an analog
connection, you will want to adjust your latency settings in milliseconds, which ensures that the
amount o time you speci y will be retained when changing the sample rate. Note that adjusting
in samples gives you fner control, so even in cases when you’re working with analog devices,
you may want to ”fne tune” your latency in samples in order to achieve the lowest possible la-
tency. In this case, be sure to switch back to milliseconds be ore changing your sample rate.
Note: I the Delay Compensation option (page 279) is unchecked in the Options menu, the
Hardware Latency slider is disabled.
For instructions on how to accurately set up latency compensation or your hardware, please see
the ”Driver Error Compensation” lesson.
22.16 Filter Delay
The Filter Delay E ect.
(Note: the Filter Delay e ect is not available in the Intro and Lite Editions.)
The Filter Delay provides three independent delay lines, each preceded by linked lowpass
and highpass flters. This allows applying delay to only certain input signal requencies, as de-
termined by the flter settings. The eedback rom each o the three delays is also routed back
through the flters.
Each o the three delays can be switched on and o independently. The Filter Delay device as-
signs delay 1 to the input signal’s le t channel, delay 2 to the le t and right channels and delay 3
to the right channel. The Pan controls at the right can override the delay channels’ outputs; other-
wise each delay outputs on the channel rom which it derives its input.
Each delay channel’s flter has an associated On switch, located to the le t o each X-Y control-
ler. The X-Y controllers adjust the lowpass and highpass flters simultaneously or each delay. To
edit flter bandwidth, click and drag on the vertical axis; click and drag on the horizontal axis to
set the flter band’s requency.
To re er delay time to the song tempo, activate the Sync switch, which allows using the Delay
Time beat division chooser. The numbered switches represent time delay in 16th notes. For
example, selecting ”4” delays the signal by our 16th notes, which equals one beat (a quarter
note) o delay. With Sync Mode active, changing the Delay Time feld percentage value short-
ens and extends delay times by ractional amounts, thus producing the ”swing” type o timing
e ect ound in drum machines.
I the Sync switch is o , the delay time reverts to milliseconds. In this case, to edit the delay time,
click and drag up or down in the Delay Time feld, or click in the feld and type in a value.
The Feedback parameter sets how much o the output signal returns to the delay line input. Very
high values can lead to runaway eedback and produce a loud oscillation — watch your ears
and speakers i you decide to check out extreme eedback settings!
Each delay channel has its own volume control, which can be turned up to +12 dB to compen-
sate or drastic fltering at the input.
The Dry control adjusts the unprocessed signal level. Set it to minimum i using Delay in a return
track.
22.17 Flanger
The Flanger E ect.
(Note: the Flanger e ect is not available in the Lite Edition.)
Flanger uses two parallel time-modulated delays to create anging e ects.
Flanger’s delays can be adjusted with the Delay Time control. The Feedback control sends part
o the output signal back through the device input, while the Polarity switch (”+” or ”-”) sets the
polarity. Delay Time and Feedback can be changed simultaneously using the e ect’s X-Y con-
troller.
Periodic control o delay time is possible using the envelope section. You can increase or de-
crease the envelope amount (or invert its shape with negative values), and then use the Attack
and Release controls to defne envelope shape.
Flanger contains two LFOs to modulate delay time or the le t and right stereo channels. The
LFOs have six possible wave orm shapes: sine, square, triangle, sawtooth up, sawtooth down
and random. The extent o LFO in uence on the delays is set with the Amount control.
be synced to the song tempo and set in meter subdivisions (e.g., sixteenth notes).
The Phase control lends the sound stereo movement by setting the LFOs to run at the same re-
quency, but o setting their wave orms relative to each other. Set this to ”180”, and the LFOs will
be per ectly out o phase (180 degrees apart), so that when one reaches its peak, the other is at
its minimum.
Spin detunes the two LFO speeds relative to each other. Each delay is modulated at a di erent
requency, as determined by the Spin amount.
Adjusting the HiPass control will cut low requencies rom the delayed signal.
percent i using Flanger in a return track.
Hi-Quality mode can be toggled on or o via a [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context

menu entry. Enabling Hi-Quality results in a brighter sound, but there is a very slight increase in
CPU usage.
22.18 Frequency Shi ter
The Frequency Shi ter E ect.
(Note: the Frequency Shi ter e ect is not available in the Intro and Lite Editions.)
The Frequency Shi ter moves the requencies o incoming audio up or down by a user-specifed
amount in Hertz. Small amounts o shi t can result in subtle tremolo or phasing e ects, while
large shi ts can create dissonant, metallic sounds.
The Coarse and Fine knobs set the amount o shi t that will be applied to the input. For example,
i the input is a sine wave at 440 Hz and the requency is set to 100 Hz, the output will be a sine
wave at 540 Hz.
By changing the Mode rom Shi t to Ring, Frequency Shi ter switches rom classical requency
shi ting to ring modulation. In Ring mode, the selected requency amount is added to and sub-
tracted rom the input. For example, i the incoming audio signal (A) is a sine wave at 440 Hz
and the Frequency is set to 100 Hz (B), the output will contain partials at 340 Hz (A-B) and 540
Hz (A+B).
The Drive button enables a distortion e ect, while the slider below it controls the level o the
distortion. Drive is only available in Ring mode.
Enabling the Wide button creates a stereo e ect by inverting the polarity o the Spread value or
the right channel. This means that increasing the Spread value will shi t the requency down in
the right channel while shi ting it up in the le t. Note that Wide has no e ect i the Spread value
is set to 0.
Frequency Shi ter contains two LFOs to modulate the requency or the le t and right stereo chan-
nels. The LFOs have six possible wave orm shapes: sine, square, triangle, sawtooth up, sawtooth
down and random. The extent o LFO in uence on the requency is set with the Amount control.
LFO speed is controlled with the Rate control, which can be set in terms o Hertz. Rate can also
its minimum.
Spin detunes the two LFO speeds relative to each other. Each stereo channel is modulated at a
di erent requency, as determined by the Spin amount.
When using the random wave orm, the Phase and Spin controls are not relevant and do not a -
ect the sound.
The Dry/Wet control adjusts the balance between the processed and dry signals. This knob is
called Mix when Drive is enabled. Note that the Drive e ect is post-Mix, which means that you
can use Frequency Shi ter as a pure distortion e ect by enabling Drive and setting Mix to 0%.
Frequency shi ting is accomplished by simply adding or subtracting a value in Hertz to the in-
coming audio. This is distinct rom pitch shi ting, in which the ratios o the incoming requencies
(and thus their harmonic relationships) are preserved. For example, imagine you have an incom-
ing audio signal consisting o sine waves an octave apart at 440 Hz and 880 Hz. To pitch shi t
this up an octave, we multiply these requencies by two, resulting in new requencies at 880 Hz
and 1760 Hz.
22.18.1 Frequency Shi ter Tips

Frequency shi ting and ring modulation can produce some very interesting sounds. Here are
some tips or using the Frequency Shi ter device.
Drum tuning
Tuning sampled acoustic drums can be tricky. Using a sampler’s transposition controls o ten
changes the character o the sounds in unrealistic ways, resulting in ”pinched” or ”tubby” sam-
ples. Frequency shi ting can be a use ul alternative.
Try using the device in Shi t mode with the Dry/Wet amount at 100%. Then adjust the Fine re-
quency no more than about 100 Hz up or down. This should change the apparent size and tun-
ing o the drum while retaining the quality o the original sample.
Phasing
To create lush phasing e ects, try using extremely small amounts o shi t (no more than about 2
Hz). Note that the phasing is caused by the interaction o the processed and dry signals, so you
won’t hear an e ect until you adjust the Dry/Wet balance so that both are audible; the strongest
phasing will be heard when Dry/Wet is at 50%.
Tremolo
In Ring mode, requencies below the audible range (about 20 Hz) create a tremolo e ect. You
can also impart a sense o stereo motion to the tremolo by turning on Wide and using small
Spread values.
Learning more...
Try putting a Spectrum device (page 411) a ter the Frequency Shi ter to watch how the signal
changes as you change parameters. To get a good overview o what’s happening, try using a
simple, continuous sine wave as your input.
22.19 Gate
The Gate E ect.
(Note: the Gate e ect is not available in the Lite Edition.)
The Gate e ect passes only signals whose level exceeds a user-specifed threshold. A gate can
eliminate low-level noise that occurs between sounds (e.g., hiss or hum), or shape a sound by
turning up the threshold so that it cuts o reverb or delay tails or truncates an instrument’s natural
decay.
As o Live 9, Gate’s internal behavior has been subtly improved. Although it works more “cor-
rectly” than it did in previous Live versions, Live Sets that use Gate and which were made prior
to Live 9 may sound slightly di erent. To ensure that older Sets sound exactly the same, the Gate
Legacy Mode option will be enabled by de ault when loading an old Set that uses Gate. You
can disable this via a [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu entry in Gate’s title bar.
Gate’s display area shows the level o the input signal in light gray and the level o the output
signal in a darker gray with a white outline. This allows you to see the amount o gating that is
occurring at any moment, and helps you to set the appropriate parameters.
The Threshold knob sets the gate’s sensitivity. The Threshold value is represented in the display as
a horizontal blue line, which can also be dragged.
Return (also known as “hysteresis”) sets the di erence between the level that opens the gate
and the level that closes it. Higher hysteresis values reduce “chatter” caused by the gate rapidly
opening and closing when the input signal is near the threshold level. The Return value is repre-
sented in the display as an additional horizontal orange line.
With the Flip button enabled, the gate works in reverse; the signal will only pass i its level is
below the threshold.
A gate can only react to an input signal once it occurs. Since it also needs to apply an attack/
release envelope, the gating is always a bit too late. A digital gate can solve this problem by
simply delaying the input signal a little bit. Gate o ers three di erent Lookahead times: zero ms,
one ms and ten ms. The results may sound pretty di erent depending on this setting.
The Attack time determines how long it takes or the gate to switch rom closed to open when a
signal goes rom below to above the threshold. Very short attack times can produce sharp click-
ing sounds, while long times so ten the sound’s attack.
When the signal goes rom above to below the threshold, the Hold time kicks in. A ter the hold
time expires, the gate closes over a period o time set by the Release parameter.
The Floor knob sets the amount o attenuation that will be applied when the gate is closed. I set
to -in dB, a closed gate will mute the input signal. A setting o 0.00 dB means that even i the
gate is closed, there is no e ect on the signal. Settings in between these two extremes attenuate
the input to a greater or lesser degree when the gate is closed.
Normally, the signal being gated and the input source that triggers the gate are the same signal.
But by using sidechaining, it is possible to gate a signal based on the level o another signal. To
access the Sidechain parameters, un old the Gate window by toggling the button in its title
bar.
Enabling this section with the Sidechain button allows you to select another track rom the choos-
ers below. This causes the selected track’s signal to act as the gate’s trigger, instead o the signal
that is actually being gated.
you to use a combination o sidechain and original signal as the gate’s trigger. With Dry/Wet at
100%, the gate is triggered entirely by the sidechain source. At 0%, the sidechain is e ectively
bypassed. Note that increasing the gain does not increase the volume o the source signal in the
mix. The sidechain audio is only a trigger or the gate and is never actually heard.
Sidechain gating can be used to superimpose rhythmic patterns rom one source onto another.
For example, a held pad sound can be triggered with the rhythm o a drum loop by inserting a
Gate on the pad’s track and choosing the drum loop’s track as the sidechain input.
causes the gate to be triggered by a specifc band o requencies, instead o a complete signal.
These can either be requencies in the signal to be gated or, by using the EQ in conjunction with
an external sidechain, requencies in another track’s audio.
sidechain input, bypassing the gate’s output. Since the sidechain audio isn’t ed to the output,
and is only a trigger or the gate, this temporary listening option can make it much easier to set
sidechain parameters and hear what’s actually making the gate work. When this button is on,
the display area shows the level o the sidechain input signal in green.
22.20 Glue Compressor
The Glue Compressor E ect.
(Note: the Glue Compressor e ect is not available in the Intro and Lite Editions.)
The Glue Compressor is an analog-modeled compressor created in collaboration with Cytomic,

and is based on the classic bus compressor rom a amous 80’s mixing console. Like Live’s origi-
nal Compressor (page 345), the Glue Compressor can be used or basic dynamics control o
individual tracks, but is mainly designed or use on the Master track or a Group Track to “glue”
multiple sources together into a cohesive sounding mix.
The Threshold knob sets where compression begins. Signals above the threshold are attenuated
by an amount specifed by the Ratio parameter, which sets the ratio between the input and out-
put signal. Unlike the Compressor, the Glue Compressor does not have a user-adjustable knee.
Instead, the knee becomes more sharp as the ratio increases.
Attack defnes how long it takes to reach maximum compression once a signal exceeds the
threshold. The Attack knob’s values are in milliseconds. Release sets how long it takes or the
compressor to return to normal operation a ter the signal alls below the threshold. The Release
knob’s values are in seconds. When Release is set to A (Auto), the release time will adjust auto-
matically based on the incoming audio. The Glue Compressor’s Auto Release actually uses two
times - a slow one as a base compression value, and a ast one to react to transients in the sig-
nal. Auto Release may be too slow to react to sudden changes in level, but generally is a use ul
way to tame a wide range o material in a gentle way.
Dry/Wet adjusts the balance between the compressed and uncompressed signals. At 100%,
only the compressed signal is heard, while at 0%, the device is e ectively bypassed. Another
way o controlling the amount o compression is with the Range slider, which sets how much
compression can occur. Values between about -60 and -70 dB emulate the original hardware,
while values between -40 and -15 dB can be use ul as an alternative to the Dry/Wet control. At
0 dB, no compression occurs.
Makeup applies gain to the signal, allowing you to compensate or the reduction in level caused
by compression. A Makeup value that roughly corresponds to the position o the needle in the
display should result in a level close to what you had be ore compressing.
The So t clip switch toggles a fxed waveshaper, use ul or taming very loud transients. When
enabled, the Glue Compressor’s maximum output level is -.5 dB. (Note that with Oversampling
enabled, very loud peaks may still exceed 0 dB.) The So t clipper is not a transparent limiter,
and will distort your signal when active. We recommend leaving it disabled unless this particular
type o “colored” distortion is what you’re looking or.
The Glue Compressor’s needle display shows the amount o gain reduction in dB. The Clip LED
turns red i the device’s output level is exceeding 0 dB. I So t clipping is enabled, this LED turns
yellow to indicate that peaks are being clipped.
The Glue Compressor With Sidechain Section.
Normally, the signal being compressed and the input source that triggers the compressor are the
same signal. But by using sidechaining, it is possible to compress a signal based on the level o
another signal or a specifc requency component. To access the Sidechain parameters, un old
the Glue Compressor window by toggling the button in its title bar.
The sidechain parameters are divided into two sections. On the le t are the external controls.
Enabling this section with the Sidechain button allows you to select any o Live’s internal routing
points rom the choosers below. This causes the selected source to act as the Glue Compressor’s
trigger, instead o the signal that is actually being compressed.
you to use a combination o sidechain and original signal as the Glue Compressor’s trigger.
With Dry/Wet at 100%, the Glue Compressor is triggered entirely by the sidechain source. At
0%, the sidechain is e ectively bypassed. Note that increasing the gain does not increase the
volume o the source signal in the mix. The sidechain audio is only a trigger or the Glue Com-
pressor and is never actually heard.
causes the Glue Compressor to be triggered by a specifc band o requencies, instead o a
complete signal. These can either be requencies in the compressed signal or, by using the EQ in
conjunction with an external sidechain, requencies in another track’s audio.
sidechain input, bypassing the Glue Compressor’s output. Since the sidechain audio isn’t ed to
the output, and is only a trigger or the Glue Compressor, this temporary listening option can
make it much easier to set sidechain parameters and hear what’s actually making the Glue Com-
pressor work.
Context Menu Options

Oversampling can be toggled on or o via the [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context
menu. Enabling this option causes the Glue Compressor to internally process at two times the
current sampling rate, which may reduce aliasing and transient harshness. There is a slight in-
crease in CPU usage with Oversampling enabled. Note that with Oversampling enabled, the
level may exceed 0 dB even with So t clip enabled.
22.21 Grain Delay
The Grain Delay E ect.
(Note: the Grain Delay e ect is not available in the Lite Edition.)
The Grain Delay e ect slices the input signal into tiny particles (called ”grains”) that are then
individually delayed and can also have di erent pitches compared to the original signal source.
Randomizing pitch and delay time can create complex masses o sound and rhythm that seem to
bear little relationship to the source. This can be very use ul in creating new sounds and textures,
as well as getting rid o unwelcome house guests, or terri ying small pets (just kidding!).
You can route each parameter to the X-Y controller’s horizontal or vertical axis. To assign a pa-
rameter to the X-axis, choose it rom the parameter row below the controller. To assign a param-
eter to the Y-axis, use the parameter row on the le t side.
note) o delay. With Sync Mode active, changing the Delay Time feld percentage value short-
ens and extends delay times by ractional amounts, thus producing the ”swing” type o timing
e ect ound in drum machines.
The Delay Time can also be routed to the horizontal axis o the X-Y controller.
The Spray control adds random delay time changes. Low values smear the signal across time,
which adds ”noisiness” to the sound. High Spray values completely break down the structure o
the source signal, introducing varying degrees o rhythmic chaos. This is the recommended set-
ting or anarchists.
The size and duration o each grain is a unction o the Frequency parameter. The sound o Pitch
and Spray depends very much on this parameter.
You can transpose the grain pitch with the Pitch parameter, which acts much like a crude pitch
shi ter.
The Random Pitch control adds random variations to each grain’s pitch. Low values create a sort
o mutant chorusing e ect, while high values can make the original source pitch completely unin-
telligible. This parameter can interact with the main Pitch control, thus allowing degrees o stabil-
ity and instability in a sound’s pitch structure.
The Feedback parameter sets how much o the output signal returns to the delay line input. Very
high values can lead to runaway eedback and produce a loud oscillation — watch your ears
and speakers i you decide to check out extreme eedback settings!
Grain Delay also has a dry/wet control, which can be routed to the vertical axis o the X-Y con-
troller.
22.22 Limiter
The Limiter E ect.
(Note: the Limiter e ect is not available in the Lite Edition.)
The Limiter e ect is a mastering-quality dynamic range processor that ensures that the output
does not exceed a specifed level. Limiter is ideal or use in the Master track, to prevent clipping.
A limiter is essentially a compressor with an infnite ratio. (For more in ormation about compres-
sion theory, see the manual entry or the Compressor device (page 342).)
The Gain knob allows you to boost or attenuate the incoming level be ore applying limiting.
Ceiling sets the absolute maximum level that the Limiter will output. I your incoming signal level
has no peaks that are higher than the ceiling, Limiter will have no e ect.
The Stereo / L/R switch determines how Limiter treats peaks that occur on only one side o the
stereo signal. In L/R mode, Limiter unctions as two separate limiters, with independent limiting
or each channel. Stereo mode applies limiting to both channels whenever either o them has a
peak that requires compression. L/R mode allows Limiter to apply more compression, but with
some distortion o the stereo image.
The Lookahead chooser a ects how quickly Limiter will respond to peaks that require compres-
sion. Shorter Lookahead times allow or more compression, but with an increase in distortion —
particularly in the bass.
The Release knob adjusts how long it takes or Limiter to return to normal operation a ter the
signal alls below the ceiling. With Auto enabled, Limiter analyzes the incoming signal and sets
an appropriate release time automatically.
The meter gives a visual indication o how much gain reduction is being applied to the signal.
Note that any devices or channel aders that appear a ter Limiter may add gain. To ensure that
your fnal output will never clip, place Limiter as the last device in the Master track’s device chain
and keep your Master ader below 0 dB.
22.23 Looper
The Looper E ect.
(Note: the Looper e ect is not available in the Lite Edition.)
Looper is an audio e ect based on classic real-time looping devices. It allows you to record
and loop audio, creating endless overdubs that are synced to your Set. I the Set is not playing,
Looper can analyze incoming audio and set Live’s tempo to match it. You can also predefne a
loop length be ore recording and Live’s tempo will adjust so that your loop fts into the speci-
fed number o bars. Furthermore, audio can be imported to Looper to create a background or
newly overdubbed material, or exported rom Looper as a new clip.
The top hal o Looper’s inter ace is a large display area optimized or easy readability during
per ormance. During recording, the entire display area turns red. A ter recording, the display
shows the current position in the loop and the total loop length in bars and beats.
Looper’s transport buttons work in a similar way to other transport controls in Live. The Record
button records incoming audio until another button is pressed. This overwrites any audio cur-
rently stored in Looper. Overdub continues to add additional layers o incoming audio that are
the length o the originally recorded material. The Play button plays back the current state o
Looper’s bu er without recording any new material. The Stop button stops playback.
The behavior o the transport controls changes depending on whether or not Live’s playback is
running. With the transport running, Looper behaves like a clip, and is subject to launch quan-
tization as determined by the Quantization chooser (page 53). When Live’s playback is
stopped, Looper’s transport engages immediately, regardless o the Quantization setting.
The Clear button erases Looper’s bu er. I you press Clear in Overdub mode while the transport
is running, the contents o the bu er are cleared but the tempo and length are maintained. Press-
ing Clear in any other mode resets the tempo and length.
The Undo button erases everything that you’ve overdubbed since the last time Overdub was
enabled. Your original recording, and anything that was overdubbed in a previous pass, is pre-
served. A ter pressing Undo, the button changes to Redo, which replaces the material removed
by the last undo.
The large button below the transport controls is the Multi-Purpose Transport Button. As with
the normal transport buttons, this button’s behavior changes depending on Looper’s current
playback state, and whether or not material has already been recorded. I the bu er is empty,
a single click starts recording. I Looper is recording, overdubbing or stopped, a single click
switches to play mode. During playback, a click switches to overdub mode, allowing you to
toggle back and orth between overdub and playback via additional single clicks.
Quickly pressing the button twice stops Looper, rom either play or overdub mode. Clicking and
holding the button or two seconds while in play mode activates Undo or Redo. Pressing and
holding or two seconds while stopped clears Looper’s bu er.
Stopped
Clear
Empty Record Play Overdub
Undo/Redo
Click
Doubleclick
Hold
Diagram o Looper’s Multi-Purpose Transport Button Behavior
Looper’s Multi-Purpose Transport Button is optimized or use with a MIDI ootswitch. To assign a
ootswitch, enter MIDI Map Mode (page 578), click the button and then press your attached
ootswitch. Then exit MIDI Map Mode.
The Tempo Control chooser a ects how Looper determines the tempo o recorded material:
•None: Looper’s internal tempo is independent o Live’s global tempo.
•Follow song tempo: The speed o Looper’s playback will be adjusted so that the recorded
material plays back at Live’s global tempo.
•Set & Follow song tempo: Live’s global tempo will be adjusted to match the tempo o mate-
rial recorded into Looper. Any subsequent changes to Live’s global tempo will adjust the
speed o Looper’s playback so that the recorded material plays back at the new global
tempo.
The Record Length chooser is used to set the length o recorded material. Its behavior changes
depending on whether or not Live’s global transport is running and, depending on the setting o
the Tempo Control chooser, can set Live’s global tempo:
•Song running: I Looper’s Record Length chooser is set to the de ault ”x bars,” Looper will
record until you press another transport button. I you speci y a fxed number o bars to
record by selecting another option in the chooser, Looper will record or the specifed time
and then switch to Play or Overdub, as determined by the button next to this chooser.
•Song not running: I Looper’s Record Length chooser is set to the de ault ”x bars,” Looper
will make a guess about the tempo o the material you’ve recorded as soon as you press
Overdub, Play or Stop. But this might result in a tempo that’s twice or hal as ast as you’d
like. I you frst speci y a fxed number o bars, Looper’s tempo will adjust so that your re-
cording fts into this time.
The Song Control chooser determines how Looper’s transport controls will a ect Live’s global
transport:
•None means that Looper’s transport controls have no e ect on Live’s global transport.
•Start Song will start Live’s global transport whenever Looper enters Play or Overdub mode.
Looper’s Stop button has no e ect on the global transport.
•Start & Stop Song locks Live’s global transport to Looper’s transport controls. Entering Play
or Overdub mode will start Live’s transport, while pressing Looper’s Stop button will stop
Live’s transport.
Starting playback o Live’s transport via Looper will automatically adjust the playback position o
any apps that are connected via Ableton Link (page 705). This ensures that those apps remain
tempo synced, and also at the correct position in the musical phrase.
The ”\*2” button doubles the length o Looper’s recording bu er. Any material that you’ve al-
ready recorded will simply be duplicated. This allows you to, or example, record a series o
one-bar ideas, and then overlay a series o two-bar ideas. The length and tempo o Looper’s
bu er is shown in the display area.
Similarly, the ”:2” button cuts the length o the current bu er in hal . The material in the currently
playing hal is kept, while the other hal is discarded.
The ”Drag me!” area in the display allows you to export Looper’s bu er as a new audio fle. You
can drag and drop to the browser or directly to a track, creating a new clip. The newly created
clip’s Warp mode will be set to Re-Pitch by de ault (page 167). You can also drag audio fles
to the ”Drag me!” area, which will replace the contents o Looper’s bu er. You can then use this
material as a bed or urther overdubs, or example.
The Speed knob adjusts Looper’s playback speed (and thus pitch). The up and down arrow but-
tons to the le t are shortcuts to raise or lower the pitch by octaves (thus doubling or halving the
playback speed). These buttons are subject to the Quantization chooser setting.
Enabling the Reverse button plays the previously recorded material backwards. Any material
that you overdub a ter enabling Reverse will be played orward. Note that disabling Reverse will
then swap this behavior; the original material will play orward again, while the material that
was overdubbed while Reverse was enabled will play backwards. Engaging the Reverse button
is subject to the Quantization chooser setting.
Feedback sets the amount o previously recorded signal that is ed back into Looper when over-
dubbing. When set to 100%, the previously recorded material will never decrease in volume.
When set to 50%, it will be hal as loud with each repetition. Any changes to the Feedback
amount won’t take e ect until the next repetition. Note that Feedback has no e ect in Play mode;
each repetition will be at the same volume.
The Input -> Output chooser provides our options or monitoring Looper’s input:
•Always allows the input signal to be heard regardless o Looper’s playing or recording
state. You’ll typically want to choose Always when using Looper as an e ect in a single
track.
•Never means that the input signal will never be heard. You’ll typically want to choose
Never when using Looper as an e ect in a return track, where it may be ed by send levels
rom a variety o other tracks.
•Rec/OVR means that the input is only audible when recording or overdubbing, but not
when Looper is in Play mode or stopped. This is use ul or situations in which you are eed-
ing audio to multiple tracks, each containing its own Looper. I each o these Loopers is
controlled with its own oot pedal, you can switch the recording and playback state while
playing an instrument, without having to worry about monitor settings.
•Rec/OVR/Stop allows the input signal to be heard except when Looper is in play mode.
This is similar to Beat Repeat’s (page 340) Insert mode, and can be used to record mate-
rial that can suddenly interrupt your live playing.
22.23.1 Feedback Routing

Looper can be used as both a source and a target or internal routing (page 219) to other
tracks. This allows you to, or example, create Looper overdubs that continually eed back
through another track’s devices. To set this up:
1. Insert Looper on a track.
2. Record at least one pass o material into Looper.
3. Create another audio track.
4. In the new track’s top Audio From and Audio To choosers, select the track containing the
Looper.
5. In the new track’s bottom Audio From and Audio To choosers, select ”Insert-Looper.”
6. Switch this track’s Monitoring to ”In.”
7. Add additional e ects devices to the device chain o the new track.
8. Put Looper into Overdub mode.
Looper’s output will now be routed through the other track’s device chain and then back into
itsel , creating increasingly processed overdub layers with each pass.
22.24 Multiband Dynamics
The Multiband Dynamics E ect.

(Note: the Multiband Dynamics e ect is not available in the Intro and Lite Editions.)
The Multiband Dynamics device is a exible tool or modi ying the dynamic range o audio
material. Designed primarily as a mastering processor, Multiband Dynamics allows or upward
and downward compression and expansion o up to three independent requency bands, with
adjustable crossover points and envelope controls or each band. Each requency range has
both an upper and lower threshold, allowing or two types o dynamics processing to be used
simultaneously per band.
22.24.1 Dynamics Processing Theory

To understand how to use the Multiband Dynamics device, it helps to understand the our di er-
ent methods o manipulating dynamics.
When we use the term “compression,” we’re typically talking about lowering the level o signals
that exceed a threshold. This is how Live’s Compressor (page 345) works, and is more ac-
curately called downward compression because it pushes loud signals down, thus reducing the
dynamic range. But it is also possible to reduce a signal’s dynamic range by raising the levels
o signals that are below a threshold. This much-less-common orm o compression is called
upward compression. As you can see rom this diagram, employing either type o compression
results in a signal with a smaller dynamic range than the original.
downward compression
(common)
original smaller original smaller

dynamic dynamic dynamic dynamic
range range range range
upward compression
(uncommon)
Downward and Upward Compression.
The opposite o compression is expansion. A typical expander lowers the levels o signals that
are below a threshold. This is how Live’s Gate (page 376) works, and is more accurately
called downward expansion because it pushes quiet signals down, thus increasing the dynamic
range. It is also possible to increase a signal’s dynamic range by raising the levels o signals that
are above a threshold. Like upward compression, this technique is known as upward expansion
and is much less common. This diagram shows that either type o expansion results in a signal
with a larger dynamic range.
upward expansion
(uncommon)
original larger original larger

dynamic dynamic dynamic dynamic
range range range range
downward expansion
(common)
Downward and Upward Expansion.
To summarize:
•Downward compression (common): make loud signals quieter
•Upward compression (uncommon): make quiet signals louder
•Downward expansion (common): make quiet signals quieter
•Upward expansion (uncommon): make loud signals louder
The Multiband Dynamics device allows or all o these types o processing. In act, because the
device allows or incoming audio to be divided into three requency bands, and each band has
both an upper and lower threshold, a single instance o Multiband Dynamics can provide six
types o dynamics processing simultaneously.
22.24.2 Inter ace and Controls

The High and Low buttons toggle the high and low bands on or o . With both bands o , the
device unctions as a single-band e ect. In this case, only the Mid controls a ect the incoming
signal. The requency sliders below the High and Low buttons adjust the crossovers that defne
the requency ranges or each band. I the low requency is set to 500 Hz and the high re-
quency is set to 2000 Hz, then the low band goes rom 0 Hz to 500 Hz, the mid band rom 500
Hz to 2000 Hz and the high band rom 2000 Hz up to whatever your soundcard or sample rate
supports.
Each band has activator and solo buttons. With the activator button disabled or a given band,
its compression/expansion and gain controls are bypassed. Soloing a band mutes the others.
The Input knobs boost or attenuate the level o each band be ore it undergoes dynamics pro-
cessing, while the Output knobs to the right o the display adjust the levels o the bands a ter
processing.
The display area provides a way o both visualizing your dynamics processing and adjusting the
relevant compression and expansion behavior. For each band, the output level is represented
by large bars, while the input level be ore processing is represented by small bars. With no pro-
cessing applied, the input meters will be aligned with the top o the output meters. The scaling
along the bottom o the display shows dB. As you adjust the gain or dynamics processing or a
band, you can see how its output changes in comparison to its input.
As you move your mouse over the display, the cursor will change to a bracket as it passes over
the edges o the blocks on the le t or right side. These blocks represent the signal levels under the
Below and over the Above thresholds, respectively. Dragging le t or right on the edges o these
blocks adjusts the threshold level. Holding down [Shi t] while dragging a threshold will adjust
the same threshold or all bands. Hold down [ALT](PC) / [ALT](Mac) to simultaneously adjust the
Above and Below thresholds or a single band.
As you mouse over the middle o the block, the cursor will change to an up-down arrow. Click
and drag up or down to make the signal within the selected volume range louder or quieter.
Holding down [Shi t] while dragging up or down will adjust the volume o the same block or all
bands. Hold down [ALT](PC) / [ALT](Mac) to simultaneously adjust the Above and Below vol-
umes or a single band. Double-clicking within the region resets the volume to its de ault.
In technical terms, lowering the volume in the block above the Above threshold applies down-
ward compression, while raising it applies upward expansion. Likewise, lowering the volume in
the block below the Below threshold applies downward expansion, while raising it applies up-
ward compression. In all cases, you are adjusting the ratio o the compressor or expander.
The thresholds and ratios o all bands can also be adjusted via the column to the right o the
display. The ”T,” ”B” and ”A” buttons at the bottom right o the display area toggle between
displaying the Time (attack and release), Below (threshold and ratio) and Above (threshold and
ratio) or each band.
For the Above thresholds, Attack defnes how long it takes to reach maximum compression or
expansion once a signal exceeds the threshold, while Release sets how long it takes or the de-
vice to return to normal operation a ter the signal alls below the threshold.
For the Below thresholds, Attack defnes how long it takes to reach maximum compression or
expansion once a signal drops below the threshold, while Release sets how long it takes or the
device to return to normal operation a ter the signal goes above the threshold.
With So t Knee enabled, compression or expansion begins gradually as the threshold is ap-
proached.
The RMS/Peak switch also a ects how quickly Multiband Dynamics responds to level changes.
With Peak selected, the device reacts to short peaks within a signal. RMS mode causes it to
be less sensitive to very short peaks and to begin processing only when the incoming level has
crossed the threshold or a slightly longer time.
The global Output knob adjusts the overall output gain o the device.
The Time control scales the durations o all o the Attack and Release controls. This allows you
to maintain the same relative envelope times, but make them all aster or slower by the same
amount.
The Amount knob adjusts the intensity o the compression or expansion applied to all bands. At
0%, each compressor/expander has an e ective ratio o 1, meaning that it has no e ect on the
signal.
The Multiband Dynamics Device With Sidechain Section.
Normally, the signal being processed and the input source that triggers the device are the same
signal. But by using sidechaining, it is possible to apply dynamics processing to a signal based
on the level o another signal or a specifc requency component. To access the Sidechain pa-
rameters, un old the Multiband Dynamics window by toggling the button in its title bar.
Enabling the Sidechain button allows you to select any o Live’s internal routing points rom the
choosers below. This causes the selected source to act as the device’s trigger, instead o the sig-
nal that is actually being processed.
The Gain knob adjusts the level o the external sidechain’s input, while the Dry/Wet knob al-
lows you to use a combination o sidechain and original signal as the trigger. With Dry/Wet at
100%, the device is triggered entirely by the sidechain source. At 0%, the sidechain is e ectively
bypassed. Note that increasing the gain does not increase the volume o the source signal in the
mix. The sidechain audio is only a trigger or the device and is never actually heard.
The headphones button allows you to listen to only the sidechain input, bypassing the device’s
output. Since the sidechain audio isn’t ed to the output, and is only a trigger or the device, this
temporary listening option can make it much easier to set sidechain parameters and hear what’s
actually making the device work.
22.24.4 Multiband Dynamics Tips

Multiband Dynamics is a eature-rich and power ul device, capable o up to six independent
types o simultaneous processing. Because o this, getting started can be a bit intimidating. Here
are some real-world applications to give you some ideas.
Basic Multiband Compression

By using only the upper thresholds, Multiband Dynamics can be used as a traditional ”down-
ward” compressor. Adjust the crossover points to suit your audio material, then apply downward
compression (by dragging down in the upper blocks in the display or by setting the numerical
ratios to values greater than 1.)
De-essing
To remove ”harshness” caused by overly loud high requency content, try enabling only the
upper band and setting its crossover requency to around 5 kHz. Then gradually adjust the
threshold and ratio to apply subtle downward compression. It may help to solo the band to more
easily hear the results o your adjustments. Generally, de-essing works best with airly ast attack
and release times.
Uncompression
Mastering engineers are o ten asked to per orm miracles, like adding punch and energy to a
mix that has already been heavily compressed, and thus has almost no remaining transients.
Most o the time, these mixes have also been heavily maximized, meaning that they also have
no remaining headroom. Luckily, upward expansion can sometimes help add li e back to such
overly squashed material. To do this:
1. Turn down the Input knob to provide some additional headroom.
2. Adjust the Above thresholds or the bands so that they’re below the highest peaks.
3. Add a small amount o upward expansion to each band. Be care ul — excessive upward
expansion can make transients very loud.
4. Care ully adjust the attack and release times or each band. Note that, unlike in typical
downward compression, very ast attack times will increase the impact o transients, while
slower times result in a more mu ed sound.
Note: Adding a maximizer or limiter to boost gain a ter you’ve returned some peaks to your
material may simply destroy them again.
22.25 Overdrive
The Overdrive E ect.
(Note: the Overdrive e ect is not available in the Intro and Lite Editions.)
Overdrive is a distortion e ect that pays homage to some classic pedal devices commonly used
by guitarists. Unlike many distortion units, it can be driven extremely hard without sacrifcing
dynamic range.
The distortion stage is preceded by a bandpass flter that can be controlled with an X-Y control-
ler. To defne the flter bandwidth, click and drag on the vertical axis. To set the position o the
requency band, click and drag on the horizontal axis. These parameters can also be set via the
slider boxes below the X-Y display.
The Drive control sets the amount o distortion. Note that 0% does not mean zero distortion!
Tone acts as a post-distortion EQ control. At higher values, the signal has more high- requency
content.
The Dynamics slider allows you to adjust how much compression is applied as the distortion is
increased. At low settings, higher distortion amounts result in an increase in internal compression
and make-up gain. At higher settings, less compression is applied.
percent i using Overdrive in a return track.
22.26 Pedal
The Pedal E ect.
(Note: the Pedal e ect is not available in the Intro, Lite and Standard Editions).
Pedal is a guitar distortion e ect. In combination with Live’s Tuner (page 413), Amp (page
333) and Cabinet (page 342) e ects, Pedal is great or processing guitar sounds. Pedal
can also be used in less conventional settings, such as a standalone e ect on vocals, synths or
drums.
The Gain control adjusts the amount o distortion applied to the dry signal. Note that 0% does
not mean zero distortion. It is recommended to dial the Gain back to 0% and slowly increase it
until you get the desired output level. When placed in ront o Pedal in a device chain, Utility’s
(page 415) Gain parameter can be used to lower the signal even urther.
The global Output knob adjusts the overall output gain o the device.
You can choose between three di erent Pedal Types, each inspired by distortion pedals with
their own distinct sonic characteristics:
•Overdrive: warm and smooth
•Distortion: tight and aggressive
•Fuzz: unstable, with a “broken amp” sound
Pedal has a three-band EQ that adjusts the timbre o the sound a ter the distortion is applied.
The EQ is adaptive, which means that the amount o resonance (or “Q”) increases as the amount
o EQ boost increases.
The Bass control is a peak EQ, with a center requency o 100 Hz. This is use ul or boosting the
“punch” in bass or drum sounds, or attenuating low requencies o guitars.
The Mid control is a three-way switchable boosting EQ. The Mid Frequency switch sets the cen-
ter requency and range o the Mid control. The center requency is the middle o the requency
range that the Mid control operates upon. The requency range around this center value is nar-
rower in the lowest switch setting and wider in the higher setting. This is common in guitar pedals
where it is normal to make tight cuts and boosts at low requencies, and wider cuts and boosts at
high requencies.
The center requencies or the switch settings are:
•Lowest setting, positioned on the le t side: 500 Hz
•Middle setting, positioned in the center: 1 kHz
•Highest setting, positioned on the right side: 2 kHz
The Treble control is a shelving EQ, with a cuto requency o 3.3 kHz. This is use ul or remov-
ing harsh high requencies (or boosting them, i that’s your cup o tea!).
Tip: or a more fne-grained EQ post-distortion, simply leave these controls in their neutral posi-
tion and instead use another EQ, such as EQ Eight (page 364).
The Sub switch toggles a low shel flter that boosts requencies below 250 Hz. You can use this
in conjunction with the Bass control by turning Sub on and setting the Bass to -100%, or turning
Sub o and setting the Bass to 100%.
The Dry/Wet slider adjusts the balance between the processed and dry signals.
22.26.1 Pedal Tips and Tricks
Positioning Pedal in the Device Chain

The incoming signal will have an impact on how the distortion will respond. For example, add-
ing a Compressor be ore Pedal in the device chain will give a more balanced end result. On the
other hand, adding an EQ or flter with high gain and resonance settings be ore Pedal can yield
a screaming distortion e ect.
Techno Kick
Choose a suitable kick with a long decay (e.g. Kit-Core 909, with decay turned up). Then,
choose the “Distort” setting, activate the Sub switch, and dial in the Gain to your taste.
For added “whack”, move the Mid Frequency switch to the right-most position and increase the
Mid control. For more “thump”, you can increase the Bass control.
To reduce the “air”, decrease the Treble control.
Drum Group Fizzle

To add “fzzle” to a drum group, choose Fuzz, increase the Gain to 50% and make sure the Sub
switch is disabled.
Reduce the Bass and Mid controls to -100%, and adjust the Mid Frequency Switch to taste. In-
crease the Treble to 100%.
Set the Output to -20dB. Then, turn the Dry/Wet slider down to 0% and slowly increase it until
the drums are fzzling to your taste.
Broken Speaker
Select the “Fuzz” pedal, and make sure the Sub switch is disabled. Turn down the Bass control
completely, and set the Treble to 25%.
Set the Mid control 100% and move the Mid Frequency switch to right-most position. Finally, set
the Gain control to 100%.
Sub Warmer
To add upper harmonics and warmth to a simple sub bass, choose “OD”, turn on the Sub switch
and turn up the Bass control. Then, slowly increase the Gain until the desired e ect is reached.
You can then cut or boost the mid requencies using the Mid control.
22.27 Phaser
The Phaser E ect.
(Note: the Phaser e ect is not available in the Lite Edition.)
Phaser uses a series o all-pass flters to create a phase shi t in the requency spectrum o a
sound.
The Poles control creates notches in the requency spectrum. The Feedback control can then be
used to invert the wave orm and convert these notches into peaks (or poles). Filter cuto requen-
cy is changed with the Frequency control, which can be adjusted in tandem with Feedback using
the e ect’s X-Y controller.
The device has two modes, Space and Earth, or changing the spacing o notches along the
spectrum, and hence the ”color” o the sound. This e ect can be urther adjusted with the Color
control.
Periodic control o the flter requency is possible using the envelope section. You can increase or
decrease the envelope amount (or invert its shape with negative values), and then use the Attack
and Release controls to defne envelope shape.
Phaser contains two LFOs to modulate flter requency or the le t and right stereo channels. The
LFOs have six possible wave orm shapes: sine, square, triangle, sawtooth up, sawtooth down
and random. The extent o LFO in uence on the flter requency is set with the Amount control.
its minimum.
Spin detunes the two LFO speeds relative to each other. Each flter requency is then modulated
using a di erent LFO requency, as determined by the Spin amount.
percent i using Phaser in a return track.
22.28 Ping Pong Delay
The Ping Pong Delay E ect.
(Note: the Ping Pong Delay e ect is not available in the Lite Edition.)
The Ping Pong Delay e ect uses a single tapped delay line to create a delay that jumps rom the
le t to the right output.
The delay is preceded by a lowpass and highpass flter that can be controlled with an X-Y con-
troller. To defne the flter bandwidth, click and drag on the vertical axis. To set the position o the
requency band, click and drag on the horizontal axis.
note) o delay. This delay time represents the time it takes or the input signal to appear at the le t
channel. The delay time between the input and the right channel is twice as long.
The Feedback parameter controls how much o the right channel output signal returns to the
delay line input. The eedback loop also includes a flter that can color the eedback sound, thus
producing di erent timbres with successive echoes.
The Freeze button, labeled ”F”, will cause the delay to endlessly cycle the audio which is in its
bu er at the moment that the button is pressed, ignoring any new input until Freeze is disabled.
percent i using Ping Pong Delay in a return track.
Changing the delay time while Ping Pong Delay is processing audio can cause abrupt changes
in the sound o the delayed signal. You can choose between three delay transition modes via the
[right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu o the device’s title bar:
•Repitch causes a pitch variation when changing the delay time, similar to the behavior o
old hardware delay units.
•Fade creates a cross ade between the old and new delay times. This sounds similar to time
stretching i the delay time is gradually changed. Fade mode is the de ault option.
•Jump immediately jumps to the new delay time. Note that this will cause an audible click i
the delay time is changed while delays are sounding. Jump mode corresponds to the de-
ault behavior prior to Live 8. When loading Sets that were made in earlier versions, Jump
will be selected automatically.
22.29 Redux
The Redux E ect.
Nostalgic or the amed low-resolution sound quality o the Ensoniq Mirage, Fairlight CMI or
Commodore-64 computer? Redux returns us to the Dark Ages o digital by reducing a signal’s
sample rate and bit resolution.
The Downsample section has two parameters: ”Downsample” and a downsample Mode switch.
I the downsample dial is set to ”1”, every input sample passes to the output and the signal does
not change. I set to ”2”, only every second sample will be processed, so the result sounds a bit
more ”digital.” The higher the number, the lower the resulting sample rate, and the more ”decon-
structed” the sound. Downsampling is like applying a mosaic e ect to an image: There’s a loss o
in ormation and sharp edges occur between the blocks.
The Downsample Mode switch defnes i the downsampling either interpolates over a smaller
range (”so t,” down to 20.0 samples) or does not interpolate over a larger range (”hard,” down
to 200 samples).
Bit Reduction is similar, but while downsampling superimposes a grid in time, bit reduction does
the same or amplitude.
I the Bit Reduction amplitude dial is set to 8, amplitude levels are quantized to 256 steps (8 bit
resolution). I set to 1, the result is pretty brutal: Each sample contains either a ull positive or ull
negative signal, with nothing in between.
Bit Reduction defnes an input signal o 0dB as 16 bit. Signals above 0dB are clipped, and the
red overload LED will light up.
Turning o Bit Reduction results in modest CPU savings.
22.30 Resonators
The Resonators E ect.
(Note: the Resonators e ect is not available in the Intro and Lite Editions.)
This device consists o fve parallel resonators that superimpose a tonal character on the input
source. It can produce sounds resembling anything rom plucked strings to vocoder-like e ects.
The resonators are tuned in semitones, providing a musical way o adjusting them. The frst reso-
nator defnes the root pitch and the our others are tuned relative to this pitch in musical intervals.
The input signal passes frst through a flter, and then into the resonators. There are our input
flter types to select rom: lowpass, bandpass, highpass and notch. The input flter requency can
be adjusted with the Frequency parameter.
The frst resonator is ed with both the le t and right input channels, while the second and ourth
resonators are dedicated to the le t channel, and the third and f th to the right channel.
The Note parameter defnes the root pitch o all the resonators ranging rom C-1 to C5. It can
also be detuned in cents using the Fine parameter. The Decay parameter lets you adjust the
amount o time it takes or the resonators to be silent a ter getting an input signal. The longer
the decay time, the more tonal the result will be, similar to the behavior o an undamped piano
string. As with a real string, the decay time depends on the pitch, so low notes will last longer
than higher ones. The Const switch holds the decay time constant regardless o the actual pitch.
Resonators provides two di erent resonation modes. Mode A provides a more realistic sounding
resonation, while Mode B o ers an e ect that is especially interesting when Resonator I’s Note
parameter is set to lower pitches.
The brightness o the resulting sound can be adjusted using the Color control.
All o the resonators have an On/O switch and a Gain control. A resonator that is turned o
does not need CPU. Turning o the frst resonator does not a ect the other ones.
Resonators II through V ollow the Note parameter defned in Resonator I, but they can each be
individually transposed +/- 24 semitones using the Pitch controls and detuned in cents using the
Detune controls.
The output section eatures the obligatory Dry/Wet control and a Width parameter that a ects
only the wet signal and blends the le t and right outputs o Resonators II-V into a mono signal i
set to zero.
22.31 Reverb
The Reverb E ect.
22.31.1 Input Processing

The input signal passes frst through high and low cut flters, whose X-Y controller allows chang-
ing the band’s center requency (X-axis) and bandwidth (Y-axis). Either flter may be switched o
when not needed to save CPU power.
Predelay controls the delay time, in milliseconds, be ore the onset o the frst early re ection. This
delays the reverberation relative to the input signal. One’s impression o the size o a real room
depends partly on this delay. Typical values or ”natural” sounds range rom 1ms to 25ms.
22.31.2 Early Refections

These are the earliest echoes that you hear a ter they bounce o a room’s walls, be ore the onset
o the di used reverberation ”tail.” Their amplitude and distribution give an impression o the
room’s character.
The Shape control ”sculpts” the prominence o the early re ections, as well as their overlap with
the di used sound. With small values, the re ections decay more gradually and the di used
sound occurs sooner, leading to a larger overlap between these components. With large values,
the re ections decay more rapidly and the di used onset occurs later. A higher value can some-
times improve the source’s intelligibility, while a lower value may give a smoother decay.
Spin applies modulation to the early re ections. The X-Y control accesses the depth and re-
quency o these modulations. A larger depth tends to provide a less-colored (more spectrally
neutral) late di usion response. I the modulation requency is too high, doppler requency shi t-
ing o the source sound will occur, along with surreal panning e ects. Spin may be turned o ,
using the associated switch, or modest CPU savings.
22.31.3 Global Settings

The Quality chooser controls the tradeo between reverb quality and per ormance. ”Eco” uses
minimal CPU resources, while ”High” delivers the richest reverberation.
The Size parameter controls the ”room’s” volume. At one extreme, a very large size will lend a
shi ting, di used delay e ect to the reverb. The other extreme — a very small value — will give it
a highly colored, metallic eel.
The Stereo Image control determines the width o the output’s stereo image. At the highest setting
o 120 degrees, each ear receives a reverberant channel that is independent o the other (this is
also a property o the di usion in real rooms). The lowest setting mixes the output signal to mono.
22.31.4 Di usion Network

The Di usion network creates the reverberant tail that ollows the early re ections. The decay
time control adjusts the time required or this tail to drop to 1/1000th (-60 dB) o its initial ampli-
tude.
High and low shelving flters provide requency-dependent reverberation decay. The high- re-
quency decay models the absorption o sound energy due to air, walls and other materials in the
room (people, carpeting and so orth). The low shel provides a thinner decay. Each flter may
be turned o to save CPU consumption.
The Freeze control reezes the di use response o the input sound. When on, the reverberation
will sustain almost endlessly. Cut modifes Freeze by preventing the input signal rom adding to
the rozen reverberation; when o , the input signal will contribute to the di used amplitude. Flat
bypasses the high and low shel flters when reeze is on. I Flat is o , the rozen reverberation
will lose energy in the attenuated requency bands, depending on the state o the high and low
shelving flters.
The Echo Density and Scale parameters provide additional control over the di usion’s density
and coarseness, and, when the room size is extremely small, have a large impact on the color-
ation contributed by the di usion.
The Chorus section adds a little modulation and motion to the di usion. Like the Spin section,
you can control the modulation requency and amplitude, or turn it o .
22.31.5 Output
At the reverb output, you can adjust the e ect’s overall Dry/Wet mix, and vary the amplitude o
re ections and di usion with the Re ect Level and Di use Level controls.
22.32 Saturator
The Saturator E ect.
(Note: the Saturator e ect is not available in the Lite Edition.)
Saturator is a waveshaping e ect that can add that missing dirt, punch or warmth to your sound.
It can coat input signals with a so t saturation or drive them into many di erent avors o distor-
tion.
An X-Y grid helps to visualize Saturator’s shaping curve. The shaper’s input and output values
are mapped to the X and Y axes, respectively. The curve defnes the trans er unction, which
is the extent to which output values uctuate in relation to input values. Because this is usually
a nonlinear process, the incoming signal is reshaped to a greater or lesser degree depending
upon its level at each moment in time.
Incoming signals are frst clipped to the dB level set by the Drive control. The meter on the right
side o the display shows how much Saturator is in uencing the signal.
Signal shaping has six fxed modes: Analog Clip, So t Sine, Medium Curve, Hard Curve, Sinoid
Fold and Digital Clip. There is also the exible Waveshaper mode, eaturing six adjustable
waveshaping parameters.
In the Analog Clip and Digital Clip modes, the signal is clipped completely and immediately.
So t Sine, Medium Curve and Hard Curve modes so ten signal clipping to varying degrees.
Sinoid Fold mode can be good or special e ects.
The most dramatic e ects can be created by selecting the Waveshaper curve, which has its own
dedicated set o controls. To access these six parameter felds, un old the Saturator window by
toggling the button in its title bar.
The Waveshaper mode’s six additional parameters are: Drive, Lin, Curve, Damp, Depth and
Period.
•Drive determines how much the input signal will be in uenced by the Waveshaper param-
eters. Setting Drive to zero will negate the e ect entirely.
•Lin works together with the Curve and Depth parameters to alter the linear portion o the
shaping curve.
•Curve adds mostly third-order harmonics to the input signal.
•Damp attens any signal near the grid’s origin. It behaves like an ultra- ast noise gate.
•Depth controls the amplitude o a sine wave that is superimposed onto the distortion curve.
•Period determines the density o ripples in the superimposed sine wave.
The DC button activates a DC flter at Saturator’s input stage. This is mainly use ul or removing
DC o sets rom audio material that contains them.
Activating the Color button enables two flters. The frst o these, controlled with the Base control,
dictates how much the e ect will be reduced or increased or very low requencies. The second
flter, essentially an equalizer, is used or controlling higher requencies. It is shaped with the
Freq (cuto requency), Width and Depth controls.
The Output control attenuates the level at the device output. When the So t Clip switch is acti-
vated, Saturator will also apply an instance o its ”Analog Clip” curve to the output.
percent when using Saturator in a return track.
22.33 Simple Delay
The Simple Delay E ect.
The Simple Delay provides two independent delay lines, one or each channel (le t and right).
With Link engaged, the right channel’s delay setting is disabled, thus applying the le t channel’s
settings to both sides.
note) o delay.
The Feedback parameter defnes how much o each channel’s output signal eeds back into the
delay lines’ inputs. Internally, they are two independent eedback loops, so a signal on the le t
channel does not eed back into the right channel and vice versa.
percent when using Simple Delay in a return track.
Changing the delay time while Simple Delay is processing audio can cause abrupt changes in
the sound o the delayed signal. You can choose between three delay transition modes via the
[right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu o the device’s title bar:
•Repitch causes a pitch variation when changing the delay time, similar to the behavior o
old hardware delay units.
•Fade creates a cross ade between the old and new delay times. This sounds similar to time
stretching i the delay time is gradually changed. Fade mode is the de ault option.
•Jump immediately jumps to the new delay time. Note that this will cause an audible click i
the delay time is changed while delays are sounding. Jump mode corresponds to the de-
ault behavior prior to Live 8. When loading Sets that were made in earlier versions, Jump
will be selected automatically.
22.34 Spectrum
The Spectrum Device.
(Note: the Spectrum device is not available in the Intro and Lite Editions.)
Spectrum per orms realtime requency analysis o incoming audio signals. The results are repre-
sented in a graph, with dB along the vertical axis and requency/pitch along the horizontal. The
peak levels are retained on the graph until the song is restarted. Note that Spectrum is not an
audio e ect, but rather a measurement tool — it does not alter the incoming signal in any way.
The Block chooser selects the number o samples that will be analyzed in each measurement.
Higher values result in better accuracy, but at the expense o increased CPU load.
Channel determines which channel is analyzed — le t, right or both.

The Re resh slider determines how o ten Spectrum should per orm an analysis. As with the Block
parameter, this allows or a tradeo between accuracy and CPU load. A ast response time is
more accurate, but also more CPU intensive.
The Avg slider allows you to speci y how many blocks o samples will be averaged or each up-
date o the display. With a setting o one, each block is shown. This results in much more activity
in the display, which can be use ul or fnding the spectrum o short peaks. As you increase the
Avg value, the display updates more smoothly, providing an average o the spectrum over time.
This is more consistent with the way we actually hear.
The Graph button switches between displaying the spectrum as a single interpolated line and
discrete requency bins.
Max toggles the display o the accumulated maximum amplitude. With Max enabled, you can
reset the maximum amplitude by clicking in the display.
The Scale X buttons allow you to toggle the scaling o the requency display between linear,
logarithmic, and semitone. Note that logarithmic and semitone are actually the same scaling,
but switch the legending at the top o the display between Hertz and note names. Linear scaling
is particularly use ul or detailed analysis o high requencies.
As you move your mouse over Spectrum’s display, a box appears that shows the amplitude,
requency and note name at the pointer’s position. The Range/Auto button at the bottom le t
o Spectrum’s inter ace toggles between manually and automatically adjusting the display’s
dynamic range. With Range selected, you can zoom and scroll the amplitude by moving your
mouse over the amplitude legending on the display’s le t side. Drag vertically to scroll and hori-
zontally to zoom. You can also use the Range sliders to set the minimum and maximum amplitude
values shown. With Auto selected, the display automatically scales itsel based on the incoming
audio level. Note that in Auto mode, the Range sliders and zooming are disabled.
To get an even better view, you can toggle the location o the display between the device chain
and Live’s main window by clicking the button in Spectrum’s title bar or by double-clicking in
the display.
22.35 Tuner
The Tuner Device.
Tuner analyzes and displays the incoming monophonic pitch as well as its distance rom the
nearest semitone. Based on classic guitar tuners, Tuner’s large display is designed or easy vis-
ibility on stage, and is per ect or tuning external instruments or synthesizers. Note that Tuner is
not an audio e ect, but rather a measurement tool — it does not alter the incoming signal in any
way.
The two buttons in the lower-le t switch between Tuner’s two main views. Classic View resembles
conventional analog tuners while Histogram View shows pitch over time. In both views, the dis-
play uses color to help indicate tuning accuracy. Green means in tune, while red means out o
tune.
In Classic View, the incoming pitch is represented as a colored ball along a curve, and the near-
est detected note name is shown in the center o the display. The arrows on either side o the
note name light up to indicate whether the signal needs to be tuned higher or lower in order to
reach the desired pitch.
In Target Mode, a circular outline in the center o the curve shows the desired pitch, and your
signal is in tune i the colored ball is exactly within this outline. I the incoming signal is sharp, the
ball will appear to the right o the target, while at signals will appear to the le t.
Tuner in Target Mode.
In Strobe Mode, the curve becomes a rotating band o lights. The direction o rotation indicates
whether the signal is sharp or at. I the band rotates to the right, the incoming pitch is sharp,
while at signals cause the band to rotate to the le t. The urther your signal is out o tune, the
aster the band will move.
Tuner in Strobe Mode.
The Hertz/Cents Switch toggles between showing the absolute requency o the incoming signal
in Hertz or the distance rom the target pitch in cents.
In Histogram View, pitch is shown over time. The scale on the right o the display shows the pos-
sible note names, and the horizontal gray bars represent the per ectly in-tune “center” o the
associated note. Sharp notes will appear above their corresponding gray line, while at notes
will appear below it.
Tuner in Histogram View.
Drag up or down in the display to scroll to di erent pitches, or drag horizontally to zoom in or
out. With Auto enabled, the display will automatically adjust so that the incoming pitch is in the
center o the display.
The Re erence slider allows you to change the tuning re erence that Tuner uses when analyzing
incoming signals. By de ault this is set to 440 Hz, which is “standard” concert tuning, but it can
be changed to any value between 410-480 Hz.
Note: Tuner is designed to analyze monophonic pitches, and works best with a clean, clear
signal. Polyphonic, noisy, or harmonically rich signals may yield inaccurate results.
22.36 Utility
The Utility E ect.

Utility can per orm some very use ul tasks, especially in combination with other devices.
There are two separate Phase controls, one or each input channel (Le t and Right). As their
names imply, they invert the phase o each channel.
The Channel Mode chooser allows selective processing o the le t and right channels o a sam-
ple. I , or example, Le t is selected, the right channel is ignored and the le t channel appears on
both outputs. This is especially use ul i you have a stereo fle that contains di erent in ormation
on both channels and you want to use only one.
The Width control sets the stereo width o the wet signal. 0% yields a mono signal whereas val-
ues above 100% create a widened stereo panorama.
Choosing Mid/Side Mode rom the Width control [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context
menu allows you to you toggle between Width and M/S Balance controls. The M/S Balance
control acts as a continuous mono to stereo controller when set rom 0 to 100M. Setting the
parameter to 100M will sum the audio to mono. Values between 0 and 100S emphasize the
stereo or “out o phase” components o a signal. At 100S, only the side signal will be heard. The
le t and right channels will be 180 degrees out o phase with each other.
Note that i either Le t or Right have been chosen in the Channel Mode chooser, the Width and
M/S Balance controls have no unction, and are there ore disabled.
When the Mono switch is enabled, the stereo input signal is converted to mono.
The Bass Mono switch converts the low requencies o the input signal to mono. This is use ul or
avoiding coloration o low requencies when they are replayed in mono. You can use the Bass
Mono Frequency slider to adjust the cuto requency between 50-500 Hz.
When Bass Mono Audition is enabled, only the low requencies can be heard. This can be use-
ul or tuning the Bass Mono Frequency.
The Gain control adjusts the level o the input signal rom -infnite dB to +35 dB. This can be
particularly use ul or automating volume ades on a track, while reeing up that track’s Volume
control or mix balancing.
The Balance control pans the signal anywhere in the stereo feld.
The Mute button simply silences the incoming signal when enabled. Note: The active/mute con-
trols o a track are always placed at the very end o the signal chain. However, since you can
place Utility anywhere in a signal chain, you can use its mute unction to cut the input o a delay
line or reverb without turning o the output o these devices.
The DC switch flters out DC o sets and extremely low requencies that are ar below the audible
range. It will only have a sonic e ect i a signal contains these requencies and is processed a ter
Utility with nonlinear e ects such as compressors or waveshapers.
22.37 Vinyl Distortion
The Vinyl Distortion E ect.
(Note: the Vinyl Distortion e ect is not available in the Intro and Lite Editions.)
The Vinyl Distortion e ect emulates some o the typical distortions that occur on vinyl records
during playback. These distortions are caused by the geometric relationships between the
needle and the recorded groove. The e ect also eatures a crackle generator or adding noisy
arti acts.
The Tracing Model section adds even harmonic distortion to the input signal. Adjust the amount
o distortion with the Drive knob, or click and drag vertically in the Tracing Model X-Y display. To
adjust the distortion’s requency or ”color,” drag horizontally in the X-Y display or double-click
on the Freq feld and type in a value. Holding the [ALT](PC) / [ALT](Mac) modifer while drag-
ging vertically in the X-Y display changes the requency band’s Q (bandwidth).
The Pinch E ect section adds odd harmonics to the input signal. These distortions typically occur
180 degrees out o phase, creating a richer stereo image. The Pinch E ect has the same controls
as the Tracing Model, but generates a rather di erent sound.
The Drive control increases or decreases the overall distortion amount created by both the Trac-
ing Model and Pinch.
There are two distortion modes: So t and Hard. The So t Mode simulates the sound o a dub
plate, while Hard Mode is more like that o a standard vinyl record.
The stereo/mono switch determines whether the Pinch distortion occurs in stereo or mono. Set it
to stereo or realistic simulation o vinyl distortions.
The Crackle section adds noise to the signal, with noise density set by the Density control. The
Volume control adjusts the amount o gain applied to the noise.
22.38 Vocoder
The Vocoder E ect.
(Note: the Vocoder e ect is not available in the Intro and Lite Editions.)
A vocoder is an e ect that combines the requency in ormation o one audio signal (called the
carrier) with the amplitude contour o another audio signal (called the modulator). The modula-
tor source is generally something with a clear rhythmic character such as speech or drums, while
the carrier is typically a harmonically-rich synthesizer sound such as a string or pad. The most
amiliar application o a vocoder is to create ”talking synthesizer” or robotic voice e ects.
Vocoders work by running both the carrier and modulator signals through banks o bandpass
flters. The output level o each o the modulator’s flters is then analyzed and used to control the
volume o the corresponding flter or the carrier signal.
Live’s Vocoder should be inserted on the track that contains the audio material you plan to use as
your modulator. The Carrier chooser then provides a variety o options or the carrier signal:
•Noise uses Vocoder’s internal noise generator as the carrier source. With this selected, an
X-Y display is shown which allows you to adjust the character o the noise. The horizontal
axis adjusts downsampling. Click and drag to the le t to decrease the sample rate o the
carrier’s output. The vertical axis adjusts the density o the noise. Click and drag downward
to decrease the density.
•External allows you to select any available internal routing points rom the choosers below.
This is the option you’ll want or classic ”robot voice” applications.
•Modulator uses the modulator itsel as the carrier. This essentially outputs a resynthesized
version o the modulator signal, but allows you to use Vocoder’s sound-shaping controls to
adjust the sound.
•Pitch Tracking enables a monophonic oscillator, which tunes itsel to the pitch o the modu-
lator. The High and Low sliders allow you to limit the requency range that the oscillator will
attempt to track. Choose rom sawtooth or one o three pulse wave orms and adjust the
coarse tuning o the oscillator via the Pitch slider. Pitch tracking is particularly e ective with
monophonic modulator sources such as melodic instruments or voices. Note that the oscil-
lator only updates its requency when it detects a clear pitch. It then maintains this pitch
until it detects a new one. This means that changing the oscillator’s parameters or causing it
to reset (when grouping (page 236) Vocoder’s track, or example) can cause unexpect-
ed changes in the sound. With polyphonic material or drums, pitch tracking is generally
unpredictable (but can be very interesting.)
Particularly when using external carrier sources, a vocoder’s output can sometimes lose a lot o
high end. Enabling the Enhance button results in a brighter sound by normalizing the spectrum
and dynamics o the carrier.
The Unvoiced knob adjusts the volume o an additional noise generator, which is used to resyn-
thesize portions o the modulator signal that are pitchless, such as ” ” and ”s” sounds.
Sens. sets the sensitivity o the unvoiced detection algorithm. At 100%, the unvoiced noise gen-
erator is always on. At 0%, only the main carrier source is used. The Fast/Slow switch adjusts
how quickly Vocoder switches between unvoiced and voiced detection.
Vocoder’s large central area shows the levels o the individual bandpass flters. Clicking within
this display allows you to attenuate these levels.
The Bands chooser sets the number o flters that will be used. Using more bands results in a
more accurate analysis o the modulator’s requency content, but requires more CPU.
The Range sliders adjust the requency range over which the bandpass flters will operate. For
most sources, a airly large range works well, but you may want to adjust the outer limits i the
sound becomes too piercing or bassy. The BW control sets the bandwidth o the flters. At low
percentages, each flter approaches a single requency. As you increase the bandwidth, you
increase the overlap o the flter bands. A bandwidth o 100% is the most accurate, but higher or
lower settings can create interesting e ects.
The Precise/Retro switch toggles between two types o flter behavior. In Precise mode, all fl-
ters have the same gain and bandwidth. In Retro mode, bands become narrower and louder at
higher requencies.
Gate sets a threshold or the flterbank. Any bands whose levels are below the threshold will be
silent.
The Level slider boosts or cuts Vocoder’s output.
Depth sets how much o the modulator’s amplitude envelope is applied to the carrier’s signal. At
0%, the modulator’s envelope is discarded. At 200%, only high amplitude peaks will be used.
100% results in ”classic” vocoding.
The Attack and Release controls set how quickly Vocoder responds to amplitude changes in the
modulator signal. Very ast times preserve the transients o the modulator, but can cause distor-
tion arti acts.
The Mono/Stereo switches determine how many channels are used or the carrier and modula-
tor. In Mono mode, both the carrier and modulator are treated as mono sources. Stereo uses a
mono modulator but processes the carrier in stereo. L/R processes both the carrier and modula-
tor signals in stereo.
The requencies o the carrier’s flterbank can be shi ted up or down via the Formant knob. With
voice as the modulator, small Formant changes can alter the apparent gender o the source.
22.38.1 Vocoder Tips

This section explains how to set up the most common Vocoder applications.
Singing Synthesizer
The classic vocoder application is the ”singing synthesizer.” To set this up in Live:
1. Insert Vocoder in the track that contains your vocal material. You can either use a clip that
contains a prerecorded voice clip or, to process a live vocal signal, connect a microphone
to a channel on your audio hardware and choose this as the input source (page 213) or
the track.
2. Insert a synthesizer such as Analog (page 435) in another track. Again, you can either
create a MIDI clip to drive this synthesizer or play it live.
3. Set the vocoder’s Carrier chooser to External.
4. Select the synthesizer track in the vocoder’s Audio From choosers. (For best results, choose
Post FX in the bottom chooser.)
5. I you’re creating your synthesizer and vocal material in real time, make sure the Arm but-
ton is enabled on both tracks.
6. Play the synthesizer as you speak into the microphone. You’ll hear the rhythm o your
speech, but with the timbral character and requencies o the synthesizer. To hear the vo-
coded signal alone, solo the voice track so that the ”normal” synthesizer track is muted.
Note: you’ll generally get the best results i your synthesizer sound is bright and rich in harmon-
ics. Try sawtooth-based patches to improve the intelligibility o the voice. For even more bright-
ness and clarity, try adjusting the Unvoiced control and/or enabling Enhance.
Formant Shi ter

I the Vocoder is set to use the modulator as its own carrier, it can be used as a power ul ormant
shi ter. To do this:
1. Set the Carrier chooser to Modulator.
2. Set the Depth to 100%.
3. Enable Enhance.
Now experiment with di erent settings o the Formant knob to alter the character o the source.
For even more sound-sculpting possibilities, try adjusting the various flterbank parameters as
well.
Live MIDI Effect Reference 423
Chapter 23
Live MIDI E ect Re erence

Live comes with a selection o custom-designed, built-in MIDI e ects. The Working with Instru-
ments and E ects chapter (page 259) explains the basics o using e ects in Live.
23.1 Arpeggiator
The Arpeggiator E ect.
Live’s Arpeggiator e ect takes the individual MIDI notes rom a held chord (or single note), and
plays them as a rhythmical pattern. The sequence and speed o the pattern can be controlled
by the device, which also provides a ull complement o both classic and original arpeggiator
eatures.
Arpeggiators are a classic element in Eighties synth music. The name originates with the musical
concept o the “arpeggio,“ in which the notes comprising a chord are played as a series rather
than in unison. “Arpeggio“ is derived rom the Italian word “arpeggiare,“ which re ers to playing
notes on a harp.
23.1.1 Style and Rate Sections

Arpeggiator’s Style chooser determines the sequence o notes in the rhythmical pattern.
“Up“ and “Down“.
“UpDown“ and “DownUp“.
“Down & Up“ and “Up & Down“.
“Converge“ and “Diverge“.
“Con & Diverge“.

“Pinky Up“ and “Pinky UpDown“.
“Thumb Up“ and “Thumb UpDown“.
Play Order places notes in the pattern according to the order in which they are played. This is
there ore only recognizable when more than one chord or note has been played.
In addition to the Arpeggiator styles above, there is a Chord Trigger mode which repeats the
incoming notes as a block chord, as well as three settings or creating random arpeggios:
•Choosing Random will produce a continuously randomized sequence o the incoming

MIDI notes.
•Random Other creates random patterns rom incoming MIDI notes, but will not repeat a
given note until all other incoming notes have been used.
•Random Once creates one random pattern rom incoming MIDI notes and repeats that
pattern until the incoming MIDI changes, at which point a new pattern is created.
Arpeggiator will play the pattern o notes at the speed set by the Rate control, which can be
calibrated in either milliseconds or beat-time using the neighboring Sync/Free button. With Sync
chosen, Arpeggiator will be synced to the song tempo.
A Gate control to the right o Rate determines the length o notes played by Arpeggiator as a
percentage o the current Rate setting. Any setting larger than 100% will there ore play notes
that overlap (i.e., are legato).
The rhythmic pattern generated by Arpeggiator does not necessarily have to be straight; a
selection o groove patterns can be applied with the respective control just beneath the Mode
chooser. Grooves in Arpeggiator behave similarly to grooves in clips, and the intensity o the
groove is determined by the Amount slider in the Groove Pool (page 196).
With the Hold parameter active, Arpeggiator will continue to play the pattern even a ter the
keyboard keys have been released. The pattern will be repeated until any other key is pressed.
When Hold is active and any o the original keys also remain physically held, notes can be
added to the pattern simply by playing them. Notes can also be removed rom the pattern in this
scenario by playing them a second time, allowing the gradual buildup and rearrangement o the
pattern over time.
Tip: I you want the pattern to stop playing, momentarily deactivate Hold.
The O set parameter shi ts the sequence o notes in the pattern by the number o places selected
with the control. This is best illustrated with an example: A setting o “1“ makes the second note in
the pattern play frst, and the frst note last. I you imagine the pattern as a circle o notes that is
played in a clockwise direction rom a set start point, the O set parameter e ectively rotates this
circle counter-clockwise one note at a time, changing where in the pattern play begins.
With the Repeats parameter, the pattern can be set to repeat a specifed number o times until
it is retriggered. A setting o “in “ will repeat the pattern indefnitely. Hint: This eature provides
an excellent way o emulating the strum o a guitar or playing a chord as an arpeggio once or
twice. Another interesting e ect can be achieved by combining this eature with the Retrigger
parameter, which we will explain in a moment. This can be used to create rhythmically gener-
ated arpeggios separated by pauses.
The Retrigger parameter resets the pattern so that it starts again rom the beginning. Retriggering
can be deactivated (O ), set to occur when new notes are pressed (Note) or set to occur at a
specifed song position or beat-time (Beat). Beat retriggering can be specifed in terms o notes
or bars and is aligned with song position. An LED in the upper right corner o the section indi-
cates when the pattern has been retriggered.
23.1.2 Transposition and Velocity Sections

The pattern generated by Arpeggiator can be transposed; the device’s transposition controls al-
low orcing this transposition into a specifc major or minor key or (using the Transpose chooser’s
Shi t option) doing it in semitones. The distance between transposition steps is set in scale inter-
vals ( or Major and Minor transposition) or semitones ( or Shi t transposition) with the Distance
control. Using the Steps parameter, you can choose the number o times the sequence is trans-
posed. When Distance is set to a positive value, a setting o 8 Steps will transpose the sequence
a total o eight times, playing it in higher notes each time. (When Distance is set to a negative
value, the sequence will transpose lower each time.)
The dynamics o Arpeggiator are controlled using the velocity section. With Velocity set to “On“
and Target set to 0, or example, the sequence will gradually ade out, eventually reaching 0
velocity. The Decay control sets the amount o time Arpeggiator takes to reach the Target veloc-
ity. With Retrigger activated, retriggering o the sequence will also retrigger the velocity slope.
Tip: The velocity section’s Retrigger option can be used in conjunction with Beat retriggering to
add rhythm to the dynamic slope.
23.2 Chord
The Chord E ect.
This e ect assembles a chord, as the name implies, rom each incoming note and up to six others
o user-defned pitch. The Shi t 1-6 knobs allow selecting the pitch o the notes that contribute
to the chord rom a range o +/- 36 semitones relative to the original. Setting Shi t 1 to +4 semi-
tones and Shi t 2 to +7 semitones, or example, yields a major chord in which the incoming note
is the root.
The Velocity control beneath each Shi t knob makes urther harmonic sculpting possible, given
that the instrument allows or changes in volume or timbre as unction o velocity. It is a relative
control, with a range o 1 to 200 percent (100 percent defned as playing at a velocity equal to
that o the incoming MIDI note). Use the Velocity controls to do anything rom adding slight over-
tones to washing out most o the other chord elements.
The order in which pitches are added to the chord is inconsequential: The e ect o a +12 semi-
tone shi t added with the Shi t 1 control, or example, is equal in e ect to a +12 semitone shi t
added with the Shi t 6 control.
Note that no two notes o the same pitch can contribute to the chord, and that selecting the same
shi t value twice (e.g., +8 semitones on both Shi t 2 and Shi t 3) will result in the latter control
appearing disabled, indicating that it is a duplicate and there ore not in use. Actually, there is
no such thing as two notes with the same pitch playing at the same time within the entire Live
universe.
23.3 Note Length
The Note Length E ect.
Note Length alters the length o incoming MIDI notes. It can also be used to trigger notes rom
MIDI Note O messages, instead o the usual Note On messages.
When the device is set to trigger rom a Note On message, only the timing controls are avail-
able. The length o held notes can be adjusted in milliseconds or synced in relation to the song
tempo. Gate defnes the percentage o the Length value that notes should be held or. At 200
percent, the Gate parameter will double a note’s length.
When the device is set to trigger rom a Note O event (the moment at which a played note is
released), the timing o an incoming note will be delayed by its length (because it will be starting
at the point at which it would have been stopping). Note Length’s other settings will then deter-
mine the duration o the newly triggered note.
Three other parameters are available when the device is triggering rom Note O messages:
On/O Balance — This determines the velocity o the output note. It is a balance between the
incoming note’s Note On and Note O velocities. I your MIDI keyboard does not support MIDI
Note O velocity, you can just set this to zero.
Decay Time — This is the time needed or an incoming note’s velocity to decay to zero. The
decay begins immediately rom the moment the device receives a MIDI Note On message. The
value at the time o Note O will become the velocity o the output MIDI note.
Key Scale — The pitch o incoming notes can be used to alter the length o the output notes.
With positive values, notes below C3 will be made progressively longer, and notes above C3
will be made shorter. Negative values will invert this relationship.
23.4 Pitch
The Pitch E ect.
Pitch is a transposition tool that changes incoming note pitch by +/- 128 semitones.
The Range and Lowest controls act together to defne a pitch range through which notes are
allowed to pass. Notes outside o the defned pitch range will be blocked, and the e ect’s LED
light will ash when this happens.
Notes outside o the pitch range are limited based on their untransposed pitch, prior to the trans-
position stage o the e ect.
23.5 Random
The Random E ect.
Random adds an element o the unknown to the otherwise commonplace pitch parameter. The
Chance control defnes the likelihood that an incoming note’s pitch will be changed by a random
value. You can think o it as being something like a dry/wet control or randomness.
The random value that determines the pitch change is created by two variables: The Choices
control defnes the number o di erent random notes possible, rom a range o 1 to 24; the
Scale control value is multiplied by the Choices control value, and the result dictates the pitches
that random notes are allowed to have relative to that o the incoming note.
For example, i you play the note C3 with Chance set to 50 percent, Choices set to 1 and Scale
set to 12, hal o the resulting notes will play at C3 and hal will play at C4. But with Chance set
to 50 percent, Choices set to 12 and Scale set to 1, hal o the resulting notes will play at C3
and hal will play at one o any semitone that is between C#3 and C4.
These examples assume that the Sign buttons are set to “Add“ and the Mode button is set to
“Rnd.“ The Sign controls decide whether the random alteration adds to the original note’s pitch,
subtracts rom it, or does a little o both. The LEDs above the Sign controls give you a visual idea
o how output pitch compares with that o the original.
The Mode button determines whether the alteration will be random or, when set to “Alt,“ will
cycle between the allowed output notes in a fxed order (sometimes known as “cycle round-rob-
in“). The Chance control behaves a bit di erently in Alt mode - at 100 percent, the next output
note will always be the next note in the series. At 0 percent, the next output note will always be
the incoming note.
For example, with Chance set to 100 percent, Choices set to 12 and Scale set to 1, playing
C3 once will trigger C3, and each successive C3 will trigger the next semitone higher until the
device reaches C4, at which point it will start over at C3. But with Chance set to 100 percent,
Choices set to 2 and Scale set to 2, incoming C3s will alternate between C3 and D3. This setting
is per ect or simulating upbow and downbow alternation with stringed instruments, or alternat-
ing right- and le t-hand drum samples.
Hint: Try using the Scale e ect a ter Random to constrain the output values to a specifc har-
monic range. Using Random’s Alt mode with the Scale device allows you to create a simple step-
sequencer.
23.6 Scale
The Scale E ect.
Scale alters incoming note pitch based on a scale mapping. Each incoming note is given an
outgoing equivalent on the X-Y scale map o the e ect: All incoming Cs, or example, might be
converted to outgoing Ds.
The X-Y scale map is 12 squares in length and width, corresponding to the 12 notes in a ull
octave. Darker squares represent the black keys on a keyboard. The base o the diagonal scale
(the lower le t square) shown on the map can be changed using the Base control. The X-axis
o the map shows incoming note values, and the Y-axis their outgoing equivalents. Use mouse-
clicks to move or delete the blue squares, which defne where an incoming note will be sent on
the scale. (Deleting a note on the scale map means that it will no longer play.)
The Transpose slider can raise or lower the pitch o incoming MIDI notes by +/- 36 semitones.
You could, or example, shi t a melody written in C major to G major by setting Transpose to +7
st.
Fold makes it more convenient to create scales by automatically “ olding“ back notes i their
o set to the original note is greater than six semitones. For example, i Scale normally maps an
incoming C3 to A3, enabling Fold will map C3 to A2 instead.
The Range and Lowest controls work together to defne the note range within which scale map-
ping will take e ect. Outside o the range defned by these controls, the Scale e ect will be
inapplicable, and the LED light will ash to indicate that some notes are not being processed by
the e ect, but are playing at their unaltered pitch.
23.7 Velocity
The Velocity E ect.
Velocity can alter incoming MIDI note velocity values (1-127) in either a controlled or random
manner. It can unction on MIDI Note On (Velocity) or Note O (Rel. Vel.) messages, or both,
depending on the setting o the Operation chooser.
The Out Low and Out Hi knobs control the outgoing velocity ( rom 1 to 127), which is repre-
sented by the Y-axis o the X-Y display. Incoming velocities that are shown in the display are
within the range chosen by the Range and Lowest controls, and are represented on the X-axis.
The resulting curve shows how velocity is being altered by the e ect.
I Lowest and Out Low are both set to zero, and Range and Out Hi are set to 127, the display
will show a straight diagonal line that indicates the equivalent o an e ect bypass: So tly played
notes are being output quietly, and vice versa. I instead, Out Hi is set to zero and Out Low to
127, the slope o the line will be reversed, and so tly played notes will actually produce the
loudest output.
What happens to incoming notes that are outside o the range set with the Range and Lowest
controls? This depends on which Mode is selected.
•Clip Mode does just what it says: It clips incoming note velocities so that they stay within
the range.
•Gate Mode removes incoming notes altogether i their velocities are outside o the range.
You will see the little LED below the X-Y display ash when a note is blocked by gating.
•In Fixed Mode, the Out Hi velocity defnes all outgoing note velocities, regardless o in-
coming note velocity.
The Random unction adds or subtracts a random value to the all velocities, and is represented
by a gray area on the display curve.
The Drive and Compand controls can be combined to create more complex curves. Compand is
a simultaneous expanding and compressing tool. When set to values greater than zero, it orces
incoming notes to the outer boundaries o the curve, making them play either loudly or so tly.
Compand values o less than zero, on the other hand, orce outgoing velocity toward the mid-
range. Drive pushes all values in the curve to the outer extremes. Use these two controls together
to sculpt or even redefne the dynamic structure o a piece.
Live Instrument Reference 435
Chapter 24
Live Instrument Re erence

Live comes with a selection o custom-designed, built-in instruments. The Working with Instru-
ments and E ects chapter (page 259) explains the basics o using instruments in Live.
24.1 Analog
The Analog Instrument.
(Note: the Analog instrument is not available in the Intro, Lite and Standard Editions.)
Analog is a virtual analog synthesizer, created in collaboration with Applied Acoustics Systems.
With this instrument, we have not attempted to emulate a specifc vintage analog synthesizer but
rather to combine di erent eatures o legendary vintage synthesizers into a modern instrument.
Analog generates sound by simulating the di erent components o the synthesizer through phys-
ical modeling. This technology uses the laws o physics to reproduce how an object or system
produces sound. In the case o Analog, mathematical equations describing how analog circuits
unction are solved in real time. Analog uses no sampling or wavetables; the sound is simply cal-
culated in real time by the CPU according to the values o each parameter. This sound synthesis
method ensures unmatched sound quality, realism, warmth and playing dynamics.
24.1.1 Architecture and Inter ace

Analog’s signal ow is shown in the fgure below:
L
Oscillator 1 Filter 1 Amp 1 R
LFO 1
L
Output
LFO 1 Filter Env 1 Amp Env 1
Pre Filter Mix
L
Oscillator 2 Filter 2 Amp 2 R
LFO 2
LFO 2 Filter Env 2 Amp Env 2
Noise
Diagram o Analog’s Signal Flow.
The primary sound sources o the synthesizer are two oscillators and a noise generator. These
sources can be independently routed to two di erent multi-mode flters, which are each con-
nected to an amplifer. Furthermore, the signal ow can be run through the flters in series or in
parallel.
Analog also eatures two low- requency oscillators (LFOs) which can modulate the oscillators,
flters and amplifers. Additionally, each flter and amplifer has its own envelope generator.
The Analog inter ace consists o two parts: the display surrounded on all sides by the shell. The
shell contains the most important controls or a given section while the display updates to show
parameter visualizations and additional controls or the selected section. In addition to the syn-
thesis modules, there is a Global section that contains general per ormance parameters such as
instrument volume, vibrato and polyphony.
24.1.2 Oscillators
Display and Shell Parameters or the two Oscillators.
Analog’s two oscillators use physical modelling to capture the character o vintage hardware
oscillators. Because they use modelling instead o wavetables, they avoid aliasing.
Each oscillator can be turned on or o independently via the switch labelled Osc 1 or Osc 2 in
the shell, and the oscillator’s output level is adjusted by the slider to the right o this activator.
The F1/F2 slider controls the balance o the oscillator’s output to each o the two flters. When
the slider is at the center position, equal amounts o signal will be sent to both flters. When set
all the way to the top or bottom, signal will only be sent to Filter 1 or Filter 2 respectively.
The Shape chooser selects the oscillator’s wave orm. The choices are sine, sawtooth, rectangu-
lar and white noise. When rectangular is selected, the Pulse Width parameter is enabled in the
display, which allows you to change the pulse width o the wave orm. Low Width values result in
a very narrow wave orm, which tends to sound tinny or “pinched.“ At 100%, the wave orm is a
per ect square, resulting in only odd harmonics. The pulse width can also be modulated by an
LFO, via the slider next to Width. Note that this parameter is only enabled when the correspond-
ing LFO is enabled.
The Octave, Semi and Detune knobs in the shell unction as coarse and fne tuners. Octave
transposes the oscillator by octaves, while Semi transposes up or down in semitone increments.
The Detune knob adjusts in increments o one cent (up to a maximum o three semitones (300
cents) up or down).
Oscillator pitch can be modulated according to the settings o the Pitch Mod and Pitch Env pa-
rameters in the display. The LFO slider sets the amount that the LFO modulates pitch. Again, this
parameter is only enabled i the LFO is on. The Key slider controls how much the oscillator tuning
is adjusted by changes in MIDI note pitch. The de ault value o 100% means that the oscillator
will con orm to a conventional equal tempered scale. Higher or lower values change the amount
o space between the notes on the keyboard. At 0%, the oscillator is not modulated by note
pitch at all. To get a sense o how this works, try leaving one o the oscillators at 100% and set-
ting the other’s Key scaling to something just slightly di erent. Then play scales near middle C.
Since C3 will always trigger the same requency regardless o the Key value, the oscillators will
get arther out o tune with each other the arther away rom C3 you play.
The Pitch Env settings apply a ramp that modulates the oscillator’s pitch over time. Initial sets the
starting pitch o the oscillator while Time adjusts how long it will take or the pitch to glide to its
fnal value. You can adjust both parameters via the sliders or by adjusting the breakpoints in the
envelope display.
The Sub/Sync parameters in the display allow you to apply either a sub-oscillator or a hard syn-
chronization mode. When the Mode chooser is set to Sub, the Level slider sets the output level o
an additional oscillator, tuned an octave below the main oscillator. The sub-oscillator produces
a square wave when the main oscillator’s Shape control is set to rectangle or sawtooth and a
sine wave when the main oscillator is set to sine. Note that the sub-oscillator is disabled when
the main oscillator’s Shape is set to white noise.
When the Mode chooser is set to Sync, the oscillator’s wave orm is restarted by an internal os-
cillator whose requency is set by the Ratio slider. At 0%, the requency o the internal oscillator
and the audible oscillator match, so sync has no e ect. As you increase the Ratio, the internal
oscillator’s rate increases, which changes the harmonic content o the audible oscillator. For
maximum analog nastiness, try mapping a modulation wheel or other MIDI controller to the
Sync ratio.
24.1.3 Noise Generator
Analog’s Noise Generator.

The Noise generator produces white noise and includes its own -6db/octave low-pass flter. The
generator can be turned on or o via the Noise switch in the shell. Its output level is adjusted by
the slider to the right o this activator.
The F1/F2 slider controls the balance o the noise generator’s output to each o the two flters.
When the slider is at the center position, equal amounts o signal will be sent to both flters.
When set all the way to the top or bottom, signal will only be sent to Filter 1 or Filter 2 respec-
tively.
The Color knob sets the requency o the internal low-pass flter. Higher values result in more
high- requency content.
Note that Noise has only shell parameters, so adjusting them does not change what is shown in
the display.
24.1.4 Filters
Display and Shell Parameters or the two Filters.
Analog’s two multi-mode flters come equipped with a exible routing architecture, multiple satu-
ration options and a variety o modulation possibilities. As with the oscillators, all parameters
can be set independently or each flter.
The Fil 1 and Fil 2 switches in the shell toggle the respective flter on and o . The chooser next to
the flter activator selects the flter type rom a selection o 2nd and 4th order low-pass, band-
pass, notch, high-pass and ormant flters.
The resonance requency o the flter is adjusted with the Freq knob in the shell, while the amount
o resonance is adjusted with the Reso control. When a ormant flter is chosen in the chooser,
the Reso control cycles between vowel sounds.
Below each mode chooser is an additional control which di ers between the two flters. In Filter
1, the To F2 slider allows you to adjust the amount o Filter 1’s output that will be sent to Filter 2.
The Slave switch below Filter 2’s mode chooser causes this flter’s cuto requency to ollow the
cuto o Filter 1. I this is enabled, Filter 2’s cuto knob controls the amount o o set between the
two cuto amounts. I any o Analog’s modulation sources are controlling Filter 1’s cuto , Filter 2
will also be a ected by them when Slave is enabled.
In addition to the envelope controls (page 441), the displays or the flters contain various
modulation parameters and the Drive chooser. Cuto requency and resonance can be inde-
pendently modulated by LFO, note pitch and flter envelope via the sliders in the Freq Mod and
Res Mod sections respectively. Positive modulation values will increase the cuto or resonance
amounts, while negative values will lower them.
The Drive chooser in the display selects the type o saturation applied to the flter output. The
three Sym options apply symmetrical distortion, which means that the saturation behavior is the
same or positive and negative values. The Asym modes result in asymmetrical saturation. For
both mode types, higher numbers result in more distortion. Drive can be switched o entirely by
selecting O in the chooser. Experiment with the various options to get a sense o how they a -
ect incoming signals.
24.1.5 Ampli ers
Display and Shell Parameters or the two Amplifers.
A ter the flters, the signal is routed to an amplifer which urther shapes the sound with an ampli-
tude envelope and panning. All parameters can be set independently or each amplifer.
The Amp 1 and Amp 2 switches in the shell toggle the respective amplifer on and o , while the
output level is controlled by the Level knob. The Pan knob sets the position o the amplifer’s out-
put in the stereo feld.
In addition to the envelope controls, the displays or the amplifers contain various modulation
parameters. The Pan and Level amounts can be independently modulated by LFO, note pitch
and amp envelope via the sliders in the Pan Mod and Level Mod sections respectively. Note
that, when using note pitch as the modulation source or Level, middle C will always sound the
same regardless o the modulation amount. Positive values will cause the level to increase or
higher notes.
24.1.6 Envelopes
Analog’s Envelope Parameters.
In addition to the pitch envelopes in the oscillator sections, Analog is equipped with independent
envelopes or each flter and amplifer. All our o these envelopes have identical controls, which
are housed entirely within the display. Each envelope is a standard ADSR (attack, decay, sus-
tain, release) design and eatures velocity modulation and looping capabilities.
The attack time is set with the Attack slider. This time can also be modulated by velocity via the
Att<Vel slider. As you increase the Att<Vel value, the attack time will become increasingly short-
er at higher velocities.
The time it takes or the envelope to reach the sustain level a ter the attack phase is set by the
Decay slider.
The Sustain slider sets the level at which the envelope will remain rom the end o the decay
phase to the release o the key. When this knob is turned all the way to the le t, there is no sustain
phase. With it turned all the way to the right, there is no decay phase.
The overall envelope level can be additionally modulated by velocity via the Env<Vel slider.
The S.Time slider can cause the Sustain level to decrease even i a key remains depressed. Lower
values cause the Sustain level to decrease more quickly.
Finally, the release time is set with the Release knob. This is the time it takes or the envelope to
reach zero a ter the key is released.
The Slope switches toggle the shape o the envelope segments between linear and exponential.
This change is also represented in the envelope visualization.
Normally, each new note triggers its own envelope rom the beginning o the attack phase. With
Legato enabled, a new note that is played while another note is already depressed will use the
frst note’s envelope, at its current position.
Enabling the Free switch causes the envelope to bypass its sustain phase and move directly
rom the decay phase to the release phase. This behavior is sometimes called “trigger“ mode
because it produces notes o equal duration, regardless o how long the key is depressed. Free
mode is ideal or percussive sounds.
The Loop chooser o ers several options or repeating certain segments o the envelope while
a key is depressed. When O is selected, the envelope plays once through all o its segments
without looping.
With AD-R selected, the envelope begins with the attack and decay phases as usual, but rather
than maintaining the sustain level, the attack and decay phases will repeat until the note is re-
leased, at which point the release phase occurs. ADR-R mode is similar, but also includes the
release phase in the loop or as long as the key is held.
Note that in both AD-R and ADR-R modes, enabling Free will cause notes to behave as i they’re
permanently depressed.
ADS-R mode plays the envelope without looping, but plays the attack and release phases once
more when the key is released. With short attack and release times, this mode can simulate in-
struments with audible dampers.
24.1.7 LFOs
Display and Shell Parameters or the two LFOs.
Analog’s two LFOs can be used as modulation sources or the oscillators, flters and amplifers.
As with the other sections, each LFO has independent parameters.
The LFO 1 and LFO 2 switches in the shell toggle the respective LFO on and o , while the Rate
knob sets the LFO’s speed. The switch next to this knob toggles the Rate between requency in
Hertz and tempo-synced beat divisions.
The Wave chooser in the display selects the wave orm or the LFO. The choices are sine, tri-
angle, rectangle and two types o noise. The frst noise type steps between random values while
the second uses smooth ramps. With Tri or Rect selected, the Width slider allows you to adjust
the pulse width o the wave orm. With Tri selected, low Width values shi t the wave orm towards
an upwards sawtooth, while higher values result in a downward saw. At 50%, the wave orm is a
per ect triangle. The behavior is similar with the Rect setting. At 50%, the wave orm is a per ect
square wave, while lower and higher values result in negative or positive pulses, respectively.
Note that Width is disabled when the LFO’s wave orm is set to sine or the noise modes.
The Delay slider sets how long it will take or the LFO to start a ter the note begins, while Attack
sets how long it takes the LFO to reach its ull amplitude.
With Retrig enabled, the LFO restarts at the same position in its phase each time a note is trig-
gered. The O set slider adjusts the phase o the LFO’s wave orm.
24.1.8 Global Parameters
Display and Shell Parameters or the Global Options.
The Global shell and display parameters adjust how Analog responds to MIDI data, as well as
controls or per ormance parameters such as vibrato and glide.
The Volume control in the shell adjusts the overall output o the instrument. This is the instrument’s
master level, and can boost or attenuate the output o the amplifer sections.
The Vib switch turns the vibrato e ect on or o , while the percentage slider next to it adjusts the
amplitude o the vibrato. Analog’s vibrato e ect is essentially an additional LFO, but is hard-
wired to the pitch o both oscillators. The Rate slider sets the speed o the vibrato.
Turning on the vibrato e ect enables the our additional Vibrato parameters in the display. The
Delay slider sets how long it will take or the vibrato to start a ter the note begins, while Attack
sets how long it takes or the vibrato to reach ull intensity.
The Error slider adds a certain amount o random deviation to the Rate, Amount, Delay and At-
tack parameters or the vibrato applied to each polyphonic voice.
The Amt<MW slider adjusts how much the modulation wheel will a ect the vibrato intensity. This
control is relative to the value set by the Amount percentage slider in the shell.
The Uni switch in the shell turns on the unison e ect, which stacks multiple voices or each note
played. The Detune slider next to this switch adjusts the amount o tuning variation applied to
each stacked voice.
Turning on the unison e ect enables the two additional Unison parameters in the display. The
Voices chooser selects between two or our stacked voices, while the Delay slider increases the
lag time be ore each stacked voice is activated.
The Gli switch turns the glide e ect on or o . This is used to make the pitch slide between notes
rather than changing immediately. With Legato enabled, the sliding will only occur i the second
note is played be ore the frst note is released. The Time slider sets the overall speed o the slide.
Turning on the glide e ect enables an additional Glide Mode chooser in the display. Selecting
Const causes the glide time to be constant regardless o interval. Choosing Prop (proportional)
causes the glide time to be proportional to the interval between the notes. Large intervals will
glide slower than small intervals.
The Keyboard section in the display contains all o Analog’s polyphony and tuning parameters.
The Voices chooser sets the available polyphony, while Priority determines which notes will be
cut o when the maximum polyphony is exceeded. When Priority is set to High, new notes that
are higher than currently sustained notes will have priority, and notes will be cut o starting rom
the lowest pitch. Low is the opposite. A Priority setting o Last gives priority to the most recently
played notes, cutting o the oldest notes as necessary.
The Octave, Semi and Tuning controls unction as coarse and fne tuners. Octave transposes the
entire instrument by octaves, while Semi transposes up or down in semitone increments. The Tun-
ing slider adjusts in increments o one cent (up to a maximum o 50 cents up or down).
PB Range sets the range in semitones o pitch bend modulation.
Stretch simulates a technique known as stretch tuning, which is a common tuning modifcation
made to electric and acoustic pianos. At 0%, Analog will play in equal temperament, which
means that two notes are an octave apart when the upper note’s undamental pitch is exactly
twice the lower note’s. Increasing the Stretch amount raises the pitch o upper notes while lower-
ing the pitch o lower ones. The result is a more brilliant sound. Negative values simulate “nega-
tive“ stretch tuning; upper notes become atter while lower notes become sharper.
The Error slider increases the amount o random tuning error applied to each note.
The our Quick Routing buttons in the le t side o the display provide an easy way to quickly set
up common parameter routings. The upper le t option confgures a parallel routing structure,
with each oscillator eeding its own flter and amplifer exclusively. The upper right button is simi-
lar, but the oscillators each split their output evenly between the two flters. The bottom le t op-
tion eeds both oscillators into Filter 1 and Amp 1, disabling Filter 2 and Amp 2 entirely. Finally,
the bottom right option confgures a serial routing structure, with both oscillators eeding Filter 1,
which is then ed exclusively to Filter 2 and Amp 2.
Note that the Quick Routing options do not a ect any changes you may have made to the oscil-
lator level, tuning or wave orm parameters — they only adjust the routing o the oscillators to the
flters and subsequent amplifers.
24.2 Collision
The Collision Instrument.
(Note: the Collision instrument is not available in the Intro, Lite and Standard Editions.)
Collision is a synthesizer that simulates the characteristics o mallet percussion instruments. Cre-
ated in collaboration with Applied Acoustics Systems, Collision uses physical modeling tech-
nology to model the various sound generating and resonant components o real (or imagined)
objects.

Collision’s sound is produced by a pair o oscillators called Mallet and Noise, which eed a pair
o independent (or linked) stereo resonators. While the oscillators produce the initial component
o the sound, it is the resonator parameters that have the greatest impact on the sound’s charac-
ter.
Collision’s inter ace is divided into tabs, which are urther divided into sections. The Excitator
tab contains the controls or the Mallet and Noise oscillators. The Resonator tabs contain the
parameters or the independent resonator sections, while the Link tab allows you to adjust both
resonators simultaneously.
The LFO tab contains two independent low- requency oscillators (LFOs), which can each modu-
late multiple parameters. Similarly, the MIDI tab allows or MIDI pitch bend, modulation wheel
and a tertouch messages to be routed to multiple destinations.
To the right o the resonators is a section o global parameters, including overall output volume,
polyphony and resonator routing options.
In addition to serving as organizational aids, Collision’s tabs contain LEDs that light up to indi-
cate that their contained sections are active. Disabling unused sections can save CPU.
24.2.2 Excitator Tab

The Excitator tab contains parameters or the Mallet and Noise sections. These model the be-
havior o a mallet striking a sur ace, and provide Collision’s undamental sound. These section’s
parameters only control the initial impulse, which is a much smaller component o Collision’s
overall sound than the resonators.
Note that i both the Mallet and Noise sections are turned o , Collision will not make sound.
The Mallet Section
Collision’s Mallet Section.
The Mallet section simulates the impact o a mallet against a sur ace. The parameters adjust the
physical properties o the mallet itsel .
Volume controls the overall output level o the mallet section, while the Noise knob sets the
amount o impact noise that is included in each mallet strike. This is use ul or simulating the
“chi “ sound o a elt-wrapped mallet head. The Volume and Noise parameters can be modu-
lated by pitch and velocity by adjusting the K (Key) and V (Velocity) sliders, respectively.
The Sti ness knob adjusts the hardness o the mallet. At low levels, the mallet is so t, which results
in ewer high requencies and a longer, less distinct impact. As you increase the sti ness, the
impact time decreases and high requencies increase. This parameter can also be modulated by
pitch and velocity via the Key and Vel sliders.
The Color knob sets the requency o the noise component. At higher values, there are less low
requencies in the noise. This parameter has no e ect i Noise is set to 0.
The Mallet section can be toggled on or o via the switch next to its name.
The Noise Section
Collision’s Noise Section.
The Noise section can be used instead o , or in addition to, the Mallet section. Like the Mallet,
the Noise section produces Collision’s initial impulse sound. But Noise also produces a white
noise component, which is then ed into a multimode flter and a dedicated envelope generator.
Volume controls the overall output level o the Noise section, and can be modulated by pitch
and velocity by adjusting the K (Key) and V (Velocity) sliders below the knob, respectively.
To the right are the flter controls. The type chooser allows you to choose between low-pass,
high-pass, and two types o band-pass flters. Filter cuto and resonance can be adjusted by the
sliders above the flter display, or by dragging within the display itsel . In BP mode, the second
slider adjusts resonance, while in LP+HP mode, it adjusts bandwidth. The flter requency can
also be modulated by note pitch, velocity or the envelope generator, via the K, V and E sliders
below the display.
The envelope generator is a standard ADSR (attack, decay, sustain, release).

The attack time — how quickly Noise reaches ull volume — is set with the A (Attack) slider, while
the time it takes or the envelope to reach the sustain level a ter the attack phase is set by the D
(Decay) slider.
The S (Sustain) slider sets the level at which the envelope will remain rom the end o the decay
phase to the release o the key. When this slider is set to 0, there is no sustain phase. With it set to
100, there is no decay phase.
Finally, the release time is set with the R (Release) slider. This is the time it takes or the envelope
to reach zero a ter the key is released.
The Noise section can be toggled on or o via the switch next to its name.
24.2.3 Resonator Tabs
Collision’s Resonators.
The majority o Collision’s character is determined by the parameters in the two Resonator tabs.
Each stereo resonator can be toggled on or o via the switch in its tab. Keep in mind that i both
resonators are turned o , no sound will be produced.
Each resonator section is urther divided into three subsections. On the le t are controls related
to tuning. In the center are the controls that determine the physical properties o the resonant
object. To the right are mixer controls. Each resonator’s center subsection contains a “Copy to“
button. Pressing this button copies this subsection’s parameter settings rom the currently selected
resonator to the other resonator.
The “link“ tab between the Resonator tabs allows you to adjust parameters or both resonators
simultaneously. The behavior here is similar to what happens when you edit the properties or a
multi-selection o clips (page 131): parameters that have di ering values will display the value
range (either on the control or knobs or in the status bar or sliders and choosers) and can be
adjusted with the linked control. Dragging the parameter to its absolute maximum or minimum
value will make the settings therea ter identical, adjustable as a single value.
Tuning Section
Resonator Tuning Parameters.
The Tune and Fine knobs unction as coarse and fne tuning controls. Tune moves up or down in
semitone increments, while Fine adjusts in increments o one cent (up to a maximum o one quar-
ter tone (50 cents) up or down).
The Key slider below the Tune knob controls how much the resonator’s tuning is adjusted by
changes in MIDI note pitch. The de ault value o 100% means that the resonator will con orm
to a conventional equal tempered scale. At 200%, each hal step on the keyboard will result in
a whole step change in tuning. At negative values, the resonator will drop in pitch as you play
higher on the keyboard.
The Pitch Envelope parameters apply a ramp that modulates the resonator’s pitch over time. Pitch
sets the starting pitch while Time adjusts how long it will take the pitch to glide to its fnal value.
The starting pitch can be modulated by velocity via the Vel slider.
Physical Properties Section
Physical Properties o the Resonator.
The type chooser allows you to select rom seven types o physically modeled resonant objects:
•Beam simulates the resonance properties o beams o di erent materials and sizes.
•Marimba, a specialized variant o the Beam model, reproduces the characteristic tuning o
marimba bar overtones which are produced as a result o the deep arch-cut o the bars.
•String simulates the sound produced by strings o di erent materials and sizes.
•Membrane is a model o a rectangular membrane (such as a drum head) with a variable

size and construction.
•Plate simulates sound production by a rectangular plate (a at sur ace) o di erent materi-
als and sizes.
•Pipe simulates a cylindrical tube that is ully open at one end and has a variable opening
at the other (adjusted with the Opening parameter.)
•Tube simulates a cylindrical tube that is closed at both ends.
The quality chooser controls the tradeo between the sound quality o the resonators and per-
ormance by reducing the number o overtones that are calculated. “Basic“ uses minimal CPU
resources, while “Full“ creates more sophisticated resonances. This parameter is not used with
the Pipe or Tube resonators.
The Decay slider adjusts the internal damping o the resonator, which determines its decay time.
O Decay determines the extent to which MIDI note o messages mute the resonance. At 0%,
note o s are ignored, and the decay time is based only on the value o the Decay parameter.
This is similar to how real-world mallet instruments such as a marimbas and glockenspiels be-
have. At 100%, the resonance is muted immediately at note o , regardless o the Decay time.
The Material slider adjusts the variation o the damping at di erent requencies. At lower values,
low requency components decay slower than high requency components (which simulates
objects made o wood, nylon or rubber). At higher values, high requency components decay
slower (which simulates objects made o glass or metal). This parameter is not used with the Pipe
or Tube resonators.
The Radius parameter is only available or the Pipe and Tube resonators. This slider adjusts the
radius o the pipe or tube. As the radius increases, the decay time and high requency sustain
both increase. At very large sizes, the undamental pitch o the resonator also changes.
The Decay and Material/Radius parameters can also be controlled with the X-Y controller, and
modulated by note pitch and velocity via the sliders below the X-Y panel.
Ratio is only available or the Membrane and Plate resonators, and adjusts the ratio o the ob-
ject’s size along its x and y axes.
The Brightness control adjusts the amplitude o various requency components. At higher values,
higher requencies are louder. This parameter is not used with the Pipe or Tube resonators.
The Inharmonics knob adjusts the pitch o the resonator’s harmonics. At negative values, re-
quencies are compressed, increasing the amount o lower partials. At positive values, requen-
cies are stretched, increasing the amount o upper partials. This parameter is not used with the
Pipe or Tube resonators. Inharmonics can also be modulated by velocity via the slider below the
knob.
Opening, which is only available or the Pipe resonator, scales between an open and closed
pipe. At 0%, the pipe is ully closed on one side, while at 100% the pipe is open at both ends.
This parameter can also be modulated by velocity via the slider below the knob.
The Listening L and R controls adjust the location on the le t and right resonator where the vibra-
tions are measured. At 0%, the resonance is monitored at the object’s center. Higher values
move the listening point closer to the edge. These parameters are not used with the Pipe or Tube
resonators, which are always measured in the middle o their permanently open end.
The Hit knob adjusts the location on the resonator at which the object is struck or otherwise ac-
tivated. At 0%, the object is hit at its center. Higher values move the activation point closer to the
edge. This parameter is not used with the Pipe or Tube resonators. The Hit position can also be
randomized by increasing the value o the Rd. (Random) slider below the knob.
Mixer Section
Resonator Mixer.
Each resonator has its own Volume and Pan controls. Pan can also be modulated by note pitch
via the K (Key) slider below the knob.
The Bleed control mixes a portion o the original oscillator signal with the resonated signal. At
higher values, more o the original signal is applied. This is use ul or restoring high requencies,
which can o ten be damped when the tuning or quality are set to low values.
24.2.4 LFO Tab
Collision’s LFOs.
Collision’s two independent LFOs can be used as modulation sources or a variety o excitator
and resonator parameters, which are selectable in the Destination choosers. Additionally, they
can modulate each other.
The LFO 1 and LFO 2 switches toggle the respective LFO on and o , while the wave orm choos-
er determines the wave shape. The choices are sine, square, triangle, sawtooth up, sawtooth
down and two types o noise. The frst noise type steps between random values while the second
uses smooth ramps.
The switch next to the wave orm chooser toggles the LFO’s rate between requency in Hertz and
tempo-synced beat divisions.
Depth sets the overall intensity o the LFO, while Rate adjusts its speed. The sliders below these
parameters allow or additional modulations; Depth can be modulated by velocity while Rate
can be modulated by note pitch.
With Retrig. enabled, triggering a note restarts the LFO with the wave orm phase set by the O -
set parameter. The O set slider adjusts the phase.
Each LFO can modulate two targets, which are set via the Destination choosers. The intensity
o the modulations is adjusted with the Amount sliders. Note that these modulation amounts are
relative to the LFO’s Depth value.
24.2.5 MIDI Tab
Collision’s MIDI Tab.
The MIDI tab allows or a wide variety o internal MIDI mappings. The MIDI controllers Pitch
Bend, Modulation Wheel, and A tertouch can be mapped to two destinations each, with inde-
pendent modulation intensities set via the Amount sliders. Note that pitch bend is hardwired to
pitch modulation, but can still be routed to an additional target.
The Global Section
Collision’s Global Section.
The global section contains the parameters that relate to the overall behavior and per ormance
o Collision.
The Volume knob acts as Collision’s master output control.
Collision contains a built-in limiter that automatically activates when the audio level is too high.
This is indicated by the LED above Collision’s global Volume control.
The Structure buttons determine whether Collision’s resonators are arranged in series (1 > 2) or
in parallel (1 + 2).
When in series, Mallet and Noise output to Resonator 1. This resonator’s output is then mixed
down to mono and routed to Resonator 2, as well as to its own mixer (in stereo.) Note that Reso-
nator 1 must be turned on when using serial mode:
Mallet
Resonator 1
Noise
Resonator 2
Resonators in 1 > 2 (Serial) Confguration.
In parallel mode, the output o Mallet and Noise is mixed and then sent directly to both resona-
tors, which then output to their own mixers.
Mallet
Resonator 1
Resonator 2
Noise
Resonators in 1 + 2 (Parallel) Confguration.
The Voices chooser sets the available polyphony. Since each voice that’s used requires ad-
ditional CPU, you may need to experiment with this chooser to fnd a good balance between
playability and per ormance, particularly on older machines.
With Retrig. enabled, notes which are already sounding will be immediately stopped when re-
triggered, rather than generating an additional voice. This can be use ul or keeping CPU down
when working with long decay times.
24.2.6 Sound Design Tips

Although Collision has been designed to model the behavior o objects that exist in the physical
world, it is important to remember that these models allow or much more exibility than their
physical counterparts. While Collision can produce extremely realistic simulations o conven-
tional mallet instruments such as marimbas, vibraphones and glockenspiels, it is also very easy
to “misuse“ the instrument’s parameters to produce sounds which could never be made by an
acoustic instrument.
To program realistic instrument simulations, it helps to think about the chain o events that pro-
duces a sound on a mallet instrument (a marimba, or example), and then visualize those events
as sections within Collision:
•a beater (Mallet) strikes a tuned bar (Resonator 1).
•the tuned bar’s resonance is amplifed by means o a resonating tube (Resonator 2).
Thus the conventional model consists o the Mallet excitator and the two resonators in a serial (1
> 2) confguration.
O course, to program unrealistic sounds, anything goes:
•try using the Noise excitator, particularly with long envelope times, to create washy, quasi-
granular textures. These parameters can also be used to simulate special acoustic e ects
such as bowed vibraphones or crystal glasses.
•experiment with the resonators in parallel (1 + 2) confguration.
•use the LFOs and MIDI controllers to modulate Collision’s parameters.
A word o caution: in many ways, Collision’s models are idealized versions o real-world ob-
jects. Consequently, it is very easy to program resonances that are much more sensitive to input
than any physical resonator could be. Certain combinations o parameters can cause dramatic
changes in volume. Make sure to keep output levels low when experimenting with new sounds.
24.3 Electric
The Electric Instrument.
(Note: the Electric instrument is not available in the Intro, Lite and Standard Editions.)
Electric is a so tware electric piano based on the classic instruments o the seventies, and devel-
oped in collaboration with Applied Acoustics Systems. Each component o these instruments has
been modeled using cutting edge physical modeling technology to provide realistic and lively
sounds. Physical modeling uses the laws o physics to reproduce the behavior o an object. In
other words, Electric solves, in real time, mathematical equations describing how its di erent
components unction. No sampling or wavetables are used in Electric; the sound is simply cal-
culated in real time by the CPU according to the values o each parameter. Electric is more than
a simple recreation o vintage instruments; its parameters can be tweaked to values not possible
with the real instruments to get some truly amazing new sounds that still retain a warm acoustic
quality.

The mechanism o the electric piano is actually quite simple. A note played on the keyboard ac-
tivates a mallet that hits a ork. The sound o that ork is then amplifed by a magnetic coil pickup
and sent to the output, very much like an electric guitar. The ork is made o two parts, called the
tine bar and tone bar. The tine bar is where the mallet hits the ork while the tone bar is a tuned
metal resonator, sized appropriately to produce the correct pitch. Once the ork is activated, it
will continue to resonate on its own or a long time. But releasing the key applies a damper to the
ork, which mutes it more quickly.
The Electric inter ace is divided into fve main sections, some o which are urther divided into
related subsections. The frst our main sections (Mallet, Fork, Damper and Pickup) correspond
to the sound producing components mentioned above. The Global section contains parameters
that a ect overall behavior and per ormance, such as pitch bend and polyphony.
24.3.2 Mallet Section

The Mallet section contains the parameters related to the physical properties o the mallet itsel ,
as well as how it’s a ected by your playing.
The Sti ness control adjusts the hardness o the mallet’s striking area. Higher values simulate
a harder sur ace, which results in a brighter sound. Lower values mean a so ter sur ace and a
more mellow sound. The Force knob adjusts the intensity o the mallet’s impact on the ork. Low
values simulate a so t impact while high values mean a hard impact.
The sti ness and orce can also be modifed by velocity and note pitch, via the Vel and Key slid-
ers ound below the knobs.
The Noise subsection simulates the impact noise caused by the mallet striking the ork. The De-
cay knob adjusts how long it takes or this noise to ade to silence, while the Pitch control sets the
center requency. Level adjusts the overall volume o the noise component. An additional Key
scaling control adjusts how much the noise volume is determined by note pitch.
24.3.3 Fork Section

The Fork section is urther divided into Tine and Tone subsections. This area is the heart o Elec-
tric’s sound generating mechanism.
The Tine subsection controls the portion o the ork that is directly struck by the mallet. The De-
cay knob adjusts how long it takes the tine’s sound to ade out while a note is held. The Color
knob controls the relative amplitude o high and low partials in the tine’s spectrum. Low values
increase the amount o low harmonics, while higher values result in higher harmonics. The ampli-
tude o the tine is adjusted with the Level knob. This level can be urther modulated by note pitch
via the Key scaling control.
The Tone subsection controls the secondary resonance o the ork. Decay and Level parameters
here work in the same way as their Tine counterparts.
The Release knob applies to both the Tine and Tone areas and controls the decay time o the
ork’s sound a ter a key is released.
24.3.4 Damper Section

The metal orks in an electric piano are designed to sustain or a long time when a key is held.
The mechanism that regulates this sustain is called the damper. When a key is pressed, that
note’s damper is moved away rom its ork. When the key is released, the damper is applied
to the ork again to stop it rom vibrating. But the dampers themselves make a small amount o
sound, both when they are applied and when they are released. This characteristic noise is mod-
elled in Electric’s Damper section.
The Tone knob adjusts the sti ness o the dampers. Turning this control to the le t simulates so t
dampers, which produces a mellower sound. Turning it to the right increases the hardness o the
dampers, producing a brighter sound. The overall amount o damper noise is adjusted with the
Level control.
The Att/Rel knob adjusts whether or not damper noise is present when the dampers are applied
to the ork or when they are released. When turned to the le t, damper noise is only present dur-
ing the attack phase o the note. When turned to the right, the noise is present only during the
release phase. In the center, an equal amount o noise will be added during both the attack and
release.
24.3.5 Pickup Section

The Pickup section simulates the behavior o the magnetic coil pickup that amplifes the sound o
the resonating ork.
The R-W buttons switch between two di erent types o pickups. In the R position, Electric simu-
lates electro-dynamic pickups, while W is based on an electro-static model.
The Input knob is used to adjust the amount o the ork’s signal that is ed to the pickup, which in
turn a ects the amount o distortion applied to the overall signal. The Output knob controls the
amount o signal output by the pickup section. Di erent combinations o these two knobs can
yield very di erent results. For example, a low amount o input with a high amount o output will
produce a cleaner sound than a high input with a low output. The output level can be urther
modulated by note pitch via the Key scaling control.
The Symmetry and Distance knobs adjust the physical location o the pickup in relation to the
tine. Symmetry simulates the vertical position o the pickup. In the center position, the pickup is
directly in ront o the tine, which results in a brighter sound. Turning the knob to the le t or right
moves the pickup below or above the tine, respectively. Distance controls how ar the pickup is
rom the tine. Turning the knob to the right increases the distance, while turning it to the le t moves
the pickup closer. Note that the sound becomes more overdriven as the pickup approaches the
tine.
24.3.6 Global Section

The Global section contains the parameters that relate to the overall behavior and per ormance
o Electric.
The Volume knob sets Electric’s overall output level.
The Voices chooser sets the available polyphony. Since each voice that’s used requires ad-
ditional CPU, you may need to experiment with this chooser to fnd a good balance between
playability and per ormance, particularly on older machines.
The Semi and Detune controls unction as coarse and fne tuners. Semi transposes the entire in-
strument up or down in semitone increments, while the Detune slider adjusts in increments o one
cent (up to a maximum o 50 cents up or down).
Stretch simulates a technique known as stretch tuning, which is a common modifcation made
to both electric and acoustic pianos and is an intrinsic part o their characteristic sound. At 0%,
Electric will play in equal temperament, which means that two notes are an octave apart when
the upper note’s undamental pitch is exactly twice the lower note’s. But because the actual reso-
nance behavior o a vibrating tine or string di ers rom the theoretical model, equal tempera-
ment tends to sound “wrong“ on pianos. Stretch tuning attempts to correct this by sharpening the
pitch o upper notes while attening the pitch o lower ones. The result is a more brilliant sound.
Negative values simulate “negative“ stretch tuning; upper notes become atter while lower notes
become sharper.
P Bend sets the range in semitones o pitch bend modulation.
24.4 External Instrument

(Note: the External Instrument device is not available in the Intro and Lite Editions.)
The External Instrument.
The External Instrument device is not an instrument itsel , but rather a routing utility that allows
you to easily integrate external (hardware) synthesizers, ReWire devices and multitimbral plug-
ins into your projects. It sends MIDI out and returns audio.
The two MIDI To choosers select the output to which the device will send MIDI data. The top
chooser selects either a physical MIDI port (page 214), a ReWire slave destination (page
217) or a multitimbral plug-in. I you select a MIDI port ( or use with an external synthesizer),
the second chooser’s options will be MIDI channel numbers. I you’ve chosen a ReWire slave
such as Reason as your routing target, the choices will be the specifc devices available in the
slave project:
ReWire Options Shown in the Routing Choosers.
I another track in your set contains a multitimbral plug-in, you can select this track in the top
chooser. In this case, the second chooser allows you to select a specifc MIDI channel in the
plug-in.
The Audio From chooser provides options or returning the audio rom the hardware synth, plug-
in, or ReWire device. I you’re routing to a hardware synth, use this chooser to select the ports on
your audio inter ace that are connected to the output o your synth. The available choices you’ll
have will depend on the settings in the Audio Pre erences.
I you’re routing to a ReWire slave, the Audio From chooser will list all o the audio channels
available in the slave. Select the audio channel that corresponds to the instrument to which you
are sending MIDI. I you’re routing to a multitimbral plug-in on another track in your Live Set, the
Audio From chooser will list the auxiliary outputs in the plug-in. Note that the main outputs will
be heard on the track that contains the instrument.
The Gain knob adjusts the audio level coming back rom the sound source. This level should be
set care ully to avoid clipping.
Since external devices can introduce latency that Live cannot automatically detect, you can
manually compensate or any delays by adjusting the Hardware Latency slider. The button
next to this slider allows you to set your latency compensation amount in either milliseconds or
samples. I your external device connects to Live via a digital connection, you will want to adjust
your latency settings in samples, which ensures that the number o samples you speci y will be
retained even when changing the sample rate. I your external device connects to Live via an
analog connection, you will want to adjust your latency settings in milliseconds, which ensures
that the amount o time you speci y will be retained when changing the sample rate. Note that
adjusting in samples gives you fner control, so even in cases when you’re working with analog
devices, you may want to “fne tune“ your latency in samples in order to achieve the lowest pos-
sible latency. In this case, be sure to switch back to milliseconds be ore changing your sample
rate. Any latency introduced by devices within Live will be compensated or automatically, so
the slider will be disabled when using the External Instrument Device to route internally. Latency
adjustments when routing to ReWire devices will probably not be necessary, as most ReWire-
enabled programs also compensate automatically. But i you eel that something is “o “ in the
timing o your set, try adjusting this slider.
Note: I the Delay Compensation option (page 279) is unchecked in the Options menu, the
Hardware Latency slider is disabled.
For more detailed in ormation about routing scenarios with the External Instrument device,
please see the Routing and I/O chapter (page 211).
24.5 Impulse
The Impulse Instrument.
Impulse is a drum sampler with complex modulation capabilities. The eight drum samples loaded
into Impulse’s sample slots can be time-stretched, fltered and processed by envelope, satura-
tion, pan and volume components, nearly all o which are subject to random and velocity-based
modulation.
24.5.1 Sample Slots

Drag and drop samples into any o Impulse’s sample slots rom the browser or the Session and
Arrangement Views. Alternatively, each sample slot eatures a Hot-Swap button or hot-swap-
ping samples (page 71). Loaded samples can be deleted with your computer keyboard’s
[Backspace] or [Delete] key.
Imported samples are automatically mapped onto your MIDI keyboard, providing that it is
plugged in and acknowledged by Live. C3 on the keyboard will trigger the le tmost sample, and
the other samples will ollow suit in the octave rom C3 to C4. Impulse’s eight slots will appear
labeled in the MIDI Editor’s key tracks (page 171) when the Fold button is active, even i the
given key track is void o MIDI notes. Mapping can be transposed rom the de ault by applying
a Pitch device (page 429), or it can be rearranged by applying a Scale device (page 431).
Each o the eight samples has a proprietary set o parameters, located in the area below the
sample slots and visible when the sample is clicked. Adjustments to sample settings are only cap-
tured once you hit a new note — they do not a ect currently playing notes. Note that this behav-
ior also defnes how Impulse reacts to parameter changes rom clip envelopes or automation,
which are applied once a new note starts. I you want to achieve continuous changes as a note
plays, you may want to use the Simpler (page 514).
Slot 8’s parameters also include a Link button, located in the lower le t corner, which links slot
8 with slot 7. Linking the two slots allows slot 7’s activation to stop slot 8’s playback, and vice
versa. This was designed with a specifc situation in mind (but can, o course, be used or other
purposes): Replicating the way that closed hi-hats will silence open hi-hats.
Each slot can be played, soloed, muted or hot-swapped using controls that appear when the
mouse hovers over it.
24.5.2 Start, Transpose and Stretch

The Start control defnes where Impulse begins playing a sample, and can be set up to 100 ms
later than the actual sample beginning. The Transp (Transpose) control adjusts the transposition
o the sample by +/- 48 semitones, and can be modulated by incoming note velocity or a ran-
dom value, as set in the appropriate felds.
The Stretch control has values rom -100 to 100 percent. Negative values will shorten the sam-
ple, and positive values will stretch it. Two di erent stretching algorithms are available: Mode
A is ideal or low sounds, such as toms or bass, while Mode B is better or high sounds, such as
cymbals. The Stretch value can also be modulated by MIDI note velocity.
24.5.3 Filter
The Filter section o ers a broad range o flter types, each o which can impart di erent sonic
characteristics onto the sample by removing certain requencies. The Frequency control defnes
where in the harmonic spectrum the flter is applied; the Resonance control boosts requencies
near that point. Filter Frequency can be modulated by either a random value or by MIDI note
velocity.
24.5.4 Saturator and Envelope

The Saturator gives the sample a atter, rounder, more analog sound, and can be switched
on and o as desired. The Drive control boosts the signal and adds distortion. Coincidentally,
this makes most signals much louder, and should usually be compensated or by lowering the
sample’s volume control. Extreme Drive settings on low-pitched sounds will produce the typical,
overdriven analog synth drum sounds.
The envelope can be adjusted using the Decay control, which can be set to a maximum o 10.0
seconds. Impulse has two decay modes: Trigger Mode allows the sample to decay with the
note; Gate Mode orces the envelope to wait or a note o message be ore beginning the de-
cay. This mode is use ul in situations where you need variable decay lengths, as is the case with
hi-hat cymbal sounds.
24.5.5 Pan and Volume

Each sample has Volume and Pan controls that adjust amplitude and stereo positioning, respec-
tively. Both controls can be modulated: Pan by velocity and a random value, and Volume by
velocity only.

The parameters located to the right o the sample slots are global controls that apply to all
samples within Impulse’s domain. Volume adjusts the overall level o the instrument, and Transp
adjusts the transposition o all samples. The Time control governs the time-stretching and decay
o all samples, allowing you to morph between short and stretched drum sounds.
24.5.7 Individual Outputs

When a new instance o Impulse is dragged into a track, its signal will be mixed with those o the
other instruments and e ects eeding the audio chain o the track. It can o tentimes make more
sense to isolate the instrument or one o its individual drum samples, and send this signal to a
separate track. Please see the Routing chapter (page 226) to learn how to accomplish this or
Impulse’s overall signal or or Impulse’s individual sample slots.
24.6 Operator
The Operator Instrument.
(Note: the Operator instrument is not available in the Intro, Lite and Standard Editions.)
Operator is an advanced and exible synthesizer that combines the concept o “ requency
modulation“ (FM) with classic subtractive and additive synthesis. It uses our multi-wave orm
oscillators that can modulate each other’s requencies, creating very complex timbres rom a
limited number o objects. Operator includes a flter section, an LFO and global controls, as well
as individual envelopes or the oscillators, flter, LFO and pitch.
24.6.1 General Overview

The inter ace o Operator consists o two parts: the display surrounded on either side by the
shell. The shell o ers the most important parameters in a single view and is divided into eight
sections. On the le t side, you will fnd our oscillator sections, and on the right side rom top to
bottom, the LFO, the flter section, the pitch section and the global parameters. I you change
one o the shell parameters, the display in the center will automatically show the details o the
relevant section. When creating your own sounds, or example, you can conveniently access the
level and requency o all oscillators at once via the shell, and then adjust each individual oscil-
lator’s envelope, wave orm and other parameters in its display.
Operator can be olded with the triangular button at its upper le t. This is convenient i you do
not need to access the display details.
Operator Folded.
Each o Operator’s oscillators can either output its signal directly or use its signal to modulate
another oscillator. Operator o ers eleven predefned algorithms that determine how the oscilla-
tors are connected. An algorithm is chosen by clicking on one o the structure icons in the global
display, which will appear i the bottom right (global) section o the shell is selected. Signals
will ow rom top to bottom between the oscillators shown in an algorithm icon. The algorithm
selector can be mapped to a MIDI controller, automated, or modulated in real time, just like any
other parameter.
Operator’s Global Display and Shell Parameters.
Typically, FM synthesis makes use o pure sine waves, creating more complex wave orms via
modulation. However, in order to simpli y sound design and to create a wider range o possible
sounds, we designed Operator to produce a variety o other wave orms, including two types o
noise. You can also draw your own wave orms via a partial editor. The instrument is made com-
plete with an LFO, a pitch envelope and a flter section. Note that lots o “classic“ FM synthesiz-
ers create antastic sounds without using flters at all, so we suggest exploring the possibilities o
FM without the flter at frst, and adding it later i necessary.
Operator will keep you busy i you want to dive deep into sound design! I you want to break the
universe apart completely and reassemble it, you should also try modulating Operator’s controls
with clip envelopes (page 313) or track automation (page 301).
24.6.2 Oscillator Section
Oscillator A’s Display and Shell Parameters.
Built-in Wave orms

The oscillators come with a built-in collection o basic wave orm types — sine, sawtooth, square,
triangle and noise — which are selected rom the Wave chooser in the individual oscillator dis-
plays. The frst o these wave orms is a pure, mathematical sine wave, which is usually the frst
choice or many FM timbres. We also added “Sine 4 Bit“ and “Sine 8 Bit“ to provide the retro
sound adored by C64 ans, and “Saw D“ and “Square D“ digital wave orms, which are espe-
cially good or digital bass sounds. The square, triangle and sawtooth wave orms are resyn-
thesized approximations o the ideal shape. The numbers included in the displayed name (e.g.,
“Square 6“) defne how many harmonics are used or the resynthesis. Lower numbers sound
mellower and are less likely to create aliasing when used on high pitches. There are also two
built-in noise wave orms. The frst, “Noise Looped,“ is a looping sample o noise. For truly ran-
dom noise, choose “Noise White.“
User Wave orms

The “User“ entry in the Wave chooser allows you to create your own wave orms by drawing the
amplitudes o the oscillator’s harmonics. You can also select one o the built-in wave orms and
then edit it in the same way. The small display next to the Wave chooser gives a realtime over-
view o your wave orm.
When your mouse is over the Oscillator display area, the cursor will change to a pencil. Draw-
ing in the display area then raises or lowers the amplitudes o the harmonics. As you adjust the
amplitudes, the Status Bar will show the number o the harmonic you’re adjusting as well as its
amplitude. Holding [Shi t] and dragging will constrain horizontal mouse movement, allowing
you to adjust the amplitude o only one harmonic at a time.
You can switch between editing the frst 16, 32 or 64 harmonics via the switches to the right o
the display. Higher harmonics can be generated by repeating the drawn partials with a gradual
adeout, based on the settings in the Repeat chooser. Low Repeat values result in a brighter
sound, while higher values result in more high-end roll-o and a more prominent undamental.
With Repeat o , partials above the 16th, 32nd or 64th harmonic are truncated.
The [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu on the harmonics display o ers options
or editing only the even or odd harmonics. This is set to “All“ by de ault. The context menu also
o ers an option to toggle Normalize on or o . When enabled, the oscillator’s overall output
level is maintained as you draw additional harmonics. When disabled, additional harmonics
add additional level. Note that the volume can become extremely loud i Normalize is o .
You can export your wave orm in .ams ormat to the Samples/Wave orms older in your User
Library via an option in the [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu. Ams fles can be
imported back into Operator by dragging them rom the browser onto one o the oscillator’s
display areas. Ams fles can also be loaded into Simpler or Sampler.
Hint: Both the built-in and user wave orms can be copied and pasted rom one oscillator to an-
other using the [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu.
More Oscillator Parameters

The requency o an oscillator can be adjusted in the shell with its Coarse and Fine controls. An
oscillator’s requency usually ollows that o played notes, but or some sounds it might be use ul
to set one or more oscillators to fxed requencies. This can be done or each individual oscilla-
tor by activating the Fixed option. This allows the creation o sounds in which only the timbre will
vary when di erent notes are played, but the tuning will stay the same. Fixed Mode would be
use ul, or example, in creating live drum sounds. Fixed Mode also allows producing very low
requencies down to 0.1 Hz. Note that when Fixed Mode is active, the requency o the oscilla-
tor is controlled in the shell with the Frequency (Freq) and Multiplier (Multi) controls.
Operator includes a special Osc<Vel control or each oscillator that allows altering requency
as a unction o velocity. This eature can be very use ul when working with sequenced sounds in
which the velocity o each note can be adjusted care ully. Part o this unctionality is the adjacent
Q (Quantize) button. I this control is activated, the requency will only move in whole numbers,
just as i the Coarse control were being manually adjusted. I quantize is not activated, the
requency will be shi ted in an unquantized manner, leading to detuned or inharmonic sounds
(which very well could be exactly what you want...).
The amplitude o an oscillator depends on the Level setting o the oscillator in the shell and on its
envelope, which is shown and edited when the Envelope display is visible. The envelopes can
also be modifed by note velocity and note pitch with the Vel and Key parameters available in
the Envelope section o each oscillator’s display.
The phase o each oscillator can be adjusted using the Phase control in its display. With the R
(Retrigger) button enabled, the wave orm restarts at the same position in its phase each time a
note is triggered. With R disabled, the oscillator is ree-running.
As explained earlier oscillators can modulate each other when set up to do so with the global
display’s algorithms. When an oscillator is modulating another oscillator, two main properties
defne the result: the amplitude o the modulating oscillator and the requency ratio between
both oscillators. Any oscillator that is not modulated by another oscillator can modulate itsel , via
the Feedback parameter in its display.
Aliasing
Aliasing distortion is a common side e ect o all digital synthesis and is the result o the fnite
sample rate and precision o digital systems. It mostly occurs at high requencies. FM synthesis
is especially likely to produce this kind o e ect, since one can easily create sounds with lots o
high harmonics. This also means that more complex oscillator wave orms, such as “Saw 32,“
tend to be more sensitive to aliasing than pure sine waves. Aliasing is a two- old beast: A bit o
it can be exactly what is needed to create a cool sound, yet a bit too much can make the timbre
unplayable, as the perception o pitch is lost when high notes suddenly old back into arbitrary
pitches. Operator minimizes aliasing by working in a high-quality Antialias mode. This is on by
de ault or new patches, but can be turned o in the global section. The Tone parameter in the
global section also allows or controlling aliasing. Its e ect is sometimes similar to a lowpass
flter, but this depends on the nature o the sound itsel and cannot generally be predicted. I you
want to amiliarize yoursel with the sound o aliasing, turn Tone up ully and play a ew very
high notes. You will most likely notice that some notes sound completely di erent rom other
notes. Now, turn Tone down and the e ect will be reduced, but the sound will be less bright.
24.6.3 LFO Section
Operator’s LFO Display and Shell Parameters.
The LFO in Operator can practically be thought o as a f th oscillator. It runs at audio rates, and
it modulates the requency o the other oscillators. It is possible to switch LFO modulation on or
o or each individual oscillator (and the flter) using the Dest. A buttons in the LFO’s display. The
intensity o the LFO’s modulation o these targets can be adjusted by the Dest. A slider. The LFO
can also be turned o entirely i it is unused.
The Dest. B chooser allows the LFO to modulate an additional parameter. The intensity o this
modulation is determined by the Dest. B slider.
The LFO o ers a choice o classic LFO wave orms, sample and hold (S&H), and noise. Sample
and hold uses random numbers chosen at the rate o the LFO, creating the random steps use ul
or typical retro- uturistic sci-f sounds. The noise wave orm is simply bandpass-fltered noise.
Tip: FM synthesis can be used to create antastic percussion sounds, and using the LFO with the
noise wave orm is the key to great hi-hats and snares.
The requency o the LFO is determined by the LFO Rate control in the shell, as well as the low/
high/sync setting o the adjacent LFO Range chooser. The requency o the LFO can ollow note
pitch, be fxed or be set to something in between. This is defned by the Rate<Key parameter in
the LFO’s display. With the R (Retrigger) button enabled, the LFO restarts at the same position in
its phase each time a note is triggered. With R disabled, the LFO is ree-running.
The overall intensity o the LFO is set by the LFO Amount control in the shell. This parameter
scales both the Dest. A and B amounts and can be modulated by note velocity via the display’s
Amt<Vel control. The LFO’s intensity is also a ected by its envelope.
24.6.4 Envelopes
Operator has seven envelopes: one or each oscillator, a flter envelope, a pitch envelope and
an envelope or the LFO. All envelopes eature some special looping modes. Additionally, the
flter and pitch envelopes have adjustable slopes.
Each oscillator’s volume envelope is defned by six parameters: three rates and three levels. A
rate is the time it takes to go rom one level to the next. For instance, a typical pad sound starts
with the initial level “-in dB“ (which is silence), moves with an attack rate to its peak level, moves
rom there to the sustain level with a decay rate, and then fnally, a ter note-o occurs, back to
“-in dB“ at the release rate. Operator’s display provides a good overview o the actual shape
o any particular envelope and lets you directly adjust the curve by clicking on a breakpoint and
dragging. The breakpoints retain their selection a ter clicking, allowing them to be adjusted with
the keyboard’s cursor keys, i desired.
Hint: Envelope shapes can be copied and pasted rom one oscillator to another in Operator us-
ing the [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu.
As mentioned above, the flter and pitch envelopes also have adjustable slopes. Clicking on the
diamonds between the breakpoints allows you to adjust the slope o the envelope segments.
Positive slope values cause the envelope to move quickly at the beginning, then slower. Nega-
tive slope values cause the envelope to remain at or longer, then move aster at the end. A
slope o zero is linear; the envelope will move at the same rate throughout the segment.
With FM synthesis, it is possible to create spectacular, endless, permuting sounds; the key to do-
ing this is looping envelopes. Loop Mode can be activated in the lower le t corner o the display.
I an envelope in Operator is in Loop Mode and reaches sustain level while the note is still being
held, it will be retriggered. The rate or this movement is defned by the Loop Time parameter.
(Note that envelopes in Loop Mode can loop very quickly and can there ore be used to achieve
e ects that one would not normally expect rom an envelope generator.)
While Loop Mode is good or textures and experimental sounds, Operator also includes Beat
and Sync Modes, which provide a simple way o creating rhythmical sounds. I set to Beat
Mode, an envelope will restart a ter the beat time selected rom the Repeat chooser. In Beat
Mode, the repeat time is defned in ractions o song time, but notes are not quantized. I you
play a note a bit out o sync, it will repeat per ectly but stay out o sync. In Sync Mode however,
the frst repetition is quantized to the nearest 16th note and, as a result, all ollowing repetitions
are synced to the song tempo. Note that Sync Mode only works i the song is playing, and oth-
erwise it will behave like Beat Mode.
Note: To avoid the audible clicks caused by restarting rom its initial level, a looped envelope
will restart rom its actual level and move with the set attack rate to peak level.
There is also a mode called Trigger that is ideal or working with percussive sounds. In this mode,
note o is ignored. This means that the length o time a key is held has no e ect on the length o
the sound.
The rates o all the envelopes in Operator can be scaled in unison by the Time control in the
global section o the shell. Note that beat-time values in Beat and Sync Modes are not in u-
enced by the global Time parameter. Envelope rates can be urther modifed by note pitch, as
dictated by the Time<Key parameter in the global section’s display. The rate o an individual
envelope can also be modifed by velocity using the Time<Vel parameter. These modulations in
conjunction with the loop eature can be used to create very, very complex things...
The pitch envelope can be turned on or o or each individual oscillator and or the LFO using
the Destination A-D and LFO buttons in its display. The intensity o this envelope’s modulation o
these targets can be adjusted by the Dest. A slider and the envelope can be turned o altogether
via the switch in the pitch section o the shell.
Like the LFO, the pitch envelope can modulate an additional parameter as chosen by the Dest.
B chooser. The intensity o this modulation is determined by the Amt. B slider and the main Pitch
Env value.
The pitch and flter envelopes each have an additional parameter called End, which determines
the level the envelope will move to a ter the key is released. The rate o this envelope segment is
determined by the release time.
Tip: I the pitch envelope is only applied to the LFO and is looping, it can serve as another LFO,
modulating the rate o the frst. And, since the envelope o the LFO itsel can loop, it can serve as
a third LFO modulating the intensity o the frst!
24.6.5 Filter Section
Operator’s Filter Display and Shell Parameters.
Operator’s flters can be very use ul or modi ying the sonically rich timbres created by the oscil-
lators. And, since the oscillators also provide you with the classic wave orms o analog synthe-
sizers, you can very easily build a subtractive synthesizer with them.
Operator o ers a variety o flter types including lowpass, highpass, bandpass, notch, and a
or all flter types.
enters the flter.
slider.
The Envelope and Filter buttons in the flter section’s display area toggle between showing the fl-
ter envelope and its requency response. Filter cuto requency and resonance can be adjusted
in the shell or by dragging the flter response curve in the display area. Filter requency can also
be modulated by the ollowing:
•note velocity, via the Freq<Vel control in the flter’s display
•note pitch, via the Freq<Key control in the flter’s display
•flter envelope, via the Envelope control in the flter’s display.
•LFO, done either by enabling the Dest. A “FIL“ switch in the LFO’s display, or by setting
Dest. B to Filter Freq.
Tip: The [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu on the Frequency knob contains an
entry called “Play by Key.“ This automatically confgures the flter or optimal key tracking by
setting Freq<Key to 100% and setting the cuto to 466 Hz.
The flter’s signal can be routed through a waveshaper, whose curve type can be selected via
the Shaper chooser. The Shaper Drive (Shp. Drive) slider boosts or attenuates the signal level
being sent to the waveshaper, while the overall balance between the dry and processed signals
can be adjusted with the Dry/Wet control. With this set to 0%, the shaper and shaper drive pa-
rameters are bypassed.
Legacy Filters
Operator in the Set will open with legacy flters in place o the flters discussed previously. These
do not eature a Drive control. Each Operator loaded with the legacy flters shows an Upgrade
models or that instance o Operator. Note that this change may make your Set sound di erent.

The global section contains parameters that a ect Operator’s overall behavior. Additionally, the
global display area provides a comprehensive set o modulation routing controls.
The maximum number o Operator voices (notes) playing simultaneously can be adjusted with
the Voices parameter in the global display. Ideally, one would want to leave this setting high
enough so that no voices would be turned o while playing, however a setting between 6 and
12 is usually more realistic when considering CPU power.
Tip: Some sounds should play monophonically by nature, which means that they should only use
a single voice. (A ute is a good example.) In these cases, you can set Voices to 1. I Voices is
set to 1, another e ect occurs: Overlapping voices will be played legato, which means that the
envelopes will not be retriggered rom voice to voice, and only pitch will change.
A global Volume control or the instrument can be ound in the global section o the shell, and a
Pan control is located in the global section’s display. Pan can be modulated by note pitch or a
random actor, using the adjacent Pan<Key and Pan<Rnd controls, respectively.
The center o the global display allows or a wide variety o internal MIDI mappings. The MIDI
controllers Velocity, Key, A tertouch, Pitch Bend and Mod Wheel can be mapped to two des-
tinations each, with independent modulation intensities set via the Amount sliders. Note that
Time<Key and pitch bend range have fxed assignments, although both modulation sources can
still be routed to an additional target. For more in ormation about the available modulation op-
tions, see the complete parameter list (page 478).
24.6.7 Glide and Spread
Operator’s Pitch Display and Shell Parameters.
Operator includes a polyphonic glide unction. When this unction is activated, new notes will
start with the pitch o the last note played and then slide gradually to their own played pitch.
Glide can be turned on or o and adjusted with the Glide Time control in the pitch display.
Operator also o ers a special Spread parameter that creates a rich stereo chorus by using two
voices per note and panning one to the le t and one to the right. The two voices are detuned,
and the amount o detuning can be adjusted with the Spread control in the pitch section o the
shell.
Tip: Whether or not spread is applied to a particular note depends upon the setting o the
Spread parameter during the note-on event. To achieve special e ects, you could, or instance,
create a sequence where Spread is 0 most o the time and turned on only or some notes. These
notes will then play in stereo, while the others will play mono. (Note: Spread is a CPU-intensive
parameter.)
The pitch section also contains a global Transpose knob.
24.6.8 Strategies or Saving CPU Power

I you want to save CPU power, turn o eatures that you do not need or reduce the number o
voices. Specifcally, turning o the flter or the LFO i they do not contribute to the sound will save
CPU power.
For the sake o saving CPU resources, you will also usually want to reduce the number o voices
to something between 6 and 12, and care ully use the Spread eature. The Interpolation and
Antialias modes in the global display can also be turned o to conserve CPU resources.
Note that turning o the oscillators will not save CPU power.
24.6.9 Finally...
Operator is the result o an intense preoccupation with FM synthesis and a love and dedication
to the old hardware FM synthesizers, such as the Yamaha SY77, the Yamaha TX81Z and the
NED Synclavier II. FM synthesis was frst explored musically by the composer and computer
music pioneer John Chowning in the mid-1960s. In 1973, he and Stan ord University began a
relationship with Yamaha that lead to one o the most success ul commercial musical instruments
ever, the DX7.
John Chowning realized some very amazing and beauti ul musical pieces based on a synthesis
concept that you can now explore yoursel simply by playing with Operator in Live.
We wish you loads o un with it!
24.6.10 The Complete Parameter List

The unction o each Operator parameter is explained in the orthcoming sections. Remember
that you can also access explanations o controls in Live (including those belonging to Opera-
tor) directly rom the so tware by placing the mouse over the control and reading the text that
appears in the In o View. Parameters in this list are grouped into sections based on where they
appear in Operator.
Global Shell and Display

Time — This is a global control or all envelope rates.
Tone — Operator is capable o producing timbres with very high requencies, which can some-
times lead to aliasing arti acts. The Tone setting controls the high requency content o sounds.
Higher settings are typically brighter but also more likely to produce aliasing.
Volume — This sets the overall volume o the instrument.
Algorithm — An oscillator can modulate other oscillators, be modulated by other oscillators, or

both. The algorithm defnes the connections between the oscillators and there ore has a signif-
cant impact on the sound that is created.
Voices — This sets the maximum number o notes that can sound simultaneously. I more notes
than available voices are requested, the oldest notes will be cut o .
Retrigger (R) — When enabled, notes that are enabled will be retriggered, rather than generat-
ing an additional voice.
Interpolation — This toggles the interpolation algorithm o the oscillators and the LFO. I turned
o , some timbres will sound more rough, especially the noise wave orm. Turning this o will also
save some CPU power.
Antialias — This toggles Operator’s high-quality antialias mode, which helps to minimize high-
requency distortion. Disabling this modes reduces the CPU load.
Time<Key — The rates o all envelopes can be controlled by note pitch. I the global Time<Key
parameter is set to higher values, the envelopes run aster when higher notes are played.
Pitch Bend Range (PB Range) — This defnes the e ect o MIDI pitch bend messages.
Pan — Use this to adjust the panorama o each note. This is especially use ul when modulated
with clip envelopes.
Pan<Key (Key) — I Pan<Key is set to higher values, low notes will pan relatively more to the le t
channel, and higher notes to the right. Typically this is used or piano-like sounds.
Pan<Random (Rnd) — This defnes the extent to which notes are randomly distributed between
the le t and right channels.
Modulation Targets
These modulation targets are available as MIDI routing destinations in the global display, and
also as modulation targets or the LFO and pitch envelope.
O — Disabled this controller’s modulation routing.
OSC Volume A-D — Modulates the volume o the selected oscillator.
OSC Cross ade A/C — Cross ades the volumes o the A and C oscillators based on the value o
the modulation source.
OSC Cross ade B/D — Cross ades the volumes o the B and D oscillators based on the value o
the modulation source.
OSC Feedback — Modulates the amount o eedback or all oscillators. Note that eedback is
only applied to oscillators that are not modulated by other oscillators.
OSC Fixed Frequency — Modulates the pitch o all oscillators that are in Fixed Frequency mode.
FM Drive — Modulates the volume o all oscillators which are modulating other oscillators, thus
changing the timbre.
Filter Frequency — Modulates the cuto requency o the flter.
Filter Q (Legacy) — Modulates the resonance o the flter when using the legacy flter types.
Filter Res — Modulates the resonance o the flter when using the updated flter types.
Filter Morph — Modulates the position in the flter’s morph cycle (only has an e ect or the
Morph flter type.)
Filter Drive — Modulates the amount o the Drive (not available when the Morph flter is se-
lected.)
Filter Envelope Amount — Modulates the flter’s envelope intensity.
Shaper Drive — Modulates the amount o gain applied to the flter’s waveshaper.
LFO Rate — Modulates the rate o the LFO.
LFO Amount — Modulates the intensity o the LFO.
Pitch Envelope Amount — Modulates the intensity o the pitch envelope.
Volume — Modulates Operator’s global output volume.
Panorama — Modulates the position o Operator’s output in the stereo feld.
Tone — Modulates the global Tone parameter.
Time — Modulates the global control or all envelope rates.

Pitch Shell and Display

Pitch Envelope On — This turns the pitch envelope on and o . Turning it o i it is unused saves
some CPU power.
Pitch Envelope Amount (Pitch Env) — This sets the overall intensity o the pitch envelope. A value
o 100% means that the pitch change is exactly defned by the pitch envelope’s levels. A value o
-100% inverts the sign o the pitch envelope levels.
Spread — I Spread is turned up, the synthesizer uses two detuned voices per note, one each on
the le t and right stereo channels, to create chorusing sounds. Spread is a very CPU-intensive
e ect.
Transpose — This is the global transposition setting or the instrument. Changing this parameter
will a ect notes that are already playing.
Pitch Envelope Rates<Velocity (Time<Vel) — This parameter exists or flter, pitch, LFO and vol-
ume envelopes. It is there ore listed in the section on envelopes (page 485).
Glide (G) — With Glide on, notes will slide rom the pitch o the last played note to their played
pitch. Note that all envelopes are not retriggered in this case i notes are being played legato.
Glide Time (Time) — This is the time it takes or a note to slide rom the pitch o the last played
note to its fnal pitch when Glide is activated. This setting has no e ect i Glide is not activated.
Pitch Envelope to Osc (Destination A-D) — The pitch envelope a ects the requency o the re-
spective oscillator i this is turned on.
Pitch Envelope to LFO (Destination LFO) — The pitch envelope a ects the requency o the LFO i
this is turned on.
Pitch Envelope Amount A — This sets the intensity o the pitch envelope’s modulation o the oscil-
lators and LFO.
Pitch Envelope Destination B — This sets the second modulation destination or the pitch enve-
lope.
Pitch Envelope Amount B — This sets the intensity o the pitch envelope’s modulation o the sec-
ondary target.
Filter Shell and Display

Filter On — This turns the flter on and o . Turning it o when it is unused saves CPU power.
Filter Type — This chooser selects rom lowpass, highpass, bandpass, notch, and Morph flters.
Circuit Type — This chooser selects rom a variety o circuit types that emulate the character o
classic analog synthesizers.
Filter Frequency (Freq) — This defnes the center or cuto requency o the flter. Note that the
resulting requency may also be modulated by note velocity and by the flter envelope.
Filter Resonance (Res) — This defnes the resonance around the flter requency o the lowpass
and highpass flters, and the width o the bandpass and notch flters.
Envelope / Filter Switches — These switches toggle the display between the flter’s envelope and
its requency response.
Filter Frequency<Velocity (Freq<Vel) — Filter requency is modulated by note velocity according

to this setting.
Filter Frequency<Key (Freq<Key) — Filter requency is modulated by note pitch according to this
setting. A value o 100% means that the requency doubles per octave. The center point or this
unction is C3.
Filter Envelope Rates<Velocity (Time<Vel) — This parameter exists or flter, pitch, LFO and vol-
ume envelopes. It is there ore listed in the section on envelopes.
Filter Frequency<Envelope (Envelope) — Filter requency is modulated by the flter envelope

according to this setting. A value o 100% means that the envelope can create a maximum re-
quency shi t o approximately 9 octaves.
Filter Drive (Flt. Drive) — Applies additional input gain to the signal be ore it enters the flter.
Morph — Controls the position o the Morph flter in its morph cycle.
Shaper — This chooser selects the curve or the flter’s waveshaper.
Shaper Drive (Shp. Drive) — This boosts or attenuates the signal level being sent to the wave-
shaper.
Dry/Wet — This adjusts the balance between the dry signal and the signal processed by the
waveshaper.
LFO Shell and Display

LFO On — This turns the LFO (low- requency oscillator) on and o . Turning it o when it is un-
used saves some CPU power.
LFO Wave orm — Select rom among several typical LFO wave orms. Sample and Hold (S&H)
creates random steps, and Noise supplies bandpass-fltered noise. All wave orms are band-
limited to avoid unwanted clicks.
LFO Range — The LFO covers an extreme requency range. Choose Low or a range rom 50
seconds to 30 Hz, or Hi or 8 Hz to 12 kHz. Sync causes the LFO’s rate to be synced to your
Set’s tempo. Due to the possible high requencies, the LFO can also unction as a f th oscillator.
Retrigger (R) — When enabled, the LFO restarts at the same position in its phase each time a
note is triggered. With R disabled, the LFO is ree-running.
LFO Rate (Rate) — This sets the rate o the LFO. The actual requency also depends on the setting
o the LFO Range and the LFO Rate<Key controls.
LFO Amount (Amount) — This sets the overall intensity o the LFO. Note that the actual e ect also
depends on the LFO envelope.
LFO to Osc (Destination A-D) — The LFO modulates the requency o the respective oscillator i
this is turned on.
LFO to Filter Cuto Frequency (Destination FIL) — The LFO modulates the cuto requency o the
flter i this is turned on.
LFO Amount A — This sets the intensity o the LFO’s modulation o the oscillators and flter.
LFO Destination B — This sets the second modulation destination or the LFO.
LFO Amount B — This sets the intensity o the LFO’s modulation o the secondary target.
LFO Envelope Rates<Velocity (Time<Vel) — This parameter exists or flter, pitch, LFO and vol-
ume envelopes. It is there ore listed in the section on envelopes.
LFO Rate<Key (Rate<Key) — The LFO’s requency can be a unction o note pitch. I this is set to
100%, the LFO will double its requency per octave, unctioning like a normal oscillator.
LFO Amount<Velocity (Amt<Vel) — This setting adjusts modulation o the LFO intensity by note
velocity.
Oscillators A-D Shell and Display

Osc On — This turns the oscillator on and o .
Osc Coarse Frequency (Coarse) — The relationship between oscillator requency and note pitch
is defned by the Coarse and Fine parameters. Coarse sets the ratio in whole numbers, creating
a harmonic relationship.
Osc Fine Frequency (Fine) — The relationship between oscillator requency and note pitch is
defned by the Coarse and Fine parameters. Fine sets the ratio in ractions o whole numbers,
creating an inharmonic relationship.
Osc Fixed Frequency On (Fixed) — In Fixed Mode, oscillators do not respond to note pitch but
instead play a fxed requency.
Osc Fixed Frequency (Freq) — This is the requency o the oscillator in Hertz. This requency is
constant, regardless o note pitch.
Osc Fixed Multiplier (Multi) — This is used to adjust the range o the fxed requency. Multiply this
value with the value o the oscillator’s Freq knob to get actual requency in Hz.
Osc Output Level (Level) — This sets the output level o the oscillator. I this oscillator is modulat-
ing another, its level has signifcant in uence on the resulting timbre. Higher levels usually create
bright and/or noisy sounds.
Envelope / Oscillator Switches — These switches toggle the display between the oscillator’s
envelope and its harmonics editor.
16/32/64 — These switches set the number o partials that are available or user editing.
Osc Wave orm (Wave) — Choose rom a collection o care ully selected wave orms. You can
then edit them via the harmonics editor.
Osc Feedback (Feedback) — An oscillator can modulate itsel i it is not modulated by another
oscillator. The modulation is dependent not only on the setting o the eedback control but also
on the oscillator level and the envelope. Higher eedback creates a more complex resulting
wave orm.
Osc Phase (Phase) — This sets the initial phase o the oscillator. The range represents one whole
cycle.
Retrigger (R) — When enabled, the oscillator restarts at the same position in its phase each time
a note is triggered. With R disabled, the oscillator is ree-running.
Repeat — Higher harmonics can be generated by repeating the drawn partials with a gradual
adeout, based on the settings in the Repeat chooser. Low Repeat values result in a brighter
sound, while higher values result in more high-end roll-o and a more prominent undamental.
With Repeat o , partials above the 16th, 32nd or 64th harmonic are truncated.
Osc Frequency<Velocity (Osc<Vel) — The requency o an oscillator can be modulated by note

velocity. Positive values raise the oscillator’s pitch with greater velocities, and negative values
lower it.
Osc Freq<Vel Quantized (Q) — This allows quantizing the e ect o the Frequency<Velocity pa-
rameter. I activated, the sonic result is the same as manually changing the Coarse parameter or
each note.
Volume Envelope Rates<Velocity (Time<Vel) — This parameter exists or flter, pitch, LFO and
volume envelopes. It is there ore listed in the section on envelopes.
Osc Output Level<Velocity (Vel) — This defnes how much the oscillator’s level depends upon
note velocity. Applying this to modulating oscillators creates velocity-dependent timbres.
Osc Output Level<Key (Key) — This defnes how much the oscillator’s level depends upon note
pitch. The center point or this unction is C3.
Envelope Display
Envelope Attack Time (Attack) — This sets the time it takes or a note to reach the peak level,
starting rom the initial level. For the oscillator envelopes, the shape o this segment o the enve-
lope is linear. For the flter and pitch envelopes, the shape o the segment can be adjusted.
Envelope Decay Time (Decay) — This sets the time it takes or a note to reach the sustain level
rom the peak level. For the oscillator envelopes, the shape o this segment o the envelope is
exponential. For the flter and pitch envelopes, the shape o the segment can be adjusted.
Envelope Release Time (Release) — This is the time it takes or a note to reach the end level a ter
a note-o message is received. For the oscillator envelopes, this level is always -in dB and the
shape o the segment is exponential. For the flter and pitch envelopes, the end level is deter-
mined by the End Level parameter and the shape o the segment can be adjusted. This envelope
segment will begin at the value o the envelope at the moment the note-o message occurs,
regardless o which segment is currently active.
Envelope Initial Level (Initial) — This sets the initial value o the envelope.
Envelope Peak Level (Peak) — This is the peak level at the end o the note attack.
Envelope Sustain Level (Sustain) — This is the sustain level at the end o the note decay. The en-
velope will stay at this level until note release unless it is in Loop, Sync or Beat Mode.
Envelope End Level (End) — (LFO, Filter and pitch envelopes only) This is the level reached at the
end o the Release stage.
Envelope Loop Mode (Loop) — I this is set to Loop, the envelope will start again a ter the end
o the decay segment. I set to Beat or Sync, it will start again a ter a given beat-time. In Sync
Mode, this behavior will be quantized to song time. In Trigger mode, the envelope ignores note
o .
Envelope Beat/Sync Rate (Repeat) — The envelope will be retriggered a ter this amount o beat-
time, as long as it is still on. When retriggered, the envelope will move at the given attack rate
rom the current level to the peak level.
Envelope Loop Time (Time) — I a note is still on a ter the end o the decay/sustain segment, the
envelope will start again rom its initial value. The time it takes to move rom the sustain level to
the initial value is defned by this parameter.
Envelope Rates<Velocity (Time<Vel) — Envelope segments will be modulated by note velocity

as defned by this setting. This is especially interesting i the envelopes are looping. Note that this
modulation does not in uence the beat-time in Beat or Sync Modes, but the envelope segments
themselves.
The flter and pitch envelopes also provide parameters that adjust the slope o their envelope
segments. Positive slope values cause the envelope to move quickly at the beginning, then slow-
er. Negative slope values cause the envelope to remain at or longer, then move aster at the
end. A slope o zero is linear; the envelope will move at the same rate throughout the segment.
Attack Slope (A.Slope) — Adjusts the shape o the Attack envelope segment.
Decay Slope (D.Slope) — Adjusts the shape o the Decay envelope segment.
Release Slope (R.Slope) — Adjusts the shape o the Release envelope segment.
Context Menu Parameters

Certain operations and parameters in Operator are only available via the [right-click](PC) /
[CTRL-click](Mac) context menu. These include:
Copy commands or Oscillators — The [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu o the

oscillator’s shell and envelope display provide options or copying parameters between oscilla-
tors.
Envelope commands — The [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu or all envelope

displays provide options to quickly set all envelope levels to maximum, minimum, or middle val-
ues.
Harmonics editor commands — The context menu or the harmonics editor can restrict partial
drawing to even or odd harmonics and toggle normalization o an oscillator’s output level. There
is also a command to export the wave orm as an .ams fle.
Play By Key — This command, in the [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu or the
flter’s Freq control, optimizes the flter or key tracking by setting the cuto to 466 Hz and set-
ting the Freq<Key to 100%.
Live 8 Legacy Mode — This command, in the [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu
o Operator’s title bar, toggles the MIDI note that is the center point when using MIDI Key as a
modulation source. When enabled, E3 is the center. When disabled, C3 is the center. Note that
this option is only available when loading Operator presets that were made in versions o Live
prior to Live 9.
24.7 Sampler
The Sampler Instrument.
(Note: the Sampler instrument is not available in the Intro, Lite and Standard Editions. Sampler
users who want to share their presets with all Live users can convert their work to Simpler (page
514) presets. To do this, [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) on Sampler‘s title bar and
choose the Sampler -> Simpler command.)
Sampler is a sleek yet ormidable multisampling instrument that takes ull advantage o Live‘s ag-
ile audio engine. It has been designed rom the start to handle multi-gigabyte instrument libraries
with ease, and it imports most common library ormats. But with Sampler, playback is only the
beginning; its extensive internal modulation system, which addresses nearly every aspect o its
sound, makes it the natural extension o Live‘s sound-shaping techniques.
24.7.1 Getting Started with Sampler

Getting started with Sampler is as easy as choosing a preset rom the browser. Like all o Live‘s
devices, Sampler’s presets are located in olders listed beneath its name. Presets imported rom
third-party sample libraries are listed here, too, in the Imports older.
Once you have loaded a Sampler preset into a track, remember to arm the track or recording
(which also enables you to hear any MIDI notes you might want to play), and then start playing!
24.7.2 Multisampling
Be ore going on, let’s introduce the concept o multisampling. This technique is used to accurate-
ly capture the complexity o instruments that produce dynamic timbral changes. Rather than rely
on the simple transposition o a single recorded sample, multisampling captures an instrument at
multiple points within its critical sonic range. This typically means capturing the instrument at di -
erent pitches as well as di erent levels o emphasis (played so tly, moderately, loudly, etc.). The
resulting multisample is a collection o all the individually recorded sample fles.
The acoustic piano, or example, is a commonly multisampled instrument. Because the piano’s
pitch and dynamic ranges are very wide and timbrally complex, transposing one sample across
many octaves would not reproduce the nuances o the instrument. Since multisampling relies
on di erent sound sources, three or more samples per piano key could be made (so t, medium,
loud, very loud, and so on), maximizing the sampler’s expressive possibilities.
Sampler is designed to let you approach multisampling on whatever level you like: you can load
and play multisample presets, import multisamples rom third-party vendors (page 514), or
create your own multisamples rom scratch. Lastly, you do not have use multisamples at all —
drop a single sample into Sampler and take advantage o its internal modulation system how-
ever you like.
24.7.3 Title Bar Options

Be ore delving into Sampler’s deep modulation eatures, let’s look at Sampler’s title bar context
menu.
Sampler’s Title Bar Context Menu.
Although Cut, Copy, Rename, Edit In o Text, and Delete should already be amiliar, the other
options deserve some explanation.
Group — Selecting this will load Sampler into a new Instrument Rack.
Fold — Folds Sampler so that only the device title bar is visible. Un old quickly by double-click-
ing the device title bar.
Show Preset Name — By de ault, Sampler takes the top-most sample in the sample layer list as
its title. Unchecking Show Preset Name will replace the current title with “Sampler.”
Lock to Control Sur ace — Locks Sampler to a natively supported control sur ace defned in the
Link/MIDI Pre erences, guaranteeing hands-on access no matter where the current ocus is in
your Live Set. By de ault, Sampler will automatically be locked to the control sur ace when the
track is armed or recording. A hand icon in the title bar o locked devices serves as a reminder
o their statuses.
Save as De ault Preset — Saves the current state o Sampler as the de ault preset.
Use Constant Power Fade or Loops — By de ault, Sampler uses constant-power ades at loop
boundaries. Uncheck this to enable linear cross ades at looping points.
Sampler -> Simpler — Converts Sampler presets to Simpler presets.
24.7.4 Sampler’s Tabs

Sampler’s eatures are organized categorically into tabs (Zone, Sample, Pitch/Osc, Filter/Glob-
al, Modulation and MIDI), accessed rom Sampler‘s title bar. Clicking a tab will, with the excep-
tion o the Zone tab, reveal its properties below. In addition to serving as an organizational aid,
each tab has one or more LEDs that indicate i there is modulation in ormation in the correspond-
ing area. We will get to know Sampler by examining each o these tabs.
Sampler’s Tabs in the Title Bar.
24.7.5 The Zone Tab
The Zone Tab.
Clicking on the Zone tab toggles the display o Sampler‘s Zone Editor, which o ers a hands-on
inter ace or mapping any number o samples across three types o ranges — the Key Zone, the
Velocity Zone and Sample Select Editors, respectively.
The Zone Editor opens in its own dedicated view, directly above the Device View. When used in
conjunction with Sampler’s other tabs, this layout greatly accelerates the creation and editing o
multisamples.
On the le t side o the Zone Editor is the sample layer list, where multisamples are organized.
All o the individual samples belonging to a multisample are shown in this list, where they are
re erred to as layers. For complex multisamples, this list can be quite long.
The rest o the view is occupied by one o three editors that correspond to the sample layers: the
Key Zone Editor (page 495), the Velocity Zone Editor (page 496) and the Sample Select
Editor (page 497). These editors can be horizontally zoomed by [right-clicking](PC) / [CTRL-
clicking](Mac) within them to bring up a context menu, and selecting Small, Medium or Large.
Auto Select (Auto) — As MIDI notes arrive at Sampler, they are fltered by each sample layer’s
key, velocity and sample select zones. With Auto Select enabled, all sample layers that are able
to play an incoming note will become selected in the sample layer list or the duration o that
note.
Zone Fade Mode (Lin/Pow) — This button toggles the ade mode o all zones between linear
and constant-power (exponential) slopes.
Auto Select and Zone Fade Modes (Lin/Pow).
Zone Editor View (Key/Vel/Sel) — These buttons toggle the display o the Key Zone, Velocity
Zone and Sample Select Editors.
Key Zone, Velocity Zone and Sample Select Editors.
The Sample Layer List
The Sample Layer List.
All samples contained in the currently loaded multisample are listed here, with each sample
given its own layer. For very large multisamples, this list might be hundreds o layers long! For-
tunately, layers can be descriptively named (according to their root key, or example). Mous-
ing over a layer in the list or a zone in the zone editors will display relevant in ormation about
the corresponding sample in the Status Bar (bottom o screen). Selecting any layer will load its
sample into the Sample tab or examination.
The Sample Layer List’s Context Menu
Pressing [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) within the sample layer list opens a context menu
that o ers options or sorting and displaying the layers, distributing them across the keyboard
and various other sample management and “housekeeping“ options.
Delete — Deletes the currently selected sample(s).
Duplicate — Duplicates the currently selected sample(s).
Rename — Renames the selected sample.
Distribute Ranges Equally — Distributes samples evenly across the editor’s ull MIDI note range
(C-2 to G8).
Distribute Ranges Around Root Key — For layers that have di erent root keys, this option will
distribute their ranges as evenly as possible around their root keys, but without overlapping. For
layers that share a root key, the ranges will be distributed evenly.
Small/Medium/Large — Adjusts the zoom level o the Zone Editor.
Show in Browser — Navigates to the selected sample in the browser and selects it.
Manage Sample — Opens the File Manager and selects the chosen sample.
Normalize Volume — Adjusts Sampler’s Volume control so that the highest peak o each selected
sample uses the maximum available headroom.
Normalize Pan — Adjusts Sampler’s Pan control so that each selected sample has equal volume
across the stereo spectrum. Note that this does not necessarily return panned stereo samples to
the center position; rather, Live intelligently calculates a pan position or an even stereo spread.
Select All With Same Range — Selects all layers whose zone range matches the currently se-
lected layer. The results will change depending on which Zone Editor (Key, Velocity or Sample
Select) is active.
Sort Alphabetically (Ascending and Descending) — Arranges samples alphabetically according

to their names.
Sort by Key (Ascending and Descending) — Sorts key zones in an ascending or descending pat-
tern.
Sort by Velocity (Ascending and Descending) — Sorts velocity zones in an ascending or de-
scending pattern.
Sort by Selector (Ascending and Descending) — Sorts sample select zones in an ascending or
descending pattern.
Key Zones

Key zones defne the range o MIDI notes over which each sample will play. Samples are only
triggered when incoming MIDI notes lie within their key zone. Every sample has its own key
zone, which can span anywhere rom a single key up to the ull 127.
A typical multisampled instrument contains many individual samples, distributed into many key
zones. Samples are captured at a particular key o an instrument’s voice range (known as their
root key), but may continue to sound accurate when transposed a ew semitones up or down.
This range usually corresponds to the sample’s key zone; ranges beyond this zone are repre-
sented by additional samples, as needed.
By de ault, the key zones o newly imported samples cover the ull MIDI note range. Zones can
be moved and resized like clips in the Arrangement View, by dragging their right or le t edges to
resize them, then dragging them into position.
Zones can also be aded over a number o semitones at either end by dragging their top right or
le t corners. This makes it easy to smoothly cross ade between adjacent samples as the length o
the keyboard is traversed. The Lin and Pow boxes above the sample layer list indicate whether
the zones will ade in a linear or exponential manner.
Velocity Zones
The Velocity Zone Editor.
Velocity zones determine the range o MIDI Note On velocities (1-127) that each sample will
respond to. The timbre o most musical instruments changes greatly with playing intensity. There-
ore, the best multisamples capture not only individual notes, but also each o those notes at
di erent velocities.
The Velocity Zone Editor, when toggled, appears alongside the sample layer list. Velocity is
measured on a scale o 1-127, and this number range appears across the top o the editor. The
unctionality o the Velocity Zone Editor is otherwise identical to that o the Key Zone Editor.
Sample Select Zones
The Sample Select Editor.
Each sample also has a Sample Select zone, which is a data flter that is not tied to any particu-
lar kind o MIDI input. Sample Select zones are very similar to the Chain Select Zones (page
290) ound in Racks, in that only samples with sample select values that overlap the current
value o the sample selector will be triggered.
The Sample Select Editor, when toggled, appears alongside the sample layer list. The editor
has a scale o 0-127, similar to the Velocity Zone Editor. Above the value scale is the draggable
indicator known as the sample selector.
The Sample Selector.
Please note that the position o the sample selector only determines which samples are available
or triggering. Once a sample has been triggered, changing the position o the sample selector
will not switch to a di erent sample during playback.
24.7.6 The Sample Tab
The Sample Tab.
The playback behavior o individual samples is set within the Sample tab. Most o this tab is
dedicated to displaying the wave orm o the currently selected sample. Hovering your mouse
over the wave orm will display relevant in ormation about the sample in the Status Bar (bottom
o screen). It is important to keep in mind that most o the values in this tab re ect the state o the
currently selected sample only. The Sample chooser always displays the current sample layer’s
name, and is another way to switch between layers when editing.
Tip: to zoom in the current sample, scroll with the mousewheel or trackpad while holding the
[CTRL](PC) / [CMD](Mac) modifer.
Reverse — This is a global, modulatable control that reverses playback o the entire multisample.
Unlike the Reverse unction in the Clip View, a new sample fle is not generated. Instead, sample
playback begins rom the Sample End point, proceeds backwards through the Sustain Loop (i
active), and arrives at the Sample Start point.
Snap — Snaps all start and end points to the wave orm zero-crossings (points where the ampli-
tude is zero) to avoid clicks. You can quickly see this by using Snap on square wave samples. As
with Simpler, this snap is based on the le t channel o stereo samples, so a small Cross ade value
may be necessary in some cases to completely eliminate clicks.
Tip: you can snap individual loop regions by [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) on a loop
brace and selecting “Snap marker.”
Sample — Displays the name o the current sample layer, and can be used to quickly select di -
erent layers o the loaded multisample.
The Sample Chooser.
Root Key (RootKey) — Defnes the root key o the current sample.
Detune — Sample tuning can be adjusted here by +/- 50 cents.
Volume — A wide-range volume control, variable rom ull attenuation to a gain o +24 dB.
Pan — Samples can be individually panned anywhere in the stereo panorama.
Sample Playback
All o the ollowing parameters work in conjunction with the global volume envelope (in the
Filter/Global tab) to create the basic voicing o Sampler. These envelopes use standard ADSR
(Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release) parameters, among others:
Envelope Attack Time (Attack) — This sets the time it takes or an envelope to reach the peak
level, starting rom the initial level. The shape o the attack can be adjusted via the Attack Slope
(A. Slope) parameter.
Envelope Decay Time (Decay) — This sets the time it takes or an envelope to reach the sustain
level rom the peak level. The shape o the decay can be adjusted via the Decay Slope (D.
Slope) parameter.
Envelope Sustain Level (Sustain) — This is the sustain level at the end o the envelope decay. The
envelope will stay at this level until note release unless it is in Loop, Sync or Beat Mode.
Envelope Release Time (Release) — This is the time it takes or an envelope to reach the end level
a ter a note-o message is received. The shape o this stage o the envelope is determined by
the Release Slope (R. Slope) value.
Envelope Initial Level (Initial) — This sets the initial value o the envelope.
Envelope Peak Level (Peak) — This is the peak level at the end o the envelope attack, and the
beginning o the Decay stage.
Envelope End Level (End) — (LFO, Filter and pitch envelopes only) This is the level reached at the
end o the Release stage.
Envelope Rates<Velocity (Time<Vel) — Envelope segments will be modulated by note velocity

as defned by this setting. This is especially interesting i the envelopes are looping. Note that this
modulation does not in uence the beat-time in Beat or Sync Modes, but the envelope segments
themselves.
Envelope Loop Mode (Loop) — I this is set to Loop, the envelope will start again a ter the end
o the decay segment. I set to Beat or Sync, it will start again a ter a given beat-time. In Sync
Mode, this behavior will be quantized to song time. In Trigger mode, the envelope ignores note
o .
Envelope Beat/Sync Rate (Repeat) — The envelope will be retriggered a ter this amount o beat-
time, as long as it is still on. When retriggered, the envelope will move at the given attack rate
rom the current level to the peak level.
Envelope Loop Time (Time) — I a note is still on a ter the end o the decay/sustain segment, the
envelope will start again rom its initial value. The time it takes to move rom the sustain level to
the initial value is defned by this parameter.
As mentioned above, Sampler’s envelopes also provide parameters that adjust the slope o their
envelope segments. Positive slope values cause the envelope to move quickly at the beginning,
then slower. Negative slope values cause the envelope to remain at or longer, then move
aster at the end. A slope o zero is linear; the envelope will move at the same rate throughout
the segment.
All time-based values in this tab are displayed in either samples or minutes:seconds:milliseconds,
which can be toggled using the [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu on any o
their parameter boxes. Samples, in this context, re er to the smallest measurable unit in digital
audio, and not to the audio les themselves, which we more commonly re er to as “samples.“
Sample Start — The time value where playback will begin. I the volume envelope’s Attack pa-
rameter is set to a high value (slow attack), the audible result may begin some time later than the
value shown here.
Sample End — The time value where playback will end (unless a loop is enabled), even i the
volume envelope has not ended.
Sustain Mode — The optional Sustain Loop defnes a region o the sample where playback will
be repeated while the note is in the sustain stage o its envelope. Activating the Sustain Loop also
allows the Release Loop to be enabled. This creates several playback options:
No Sustain Loop — Playback proceeds linearly until either the Sample End is reached or
the volume envelope completes its release stage.
Sustain Loop Enabled — Playback proceeds linearly until Loop End is reached, when it
jumps immediately to Loop Start and continues looping. I Release Mode is OFF, looping will
continue inside the Sustain Loop until the volume envelope has completed its release stage.
Back-and-Forth Sustain Loop Enabled — Playback proceeds to Loop End, then reverses
until it reaches Loop Start, then proceeds again towards Loop End. I Release Mode is OFF, this
pattern continues until the volume envelope has completed its release stage.
Link — Enabling the Link switch sets Sample Start equal to Loop Start. Note that the Sample Start
parameter box doesn’t lose its original value — it simply becomes disabled so that it can be re-
called with a single click.
Loop Start — The Sustain Loop’s start point, measured in samples.
Loop End — The Sustain Loop’s end point, measured in samples.
Release Mode — Whenever the Sustain Loop is active, Release Mode can also be enabled.
— The volume envelope’s release stage is active, but will occur within the Sustain Loop,
with playback never proceeding beyond Loop End.
Release Enabled — When the volume envelope reaches its release stage, playback will
proceed linearly towards Sample End.
Release Loop Enabled — When the volume envelope reaches its release stage, playback
will proceed linearly until reaching Sample End, where it jumps immediately to Release Loop
and continues looping until the volume envelope has completed its release stage.
Back-and-Forth Release Loop Enabled — When the volume envelope reaches its release
stage, playback will proceed linearly until reaching Sample End, then reverses until it reaches
Release Loop, then proceeds again towards Sample End. This pattern continues until the volume
envelope has completed its release stage.
Sustain Loop Release Loop
Sustain and Release Loops.
Release Loop — sets the start position o the Release Loop. The end o the Release Loop is the
Sample End.
The Release Loop Slider.
Sustain- and Release-Loop Cross ade (Cross ade) — Loop cross ades help remove clicks rom
loop transitions. By de ault, Sampler uses constant-power ades at loop boundaries. But by turn-
ing o “Use Constant Power Fade or Loops“ in the [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context
menu, you can enable linear cross ades.
Sustain Crossfade Release Crossfade
Sustain- and Release-Loop Cross ades.
Sustain- and Release-Loop Detune (Detune) — Since loops are nothing more than oscillations,
the pitch o samples may shi t within a loop, relative to the loop’s duration. Tip: this is especially
noticeable with very short loops. With Detune, the pitch o these regions can be matched to the
rest o the sample.
Sustain- and Release-Loop Detune Sliders.
Interpolation (Interpol) — This is a global setting that determines the accuracy o transposed
samples. Be aware that raising the quality level above “Normal“ to “Good” or “Best” will place
signifcant demands on your CPU.
RAM Mode (RAM) — This is also a global control that loads the entire multisample into RAM.
This mode can give better per ormance when modulating start and end points, but loading large
multisamples into RAM will quickly leave your computer short o RAM or other tasks. In any
case, it is always recommended to have as much RAM in your computer as possible, as this can
provide signifcant per ormance gains.
Hovering the mouse over the wave orm and [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) provides a
number o editing and viewing options. As with the context menu in the Sample Layer List, Show
in Browser, Manage Samples, Normalize Volumes and Normalize Pan are available. Addition-
ally, you can zoom in or out o playing or looping regions, depending on which Sustain and
Loop Modes are selected.
Wave orm Context Menu.
Finally, a ew options remain on the ar-right side o the Sample tab.
Vertical Zoom (slider) — Magnifes the wave orm height in the sample display. This is or visual
clarity only, and does not a ect the audio in any way.
B, M, L and R Buttons — These buttons stand or Both, Mono, Le t and Right, and allow you to
choose which channels o the sample should be displayed.
The Sample Tab’s Vertical Zoom slider, and Channel Buttons.

24.7.7 The Pitch/Osc Tab
The Pitch/Osc Tab.
The Modulation Oscillator (Osc)

Sampler eatures one dedicated modulation oscillator per voice, which can per orm requency
or amplitude modulation (FM or AM) on the multisample. The oscillator is ully eatured, with
21 wave orms (available in the Type chooser), plus its own loopable amplitude envelope or
dynamic waveshaping. Note that this oscillator per orms modulation only — its output is never
heard directly. What you hear is the e ect o its output upon the multisample.
FM — In this mode, the modulation oscillator will modulate the requency o samples, resulting in
more complex and di erent-sounding wave orms.
AM — In this mode, the modulation oscillator will modulate the amplitude o samples. Subsonic
modulator requencies result in slow or rapid variation in the volume level; audible modulator
requencies result in composite wave orms.
The modulation oscillator is controlled via Initial, Peak, Sustain, End, Loop, Attack and
Time<Velocities parameters. For detailed in ormation on how these work, see the Sample Play-
back section (page 499). Additionally, the right side o the modulation oscillator section ea-
tures the ollowing controls:
Type — Choose the modulation oscillator’s wave orm here.
Volume — This determines the intensity o the modulation oscillator’s sample modulation.
Vol<Vel — The modulation oscillator’s Volume parameter can be modifed by the velocity o
incoming MIDI notes. This determines the depth o the modulation.
Fixed — When enabled, the modulation oscillator’s requency will remain fxed at the rate de-
termined by the Freq and Multi parameters, and will not change in response to incoming MIDI
notes.
Freq — With Fixed set to On, this rate is multiplied by the Multi parameter to determine the mod-
ulation oscillator’s fxed requency.
Multi — With Fixed set to On, the Freq parameter is multiplied by this amount to determine the
modulation oscillator’s fxed requency.
Coarse — Coarse tuning o the modulation oscillator’s requency (0.125-48). This is only avail-
able when Fixed is set to O .
Fine — Fine tuning o the modulation oscillator’s requency (0-1000). This is only available when
Fixed is set to O .
The Pitch Envelope

The pitch envelope modulates the pitch o the sample over time, as well as o the Modulation
Oscillator, i it is enabled. This is a multi-stage envelope with ADSR, Initial, Peak, and End levels,
as described in the Sample Playback section (page 499). The values o the envelope param-
eters can be adjusted via the sliders, or by dragging the breakpoints in the envelope’s display.
On the lower-le t o the Pitch Envelope section is the Amount slider. This defnes the limits o the
pitch envelope’s in uence, in semitones. The actual range depends upon the dynamics o the
envelope itsel .
The right-hand side o this section contains fve sliders and one chooser that are unrelated to the
Pitch Envelope, but can globally e ect Sampler’s output:
The Lower Right-hand Corner o the Pitch/Osc Tab.
Spread — When Spread is used, two detuned voices are generated per note. This also doubles
the processing requirements.
Transpose (Transp) — Global transpose amount, indicated in semitones.
Detune — Global detune amount, indicated in cents.
Key Zone Shi t (Zn Sh t) — This transposes MIDI notes in the Key Zone Editor only, so that di -
erent samples may be selected or playback, even though they will adhere to the played pitch.
Good or getting interesting arti acts rom multisamples.
Glide — The global Glide mode, used in conjunction with the Time parameter to smoothly transi-
tion between pitches. ’Glide’ is a standard monophonic glide, while ’Portamento’ works poly-
phonically.
Time — Enabling a Glide mode produces a smooth transition between the pitch o played notes.
This parameter determines the length o the transition.
24.7.8 The Filter/Global Tab
The Filter/Global Tab.
The Filter
Sampler eatures a polyphonic flter with an optional integrated waveshaper. The flter sec-
tion o ers a variety o flter types including lowpass, highpass, bandpass, notch, and a special
Morph flter. Each flter can be switched between 12 and 24 dB slopes as well as a selection o
analog-modeled circuit behaviors developed in conjunction with Cytomic that emulate hard-
ware flters ound on some classic analog synthesizers.
or all flter types.
enters the flter.
slider.
To the right, the flter’s cuto requency can be modulated over time by a dedicated flter en-
velope. This envelope works similarly to the envelopes in the Pitch/Osc tab, with Initial, Peak,
Sustain and End levels, ADSR, Loop mode and slope points. This area is toggled on/o with the
F. Env button. The Amount slider determines how much in uence the flter envelope has on the
flter’s cuto requency, and needs to be set to a non-zero value or the envelope to have any
e ect.
Below the Filter is a waveshaper, which is toggled by clicking the Shaper button. Four di er-
ent curves can be chosen or the waveshaper in the Type selector: So t, Hard, Sine and 4bit.
Shaper’s overall intensity can be controlled with the Amount slider. In addition, the signal ow
direction can be adjusted with the button above the waveshaper area: with the triangle pointing
up, the signal passes rom the shaper to the flter; with the triangle pointing down, it passes rom
the flter to the shaper.
Legacy Filters
Sampler in the Set will open with legacy flters in place o the flters discussed previously. These
do not eature a Drive control. Each Sampler loaded with the legacy flters shows an Upgrade
models or that instance o Sampler. Note that this change may make your Set sound di erent.
The Volume Envelope
The Global Volume Envelope.
The volume envelope is global, and defnes the articulation o Sampler’s sounds with standard
ADSR (attack, decay, sustain, release) parameters. Please see the Sample Playback section
(page 499) or details on these parameters.
This envelope can also be looped via the Loop chooser. When a Loop mode is selected, the
Time/Repeat slider becomes important. For Loop and Trigger modes, i a note is still held when
the Decay stage ends, the envelope will restart rom its initial value. The time it takes to move
rom the Sustain level to the initial value is defned by the Time parameter. For Beat and Sync
modes, i a note is still held a ter the amount set in the Repeat slider, the envelope will restart
rom its initial value.
The Pan slider is a global pan control (acting on all samples), while Pan<Rnd adds a degree o
randomness to the global pan position. Time (Global Time Envelope) will proportionally shrink
or expand the length o all envelopes in Sampler. Time<Key (Global Envelope Time<Key) will
proportionally shrink or expand the length o all envelopes in Sampler relative to the pitch o
incoming MIDI notes.
Controls For Global Pan and Global Time.
Finally, the Voices selector provides up to 32 simultaneous voices or each instance o Sampler.
Voice retriggering can optionally be enabled by activating the Retrigger button (R) to the right o
the Voices chooser. When activated, notes which are already playing will be retriggered, rather
than generating an additional voice. Turning Retrigger on can save CPU power, especially i a
note with a long release time is being triggered very o ten and very quickly.
24.7.9 The Modulation Tab
The Modulation Tab.
The Modulation tab o ers an additional loopable envelope, plus three LFOs, all capable o
modulating multiple parameters, including themselves. Each LFO can be ree running, or synced
to the Live Set’s tempo, and LFOs 2 and 3 can produce stereo modulation e ects.
The Auxiliary Envelope

On the le t, the Auxiliary (Aux) envelope unctions much like the envelopes in the Pitch/Osc tab,
with Initial, Peak, Sustain and End levels, ADSR, Loop mode and slope points. This envelope can
be routed to 29 destinations in both the A and B choosers. How much the Auxiliary envelope will
modulate destinations A and B is set in the two sliders to the right.
LFOs 1, 2 and 3
The remaining space o the Modulation tab contains three Low Frequency Oscillators (LFOs).
As the name implies, Sampler’s LFOs operate by applying a low- requency (below 30 Hz) to a
parameter in order to modulate it. Engage any o these oscillators by clicking the LFO 1, LFO 2
or LFO 3 switches.
Type — Sampler’s LFOs have 6 di erent waveshapes available: Sine, Square, Triangle, Saw-
tooth Down, Sawtooth Up, and Sample and Hold.
Rate — With Hz selected, the speed o the LFO is determined by the Freq slider to the right. With
the note head selected, the LFO will be synced to beat-time, adjustable in the Beats slider to the
right.
Freq — The LFO’s rate in Hertz (cycles per second), adjustable rom 0.01 to 30 Hz.
Beats — This sets the LFO’s rate in beat-time (64th notes to 8 bars).
LFO Attack (Attack) — This is the time needed or the LFO to reach maximum intensity. Use this,
or example, to gradually introduce vibrato as a note is held.
LFO Retrigger (Retrig) — Enabling Retrigger or an LFO will cause it to reset to its starting point,
or initial phase, on each new MIDI note. This can create hybrid LFO shapes i the LFO is retrig-
gered be ore completing a cycle.
LFO O set (O set) — This changes the starting point, or initial phase o an LFO, so that it begins
at a di erent point in its cycle. This can create hybrid LFO shapes i the LFO is retriggered be ore
completing a cycle.
LFO Rate < Key (Key) — Also known as keyboard tracking, non-zero values cause an LFO’s rate
to increase relative to the pitch o incoming MIDI notes.
LFO 1 has our sliders or quickly modulating global parameters:

Volume (Vol) — LFO 1 can modulate the global volume level. This slider determines the depth o
the modulation on a 0-100 scale.
Pan (Pan) — LFO 1 can modulate the global pan position. This slider determines the depth o the
modulation on a 0-100 scale.
Filter — LFO 1 can modulate the flters cuto requency (Freq in the Filter/Global tab). This slider
determines the depth o the modulation on a 0-24 scale.
Pitch — LFO 1 can modulate the pitch o samples. This slider determines the depth o the modu-
lation on a 0-100 scale.
LFO 1.
LFO Stereo Mode (Stereo) — LFOs 2 and 3 can produce two types o stereo modulation: Phase
or Spin. In phase mode, the right and le t LFO channels run at equal speed, and the Phase pa-
rameter is used to o set the right channel rom the le t. In spin mode, the Spin parameter can
make the right LFO channel run up to 50% aster than the le t.
Like the Auxiliary envelope, LFOs 2 and 3 contain A and B choosers, where you can route LFOs
to many destinations.
LFOs 2 and 3.
24.7.10 The MIDI Tab
The MIDI Tab.
The MIDI tab’s parameters turn Sampler into a dynamic per ormance instrument. The MIDI con-
trollers Key, Velocity, Release Velocity, A tertouch, Modulation Wheel, Foot Controller and Pitch
Bend can be mapped to two destinations each, with varying degrees o in uence determined in
the Amount A and Amount B sliders.
For example, i we set Velocity’s Destination A to Loop Length, and its Amount A to 100, high
velocities will result in long loop lengths, while low velocities will create shorter ones.
At the bottom is a Pitch Bend Range slider (0 to 24 steps). The 14-bit range o pitch wheel values
can be scaled to produce up to 24 semitones o pitch bend in Sampler.
Finally, clicking in the Sampler image on the right will trigger a scrolling, movie-like credits or
Sampler. These are the people you can thank!
24.7.11 Importing Third-Party Multisamples

Sampler can use multisamples created by a number o other so tware and hardware samplers.
To import a third-party multisample, navigate to the fle in Live‘s browser and drag it into a Live
Set. This will import it into your User Library.
Importing will create new Sampler presets, which you can fnd in the browser under User Li-
brary/Sampler/Imports.
Note that some multisample fles will be converted to Instrument Rack (page 281) presets that
contain several Sampler instances used to emulate the original more accurately.
For all multisample ormats except Apple EXS24/GarageBand and Kontakt, Live will import the
actual audio data and create new samples. This means the new Sampler presets will work re-
gardless o whether the original multisample fle is still available.
(Note: Kontakt .nki fles can be imported only rom .nki fles that are o version 4.2.1 or older.)
To import Apple EXS24/GarageBand and Kontakt multisamples, Live will create new Sampler
presets that re erence the original WAV or AIF fles. This means that removing the original WAV
or AIF fles will render the new Sampler presets useless. Live‘s File Manager o ers the option to
collect and save these external samples (page 95).
24.8 Simpler
The Simpler Instrument.
Simpler is an instrument that integrates the basic elements o a sampler with a set o classic syn-
thesizer parameters. A Simpler voice plays a user-defned region o a sample, which is in turn
processed by envelope, flter, LFO, volume and pitch components. But unlike a conventional
sampler, Simpler includes some unique unctionality inherited rom Live’s clips. Specifcally,
Simpler can play back samples using Live’s warping. Warped samples will play back at the
tempo o your Set, regardless o which note you play. Warping in Simpler works in much the
same way as it does in audio clips, and bringing a warped clip into Simpler rom an audio track,
the browser, or your desktop preserves your manual warp settings. For more in ormation about
warping, see the Audio Clips, Tempo, and Warping chapter (page 153).
Simpler’s inter ace is divided into two sections: the Sample and Controls tabs. To get an even
better view, you can toggle the location o the Sample controls between the device chain and
Live’s main window by clicking the button in Simpler’s title bar. When using this expanded
view, the parameters in the Controls tab fll Simpler in the Device View.
The Sample Tab displays the sample wave orm. Samples can be dragged into Simpler either
directly rom the browser, or rom the Session or Arrangement View in the orm o clips. In the
latter case, Simpler will use only the section o the sample demarcated by the clip’s start/end or
loop markers. Any adjustments that have been made to a clip’s Warp Markers and other warp-
ing properties will be retained when dragging a clip into Simpler. Samples can be replaced by
dragging in a new sample, or by activating the Hot-Swap button in the lower-right corner o the
wave orm display.
Hot-Swapping a Sample.
Tip: to zoom in the sample wave orm, scroll with the mousewheel or trackpad while holding the
[CTRL](PC) / [CMD]Mac) modifer.
24.8.1 Playback Modes

The most important parameter that determines how Simpler will treat samples is the mode switch,
which is used to choose one o Simpler’s three playback modes. This switch is ound on the le t
side o the Sample tab or along the bottom o the expanded sample view.
Mode Switch in the Sample Tab.
Mode Switch in the Expanded View.
•Classic Playback Mode is the de ault mode when using Simpler, and is optimized or cre-
ating “conventional” melodic and harmonic instruments using pitched samples. It eatures a
complete ADSR envelope and supports looping, allowing or samples to sustain as long as
a note is held down. Classic Mode is polyphonic by de ault.
•One-Shot Playback Mode is exclusively or monophonic playback, and is optimized or

use with one-shot drum hits or short sampled phrases. This mode has simplifed envelope
controls and does not support looping. By de ault, the entire sample will play back when a
note is triggered, regardless o how long the note is held.
•Slicing Playback Mode non-destructively slices the sample so that the individual slices can
be played back chromatically. You can create and move slices manually, or choose rom
a number o di erent options or how Simpler will automatically create slices. This mode is
ideal or working with rhythmic drum breaks.
Classic Playback Mode
The Sample Tab in Classic Playback Mode.
In Classic Playback Mode, the various sample position controls change which region o the
sample you play back. These controls include the Start and Length parameters as well as the two
“ ags” that appear in the wave orm display. The le t ag sets the absolute position in the sample
rom which playback can start, while the End control sets where playback can end. Start and
Length are then represented in percentages o the total sample length enabled by the ags. For
example, a Length value o 50% will play exactly hal o the region between the ags. The Loop
slider determines how much o the available sample will loop. This parameter is only active i the
Loop switch is enabled.
(Note: it’s possible to create sustaining loops that are so short they take on a glitchy or granular
character, or even take on a pitch as a result o looping at audio rates. While this might be ex-
actly the e ect you want, it can cause very high CPU loads, particularly when working with the
Complex or Complex Pro warp modes.)
Quite o ten, you’ll start with a longer region o a sample and end up using only a small part o
it. Simpler’s wave orm display can be zoomed and panned just as in other parts o Live — drag
vertically or scroll with the mousewheel or trackpad while holding the [CTRL](PC) / [CMD](Mac)
modifer to zoom, and drag horizontally to pan di erent areas o the sample into view. Zooming
works the same in all three playback modes.
Pressing the Loop On/O button determines whether or not the sample will loop when a note
is held down. It is possible or glitches or pops to occur between a looped sample’s start and
end points due to the discontinuity in wave orm amplitude (i.e., the sample’s loudness). The Snap
switch will help mitigate these by orcing Simpler’s loop and region markers to snap to zero-
crossing points in the sample (points where the amplitude is zero). Note: Snapping is based on
the le t channel o stereo samples. It is there ore still possible, even with Snap activated, to en-
counter glitches with stereo samples.
The transition rom loop end to loop start can be smoothed with the Fade control, which cross-
ades the two points. This method is especially use ul when working with long, textural samples.
The Gain slider allows you to boost or cut the level o the sample. Note that this is a separate
gain stage rom Simpler’s Volume knob, which determines the fnal output level o the entire
instrument (a ter processing through Simpler’s flter). This parameter is available in all three play-
back modes.
The Voices parameter sets the maximum number o voices that Simpler can play simultaneously.
I more voices are needed than have been allocated by the Voices chooser, “voice stealing“ will
take place, in which the oldest voice(s) will be dropped in avor o those that are new. For exam-
ple, i your Voices parameter is set to 8, and ten voices are all vying to be played, the two oldest
voices will be dropped. (Simpler does try to make voice stealing as subtle as possible.)
With Retrig enabled, a note that is already sustaining will be cut o i the same note is played
again. I Retrig is disabled, multiple copies o the same note can overlap. Note that Retrig only
has an audible e ect i the sample has a long release time and the number o Voices is set to
more than one.
The various warp parameters are the same in all three playback modes and are discussed be-
low (page 521).
One-Shot Playback Mode
The Sample Tab in One-Shot Playback Mode.
In One-Shot Playback Mode, the le t and right ags set the available playback region, as they
do in Classic Mode, but there are no Loop or Length controls. There is also no Voices control;
One-Shot Mode is strictly monophonic.
With Trigger enabled, the sample will continue playing even a ter the note is released; the
amount o time you hold the pad has no e ect when Trigger is on.
You can shape the volume o the sample using the Fade In and Fade Out controls. Fade In de-
termines how long it takes the sample to reach its maximum volume a ter a note is played, while
Fade Out begins a ade out the specifed amount o time be ore the end o the sample region.
Fade In and Fade Out Controls.
With Gate enabled, the sample will begin ading out as soon as you release the note. The Fade
Out time determines how long it will take to ade to silence a ter release.
Snap works similarly to its unction in Classic Mode, but only a ects the start and end ags (be-
cause there are no loop options.)
Slicing Playback Mode
The Sample Tab in Slicing Playback Mode.
In Slicing Playback Mode (as in One-Shot Playback Mode), the le t and right ags set the avail-
able playback region.
The Slice By chooser determines the specifc way in which slices will be created:
•Transient - Slices are placed on the sample’s transients automatically. The Sensitivity slider
determines how sensitive Simpler is to transient levels within the sample, and thus how
many slices will be automatically created. Higher numbers result in more slices, up to a
maximum o 64 slices.
•Beat - Slices are placed at musical beat divisions. The Division chooser selects the beat
division at which Simpler will slice the sample region.
•Region - Slices are placed at equal time divisions. The Regions chooser selects the number
o evenly-spaced slices that will be created.
•Manual - Slices are created manually, by double-clicking within the sample region. When
Manual is selected, no slices are placed automatically.
The Playback chooser determines how many slices can be triggered simultaneously. Mono is
monophonic; only one slice can be played at a time. When set to Poly, multiple slices can be
triggered together. The Voices and Retrig controls are available with Poly enabled, and work as
they do in Classic Playback Mode. When set to Thru, playback is monophonic, but triggering
one slice will continue playback through the rest o the sample region.
The Trigger/Gate switch works the same as it does in One-Shot Playback Mode. The Fade In
and Out controls behave slightly di erently, depending on the setting o the Playback chooser.
With Mono or Poly selected, the Fade times are measured rom the beginning to the end o each
individual slice, while with Thru selected, they are measured rom the triggered slice to the end
o the region. This means that the ade times may sound di erent depending on where in the
region you trigger.
Automatically created slices appear as vertical blue lines on the wave orm display. Double-
clicking a slice deletes it. I you’re not satisfed with Simpler’s automatic slice placement, you can
click and drag a slice to move it to a new position. Double-clicking on the wave orm between
slices will create manual slices, which appear white. In Transients mode, holding [ALT](PC) /
[ALT](Mac) and clicking on a slice will toggle it between a manual and automatic slice. Manu-
ally created slices in Transients mode are preserved regardless o the Sensitivity amount.
24.8.2 Warp Controls
Simpler’s Warp Controls.
When the Warp switch is o , Simpler behaves like a “conventional” sampler; as you play back
the sample at di erent pitches, the sample plays back at di erent speeds. In some cases, this
is exactly the e ect that you want. But when working with samples that have their own inherent
rhythm, you may want to enable Warp. This will cause Simpler to play back the sample in sync
with your current song tempo, regardless o which notes you play.
I you’re amiliar with how warping works in audio clips, you’ll fnd that Simpler’s Warp Modes
and settings behave in the same way. For more in ormation, see the section called Adjusting or
Good Stretching Quality (page 165).
The Warp as... button adjusts the warping o the sample so that it will play back precisely within
the specifed number o bars or beats. Live makes its best guess about what this value should
be based on the length o the sample, but i it gets it wrong, you can use the :2 or x2 buttons to
double or halve the playback speed, respectively.
24.8.3 Filter
Simpler’s Filter Controls.
Simpler’s flter section o ers a variety o flter types including lowpass, highpass, bandpass,
notch, and a special Morph flter. Each flter can be switched between 12 and 24 dB slopes as
well as a selection o analog-modeled circuit behaviors developed in conjunction with Cytomic
that emulate hardware flters ound on some classic analog synthesizers.
or all flter types.
enters the flter.
knob.
The Frequency and Envelope buttons in the flter section’s display area toggle between showing
the flter’s requency response and its envelope. Filter cuto requency and resonance can be
adjusted via the knobs or by dragging the flter response curve in the display area. Filter re-
quency can also be modulated by the ollowing:
•note velocity, via the Vel control in the flter’s display
•note pitch, via the Key control in the flter’s display
•flter envelope, via the Envelope control in the flter’s display.
•LFO, via the Filter slider in the LFO section.
Legacy Filters
Simpler in the Set will open with legacy flters in place o the flters discussed previously. These
do not eature a Drive control. Each Simpler loaded with the legacy flters shows an Upgrade
button in the title bar.
Simpler’s Filter Upgrade Button.
Pressing this button will permanently switch the flter selection to the newer models or that in-
stance o Simpler. Note that this change may make your Set sound di erent.
24.8.4 Envelopes
Simpler’s Filter and Amplitude Envelope Controls.
Simpler contains three classic ADSR envelopes, as seen in most synthesizers, or shaping the
dynamic response o the sample. Amplitude, flter requency, and pitch modulation are all modi-
fable by toggling their respective buttons in the envelope section. Attack controls the time in
milliseconds that it takes or the envelope to reach its peak value a ter a note is played. Decay
controls the amount o time it takes or the envelope to drop down to the Sustain level, which is
held until the note is released. Release time is the amount o time a ter the end o the note that it
takes or the envelope to drop rom the Sustain level back down to zero. These parameters can
be adjusted via their dedicated controls or graphically, by dragging the handles within the enve-
lope visualizations.
The in uence o envelopes on pitch and flter cuto can be set using the envelope amount
(Amount) controls in the top right o each o these sections.
Pitch Envelope Amount Control.
24.8.5 LFO
Simpler’s LFO Section.
The LFO (low- requency oscillator) section o ers sine, square, triangle, sawtooth down, saw-
tooth up and random wave orms. The LFO runs reely at requencies between 0.01 and 30 Hz,
or synced to divisions o the Set’s tempo. LFOs are applied individually to each voice, or played
note, in Simpler.
The time required or the LFO to reach ull intensity is determined by the Attack control. The R
switch toggles Retrigger. When enabled, the LFO’s phase is reset to the O set value or each
new note. (Note that O set has no e ect when Retrigger is disabled.)
The Key parameter scales each LFO’s Rate in proportion to the pitch o incoming notes. A high
Key setting assigns higher notes a higher LFO rate. I Key is set to zero, all voices’ LFOs have the
same rate and may just di er in their phase.
The Volume, Pitch, Pan, and Filter sliders determine how much the LFO will modulate the volume,
pitch, pan, and flter, respectively.
24.8.6 Global Parameters
Simpler’s Global Parameters.
Panorama is defned by the Pan control, but can be urther swayed by randomness (via the
Random>Pan slider) or modulated by the LFO.
Simpler also o ers a special Spread parameter that creates a rich stereo chorus by using two
voices per note and panning one to the le t and one to the right. The two voices are detuned,
and the amount o detuning can be adjusted with the Spread control.
Tip: Whether or not spread is applied to a particular note depends upon the setting o the
Spread parameter during the note-on event. To achieve special e ects, you could, or instance,
create a sequence where Spread is zero most o the time and turned on only or some notes.
These notes will then play in stereo, while the others will play mono.
The output volume o Simpler is controlled by the Volume control, which can also be dependent
upon note velocity, as adjusted by the Velocity>Volume control. Tremolo e ects can be achieved
by allowing the LFO to modulate the Volume parameter.
Simpler plays back a sample at its original pitch i the incoming MIDI note is C3, however the
Transpose control allows transposing this by +/- 48 semitones. Pitch can also be modulated by
the LFO or pitch envelope. The pitch envelope is especially help ul in creating percussive sounds.
Simpler reacts to MIDI Pitch Bend messages with a sensitivity o +/- 5 semitones. You can also
modulate the Transpose parameter with clip envelopes and external controllers. For fne tuning
o the pitch, use the Detune control, which can be adjusted +/- 50 cents.
Simpler includes a glide unction. When this unction is activated, new notes will start rom the
pitch o the last note played and then slide gradually to their own pitch. Two glide modes are
available: Glide, which works monophonically, and Portamento, which works polyphonically.
The speed o the glide is set with the Time control.
24.8.7 Context Menu Options

A number o Simpler’s eatures are only accessible by opening the context menu via a [right-
click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) on the sample display or Simpler’s title bar.
By de ault, Simpler uses constant-power ades. But by turning o “Use Constant Power Fade or
Loops“ in the [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu o Simpler’s title bar, you can
enable linear cross ades. Note that the Fade parameter is not available when warp is enabled.
Presets created in Simpler can be converted or use in Sampler (page 488), and vice-versa.
To do this, [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) on Simpler’s title bar and choose the Simpler
-> Sampler command. In this way, presets created in Simpler can be in a multisample context
in Sampler. Note, however, that Simpler’s warping and slicing unctionality is not available in
Sampler, and presets that use any o these unctions will sound and behave very di erently in
Sampler.
Manage Sample reveals the loaded sample in Live’s File Manager (page 92), while the
Show in Browser option reveals the sample in Live’s browser. Show in Finder/Explorer reveals
the sample within its older in your computer’s operating system. Note that this command is not
available when working with samples that have been loaded rom o fcial Ableton Packs.
Normalize Volumes adjusts the volume o the loaded sample so that its highest peak uses all o
the available headroom.
Crop removes the portions o the sample that are outside o the Start and End points, while Re-
verse plays the entire sample backwards. Note that both Crop and Reverse are non-destructive;
they create a copy o the sample and apply the process to the copy, so your original sample is
not changed.
When working in Slicing Playback Mode, two additional context menu options are available:
Slice to Drum Rack replaces the Simpler with a Drum Rack in which each o the current slices
is split onto its own pad. Slice to New MIDI Track is similar, but this creates an additional track
containing a Drum Rack rather than replacing the current Simpler. Additionally, when slicing to
a new track, a clip is created that plays back the slices in order. For more about slicing, see the
dedicated chapter or this topic (page 189).
24.8.8 Strategies or Saving CPU Power

Real-time synthesis needs lots o computing power. However, there are strategies or reducing
CPU load. Save the CPU spent on Simpler by doing some o the ollowing:
•When using warping, be aware that the Complex and Complex Pro modes use signifcant-
ly more CPU power than the other Warp Modes.
•Turn o the Filter i it is not needed.
•A flter’s CPU cost correlates with the steepness o its slope — the 24 dB slope is more ex-
pensive than the 12 dB slope.
•Turn o the LFO or a slightly positive in uence on CPU.
•Stereo samples need signifcantly more CPU than mono samples, as they require twice the
processing.
•Decrease the number o simultaneously allowed voices with the Voices control.
•Turn Spread to 0% i it is not needed.

24.9 Tension
The Tension Instrument.
(Note: the Tension instrument is not available in the Intro, Lite and Standard Editions.)
Tension is a synthesizer dedicated to the emulation o string instruments, and developed in col-
laboration with Applied Acoustics Systems. The synthesizer is entirely based on physical mod-
eling technology and uses no sampling or wavetables. Instead, it produces sound by solving
mathematical equations that model the di erent components in string instruments and how they
interact. This elaborate synthesis engine responds dynamically to the control signals it receives
while you play thereby reproducing the richness and responsiveness o real string instruments.
Tension eatures our types o excitators (two types o hammer, a pick and a bow) an accurate
model o a string, a model o the ret/fnger interaction, a damper model and di erent types o
soundboards. The combination o these di erent elements allows or the reproduction o a wide
range o string instruments. Tension is also equipped with flters, LFOs and envelope parameters
that extend the sound sculpting possibilities beyond what would be possible with “real-world“
instruments. Finally, Tension o ers a wide range o per ormance eatures, including keyboard
modes, portamento, vibrato and legato unctions.

It is the vibration rom the string which constitutes the main sound production mechanism o the
instrument. The string is set into motion by the action o an excitator which can be a hammer, a
pick or a bow. The requency o the oscillation is determined by the e ective length o the string,
which is controlled by the fnger/ ret interaction or termination. A damper can be applied to the
strings in order to reduce the decay time o the oscillation. This is the case on a piano, or exam-
ple, when elt is applied to the strings by releasing the keys and sustain pedal. The vibration rom
the string is then transmitted to the body o the instrument, which can radiate sound e fciently.
In some instruments, the string vibration is transmitted directly to the body through the bridge. In
other instruments, such as the electric guitar, a pickup is used to transmit the string vibration to an
amplifer. In addition to these main sections, a lter section has been included between the string
and body sections in order to expand the sonic possibilities o the instrument.
The Tension inter ace is divided into two main tabs, which are urther divided into sections. The
String tab contains all o the undamental sound producing components related to the string it-
sel : Excitator, String, Damper, Termination, Pickup and Body. The Filter/Global tab contains the
Filter section, as well as controls or global per ormance parameters. Each section (with the ex-
ception o String and the global Keyboard section) can be enabled or disabled independently.
Turning o a section reduces CPU usage.
24.9.2 String Tab

The String tab contains the parameters related to the physical properties o the string itsel , as
well as the way in which it’s played.
The Excitator Section
Tension’s Excitator Section.
The modelled string can be played using di erent types o excitators in order to reproduce
di erent types o instruments and playing techniques. The excitator is selected using the Type
chooser, and the choices available are Bow, Hammer, Hammer (bouncing) and Plectrum.
Bow — this excitator is associated with bowed instruments such as the violin, viola or cello. The
bow sets the string in sustained oscillation. The motion o the bow hair across the string creates
riction, causing the string to alternate between sticking to the hair and breaking ree. The re-
quency o this alternation between sticking and slipping determines the undamental pitch.
The Force knob adjusts the amount o pressure being applied to the string by the bow. The sound
becomes more “scratchy“ as you increase this value. The riction between the bow and the string
can be adjusted with the Friction control. Higher values usually result in a aster attack. Velocity
adjusts the speed o the bow across the string. Finally, the Vel and Key sliders below these three
controls allow you to modulate their behavior based on note velocity or pitch, respectively.
Hammer and Hammer (bouncing) — these two excitator types simulate the behavior o so t ham-
mers or mallets. Hammer models a hammer that is located below the string and strikes it once
be ore alling away. This type o mechanism is ound in a piano, or example. Hammer (bounc-
ing) models a hammer that is located above the string and is dropped onto it, meaning that it
can bounce on the string multiple times. This playing mode can be ound on a hammered dulci-
mer, or example.
The mass and sti ness o the hammer are adjusted with the (surprise) Mass and Sti ness knobs,
while Velocity controls the speed at which the hammer is struck against the string. As with the
Bow excitator, these three parameters can be urther modulated by note velocity and pitch by
adjusting the Vel and Key sliders. The behavior o the hammer is urther controlled by the Damp-
ing knob, which adjusts how much o the hammer’s impact orce is absorbed back into the ham-
mer. It is somewhat analogous to the Sti ness parameter, but instead o controlling the sti ness
o the hammer’s sur ace it adjusts the sti ness o the virtual “spring“ that connects the hammer to
the mass that powers it. As you increase the Damping amount, the interaction between the ham-
mer and string will become shorter, generally resulting in a louder, brighter sound.
Plectrum — a plectrum or “pick“ is associated with instruments such as guitars and harpsichords.
It can be thought o as an angled object placed under the string that snaps the string into motion.
The Protrusion knob adjusts how much o the plectrum’s sur ace area is placed under the string.
Lower values results in a “thinner,“ smaller sound, as there is less mass setting the string into mo-
tion. The Sti ness, Velocity and Damping knobs behave similarly to the Hammer mode. Protru-
sion, Sti ness, Velocity and Position can be modulated by velocity or note pitch via the Vel and
Key sliders.
The Position knob is applicable to each excitator model, and specifes the point on the string
where the excitator makes contact. At 0%, the excitator contacts the string at its termination
point, while at 50% it activates the string at its midpoint. The behavior is a bit di erent i the Fix.
Pos switch is enabled, however. In this case, the contact point is fxed to a single location, rather
than changing as the length o the string changes. This behavior is similar to that o a guitar,
where the picking position is always basically the same regardless o the notes being played.
On a piano, the excitator position is relative — the hammers normally strike the string at about
1/7th o their length — and so is best modelled with Fix. Pos turned o . The excitator’s position
can additionally be modulated by velocity or note pitch, via the Vel and Key sliders.
The Excitator section can be toggled on or o via the switch next to its name. With it o , the
string can only be activated by interaction with its damper. (I both the Excitator and Damper
sections are disabled, nothing can set the string in motion — i you fnd that you’re not producing
any sound, check to see that at least one o these sections is on.)
Please note that the Excitator section’s parameters work closely together to in uence the overall
behavior o the instrument. You may fnd that certain combinations o settings result in no sound
at all, or example.
The String Section
Tension’s String Section.
The vibration o the string is the main component o a stringed instrument’s sound. The e ective
length o the string is also responsible or the pitch o the sound we hear.
The theoretical model o a resonating string is harmonic, meaning that the string’s partials are all
exact multiples o the undamental requency. Real-world strings, however, are all more or less
inharmonic, and this increases with the width o the string. The Inharm slider models this behav-
ior, causing upper partials to become increasingly out o tune as its value increases.
The Damping slider adjusts the amount o high requency content in the string’s vibration. Higher
values result in more upper partials (less damping). This parameter can be modulated by note
pitch via the <Key slider to its right.
The Decay slider determines how long it takes or the resonating string to decay to silence.
Higher values increase the decay time. The <Key slider next to Decay allows decay time to be
modulated by note pitch.
The Ratio slider sets the ratio o the decay time o the string’s oscillation during note onset and re-
lease. At 0%, the time set by the Decay slider sets the decay time or both the onset and release
o the note. As you increase the Ratio, the release time decreases but the onset decay time stays
the same.
The Vibrato Section
Tension’s Vibrato Section.
The Vibrato section uses an LFO to modulate the string’s pitch. As with all o Tension’s param-
eters, the controls in this section can be used to enhance the realism o a stringed instrument
model — or to create something never heard be ore.
The two most important parameters in this section are the Rate and Amount sliders. Rate adjusts
the requency o the pitch variation, while Amount adjusts the intensity (amplitude) o the e ect.
The Delay slider sets how long it will take or the vibrato to start a ter the note begins, while At-
tack sets how long it takes or the vibrato to reach ull intensity (as set by the Amount knob).
The <Mod slider adjusts how much the modulation wheel will a ect the vibrato intensity. This
control is relative to the value set by the Amount knob.
The Error slider introduces unpredictability into the vibrato, by introducing random deviation to
the Rate, Amount, Delay and Attack parameters.
The Damper Section
Tension’s Damper Section.
All string instruments employ some type o damping mechanism that mutes the resonating string.
In pianos, this is a elt pad that is applied to the string when the key is released. In instruments
such as guitars and violins, the player damps by stopping the string’s vibration with the fngers.
Dampers regulate the decay o strings but also produce some sound o their own, which is an
important characteristic o a string instrument’s timbre.
Although a damper unctions to mute the string rather than activate it, it is somewhat analogous
to a hammer, and shares some o the same parameters.
The Mass knob controls how hard the damper’s sur ace will press against the string. As you in-
crease the value, the string will mute more quickly.
The sti ness o the damper’s material is adjusted with the Sti ness control. Lower values simulate
so t materials such as elt, while higher values model a metal damper.
Note that very high Mass and Sti ness values can simulate dampers that connect with the string
hard enough to change its e ective length, thus causing a change in tuning.
The Velocity control adjusts the speed with which the damper is applied to the string when the
key is released, as well as the speed with which it is li ted rom the string when the key is de-
pressed. Be care ul with this parameter — very high Velocity values can cause the damper to hit
the string extremely hard, which can result in a very loud sound on key release. Note that the
state o the Gated switch determines whether or not the Velocity control is enabled. When the
Gated switch is turned on, the damper is applied to the string when the key is released. With
Gated o , the damper always remains on the string, which means that the Velocity control has
no e ect.
The Mass, Sti ness and Velocity parameters can be urther modulated by note pitch, via the
sliders below.
The sti ness o the damper mechanism is adjusted with the Damping knob, which a ects the
overall amount o vibration absorbed by the damper. Lower values result in less damping (lon-
ger decay times.) But this becomes a bit less predictable as the Damping value goes over 50%.
At higher values, the mechanism becomes so sti that it bounces against the string. This in turn
reduces the overall amount o time that the damper is in contact with the string, causing an in-
crease in decay time. The best way to get a sense o how this parameter behaves is to gradually
turn up the knob as you repeatedly strike a single key.
The Position knob serves an analogous unction to the control in the Excitator section, but here
specifes the point on the string where the damper makes contact. At 0%, the damper contacts
the string at its termination point, while at 50% it damps the string at its midpoint. The behavior is
a bit di erent i the Fix. Pos switch is enabled, however. In this case, the contact point is fxed to a
single location, rather than changing as the length o the string changes. The damper’s position
can additionally be modulated by velocity or note pitch, via the Vel and Key sliders.
The Damper section can be toggled on or o via the switch next to its name.
The Termination Section
Tension’s Termination Section.
The Termination section models the interaction between the ret, fnger and string. On a physical
instrument, this interaction is used to change the e ective length o the string, which in turn sets
the pitch o the note played. The physical parameters o the fnger are adjusted with the Fing
Mass and Fing Sti knobs, which set the orce the fnger applies to the string and the fnger’s
sti ness, respectively. The Mass amount can be additionally modulated by velocity or note pitch
via the sliders. The sti ness o the ret is modelled with the Fret Sti parameter.
The Pickup Section
Tension’s Pickup Section.
The Pickup section models an electromagnetic pickup, similar to the type ound in an electric gui-
tar or electric piano. The only control here is the Position slider, which unctions similarly to this
parameter in the Excitator and Damper sections. At 0%, the pickup is located at the string’s ter-
mination point, while at 50% it is under the midpoint o the string. Lower values generally result in
a brighter, thinner sound, while higher values have more ullness and depth.
The Pickup section can be toggled on or o via the switch next to its name.
The Body Section
Tension’s Body Section.
The role o the body or soundboard o a string instrument is to radiate the vibration energy rom
the strings. The body also flters these vibrations, based on its size and shape. In some instru-
ments, such as guitars, the body also includes an air cavity which boosts low requencies.
The body type chooser allows you to select rom di erent body types modelled a ter physical
instruments.
The body size chooser sets the relative size o the resonant body, rom extra small (XS) to extra
large (XL). In general, as you increase the body size, the requency o the resonance will be-
come lower. You can urther modi y the body’s requency response with the Hi Cut and Low Cut
knobs.
The decay time o the body’s resonance can be adjusted with the Decay knob. Higher values
mean a longer decay.
The Str/Body knob adjusts the ratio between the String section’s direct output and the signal
fltered by the Body section. When turned all the way to the right, there is no direct output rom
the String section. When turned all the way to the le t, the Body section is e ectively bypassed.
The Body section can be toggled on or o via the switch next to its name.
The lonely Volume knob to the right o this section sets the overall output o the instrument. This
knob is replicated on the Filter/Global tab.
24.9.3 Filter/Global Tab

The Filter/Global tab contains the flter parameters or the instrument, as well as global controls.
The Filter Section
Tension’s Filter Section.

Tension’s Filter section eatures a highly confgurable multi-mode flter that sits between the
String and Body sections. In addition, the flter can be modulated by a dedicated envelope gen-
erator and low- requency oscillator (LFO).
The flter’s chooser allows you to select the flter type. You can choose between 2nd and 4th
order low-pass, band-pass, notch, high-pass and ormant flters.
The resonance requency o the flter is adjusted with the Freq slider, while the amount o reso-
nance is adjusted with the Res control. When a ormant flter is chosen in the chooser, the Res
control cycles between vowel sounds. The Freq and Res controls can each be modulated by
LFO, envelope or note pitch via the sliders below. Note that the LFO and Env sliders have no e -
ect unless the Envelope and LFO subsections are enabled.
The Envelope generator is a standard ADSR (attack, decay, sustain, release). This section can be
toggled on or o via the switch next to its name.
The attack time is set with the Attack knob. This time can also be modulated by velocity via the
Vel slider below the knob. As you increase the Vel value, the attack time will become increas-
ingly shorter at higher velocities.
The time it takes or the envelope to reach the sustain level a ter the attack phase is set by the
Decay knob.
The Sustain knob sets the level at which the envelope will remain rom the end o the decay
phase to the release o the key. When this knob is turned all the way to the le t, there is no sustain
phase. With it turned all the way to the right, there is no decay phase. The sustain level can be
additionally modulated by velocity via the Vel slider below the knob. Higher values result in an
increased sustain level as the velocity increases.
Finally, the release time is set with the Release knob. This is the time it takes or the envelope to
reach zero a ter the key is released.
The LFO subsection provides an additional modulation source or the flter. This section can be
toggled on or o via the switch next to its name.
The wave orm chooser sets the type o wave orm used by the LFO. You can choose between
sine, triangle, rectangular and two types o random wave orms. The frst random wave orm steps
between random values while the second uses smoother ramps.
The Delay knob sets how long it will take or the LFO to start a ter the note begins, while Attack
sets how long it takes or the oscillator to reach its ull amplitude.
The LFO’s speed is set with the Rate knob. The switches below this knob toggle the Rate between
requency in Hertz and tempo-synced beat divisions.
The entire Filter section can be toggled on or o via the switch next to its name.
Global and Keyboard Parameters
Tension’s Global and Keyboard Parameters.
The remaining section contain all o the parameters that adjust how Tension responds to MIDI
data, as well as controls or per ormance parameters such as tuning and portamento.
The Keyboard section contains all o Tension’s polyphony and tuning parameters. The Voices
chooser sets the available polyphony, while Priority determines which notes will be cut o when
the maximum polyphony is exceeded. When Priority is set to High, new notes that are higher
than currently sustained notes will have priority, and notes will be cut o starting rom the low-
est pitch. Low Priority is the opposite. A setting o Last gives priority to the most recently played
notes, cutting o the oldest notes as necessary.
The Octave, Semi and Tuning controls unction as coarse and fne tuners. Octave transposes the
entire instrument by octaves, while Semi transposes up or down in semitone increments. The Tun-
ing slider adjusts in increments o one cent (up to a maximum o 50 cents up or down).
The pitch bend modulation range in semitones is set by the P. Bend slider.
Stretch simulates a technique known as stretch tuning, which is a common tuning modifcation
made to electric and acoustic pianos. At 0%, Tension will play in equal temperament, which
means that two notes are an octave apart when the upper note’s undamental pitch is exactly
twice the lower note’s. But because the actual resonance behavior o a vibrating tine or string
di ers rom the theoretical model, equal temperament tends to sound “wrong“ on pianos. In-
creasing the Stretch amount raises the pitch o upper notes while lowering the pitch o lower
ones. The result is a more brilliant sound. Negative values simulate “negative“ stretch tuning;
upper notes become atter while lower notes become sharper.
The Error slider increases the amount o random tuning error applied to each note. Try very high
values i you would like to relive your experiences rom junior high school orchestra.
The Unison section allows you to stack multiple voices or each note played. The switch next to
the name toggles the section on or o .
The Voices switch selects between two or our stacked voices, while Detune adjusts the amount
o tuning variation applied to each stacked voice. Low values can create a subtle chorusing e -
ect, while high values provide another good way to approximate a youth orchestra. Increasing
the Delay amount adds lag be ore each stacked voice is activated.
The Portamento section is used to make the pitch slide between notes rather than changing im-
mediately. The e ect can be toggled on and o via the switch next to its name.
With Legato enabled, the sliding will only occur i the second note is played be ore the frst note
is released.
Proportional causes the slide time to be proportional to the interval between the notes. Large
intervals will slide slower than small intervals. Disabling this switch causes the slide time to be
constant regardless o interval.
The Time slider sets the overall speed o the slide.
The Volume knob sets the overall output o the instrument.
24.9.4 Sound Design Tips

At frst glance, Tension’s modular architecture may not seem so di erent rom what you’re used
to in other synthesizers; it consists o unctional building blocks that eed in ormation through a
signal path and modi y it as it goes. But it’s important to remember that Tension’s components are
not isolated rom one another; what you do to one parameter can have a dramatic e ect on a
parameter somewhere else. Because o this, it’s very easy to fnd parameter combinations that
produce no sound at all. It’s also very easy to create extremely loud sounds, so be care ul when
setting levels!
When programming Tension, it may help to think about the various sections as i they really are
attached to a single, physical object. For example, a bow moving at a slow speed could per-
haps excite an undamped string. But i that string is constricted by an enormous damper, the bow
will need to increase its velocity to have any e ect.
To get a sense o what’s possible, it may help to study how the presets were made. You’ll soon
realize that Tension can do ar more than just strings.
24.10 Wavetable
The Wavetable Instrument.
(Note: the Wavetable instrument is not available in the Intro, Lite and Standard Editions.)
Wavetable is a synthesizer that combines two wavetable-based oscillators, two analog-mod-

elled flters, and a power ul but intuitive modulation system. It’s designed to be usable by musi-
cians and sound designers with any amount o synthesis experience; it’s simple enough to yield
great results with a minimum o e ort but o ers a nearly limitless range o possibilities as you go
deeper.
Wavetable’s inter ace is divided into three main sections: the oscillators (which each have their
own tab), the two flters, and the modulation section (which is divided between three tabs). To
see more parameters in a single view, click the button in Wavetable’s title bar. Parameters will
move between the main Device View and the expanded view depending on the dimensions o
your screen layout.
24.10.1 Wavetable Synthesis

Wavetable’s oscillators produce sound using a technique called wavetable synthesis. A wavet-
able is simply an arbitrary collection o short, looping samples that are arranged together. Play-
ing a note with the oscillator fxed to just one o these samples will produce a steady tone with a
consistent timbre. But the real power o wavetable synthesis comes by moving between the vari-
ous samples in the table as the note plays, which results in a shi ting timbre. Wavetable synthesis
is extremely well-suited or producing dynamic sounds that change over time.
24.10.2 Oscillators
Wavetable’s oscillators have been optimized or maximum sound quality. As long as no modula-
tion is applied, the raw output o the oscillators is per ectly band-limited and will not produce
aliasing arti acts at any pitch.
Wavetable’s Oscillators.
Each oscillator can be turned on or o independently via a switch in the oscillator’s tab. Clicking
a tab will select that oscillator, revealing its parameters or editing.
The overall output level o each oscillator is adjusted with its Gain slider, while its position in the
stereo feld can be adjusted with the Pan control. The coarse and fne tuning o each oscillator
can be set with the Semi and Detune controls. Note that this tuning is in relation to the global
Transposition slider.
Select a wavetable using the choosers or the arrow buttons. The frst chooser selects a category
o wavetable, while the second chooser selects a specifc wavetable rom within that category.
The arrow buttons will automatically switch to the next category when you reach the end o the
current one, so you can continuously move through the wavetables using the arrows alone.
The oscillator’s wavetable is visualized in the center o the oscillator tab. Clicking and drag-
ging within the visualization will move to a di erent position within the wavetable. You can also
change the wavetable position via the Wave Position slider.
There are two types o wavetable visualization available, and these can be switched via the
wavetable visualization switch. Both views represent the same in ormation, but visualized in di -
erent ways. The linear view arranges the wave orms rom bottom to top, with time running rom
le t to right. The polar view displays the wave orms as loops rom inside to outside, with time
running clockwise.
Although there are a huge range o available wavetables, it’s also possible to trans orm the
sound o each wavetable itsel through the use o oscillator e ects. Select rom three e ects in
the chooser and then adjust the parameters or those e ects via the sliders to the right. The oscil-
lator e ects include:
•FM — applies requency modulation to the oscillator. The Amt slider adjusts the intensity o
the requency modulation, while the Tune slider determines the requency o the modula-
tion oscillator. With a tuning o 50% (and -50%), the modulation oscillator is one octave
higher (or lower) than the main oscillator. At 100% (and -100%), the modulation oscillator
is two octaves higher (or lower). In between these values, the modulation oscillator is at
inharmonic ratios, which is ideal or creating noisy overtones.
•Classic — provides two modulation types that are common rom classic analog synthesiz-
ers. PW adjusts the pulse width o the wave orm (Note that in hardware synthesizers, it is
normally only possible to adjust the pulse width o square waves. In Wavetable, the pulse
width can be adjusted or all wavetables.) Sync applies a “hidden” oscillator that resets the
phase o the audible oscillator, altering its timbre.
•Modern — provides two additional options or distorting the shape o the wave orm. Warp
is similar to pulse width, while Fold applies wave olding distortion.
Note that the values o the two e ects parameters don’t change when the e ect type changes.
This makes it possible to move between the e ects to experiment with how the di erent process-
es a ect the timbre with the same values.
24.10.3 Sub Oscillator
Wavetable’s Sub Oscillator.

In addition to the two main oscillators, Wavetable includes a sub oscillator. This can be toggled
on or o using the Sub toggle, and its output level is adjusted with the Gain knob.
The Tone control alters the timbre o the sub oscillator. At 0%, the oscillator produces a pure sine
wave. Turning Tone up increases the harmonic content o the wave orm.
The tuning o the sub is determined by the played note and the global Transpose value, but you
can shi t the sub down by one or two octaves using the Octave switches.
24.10.4 Filters
Wavetable’s flters can be very use ul or shaping the sonically rich timbres created by the oscil-
lators and their e ects. And, since the oscillators also provide you with the classic wave orms o
analog synthesizers, you can very easily build a subtractive-style synthesizer with them.
Wavetable’s Filters.
Wavetable o ers a variety o flter types including lowpass, highpass, bandpass, notch, and a
in EQ Eight. This is available or all o the flter types.
or all flter types.
requencies near that point. Note that you can adjust the Frequency and Resonance parameters
by clicking and dragging either o the flter dots in the flter display.
enters the flter.
Filter routing allows you to arrange the flters in various confgurations or drastically di erent
sculpting techniques. You can choose rom one o three di erent routings:
•Serial — routes all oscillators into Filter 1, and routes Filter 1 into Filter 2. Sub is routed to
both flters.
•Parallel — routes the two main oscillators into Filter 1 and Filter 2. Sub is routed to both
flters.
•Split — routes Oscillator 1 to Filter 1, and Oscillator 2 to Filter 2. Sub is split in hal and
sent to both flters. I either flter is o , the corresponding oscillator’s signal is still audible.
Split can be used to treat each flter separately, and is use ul or cases where you want to
create layered synth sounds. I the main oscillators are disabled while both flters are en-
gaged, Split can also be used to add extra treatment to the Sub oscillator.
24.10.5 Matrix Tab

The Modulation Matrix enables assigning modulation rom Envelopes and LFOs (also known as
“internal modulation sources”) to parameters within the instrument (or “modulation targets”).
Wavetable’s Matrix Tab.
The modulation sources run horizontally, while the modulation targets run vertically. Click and
drag within the grid to change the amount o modulation that the selected source applies to the
selected parameter.
Note that certain parameters are additive modulation targets, while others are multiplicative
modulation targets.
Additive modulation is applied to a parameter using the ollowing ormula:
1. The outputs o a parameter’s modulation sources are summed together.
2. The summed modulation value is added to the current parameter value.
Modulation values or additive modulation are centered around 0, with 0 being the “neutral”
value. Additive modulation values can be negative or positive. Modulation sources that output
negative and positive values are “bipolar” sources. Modulation sources that only output positive
values are “unipolar” sources.
Multiplicative modulation is applied to a parameter using the ollowing ormula:
1. The outputs o a parameter’s modulation sources are multiplied together.
2. The multiplied modulation value is multiplied with the current parameter value.
The neutral value or multiplicative modulation is 1, and the minimum value is 0. Parameters with
multiplicative modulation are noted throughout the Wavetable manual.
Click on a parameter in the instrument to make it appear temporarily in the matrix. I you apply
modulation to this parameter, it will remain in the matrix. I no modulation is applied, the param-
eter will disappear rom the matrix when you click another parameter. Note that the Matrix tab
and MIDI tab share the same rows.
Tip: click on any o the modulation source headers located above the matrix to quickly jump to
its respective panel within the Mod Sources tab.
The Time slider will scale the times o all the modulators. Negative values will make envelopes
and LFOs aster, while positive values will make them slower. Modulating this value with an en-
velope or LFO will not a ect the assigned modulator, but that modulator will still scale to other
destinations.
The Amount slider sets the overall amount o modulation or all sources in the modulation matrix.
Note that this is a multiplicative modulation destination.
24.10.6 Mod Sources Tab

The Mod Sources tab allows you to adjust Envelope and LFO settings, which are described in
more detail below.
Wavetable’s Mod Sources Tab.
Envelopes
Wavetable’s envelopes (Amp, Env 2 and Env 3) can be modifed using Time and Slope parame-
ters, while Env 2 and Env 3 include additional Value controls. Note that you can adjust the Time,
Slope and Value parameters by clicking and dragging the envelope display.
Attack sets the time needed to travel rom the initial value to the Peak value. The shape o this
stage o the envelope is determined by the Attack Slope value.
Decay sets the time needed to travel rom the Peak value to the Sustain level. The shape o this
stage o the envelope is determined by the Decay Slope value.
Sustain sets the level reached at the end o the Decay stage. The envelope will remain at this
level until a note-o occurs, unless the Loop mode is set to Trigger or Loop, in which case it will
continue to the Release stage as soon as it is reached. Note that this is a multiplicative modula-
tion destination.
Release sets the time needed to travel to the Final value a ter a note-o occurs. The shape o this
stage o the envelope is determined by the Release Slope value.
As mentioned above, Wavetable’s envelopes also provide parameters that adjust the slope o
their envelope segments. Positive slope values cause the envelope to move quickly at the begin-
ning, then slower. Negative slope values cause the envelope to remain at or longer, then move
aster at the end. A slope o zero is linear; the envelope will move at the same rate throughout
the segment.
The Initial slider sets the starting value o the envelope when it is triggered. Note that this is a
multiplicative modulation destination. This control is not available or the amp envelope.
The Peak slider sets the value which marks the end o the Attack stage and the beginning o the
Decay stage. This control is not available or the amp envelope.
The Final slider sets the value at the end o the Release stage. This control is not available or the
amp envelope.
The Loop Modes drop-down lets you choose rom one o three modes:
•None will hold the Sustain portion until a note o , and will not loop.
•Trigger will play all segments once a note on is received.
•Loop will loop the entire envelope without holding the Sustain, until the voice ends.
LFOs
Wavetable includes two LFOs, which can be adjusted individually via the parameters described
in this section.
Wavetable’s LFOs.
You can choose rom one o fve LFO wave orms, and use the Shape slider to modi y the se-
lected wave orm’s shape:
•Sine and Saw: applies an increasing or decreasing slope
•Triangle: morphs the symmetry rom Ramp to Saw, with Triangle in the middle
•Square: changes the pulse width
•Random: changes the distribution o extreme values
The Sync switch sets the LFO Rate in Hertz or synced to the song tempo, while the Rate slider sets
the LFO requency in Hertz or beat divisions. Note that you can also adjust the LFO requency
by dragging the wave orm display.
Amount adjusts the amount o LFO modulation that is applied to incoming signals. Note that this
is a multiplicative modulation destination.
The O set slider o sets the phase o the LFO so that it starts at a di erent value. Note that O set
cannot be modulated.
You can use the LFO Attack slider to adjust the time the LFO takes to ade in, when it has been
triggered by a note on.
When enabled, the LFO Retrigger switch will cause the LFO to reset to its starting point, or initial
phase, on each new MIDI note. This can create hybrid LFO shapes i the LFO is retriggered be-
ore completing a cycle.
24.10.7 MIDI Tab

Assigning MIDI to parameters can turn Wavetable into a dynamic per ormance instrument.
Within the MIDI Modulation Matrix, MIDI modulation sources can be assigned to multiple pa-
rameters within the instrument (or “modulation targets”).
Wavetable’s MIDI Tab.
When Velocity is assigned, Wavetable will use the incoming MIDI note’s velocity value to modu-
late target parameters or the duration o that note.
When Note is assigned, Wavetable will use the incoming MIDI note’s pitch to modulate target
parameters or the duration o that note. (Tip: The pitch modulation range is centered around C3.
This means when it is assigned to Filter Frequency with the modulation amount set to 100%, the
flter will precisely track the played note.)
Pitch Bend, A tertouch and Modulation Wheel: these are hardware controls ound on many
MIDI controller devices. I you do not have such a device, you can still modulate the parameters
with clip envelopes (page 320).
Click on a parameter in the instrument to make it appear temporarily in the matrix. I you apply
modulation to this parameter, it will remain in the matrix. I no modulation is applied, the param-
eter will disappear rom the matrix when you click another parameter. Note that the Matrix tab
and MIDI tab share the same rows.
24.10.8 Global and Unison Controls

Wavetable’s global controls a ect the overall behavior and per ormance o the instrument.
Wavetable’s Global Controls.
Transpose adjusts the relative pitch o the Wavetable instrument in semitones.
Volume adjusts the overall level o the instrument. Note that is a multiplicative modulation desti-
nation.
The Poly/Mono toggle switches the instrument between a single voice with legato envelopes
(Mono) and a polyphonic instrument (Poly).
The Poly Voices drop-down menu lets you set the maximum number o notes that can sound si-
multaneously. Note that Poly Voices is only active when the Poly/Mono switch is set to Poly.
Glide adjusts the time overlapping notes take to slide their pitch to the next incoming pitch. Note
that Glide is only active when the Poly/Mono switch is set to Mono.
The Unison drop-down menu lets you choose rom one o six unison modes (or none). Unison
modes use multiple oscillators with di erent phases, stereo locations, or wavetable positions to
provide a uller sound.
•Classic: the oscillators are detuned with equal spacing and panned to alternating stereo
channels.
•Shimmer: the oscillator pitches are jittered at random intervals, giving a shimmering re-
verb-like e ect. A small amount o wavetable o set is also applied or extra ullness.
•Noise: pitches are jittered as in the Shimmer unison mode, but at a much aster rate, result-
ing in noisy breathy textures. A small amount o wavetable o set is applied or extra ull-
ness.
•Phase Sync: the oscillators are detuned as in Classic unison mode, but the phases are
synced when a note is started giving a strong sweeping phaser-style e ect.
•Position spread: the wavetable positions or each oscillator are evenly spread out by an
amount. A small amount o detune is additionally applied or extra width.
•Random note: the wavetable positions and detune amount or each oscillator are ran-
domised each time a note is started.
The Voices slider sets the number o simultaneously running oscillators per wavetable oscillator.
More voices will result in a thicker sound, whereas less voices will sound clearer.
The Amount slider adjusts the intensity o the unison e ect, and has di erent behavior in each
unison mode. Note that this is a multiplicative modulation destination.
Max for Live 553
Chapter 25
Max or Live
Max or Live, an add-on product co-developed with Cycling ’74, allows users to extend and
customize Live by creating instruments, audio e ects, and MIDI devices. Max or Live can also
be used to extend the unctionality o hardware controllers and even modi y clips and param-
eters within a Live Set.
In addition to providing a comprehensive toolkit or building devices, Max or Live also comes
with a collection o pre-made instruments, e ects and tutorials. These can be used just like Live’s
built-in devices and can also give you ideas or your own device building projects. Please note
that this content will only be available a ter Max is installed and authorized.
(Note: Max or Live is not available in the Lite, Intro and Standard Editions.)
25.1 Using Max or Live Devices

Max or Live comes with a collection o instruments and e ects which are ready or use. Max or
Live devices appear in the Max Instrument, Max MIDI E ect and Max Audio E ect olders in the
Max or Live label in the browser.
Many o these devices also come with their own presets, which are similar to Live’s device
presets (page 264) but with one important di erence: because a Max device can be stored
outside o Live’s known locations, it is important to make sure that any presets that re er to this
device remain associated with it.
I you save a preset or a Max device, Live will try to maintain the necessary fle re erences by
copying the Max device into your User Library and saving the preset based on this copy. I the
re erenced Max fle is then moved or renamed, however, these fle associations may be broken.
I this happens, you can use Live’s File Manager (page 95) to fx the problem.
Max for Live 554
To avoid these issues, we recommend always storing Max devices and their presets in your User
Library. Note that this is the de ault location that is suggested when pressing the Save Preset but-
ton in the title bar o the Max device.
25.2 Editing Max or Live Devices

Max devices (or “patches“) are constructed o objects that send data to each other via virtual
cables. An empty Max Audio E ect, or example, already contains some o these elements: the
plugin~ object passes all incoming audio to the plugout~ object, which then passes the audio on
to any additional devices in the chain.
A De ault Max Audio E ect.
To load an empty Max device, drag a Max Instrument, Max MIDI E ect or Max Audio E ect
rom the browser into your Set.
What a Max device actually does depends on the objects that it contains, and the way in which
they’re connected together. The area where you work with Max objects is called the editor (or
“patcher“), and can be accessed by pressing the Edit button in the Max device’s title bar.
The Edit Button or a Max Device.
This launches the Max editor in a new window, with the current device loaded and ready or
editing.
Max for Live 555
A De ault Max Audio E ect in the Patcher.
A ter editing, you should save your Max device be ore you use it in Live. This is done via the
Save or Save As commands in Max’s File menu. Saving an edited device will automatically up-
date all instances o that device that are used in your current Live Set. I you choose Save As, you
will be asked whether or not the new version should update only the device that was originally
opened or editing or all instances o the device in the Set.
The de ault location when saving a Max device is the older in the Library that corresponds to
the type o device being saved. We recommend always saving Max devices to this de ault loca-
tion.
Note: unlike Live’s native devices, Max devices are not saved inside Live Sets, but rather as
separate fles.
25.3 Max Dependencies

As mentioned earlier, there are some special fle management considerations when creating
presets or Max devices. Additionally, Max devices themselves may depend on other fles (such
as samples, pictures, or even other Max patches) in order to work properly. In this case, you
may want to use Live’s fle management tools to collect all o these dependencies into a single
place, particularly i you want to share your Max devices.
Max for Live 556
One way in which Max or Live helps to deal with external dependencies is by allowing you to
reeze a Max device. A rozen device contains all o the fles that are needed to use it.
Note that reezing o Max devices is not the same as Live’s Freeze Track command (page
715).
To learn more about reezing, and about how Max deals with managing dependencies or its
own fles, we recommend reading the built-in Max documentation.
25.4 Learning Max Programming

To help you learn more about building and editing Max devices, Cycling ’74 provides compre-
hensive documentation and tutorials built into the Max environment. To access this documenta-
tion, select “Max Help“ rom the Help menu in any Max window. There is also a “Max or Live
Help“ entry in the same menu.
Max or Live also comes with a number o Lessons which provide step-by-step tutorials or build-
ing a variety o Max devices. These Lessons are available rom Live’s Help View, which can be
accessed rom Live’s Help menu.
Max for Live Devices 557
Chapter 26
Max or Live Devices

Live comes with a selection o custom-designed, built-in Max or Live devices. The Working with
Instruments and E ects chapter (page 259) explains the basics o using devices in Live.
Max or Live devices have additional unctionalities and editing possibilities, which are de-
scribed in the Max or Live chapter (page 553).
26.1 Max or Live Instruments
26.1.1 DS Clang
The DS Clang Instrument.
(Note: the DS Clang instrument is not available in the Intro, Lite and Standard Editions.)
DS Clang consists o two separate tones, white noise and a flter, allowing you to create a vari-
ety o cowbell, clave and noise percussion sounds.
The Tone A/B sliders let you set the volume or each cowbell tone independently.
The Filter control sets the high-pass and band-pass flter cuto , allowing you to change the color
o the sound. At higher values, the signal has more high- requency content.
The Noise slider allows you to set the amount o white noise applied to the signal.
When the Clave switch is activated, you can add repeats to the clave sound using the Repear
slider.
You can use the Pitch parameter to change the pitch o the instrument. The Decay knob sets the
length o the sound, while the Volume control adjusts the overall level o the instrument.
To preview the sound o the instrument with its current settings, click anywhere in the upper hal
o the display.
26.1.2 DS Clap
The DS Clap Instrument.
(Note: the DS Clap instrument is not available in the Intro, Lite and Standard Editions.)
DS Clap is a mix o fltered noise and an impulse running through panned delay lines, that al-
lows you to create a range o sounds rom a tight electronic clap to a more organic, humanized
handclap.
The Sloppy control adjusts the delay time between the two delay lines, so you can set how tight-
ly or loose the panned claps play together. Tail adds fltered noise to the impulse o the clap.
The Spread slider sets the stereo width o the clap. 0% yields a mono signal while 100% creates
a widened stereo image. The Tone slider adjusts the color o the clap. At higher values, the sig-
nal has more high- requency content.
You can use the Tune parameter to change the pitch o the clap. The Decay knob sets the length
o the clap, while the Volume control adjusts the overall level o the instrument.
o the display.
26.1.3 DS Cymbal
The DS Cymbal Instrument.
(Note: the DS Cymbal instrument is not available in the Intro, Lite and Standard Editions.)
DS Cymbal combines sine and pulse wave orms with high-passed noise, making it possible to
recreate a variety o timbres, rom a thin ride cymbal to a heavy crash.
The Tone slider in the display sets the high-pass flter cuto , allowing you to change the color o
the cymbal. At higher values, the signal has more high- requency content.
You can use the Pitch parameter to change the pitch o the cymbal. The Decay knob sets the
length o the cymbal, while the Volume control adjusts the overall level o the instrument.
o the display.
26.1.4 DS FM
The DS FM Instrument.
(Note: the DS FM instrument is not available in the Intro, Lite and Standard Editions.)
Inspired by a classic Japanese FM synthesizer, DS FM lets you create a variety o e ects, rom
static bursts to metallic lasers.
The Tone slider in the display sets the low-pass flter cuto , allowing you to change the color o
the drum. At higher values, the signal has more high- requency content.
Feedb. adjusts the amount o eedback applied to the FM algorithm. Greater values yield more
noise.
Amnt sets the amount o FM modulation, while the Mod slider blends between di erent modula-
tion types.
The Pitch parameter provides global pitch control. The Decay knob sets the length o the drum,
while the Volume control adjusts the overall level o the instrument.
o the display.
26.1.5 DS HH
The DS HH Instrument.
(Note: the DS HH instrument is not available in the Intro, Lite and Standard Editions.)
DS HH is a blend o noise and sine wave orms, with which you can produce an number o
sounds, rom sharp closed hats to sizzling open hats.
The Noise toggle lets you choose between two noise types: white or pink.
The Tone slider in the display sets the high-pass flter cuto , allowing you to change the color o
the hat. At higher values, the signal has more high- requency content.
The pitched portion o the sound is fltered through a resonant high-pass flter. The flter can be
switched between 12 and 24 dB slopes, and the attack time can be set via the Attack slider.
You can use the Pitch parameter or global pitch control. The Decay knob sets the length o the
hat, while the Volume control adjusts the overall level o the instrument.
o the display.
26.1.6 DS Kick
The DS Kick Instrument.
(Note: the DS Kick instrument is not available in the Intro, Lite and Standard Editions.)
DS Kick is a kick drum synth with a modulated sine wave.
The Pitch slider lets you tune the kick in Hz. You can shape the kick sound by adding distortion
via the Drive slider, or adding harmonics using the OT slider.
The Attack parameter smooths the sound o the sine wave. The Click switch adds a click sound to
the kick, creating a sharper transient.
The Decay knob sets the length o the kick. Env can be used to set the pitch modulation. The Vol-
ume control adjusts the overall level o the instrument.
o the display.
26.1.7 DS Sampler
The DS Sampler Instrument.
(Note: the DS Sampler instrument is not available in the Intro, Lite and Standard Editions.)
DS Sampler makes use o your own samples to create a drum synth module.
You can load a sample by dragging and dropping it onto the upper hal o the display. The Start
control adjusts the position o the sample start, while the Length slider sets the sample playback
length.
You can use the Tune slider to tune your sample by +/- 48 semitones. The Loop switch toggles
the sample loop on and o .
The Decay knob sets the decay time o the sample’s amplitude. The Shaper parameter adds
distortion to produce a punchy and gritty sound. The Volume control adjusts the overall level o
the instrument.
26.1.8 DS Snare
The DS Snare Instrument.
(Note: the DS Snare instrument is not available in the Intro, Lite and Standard Editions.)
DS Snare consists o a pitched oscillator and noise, providing a snare palette ranging rom a
traditional acoustic snare sound, to the gated noise snare o ten heard in electronic dance music.
The Color parameter controls the tone o the pitched signal, while the Tone parameter controls
the presence o the noise signal.
You can apply one o three di erent flter types to the noise signal: low-pass, high-pass, or
band-pass.
The Decay knob sets the length o the snare, while the Tune parameter provides global pitch
control. The Volume control adjusts the overall level o the instrument.
To preview the sound o the instrument with its current settings, click anywhere in the upper hal o
the display.
26.1.9 DS Tom
The DS Tom Instrument.
(Note: the DS Tom instrument is not available in the Intro, Lite and Standard Editions.)
DS Tom combines an impulse with several di erent pitched oscillator wave orms, allowing you to
synthesize toms with various timbral qualities, rom deep and thunderous to sharp and tappy.
You can use the Pitch slider to tune the tom in Hz. The Color parameter controls the flter gain and
cuto , while the Tone slider controls the level o resonant band-pass flters to mimic the tuning o
the drum membrane.
The Bend parameter adjusts the pitch envelope. The Decay knob sets the length o the tom, while
the Volume control adjusts the overall level o the instrument.
o the display.
26.2 Max or Live Audio E ects
26.2.1 Envelope Follower
The Envelope Follower E ect.
(Note: the Envelope Follower e ect is not available in the Intro, Lite and Standard Editions.)
Envelope Follower uses a well-known technique which involves capturing a signal, smooth-
ing and reshaping its amplitude course in order to obtain a more or less continuous curve, and
fnally mapping the curve to one or more control parameters. The “auto-wah” e ect is perhaps
the most well-known application o the envelope ollowing technique.
Activate the Map switch and click on a parameter in Live to assign that parameter as a mapping
target. To assign an additional mapping target, click on the button at the top-right o the display,
click any o the unassigned Map switches and click on another parameter in Live. A total o eight
parameters can be assigned. To unassign a parameter, click on the button to the right o its Map
switch. For each modulated parameter, the Min and Max sliders let you scale the resulting out-
put range a ter the modulation is applied.
You can use the Gain knob to set the gain applied to the incoming signal.
The Rise parameter smooths the attack o the envelope, while the Fall control smooths the re-
lease o the envelope.
The Delay control sets the delay time o the envelope. The switches to the right o the Delay con-
trol toggle the delay mode between time-based and tempo-synced beat divisions.
26.2.2 LFO
The LFO E ect.
(Note: the LFO e ect is not available in the Intro, Lite and Standard Editions.)
LFO is a parameter modulation LFO or Live-specifc parameters and third party plug-in param-
eters.
You can choose rom one o seven di erent wave orms: sine, sawtooth up, sawtooth down, tri-
angle, rectangle, random and binary noise.
The Jitter slider adds randomness to the wave orm, while the Smooth control smooths value
changes.
The Rate control specifes the LFO speed. The switches to the right o the Rate control toggle
between requency in Hertz and tempo-synced beat divisions.
Depth sets the overall intensity o the LFO. O set changes the starting point, or initial phase o an
LFO, so that it begins at a di erent point in its cycle.
The phase o the oscillator can be shi ted using the Phase control.
To hold the current output value, activate the Hold switch.
With the R (Retrigger) button enabled, the wave orm restarts at the same position in its phase
each time a note is triggered. With R disabled, the oscillator is ree-running.
26.2.3 Shaper
The Shaper E ect.
(Note: the Shaper e ect is not available in the Intro, Lite and Standard Editions.)
Shaper is a multi-breakpoint envelope which generates modulation data or musical expression.
You can create a breakpoint by clicking anywhere in the display. You can also delete a break-
point by [Shi t]-clicking on it. Hold down the [ALT](PC) / [ALT](Mac) key while dragging to cre-
ate curved segments.
To clear the display, press the Clear button in the bottom le t corner. To the right o the Clear but-
ton, you can choose rom one o six breakpoint presets.
You can adjust the size o the grid via the Grid slider. When Snap is enabled, all breakpoints
that you create or reposition will snap to grid lines.
The smaller display on the top right provides an oscilloscope-style view o the output signal. The
Jitter slider adds randomness to the wave orm, while the Smooth control smooths value changes.
The Rate control specifes the LFO speed. The switches to the right o the Rate control toggle
between requency in Hertz and tempo-synced beat divisions.
Depth sets the overall intensity o the LFO. The phase o the oscillator can be shi ted using the
Phase control.
With the R (Retrigger) button enabled, the wave orm restarts at the same position in its phase
each time a note is triggered. With R disabled, the oscillator is ree-running.
O set changes the starting point, or initial phase o an LFO, so that it begins at a di erent point
in its cycle.
26.3 Max or Live MIDI E ects
26.3.1 Envelope
The Envelope E ect.
(Note: the Envelope e ect is not available in the Intro, Lite and Standard Editions.)
Envelope is an ADSR device that you can control any Live parameter with.
The Loop Mode drop-down lets you choose rom one o our loop modes:
•Free: the trigger rate is una ected.
•Sync: the trigger rate is defned by the song tempo. When Sync mode is active, you can set
the trigger rate via the Sync Rate drop-down.
•Loop: the trigger rate is defned by the envelope time.
•Echo: this creates repetitions o the original envelope. When Echo is active, you can adjust
the Envelope Echo Time and amount o Envelope Echo Feedback.
The Time slider sets the global envelope time.
When the Velocity switch is enabled, the envelope is modulated by note velocity. The Amount
control determines the intensity o the modulation.
The Attack control sets the attack time o the envelope. The Attack Slope slider adjusts the shape
o the Attack envelope segment.
The Decay control sets the decay time o the envelope. The Decay Slope slider adjusts the shape
o the Decay envelope segment.
The Sustain control sets the level reached at the end o the Decay stage. The Sustain Mode
switch toggles the Sustain unction on or o .
The Release control sets the release time o the envelope. The Release Slope slider adjusts the
shape o the Release envelope segment.
You can adjust the Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release parameters by clicking and dragging the
envelope display.
26.3.2 Expression Control
The Expression Control E ect.
(Note: the Expression Control e ect is not available in the Intro, Lite and Standard Editions.)
Expression Control is a parameter modulation device that allows or a wide variety o internal
MIDI mappings. The MIDI controller’s Velocity, Modulation Wheel, Pitch Bend, A tertouch and
Keytrack can each be mapped to one destination.
Activate a Map switch and click on a parameter in Live to assign that parameter as a mapping
target.
You can set independent modulation intensities or each mapping via the Min and Max sliders.
The Log and Lin switches toggle between logarithmic and linear shapes.
The Rise slider smooths the attack o the envelope, while the Fall slider smooths the release o the
envelope.
The Output displays show the output level or each mapping.

26.3.3 Note Echo
The Note Echo E ect.
(Note: the Note Echo e ect is not available in the Intro, Lite and Standard Editions.)
Note Echo is an echo delay e ect that creates additional MIDI notes at specifc time intervals
with decreasing velocity, depending on eedback setting.
Activate the Sync switch, which allows using the Delay Time beat division chooser. The num-
bered switches represent time delay in 16th notes. For example, selecting ”4” delays the signal
by our 16th notes, which equals one beat (a quarter note) o delay.
Changing the Delay Time feld percentage value shortens and extends delay times by ractional
amounts, thus producing the ”swing” type o timing e ect ound in drum machines.
I the Sync switch is o , the delay time reverts to milliseconds. To edit the delay time, click and
drag the Delay Time slider up or down, or click in the feld and type in a value.
The Input switches lets you toggle between Thru/Mute playback modes. When Thru is active,
both the MIDI note and echo are played back. When Mute is active, the MIDI note is muted and
only the echo is audible.
Pitch sets the transposition amount applied to the note with each repeat o the echo.
Feed Delay sets the amount o velocity applied to the echo. The Feedback parameter defnes
how much o the channel’s output signal eeds back into the delay line’s input.
Chapter 27
MIDI and Key Remote Control

To liberate the musician rom the mouse, most o Live’s controls can be remote-controlled with an
external MIDI controller and the computer keyboard. This chapter describes the details o map-
ping to the ollowing specifc types o controls in Live’s user inter ace:
1. Session View slots — Note that MIDI and computer key assignments are bound to the slots,
not to the clips they contain.
2. Switches and buttons — among them the Track and Device Activator switches, the Control
Bar’s tap tempo, metronome and transport controls.
3. Radio buttons — A radio button selects rom among a number o options. One instance
o a radio button is the cross ader assignment section in each track, which o ers three
options: The track is assigned to the cross ader’s A position, the track is una ected by the
cross ader, or the track is a ected by the cross ader’s B position.
4. Continuous controls — like the mixer’s volume, pan and sends.
5. The cross ader, the behavior o which is described in detail in the respective section o the
Mixing chapter (page 239).
27.1 MIDI Remote Control

Live can be controlled remotely by external MIDI control sur aces, such as MIDI keyboards or
controller boxes. Live also o ers dedicated control via Ableton Push (page 585) and Push 2
(page 635).
Be ore we explain how remote control assignments are made and implemented, let’s frst make
the distinction between MIDI remote control and a separate use o MIDI in Live: as the input or
our MIDI tracks. Let’s suppose that you are using a MIDI keyboard to play an instrument in one
o Live’s MIDI tracks. I you assign C-1 on your MIDI keyboard to a Session View Clip Launch
button, that key will cease playing C-1 o your MIDI track’s instrument, as it now ”belongs”
solely to the Clip Launch button.
MIDI keys that become part o remote control assignments can no longer be used as input or
MIDI tracks. This is a common cause o con usion that can be easily resolved by observing the
Control Bar’s MIDI indicators (page 216).
Be ore making any MIDI assignments, you will need to set up Live to recognize your control
sur aces. This is done in the Link/MIDI tab o Live’s Pre erences, which can be opened with the
[CTRL][,](PC) / [CMD][,](Mac) keyboard shortcut .
27.1.1 Natively Supported Control Sur aces

Control Sur aces are defned via the menus in the Link/MIDI tab. Up to six supported control
sur aces can be used simultaneously in Live.
Setting Up Control Sur aces.
Open the frst chooser in the Control Sur ace column to see whether your control sur ace is sup-
ported natively by Live; i it is listed here, you can select it by name, and then defne its MIDI
input and output ports using the two columns to the right. I your controller is not listed here, don’t
ret — it can still be enabled manually in the next section, Manual Control Sur ace Setup (page
576).
Depending on the controller, Live may need to per orm a ”preset dump” to complete the setup.
I this is the case, the Dump button to the right o your control sur ace’s choosers in the Live
Pre erences will become enabled. Be ore pressing it, veri y that your control sur ace is ready to
receive preset dumps. The method or enabling this varies or each manu acturer and product,
so consult your hardware’s documentation i you are unsure. Finally, press the Dump button; Live
will then set up your hardware automatically.
Instant Mappings
In most cases, Live uses a standard method or mapping its unctions and parameters to physical
controls. This varies, o course, depending upon the confguration o knobs, sliders and buttons
on the control sur ace. These eature-dependent confgurations are known as instant mappings.
Within Live’s built-in lessons, you will fnd a Control Sur ace Re erence that lists all currently sup-
ported hardware, complete with the details o their instant mappings. Lessons can be accessed
at any time by selecting the Help View option rom the View menu.
Note: You can always manually override any instant mappings with your own assignments. In
this case, you will also want to enable the Remote switches or the MIDI ports that your control
sur ace is using. This is done in the MIDI Ports section o the Link/MIDI Pre erences tab, and is
described in the next section.
Instant mappings are advantageous because the control sur ace’s controllers will automatically
reassign themselves in order to control the currently selected device in Live.
Control Sur aces Can Follow Device Selection.
In addition to ollowing device selection, natively supported control sur aces can be ”locked” to
specifc devices, guaranteeing hands-on access no matter where the current ocus is in your Live
Set. To enable or disable locking, [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) on a device’s title bar,
and then select your pre erred controller rom the ”Lock to...” context menu. You’ll recognize the
same list o control sur aces that you defned in the Link/MIDI Pre erences. By de ault, the instru-
ment in a MIDI track will automatically be locked to the control sur ace when the track is armed
or recording.
Getting Hands-On: Control Sur aces Can Be Locked to Devices.
A hand icon in the title bar o locked devices serves as a handy reminder o their status.
Note: Some control sur aces do not support locking to devices. This capability is indicated or
individual controllers in the Control Sur ace Re erence lesson. Select the Help View option rom
the Help menu to access Live’s built-in lessons.
27.1.2 Manual Control Sur ace Setup

I your MIDI control sur ace is not listed in the Link/MIDI Pre erences’ Control Sur ace chooser, it
can still be enabled or manual mapping in the MIDI Ports section o this tab.
Defning Control Sur aces Manually.
The MIDI Ports table lists all available MIDI input and output ports. To use an input port or
remote control o Live, make sure the corresponding switch in its Remote column is set to ”On.”
You can use any number o MIDI ports or remote mapping; Live will merge their incoming MIDI
signals.
When working with a control sur ace that provides physical or visual eedback, you will also
need to enable the Remote switch or its output port. Live needs to be able to communicate with
such control sur aces when a value has changed so that they can update the positions o their
motorized aders or the status o their LEDs to match.
To test your setup, try sending some MIDI data to Live rom your control sur ace. The Control
Bar’s MIDI indicators will ash whenever Live recognizes an incoming MIDI message.
Once your controller is recognized by Live, you have completed the setup phase (but we rec-
ommend that you take the time to select a Takeover Mode be ore you leave the Pre erences
behind). Your next step will be creating MIDI mappings between your control sur ace and Live.
Luckily, this is a simple task, and you only need to do it or one parameter at a time.
27.1.3 Takeover Mode
MIDI Controller Takeover Mode.
When MIDI controls that send absolute values (such as aders) are used in a bank-switching
setup, where they address a di erent destination parameter with each controller bank, you will
need to decide how Live should handle the sudden jumps in values that will occur when moving
a control or the frst time a ter switching the bank. Three takeover modes are available:
None — As soon as the physical control is moved, its new value is sent immediately to its desti-
nation parameter, usually resulting in abrupt value changes.
Pick-Up — Moving the physical control has no e ect until it reaches the value o its destination
parameter. As soon as they are equal, the destination value tracks the control’s value 1:1. This
option can provide smooth value changes, but it can be di fcult to estimate exactly where the
pick-up will take place.
Value Scaling — This option ensures smooth value transitions. It compares the physical control’s
value to the destination parameter’s value and calculates a smooth convergence o the two as
the control is moved. As soon as they are equal, the destination value tracks the control’s value
1:1.
27.2 The Mapping Browser
The Mapping Browser.
All manual MIDI, computer keyboard (page 583) and Macro Control (page 283) map-
pings are managed by the Mapping Browser. The Mapping Browser is hidden until one o the
three mapping modes is enabled. It will then display all mappings or the current mode. For each
mapping, it lists the control element, the path to the mapped parameter, the parameter’s name,
and the mapping’s Min and Max value ranges. The assigned Min and Max ranges can be ed-
ited at any time, and can be quickly inverted with a context menu command. Delete mappings
using your computer’s [Backspace] or [Delete] key.
Note that Instant Mappings are context based and are not displayed in the Mapping Browser.
Their mapping structure can be displayed while working in Live by choosing the Help View op-
tion rom the Help menu and then opening the Control Sur ace Re erence lesson.
27.2.1 Assigning MIDI Remote Control
The MIDI Map Mode Switch.

Once your remote control setup has been defned in the Link/MIDI Pre erences, giving MIDI
controllers and notes remote control assignments is simple:
1. Enter MIDI Map Mode by pressing the MIDI switch in Live’s upper right-hand corner.
Notice that assignable elements o the inter ace become highlighted in blue, and that the
Mapping Browser becomes available. I your browser is closed, [CTRL][ALT][B](PC) /
[CMD][ALT][B](Mac) will open it or you.
2. Click on the Live parameter that you’d like to control via MIDI.
3. Send a MIDI message by pressing a keyboard key, turning a knob, etc., on your MIDI
controller. You will see that this new MIDI mapping is now listed in the Mapping Browser.
4. Exit MIDI Map Mode by pressing the MIDI switch once again. The Mapping Browser will
disappear, but you can always review your mappings by entering MIDI Map Mode again.
27.2.2 Mapping to MIDI Notes

MIDI notes send simple Note On and Note O messages to Live’s inter ace elements. These
messages can produce the ollowing e ects on controls in Live:
•Session View Slots — Note On and Note O messages a ect clips in the slot according to
their Launch Mode settings (page 202).
•Switches — A Note On message toggles the switch’s state.
•Radio Buttons — Note On messages toggle through the available options.
•Variable Parameters — When assigned to a single note, Note On messages toggle the pa-
rameter between its Min and Max values. When assigned to a range o notes, each note is
assigned a discrete value, equally spaced over the parameter’s range o values.
Hint: Session View slots can be assigned to a MIDI note range or chromatic playing: First play
the root key (this is the key that will play the clip at its de ault transposition), and then, while hold-
ing down the root key, hold one key below the root and one above it to defne the limits o the
range.
27.2.3 Mapping to Absolute MIDI Controllers

Absolute MIDI controllers send messages to Live in the orm o absolute values ranging rom 0
to 127. These values lead to di erent results depending on the type o Live control to which they
are assigned. A value message o 127, or example, might turn the Volume control on a Live
track all the way up or play a Session View clip. Specifcally, MIDI controller messages rom 0
to 127 can produce the ollowing e ects on controls in Live:
•Session View Slots — Controller values 64 and above are treated like Note On messages.
Controller values 63 and below are treated like Note O messages.
•Switches — For track activators and on/o buttons in devices, controller values that are
within the mapping’s Min and Max range turn the switch on. Controller values that are
above or below this range turn it o . You can reverse this behavior by setting a Min value
that is higher than its corresponding Max value. In this case, controller values that are out-
side o the range turn the switch on, while values inside the range turn it o . For all other
switches (such as transport controls), controller values 64 and above turn the switch on,
while controller values below 64 turn it o .
•Radio Buttons — The controller’s 0...127 value range is mapped onto the range o avail-
able options.
•Continuous Controls — The controller’s 0...127 value range is mapped onto the param-
eter’s range o values.
Live also supports pitch bend messages and high-precision (”14-bit Absolute”) controller mes-
sages with a 0...16383 value range. The above specifcations apply to these as well, except that
the value range’s center is at 8191/8192.
27.2.4 Mapping to Relative MIDI Controllers

Some MIDI controllers can send ”value increment” and ”value decrement” messages instead o
absolute values. These controls prevent parameter jumps when the state o a control in Live and
the corresponding control on the hardware MIDI controller di er. For example, imagine that
you have assigned the pan knob on your control sur ace to the pan parameter o a track in Live.
I the hardware control is panned hard right, and the Live control is panned hard le t, a slight
movement in a hardware pan knob that sends absolute values would tell Live to pan right, caus-
ing an abrupt jump in the track’s panning. A pan knob sending relative messages would prevent
this, since its incremental message to Live would simply say, ”Pan slightly to the le t o your cur-
rent position.”
There are our types o relative controllers: Signed Bit, Signed Bit 2, Bin O set and Twos Com-
plement.
Each o these are also available in a ”linear” mode. Some MIDI encoders use ”acceleration”
internally, generating larger changes in value when they are turned quickly. For control sur aces
that are not natively supported, Live tries to detect the controller type and whether acceleration
is being used or not.
You can improve the detection process by moving the relative controller slowly to the le t when
you make an assignment. Live will o er its suggestion in the Status Bar’s ”mode” chooser, but i
you happen to know the relative controller type, you can manually select it.
Live will do the ollowing with relative MIDI controller messages:
•Session View Slots — Value increment messages are treated like Note On messages. Value
decrement messages are treated like Note O messages.
•Switches — Increment messages turn the switch on. Decrement messages turn it o .
•Radio Buttons — Increment messages make the radio button jump orward to the next
available option. Decrement messages make it jump backward.
•Continuous Controls — Each type o relative MIDI controller uses a di erent interpretation
o the 0...127 MIDI controller value range to identi y value increments and decrements:
Please consult the documentation that came with your MIDI controller i you need urther in or-
mation on relative MIDI controllers.
Relative Session View Navigation

Notice that you can make not only absolute mappings to individual slots and scenes, but also
relative mappings to move the highlighted scene and operate on the highlighted clips.
In both MIDI Map Mode and Key Map Mode (page 583), a strip o assignable controls ap-
pears below the Session grid:
4 3 1 2
The Relative Session Mapping Strip.
1. Assign these buttons to keys, notes or controllers to move the highlighted scene up and
down.
2. Assign this scene number value box to a MIDI controller — pre erably an endless en-
coder — to scroll through the scenes. For details, see the previous section on Relative Map
Modes (page 580).
3. Assign this button to launch the highlighted scene. I the Record/Warp/Launch Pre er-
ences’ Select Next Scene on Launch option is checked, you can move successively (and
hope ully success ully!) through the scenes.
4. Assign these buttons to launch the clip at the highlighted scene, in the respective track.
Relative Session mapping is use ul or navigating a large Live Set, as Live always keeps the high-
lighted scene at the Session View’s center.
Mapping to Clip View Controls

The Clip View (page 131) displays the settings or whichever clip happens to be currently
selected, but it will also display the settings o multi-selected clips. To avoid unpleasant musical
surprises, it is important to remember that creating remote control mappings or any control in
the Clip View inter ace could potentially a ect any clip in the Live Set. For this reason, we rec-
ommend mapping Clip View controls to relative MIDI controllers to prevent undesirable jumps in
parameter values.
27.2.5 Computer Keyboard Remote Control
The Key Map Mode Switch.
Creating control sur ace assignments or your computer keyboard is straight orward:
1. Enter Key Map Mode by pressing the KEY switch in the upper right-hand corner o the
Live screen. Notice that the assignable elements o the inter ace become highlighted in red
when you enter Key Map Mode. The Mapping Browser will also become available. I the
Browser is hidden, you will want to show it at this point using the appropriate View menu
command.
2. Click on the Live parameter that you wish to assign to a key. Remember that only the con-
trols that are shown with a red overlay are available or mapping.
3. Press the computer key to which you wish to assign the control. The details o your new
mapping will be displayed in the Mapping Browser.
4. Leave Key Map Mode by pressing Live’s KEY switch once again. The Mapping Browser
will disappear, but your mappings can be reviewed at any time simply by entering Key
Map Mode again.
Keyboard assignments can produce the ollowing e ects in Live:
•Clips in Session View slots will be a ected by mapped keys according to their Launch
Mode settings (page 202).
•Keys assigned to switches will toggle switch states.
•Keys assigned to radio buttons will toggle through the available options.
Please be sure not to con use this remote control unctionality with Live’s ability to use the com-
puter keyboard as a pseudo-MIDI keyboard (page 215) that can generate MIDI notes rom
computer keystrokes or use with instruments.
Using Push 585
Chapter 28
Using Push
Ableton Push is an instrument or song creation that provides hands-on control o melody and
harmony, beats, sounds, and song structure. In the studio, Push allows you to quickly create clips
that populate Live’s Session View as you work entirely rom the hardware. On stage, Push serves
as a power ul instrument or clip launching.
Push’s controls are divided into a number o sections, as shown in the diagram below.
Display/Encoder Section
Tempo Section
Selection Control
State Control
Note Section
Edit Section
Add Section
Transport Section
Focus/Navigation Section
Touch Strip Pad Section Scene/Grid Section
Overview o Push’s Controls.
Much o Push’s behavior depends on which mode it is in, as well as on which type o track is
selected. To help you learn how to work with Push, this chapter will walk you through some o the
undamental work ows, and then will provide a re erence o all o Push’s controls.
Using Push 586
There are also a number o videos that will help you get started with Push. These are available at
https://www.ableton.com/learn-push/
28.1 Setup
Setting up the Push hardware is mostly automatic. As long as Live is running, Push will be auto-
matically detected as soon as it is connected to a USB port on your computer. A ter connection,
Push can be used immediately. It is not necessary to install drivers and Push does not need to be
manually confgured in Live’s Pre erences.
28.2 Browsing and Loading Sounds

You can browse and load sounds directly rom Push, without needing to use Live’s browser. This
is done in Push’s Browse Mode.
Press Push’s Browse button:
The Browse Button.
In Browse Mode, the display shows all o your available sounds and e ects, as well as locations
rom the Places section o Live’s browser (page 60). The display is divided into columns. The
ar le t column shows either the specifc type o device being browsed or the Places label. Each
column to the right shows the next sub older (i any exist). Use the In and Out buttons to shi t the
display to the right or le t, allowing you to browse deeper levels o sub olders or view a larger
number o presets on the display.
Using Push 587
In and Out Buttons.
Navigate up via the Selection Control button (the frst row below the display) in each column.
Navigate down one older via the State Control button or each level (the second row below
the display). Samples and presets rom o fcial Packs or Live’s core library will preview when
selected in the browser. To load a device preset, press the green button on the right. To load the
de ault preset o the selected device, press the green button on the le t.
Loading Devices or Device Presets in Browse Mode.
You can scroll quickly through olders and sub olders via the encoders. Holding Shi t while
pressing the up or down buttons will move by a whole page.
A ter pressing a device or preset load button, the button will turn amber. This indicates that the
currently selected entry is loaded; i you navigate to a di erent entry, the button will turn green
again. Tip: pressing an amber load button will load the next entry in the list, allowing you to
quickly try out presets or devices.
What you see when in Browse Mode depends on the device that was last selected. I you were
working with an instrument, Browse Mode will show you replacement instruments. I you were
working with an e ect, you will see e ects. When starting with an empty MIDI track, the display
shows all o your available sounds, instruments, drum kits, e ects, and Max or Live devices
(page 553), as well as VST and Audio Units instruments (page 270). Folders are only vis-
ible on Push i they contain items that can be loaded at any particular time. For example, the
Samples label (as well as any o your own olders in Places that only contain samples) won’t be
visible unless you’re browsing rom a single pad in a Drum Rack (page 591).
Using Push 588
28.3 Playing and Programming Beats

To create beats using Push, frst make sure Note Mode is enabled.
The Note Mode Button.
Then use Browse Mode to load one o the Drum Rack presets rom Live’s library.
When working with a MIDI track containing a Drum Rack, Push 2’s 8x8 pad grid can be con-
fgured in a ew di erent ways, depending on the state o the Note button. Pressing this button
cycles between three di erent modes.
28.3.1 Loop Selector

When the Loop Selector layout is enabled, the pads are divided into three sections, allowing
you to simultaneously play, step sequence and adjust the length o your clip.
Using Push 589
Step Sequencer Controls
Drum Rack Pads Loop Length Controls
The Pad Grid When Working With Drums
The 16 Drum Rack pads are laid out, like Live’s Drum Rack, in the classic 4x4 arrangement, al-
lowing or real-time playing. The Drum Rack pad colors indicate the ollowing:
•Bright yellow — this pad contains a sound.
•Dull yellow — this pad is empty.
•Green — this pad is currently-playing.
•Light Blue — this pad is selected.
•Dark blue — this pad is soloed.
•Orange— this pad is muted.
When working with Drum Racks that contain a larger number o pads, use Push’s touch strip or
the Octave Up and Octave Down keys to move up/down by 16 pads. Hold Shi t while using the
touch strip or Octave keys to move by single rows.
Holding the Note button gives you momentary access to the 16 Velocities layout (page 590).
You can also lock the alternate layout in place by holding Shi t and pressing the Note button. To
unlock the 16 Velocities layout, press the Note button again.
Using Push 590
Octave Up/Down Buttons.
28.3.2 16 Velocities Mode

Press the Layout button to switch to the 16 Velocities layout. In this mode, the bottom right 16
pads represent 16 di erent velocities or the selected Drum Rack pad. Tap one o the velocity
pads to enter steps at that velocity.
Holding the Note button gives you momentary access to the loop length controls (page 606).
You can also lock the loop length controls in place by holding Shi t and pressing the Note but-
ton. To unlock the loop length pads, press the Note button again.
28.3.3 64-Pad Mode

In addition to the Loop Selector and 16 Velocities layouts, you can also use the entire 8x8 pad
grid or real-time drum playing. This is use ul when working with very large drum kits, such as
those created by slicing (page 189). To toggle to 64-pad mode, press the Note Mode button
a second time. Pressing Note again will then toggle back to the Loop Selector layout, allowing
you to quickly get back to step sequencing. The pad colors in 64-pad mode are the same as
those used in the three-section layout.
Note: when moving back and orth between the three layouts, the 16 pads available or step
sequencing will not change automatically. You may still need to use the touch strip or Octave
keys in order to see the specifc 16 pads you want.
Holding the Note button gives you momentary access to the loop length controls (page 606).
You can also lock the loop length controls in place by holding Shi t and pressing the Note but-
ton. To unlock the loop length pads, press the Note button again.
Using Push 591
28.3.4 Loading Individual Drums

Browse Mode can also be used to load or replace individual pads within a loaded Drum Rack.
To switch between browsing Drum Racks and single pads, press the Device button to show the
devices on the track.
Device Button.
By de ault, the Drum Rack is selected, as indicated by the arrow in the display. To select an indi-
vidual pad instead, tap that pad, then press the selection button below the pad’s name.
Selecting an Individual Pad in a Drum Rack.
Now, entering Browse Mode again will allow you to load or replace the sound o only the se-
lected pad. Once in Browse Mode, tapping other pads will select them or browsing, allowing
you to quickly load or replace multiple sounds within the loaded Drum Rack.
Additional Pad Options

To copy a pad to a di erent location in your Drum Rack, hold the Duplicate button and press
the pad you’d like to copy. While continuing to hold Duplicate, press the pad where you’d like
to paste the copied pad. Note that this will replace the destination pad’s devices (and thus its
sound) but will not replace any existing notes already recorded or that pad.
Using Push 592
28.3.5 Step Sequencing Beats

Tapping a pad also enables it or step sequencing. (Tip: to select a pad without playing it, press
and hold the Select button while tapping a pad.)
Select Button.
To record notes with the step sequencer, tap the pads in the step sequencer controls to place
notes in the clip where you want them. The clip will begin playing as soon as you tap a step. By
de ault, each step sequencer pad corresponds to a 16th note, but you can change the step size
via the buttons in the Scene/Grid section.
Scene/Grid Buttons.
Using Push 593
As the clip plays, the currently playing step is indicated by the moving green pad in the step
sequencer section. (When Record is enabled, the moving pad will be red.) Tapping a step that
already has a note will delete that note. Press and hold the Mute button while tapping a step
to deactivate it without deleting it. Press and hold Solo button while tapping a pad to solo that
sound.
Mute and Solo Buttons.
You can also adjust the velocity and micro-timing o individual notes, as described in the section
on step sequencing automation (page 615).
To delete all notes or a pad, press and hold Delete while tapping the pad. (Note: this will only
delete notes that are within the current loop.)
Delete Button.
Using Push 594
The pad colors in the step sequencer section indicate the ollowing:
•Unlit — this step doesn’t contain a note.
•Blue — this step contains a note. Darker blues indicate higher velocities.
•Dull yellow — this step contains a note, but the note is muted.
•Light Red — the right two columns o pads will turn red i triplets are selected as the step
size. In this case, these pads are not active; only the frst six pads in each row o steps can
be used.
When Triplets are Selected, the Red Steps are Unavailable.
For detailed in ormation about adjusting the loop length pads, see the section called Adjusting
the Loop Length (page 606).
28.3.6 Real-time Recording

Drum patterns can also be recorded in real-time by playing the Drum Rack pads. Follow these
steps to record in real-time:
•I you want to record with a click track, press the Metronome button to enable Live’s built-in
click
Using Push 595
Metronome Button.
•Then Press the Record button to begin recording
Record Button.
Now any Drum Rack pads you play will be recorded to the clip. Pressing Record again will stop
recording but will continue playing back the clip. Pressing Record a third time will enable over-
dub mode, allowing you to record into the clip while it plays back. Subsequent presses continue
to toggle between playback and overdub.
Pressing New stops playback o the currently selected clip and prepares Live to record a new
clip on the currently selected track. This allows you to practice be ore recording a new idea. By
de ault, pressing New also duplicates all clips that are playing on other tracks to a new scene
and continues playing them back seamlessly. This behavior can be changed by changing the
Work ow mode in Push’s User pre erences (page 619).
Using Push 596
New Button.
28.3.7 Fixed Length Recording

Press the Fixed Length button to set the size o new clips to a predetermined length.
Using Push 597
Fixed Length Button.
Press and hold Fixed Length to set the recording length.
Fixed Length Recording Options.
When Fixed Length is disabled, new clips will continue to record until you press the Record, New
or Play/Stop buttons.
Tip: enabling Fixed Length while recording will switch recording o and loop the last ew bars o
the clip, depending on the Fixed Length setting.
Using Push 598
28.4 Additional Recording Options
28.4.1 Recording with Repeat

With Push’s Repeat button enabled, you can hold down a pad to play or record a stream o
continuous, rhythmically-even notes. This is use ul or recording steady hi-hat patterns, or ex-
ample. Varying your fnger pressure on the pad will change the volume o the repeated notes.
Repeat Button.
The repeat rate is set with the Scene/Grid buttons. Note that Push “remembers” the Repeat but-
ton’s state and setting or each track.
Tip: i you press and release Repeat quickly, the button will stay on. I you press and hold, the
button will turn o when released, allowing or momentary control o repeated notes.
Turn up the Swing knob to apply swing to the repeated notes. When you touch the knob, the
display will show the amount o swing.
Using Push 599
Swing Knob.
28.4.2 Quantizing
Pressing Push’s Quantize button will snap notes to the grid in the selected clip.
Quantize Button.
Press and hold Quantize to change the quantization options:

Using Push 600
Quantization Options.
Swing Amount determines the amount o swing that will be applied to the quantized notes. Note
that the Swing amount can be adjusted rom Encoder 1 or rom the dedicated Swing knob.
Quantize To sets the nearest note value to which notes will be quantized, while Quantize
Amount determines the amount that notes can be moved rom their original positions.
Enable Record Quantize to automatically quantize notes while recording and adjust the record
quantization value with Encoder 8. Note that these controls correspond to the settings o the
Record Quantization chooser in Live’s Edit menu, and adjustments can be made rom Live or
rom Push.
When working with drums, press and hold Quantize and press a Drum Rack pad to quantize
only that drum’s notes in the current clip.
28.5 Playing Melodies and Harmonies

A ter working on a beat, you’ll want to create a new track so that you can work on a bassline,
harmony parts, etc. Press the Add Track button to add a new MIDI track to your Live Set.
Add Track Button.

Using Push 601
(Tip: press and hold the Add Track button to select between Audio, MIDI and Return tracks.)
Adding a track puts Push into Browse mode, so you can immediately load an instrument. A ter
loading your instrument, make sure Note Mode is enabled.
Note that when pressing the Add Track button while a track within a Group Track is selected,
any new tracks will be inserted into that Group Track.
When working with a MIDI track containing an instrument, Push’s 8x8 pad grid automatically
confgures itsel to play notes. By de ault, every note on the grid is in the key o C major. The
bottom le t pad plays C1 (although you can change the octave with the Octave Up and Down
buttons). Moving upward, each pad is a ourth higher. Moving to the right, each pad is the next
note in the C major scale.
Play a major scale by playing the frst three pads in the frst row, then the frst three pads in the
next row upwards. Continue until you reach the next C:
C Major Scale.
The pad colors help you to stay oriented as you play:
•Blue — this note is the root note o the key (C.)
•White — this note is in the scale, but is not the root.
•Green — the currently-playing note (other pads will also turn green i they play the same
note.)
Using Push 602
•Red — the currently-playing note when recording.
To play triads, try out the ollowing shape anywhere on the grid:
C Major Chord.
Holding the Note button gives you momentary access to the loop length controls (page 606),
which appear in the top row o pads. You can lock the loop length controls in place by holding
Shi t and pressing the Note button. To unlock the loop length pads, press the Note button again.
28.5.1 Playing in Other Keys

Press Push’s Scales button to change the selected key and/or scale.
Scales Button.
Using Push 603
Using the display and the Selection and State Control buttons, you can change the key played
by the pad grid. The currently selected key is marked with an arrow in the display:
By de ault, the pads and scale selection options indicate major scales. You can change to a vari-
ety o other scale types using the frst encoder, or the two buttons below the display on the ar
le t. The selected scale type is also marked with an arrow.
Key and Scale Selection.
In addition to changing the key, you can also change the layout o the grid using the two buttons
on the ar right.
Fixed Y/N: When Fixed Mode is on, the notes on the pad grid remain in the same positions
when you change keys; the bottom-le t pad will always play C (except in keys that don’t contain
a C, in which case the bottom-le t pad will play the nearest note in the key.) When Fixed is o ,
the notes on the pad grid shi t so that the bottom-le t pad always plays the root o the selected
key.
In Key/Chromatic: With In Key selected, the pad grid is e ectively “ olded” so that only notes
within the key are available. In Chromatic Mode, the pad grid contains all notes. Notes that are
in the key are lit, while notes that are not in the key are unlit.
Holding the Shi t button while in Scales mode allows you to access a number o additional note
layout options.
Using Push 604
Additional Note Layout Options.
The “4th” and “3rd “options re er to the note interval that the grid is based on, while the ^ and >
symbols re er to the rotation o the grid. For example, the de ault layout is “4th ^” which means
that each row o pads is a 4th higher than the row below it. The “4th >” option is also built on
4ths, but now moves to the right rather than upwards; each column is a 4th higher than the col-
umn to the le t. The “Sequent” options lay out all notes in order. These options are use ul i you
need a very large range o notes available, because they have no duplicated notes.
The last settings that you chose in the Scale options (key, scale type, In Key/Chromatic, and
Fixed Y/N) are saved with the Set. Push will return to these settings when the Set is reloaded
again.
All o the real-time recording options available or drums (page 594) are also available or
melodies and harmonies, including fxed length recording (page 596), recording with repeat
(page 598), and quantizing (page 599). But or detailed editing, you’ll work with the me-
lodic step sequencer described in the next section.
(Tip: one editing possibility is available in the real-time Note Mode: to quickly delete all notes o
the same pitch within the current loop, press and hold Delete and then tap the respective pad.)
28.6 Step Sequencing Melodies and Harmonies

In addition to playing and recording in real time, you can also step sequence your melodies and
harmonies. To toggle to the Melodic Sequencer, press the Note Mode button a second time.
This will set the 8x8 pad grid as ollows:
Using Push 605
Loop Length Controls
Play Position
The Pad Grid When Step Sequencing Pitches.
When using the Melodic Sequencer, all eight rows o pads allow you to place notes in the clip.
You can adjust the loop length and access additional step sequencing pages via the loop length
pads (page 606). The loop length pads can be momentarily accessed in the top row while
holding the Note button.
You can also lock the loop length pads in place. To do this, hold Shi t and tap the Note button.
(Note that Push remembers this locked/unlocked state or each track.) To unlock the loop length
pads, press the Note button again.
With In Key selected, each row corresponds to one o the available pitches in the currently se-
lected scale. With Chromatic selected, notes that are in the key are lit, while notes that are not in
the key are unlit. The light blue row (which is the bottom row by de ault) indicates the root o the
selected key. Each column o pads represents a step in the resolution set by the Scene/Grid but-
tons.
As with the real-time playing layout, pressing the Octave Up and Down button shi ts the range
o available notes. You can also use the touch strip to change the range. (Tip: hold the Shi t key
while adjusting the touch strip or pressing the Octave buttons to fne tune the pitch range.) A ter
adjusting the pitch range or when switching between the real-time and step sequencing layouts,
the display will brie y show the available range.
Using Push 606
The Display Shows the Range o Available Notes.
Additionally, brightly-lit touch strip lights indicate the currently available note range, while dim-
ly-lit touch strip lights indicate that the clip contains notes within the corresponding note range.
Pressing Note again will toggle to the Melodic Sequencer + 32 Notes layout (page 608).
Tip: in addition to adding and removing notes, you can also adjust the velocity and micro-timing
o the notes, as described in the section on step sequencing automation (page 615).
28.6.1 Adjusting the Loop Length

The loop length controls allow you to set the length o the clip’s loop and determine which part
o it you can see and edit in the melodic and drum step sequencers. Each loop length pad cor-
responds to a page o steps, and the length o a page depends on the step resolution. When
working with drums at the de ault 16th note resolution, two pages o steps are available at a
time, or a total o two bars. In the Melodic Sequencer layout, one page o eight steps is avail-
able at a time, or a total o two beats. To change the loop length, hold one pad and then tap
another pad (or, to set the loop length to exactly one page, quickly double-tap the correspond-
ing pad.)
Using Push 607
Each Loop Length Pad Corresponds to One Page.
Note that the page you see is not necessarily the page you hear. When you set the loop length,
the pages will update so that the current play position (as indicated by the moving green pad in
the step sequencer section) always remains visible. But in some cases, you may want to disable
this auto- ollow behavior. For example, you may want to edit a single page o a longer loop,
while still allowing the loop to play or the length you set. To do this, single-tap the pad that cor-
responds to that page. This will “lock” the view to that page without changing the loop length.
To then turn auto- ollow back on, simply reselect the current loop. (Note that single-tapping a
page that is outside o the current loop will immediately set the loop to that page.)
The pad colors in the loop length section indicate the ollowing:
•Unlit — this page is outside o the loop.
•White — this page is within the loop, but is not currently visible in the step sequencer sec-
tion.
•Dull yellow — this page is visible in the step sequencer section, but is not currently playing.
•Green — this is the currently playing page.

Using Push 608
I you need to access the loop length pads requently, you can lock them in place. To do this,
hold Shi t and tap the Note button. (Note that Push remembers this locked/unlocked state or
each track.) To unlock the loop length pads, press the Note button again.
To duplicate the contents o a sequencer page, hold Duplicate, press the loop length pad or the
page you want to duplicate, and press the loop length pad or the destination page. Note that
this will not remove existing notes in the destination page, but will add copied notes on top. To
remove notes frst, hold Delete and tap the loop length pad or that page.
28.7 Melodic Sequencer + 32 Notes

The Melodic Sequencer + 32 Notes layout combines both step sequencing and real-time play-
ing capabilities. Providing access to multiple octaves and steps on a single page, this layout is
ideal or fguring out chords and harmonies to sequence. It is also well suited to longer phrases.
28.7.1 32 Notes
The bottom hal o the pad grid lets you play notes in real-time, and select them or step se-
quencing. Each pad corresponds to one o the available pitches in the currently selected scale.
Pressing a pad will select and play the note. Selected notes are represented by a lighter version
o the track’s color.
Tip: to select a pad without triggering it, press and hold the Select button while tapping a pad.
The pad colors indicate the ollowing:
•Blue — this note is the root note o the scale.
•Blue-Green — this pad is selected.
•Green — this pad is currently playing.
Pressing the Octave Up or Down button shi ts the range o available notes. Holding the Shi t key
while adjusting the touch strip shi ts the range by octaves. You can hold the Shi t key while press-
Using Push 609
ing the Octave buttons to shi t by one note in the scale. The display will brie y show the avail-
able range as you adjust it.
As with the 64 Notes layout, the notes in the bottom hal o the pad grid can be adjusted via the
Scale menu (page 602).
28.7.2 Sequencer
Tapping a step in the top hal o the pad grid adds all selected notes to that step. Steps contain-
ing notes are displayed in a blue color.
Holding a step lets you view notes contained within the step, which are indicated in the bottom
hal o the pad grid by a blue-green color. Tapping any o these selected notes will remove it
rom the step.
Holding multiple steps will add selected notes to all those steps. While holding Duplicate, you
can press a step to copy the notes in that step and then press another step to paste them to a
new location in the step sequencer. Note that this will not remove existing notes in the destina-
tion page, but will add copied notes on top. To remove notes frst, hold Delete and tap the loop
length pad or that page.
The pad colors in the step sequencer indicate the ollowing:
•Blue — this step contains a note.
•Green — this step is currently playing.
•White — this step is selected.
•Dull Yellow — this step contains a note, but the note is muted.
•Gray — this pad is empty.
•Light Red — the right two columns o pads will be unlit i triplets are selected as the step
size. In this case, these pads are not active; only the frst six pads in each row o steps can
be used.
When working with the sequencer at the de ault 16th note resolution, two pages o steps are
available at a time, or a total o two bars. You can adjust the loop length and access additional
Using Push 610
step sequencing pages via the loop length pads (page 606). The loop length pads can be
momentarily accessed in the f th row while holding the Note button.
You can also lock the loop length pads in place. To do this, hold Shi t and tap the Note button.
pads, press the Note button again.
page you want to duplicate, and press the loop length pad or the destination page. Note that
this will not remove existing notes in the destination page, but will add copied notes on top. To
remove notes frst, hold Delete and tap the loop length pad or that page.
28.8 Navigating in Note Mode

Now that you’ve created a ew tracks, you can continue to add more. But you may want to move
between already-existing tracks to continue working on musical ideas using those instruments
and devices. The Arrow Keys allow you to do this.
Arrow Keys.
The Le t/Right Arrows move between tracks. Note that selecting a MIDI track on Push automati-
cally arms it, so it can be played immediately. In Live, track Arm buttons will appear pink to indi-
cate that they have been armed via selection.
Using Push 611
Pink Track Arm Button.
The specifc behavior o the Up/Down Arrows is determined by the Work ow mode, which is set
in Push’s User pre erences (page 619). In both modes, the Up/Down Arrows move up or down
by a single scene. In Scene Work ow, the selected scene is triggered. In Clip Work ow, only the
selected track’s clip is triggered. Clips in other tracks are not a ected.
Navigating with the Up/Down Arrows in Note Mode always begins playback immediately,
and a triggered clip will take over the play position rom whatever clip was played in that track
be ore. Note that this is the same behavior as i the clips were set to Legato Mode in Live (page
204).
28.9 Controlling Live’s Instruments and E ects

Pressing the Device button puts Push in Device Mode, which allows Push’s encoders to control
parameters in Live’s devices.
Device Button.
In Device Mode, the Selection Control buttons select devices in the currently selected track,
while the State Control buttons turn the selected device on or o . The currently selected device is
marked with an arrow in the display.
Using Push 612
Device Mode Settings.
The In and Out buttons allow you to navigate to additional devices and parameters that may not
be immediately available.
In and Out Buttons.
Use these buttons to access:
•additional banks o parameters ( or e ects that have more than one bank o parameters).
•additional device chains within Racks that contain more than one chain.
28.10 Mixing with Push

To control volumes, pans, or sends with the encoders or up to eight tracks simultaneously, press
the corresponding button on Push. Hold Shi t while adjusting the encoders or fne-tune control.
Using Push 613
Volume and Pan & Send Buttons.
In Volume Mode, the encoders control track volume.
Pressing the Pan & Send button repeatedly will cycle between controlling pans and however
many sends are available in your Live Set.
Press Push’s Track button to enable Track Mode.
Track Button.
In Track Mode, the encoders control track volume, pan and the frst six sends o the selected
track. Press the Selection Control buttons to select which track will be controlled in Track Mode.
Selecting Tracks in Track Mode.
Press the Master button to select the Master track.
(Tip: press and hold a Group Track’s Selection Control button to un old or old the track.)
Using Push 614
Note that when Split Stereo Pan Mode (page 231) is active while in Pan & Send Mode, the
display will show the current pan value, but the pan dial will be disabled. In Track Mode, the
display will show either the pan control or stereo pan sliders, depending on the active pan
mode.
28.11 Recording Automation

Changes that you make to device and mixer parameters can be recorded to your clips as au-
tomation, so that the sound will change over time as the clip plays. To record automation, press
Push’s Automation button.
Automation Button.
This toggles Live’s Session Automation Arm button, allowing you to record changes you make to
Push’s encoders as part o the clip. When you’re done recording parameter changes, press the
Automation button again to turn it o . To delete the changes you’ve recorded or a particular
parameter, press and hold the Delete button and touch the corresponding encoder. I automa-
tion hasn’t been recorded or a parameter, holding Delete and touching an encoder will reset
the corresponding parameter to its de ault value.
Using Push 615
Automated parameters are shown with a “�” symbol next to the parameter name in the display.
Parameters that you have overridden (by manually adjusting the parameter while not recording)
will show their value in brackets.
Automated and/or Overridden Parameters are Indicated in the Display.
To reenable all automation that you have manually overridden press and hold Shi t and press
the Automation button.
28.12 Step Sequencing Automation

In both the drum and melodic step sequencers, press and hold a step to access note-specifc
parameters (selected by pressing the button below “Notes” in the display) or per-step automa-
tion (selected by pressing the button below “Automat” in the display).
Hold a Step to Adjust Note and Automation Parameters.
28.12.1 Note-Speci c Parameters

Press Notes and then adjust the corresponding encoders in order to:
•nudge notes backwards or orwards in time. The value represents the percentage that the
note is o set rom the previous grid line. (Negative values indicate that the note occurs
be ore the grid line.)
Using Push 616
•change the length o the selected notes. The frst encoder adjusts the coarse length while
the second encoder allows you to fne tune the length adjustment.
•change the velocity o the selected notes.
You can also adjust these note-specifc parameters or multiple steps at the same time. To do this,
press and hold all o the pads you’d like to adjust, and then tweak the encoders. The display will
show the range o values or the selected steps.
With Multiple Steps Selected, the Display Shows the Range o Parameter Values.
Tip: you can also create notes with your desired Nudge, Length, and Velocity values by holding
an empty step and then tweaking any o these encoders.
When working with drums, you can adjust nudge, length, and velocity or every note played by
a particular pad by pressing and holding the Select button, pressing the pad, and then adjusting
the encoders.
Hold Select and Press a Drum Pad to Tweak All Notes Played by that Pad.
In both the drum and melodic step sequencers, you can copy a step (including all o its note-spe-
cifc parameters) and paste it to another step. To do this, hold Duplicate and tap the step you’d
like to copy. Then tap the destination step and release Duplicate.
28.12.2 Per-Step Automation

Press “Automat” when holding a step in order to create and edit device or mixer automation
or only the selected step. While holding a step and tweaking an encoder, the corresponding
Using Push 617
parameter’s automation value will be adjusted specifcally or the time represented by that step.
Note that per-step automation can be created or any step, even i that step doesn’t contain
notes.
28.13 Controlling Live’s Session View

Press Push’s Session button to switch rom Note Mode to Session Mode. (Press and hold the
Session button to temporarily toggle Session Mode. Releasing the button will then return to Note
Mode. Likewise, pressing and holding Note while in Session Mode will temporarily toggle Note
Mode.)
Session Button.
In Session Mode, the 8x8 pad grid will now launch clips and the Scene/Grid Buttons will launch
scenes. Pressing a pad triggers the clip in the corresponding location in Live’s Session View. I
the track is selected, pressing the button records a new clip.
The pads light up in di erent colors so you know what’s going on:
•The color o all non-playing clips in your Live Set is re ected on the pads.
•Playing clips pulse green to white.
•Recording clips pulse red to white.
You can stop all music in a track by enabling Stop Mode and pressing that track’s State Control
button.
Using Push 618
Stopping Clip Playback.
To stop all clips, press and hold Shi t, and then press Stop.
Push tells you what’s going on in the so tware, but, importantly, the so tware also re ects what’s
happening on the hardware. The clip slots currently being controlled by Push’s pad grid are
shown in Live with a colored border.
The directional arrows and Shi t button increase the scope o the eight-by-eight grid.
•Pressing Up or Down moves you up or down one scene at a time. Hold the Shi t button
while hitting Up or Down to move eight scenes up or down. (Tip: you can also use the Oc-
tave Up and Down buttons to move by eight scenes at a time.)
•The Le t and Right arrow keys move you le t or right one track at a time. Hold the Shi t but-
ton while hitting Le t or Right to move eight tracks at a time.
28.13.1 Session Overview

Push’s Session Overview lets you navigate through large Live Sets quickly without looking at
your computer screen. Hold down the Shi t button and the pad grid zooms out to reveal an over-
view o your Session View. In the Session Overview, each pad represents an eight-scene-by-
eight-track block o clips, giving you a matrix o 64 scenes by 64 tracks. Hit a pad to ocus on
that section o the Session View. For example, holding the Shi t button and then pressing the pad
in row three, column one will put the ocus on scenes 17-24 and tracks 1-8. Furthermore, while
Shi t is held, each scene launch button represents a block o 64 scenes (i they are available in
your Set.)
In the Session Overview, the color coding is a little di erent:
•Amber: indicates the currently selected block o clips, which will be surrounded by the
colored border in the so tware.
•Green: there are clips playing in that block o clips (though that may not be the block o
clips selected).
Using Push 619
•Red: there are no clips playing in that range.
•No color: there are no tracks or scenes in that range.
28.14 Setting User Pre erences

Press and hold the User button to adjust the sensitivity o Push’s velocity response, a tertouch,
and other settings.
User Button
User Settings
Pad Threshold sets the so test playing orce that will trigger notes. More orce is required at high-
er settings. Note that at lower settings, notes may trigger accidentally and pads may “stick” on.
Velocity Curve determines how sensitive the pads are when hit with various amounts o orce,
and ranges rom Linear (a one-to-one relationship between striking orce and note velocity) to
various logarithmic curves. Higher Log values provide more dynamic range when playing so tly.
Using Push 620
Lighter playing styles may beneft rom higher Log values. The diagram below demonstrates the
various velocity curves, with striking orce on the horizontal axis and note velocity on the vertical
axis.
Linear Log 1 (Default)

127 127
Note Velocity
Note Velocity
1 1
Striking Force ―
―›
Striking Force ―
―›
Log 2 Log 3
127 127
Note Velocity
Note Velocity
1 1
Striking Force ―› Striking Force ―
―›
Log 4 Log 5
127 127
Note Velocity
Note Velocity
1 1
Striking Force ―
―› Striking Force ―
―›
Diagram o Push’s Velocity Curves
The Work ow option determines how Push behaves when the Duplicate, New, or Up/Down
arrow buttons are pressed. Which mode you choose depends on how you like to organize your
musical ideas. In Scene Work ow (which is the de ault), musical ideas are organized and navi-
gated in scenes. In Clip Work ow, you’re working with only the currently selected clip.
In Scene Work ow:
•Duplicate creates a new scene containing all o the currently playing clips, and seamlessly
switches to playing them back. This is the same as the Capture and Insert Scene command
Using Push 621
in Live’s Create menu (page 126).
•New is identical to Duplicate, except that it does not duplicate the currently selected clip.
Instead, an empty clip slot is prepared, allowing you to create a new idea in the current
track.
•the Up/Down Arrows move up or down by a single scene. Playback o the clips in the new
scene begins seamlessly.
In Clip Work ow:
•Duplicate creates a copy o the currently selected clip in the next clip slot, while continuing
playback o any currently playing clips in other tracks. (Tip: hold Shi t while pressing Dupli-
cate to create a new scene containing all o the currently playing clips.)
•New prepares an empty clip slot on the currently selected track. Clips in other tracks are
not a ected.
•the Up/Down Arrows move up or down by a single scene. Playback o the currently select-
ed track’s clip in the new scene begins seamlessly. Clips in other tracks are not a ected.
A tertouch Threshold sets the lowest incoming a tertouch value ( rom 0-127) that Push will reg-
ister. Input values below this level will be ignored, while input values above this level will be
scaled across the entire a tertouch range. For example, i you set the A tertouch Threshold to
120 and play with an a tertouch value o 119, nothing will happen. But input values between
120 and 127 will be scaled to output a value rom 0 to 127, as ollows:
120 -> 0
121 -> 18
122 -> 36
123 -> 54
124 -> 72
125 -> 90
126 -> 108
127 -> 127
Using Push 622
28.15 Push Control Re erence

The unction o each section and control is explained below.
Focus/Navigation Section
Focus/Navigation Section.
Note Mode — when selected, the Pad Section changes its unctionality based on the type o
track that is currently selected:
•MIDI track containing an instrument — the pads plays notes. Pressing Note additional
times toggles between real-time playing and melodic step sequencing.
•MIDI track containing a Drum Rack — the Pad Section is divided; the lower-le t 16 pads
play the Drum Rack, the lower-right 16 pads adjust the loop length o the clip, and the
upper our rows control the step sequencer. Press Note again to toggle to 64-pad mode,
allowing you to play drums across the entire 8x8 pad grid.
Session Mode — When selected, the Pad Section changes to launch clips in Live’s Session View.
Shi t — press and hold Shi t while pressing other buttons to access additional unctionality.
Arrow Keys — move through your Live Set (in Session Mode) and between tracks or scenes/clips
(in Note Mode).
Using Push 623
Select — In Session Mode, hold Select and press a clip to select the clip without launching it.
This will also display the clip name in the display. In Note Mode, hold Select and press a Drum
Rack pad to select its notes without triggering the pad.
Add Section
Add Section.
These buttons add new devices or tracks to your Live Set.
Add E ect — opens Browse Mode to add a new device to the right o the currently selected
device. Hold Shi t while pressing Add E ect to add the new device to the le t o the currently
selected device. Tip: to add a MIDI E ect, frst select the instrument in a track. Then hold Shi t
while pressing Add E ect.
Add Track — creates a new MIDI track to the right o the currently selected track. Press and hold
Add Track to select a di erent type o track to add (Audio, MIDI, or Return.) I the Add Track
button is pressed while a track within a Group Track is selected, any new tracks will be inserted
into that Group Track.
Note Section
Note Section.
Using Push 624
These buttons adjust how notes are played on Push.
Scales — When Note Mode is on and an instrument track is selected, pressing this button allows
you to select which scale will be played on the pads. Note that this button has no e ect when a
Drum Rack track is selected or when in Session Mode.
•Fixed Y/N: When Fixed Mode is on, the notes on the pad grid remain in the same posi-
tions when you change keys; the bottom-le t pad will always play C (except in keys that
don’t contain a C, in which case the bottom-le t pad will play the nearest note in the key.)
When Fixed is o , the notes on the pad grid shi t so that the bottom-le t pad always plays
the root o the selected key.
•In Key/Chromatic: With In Key selected, the pad grid is e ectively “ olded” so that only
notes within the key are available. In Chromatic Mode, the pad grid contains all notes.
Notes that are in the key are lit, while notes that are not in the key are unlit.
•Scale selection: Select the base scale with the up/down buttons on the le thand side.
User — All o Push’s built-in unctionality can be disabled via User Mode. This allows Push to be
reprogrammed to control alternate unctions in Live or other so tware. Press and hold the User
button to access a number o confguration options. (Tip: Push’s relative encoders work best in
“Relative (2’s Comp.)” mode. To ensure this mode is selected, turn the encoder slowly to the le t
during mapping.)
Repeat — when Repeat is enabled, holding down a pad will retrigger the note. The Scene/Grid
buttons change the rhythmic value o the repeated note.
Accent — when Accent is enabled, all incoming notes (whether step sequenced or played in
real-time) are played at ull velocity. Press and hold Accent to temporarily enable it.
Octave Up/Down — i an instrument track is selected, these buttons shi t the pads up or down
by octave. I a Drum Rack is selected, these buttons shi t the Drum Rack’s pad overview up or
down by 16 pads. In Session Mode, these buttons shi t control o the Session View up or down
by eight scenes. These buttons will be unlit i no additional octaves are available.
State Control Section
State Control Section.

Using Push 625
When working with tracks, the le tmost eight buttons will either stop clips or mute or solo the cor-
responding track, depending on which o the three rightmost buttons is pressed (Stop, Mute, or
Solo). When working with devices instead o tracks, the le tmost eight buttons will toggle devices
on and o . These buttons have additional unctionality in other modes (scale selection, etc.)
Tip: to stop all clips, press and hold Shi t, and then press Stop.
Selection Control Section
Selection Control Section.
These buttons work in conjunction with the Display/Encoder Section buttons and select what
parameters can be edited by the encoders and shown in the display. The In and Out buttons
allow you to access devices inside Racks or additional parameter banks or devices with more
than eight parameters. In Browse Mode, the In and Out buttons shi t the display to the right or
le t, allowing you to browse deeper levels o sub olders or view a larger number o presets on
the display.
Display/Encoder Section
Display/Encoder Section.
The six buttons to the right o the display determine the editing mode o the encoders. In all
modes, the ninth encoder controls the volume o the Master track (or the Pre-Cue volume i Shi t
is held.) Holding Shi t while adjusting any o the frst eight encoders allows you to fne-tune
whichever parameter is currently being controlled by that encoder. Note that you can temporar-
ily toggle to a di erent editing mode by pressing and holding the corresponding button. Releas-
ing the button will then return to the previous mode.
Using Push 626
Volume Mode.
In Volume Mode, the encoders control volume o the eight selected tracks.
Pan & Send Mode.
In Pan & Send Mode, press once to control pans. Subsequent presses cycle through sends.
Track Mode.
In Track Mode, the encoders control track volume, pan and the frst six sends o the selected
track. Select which clip track to control via the eight Selection Control buttons. Press the Master
button to select the Master track.
In Clip Mode, the encoders control various parameters or the selected clip. The parameters
depend on the type o clip selected:
Clip Mode With a MIDI Clip Selected.
•Loop Start (or Clip Start i Loop is o )

Using Push 627
•Position
•Loop Length (or Clip End i Loop is o )
•Loop On/O
Clip Mode With an Audio Clip Selected.
•Loop Start (or Clip Start i Loop is o )
•Position
•Loop Length (or Clip End i Loop is o )
•Loop On/O
•Warp Mode
•Detune
•Transpose
•Gain
Device — The encoders control parameters or the selected device.

Using Push 628
Browse — The encoders scroll through the available devices and presets.
Tempo Section
Tempo Section.
Tap Tempo — as you press once every beat, the tempo o the Live Set will ollow your tapping.
taps to start song playback at the tapped tempo.
Metronome — toggles Live’s metronome on or o .
The le t encoder adjusts Live’s tempo in increments o one BPM. Holding Shi t while adjusting will
set the tempo in increments o .1 BPM.
The right encoder sets the amount o swing applied when Quantizing, Record Quantizing or
when Repeat is pressed.
Using Push 629
Edit Section
Edit Section.
Undo — undoes the last action. Press and hold Shi t while pressing Undo to Redo. Note that
Push’s Undo button applies Live’s Undo unctionality, so it will undo actions in your Live Set even
i they were done without using Push.
Delete — In Note Mode, this button deletes the selected clip. In Session Mode, hold Delete and
then press a clip to delete that clip. Hold Delete and select a device or track with Push’s Selec-
tion Control buttons to delete. Hold Delete and touch an encoder to delete automation con-
trolled by that encoder. I automation has not been recorded or a particular parameter, holding
Delete and touching the corresponding encoder will reset that parameter to its de ault value.
Quantize — press and release to quantize the selected notes (or all notes in the clip i there is no
selection). Hold Quantize and press a drum pad to quantize that pad’s notes. For audio clips,
Quantize will a ect transients. Press and hold Quantize to access quantization settings. A ter
changing these settings, press once to exit and then press and release to apply your changes.
Double — doubles the material within the loop, as well as the length o the loop.
Using Push 630
Transport Section
Transport Section.
Fixed Length — when enabled, all newly created clips will be a fxed number o bars. When
disabled, new clips will continue to record until you press the Record, New or Play/Stop buttons.
Press and hold, then use the buttons beneath the display to speci y the fxed recording length.
Automation — toggles Live’s Automation Record button. When on, your parameter changes will
be recorded into playing Session View clips. Hold Shi t and press Automation to reenable any
automation that you have overridden. Hold Delete and press the Automation button to delete all
automation in a clip.
Duplicate — In Scene Work ow, Duplicate creates a new scene containing all o the currently
playing clips. In Clip Work ow, Duplicate creates a copy o the currently selected clip in the
next clip slot, while continuing playback o any currently playing clips in other tracks. Hold Du-
plicate while pressing a Drum Rack pad to copy the pad and paste it to a new location in the
Drum Rack.
Using Push 631
New — Pressing New stops the selected clip and prepares Live to record new material. This
allows you to practice be ore making a new recording. On armed MIDI tracks, holding Record
while pressing New triggers Capture MIDI (page 257).
Record — Press the Record button to begin recording. Pressing Record again will stop recording
but will continue playing back the clip. Pressing Record a third time will enable overdub mode,
allowing you to record into the clip while it plays back.
Play/Stop — toggles the play button in Live’s transport bar. Hold Shi t while pressing Play/Stop
to return Live’s transport to 1.1.1 without starting playback.
Touch Strip
Touch Strip.
When an instrument track is selected, the touch strip adjusts pitch bend or modulation wheel
amount when playing in real-time, or the available range o notes when step sequencing. When
a Drum Rack track is selected, the touch strip selects the Drum Rack bank.
Pitch bend is selected by de ault when an instrument track is selected. To change the unctional-
ity o the touch strip, hold Select and tap the strip. This toggles between pitch bend and mod
Using Push 632
wheel unctionality each time you tap it. The display will brie y show the current mode each time
you change it. Note that pitch bend and modulation wheel unctionality is only available when
playing instruments in real time, and not when using the melodic step sequencers.
Pad Section
Pad Section.
The unctionality o the Pad Section is determined by the Note and Session Mode buttons. When
Session Mode is on, the Pad Section is used to launch clips in Live’s Session View. When Note
Mode is on, the Pad Section changes its unctionality based on the type o track that is currently
selected:
•MIDI track containing an instrument — the pads plays notes. Pressing Note additional
times toggles between real-time playing and melodic step sequencing.
•MIDI track containing a Drum Rack — the Pad Section is divided; the lower-le t 16 pads
play the Drum Rack, the lower-right 16 pads adjust the loop length o the clip, and the
upper our rows control the step sequencer. Press Note again to toggle to 64-pad mode,
Using Push 633
Scene/Grid Section
Scene/Grid Section.
These buttons also change their unctionality depending on whether Session Mode or Note
Mode is selected. When Session Mode is selected, these buttons launch Session View scenes.
(Tip: hold the Select button while pressing a Scene button to select the scene without launching
it.) When Note Mode is selected, the Scene/Grid Section determines the rhythmic resolution o
the step sequencer grid and the rhythmic resolution o repeated notes (when Repeat is enabled.)
Footswitches
Two ports on the back o Push allow you to connect momentary ootswitches. Footswitch 1 acts
as a sustain pedal. Footswitch 2 gives you hands- ree control o Push’s recording unctionality.
A single tap o the ootswitch will toggle the Record button, thus switching between recording/
overdubbing and playback o the current clip. Quickly double-tapping the ootswitch is the
same as pressing the New button.
Note that certain ootswitches may behave “backwards”; or example, notes may sustain only
when the pedal is not depressed. Footswitch polarity can usually be corrected by connecting the
Using Push 634
ootswitch to the port while depressing it, but we recommend using ootswitches with a physical
polarity switch.
Using Push 2 635
Chapter 29
Using Push 2
Ableton Push 2 is an instrument or song creation that provides hands-on control o melody and
harmony, beats, samples, sounds, and song structure. In the studio, Push 2 allows you to quickly
create clips that populate Live’s Session View as you work entirely rom the hardware. On stage,
Push 2 serves as a power ul instrument or real-time playing, step sequencing, and clip launch-
ing.
Overview o Push 2’s Controls.

Using Push 2 636
Much o Push 2’s behavior depends on which mode it is in, as well as on which type o track is
selected. To help you learn how to work with Push 2, this chapter will walk you through some o
the undamental work ows, and then will provide a re erence o all o Push 2’s controls.
There are also a number o videos that will help you get started with Push 2. These are available
at https://www.ableton.com/learn-push/
29.1 Setup
A ter plugging in the included power supply and connecting the USB cable to your computer,
turn Push 2 on via the power button in the back. From here, setting up the Push 2 hardware is
mostly automatic. As long as Live is running, Push 2 will be automatically detected as soon as it
is connected to a USB port on your computer. A ter connection, Push 2 can be used almost im-
mediately. It is not necessary to install drivers and Push 2 does not need to be manually confg-
ured in Live’s Pre erences.
From time to time, Ableton will release frmware updates or Push 2 that will be included in up-
dates to Live. When using Push 2 or the frst time a ter installing a new version o Live, you may
be prompted to update the frmware. Push 2 will walk you through this process.
29.2 Browsing and Loading Sounds

You can browse and load sounds directly rom Push 2, without needing to use Live’s browser.
This is done in Push 2’s Browse Mode.
Press Push 2’s Browse button:

Using Push 2 637
The Browse Button.
The display is divided into columns. When you frst enter Browse Mode, the ar le t column
shows either the specifc category o device being browsed or the Collections label (page
60), which lets you access tagged browser items quickly. Each column to the right shows the
next sub older (i any exist) or the contents o the current older. You can scroll through presets
and olders using the eight encoders above the display, or navigate through them one at a time
via the arrow buttons.
Arrow Buttons.
The display will expand automatically as you navigate. You can load Live’s “de ault” devices
rom the top level o the browser’s hierarchy, and can quickly move up or down in the hierarchy
via the rightmost two upper display buttons.
Using Push 2 638
Navigate Up and Down in the Browser Hierarchy.
By de ault, samples and presets rom o fcial Packs or Live’s core library will preview when se-
lected in the browser. You can toggle preview on or o via the Preview button.
Preview Button.
Using Push 2 639
To adjust the previewing volume, hold the Shi t button while turning the Master volume encoder.
Shi t Button.
Master Volume Encoder.
To load the selected item, press the Load button.
Loading Items in Browse Mode.
What you see when in Browse Mode depends on the device that was last selected. I you were
working with an instrument, Browse Mode will show you replacement instruments. I you were
working with an e ect, you will see e ects. When starting with an empty MIDI track, the display
shows all o your available sounds, instruments, drum kits, e ects, and Max or Live devices
(page 553), as well as VST and Audio Unit instruments (page 270).
Using Push 2 640
29.3 Playing and Programming Beats

To create beats using Push 2, frst make sure Note Mode is enabled
The Note Mode Button.
Then use Browse Mode to navigate to the Drums section o the browser and load one o the
Drum Rack presets rom Live’s library.
When working with a MIDI track containing a Drum Rack, Push 2’s 8x8 pad grid can be con-
fgured in a ew di erent ways, depending on the state o the Layout button. Pressing this button
cycles between three di erent modes.
The Layout Button
29.3.1 Loop Selector

When the Loop Selector layout is enabled, the pads are divided into three sections, allowing
you to simultaneously play, step sequence and adjust the length o your clip.
Using Push 2 641
Step Sequencer
Controls
Drum Rack Pads Loop Length Controls
The Pad Grid with the Loop Selector Layout
The 16 Drum Rack pads are laid out, like Live’s Drum Rack, in the classic 4x4 arrangement, al-
lowing or real-time playing. Controls in the display and the pads in the Drum Rack match the
color o the track, with subtle variations that help you understand what’s happening. The Drum
Rack pad colors indicate the ollowing:
•the track’s color — this pad contains a sound.
•lighter version o the track’s color — this pad is empty.
•Green — this pad is currently-playing.
•White — this pad is selected.
•Dark blue — this pad is soloed.
•Gray— this pad is muted.
When working with Drum Racks that contain a larger number o pads, use Push 2’s touch strip or
the Octave Up and Octave Down buttons to move up/down by 16 pads. Hold Shi t while using
the touch strip or Octave buttons to move by single rows.
Using Push 2 642
Octave Up/Down Buttons.
Holding the Layout button gives you momentary access to the 16 Velocities layout (page 642).
You can also lock the alternate layout in place by holding Shi t and pressing the Layout button.
To unlock the 16 Velocities layout, press the Layout button again.
29.3.2 16 Velocities Mode

Press the Layout button to switch to the 16 Velocities layout. In this mode, the bottom right 16
pads represent 16 di erent velocities or the selected Drum Rack pad. Tap one o the velocity
pads to enter steps at that velocity.
Step Sequencer
Controls
103 111 119 127

71 79 87 95
39 47 55 63
7 15 23 31
Drum Rack Pads 16 Velocities
The Pad Grid with the 16 Velocities Layout

Using Push 2 643
Holding the Layout button gives you momentary access to the loop length controls (page 661).
You can also lock the loop length controls in place by holding Shi t and pressing the Layout but-
ton. To unlock the loop length pads, press the Layout button again.
29.3.3 64-Pad Mode

You can also use the entire 8x8 pad grid or real-time drum playing. This is use ul when working
with very large drum kits, such as those created by slicing (page 189). To switch to 64-pad
mode, press the Layout button again.
Note: when moving between 64-pad mode and the Loop Selector or 16 Velocities layouts, the
16 pads available or step sequencing will not change automatically. You may still need to use
the touch strip or Octave keys in order to see the specifc 16 pads you want.
29.3.4 Loading Individual Drums

Browse Mode can also be used to load or replace individual pads within a loaded Drum Rack.
To switch between browsing Drum Racks and single pads, make sure you’re in Device Mode by
pressing the Device button. This will show the devices on the track.
Device Button.
By de ault, the Drum Rack is selected. To select an individual pad instead, tap that pad, then
press the second upper display button. (The square icon next to the name represents a pad.)
Using Push 2 644
Selecting an Individual Pad in a Drum Rack.
Now, entering Browse Mode again will allow you to load or replace the sound o only the se-
lected pad. (The selected pad will ash.) Once in Browse Mode, tapping other pads will select
them or browsing, allowing you to quickly load or replace multiple sounds within the loaded
Drum Rack.
A ter loading the selected item, the Load button’s name will change to Load Next. Pressing this
button again will load the next entry in the list, allowing you to quickly try out presets or samples
in the context o your song. You can also load the previous entry in the list via the Load Previous
button.
Particularly in a per ormance situation, you may want to select a pad without triggering it. To do
this, press and hold the Select button while tapping a drum pad or one o the 16 Velocity pads.
Select Button.
You can also select without triggering by pressing the lower display button or the Drum Rack’s
track. This will expand the Drum Rack and allow the individual pads to be selected via the other
Using Push 2 645
lower display buttons. You can navigate to the previous or next pad via the le t and right arrow
keys.
Press the Drum Rack’s Lower Display Button to Access Individual Pads.
Additional Pad Options

To copy a pad to a di erent location in your Drum Rack, hold the Duplicate button and press the
pad you’d like to copy.
Duplicate Button.
While continuing to hold Duplicate, press the pad where you’d like to paste the copied pad.
Note that this will replace the destination pad’s devices (and thus its sound) but will not replace
any existing notes already recorded or that pad.
Using Push 2 646
When a single pad is selected, you can adjust its choke group assignment (page 293) via the
frst encoder or transpose the pad via the second encoder.
Assign a Pad to a Choke Group or Transpose the Pad.
When working with drums, Push 2’s pads can be colored individually. To change a pad’s color,
hold Shi t and tap the pad. Then tap one o the pads on the outer ring to choose that color or
the selected pad.
Note: your custom pad colors will be saved and reloaded with your Live Set, but will not be vis-
ible within Live. They only appear on Push 2.
Using Push 2 647
Choose a Color or a Drum Pad.
29.3.5 Step Sequencing Beats

Tapping a pad selects it and also enables it or step sequencing.
To record notes with the step sequencer, tap the pads in the step sequencer controls to place
notes in the clip where you want them. The clip will begin playing as soon as you tap a step. By
de ault, each step sequencer pad corresponds to a 16th note, but you can change the step size
via the Scene/Grid buttons.
Using Push 2 648
Scene/Grid Buttons.
Adjust the tempo using the Tempo encoder. Each click o the encoder will adjust the tempo in
increments o one BPM. Holding Shi t while adjusting will set the tempo in increments o .1 BPM.
Adjust the Tempo with the Tempo Encoder.
As the clip plays, the currently playing step is indicated by the moving green pad in the step
sequencer section. (When Record is enabled, the moving pad will be red.) Tapping a step that
already has a note will delete that note. Press and hold the Mute button while tapping a step to
deactivate it without deleting it. Press and hold the Solo button while tapping a pad to solo that
sound.
Using Push 2 649
Mute and Solo Buttons.
You can also adjust the velocity and micro-timing o individual notes, as described in the section
on step sequencing automation (page 686).
To delete the entire pattern, press the Delete button. To delete all notes or a single pad, press
and hold Delete while tapping that pad. (Holding Delete while pressing a pad that has no notes
recorded in the current pattern deletes all o the devices rom that pad.)
Delete Button.
The pad colors in the step sequencer section indicate the ollowing:
•Gray — this step doesn’t contain a note.
•the clip’s color — this step contains a note. Higher velocities are indicated by brighter pads.
•lighter version o the clip’s color — this step contains a note, but the note is muted.
•unlit — the right two columns o pads will be unlit i triplets are selected as the step size. In
this case, these pads are not active; only the frst six pads in each row o steps can be used.
Using Push 2 650
When Triplets are Selected, the Unlit Steps are Unavailable.
For detailed in ormation about adjusting the loop length pads, see the section called Adjusting
the Loop Length (page 661).
29.3.6 Real-time Recording

Drum patterns can also be recorded in real-time by playing the Drum Rack pads. Follow these
steps to record in real-time:
•I you want to record with a click track, press the Metronome button to enable Live’s built-in
click. You can adjust the metronome volume by holding the Shi t button while adjusting the
Master volume encoder. (Tip: As with all o the buttons on Push 2 that turn something on or
o , when the metronome is on, its button light will pulse.)
Metronome Button.
•Then Press the Record button to begin recording

Using Push 2 651
Record Button.
I you’ve enabled a recording count-in in Live (page 254), you’ll see a countdown bar move
across the top o Push 2’s display and ash in tempo. This can serve as a help ul visual re erence
or when to begin playing.
Count-In Bar in Push 2’s Display
Now any Drum Rack pads you play will be recorded to the clip. Pressing Record again will stop
recording but will continue playing back the clip. Pressing Record a third time will enable over-
dub mode, allowing you to record into the clip while it plays back. Subsequent presses continue
to toggle between playback and overdub. During playback, a small progress bar will appear in
the display to show the playback position o each playing clip.
The pads are velocity sensitive, but i you want to temporarily override the velocity sensitivity,
press the Accent button. When Accent is enabled, all played or step-sequenced notes will be at
ull velocity (127), regardless o how hard you actually tap the pads.
Enable Accent to Play or Record at Full Velocity.

Using Push 2 652
Tip: i you press and release Accent quickly, the button will stay on. I you press and hold, the
button will turn o when released, allowing or momentary control o accented notes.
In 16 Velocities mode, you can tap one o the 16 velocity pads to record the selected sound at
that velocity. Note that Accent overrides this behavior.
Pressing New stops playback o the currently selected clip and prepares Live to record a new
clip on the currently selected track. This allows you to practice be ore recording a new idea. By
de ault, pressing New also duplicates all clips that are playing on other tracks to a new scene
and continues playing them back seamlessly. This behavior can be changed by changing the
Work ow mode in Push 2’s Setup menu (page 694).
New Button.
29.3.7 Fixed Length Recording

Press the Fixed Length button to set the size o new clips to a predetermined length.
Fixed Length Button.
Press and hold Fixed Length to set the recording length.

Using Push 2 653
Fixed Length Recording Options.
When Fixed Length is disabled, new clips will continue to record until you press the Record, New
or Play/Stop buttons.
By de ault, starting a recording with Fixed Length enabled will create an empty clip o the se-
lected length, and then begin recording rom the beginning o the clip, in accordance with Live’s
global launch quantization. I Phrase Sync is enabled, Push treats the chosen length as a musical
phrase, and will begin recording rom the position in the clip that corresponds to that position
within a phrase o that length. For example, with a fxed length o 4 bars and Phrase Sync on,
starting a recording when Live’s global transport is at bar 7 will create an empty our bar clip
and begin recording at the third bar o that clip.
29.4 Additional Recording Options
29.4.1 Recording with Repeat

With Push 2’s Repeat button enabled, you can hold down a pad to play or record a stream o
continuous, rhythmically-even notes. This is use ul or recording steady hi-hat patterns, or ex-
ample. Varying your fnger pressure on the pad will change the volume o the repeated notes.
Using Push 2 654
Repeat Button.
The repeat rate is set with the Scene/Grid buttons. Note that Push “remembers” the Repeat but-
ton’s state and setting or each track. Tip: i you press and release Repeat quickly, the button will
stay on. I you press and hold, the button will turn o when released, allowing or momentary
control o repeated notes.
Turn up the Swing knob to apply swing to the repeated notes. When you touch the knob, the
display will show the amount o swing.
Swing Knob.
29.4.2 Quantizing
Pressing Push 2’s Quantize button will snap notes to the grid in the selected clip.
Using Push 2 655
Quantize Button.
Press and hold Quantize to change the quantization options:
Quantization Options.
Swing Amount determines the amount o swing that will be applied to the quantized notes. Note
that the Swing amount can be adjusted rom Encoder 1 or rom the dedicated Swing knob.
Quantize To sets the nearest note value to which notes will be quantized, while Quantize
Amount determines the amount that notes can be moved rom their original positions.
Enable Record Quantize by pressing the corresponding upper display button to automatically
quantize notes during recording. Adjust the record quantization value with Encoder 5. Note that
i Record Quantize is enabled and Swing is turned up, the automatically quantized notes will not
have swing applied.
When working with drums, press and hold Quantize and press a Drum Rack pad to quantize
only that drum’s notes in the current clip.
29.4.3 Arrangement Recording

When Live’s Arrangement View (page 101) is in ocus in the so tware, pressing Record will
toggle Arrangement Recording on and o . While Arrangement Recording is on, all o your ac-
tions on Push 2 are recorded into the Arrangement View.
Using Push 2 656
You can also trigger Arrangement Recording while Live’s Session View is in ocus by holding
Shi t and pressing Record. Note that this behavior is reversed when the Arrangement is in ocus;
holding Shi t and pressing Record will then toggle Session recording.
29.5 Playing Melodies and Harmonies

A ter working on a beat, you’ll want to create other elements such as a bassline, harmony parts,
etc. I you already have additional tracks in your Set, you can switch between them using the
lower display buttons or the le t and right arrow keys.
Switch Between Tracks with the Lower Display Buttons.
Or you can add a new track by pressing the Add Track button.
Add Track Button.
Adding a track puts Push 2 into Browse mode, allowing you to select which type o track you’d
like to add (MIDI, Audio, or Return) and optionally load a device to the new track at the same
time.
Using Push 2 657
Choose a Track Type and Optionally Load A Device.
Note that when pressing the Add Track button while a track within a Group Track is selected,
any new tracks will be inserted into that Group Track.
A ter creating a track, you can change its color. To do this, hold Shi t and press the lower dis-
play button or the track. Then tap one o the pads on the outer ring to choose that color or the
selected track.
When working with a MIDI track containing an instrument, Push 2’s 8x8 pad grid automatically
confgures itsel to play notes. By de ault, every note on the grid is in the key o C major. The
bottom le t pad plays C1 (although you can change the octave with the Octave Up and Down
buttons). Moving upward, each pad is a ourth higher. Moving to the right, each pad is the next
note in the C major scale.
Play a major scale by playing the frst three pads in the frst row, then the frst three pads in the
next row upwards. Continue until you reach the next C:
C Major Scale.
The pad colors help you to stay oriented as you play:

Using Push 2 658
•the track’s color — this note is the root note o the key (C.)
•Green — the currently-playing note (other pads will also turn green i they play the same
note.)
•Red — the currently-playing note when recording.
To play triads, try out the ollowing shape anywhere on the grid:
C Major Chord.
29.5.1 Playing in Other Keys

Press Push 2’s Scale button to change the selected key and/or scale.
Scale Button.
Using Push 2 659
Using the upper and lower display buttons, you can change the key played by the pad grid. The
currently selected key appears in white, while the other key options appear in gray:
By de ault, the pads and scale selection options indicate major scales. You can change to a vari-
ety o other scale types using encoders 2 through 7. The selected scale type is highlighted.
Key, Scale, and Layout Options.
In addition to changing the key, you can also change the arrangement o the grid in a number o
ways:
The Layout (Encoder 1) and Direction (Encoder 8) controls work together to determine the ori-
entation o the pad grid. The de ault settings are a Layout o “4ths” and a Direction o “Vert.” In
this confguration, each pad is a 4th higher than the pad directly below it. Changing the Layout
to “3rds“ means that each pad is now a 3rd higher than the pad directly below it. The “Sequent”
layout puts all notes sequentially in order. This layout is use ul i you need a very large range o
notes available, because it has no duplicated notes.
Changing the Direction control to “Horiz.” rotates the pad grid 90 degrees. For example, with a
Layout o “4ths,” each pad is a 4th higher than the pad to its le t.
Fixed O /On: The lower right display button toggles Fixed on or o . When Fixed is on, the
notes on the pad grid remain in the same positions when you change keys; the bottom-le t pad
will always play C (except in keys that don’t contain a C, in which case the bottom-le t pad will
play the nearest note in the key.) When Fixed is o , the notes on the pad grid shi t so that the
bottom-le t pad always plays the root o the selected key.
Using Push 2 660
In Key/Chromatic: The lower le t display button toggles between In Key and Chromatic. With In
Key selected, the pad grid is e ectively “ olded” so that only notes within the key are available.
In Chromatic Mode, the pad grid contains all notes. Notes that are in the key are lit, while notes
that are not in the key are unlit.
Scale options are saved with the Set, and Push 2 will return to these settings when the Set is
loaded again. Tip: I you have particular key and scale settings that you like to use all the time,
you can save them in your De ault Set (page 86). Any new Set created a ter this will have
those settings in place when working with Push 2.
All o the real-time recording options available or drums (page 650) are also available or
melodies and harmonies, including the Accent button, fxed length recording (page 652), re-
cording with repeat (page 653), and quantizing (page 654). But or detailed editing, you’ll
work with the Melodic Sequencer described in the next section.
(Tip: one editing possibility is available in the real-time Note Mode: to quickly delete all notes o
the same pitch within the current loop, press and hold Delete and then tap the respective pad.)
29.6 Step Sequencing Melodies and Harmonies

In addition to playing and recording in real time, you can also step sequence your melodies and
harmonies. To toggle to the Melodic Sequencer, press the Layout button. This will set the 8x8
pad grid as ollows:
Loop Length Controls
Play Position
The Pad Grid When Step Sequencing Pitches.

Using Push 2 661
When using the Melodic Sequencer, all eight rows o pads allow you to place notes in the clip.
pads (page 661). The loop length pads can be momentarily accessed in the top row while
holding the Layout button.
You can also lock the loop length pads in place. To do this, hold Shi t and tap the Layout button.
pads, press the Layout button again.
With In Key selected, each row corresponds to one o the available pitches in the currently se-
lected scale. With Chromatic selected, notes that are in the key are lit, while notes that are not
in the key are unlit. The white row (which is the bottom row by de ault) indicates the root o the
selected key. Each column o pads represents a step in the resolution set by the Scene/Grid but-
tons.
As with the real-time playing layout, pressing the Octave Up or Down button shi ts the range o
available notes. You can also use the touch strip to change the range. Hold the Shi t key while
adjusting the touch strip to shi t the range by octaves. Hold the shi t key while pressing the Oc-
tave buttons to shi t by one note in the scale. The display will brie y show the available range as
you adjust it.
Additionally, brightly-lit touch strip lights indicate the currently available note range, while dim-
ly-lit touch strip lights indicate that the clip contains notes within the corresponding note range.
Pressing Layout again will toggle to the Melodic Sequencer + 32 Notes layout (page 663).
Tip: in addition to adding and removing notes, you can also adjust the velocity and micro-timing
o the notes, as described in the section on step sequencing automation (page 686).
29.6.1 Adjusting the Loop Length

The loop length controls allow you to set the length o the clip’s loop and determine which part
o it you can see and edit in the melodic and drum step sequencers. Each loop length pad cor-
responds to a page o steps, and the length o a page depends on the step resolution. When
working with drums at the de ault 16th note resolution, two pages o steps are available at a
time, or a total o two bars. In the Melodic Sequencer layout, one page o eight steps is avail-
able at a time, or a total o two beats. To change the loop length, hold one pad and then tap
another pad (or, to set the loop length to exactly one page, quickly double-tap the correspond-
ing pad.)
Using Push 2 662
Each Loop Length Pad Corresponds to One Page.
Note that the page you see is not necessarily the page you hear. When you set the loop length,
the pages will update so that the current play position (as indicated by the moving green pad in
the step sequencer section) always remains visible. But in some cases, you may want to disable
this auto- ollow behavior. For example, you may want to edit a single page o a longer loop,
while still allowing the loop to play or the length you set. To do this, single-tap the pad that cor-
responds to that page. This will “lock” the view to that page without changing the loop length.
You can also navigate to the previous or next page by pressing the Page Le t/Right buttons.
The Page Le t/Right Buttons.
To then turn auto- ollow back on, simply reselect the current loop. (Note that single-tapping a
page that is outside o the current loop will immediately set the loop to that page.) You can also
turn auto- ollow back on by holding either one o the Page Le t/Right buttons.
The pad colors in the loop length section indicate the ollowing:
•Unlit — this page is outside o the loop.
•Gray — this page is within the loop, but is not currently visible in the step sequencer sec-
tion.
•White — this page is visible in the step sequencer section, but is not currently playing.
•Green — this is the currently playing page.

Using Push 2 663
•Red — this is the currently recording page.
I you need to access the loop length pads requently, you can lock them in place. To do this,
hold Shi t and tap the Layout button. (Note that Push remembers this locked/unlocked state or
each track.) To unlock the loop length pads, press the Layout button again. You can also navi-
gate to the previous or next page by pressing the Page Le t/Right buttons.
page you want to duplicate, and then press the loop length pad or the destination page. Note
that this will not remove existing notes in the destination page, but will add copied notes on top.
To remove notes frst, hold Delete and tap the loop length pad or that page.
29.7 Melodic Sequencer + 32 Notes

The Melodic Sequencer + 32 Notes layout combines both step sequencing and real-time play-
ing capabilities. Providing access to multiple octaves and steps on a single page, this layout is
ideal or fguring out chords and harmonies to sequence. It is also well suited to longer phrases.
The Pad Grid with the Melodic Sequencer + 32 Notes Layout.

Using Push 2 664
29.7.1 32 Notes
The bottom hal o the pad grid lets you play notes in real-time, and select them or step se-
quencing. Each pad corresponds to one o the available pitches in the currently selected scale.
Pressing a pad will select and play the note. Selected notes are represented by a lighter version
o the track’s color.
Tip: to select a pad without triggering it, press and hold the Select button while tapping a pad.
The pad colors indicate the ollowing:
•the track’s color — this note is the root note o the scale.
•lighter version o the track’s color — this pad is selected.
•Green — this pad is currently playing.
Pressing the Octave Up or Down button shi ts the range o available notes. Holding the Shi t key
while adjusting the touch strip shi ts the range by octaves. You can hold the Shi t key while press-
ing the Octave buttons to shi t by one note in the scale. The display will brie y show the avail-
able range as you adjust it.
As with the 64 Notes layout, the notes in the bottom hal o the pad grid can be adjusted via the
Scale menu (page 658).
29.7.2 Sequencer
Tapping a step in the top hal o the pad grid adds all selected notes to that step. Steps contain-
ing notes are lit in the color o the clip.
Holding a step lets you view notes contained within the step, which are indicated in the bottom
hal o the pad grid by the lighter version o the track’s color. Tapping any o these selected notes
will remove it rom the step.
Holding multiple steps will add selected notes to all those steps. While holding Duplicate, you
can press a step to copy the notes in that step and then press another step to paste them to a
new location in the step sequencer.
Using Push 2 665
The pad colors in the step sequencer indicate the ollowing:
•the clip’s color — this step contains a note.
•Green — this step is currently playing.
•White — this step is selected.
•Light gray — this step contains a note, but the note is muted.
•Gray — this pad is empty.
•Unlit — the right two columns o pads will be unlit i triplets are selected as the step size. In
this case, these pads are not active; only the frst six pads in each row o steps can be used.
Loop Length Pads in the Melodic Sequencer + 32 Notes Layout.
pads (page 661). The loop length pads can be momentarily accessed in the f th row while
holding the Layout button.
Using Push 2 666
The Layout Button.
You can also lock the loop length pads in place. To do this, hold Shi t and tap the Layout button.
pads, press the Layout button again. You can also navigate to the previous or next page by
pressing the Page Le t/Right buttons.
The Page Le t/Right Buttons.
page you want to duplicate, and then press the loop length pad or the destination page. Note
that this will not remove existing notes in the destination page, but will add copied notes on top.
To remove notes frst, hold Delete and tap the loop length pad or that page.
29.8 Working with Samples

Push 2 allows you to play samples rom the pads in a variety o ways, with detailed but easy-
to-use control over sample parameters directly rom the encoders and display. The instrument
that powers Push 2’s sample playback unctionality is Simpler, and we recommend reading the
detailed Simpler chapter (page 514) to learn more about its unctionality.
To start working with a sample, you can either add a new MIDI track or press Browse to enter
Browse Mode on an existing MIDI track. Although you can load an empty Simpler to a track,
it isn’t playable until it contains a sample. Push 2’s display will in orm you that your Simpler is
empty and suggest browsing or a sample:
Using Push 2 667
Press Browse to Load a Sample in an Empty Simpler.
A ter loading a sample and switching to Device View, you will see the sample’s wave orm in
Push 2’s display, along with a number o parameters that allow you to quickly adjust how the
sample plays back. This is the main bank o Simpler’s controls.
Simpler’s Main Parameter Bank in the Display.
By de ault, Simpler will automatically set certain parameters based on the length o the loaded
sample. For example, short samples will play once when triggered, while long samples will be
set to loop and warp. Warped samples will play back at the tempo o your Set, regardless o
which note you play. Bringing a warped clip into Simpler rom an audio track, the browser, or
your desktop preserves any warp settings and markers that were in the original clip. For more
in ormation about warping, see the Audio Clips, Tempo, and Warping chapter (page 153).
The most important parameter that determines how Simpler will treat samples is the Mode con-
trol, which is used to choose one o Simpler’s three playback modes.
Simpler’s Mode Parameter.
•Classic Playback Mode is the de ault mode when using Simpler, and is optimized or cre-
ating “conventional” melodic and harmonic instruments using pitched samples. It eatures
Using Push 2 668
a complete ADSR envelope and supports looping, allowing or samples to sustain as long
as a note is held down. Classic Mode is polyphonic by de ault, and the pad grid uses the
same layout in this mode as is used when playing other pitched instruments.
•One-Shot Playback Mode is exclusively or monophonic playback, and is optimized or

use with one-shot drum hits or short sampled phrases. This mode has simplifed envelope
controls and does not support looping. By de ault, the entire sample will play back when a
note is triggered, regardless o how long the note is held. The pad grid in One-Shot Mode
also uses the melodic layout.
•Slicing Playback Mode non-destructively slices the sample so that the individual slices can
be played back rom the pads. You can create and move slices manually, or choose rom
a number o di erent options or how Simpler will automatically create slices. This mode is
ideal or working with rhythmic drum breaks.
29.8.1 Classic Playback Mode
Simpler’s Main Bank in Classic Mode.
In Classic Mode, the various sample position controls change which portion o the sample you
play back. For example, i you load a drum break that contains silence at the beginning, you
can start playback rom a ter the silence. The Start control sets the absolute position in the sam-
ple rom which playback could start, while the End control sets where playback could end; these
parameters defne the region o the sample that can be worked with. S Start and S Length are
represented in percentages o the total sample length enabled by Start and End. For example,
hitting a pad a ter setting an S Start value o 50% and S Length value o 25% will play back the
third quarter (50-75%) o the region between the Start and End values. S Loop Length deter-
mines how much o the available sample (also determined by the Start and End values) will loop.
Note that this parameter is only active i Loop is enabled.
Adjust the Zoom encoder to zoom into a portion o the wave orm. The display shows a repre-
sentation o the whole sample, as well as the currently active region. Turning the Zoom encoder
Using Push 2 669
clockwise zooms in. The specifc portion o the sample that you zoom to is determined by the
last-touched sample position control (Start, End, S Start, S Length, or S Loop Length.)
Pressing Simpler’s upper display button will enter Edit Mode. When in Edit Mode, the lower dis-
play buttons select additional pages o parameters and the upper display buttons toggle certain
settings on or o . Pressing Simpler’s upper display button again will exit Edit Mode.
Additional Parameters Available in Edit Mode.
Pressing the Loop On/O button determines whether or not the sample will loop when a pad is
held down. The Warp as... button adjusts the warping o the sample between the Start and End
values so that it will play back precisely within the specifed number o bars. Live makes its best
guess about what this value should be based on the length o the sample, but i it gets it wrong,
you can use the :2 or x2 buttons to double or halve the playback speed, respectively.
Crop removes the portions o the sample that are outside o the Start and End points, while Re-
verse plays the entire sample backwards. Note that both Crop and Reverse are non-destructive;
they create a copy o the sample and apply the process to the copy, so your original sample is
not changed.
Using Push 2 670
29.8.2 One-Shot Mode
Simpler’s Main Bank in One-Shot Mode With Additional Edit Mode Controls.
In One-Shot Mode, the Zoom, Start, and End controls unction the same as in Classic Mode, as
do the Warp as..., :2, x2, Crop, and Reverse buttons.
With Trigger enabled, the sample will continue playing even a ter the pad is released; the
amount o time you hold the pad has no e ect when Trigger is on. You can shape the volume o
the sample using the Fade In and Fade Out encoders. Fade In determines how long it takes the
sample to reach its maximum volume a ter a pad is hit, while Fade Out begins a ade out the
specifed amount o time be ore the end o the sample region. (Note: to stop a one-shot sample
immediately, hold Shi t while pressing the Play/Stop button.)
With Gate enabled, the sample will begin ading out as soon as you release the pad. The Fade
Out time determines how long it will take to ade to silence a ter release.
The Transpose encoder allows you to transpose the sample up or down by up to 48 semitones
( our octaves). Note that when transposing, the timbre o the sample may change dramatically
depending on which warp mode you’ve selected. The Gain encoder sets the overall volume o
the Simpler instrument.
Legato Playback
Classic and One-Shot Modes provide a unique way o repitching a sample on the y, without
changing its playback position. (This is essentially a playable version o Legato Mode in clips
(page 204).) To enable this unctionality:
Using Push 2 671
1. In Edit Mode, press the second lower display button to view the Global parameter bank.
2. Set the Glide Mode parameter to Glide.
3. Set the Voices parameter to 1. (Note that this parameter is only available in Classic Mode.
In One-Shot Mode, playback is always monophonic.)
Now, as you play the pads legato, the sample will transpose without changing playback posi-
tion. For best results, make sure Warp is on (in the Warp parameter bank). The Complex Pro
warp mode tends to sound best when transposing, but experiment with the various warp modes
to see which one works best or your particular sample.
29.8.3 Slicing Mode
Simpler’s Main Bank in Slicing Mode With Additional Edit Mode Controls.
In Slicing Mode, the Zoom, Start, and End controls unction the same as in Classic and One-
Shot Modes, as do the Warp as..., :2, x2, and Reverse buttons.
The Slice By chooser determines the specifc way in which slices will be created:
•Transient - Slices are placed on the sample’s transients automatically. The Sensitivity en-
coder determines how sensitive Simpler is to transient levels within the sample, and thus
how many slices will be automatically created. Higher numbers result in more slices, up to
a maximum o 64 slices.
Using Push 2 672
•Beat - Slices are placed at musical beat divisions. The Division encoder selects the beat
division at which Simpler will slice the sample region.
•Region - Slices are placed at equal time divisions. The Regions encoder selects the number
o evenly-spaced slices that will be created.
•Manual - When Manual is selected, no slices are placed automatically. Instead, slices are
created manually by enabling Pad Slicing and tapping empty pads as the sample plays
back. To create manual slices:
1. Tap a pad that contains a slice to begin playback rom that slice.
2. When the sample reaches the point at which you would like to create an additional slice (a
drum hit, or example), tap any empty pad.
3. A slice will be placed at this point and it will be assigned to a pad. Any pads that were
already assigned a ter this point will be shi ted “upward” on the pad grid.
4. Once the loop is sliced as you like it, turn Pad Slicing o .
In all slicing modes, slices are laid out rom le t to right in groups o our starting rom the bottom
le t pad. Each additional our slices is placed on the next our pads up. A ter the le t hal o the
pad grid is used, slices are placed along the bottom row on the right side o the pad grid, again
moving upwards in groups o our.
Using Push 2 673
Up to 64 Slices Can Be Created.
By de ault, the pad grid uses the 64-pad drum layout when in Slicing Mode. Pressing the Layout
button cycles between 64-pad, Loop Selector, and 16 Velocities modes.
The Playback encoder determines how many slices can be triggered simultaneously. Mono is
monophonic; only one pad can be played or sequenced at a time. When set to Poly, multiple
pads can be triggered together. When set to Through, playback is monophonic, but triggering
one slice will continue playback through the rest o the sample region.
The Trigger/Gate switch is the same concept as in One-Shot Playback Mode, but what you
actually hear depends on which Playback mode is selected.
Nudge allows you to adjust the position o each slice marker. This is especially use ul or fne-
tuning slices that you’ve created in Manual mode. For greater nudging accuracy, tap the pad
you’d like to adjust and use the Zoom encoder to get a closer look. Hold Shi t while adjusting
Nudge or extremely small adjustments.
Split Slice creates a new slice in the middle o the currently selected slice. This is also use ul in
Manual mode, in conjunction with Nudge, or fne-tuning slices created via Pad Slicing.
To delete a slice (either manually or automatically created), hold Delete and tap the corre-
sponding pad.
Using Push 2 674
29.9 Navigating in Note Mode

Now that you’ve created a ew tracks, you can continue to add more. But you may want to move
between already-existing tracks to continue working on musical ideas using those instruments
and devices. You can move directly to a new track using the lower display buttons or move se-
quentially to the previous or next track using the le t and right arrow buttons.
Arrow Buttons.
Note that selecting a MIDI track on Push 2 automatically arms it, so it can be played imme-
diately. In Live, track Arm buttons will appear pink to indicate that they have been armed via
selection.
Pink Track Arm Button.
You can also manually arm any track by holding the lower display button or that track, or by
holding the Record button and pressing the track’s lower display button.
This is use ul i , or example, you want to use Push 2 to record audio clips. In Live, a manually
armed track’s track Arm button will appear red. On Push 2’s display, manually armed tracks
appear with a special icon.
Using Push 2 675
Icon or a Manually Armed Track.
The specifc behavior o the Up/Down Arrows is determined by the Work ow mode, which is set
in Push 2’s Setup menu (page 694). In both modes, the Up/Down Arrows move up or down by
a single scene. In Scene Work ow, the selected scene is triggered. In Clip Work ow, only the
selected track’s clip is triggered. Clips in other tracks are not a ected.
Navigating with the Up/Down Arrows in Note Mode always begins playback immediately,
and a triggered clip will take over the play position rom whatever clip was played in that track
be ore. Note that this is the same behavior as i the clips were set to Legato Mode in Live (page
204).
29.10 Working With Instruments and E ects

Pressing the Device button puts Push 2 in Device Mode, which allows you to use the encoders to
control parameters in Live’s devices and third-party plug-ins.
Device Button.
In Device Mode, the upper display buttons select devices in the currently selected track, en-
abling their parameters or editing. The currently selected device is highlighted in the display.
Using Push 2 676
Device Mode Settings.
Once a device is selected, pressing its upper display button again will enter Edit Mode. When
in Edit Mode, the lower display buttons select additional pages o parameters or the selected
device.
Device Parameter Pages in Edit Mode.
When in Edit Mode, pressing the le tmost upper display button will take you back up to the De-
vice Mode’s top level.
Press the Le tmost Upper Display Button to Exit Edit Mode.

Using Push 2 677
Certain devices, such as Live’s Operator instrument (page 466), have more than eight pages
o parameters. When working with these devices in Edit Mode, the rightmost lower display but-
ton will show an arrow. Press this button to scroll to the additional pages (and then press the
le tmost lower display button to get back.)
Scroll to Additional Pages o Parameters.
29.10.1 Adding, Deleting, and Reordering Devices

To load additional devices such as MIDI or audio e ects to a track, press the Add Device but-
ton. This will open the Browser and display all device types that can be loaded to the current
track.
Add Device Button.
(Note: you can also load an instrument via the Add Device button, but be aware that this works
just like Browse Mode: You will replace the instrument that’s already on the track.)
As with Browse Mode, use the encoders or arrow keys to navigate between devices in the
browser, and the Load button to load the selected device or preset. Devices will load to the right
o the previously-selected device, although note that MIDI e ects will always be placed be ore
the instrument in the track and audio e ects will always be placed a ter it.
To delete a device, hold the Delete button and press the upper display button that corresponds
to the device.
Using Push 2 678
Deleting a Device.
To disable a device (without deleting it), hold the Mute button and press the upper display but-
ton that corresponds to the device. Disabled devices (and all o their parameters) appear gray in
the display.
To reenable a disabled device, hold Mute and again press the upper display button that corre-
sponds to the device.
Holding the Mute button or a ew moments will lock it on. You can then release Mute and toggle
devices on and o just by pressing the corresponding upper display button. Press Mute again to
unlock it.
To move a MIDI or audio e ect to a di erent position in the track’s chain o devices, press and
hold the upper display button that corresponds to the e ect. Then use any o the eight encoders
to scroll the device to the new position and release the upper display button.
29.10.2 Working with Racks

Instrument, Drum, and E ect Racks (page 281) allow or multiple chains o devices to be con-
tained within a single device. On Push 2’s display, Racks have special icons that distinguish them
rom regular devices.
A MIDI E ect Rack, an Instrument Rack, and an Audio E ect Rack.

Using Push 2 679
A Drum Rack.
To open a Rack, select it using the corresponding upper display button. Then press this button
again. The Rack will un old, revealing the devices in the currently selected chain. An un olded
Rack appears in the display with an underline that extends to the end o the enclosed devices.
Each press o a selected Rack’s upper display button will toggle it open or closed. (Note that
Drum Racks cannot be olded or un olded directly rom Push 2. They will appear in Push 2’s dis-
play as olded or un olded depending on how they were set within Live.)
Expand a Rack to Access Its Devices.
When the Rack itsel is selected, the eight encoders control the Rack’s Macros (page 296).
Once a Rack is open, you can select one o its contained devices by pressing the relevant upper
display button. A ter selecting a di erent device, the encoders will then control its parameters
instead.
Using Push 2 680
The Encoders Adjust Parameters or the Selected Device.
To access the devices on additional chains within a multi-chain Rack, press and hold the Rack’s
upper display button. The Rack’s chains will be shown at the bottom o the display and can be
selected via the corresponding lower display buttons.
Selecting a Chain Within a Rack.
29.11 Track Control And Mixing

To control volumes, pans, or sends with the encoders, press the Mix button.
Using Push 2 681
Mix Button.
Each press o the Mix button toggles between Track Mix Mode and Global Mix Mode. In Track
Mix Mode, the frst two upper display buttons select between mix parameters or the selected
track and input and output routing options or that track. The lower display buttons are used to
select the track. With Mix selected, the encoders adjust volume, pan, and send levels or the
currently selected track.
The Mix Controls in Track Mix Mode.
(Tip: Hold Shi t while adjusting the encoders or fne-tune control.)
I your Set contains more than six return tracks, the two rightmost upper display buttons will
change to arrows, which allow you to shi t the available parameters le t or right.
Using Push 2 682
Scroll to View Additional Sends.
With Input & Output selected, all o the track’s routing and monitoring options can be adjusted
rom the encoders.
The Input and Output Settings in Track Mix Mode.
In Global Mix Mode, the encoders adjust either volumes, pans, or send levels or the eight vis-
ible tracks. Select which parameter will be controlled via the upper display buttons.
Controlling the Pans or Eight Tracks.

Using Push 2 683
I your Set contains more than six return tracks, the rightmost upper display button will change
to an arrow, which allows you to shi t the available sends to the right. Volumes and Pans will
always remain visible.
I your Set contains more than eight tracks, the le t and right arrow keys allow you to shi t the
visible tracks le t or right.
Press the Master button to select the Master track. Press Master again to return to the previously
selected track.
The Master Track Button.
Note that when Split Stereo Pan Mode (page 231) is active while in Global Mix Mode, the
display will show the current pan value, but the pan dial will be disabled. In Track Mix Mode,
the display will show either the pan control or stereo pan sliders, depending on the active pan
mode.
29.11.1 Rack and Group Track Mixing

On Push 2’s display, Group Tracks and tracks that contain Instrument or Drum Racks have spe-
cial icons that distinguish them.
Using Push 2 684
A Group Track and Tracks Containing an Instrument Rack and a Drum Rack.
These types o tracks can be un olded, allowing you to use the Mix Modes to control the tracks
and chains within them. To un old one o these tracks, select it using the corresponding lower
display button. Then press this button again. The Group Track or Rack will un old, revealing the
enclosed tracks or chains. An un olded track appears in the display with an underline that ex-
tends to the end o the enclosed tracks or chains. Each press o a selected track’s lower display
button will toggle it open or closed.
Expand a Group Track or Track Containing a Rack to Mix its Contents.
Use the le t and right arrow keys to access additional chains or tracks that may have been
pushed o the display a ter un olding. Tip: When working with an un olded Drum Rack, hold
Select and tap a pad to jump to that pad in the mixer. This can make it easier to mix with a large
Drum Rack.
Using Push 2 685
29.12 Recording Automation

Changes that you make to device and mixer parameters can be recorded to your clips as au-
tomation, so that the sound will change over time as the clip plays. To record automation, press
Push 2’s Automation button so that it turns red.
Automation Button.
This toggles Live’s Session Automation Arm button, allowing you to record changes you make
to Push 2’s encoders as part o the clip. When you’re done recording parameter changes, press
the Automation button again to turn it o . To delete the changes you’ve recorded or a particular
parameter, press and hold the Delete button and touch the corresponding encoder. I automa-
tion hasn’t been recorded or a parameter, holding Delete and touching an encoder will reset
the corresponding parameter to its de ault value.
Automated parameters are shown with a white dot next to the parameter in the display. Param-
eters that you have overridden (by manually adjusting the parameter while not recording) will
show a gray dot.
Automated and/or Overridden Parameters are Indicated in the Display.
To reenable all automation that you have manually overridden press and hold Shi t and press
the Automation button.
Using Push 2 686
29.13 Step Sequencing Automation

In both the drum and melodic step sequencers, it’s possible to automate parameters or selected
step.
The parameters that are available will change depend on the display mode you are currently in.
When in Clip Mode, hold one or more steps to access note-specifc parameters (page 691).
When in Device Mode or Mix Mode, hold one or more steps in order to create and edit device
or mixer automation or only the selected step(s). While holding a step and tweaking an en-
coder, the corresponding parameter’s automation value will be adjusted specifcally or the time
represented by that step. Note that per-step automation can be created or any step, even i that
step doesn’t contain notes.
29.14 Clip Mode

Press the Clip button to enter Clip Mode, where you can adjust various parameters or the se-
lected clip.
Clip Button.
When working with an audio track, i no clip is selected, Push will prompt you to load a sample.
Using Push 2 687
Loading a Sample into an Empty Clip Slot in an Audio Track.
The display colors re ect the color o the clip, and the clip’s name is highlighted in the upper-le t
corner. Some o the adjustable parameters change depending on the type o clip selected.
In MIDI tracks containing Drum Racks, notes are displayed in their respective pad color. In all
MIDI tracks, the velocity o each note is indicated by its opacity.
Clip Mode With a MIDI Clip Selected.
When a clip is playing on the selected track, the display ollows the clip’s song position and
scrolls automatically.
For both MIDI and audio clips, the second upper display button toggles Loop on or o . With
Loop on, you can set the Loop Position, which is where within the clip the loop will begin. Loop
Length sets how many bars and/or beats long the loop is, as measured rom the loop position.
Start O set allows you to begin playback at a di erent point within the loop, rather than at the
loop’s start position. I the Loop Position and Start O set are at the same position, moving the
Using Push 2 688
Loop Position will result in the Start O set moving along with it. With Loop o , you can control
the Start and End position. This is the region that will play (once) when the clip is launched.
Hold Shi t while adjusting any o these controls to adjust by 16th-note subdivisions.
You can Zoom in or out o the sample with the frst encoder. The position you’ll zoom to is cen-
tered around the last position encoder you touched (Start, Length, Loop, etc.)
Clip Mode With an Audio Clip Selected.
When working with an audio clip, you can also set the clip’s Warp Mode, gain, and transpo-
sition. Hold Shi t while adjusting Transpose to adjust in cents rather than in whole semitones.
(Note: This adjusts the Detune parameter in Live’s Clip View.)
29.14.1 Using MIDI Tracks in Clip Mode

When working with MIDI tracks in Clip Mode, you can view and refne played or sequenced
MIDI rom Push 2.
The display will change depending on the currently selected pad layout.
In addition to the Zoom, Start, End, and Loop controls available in Clip Mode (page 686), all
pad layouts provide an additional Crop control, which lets you delete material that alls outside
the selected loop.
Using Push 2 689
29.14.2 Real-Time Playing Layouts

When recording your real-time playing using the 64 Notes, 64 Pads or 64 Slices layouts, Clip
Mode’s display lets you see the incoming MIDI notes, and the view adjusts so that all existing
notes ft on the display at the same time (Note that this “ olded” display is also shown in Session
Mode (page 692).)
Clip Mode’s Folded Display.
29.14.3 Sequencing Layouts

In the melodic and drum step sequencer layouts, a semi-transparent white box on the display
indicates the sequenceable area. This represents the area on the pads where you can add, de-
lete or adjust notes.
Clip Mode’s Sequenceable Area.
Each sequenceable area corresponds to one page o steps. A box on the ar le t side o the dis-
play indicates which pitch range the sequenceable area is in.
As notes are added, lines will appear on the ar le t side o the display. These lines indicate
which pitch ranges contain notes. You can use these indicator lines to fnd and edit notes quickly,
without looking at your computer screen.
Pitch ranges with a higher density o notes are represented by thicker lines.
Using Push 2 690
Pitch Range and Note Indicators in Clip Mode.
Melodic Sequencer
The Melodic Sequencer layout has a range o seven notes on each page. The sequenceable
area can be moved horizontally via the loop length pads or Page Le t/Right buttons, or verti-
cally via the Octave Up/Down buttons or touch strip.
Melodic Sequencer + 32 Notes

In this layout, the display will adjust to ft all notes in the clip. When a note(s) that exist in the clip
is selected, their sequenceable area will be highlighted on the display. This makes it quicker to
locate and edit steps containing the selected note(s). The sequenceable area can be moved
horizontally via the Page Le t/Right buttons or the loop length pads, which can be accessed
momentarily in the f th row by holding the Layout button.
Loop Length Pads in the Melodic Sequencer + 32 Notes Layout.

Using Push 2 691
Drums/Slicing Loop Selector and 16 Velocities
The Loop Selector and 16 Velocities layouts show the selected pad only. The sequenceable area
can be moved horizontally via the loop length pads or Page Le t/Right buttons, or vertically by
selecting a di erent pad.
29.14.4 Note-Speci c Parameters

When working in any sequencing layout in Clip Mode, you can adjust note settings or each
step. To access these settings, simply press and hold a step. The display will zoom to the page
containing that step, and switch the controls to the step’s note settings. Notes contained within
the selected step will be highlighted.
Hold a Step to Zoom its Page and Access Clip Mode’s Note Parameters.
You can then adjust the corresponding encoders in order to:
•Nudge notes backwards or orwards in time. The value represents the percentage that the
note is o set rom the previous grid line. (Negative values indicate that the note occurs
be ore the grid line.)
•adjust the coarse Length o the selected notes.
•Fine tune the length adjustment o the selected notes
•change the Velocity o the selected notes.
You can also adjust these note-specifc parameters or multiple steps at the same time. To do this,
press and hold all o the pads you’d like to adjust, and then tweak the encoders. The display will
show the range o values or the selected steps.
Tip: you can also create notes with your desired Nudge, Length, and Velocity values by holding
an empty step and then tweaking any o these encoders.
Using Push 2 692
When working with drums, you can adjust nudge, length, and velocity or every note played by
a particular pad by pressing and holding the Select button, pressing the pad, and then adjusting
the encoders.
29.15 Controlling Live’s Session View

Press Push 2’s Session button to switch rom Note Mode to Session Mode. (Press and hold the
Session button to temporarily toggle Session Mode. Releasing the button will then return to Note
Mode. Likewise, pressing and holding Note while in Session Mode will temporarily toggle Note
Mode.)
Session Button.
In Session Mode, the 8x8 pad grid will now launch clips and the Scene/Grid Buttons will launch
scenes. Pressing a pad triggers the clip in the corresponding location in Live’s Session View. I
the track is selected, pressing the button records a new clip.
The pads light up in di erent colors so you know what’s going on:
•The color o all playing or stopped clips is re ected on the pads.
•Playing clips pulse in their color.
•Recording clips pulse between red and the clip’s color.
Clip colors can be changed when in Session Mode. To do this, hold Shi t and press a pad that
contains a clip. Then tap one o the pads on the outer ring to choose that color or the selected
clip.
Pressing the Mute or Solo buttons will mute or solo the currently selected track, respectively.
Hold Mute or Solo and press any track’s lower display button to mute or solo that track. Holding
Using Push 2 693
the Mute or Solo button or a ew moments will lock it on. You can then release the button and
toggle tracks on and o just by pressing the corresponding lower display buttons. Press Mute or
Solo again to unlock it.
Pressing the Stop Clip button will stop the playing clip in the currently selected track. Hold Stop
Clip and press any track’s lower display button to stop the playing clip in that track.
Mute, Solo, and Stop Clip Buttons.
Holding the Stop Clip button or a ew moments will lock it on. You can then release Stop Clip
and stop clips just by pressing the lower display button or the track you would like to stop. While
Stop Clip is locked on, the lower display buttons will pulse or any tracks that contain a currently
playing clip. Press Stop Clip again to unlock it.
To stop all clips, press and hold Shi t, and then press Stop Clip.
Push 2 tells you what’s going on in the so tware, but, importantly, the so tware also re ects
what’s happening on the hardware. The clip slots currently being controlled by Push 2’s pad grid
are shown in Live with a colored border.
Hold the Duplicate button and press a clip to copy it. Continue holding Duplicate and tap an-
other clip slot to paste the clip there.
The arrows and Shi t button increase the scope o the eight-by-eight grid.
•Pressing the up or down arrows moves you up or down one scene at a time. Pressing the
Octave Up or Down buttons moves eight scenes up or down.
•The le t and right arrow keys move you le t or right one track at a time. The Page le t and
right buttons move eight tracks at a time.
While working in Session Mode when the ocus is on Clip Mode, the display is “ olded”, which
means all notes within a clip will ft on the display at any given time. Being able to see all notes
within a clip allows you to quickly identi y it be ore launching it. (Note: to select a clip without
launching it, press and hold the Select button while tapping the pad containing that clip.)
Using Push 2 694
While recording MIDI rom an external source (such as a MIDI sequencer or MIDI keyboard),
the olded display lets you see all incoming notes.
When in Session Mode, holding the Layout button gives you momentary access to the Session
Overview, which is explained in more detail below.
29.15.1 Session Overview

Push 2’s Session Overview lets you navigate through large Live Sets quickly without looking at
your computer screen.
Holding the Layout button gives you momentary access to Session Overview, where the pad
grid zooms out to reveal an overview o your Session View. You can also lock the Session Over-
view in place by holding Shi t and pressing the Layout button. To unlock the Session Overview,
press the Layout button again.
In the Session Overview, each pad represents an eight-scene-by-eight-track block o clips,

giving you a matrix o 64 scenes by 64 tracks. Hit a pad to ocus on that section o the Session
View. For example, pressing the pad in row three, column one will put the ocus on scenes 17-24
and tracks 1-8. Furthermore, each scene launch button represents a block o 64 scenes (i they
are available in your Set.)
In the Session Overview, the color coding is a little di erent:
•White: indicates the currently selected block o clips, which will be surrounded by the col-
ored border in the so tware.
•Green: there are clips playing in that block o clips (though that may not be the block o
clips selected).
•No color: there are no tracks or scenes in that range.
29.16 Setup Menu

Press the Setup button to adjust brightness, the sensitivity o Push 2’s velocity response, and other
settings.
Using Push 2 695
Setup Button.
Setup Options.
When Pad Sensitivity is turned up, it takes less orce to trigger a higher velocity. A Pad Sensitiv-
ity o 10 results in higher output levels at any given input velocity, while a setting o 0 results in
lower output levels at the same velocity. The de ault (and recommended) setting is 5.
Pad Gain boosts or cuts the overall velocity curve. Higher values shi t the curve towards the top
o the velocity range, while lower values reduce it. This control has a stronger e ect at medium
velocities. The de ault (and recommended) setting is 5.
Pad Dynamics adjusts the spread o velocities across the output range. At a setting o 10, most
velocities will result in high or low output, without much in the middle. At 0, most velocities will
result in medium output levels (assuming Pad Gain is set to 5). The de ault (and recommended)
setting is 5.
The easiest way to understand the relationship o the three velocity controls is by observing the
changes in the graphical curve below them. The striking orce (input) is shown on the horizontal
axis, while the output level is shown on the vertical axis.
Using Push 2 696
Tip: To use a linear velocity curve, set Pad Gain to 4 and Pad Dynamics to 7.
Display Light adjusts the brightness o Push 2’s display, while LED Brightness adjusts the bright-
ness o the pads and buttons. At very low LED Brightness settings, pads may appear to be the
wrong color. The de ault (and recommended) setting or both controls is 100%.
The Work ow option determines how Push 2 behaves when the Duplicate, New, or Up/Down
arrow buttons are pressed. Which mode you choose depends on how you like to organize your
musical ideas. In Scene Work ow (which is the de ault), musical ideas are organized and navi-
gated in scenes. In Clip Work ow, you’re working with only the currently selected clip.
In Scene Work ow:
•Duplicate creates a new scene containing all o the currently playing clips, and seamlessly
switches to playing them back. This is the same as the Capture and Insert Scene command
in Live’s Create menu (page 126).
•New is identical to Duplicate, except that it does not duplicate the currently selected clip.
Instead, an empty clip slot is prepared, allowing you to create a new idea in the current
track.
•the up and down arrows move up or down by a single scene. Playback o the clips in the
new scene begins seamlessly.
In Clip Work ow:
•Duplicate creates a copy o the currently selected clip in the next clip slot, while continuing
playback o any currently playing clips in other tracks. (Tip: hold Shi t while pressing Dupli-
cate to create a new scene containing all o the currently playing clips.)
•New prepares an empty clip slot on the currently selected track. Clips in other tracks are
not a ected.
•the up and down arrows move up or down by a single scene. Playback o the currently
selected track’s clip in the new scene begins seamlessly. Clips in other tracks are not a -
ected.
Using Push 2 697
29.17 Push 2 Control Re erence

The unction o each button and control is explained below.
Tap Tempo — As you press once every beat, the tempo o the Live Set will ollow your tapping.
taps to start song playback at the tapped tempo. The encoder above the button adjusts Live’s
tempo in increments o one BPM. Holding Shi t while adjusting will set the tempo in increments o
.1 BPM.
Metronome — Toggles Live’s metronome on or o . The right encoder sets the amount o swing
applied when Quantizing, Record Quantizing or when Repeat is pressed.
Delete — In Note Mode, this button deletes the selected clip. When working with a Drum Rack,
hold Delete and press a pad to delete that pad’s notes in the clip (or the pad itsel i there are
no recorded notes). In Session Mode, hold Delete and then press a clip to delete that clip. Hold
Delete and select a device or track with the upper and lower display buttons to delete the device
or track. Hold Delete and touch an encoder to delete automation controlled by that encoder. I
automation has not been recorded or a particular parameter, holding Delete and touching the
corresponding encoder will reset that parameter to its de ault value. In Simpler’s Slicing Mode,
hold Delete and tap a pad to delete that slice. I the Arrangement View is in ocus in Live, presing
Delete will delete the currently selected clip in the Arrangement.
Undo — Undoes the last action. Press and hold Shi t while pressing Undo to Redo. Note that
Push 2’s Undo button applies Live’s Undo unctionality, so it will undo actions in your Live Set
even i they were done without using Push 2.
Mute — Mutes the currently selected track. Hold Mute while pressing another track’s lower
display button to mute that track. Hold Mute while pressing a Drum Rack pad to mute the pad.
Hold Mute while pressing a step sequencer step to deactivate the step. Hold Mute while press-
ing a device’s upper display button to deactivate the device. Holding the Mute button or a ew
moments will lock it on. You can then release Mute and toggle devices or tracks on and o just
by pressing the corresponding upper or lower display buttons. Press Mute again to unlock it.
Solo — Solos the currently selected track. Hold Solo while pressing another track’s lower display
button to solo that track. Hold Solo while pressing a Drum Rack pad to solo the pad. Holding the
Solo button or a ew moments will lock it on. You can then release Solo and toggle a track’s solo
on and o just by pressing the corresponding lower display button. Press Solo again to unlock it.
Using Push 2 698
Stop Clip — Stops the playing clip in the currently selected track. Hold Stop Clip and press any
track’s lower display button to stop the playing clip in that track. While Stop Clip is held down,
the lower display buttons will pulse or any tracks that contain a currently playing clip. Press Stop
Clip again to unlock it. Hold Shi t and press Stop Clip to stop all clips.
Convert — Converts the current instrument or clip into a di erent ormat. The details o the con-
version depend on what is selected when you press Convert:
•While working with a Simpler in either Classic or One-Shot Mode (page 666), pressing
Convert will create a new MIDI track containing a Drum Rack, with a copy o the Simpler
on the frst pad. All other devices that were in the original track will also be copied to the
new track.
•While working with a Simpler in Slicing Mode, pressing Convert will replace the Simpler
on the same track with a Drum Rack that contains all o the slices mapped to individual
pads.
•While working with a Drum Rack, pressing Convert will create a new MIDI track contain-
ing all o the devices that were on the selected pad.
•While working with an audio clip, pressing Convert allows you to choose between:
― Creating a new MIDI track containing a Simpler or a new MIDI track containing a
Drum Rack, with the sample loaded to a Simpler on the frst pad. Warp markers and
related settings will be preserved in the new Simpler, as will all other devices that
were in the original track.
― Converting a Harmony (page 192), Melody (page 192), or Drums (page 193)
to a new MIDI track.
Double Loop — Doubles the material within the loop, as well as the length o the loop.
Quantize — Press and release to quantize the selected notes (or all notes in the clip i there is no
selection). Hold Quantize and press a drum pad to quantize that pad’s notes. For audio clips,
Quantize will a ect transients. Press and hold Quantize to access quantization settings. A ter
changing these settings, press once to exit and then press and release to apply your changes.
Duplicate — In Scene Work ow, Duplicate creates a new scene containing all o the currently
playing clips. In Clip Work ow, Duplicate creates a copy o the currently selected clip in the
next clip slot, while continuing playback o any currently playing clips in other tracks. Hold Du-
plicate while pressing a Drum Rack pad to copy the pad and paste it to a new location in the
Using Push 2 699
Drum Rack. Hold Duplicate while pressing a track selection button to duplicate that track. In
Session Mode, hold Duplicate and press a clip to copy it. Continue holding Duplicate and tap
another clip slot to paste the clip there.
New — Pressing New stops the selected clip and prepares Live to record new material. This al-
lows you to practice be ore making a new recording.
Fixed Length — When enabled, all newly created clips will be a fxed number o bars. When
disabled, new clips will continue to record until you press the Record, New or Play/Stop but-
tons. Press and hold, then use the lower display buttons to speci y the fxed recording length. Tip:
enabling Fixed Length while recording will switch recording o and loop the last ew bars o the
clip, depending on the Fixed Length setting.
Automate — Toggles Live’s Automation Record button. When on, your parameter changes will
be recorded into playing Session View clips. Hold Shi t and press Automate to reenable any
automation that you have overridden. Hold Delete and press the Automation button to delete all
automation in a clip.
Record — With the Session View ocused in Live, press the Record button to begin recording a
Session clip. Pressing Record again will stop recording but will continue playing back the clip.
Pressing Record a third time will enable overdub mode, allowing you to record into the clip while
it plays back. Hold Record and press the lower display button or a track to manually arm it.
With the Arrangement View ocused in Live, pressing Record will toggle Arrangement Recording
on and o . You can also trigger Arrangement Recording while Live’s Session View is in ocus by
holding Shi t and pressing Record. Note that this behavior is reversed when the Arrangement is
in ocus; holding Shi t and pressing Record will then toggle Session recording.
Play/Stop — Toggles the play button in Live’s transport bar. While already stopped, hold Shi t
and press Play/Stop to return Live’s transport to 1.1.1 without starting playback.
Touch Strip — When an instrument track is selected, the touch strip adjusts pitch bend or modu-
lation wheel amount when playing in real-time, or the available range o notes when step se-
quencing. Pitch bend is selected by de ault when an instrument track is selected. To change the
unctionality o the touch strip, hold Select and tap the strip. This toggles between pitch bend
and mod wheel unctionality each time you tap it. The display will brie y show the current mode
each time you change it. Note that pitch bend and modulation wheel unctionality is only avail-
able when playing instruments in real time, and not when using the Melodic Sequencer. When a
Drum Rack track is selected, the touch strip selects the Drum Rack bank.
Using Push 2 700
Encoders and display buttons — The encoders and the two banks o eight buttons above and
below the display change unction depending on a variety o actors, including the selected
track type, the current mode, etc. In all modes, the ar-right encoder controls the volume o the
Master track (or the Pre-Cue volume i Shi t is held.) Holding Shi t while adjusting any o the
encoders allows you to fne-tune whichever parameter is currently being controlled by that en-
coder.
Add Device — Opens Browse Mode to add a new device to the currently selected track. De-
vices will load to the right o the previously-selected device, although note that MIDI e ects will
always be placed be ore the instrument in the track and audio e ects will always be placed
a ter it.
Add Track — Puts Push 2 into Browse Mode, allowing you to select which type o track you’d
like to add (MIDI, Audio, or Return) and optionally load a device to the new track at the same
time. I the Add Track button is pressed while a track within a Group Track is selected, any new
tracks will be inserted into that Group Track.
Master — Press the Master button to select the Master track. Press Master again to return to the
previously selected track.
Scene/Grid buttons — These buttons change their unctionality depending on whether Session
Mode or Note Mode is selected. When Session Mode is selected, these buttons launch Session
View scenes. (Tip: hold the Select button while pressing a Scene button to select the scene with-
out launching it.) When Note Mode is selected, the Scene/Grid buttons determine the rhythmic
resolution o the step sequencer grid and the rhythmic resolution o repeated notes (when Repeat
is enabled.)
Setup — Press to adjust brightness, the sensitivity o Push 2’s velocity response, and other set-
tings (page 694).
User — All o Push 2’s built-in unctionality can be disabled via User Mode. This allows Push 2
to be reprogrammed to control alternate unctions in Live or other so tware. (Tip: Push 2’s rela-
tive encoders work best in “Relative (2’s Comp.)” mode. To ensure this mode is selected, turn the
encoder slowly to the le t during mapping.)
Device — Press to enter Device Mode, which allows you to use the encoders and upper display
buttons to control parameters in Live’s devices and third-party plug-ins (page 675). While in
another mode, press and hold to temporarily toggle to Device Mode. Releasing the button will
then return to the previous mode.
Using Push 2 701
Browse — Press to enter Browse Mode, where you can load instruments and e ects to tracks.
(page 636)
Mix — Each press o the Mix button toggles between Track Mix Mode and Global Mix Mode.
In Track Mix Mode, the encoders adjust volume, pan, and send levels or the currently selected
track. The lower display buttons are used to select the track (page 680). While in another
mode, press and hold to temporarily toggle to Mix Mode. Releasing the button will then return
to the previous mode.
Clip — Press to enter Clip Mode, where you can adjust parameters or the selected clip (page
686). While in another mode, press and hold to temporarily toggle to Clip Mode. Releasing
the button will then return to the previous mode.
Arrow Keys — Navigate through your Live Set (in Session Mode) and between tracks or scenes/
clips (in Note Mode). In Browse Mode, use the arrows to move between columns o items in the
browser.
Repeat — when Repeat is enabled, holding down a pad will retrigger the note. The Scene/Grid
buttons change the rhythmic value o the repeated note. Press and hold Repeat to temporarily
enable it.
Accent — when Accent is enabled, all incoming notes (whether step sequenced or played in
real-time) are played at ull velocity. Press and hold Accent to temporarily enable it.
Scale — When Note Mode is on and an instrument track is selected, pressing this button allows
you to select which scale will be played on the pads. Note that this button has no e ect when a
Drum Rack track is selected or when in Session Mode.
•Fixed On/O : When Fixed Mode is on, the notes on the pad grid remain in the same posi-
tions when you change keys; the bottom-le t pad will always play C (except in keys that
don’t contain a C, in which case the bottom-le t pad will play the nearest note in the key.)
When Fixed is o , the notes on the pad grid shi t so that the bottom-le t pad always plays
the root o the selected key.
•In Key/Chromatic: With In Key selected, the pad grid is e ectively “ olded” so that only
notes within the key are available. In Chromatic Mode, the pad grid contains all notes.
Notes that are in the key are lit, while notes that are not in the key are unlit.
•Scale selection: Using the upper and lower display buttons, you can change the key
played by the pad grid. You can change to a variety o scale types using encoders 2
through 7.
Using Push 2 702
Layout — Press to change the layout o the pad grid. When in Session Mode, Layout toggles the
Session Overview on or o (page 694). When in Note Mode, the layout options depend on
the type o track that is currently selected and the current mode.
•MIDI track containing an instrument — toggles between enabling the pad grid or realtime
playing o notes and melodic step sequencing.
•MIDI track containing a Drum Rack (or a Simpler in Slicing Mode) — toggles between the
three-section pad grid (real-time playing, step sequencing, and loop length) and the 64-
pad layout.
Note — Press to enter Note Mode. When enabled, the pads change unctionality based on the
type o track that is currently selected. While in Session Mode, press and hold Note to tempo-
rarily toggle to Note Mode. Releasing the button will then return to Session mode.
•MIDI track containing an instrument — the pads plays notes (or slices o a sample, when
using Simpler in Slicing Mode.) Pressing Layout toggles between real-time playing and
step sequencing.
•MIDI track containing a Drum Rack — with the Loop Selector layout selected, the pad grid
is divided; the lower-le t 16 pads play the Drum Rack, the lower-right 16 pads adjust the
loop length o the clip, and the upper our rows control the step sequencer. Press Layout to
switch to 16 Velocities layout. Here, the bottom right 16 pads represent 16 di erent veloci-
ties or the selected Drum Rack pad. Press Layout again to switch to the 64-pad layout,
Session — Press to enter Session Mode. When enabled, the pad grid changes to launch clips in
Live’s Session View. While in Note Mode, press and hold Session to temporarily toggle to Ses-
sion Mode. Releasing the button will then return to Note Mode.
Octave Up/Down — I an instrument track is selected, these buttons shi t the pads up or down
by octave. I a Drum Rack is selected, these buttons shi t the Drum Rack’s pad overview up or
down by 16 pads. In Session Mode, these buttons shi t control o the Session View up or down
by eight scenes. These buttons will be unlit i no additional octaves are available.
Page Le t/Right — When working with the drum or melodic step sequencers, these buttons navi-
gate to the previous or next page o steps. In Session Mode, these buttons shi t control o the
Session View le t or right by eight tracks.
Shi t — Press and hold Shi t while pressing other buttons to access additional unctionality. Hold
Shi t while turning encoders or fner resolution.
Using Push 2 703
Select — In Session Mode, hold Select and press a clip to select the clip without launching it.
This will also display the clip name in the display. In Note Mode, hold Select and press a Drum
Rack pad to select it without triggering the pad.
Footswitches
Two ports on the back o Push 2 allow you to connect momentary ootswitches. Footswitch 1
acts as a sustain pedal. Footswitch 2 gives you hands- ree control o Push 2’s recording unction-
ality. A single tap o the ootswitch will toggle the Record button, thus switching between record-
ing/overdubbing and playback o the current clip. Quickly double-tapping the ootswitch is the
same as pressing the New button.
Note that certain ootswitches may behave “backwards”; or example, notes may sustain only
when the pedal is not depressed. Footswitch polarity can usually be corrected by connecting the
ootswitch to the port while depressing it, but we recommend using ootswitches with a physical
polarity switch.
Using Push 2 704
Chapter 30
Link, Synchronization, and

ReWire
Ableton Link is a technology that keeps devices in time over a wired or wireless network. Link is
built into Live as well as a growing number o iOS applications, and any Link-enabled so tware
can play in time with any other Link-enabled so tware simply by joining the same network.
When using Link, you can start and stop playback o each device or application independently
o every other connected device or application. Link-enabled so tware will remain in tempo as
well as at the correct position in relation to the global launch quantization o all participants.
30.1 Setting up Link

To confgure Live to use Link, frst make sure that your computer is connected to the same network
as any other devices that you will use Link with. This can either be a local network or an ad-hoc
(computer-to-computer) connection. Then open Live’s Link/MIDI Pre erences and enable the
button next to “Show Link Toggle.”
Showing the Link Toggle in Live’s Pre erences.
It is possible to sync start and stop commands across all connected apps that have Start Stop
Sync enabled. To do this, click the button next to “Start Stop Sync”.
The Start Stop Sync Toggle in Live’s Pre erences.
30.2 Using Link

The Link toggle in Live’s Control Bar will appear. Click to toggle Link on or o .
Link Toggle.
When on, the toggle will update to show the number o other Link-enabled apps or instances o
Live that are on the same network.
Link Indicator Showing Another Connection.
I at least one other Link-enabled app or instance o Live is connected, the Arrangement Position
display will show a moving “progress bar” whenever Live’s transport is not running. This bar is
a representation o the Live Set’s global launch quantization in relation to that o the other par-
ticipants in the Link session. A ter you trigger playback, Live will wait until this bar is flled be ore
starting.
Arrangement Position Shows Relation to Link Timeline.
The frst app or Live instance to join a Link session will set the initial tempo or the others. Any
Link-enabled apps or instances o Live can then change their tempo at any time and all others
will ollow. I multiple participants try to change the tempo simultaneously, everyone else will try
to ollow, but the last one who changes the tempo will “win.”
Tempo changes made by any participant in a Link session will override tempo automation in
your Live Set.
Note that the metronome’s recording count-in (page 254) cannot be used when Link is en-
abled.
In most cases, Link will work without issues as soon as it is enabled and will provide reliable syn-
chronization under all conditions. I you have urther questions or run into issues, we recommend
checking out the Link FAQ at the Ableton website6.
6 https://www.ableton.com/help/article/link- aq/
30.3 Synchronizing via MIDI

I you’re working with devices that don’t support Link, you can synchronize via MIDI. The MIDI
protocol defnes two ways to synchronize sequencers, both o which are supported by Live. Both
protocols work with the notion o a sync master, which delivers a sync signal that is tracked by
the sync slave(s).
MIDI Clock: MIDI Clock works like a metronome ticking at a ast rate. The rate o the incoming
ticks is tempo-dependent: Changing the tempo at the sync master (e.g., a drum machine) will
cause the slave to ollow the change. The MIDI Clock protocol also provides messages that indi-
cate the song position. With respect to MIDI Clock, Live can act as both a MIDI sync master and
slave.
MIDI Timecode: MIDI Timecode is the MIDI version o the SMPTE protocol, the standard means
o synchronizing tape machines and computers in the audio and flm industry. A MIDI Timecode
message specifes a time in seconds and rames (subdivisions o a second). Live will interpret a
Timecode message as a position in the Arrangement. Timecode messages carry no meter-relat-
ed in ormation; when slaving Live to another sequencer using MIDI Timecode, you will have to
adjust the tempo manually. Tempo changes cannot be tracked. Detailed MIDI Timecode pre er-
ences are explained later in this chapter (page 709). With respect to MIDI Timecode, Live can
only act as a MIDI sync slave, not a master.
30.3.1 Synchronizing External MIDI Devices to Live

Live can send MIDI Clock messages to an external MIDI sequencer (or drum machine). A ter
connecting the sequencer to Live and setting it up to receive MIDI sync, turn the device on as a
sync destination in Live’s Link/MIDI Pre erences.
Choosing a MIDI Slave or Live.
The lower indicator LED next to the Control Bar’s EXT button will ash when Live is sending sync
messages to external sequencers.
30.3.2 Synchronizing Live to External MIDI Devices

Live can be synchronized via MIDI to an external sequencer. A ter connecting the sequencer to
Live and setting it up to send sync, use Live’s Link/MIDI Pre erences to tell Live about the connec-
tion.
Setting up Live as a MIDI Slave.
When an external sync source has been enabled, the EXT button appears in the Control Bar.
You can then activate external sync either by switching on this button or by using the External
Sync command in the Options menu. The upper indicator LED next to the EXT button will ash i
Live receives useable sync messages.
The External Sync Switch.
When Live is synced to an external MIDI device, it can accept song position pointers rom this
device, syncing it not only in terms o tempo but in terms o its position in the song. I the master
jumps to a new position within the song, Live will do the same. However, i the Control Bar’s
Loop switch is activated, playback will be looped, and song position pointers will simply be
“wrapped“ into the length o the loop.
Note: When Link is enabled, Live can send MIDI clock in ormation to external devices, but can-
not receive it; the External Sync switch is disabled when Link is enabled.
MIDI Timecode Options

Timecode options can be set up per MIDI device. Select a MIDI device rom the Link/MIDI Pre -
erences’ MIDI Ports list to access the settings.
The MIDI Timecode Frame Rate setting is relevant only i “MIDI Timecode“ is chosen rom the
MIDI Sync Type menu. The MIDI Timecode Rate chooser selects the type o Timecode to which
Live will synchronize. All o the usual SMPTE rame rates are available. When the Rate is set to
“SMPTE All,“ Live will auto-detect the Timecode ormat o incoming sync messages and interpret
the messages accordingly. Note that you can adjust the Timecode ormat that is used or display
in the Arrangement View: Go to the Options menu, and then access the Time Ruler Format sub-
menu.
The MIDI Timecode O set setting is also only relevant i “MIDI Timecode“ is chosen rom the
Sync Type menu. You can speci y a SMPTE time o set using this control. Live will interpret this
value as the Arrangement’s start time.
30.3.3 Sync Delay

The Sync Delay controls, which are separately available or each MIDI device, allow you to
delay Live’s internal time base against the sync signal. This can be use ul in compensating or de-
lays incurred by the signal transmission. The Sync Delay or a specifc MIDI device appears as
you select the MIDI device rom the Link/MIDI Pre erences’ MIDI Ports list. To adjust the delay,
have both Live and the other sequencer play a rhythmical pattern with pronounced percussive
sounds. While listening to the output rom both, adjust the Sync Delay control until both sounds
are in per ect sync.
Adjusting Sync Delay.
30.4 Connecting via ReWire

Live supports the ReWire inter ace or connecting with another ReWire-compatible audio pro-
gram running on the same computer.
The ReWire technology, developed by Propellerhead So tware, provides ReWire-compatible

programs with:
•common access to the audio hardware;
•shared transport unctionality;
•synchronization to audio word clock and song positioning;
•exchange o audio streams.
The programs in a ReWire connection play distinct roles: The ReWire master accesses the audio
hardware and provides mixing acilities; the ReWire slave(s) have no direct link to the audio
hardware, but instead send their audio output into the Master’s mixer.
Common ReWire master applications are Pro Tools, Cubase, Nuendo, Logic, Digital Per ormer,
Sonar and Max/MSP. Common ReWire slave applications are Reason, Rebirth, Storm, Project 5
and Max/MSP. Live can act as both a ReWire master and slave.
Note that the ReWire protocol itsel does not consume much CPU power. However, as expected,
running two audio-intensive programs on the same computer requires more resources than run-
ning a single program.
30.4.1 Running Live in ReWire Master Mode

The step-by-step procedure or sending MIDI to and receiving audio rom a ReWire slave pro-
gram is presented in the routing chapter (page 217).
30.4.2 Running Live in ReWire Slave Mode

In ReWire slave mode, Live can both receive MIDI rom, but also send audio to the master ap-
plication. All o Live’s MIDI tracks are accessible to the master application as destinations or
MIDI signals, and all o its audio tracks and MIDI tracks containing instruments are accessible as
audio sources.
I you have not used Live yet, please launch Live so that it can install its ReWire engine in your
system.
Live will run in ReWire slave mode i it detects a running ReWire master application upon startup.
There ore, always start the ReWire master application frst, and then start Live.
Likewise, you will frst have to quit Live, then the ReWire master application.
Live’s operation in ReWire slave mode di ers rom the usual operation in some regards:
•Live will not have direct access to the audio inter aces; audio input/output is handled by
the ReWire master application. No audio input will be available to Live.
•The sample rate is determined by the host application rather than by Live.
•External synchronization will be disabled (synchronize to the ReWire master application

instead). Live will not send sync or controller messages to the MIDI output. Controlling Live
via MIDI is still possible.
•Live will not act as a ReWire master application. For instance, you cannot run Rebirth as a
ReWire slave o Live while Live is running as a ReWire slave o Cubase. You can, however,
run both Live and Rebirth as ReWire slaves o Cubase at the same time.
•Time signature and tempo will be determined by the settings in the ReWire master applica-
tion. I your Live Set contains any tempo or time signature changes, they will be ignored.
•Using Link is not possible when Live is used as a ReWire slave. Link can be used, however,
when Live is the ReWire master.
30.4.3 More on ReWire

You can fnd additional in ormation about confguring and using ReWire at Ableton’s website7.
I you cannot seem to fnd an answer there, please contact the Ableton support team8.
7 https://www.ableton.com/help/article/using-live-rewire/
8 http://www.ableton.com/support
Chapter 31
Computer Audio Resources and

Strategies
Real-time audio processing is a demanding task or general-purpose computers, which are usu-
ally designed to run spreadsheets and sur the Internet. An application like Live requires a pow-
er ul CPU and a ast hard disk. This section will provide some insight on these issues, and should
help you avoid and solve problems with running audio on a computer.
31.1 Managing the CPU Load

To output a continuous stream o sound through the audio hardware, Live has to per orm a
huge number o calculations every second. I the processor can’t keep up with what needs to be
calculated, the audio will have gaps or clicks. Factors that a ect computational speed include
processor clock rates (e.g., speed in MHz or GHz), architecture, memory cache per ormance
(how e fciently a processor can grab data rom memory) and system bus bandwidth — the com-
puter’s “pipeline“ through which all data must pass. For this reason, many people involved with
pro audio use computers that are optimized or musical applications.
Fortunately, Live supports multicore and multiprocessor systems, allowing the processing load
rom things like instruments, e ects and I/O to be distributed among the available resources.
Depending on the machine and the Live Set, the available processing power can be several
times that o older systems.
The CPU Load Meter.

The Control Bar’s CPU meter displays how much o the computer’s computational potential is
currently being used. For example, i the displayed percentage is 10 percent, the computer is just
coasting along. I the percentage is 100 percent, the processing is being maxed out — it’s likely
that you will hear gaps, clicks or other audio problems. Note that the CPU meter takes into ac-
count only the load rom processing audio, not other tasks the computer per orms (e.g., manag-
ing Live’s user inter ace).
Audio calculations have the highest priority in Live. There ore, even i the CPU shows a high
percentage o processor usage, the audio stream should remain uninterrupted. However, non-
critical unctions (such as screen redraws) might slow down because these tasks are handled
only when the audio processing “lightens up“ a bit.
31.1.1 CPU Load rom Multichannel Audio

One source o constant CPU drain is the process o moving data to and rom the audio hard-
ware. This drain can be minimized by disabling any inputs and outputs that are not required in a
project. There are two buttons in the Audio Pre erences to access the Input and Output Confgu-
ration dialogs, which allow activating or deactivating individual ins and outs.
Live does not automatically disable unused channels, because the audio hardware drivers usu-
ally produce an audible “hiccup“ when there is a request or an audio confguration change.
31.1.2 CPU Load rom Tracks and Devices

Generally, every track and device being used in Live incurs some amount o CPU load. How-
ever, Live is “smart“ and avoids wasting CPU cycles on tracks and devices that do not contribute
anything use ul.
For example, dragging devices into a Live Set that is not running does not signifcantly increase
the CPU load. The load increases only as you start playing clips or eed audio into the e ects.
When there is no incoming audio, the e ects are deactivated until they are needed again. (I the
e ect produces a “tail,“ like reverbs and delays, deactivation occurs only a ter all calculations
are complete.)
While this scheme is very e ective at reducing the average CPU load o a Live Set, it cannot
reduce the peak load. To make sure your Live Set plays back continuously, even under the most
intense conditions, play back a clip in every track simultaneously, with all devices enabled.
31.1.3 Track Freeze

Live‘s Freeze Track command can greatly help in managing the CPU load incurred by devices
and clip settings. When you select a track and execute the Freeze Track command, Live will
create a sample fle or each Session clip in the track, plus one or the Arrangement. Therea ter,
clips in the track will simply play back their “ reeze fles“ rather than repeatedly calculating
processor-intensive device and clip settings in real time. The Freeze Track command is available
rom Live‘s Edit menu and rom the [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) context menu o tracks
and clips. Be aware that it is not possible to reeze a Group Track (page 236); you can only
reeze tracks that hold clips.
Normally, reezing happens very quickly. But i you reeze a track that contains an External
Audio E ect (page 369) or External Instrument (page 461) that routes to a hardware e ects
device or synthesizer, the reezing process happens in real-time. Live will automatically detect i
real-time reezing is necessary, and you‘ll be presented with several options or managing the
process. Please see the section on real-time rendering (page 80) or an explanation o these
options.
Once any processing demands have been addressed (or you have upgraded your machine!),
you can always select a rozen track and choose Un reeze Track rom the Edit menu to change
device or clip settings. On slower machines, you can un reeze processor-intensive tracks one at
a time to make edits, reezing them again when you are done.
Many editing unctions remain available to tracks that are rozen. Launching clips can still be
done reely, and mixer controls such as volume, pan and the sends are still available. Other pos-
sibilities include:
•Edit, cut, copy, paste, duplicate and trim clips;
•Draw and edit mixer automation and mixer clip envelopes;
•Consolidate;
•Record Session View clip launches into the Arrangement View;
•Create, move and duplicate Session View scenes;
•Drag rozen MIDI clips into audio tracks.
When per orming edits on rozen tracks that contain time-based e ects such as reverb, you
should note that the audible result may be di erent once the track is again un rozen, depending
on the situation. This is because, i a track is rozen, the applied e ects are not being calculated
at all, and there ore cannot change their response to re ect edited input material. When the
track is again un rozen, all e ects will be recalculated in real time.
A Frozen Arrangement Track with a Reverb Tail.
Frozen Arrangement View tracks will play back any relevant material extending beyond the
lengths o their clips (e.g., the “tails“ o Reverb e ects). These rozen tails will appear in the Ar-
rangement as crosshatched regions located adjacent to their corresponding clips. They are
treated by Live as separate, “temporary“ clips that disappear when un rozen, since the e ect is
then calculated in real time. There ore, when moving a rozen clip in the Arrangement, you will
usually want to select the second, rozen tail clip as well, so that the two remain together.
For rozen Session clips, only two loop cycles are included in the rozen clip, which means that
clips with unlinked clip envelopes (page 321) may play back di erently a ter two loop cycles
when rozen.
Dragging a rozen clip to the drop area in the Session View or Arrangement View will create a
new rozen track containing that clip. I a clip is partially selected in the Arrangement, the new
rozen track will contain the selected portion o the clip only.
The samples generated by the Freeze Track command are stored in your temporary recording
older until you save your Live Set, at which point they are moved to the ollowing project older
sub-directory: Samples/Processed/Freeze. Please note that reeze fles or tracks that contain
an External Instrument or External Audio E ect will be discarded immediately when un reezing.
You can also decide to atten rozen tracks, which completely replaces the original clips and
devices with their audible result. The Flatten command is available rom the Edit menu.
Besides providing an opportunity to conserve CPU resources on tracks containing a large num-
ber o devices, the Track Freeze command simplifes sharing projects between computers. Com-
puters that are a bit low on processing power can be used to run large Live Sets as long as any
CPU-intensive tracks are rozen. This also means that computers lacking certain devices used in
one Live Set can still play the Set when the relevant device tracks are rozen.
31.2 Managing the Disk Load

A hard drive’s access speed (which is related to, but not the same thing as rotational speed)
can limit Live’s per ormance. Most audio-optimized computers use 7200 RPM or aster drives.
Laptops, to save power, o ten use 5400 RPM or slower drives, which is why projects on laptops
usually have lower track counts. The amount o disk tra fc Live generates is roughly proportional
to the number o audio channels being written or read simultaneously. A track playing a stereo
sample causes more disk tra fc than a track playing a mono sample.
The Disk Overload Indicator.
The Disk Overload indicator ashes when the disk was unable to read or write audio quickly
enough. When recording audio, this condition causes a gap in the recorded sample; when play-
ing back, you will hear dropouts.
Do the ollowing to avoid disk overload:
•Reduce the amount o audio channels being written by choosing mono inputs instead o
stereo inputs in the Audio Pre erences’ Channel Confguration dialog.
•Use RAM Mode (page 147) or selected clips.
•Reduce the number o audio channels playing by using mono samples instead o stereo
samples when possible. You can convert stereo samples to mono using any standard digi-
tal audio editing program, which can be called up rom within Live (page 87).
Chapter 32
Audio Fact Sheet

Prior to the release o Live 7, much o Ableton‘s development e ort was ocused on care ully and
objectively testing Live‘s undamental audio per ormance. As a result o this testing, we have
implemented a number o low-level improvements to the audio engine. We have also written this
act sheet to help users understand exactly how their audio is (or is not) being modifed when us-
ing certain eatures in Live that are o ten misunderstood, as well as tips or achieving the highest
quality results.
As mentioned above, the ocus o our research has been on objective (that is, quantifable and
measurable) behavior. We make no claims about what you can hear because we can‘t possibly
predict the variables that make up your listening environment, audio hardware, hearing sensitiv-
ity, etc. Furthermore, this paper makes no claims about how Live compares to other audio so t-
ware. Rather, it is a summary o measurable acts about what Live actually does under various
conditions.
32.1 Testing and Methodology

As o this writing, every version o Live is subjected to a suite o 473 automated tests that cover
every aspect o Live‘s unctionality. We add additional tests as we add eatures, and we will
never release an update unless it passes every test.
32.2 Neutral Operations

Procedures in Live that will cause absolutely no change in audio quality are re erred to as neu-
tral operations. You can be sure that using these unctions will never cause any signal degrada-
tion. Applying neutral operations to audio that was recorded into Live ensures that the audio will
be unchanged rom the point o analog-to-digital conversion. Applying neutral operations to
fles imported into Live ensures that the imported audio will be identical to the fles saved on disk.
Applying neutral operations to fles being exported rom Live ensures that the quality o your
output fle will be at least as high as what you heard during playback.
The list o neutral operations ound below is provided primarily as an abstract re erence; while
all o these operations are, in act, neutral, it is important to remember that each o them may
(and almost certainly will) occur within a context that also contains non-neutral operations. For
example, running an audio signal through an e ects device is a non-neutral operation. So any
neutral operations that occur a ter it will, o course, still result in audio that is altered in some
way. Even a gain change is, technically, non-neutral.
Neutral operations include:
32.2.1 Undithered Rendering

The Export Audio/Video (page 74) command renders Live’s audio output to a fle on disk.
Rendering is a neutral operation under certain conditions:
•the sample rate o the rendered fle is the same as that set or the audio hardware in Live‘s
Pre erences.
•no non-neutral operations have been applied.
Live‘s rendering per ormance is tested by loading three types o unprocessed audio fles (white
noise, fxed- requency sine waves and sine sweeps) in 16-, 24- and 32-bit word lengths and
rendering these to output fles, also with varying bit resolutions. Phase cancellation testing o the
original and output fles shows the ollowing:
•rendering to a fle with the same bit depth as the original results in complete phase cancel-
lation.
•rendering to a fle with a higher bit depth than the original results in complete phase can-
cellation.
•rendering to a fle with a lower bit depth than the original results in the smallest amount o
distortion possible within a 32-bit system.
32.2.2 Matching sample rate/no transposition

Playback o an unstretched audio fle in Live is a neutral operation, provided that the fle‘s sam-
ple rate is the same as that set in Live‘s Pre erences and that the fle is played back without trans-
position. This is verifed by cancellation tests o rendered output. Please note that “playback“ in
this context re ers only to the audio within Live, prior to the point at which it reaches your audio
hardware.
32.2.3 Unstretched Beats/Tones/Texture/Re-Pitch Warping

I the tempo o a Clip is the same as the tempo o the Set, that clip will play back unstretched. In
this case, i the Warp mode (page 165) o the Clip is set to Beats, Tones, Texture or Re-Pitch
(but not Complex or Complex Pro), playback will be neutral. Any Warping caused by chang-
ing the Set’s tempo is non-permanent, and audio that plays back unwarped at a given tempo
will always play back unwarped at that tempo, even i the tempo is changed and then changed
back. For example, i you’ve recorded some tracks at 120 BPM, but then decide you’d like to
slow the tempo down to record a particularly di fcult solo passage, the original tracks will play
back neutrally again a ter returning the tempo to 120 BPM. Only the recording made at the
slower tempo will be stretched. Please note that grooves (page 195) work by modi ying the
positions o Warp markers. This means that playback o audio clips with groove applied will be
non-neutral even at the original tempo.
The neutrality o unstretched clip playback is verifed by per orming cancellation tests on ren-
dered output.
32.2.4 Summing at Single Mix Points

Since version 7, Live uses double precision (64-bit) summing at all points where signals are
mixed, including Clip and return track inputs, the Master track and Racks. Mixing in Live is thus a
neutral operation or signals mixed at any single summing point. This is tested by loading pairs o
24-bit fles (white noise and fxed- requency sine waves and their phase-inverted complements),
adding the pairs together eight times and rendering the output as 32-bit fles. All tests result in
per ect phase cancellation.
Please note that, while 64-bit summing is applied to each single mix point, Live‘s internal pro-
cessing is still done at 32-bit. Thus, signals that are mixed across multiple summing points may
still result in an extremely small amount o signal degradation. This combination o 64-bit sum-
ming within a 32-bit architecture strikes an ideal balance between audio quality and CPU/
memory consumption.
32.2.5 Recording external signals (bit depth >/= A/D converter)

Recording audio signals into Live is a neutral operation, provided that the bit depth set in Live‘s
Pre erences window is the same or higher than that o the A/D converters used or the record-
ing. In this context, “neutral“ means “identical to the audio as it was delivered to Live by the A/D
converters.“
32.2.6 Recording internal sources at 32 bit

Audio that is recorded via internal routing will be identical to the source audio, provided that
the recording was made at 32 bits. To ensure neutral recordings o plug-in instruments and any
audio signals that are being processed by e ects plug-ins, internal recording at 32 bits is recom-
mended. Please note, however, that i the source audio is already at a lower bit depth, internal
recording at that bit depth will also be neutral (assuming that no e ects are used); internally
recording an unprocessed 16 bit audio fle at 32 bits will not increase the sound quality.
The neutrality o internal recording is verifed using cancellation tests.
32.2.7 Freeze, Flatten

When tracks are rozen (page 715), the audio fles that are created are 32 bit, which ensures
that they will not be lower quality than the audio heard prior to reezing. But there are some
special cases involving Freeze that result in non-neutral behavior and should be noted:
Frozen Arrangement View tracks can include audio material that extends beyond the end o the
clip itsel , such as reverb tails and delay repetitions. Frozen Session View tracks, however, are
always exactly two loop cycles long, so any audio that extends beyond two loop cycles during
un- rozen playback will be cut o a ter reezing.
Time-based e ects like reverbs and delays are processed in realtime or un rozen clips, so stop-
ping playback during a reverb or delay tail will allow the tail to continue. In contrast, rozen tails
are rendered as audio, and so will stop abruptly during playback.
Any parameter automations are rendered as part o the audio fle or rozen Arrangement View
clips. Frozen Session View clips, however, take a “snapshot“ o all parameter values at the Ar-
ranger‘s 1.1.1 position and retain them or the duration o the rozen clip. This is analogous to
the behavior with un rozen clips; when playing normal clips in Session View, any Arrangement
automations are “punched out“ until the Back to Arrangement button is pressed.
Frozen clips are always played back with Warp on and in Beats mode, which means they are
subject to the same non-neutral behavior as any other Warped audio fles.
Any devices with random parameters (e.g., the Chance control in the Beat Repeat device) will no
longer exhibit random behavior a ter reezing. This is because, as with time-based e ects, the
random values that were in place at the moment o reezing will be rendered as part o the new
fle, and will thus no longer be calculated in real-time.
Please note that the Flatten command replaces any original clips and devices with the audio
fles created by reezing. When using this command, it is important to keep in mind the special
cases above — what you hear a ter reezing is exactly what you will get when attening, so i
the results are not to your liking, be sure to un reeze and make any necessary changes to device
parameters be ore invoking the Flatten command.
This procedure is tested by rendering the output o an audio track and comparing it to the rozen
audio rom the same track via phase cancellation to ensure that the fles are identical.
32.2.8 Bypassed E ects

Bypassed e ects in Live are removed rom the signal ow. This is true or both Live‘s built-in e -
ects devices and third-party VST and AU plug-ins. Consequently, audio at the output o a by-
passed e ect is identical to the audio at the input. Please note, however, that e ects devices with
parameters that inherently require delay (e.g., the Look Ahead settings in Compressor) will still
introduce this delay when bypassed, in order to maintain automatic delay compensation with
the rest o the project. In most cases, the e ects o this behavior will be completely inaudible.
The neutrality o bypassed e ects is tested by loading one instance o each o Live‘s e ects
devices into an audio track, deactivating them, and then rendering the output o the track. The
rendered fle is then compared to the rendered output o the same track with no loaded devices.
Phase cancellation testing o the two fles confrms that they are identical.
32.2.9 Routing
The routing (page 211) o signals within Live is a neutral operation. The signal at the routing
destination will be identical to the signal at the routing source. It is important to note that Live‘s
exible routing architecture allows or a variety o scenarios, including routing rom be ore or
a ter any track‘s e ects or mixer and tapping the output o individual sample slots within the
Impulse instrument. In these cases, it is likely that the signal heard at the output point will be di -
erent rom the signal heard prior to routing, because it has been tapped be ore reaching the
end o its original signal chain.
32.2.10 Splitting Clips

Clips which are already neutral will remain neutral a ter splitting (page 116). Splitting only a -
ects playback position within the sample, and has no e ect on the sample data itsel . Playback
across a split boundary is seamless and sample-accurate.
The neutrality o clip splitting is tested under a variety o conditions:
•splitting unwarped clips with loop on and o ;
•splitting warped but unstretched clips with loop on and o ;
In all cases, output is rendered and compared with the output o an unsplit version o the same
source. Phase cancellation testing o the two fles confrms that they are identical.
32.3 Non-Neutral Operations

Procedures in Live that will cause a change in audio quality are re erred to as non-neutral oper-
ations. Users can be guaranteed that using these operations will cause at least some change to
the signal. Applying non-neutral operations to fles imported into Live ensures that the imported
audio will di er rom the fles saved on disk. Applying non-neutral operations to fles being ex-
ported rom Live ensures that what you hear during realtime playback will be di erent rom what
will end up in your new fle.
Non-neutral operations include:
32.3.1 Playback in Complex and Complex Pro Mode

The algorithms used in the Complex (page 167) and Complex Pro (page 168) Warp modes
use an entirely di erent technology rom the algorithms behind Beats, Tones, Texture and Re-
Pitch modes. Although the Complex modes may sound better, particularly when used with mixed
sound fles containing many di erent kinds o audio material, they are never neutral — not even
at the original tempo. Because o this, and because o the increased CPU demands o these
algorithms, we recommend using them only in cases where the other Warp modes don‘t produce
su fcient results.
32.3.2 Sample rate conversion/transposition

Sample rate conversion (during both real-time playback and rendering) is a non-neutral opera-
tion. Playback o audio fles at a sample rate that is di erent rom the rate set in Live‘s Pre erenc-
es window will cause signal degradation. Transposition is also a orm o sample-rate conversion,
and thus also results in non-neutral behavior.
To minimize potential negative results during real-time playback, it is recommended to do sam-

ple rate conversion as an o ine process, rather than mixing fles o di erent sample rates within
a single Set. Once the samples have been exported at the sample rate that you plan to use in
Live, the fles can be imported without any loss o quality.
Rendering audio rom Live with a sampling rate other than the one that was used while working
on the project is also a non-neutral operation. As o Live 9.1, however, sample rate conversion
during export uses the extremely high-quality SoX Resampler library 9, which results in downs-
ampled fles with extremely low distortion.
32.3.3 Volume Automation

Automation o volume level results in a change in gain, which is necessarily a non-neutral opera-
tion. But certain implementations o automation envelopes can result in audible arti acts, particu-
larly i the envelopes are not calculated at a ast enough rate. Since Live 7, volume automation
curves are updated or each audio sample, resulting in extremely low levels o distortion.
32.3.4 Dithering
Whenever rendering audio to a lower bit depth, it is a good idea to apply dithering in order to
minimize arti acts. Dithering (a kind o very low-level noise) is inherently a non-neutral proce-
dure, but it is a necessary evil when lowering the bit resolution.
9 This product incorporates the SoX Resampler library (http://soxr.source orge.net), as licensed under the GNU
LGPL v2.1 (http://gnu.org/licenses)
Please note that Live‘s internal signal processing is all 32-bit, so applying even a single gain
change makes the resulting audio 32-bit as well — even i the original audio is 16- or 24-bit.
Dither should never be applied more than once to any given audio fle, so unless you are mas-
tering and fnalizing in Live, it is best to always render at 32-bit and avoid dithering altogether.
32.3.5 Recording external signals (bit depth < A/D converter)

Recording audio signals into Live is a non-neutral operation i the bit depth set in Live‘s Pre er-
ences window is lower than that o the A/D converters used or the recording. This is not recom-
mended.
32.3.6 Recording internal sources below 32 bit

Audio that is recorded via internal routing will lose quality i the recording is made at a bit depth
below 32 bits. To ensure neutral recordings o plug-in instruments and any audio signals that
are being processed by e ects plug-ins, internal recording at 32 bits is recommended. Please
note, however, that i the source audio is already at a lower bit depth, internal recording at that
bit depth will also be neutral (assuming that no e ects are used); internally recording an unpro-
cessed 16 bit audio fle at 32 bits will not increase the sound quality.
32.3.7 Consolidate
Consolidating clips (page 117) in the Arrangement View creates new audio fles, which are
non-neutral in comparison to the original audio data. Specifcally, the new fles will be normal-
ized, with their clip volumes adjusted to play back at the same volume as heard prior to consoli-
dation. Normalization is a gain change, which is a non-neutral operation. Also, the new fles will
be created at the sample rate and bit depth set in Live‘s Pre erences window, which may di er
rom those in the original audio fles.
32.3.8 Clip ades

When Create Fades on Clip Edges is enabled in the Record/Warp/Launch Pre erences, a short
(up to 4 ms) ade is applied to the clip start and end to avoid clicks at the clip edges. These “de-
clicking“ ades can also be applied to Session View clips via the Clip Fade (page 146) button.
Additionally, Arrangement View clips have editable ades and cross ades (page 110). Apply-
ing any o these ade options is a non-neutral operation.
32.3.9 Panning
Live uses constant power panning with sinusoidal gain curves. Output is 0 dB at the center posi-
tion and signals panned ully le t or right will be increased by +3 dB. In order to minimize this
volume change, it may be help ul to narrow the overall stereo width be ore doing extreme pan-
ning. This can be done via the Width control in the Utility device.
32.3.10 Grooves
Under most conditions, playback o a warped clip that is at the same tempo as the Set is a neu-
tral operation. However, i a groove (page 195) is applied, playback will be non-neutral at
any tempo.
32.4 Tips or Achieving Optimal Sound Quality in

Live
For users looking to achieve optimal audio quality in Live, we have provided a list o recom-
mended practices and program settings.
•Decide which sample rate to use or a project prior to beginning work, rather than chang-
ing the sample rate while working on the project.
•Record audio into Live using high-quality hardware components (audio inter ace, cables,
etc.) and at the highest sample rate and bit depth your inter ace and computer will support.
•Avoid using samples that are at di erent sample rates within the same project. I you want
to work with such fles, we recommend that you frst convert them to the sample rate set or
your audio inter ace in an o ine application that is optimized or this task.
•For all audio clips, disable both the Warp and Fade options in the Clip View.
•Do not adjust the Transpose and Detune controls or any clips.
•Always render at 32-bit.
Please note that these practices, while ensuring optimal audio quality, disable some o Live‘s
unctionality — in particular, stretching and synchronization.
32.5 Summary and Conclusions

Ableton wrote this paper in order to help users understand exactly how audio is a ected when
per orming various procedures in Live. Our ocus has been on unctions that have proven over
the years to cause con usion or uncertainty, and the list o both neutral and non-neutral opera-
tions presented here is necessarily incomplete.
We encourage you to re er to this paper i you have any questions about the unctions discussed,
but we also encourage you to contact us10 i you have additional questions that we haven’t an-
swered. Live is a product, but it is also an ongoing process, and one that benefts greatly rom
user input.
10 https://www.ableton.com/help/
MIDI Fact Sheet 729
Chapter 33
MIDI Fact Sheet

In conjunction with our work on the audio engine, Ableton has spent additional e ort analyzing
Live‘s MIDI timing and making improvements where necessary. We wrote this act sheet to help
users understand the problems involved in creating a reliable and accurate computer-based
MIDI environment, and to explain Live‘s approach to solving these problems.
Note: the MIDI timing issues discussed in this paper are generally not applicable to users with
high-quality audio and MIDI hardware. I you have already invested time and money into op-
timizing these actors in your studio, and are not experiencing problems with MIDI timing, you
probably do not need this in ormation.
33.1 Ideal MIDI Behavior

To understand how MIDI works within a digital audio workstation (DAW), it is help ul to intro-
duce some common terms and concepts. A DAW must be able to accommodate three distinct
MIDI-related scenarios:
1. Recording re ers to sending MIDI note and controller in ormation rom a hardware device
(such as a MIDI keyboard) into a DAW or storage. An ideal recording environment would
capture this incoming in ormation with per ect timing accuracy in relation to the timeline o
the song — as accurately as an audio recording.
2. Playback re ers to two related scenarios when dealing with DAWs. The frst involves send-
ing MIDI note and controller in ormation rom the DAW to a hardware device such as a
synthesizer. The second involves converting stored MIDI in ormation into audio data within
the computer, as played back by a plug-in device such as the Operator synthesizer. In
both cases, an ideal playback environment would output a per ect reproduction o the
stored in ormation.
MIDI Fact Sheet 730
3. Playthrough involves sending MIDI note and controller in ormation rom a hardware de-
vice (such as a MIDI keyboard) into the DAW and then, in real-time, back out to a hard-
ware synthesizer or to a plug-in device within the DAW. An ideal playthrough environment
would “ eel“ as accurate and responsive as a physical instrument such as a piano.
33.2 MIDI Timing Problems

The realities o computer-based MIDI are complex, and involve so many variables that the ideal
systems described above are impossible to achieve. There are two undamental issues:
1. Latency re ers to inherent and consistent delay in a system. This is a particular problem in a
DAW because digital audio cannot be trans erred into or out o an audio inter ace in real
time, and must instead be bu ered. But even acoustic instruments exhibit a certain degree
o latency; in a piano, or example, there is some amount o delay between the time a key
is depressed and the time the hammer mechanism actually activates the string. From a per-
ormance perspective, small latency times are generally not a problem because players
are usually able to adapt the timing o their playing to compensate or delays — as long as
the delays remain consistent.
2. Jitter re ers to inconsistent or random delay in a system. Within a DAW, this can be a par-
ticular problem because di erent unctions within the system (e.g., MIDI, audio and the
user inter ace) are processed separately. In ormation o ten needs to be moved rom one
such process to another — when converting MIDI data into a plug-in‘s playback, or ex-
ample. Jitter- ree MIDI timing involves accurate conversion between di erent clocks within
the system‘s components — the MIDI inter ace, audio inter ace, and the DAW itsel . The
accuracy o this conversion depends on a variety o actors, including the operating sys-
tem and driver architecture used. Jitter, much more so than latency, creates the eeling that
MIDI timing is “sloppy“ or “loose.“
33.3 Live’s MIDI Solutions

Ableton‘s approach to MIDI timing is based on two key assumptions:
1. In all cases, latency is pre erable to jitter. Because latency is consistent and predictable, it
can be dealt with much more easily by both computers and people.
MIDI Fact Sheet 731
2. I you are using playthrough while recording, you will want to record what you hear —
even i , because o latency, this occurs slightly later than what you play.
Live addresses the problems inherent in recording, playback and playthrough so that MIDI tim-
ing will be responsive, accurate and consistently reliable. In order to record incoming events to
the correct positions in the timeline o a Live Set, Live needs to know exactly when those events
were received rom the MIDI keyboard. But Live cannot receive them directly — they must frst be
processed by the MIDI inter ace‘s drivers and the operating system. To solve this problem, the
inter ace drivers give each MIDI event a timestamp as they receive it, and those are passed to
Live along with the event so that Live knows exactly when the events should be added to the clip.
During playthrough, a DAW must constantly deal with events that should be heard as soon as
possible, but which inevitably occurred in the past due to inherent latency and system delays. So
a choice must be made: should events be played at the moment they are received (which can re-
sult in jitter i that moment happens to occur when the system is busy) or should they be delayed
(which adds latency)? Ableton‘s choice is to add latency, as we believe that it is easier or users
to adjust to consistent latency than to random jitter.
When monitoring is enabled during recording, Live adds an additional delay to the timestamp o
the event based on the bu er size o your audio hardware. This added latency makes it possible
to record events to the clip at the time you hear them — not the time you play them.
For playback o hardware devices, Live also generates timestamps that it attempts to communi-
cate to the MIDI inter ace drivers or scheduling o outgoing MIDI events. Windows MME driv-
ers cannot process timestamps, however, and or devices that use these drivers, Live schedules
outgoing events internally.
Even during high system loads that cause audio dropouts, Live will continue to receive incom-
ing MIDI events. In the event o audio dropouts, there may be timing errors and audio distortion
during playthrough, but Live should still correctly record MIDI events into clips. Later, when the
system has recovered rom the dropouts, playback o these recorded events should be accurate.
33.4 Variables Outside o Live’s Control

In general, timestamps are an extremely reliable mechanism or dealing with MIDI event timing.
But timestamps are only applicable to data within the computer itsel . MIDI data outside o the
computer can make no use o this in ormation, and so timing in ormation coming rom or going
to external hardware is processed by the hardware as soon as it arrives, rather than according
MIDI Fact Sheet 732
to a schedule. Additionally, MIDI cables are serial, meaning they can only send one piece o
in ormation at a time. In practice, this means that multiple notes played simultaneously cannot
be transmitted simultaneously through MIDI cables, but instead must be sent one a ter the other.
Depending on the density o the events, this can cause MIDI timing problems.
Another issue that can arise, particularly when working with hardware synthesizers rom the
early days o MIDI, is that the scan time o the device may occur at a relatively slow rate. Scan
time re ers to how o ten the synthesizer checks its own keyboard or input. I this rate is too slow,
jitter may be introduced.
O course, any such timing problems present at the hardware level may be multiplied as addi-
tional pieces o gear are added to the chain.
Even within the computer, the accuracy o timestamps can vary widely, depending on the quality
o the MIDI hardware, errors in driver programming, etc. Live must assume that any timestamps
attached to incoming MIDI events are accurate, and that outgoing events will be dealt with ap-
propriately by any external hardware. But both situations are impossible or Live to veri y.
Tests and Results

Our procedure or testing the timing o incoming MIDI events is represented in the ollowing dia-
gram:
Live
MIDI Clip
MIDI
MIDI Source Splitter
MIDI-to-Audio
Converter Audio Clip
MIDI Input Test Confguration.
The output o a MIDI Source (a keyboard or other DAW playing long sequences o random
MIDI events) is ed to a zero-latency hardware MIDI Splitter. One portion o the splitter‘s output
is recorded into a new MIDI clip in Live. The other portion is ed to a MIDI-to-Audio Converter.
This device converts the electrical signal rom the MIDI source into simple audio noise. Because
the device does not interpret the MIDI data, it per orms this conversion with zero-latency. The
MIDI Fact Sheet 733
converter‘s output is then recorded into a new audio clip in Live. In an ideal system, each event
in the MIDI clip would occur simultaneously with the corresponding event in the audio clip. Thus
the di erence in timing between the MIDI and audio events in the two clips can be measured to
determine Live‘s accuracy.
In order to assess MIDI per ormance under a variety o conditions, we ran the tests with three
di erent audio/MIDI combo inter aces at di erent price points, all rom well-known manu actur-
ers. We will re er to these inter aces as A, B and C. All tests were per ormed with a CPU load
o approximately 50% on both OS X and Windows machines, at both 44.1 and 96 kHz and at
three di erent audio bu er sizes, or a total o 36 discrete test confgurations.
Windows:
•Inter ace A: The maximum jitter was +/- 4 ms, with the majority o the jitter occurring at +/-
1 ms.
•Inter ace B: For most o the tests, the maximum jitter was +/- 3 or 4 ms. At 96 kHz and
1024 sample bu er, there were a small number o events with +/- 5 ms o jitter. At 44.1
kHz and 512 sample bu er, occasional events with +/- 6 ms occurred. In all cases, the
majority o the jitter occurred at +/- 1 ms.
•Inter ace C: For most o the tests, the maximum jitter was +/- 5 ms. At 96 kHz and 512
sample bu er, there were a small number o events with between +/- 6 and 8 ms o jitter.
At 44.1 kHz and 1024 sample bu er, there were a small number o events with jitter as
high as +/- 10 ms. In all cases, the majority o the jitter occurred at +/- 1 ms.
OS X:
•Inter ace A: At 44.1 kHz and 1152 sample bu er, jitter was airly evenly distributed be-
tween +/- 4 and 11 ms. For all other tests, the maximum jitter was +/- 5 ms. In all tests, the
majority o the jitter occurred at +/- 1 ms.
•Inter ace B: For most o the tests, the maximum jitter was +/- 4 or 5 ms. At 44.1 kHz and
1152 sample bu er, there was a airly even distribution o jitter between +/- 2 and 11 ms.
In all cases, the majority o the jitter occurred at +/- 1 ms.
•Inter ace C: In all tests, the maximum jitter was +/- 1 ms, with most events occurring with no
jitter.
We also per ormed a similar procedure or testing the timing o outgoing MIDI events, as repre-
sented in the ollowing diagram:
MIDI Fact Sheet 734
Live
MIDI Clip MIDI-to-Audio

Converter
Audio Recording
(another instance of Live)
Audio Clip
MIDI Output Test Confguration.
In all cases, the output tests showed comparable results to the input tests.
33.5 Tips or Achieving Optimal MIDI Per ormance

In order to help users achieve optimal MIDI per ormance with Live, we have provided a list o
recommended practices and program settings.
•Use the lowest possible bu er sizes available on your audio hardware, thereby keeping
latency to a minimum. Audio bu er controls are ound in the Audio tab o Live‘s Pre er-
ences, and vary depending on the type o hardware you‘re using. For more in ormation,
see the Lesson “Setting Up Audio I/O.“
•Use a high quality MIDI inter ace with the most current drivers in order to ensure that MIDI
timestamps are generated and processed as accurately as possible.
•Do not enable track monitoring i you are recording MIDI while listening directly to a hard-
ware device such as an external synthesizer (as opposed to listening to the device‘s audio
through Live via the External Instrument device). Likewise, disable track monitoring when
recording MIDI data that is generated by another MIDI device (such as a drum machine).
When monitoring is enabled, Live adds latency to compensate or playthrough jitter.
There ore, it is important to only enable monitoring when actually playing through.
MIDI Fact Sheet 735
33.6 Summary and Conclusions

Ableton wrote this paper in order to help users understand a variety o related topics:
•the inherent problems in computer-based MIDI systems;
•our approach to solving these problems in Live;
•additional variables that we cannot account or.
As mentioned be ore, the best way to solve MIDI timing issues in your studio is to use the highest-
quality hardware components available. For users o such components, all so tware MIDI sys-
tems should per orm with no noticeable issues. For users with less-than-optimal hardware, how-
ever, Live still o ers an additional degree o accuracy by minimizing jitter, but at the expense o
a small amount o additional latency.
We encourage you to re er to this paper i you have any questions about Live‘s approach to
MIDI timing, but we also encourage you to contact us11 i you have additional questions or con-
cerns that we haven‘t addressed.
11 https://www.ableton.com/help/
MIDI Fact Sheet 736
Chapter 34
Live Keyboard Shortcuts

34.1 Showing and Hiding Views
Windows Macintosh
Toggle Full Screen Mode [F11] [CTRL][CMD][F]
Toggle Second Window [CTRL][Shi t][W] [CMD][Shi t][W]
Toggle Session/Arrangement View [Tab] [Tab]
Toggle Device/Clip View [Shi t][Tab] or [F12] [Shi t][Tab] or [CTRL]
[F12]
Hide/Show Detail View [CTRL][ALT][L] or [CMD][ALT][L] or
[Shi t][F12] [CTRL][Shi t][F12]
Toggle Hot-Swap Mode [Q] [Q]
Toggle Drum Rack/last-selected Pad [D] [D]
Hide/Show In o View [Shi t][?] [Shi t][?]
Hide/Show Video Window [CTRL][ALT][V] [CTRL][ALT][V]
Hide/Show Browser [CTRL][ALT][B] [CMD][ALT][B]
Hide/Show Overview [CTRL][ALT][O] [CMD][ALT][O]
Hide/Show In/Out [CTRL][ALT][I] [CMD][ALT][I]
Hide/Show Sends [CTRL][ALT][S] [CMD][ALT][S]
Hide/Show Mixer [CTRL][ALT][M] [CMD][ALT][M]
Open the Pre erences [CTRL][,] [CMD][,]
Close Window/Dialog [ESC] [ESC]
34.2 Accessing Menus

Under Windows, you can access each menu by pressing [ALT] and the frst letter o the menu
([ALT][F] or “File,” or instance). While a menu is open, you can use:
•the up and down arrow keys to navigate the menu items;
•the right and le t arrow keys to open the neighboring menu;
•[Enter] to choose a menu item.
In OS X, you can access individual menu entries by pressing [CMD][?]. This opens a search
feld that will suggest menu entries as you type. You can then navigate the suggested options by
pressing the up and down arrow keys and press [Enter] to choose one.
34.3 Adjusting Values

Windows Macintosh
Decrement/Increment up and down arrow up and down arrow
keys keys
Finer Resolution or Dragging [Shi t] [Shi t]
Return to De ault [Delete] [Delete]
Type in Value [0]...[9] [0]...[9]
Go to Next Field (Bar.beat.16th) [.][,] [.][,]
Abort Value Entry [ESC] [ESC]
Confrm Value Entry [Enter] [Enter]
34.4 Browsing
In addition to the shortcuts shown here, the editing shortcuts can also be used in the browser.
Windows Macintosh
Scroll Down/Up up and down arrow up and down arrow
keys keys
Close/Open Folders right and le t arrow right and le t arrow
keys keys
Load Selected Item rom Browser [Enter] [Enter]
Preview Selected File [Shi t][Enter] [Shi t][Enter]
Search in Browser [CTRL][F] [CMD][F]
Jump to Search Results down arrow key down arrow key
Assign Color(s) to Selected Browser Item(s) [1]...[7] [1]...[7]
Reset Assigned Color(s) or Selected Browser [0] [0]
Item
34.5 Transport
Windows Macintosh
Play rom Start Marker/Stop [Space] [Space]
Continue Play rom Stop Point [Shi t][Space] [Shi t][Space]
Play Arrangement View Selection [Space] [Space]
Move Insert Marker to Beginning [Home] [Function]+le t arrow
key
Record [F9] [F9]
Back to Arrangement [F10] [F10]
Activate/Deactivate Track 1..8 [F1]...[F8] [F1]...[F8]
34.6 Editing
Windows Macintosh
Cut [CTRL][X] [CMD][X]
Copy [CTRL][C] [CMD][C]
Paste [CTRL][V] [CMD][V]

Duplicate [CTRL][D] [CMD][D]
Delete [Delete] [Delete]
Undo [CTRL][Z] [CMD][Z]
Redo [CTRL][Y] [CMD][Y]
Rename [CTRL][R] [CMD][R]
Select All [CTRL][A] [CMD][A]
By holding down an additional modifer key, some o the above commands can also be applied
to:
Windows Macintosh
Clips and Slots Across all Tracks [Shi t] [Shi t]
Time Across all Tracks [Shi t] [Shi t]
The Selected Part o the Envelope [ALT] [ALT]
[Tab] can be used to move rom one track or scene to another while renaming.
34.7 Loop Brace and Start/End Markers

The loop brace and start/end markers must frst be selected be ore any o the ollowing com-
mands will apply to them.
Windows Macintosh
Move Start Marker to Position [Shi t]-click [Shi t]-click
Nudge Loop Le t/Right right and le t arrow right and le t arrow
keys keys
Move Loop By Loop Length up and down arrow up and down arrow
keys keys
Halve/Double Loop Length [CTRL] up and down [CMD] up and down
arrow keys arrow keys
Shorten/Lengthen Loop [CTRL] right and le t [CMD] right and le t
Select Material in Loop [CTRL][Shi t][L] [CMD][Shi t][L]
34.8 Session View Commands

See also the editing commands.
Windows Macintosh
Launch Selected Clip/Slot [Enter] [Enter]
Select Neighboring Clip/Slot arrow keys arrow keys
Select all Clips/Slots [CTRL][A] [CMD][A]
Copy Clips [CTRL]drag [ALT]drag
Add/Remove Stop Button [CTRL][E] [CMD][E]
Insert MIDI clip [CTRL][Shi t][M] [CMD][Shi t][M]
Insert Scene [CTRL][I] [CMD][I]
Insert Captured Scene [CTRL][Shi t][I] [CMD][Shi t][I]
Move Nonadjacent Scenes Without Collaps- [CTRL] up and down [CMD] up and down
ing arrow keys arrow keys
Drop Browser Clips as a Scene [CTRL] [CMD]
Deactivate Selected Clip [0] [0]
34.9 Arrangement View Commands

The shortcuts or zooming, snapping/drawing and loop/region settings also work in the Ar-
rangement View. See also the editing commands.
Windows Macintosh
Split Clip at Selection [CTRL][E] [CMD][E]
Consolidate Selection into Clip [CTRL][J] [CMD][J]
Create Fade/Cross ade [CTRL][ALT][F] [CMD][ALT][F]
Toggle Loop Selection [CTRL][L] [CMD][L]
Insert Silence [CTRL][I] [CMD][I]

Pan Le t/Right o Selection [CTRL][ALT] [CMD][ALT]
Un old all Tracks [ALT] un old button [ALT] un old button
Scroll Display to Follow Playback [CTRL][Shi t][F] [CMD][Shi t][F]
Deactivate Selection [0] [0]
Nudge Selection Le t/Right right and le t arrow right and le t arrow
keys keys
Reverse Audio Clip Selection [R] [R]
Zoom to Arrangement Time Selection [Z] [Z]
Zoom Back rom Arrangement Time Selec- [Shi t][Z] [Shi t][Z]
tion/Zoom Out Arrangement Completely
34.10 Commands or Tracks

See also the editing commands.
Windows Macintosh
Insert Audio Track [CTRL][T] [CMD][T]
Insert MIDI Track [CTRL][Shi t][T] [CMD][Shi t][T]
Insert Return Track [CTRL][ALT][T] [CMD][ALT][T]
Rename Selected Track [CTRL][R] [CMD][R]
While Renaming, Go to next Track [Tab] [Tab]
Group Selected Tracks [CTRL][G] [CMD][G]
Ungroup Tracks [CTRL][Shi t][G] [CMD][Shi t][G]
Show Grouped Tracks [+] [+]
Hide Grouped Tracks [-] [-]
Move Nonadjacent Tracks Without Collaps- [CTRL] arrow keys [CMD] arrow keys
ing
Arm/Solo Multiple Tracks [CTRL] click [CMD] click
Add Device rom Browser [Enter] [Enter]
Deactivate Selected Track [0] [0]
34.11 Commands or Breakpoint Envelopes

The shortcuts or zooming, snapping/drawing and loop/region settings also work in the Enve-
lope Editor and Arrangement View. See also the editing commands.
Windows Macintosh
Toggle Automation Mode [A] [A]
Finer Resolution or Dragging [Shi t] [Shi t]
Create Curved Automation Segment [ALT] [ALT]
34.12 Key/MIDI Map Mode and the Computer

MIDI Keyboard
Windows Macintosh
Toggle MIDI Map Mode [CTRL][M] [CMD][M]
Toggle Key Map Mode [CTRL][K] [CMD][K]
Computer MIDI Keyboard [M] [M]
Adjust Computer MIDI Keyboard Octave [X] and [Y] keys [X] and [Y] keys
Range Up/Down
Adjust Computer MIDI Keyboard Incoming [C] and [V] keys [C] and [V] keys
Note Velocity Up/Down
34.13 Zooming, Display and Selections

Windows Macintosh
Zoom In [+] [+]
Zoom Out [-] [-]
Drag/Click to Append to a Selection [Shi t] [Shi t]
Click to Add Adjacent Clips/Tracks/Scenes [Shi t] [Shi t]
to Multi-Selection
Click to Add Nonadjacent Clips/Tracks/ [CTRL] [CMD]

Scenes to a Multi-Selection
Follow (Auto-Scroll) [CTRL][Shi t][F] [CMD][Shi t][K]
Pan Le t/Right o Selection [CTRL][ALT] [CMD][ALT]
34.14 Clip View Sample Display

The shortcuts or zooming and loop/region settings also work in the Sample Display.
Windows Macintosh
Quantize [CTRL][U] [CMD][U]
Quantize Settings... [CTRL][Shi t][U] [CMD][Shi t][U]
Move Selected Warp Marker right and le t arrow right and le t arrow
keys keys
Select Warp Marker [CTRL]right and le t [CMD]right and le t
Move Clip Region with Start Marker [Shi t]right and le t [Shi t]right and le t
Zoom to Clip Selection [Z] [Z]
Zoom Back rom Clip Selection/Zoom Out [Shi t][Z] [Shi t][Z]
Clip Completely
34.15 Clip View MIDI Editor

The shortcuts or zooming, snapping/drawing and loop/region settings also work in the MIDI
Editor.
Windows Macintosh
Quantize [CTRL][U] [CMD][U]
Quantize Settings... [CTRL][Shi t][U] [CMD][Shi t][U]
Scroll Editor Vertically Page Up/Down keys Page Up/Down keys
Scroll Editor Horizontally [CTRL] Page Up/ [Shi t] Page Up/

Down keys Down keys
Copy Notes [CTRL]drag [ALT]drag
Change Velocity From Note Editor [ALT]drag [CMD]drag
Move Insert Marker to Beginning [Home] [Function]+le t arrow
key
Move Insert Marker to End [End] [End]
Move Clip Region with Start Marker [Shi t]right and le t [Shi t]right and le t
Zoom to Clip Selection [Z] [Z]
Zoom Back rom Clip Selection/Zoom Out [Shi t][Z] [Shi t][Z]
Clip Completely
34.16 Grid Snapping and Drawing

Windows Macintosh
Toggle Draw Mode [B] [B]
Narrow Grid [CTRL][1] [CMD][1]
Widen Grid [CTRL][2] [CMD][2]
Triplet Grid [CTRL][3] [CMD][3]
Snap to Grid [CTRL][4] [CMD][4]
Fixed/Zoom-Adaptive Grid [CTRL][5] [CMD][5]
Bypass Snapping While Dragging [ALT] [CMD]
34.17 Global Quantization

Windows Macintosh
Sixteenth-Note Quantization [CTRL][6] [CMD][6]
Eighth-Note Quantization [CTRL][7] [CMD][7]
Quarter-Note Quantization [CTRL][8] [CMD][8]
1-Bar Quantization [CTRL][9] [CMD][9]

Quantization O [CTRL][0] [CMD][0]
34.18 Working with Sets and the Program

Windows Macintosh
New Live Set [CTRL][N] [CMD][N]
Open Live Set [CTRL][O] [CMD][O]
Save Live Set [CTRL][S] [CMD][S]
Save Live Set As... [CTRL][Shi t][S] [CMD][Shi t][S]
Quit Live [CTRL][Q] [CMD][Q]
Hide Live [CMD][H]
Export Audio/Video [CTRL][Shi t][R] [CMD][Shi t][R]
Export MIDI fle [CTRL][Shi t][E] [CMD][Shi t][E]
34.19 Working with Plug-Ins and Devices

Windows Macintosh
Show/Hide Plug-In Windows [CTRL][ALT][P] [CMD][ALT][P]
Open Second/Multiple Windows with Plug- [CTRL] [CMD]
In Edit Button
Open Mac Keystroke Plug-In Window with [Shi t]
Plug-In Edit Button
Group/Ungroup Devices [CTRL][G] [CMD][G]
Activate/Deactivate All Devices in Group [ALT] device activator [ALT] device activator
Click to Append Devices to a Selected Device [Shi t] [Shi t]
Load Selected Device From Browser [Enter] [Enter]
34.20 Using the Context Menu

A context menu is available in Live or quick access to many commonly used menu items. To ac-
cess the context menu, [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) on the part o the inter ace where
you would like to execute a particular command. It is worth noting that Live’s context menu may
sometimes contain applicable settings rom the Pre erences. You should change these options
with care, as they will a ect not only the currently selected item but the general settings o the
program.
Some commands only appear in the context menu. Among these are: various options or work-
ing with the browser (page 59); the special grid marker commands or directing Auto-Warp
(page 161); detailed options or zoom-adaptive and fxed grid line width (page 114); copy-
ing and pasting or Operator’s envelopes and oscillators (page 466); and numerous device-
specifc commands.
Index 748
Auto Filter e ect ...........................................336

Index Auto-Hide Plug-In Windows pre erence.... 273
automation ............................................55, 301
and grid lines ........................................308
curves .....................................................308
A drawing .................................................307
Adaptive Grid options .................................. 115 editing ....................................................308
Add/Remove Stop Button command......... 126 recording in Arrangement View ........... 301
Amp e ect .................................................... 333 recording in Session View ....................302
Amp e ect tips .............................................335 Automation Arm button ............................... 301
Analog ..........................................................435 Auto-Open Plug-In Custom Editor Pre er-
amplifers ...............................................440 ence .............................................................. 272
architecture and inter ace ....................436 Auto Pan e ect .............................................339
envelopes .............................................. 441 Auto Select ................................................... 287
flters .......................................................439 Auto-Warp ....................................................161
global parameters ................................444 Auto-Warp Long Samples pre erence........ 156
LFOs .......................................................443
noise generator .....................................438 B
oscillators ...............................................437 Back to Arrangement button ................ 44, 127
analysis fles ................................................... 73 per track................................................... 45
storing clip settings in ............................ 145 Beat Repeat e ect ........................................340
Arm Recording button..... 234, 246, 249, 303 Beats Mode .................................................. 166
Arpeggiator e ect ....................................... 423 beat-time ruler
and grooves .......................................... 425 and Arrangement editing .....................102
Arrangement Overview ...............................102 and editing MIDI ....................................174
Arrangement Position felds......................... 104 Bit Depth pre erence ....................................255
Arrangement Record button .........................127 browser ..............................................33, 41, 59
Arrangement View ....................................... 101 searching ................................................. 68
and copying to Session ........................ 128 user olders .............................................. 67
and Session View .................................... 42
grid snapping ......................................... 114 C
insert marker ..........................................103
looping in the ........................................108 Cabinet e ect ............................................... 342
navigation.............................................. 101 Cabinet e ect tips ........................................343
recording new clips in the .................... 247 Capture and Insert Scene command.......... 126
scrub area .............................................104 Check or Updates command ........................21
selector .................................................... 43 choke groups ................................................ 293
Audio Fact Sheet ...........................................719 Chord e ect.................................................. 427
neutral operations ..................................719 Chorus e ect ................................................344
non-neutral operations ......................... 724 Clear de ault Set button ................................ 86
testing and methodology.......................719 clip
tips .......................................................... 727 in audio/MIDI tracks.............................. 46
Audio Pre erences .......................................... 32 Clip Activator Switch ................................... 134
Index 749
Clip box ........................................................ 132 saving fles on export ............................. 96

Clip Color chooser ...................................... 135 saving settings or ................................. 145
Clip Envelope Control chooser ....................314 setting properties o ...............................131
Clip Envelope Device chooser.....................314 Clip Signature felds..................................... 135
clip envelopes ........................................55, 313 Clip Stop button ........................................... 120
and changing note pitch .......................315 adding/removing ................................. 126
and changing note volume ...................316 Clip Update Rate pre erence .......................151
as LFOs .................................................. 324 Clip View .......................................................131
changing clips or ..................................318 and playing the Arrangement ..............105
creating long loops with ....................... 322 and remote control mapping ...............582
or MIDI controls ...................................320 scrub area ..............................................141
general editing o ...................................313 Clip View boxes selector ............ 172, 201, 313
imposing rhythm with ............................ 323 Clip View Box selector ................................ 133
loop/region settings or ....................... 321 Collect Files on Export ................................... 96
mixer control with ...................................318 Collision ........................................................446
scrambling beats with ............................317 architecture and inter ace ....................446
unlinking rom clips ............................... 321 Global section .......................................455
using or ade-outs ................................ 321 LFOs .......................................................453
Clip Fade switch ........................................... 146 Mallet section ........................................447
Clip Gain slider ............................................ 144 MIDI tab ................................................454
Clip Groove chooser ................................... 135 Noise section ........................................448
Clip Launch button ....................................... 120 Resonators .............................................449
Clip Name feld ........................................... 135 sound design tips ..................................456
Clip Nudge buttons ..................................... 136 Complete Fragmentary Bar command .......108
Clip Overview ...............................................131 Complex Mode............................................ 167
Clip Quantization chooser ..........................203 Complex Pro Mode ..................................... 168
Clip Record button ................................54, 249 Compressor e ect ........................................345
clips ................................................................. 42 and sidechain ........................................349
adding ades to .............................110, 146 and Upgrade button ............................. 351
arranging/editing ..................................110 Compressor e ect tips .................................350
as templates ...........................................318 Computer MIDI Keyboard button ...............215
audio clips ............................................... 46 Consolidate command ................................. 117
clip multi-selections ............................... 132 Consolidate Time to New Scene command .....
cross ading .............................................110 ....................................................................... 129
deactivating/muting ............................. 134 control sur aces
editing MIDI notes/velocities ...............171 and takeover mode ..............................577
importing rom fles ................................. 70 instant mappings or ............................. 575
in Arrangement View .............................110 locking to devices ................................. 575
in Session View ...................................... 119 manual setup ......................................... 576
Live Clips.................................................. 82 natively supported ................................ 574
MIDI clips ................................................ 46 Convert Drums to MIDI command ............. 193
renaming................................................ 135 Convert Harmony to MIDI command ........ 192
reversing ................................................ 147 Convert Melody to MIDI command ........... 192
Index 750
Corpus e ect ................................................ 352 signal ow in Racks ..............................282

count-in or recording ..................................254 with zones..............................................288
CPU ................................................................713 devices ............................................................ 48
CPU Load meter ............................................714 compensating or delays ...................... 279
Create Analysis Files pre erence ...................74 in the browser ........................................ 261
cross ader ...............................................51, 239 presets ....................................................264
and remote control................................ 241 the Live audio e ects ............................ 333
automating the ...................................... 242 the Live instruments................................435
cross ades the Live MIDI e ects ............................. 423
or clips ..................................................726 the Max Audio E ect ............................553
in Operator............................................ 479 the Max Instrument ...............................553
in Sampler .............................................503 the Max MIDI E ect .............................553
in Simpler ................................................518 using Audio Units Plug-ins .................... 278
in the Arrangement View .......................110 using Live devices ................................. 261
cueing ........................................................... 242 using plug-in devices ............................ 270
Cue Out chooser..........................................243 using VST plug-ins ................................. 275
Cut Time command ....................................... 115 Device View .................................................260
dither ............................................................... 78
D Double/Halve Original BPM buttons ........ 159
Decoding Cache pre erence......................... 73 Draw Mode ..................................................307
De ault presets ..............................................267 and drawing MIDI ................................ 172
Delay Compensation option ....................... 279 with clip envelopes ................................315
Delete All Time Signature Changes com- Draw Mode command ................................307
mand ............................................................. 107 Drum Buss e ect ...........................................356
Delete Automation command .....................304 Drum Racks ...................................................292
Delete command loading multiple samples...................... 294
and devices ...........................................263 Pad View................................................ 294
and envelopes........................................314 dual monitors .................................................. 33
and tracks ..............................................236 and Clip View ........................................131
Delete Fragmentary Bar Time command ...108 Duplicate Loop command .................. 142, 177
Delete Locator button ..................................106 Duplicate Time command
Delete Locator command ............................106 in the Arrangement ................................ 116
Delete Time command in the MIDI Editor .................................. 180
in the Arrangement ................................ 116 Dynamic Tube e ect ....................................358
in the MIDI Editor .................................. 180 E
Delete Time Signature Change command ........
.......................................................................106 Echo e ect ....................................................359
Detune feld .................................................. 144 Character Tab .......................................362
Device Activator switch ...............................263 Echo Tab ................................................360
Device Chains Global Controls ....................................363
and slicing ............................................. 189 Modulation Tab..................................... 361
extracting ...............................................298 Edit button..................................................... 144
internal routing points or ......................219 Edit menu commands
Index 751
and automation ............................304, 310 ragmentary bars ......................................... 107

and MIDI notes ..................................... 178 Freeze Track command ................................715
and scenes............................................. 122 Frequency Shi ter e ect ............................... 373
with clips ................................................ 135 tips .......................................................... 375
with Clip Stop buttons........................... 126 Full Screen Mode........................................... 34
with devices ...........................................263
with scenes ............................................ 126 G
Electric ..........................................................457 Gate e ect.................................................... 376
architecture and inter ace ....................458 Gate Mode ..................................................202
damper section .....................................459 Global Quantization chooser ....................... 54
ork section ............................................459 and Link ................................................. 707
global section ........................................460 and Session recording ..........................248
mallet section.........................................458 Glue Compressor e ect .............................. 378
pickup section .......................................460 and sidechain ........................................380
Envelope Editor .................................... 132, 313 Grain Delay e ect ....................................... 381
Envelopes box...................................... 132, 313 Grain Flux feld ............................................ 167
EQ Eight e ect .............................................364 Grain Size feld ............................................ 167
EQ Three e ect.............................................367 Grain Size knob ........................................... 167
Erosion e ect ................................................368 grid
Exclusive Arm/Solo pre erence.................. 233 and Arrangement editing ...................... 114
Export Audio/Video.......................................74 and envelope drawing .........................308
and downsampling ...........................77, 78 and MIDI editing................................... 178
Export MIDI Clip command .......................... 82 and time signature markers .................. 107
External Audio E ect ...................................369 in editing clip envelopes....................... 323
and real-time reezing ...........................715 working with the ..................................... 114
and real-time rendering.......................... 80 groove eature ..................................... 135, 195
External Instrument ....................................... 461 Groove Pool ................................................. 196
and multi-timbral plug-ins.....................228 group slots .................................................... 120
and real-time reezing ...........................715 Group Tracks ................................................236
and real-time rendering.......................... 80
and ReWire devices ..............................218 H
F Hard Disk Overload indicator .....................717
High Quality switch ..................................... 145
File/Folder Pre erences ................................. 33 hot-swapping ..................................................71
and VST plug-ins ................................... 275 and device presets ................................265
File Manager.................................................. 92 and grooves .......................................... 195
File Type pre erence ....................................255 and Impulse ...........................................463
Filter Delay e ect ......................................... 370 Drum Rack pads.................................... 294
Fixed Grid command.................................... 115
Flanger e ect ............................................... 372 I
Follow Actions ..............................................205
Follow command ................................103, 139 importing fles ................................................. 70
Follow switch ......................103, 139, 157, 175 Impulse..........................................................463
Index 752
and individual outputs ..........................466 Limiter e ect..................................................383

and MIDI ...............................................464 Link
flter ........................................................465 setup.......................................................705
global controls ......................................465 Link/Unlink Envelope switch ....................... 321
Link button .............................................464 Live Clips......................................................... 82
pan and volume ....................................465 Live Projects .................................................... 88
sample slots and controls .....................463 and device presets .................................. 92
saturator and envelope ........................465 and Live Sets ........................................... 88
Start, Transpose and Stretch ................464 packing .................................................... 98
In o View..........................................................31 Live Sets ................................................... 42, 83
insert changing fle re erences ......................... 87
e ect ...................................................... 261 clearing the de ault template ................. 86
instrument............................................... 261 exporting and importing ........................ 84
plug-ins .................................................. 270 saving de ault templates ......................... 86
track .......................................................235 locators .........................................................105
Insert Audio Track command ......................235 Lock Envelopes command ............................310
insert marker .................................................103 Lock Envelopes switch ..................................310
Insert MIDI Clip command ...........................171 Look/Feel Pre erences ................................... 32
Insert MIDI Track command ........................ 235 loop brace
Insert Return Track command ......................239 in the Arrangement ...............................109
Insert Scene command ................................ 126 with clips .................................................141
Insert Silence command ............................... 116 Looper e ect ................................................384
Insert Time command eedback routing ...................................389
in the MIDI Editor .................................. 180 Loop/Punch Region Length felds...............109
Insert Time Signature Change command ...106 Loop/Region controls ........................ 140, 141
and clip envelopes ...............................322
K with MIDI clips ...................................... 177
keyboard shortcuts ....................................... 737 Loop Selection command ............................109
Key Map Mode switch ................................583 Loop Start/Punch-in Position felds ............109
Key/MIDI In Indicator..................................216 Loop switch
Key/MIDI Out Indicator ..............................216 Clip View ............................. 141, 322, 323
Control bar ............................................108
L with MIDI clips ...................................... 177
Loop To Next Locator command ................106
Language pre erence .................................... 32 Loop/Warp Short Samples pre erence ..... 156
latency
and delay compensation ..................... 279 M
and the External Audio E ect .............. 370
Launch box .......................................... 133, 201 Macro Controls ............................................283
Launch Modes..............................................202 Macro Map Mode ......................................296
Legato Mode ...............................................204 Manage Files command
lessons..............................................................31 and changing fle re erences ................. 87
Licenses/Maintenance Pre erences ............. 33 and collecting external fles ................... 95
and collecting external samples ............ 96
Index 753
and fnding unused fles ......................... 97 MIDI synchronization ..................................708

and locating missing fles ....................... 92 MIDI Timecode Frame Rate pre erence .....709
and packing Live Projects ....................... 98 MIDI Track In Indicator .................................216
and project management ....................... 92 MIDI Track Out Indicator .............................216
Mapping Browser ........................................ 578 Minimum Free Space pre erence ................. 73
mapping to MIDI/keys ........................56, 573 mixer ...................................................... 50, 231
and recording........................................255 Mixer Section selector ................................. 232
Master Out chooser.....................................243 monitoring .....................................................212
Master track .................................................238 monitor mix ...................................................239
Max or Live .................................................553 Multiband Dynamics e ect .........................389
audio e ects ..........................................566 and sidechain ........................................394
devices ...................................................557 inter ace and controls ...........................392
instruments .............................................557 theory .....................................................390
MIDI e ects ...........................................569 tips .......................................................... 394
Maximum Cache Size pre erence ................ 73 Multi-Clip Editing ......................................... 185
Metronome in the Arrangement View ...................... 187
activating ............................................... 252 in the Session View ............................... 186
settings ...................................................253 Multicore/Multiprocessor Support .............713
MIDI Multiple Plug-In Windows pre erence ....... 272
editing with the trans orm tools ............ 149 Multisampling...............................................488
exporting ..................................................81 muting
quantizing .....................................180, 254 clips ........................................................ 134
sending bank/program changes ........ 150
MIDI Arrangement Overdub ......................248 N
MIDI Editor ...........................................133, 171 Narrow Grid command ............................... 115
and drawing MIDI ................................ 172 New command .............................................. 83
and drawing velocities ......................... 182 Next locator button .....................................106
and grid lines ............................... 178, 180 normalizing rendered audio ......................... 77
and recording MIDI ..............................250 Note Editor ................................................... 172
and step recording ................................ 251 Note Length e ects ...................................... 428
creating and editing notes.................... 178 Notes box ..................................................... 133
editing velocities ....................................181
loop/region settings or ....................... 177 O
MIDI Note Stretch ................................. 184
navigation...............................................174 o ine clips ..................................................... 92
note-o velocity .................................... 183 Open/Open Recent command .................... 83
rearranging notes in ............................. 178 Operator.......................................................466
MIDI Fact Sheet ........................................... 729 algorithms ..............................................467
MIDI fles ........................................................ 48 aliasing and Tone.................................. 470
and time signature changes .................108 AMS fles ...............................................469
MIDI Map Mode switch ............................. 579 and CPU resources ...............................477
MIDI Ports list ................................................214 envelopes ..............................................472
MIDI Pre erences ........................................... 33 flter ........................................................ 474
Index 754
Glide and Spread .................................477 Previewing switch ........................................... 69

global controls ...................................... 476 Preview switch ......................................173, 174
layout .....................................................466 Preview Tab .................................................... 69
LFO......................................................... 471 Preview Volume knob ..................................253
oscillators ...............................................468 Previous Locator button ...............................106
parameter list......................................... 478 Punch-In/Out switches ................................248
Overdrive e ect ...........................................396 Push ...............................................................585
Overdubbing 16 velocities mode ................................590
in Session clips ......................................250 64-pad mode .......................................590
in the Arrangement ...............................248 adjusting a tertouch sensitivity ..............619
adjusting velocity sensitivity ..................619
P browsing on...........................................586
Packs changing keys on ..................................602
downloading and installing in the brows- controlling devices with ......................... 611
er ..................................................................... 64 control re erence ...................................622
Pan control .................................................... 233 ootswitches ...........................................633
Split Stereo Pan Mode ......................... 233 loop length ............................................606
Paste Time command loop selector mode ...............................588
in the Arrangement ................................ 116 Melodic Sequencer + 32 Notes layout .....
Pedal e ect ...................................................397 .......................................................................608
tips and tricks.........................................399 mixing with .............................................612
Phase Nudge buttons .................................. 155 Note Mode ........................................... 610
Phaser e ect .................................................400 playing beats ........................................588
Ping Pong Delay e ect ................................ 401 playing melody and harmony .............600
Pitch e ect .................................................... 429 programming beats ..............................588
Play button....................................................103 quantizing on ........................................599
Plug-In Confgure Mode ............................. 273 recording automation ............................614
Plug-In Edit button ........................................ 272 repeating notes on ................................598
plug-ins Session View control ..............................617
in the browser ........................................ 270 setup.......................................................586
Plug-In Un old button................................... 272 step sequencing automation .................615
Pre erences ..................................................... 32 step sequencing beats ..........................592
and recording clips ...............................255 step sequencing melodies and harmo-
Pre/Post switches .........................................239 nies ................................................................604
Preserve chooser .......................................... 166 touch strip .............................................. 631
presets ...........................................................264 Push 2 ...........................................................635
converting Simpler to Sampler ............ 527 16 velocities mode ................................642
De aults ..................................................267 64-pad mode .......................................643
or specifc Live Projects .......................... 92 adjusting velocity sensitivity .................694
saving with fles ....................................... 96 Arrangement recording ........................655
previewing browsing on...........................................636
in the browser .......................................... 69 changing keys on ..................................658
in the MIDI Editor .................................. 173 Clip Mode .............................................686
Index 755
Clip Mode and MIDI Tracks ................688 components ...........................................284

control re erence ...................................697 creating ..................................................283
Convert button ......................................698 Macro Controls ........................... 283, 296
Device Mode ........................................ 675 mixing ....................................................297
fxed length recording ..........................652 routing tap points .................................. 221
ootswitches ...........................................703 zones......................................................288
loading individual drums ......................643 RAM Mode switch ....................................... 147
loop length ............................................ 661 Random e ect ..............................................430
loop selector mode ...............................640 recording
Melodic Sequencer + 32 Notes layout ..... and remote control................................255
.......................................................................663 audio and MIDI ....................................245
MIDI Tracks in Clip Mode ....................688 capturing MIDI ...................................... 257
mixing with ............................................680 overdubbing ................................. 247, 250
navigating in Note Mode .................... 674 punch-in/punch-out ............................. 247
playing beats ........................................640 resampling the Master output ...............218
playing melody and harmony .............656 step recording ....................................... 251
programming beats ..............................640 with count-in ..........................................254
quantizing on ........................................654 recording an Arrangement .......................... 126
recording automation ...........................685 recording automation .................................. 301
recording drums ....................................650 Record Quantization ...................................254
repeating notes on ................................653 Record/Warp/Launch Pre erences ............. 33
Session View control .............................692 Redux e ect ..................................................403
setup.......................................................636 Re-Enable Automation button .....................305
slicing ..................................................... 671 Rename command
step sequencing automation ................686 with clips ................................................ 135
step sequencing beats ..........................647 with locators ..........................................106
step sequencing melodies and harmo- with plug-ins ..........................................277
nies ................................................................660 with tracks ..............................................235
working with samples ...........................666 Repeat Mode ...............................................202
Re-Pitch Mode ............................................. 167
Q resampling .....................................................218
quantization Rescan Plug-Ins pre erence ......................... 271
command or audio .............................. 165 Resonators e ect ..........................................404
command or selected MIDI notes ...... 180 return tracks ...........................................50, 238
or clip launching ..................................203 Reverb e ect ................................................405
or MIDI notes during recording ..........254 Di usion Network .................................407
Quantize menu command..................165, 180 Early Re ections ....................................406
Global Settings .....................................406
R Input Processing ....................................405
Output ....................................................407
Racks ............................................................. 281 Reverse button .............................................. 147
Auto Select option ................................ 287 ReWire .......................................................... 710
Chain List ...............................................286 and Link ..................................................712
Index 756
Live as master .........................................217 time-warping ......................................... 155

Live as slave ........................................... 711 Saturator e ect .............................................408
REX Mode .................................................... 168 Save a Copy command ................................ 83
ring modulation ............................................ 373 Save As command ......................................... 83
routing ..................................................... 52, 211 Save command .............................................. 83
and computer keys ................................215 Save Current Set as De ault button .............. 86
and creating submixes .......................... 224 Save De ault Clip button .......................74, 145
and external audio in/out ....................213 Scale e ect ................................................... 431
and external MIDI in/out .....................214 Scene Launch button ................................... 122
and instruments .....................................225 scenes .................................................... 44, 122
and layering ..........................................229 and MIDI/key mapping ...................... 581
and post-e ects recording ................... 222 editing .................................................... 126
and recording MIDI as audio .............. 223 recording ...............................................250
and ReWire ............................................217 Scene Select feld ........................................582
and sidechain inputs .............................229 Scene Up/Down buttons ...................256, 581
between tracks .......................................219 scrubbing playback
with external synthesizers ......................216 in the Arrangement View ......................105
in the Clip View ......................................141
S Second Window option ....................... 34, 129
Sample box .................................................. 133 Seg. BPM feld ............................................. 159
Sample Display ................................... 133, 139 Select Loop command .................................. 114
Sample Editor pre erence.............................. 88 Select Next Scene on Launch option ......... 122
Sampler ........................................................488 Select Next Scene on Launch pre erence ..582
Filter/Global Tab ..................................507 Select on Launch pre erence ....................... 125
importing samples ..................................514 Send controls .........................................50, 239
Key Zones ..............................................495 Session Record button ..........................54, 249
MIDI Tab .................................................513 Session View
Modulation Tab..................................... 510 and Arrangement View .......................... 42
Pitch/Osc Tab .......................................505 clip grid.................................................. 124
Sample Select Zones ............................497 copying to Arrangement ...................... 129
Sample tab ............................................498 recording an Arrangement ................... 126
Velocity Zones .......................................496 recording audio in ................................248
Zone tab ................................................ 491 selector .................................................... 43
samples .................................................... 46, 72 Set 1.1.1 Here command ............................ 162
collecting ................................................. 95 Set Locator button ........................................105
destructive editing ..........................88, 144 Set Locator command ..................................105
fnding unused ......................................... 97 Set Song Start Time Here command ..........106
high-quality interpolation ..................... 145 Show/Hide Plug-In Windows command .. 273
o ine/missing ........................................ 92 Simple Delay e ect ...................................... 410
played rom RAM mode....................... 147 Simpler ...........................................................514
replacing ................................................. 87 and CPU resources ...............................528
reversing ................................................ 147 Classic Playback Mode ........................517
saving with clip settings ........................ 145 envelopes .............................................. 524
Index 757
flter ........................................................ 522 setting ..................................................... 153

global parameters ................................ 526 tapping .................................................. 154
LFO......................................................... 525 Tempo feld .......................................... 138, 153
One-Shot Playback Mode....................518 Temporary Folder pre erence......................255
Pan ......................................................... 526 Tension .......................................................... 529
playback modes ....................................516 architecture and inter ace .................... 529
Slicing Playback Mode .........................519 Body section ..........................................536
Transpose............................................... 526 Damper section .....................................534
Voices .....................................................518 Excitator section ....................................530
Volume ................................................... 526 Filter section ...........................................537
warping ................................................. 521 Global and Keyboard parameters ......539
slicing ............................................................ 189 Pickup section ........................................536
Snap to Grid command................................ 115 sound design tips ..................................540
Solo/Cue Mode switch ..............................243 String section .........................................532
Solo in Place ................................................ 242 Termination section ...............................535
Solo switch ................................................... 233 Vibrato section ......................................533
SoundCloud Texture Mode ............................................... 167
exporting to ............................................. 77 Theme pre erence........................................... 32
Spectrum device ........................................... 411 Timecode Start O set pre erence ............... 710
Split button.................................................... 172 Time Ruler Format option .............................709
Split command .............................................. 116 time signature
start/end markers ........................................ 140 and scene names ..........................122, 127
Start Recording on Scene Launch ...............250 Time Signature Changes .............................106
step recording .............................................. 251 Toggle Mode................................................202
Stop All Clips button .................................... 128 Tones Mode.................................................. 167
Stop button ...................................................103 Track Activator switch .................................. 233
submixes Track Delays control ....................................244
creating submixes ................................. 224 Track Delays selector ...................................244
submixing track meter .................................................... 233
with Group Tracks .................................236 tracks ............................................................... 43
Sync Delay pre erence ................................ 710 activating ............................................... 233
Sync In Indicator ...........................................216 audio and MIDI in .................................. 46
Sync Out Indicator ........................................216 automation in ........................................305
compensating or device delays ..........244
T devices in ...............................................259
Takeover Mode pre erence.........................577 grouping ................................................236
Tap Tempo button ........................................ 154 in Arrangement View .............................110
with warping ......................................... 164 inserting ................................................. 235
tempo in Session View ......................................121
and scene names ..........................122, 127 mixer controls in .................................... 231
automating ............................................. 311 muting .................................................... 233
MIDI mapping ranges ........................... 311 numbering .............................................235
nudging.................................................. 155 renaming................................................ 235
Index 758
resizing ..................................................236 Cross ader option ................................. 232

returns ...................................................... 50 In/Out option ........................ 50, 211, 232
return tracks ...........................................238 Mixer option...................................50, 232
the Master track ....................................238 Returns option....................... 50, 232, 238
un olding ....................................... 113, 306 Sends option ..................................50, 232
Track Status feld .......................................... 123 Track Delays option ..............................232
Track Title Bar ............................................... 235 Vinyl Distortion e ect ....................................417
Transient Envelopes...................................... 166 Vocoder e ect ...............................................418
Transient Loop Mode ................................... 166 tips .......................................................... 420
transport........................................................103 Volume control .............................................233
Transposition knob ....................................... 144 VST Plug-In Custom Folder button .............. 275
Trigger Mode ...............................................202
Triplet Grid command ................................... 115 W
Tuner device ..................................................413 Warp ... BPM From Here command ........... 164
U Warp From Here command ........................ 164
Warp From Here (Start At ...) command .... 164
Undo command ........................................... 176 Warp From Here (Straight) command ........ 164
and automation editing ........................304 warping ........................................................ 155
and recorded clips ................................248 longer pieces ..........................................161
and recording MIDI ..............................254 manipulating grooves ........................... 160
Un old Track button... 113, 114, 231, 306, 329 multiple clips .......................................... 164
Un reeze Track command ............................715 odd-length loops .................................. 160
User Audio Units pre erence ....................... 278 straight loops ......................................... 159
User Library .................................................... 64 tempo master/slave ............................. 156
Use VST Plug-In Custom Folder .................. 275 uncut loops ............................................ 160
Use VST Plug-In System Folders .................. 275 Warp Markers .............................................. 157
Utility e ect ....................................................415 and transients ........................................ 157
pseudo ................................................... 157
V saving..................................................... 158
Velocity Amount feld...................................203 saving settings ....................................... 145
Velocity Editor .............................................. 172 Warp Mode chooser ................................... 165
Velocity e ect ...............................................432 Warp modes ................................................ 165
video ............................................................. 325 Warp Sample as ...-Bar/Beat Loop com-
and warp markers................................. 328 mand ............................................................. 163
clip view................................................. 327 Warp Selection as ...-Bar/Beat Loop com-
exporting ..................................................74 mand ............................................................. 163
importing ............................................... 325 Warp switch ................................................. 138
in the Arrangement View ...................... 326 Wavetable .................................................... 541
matching sound to video ...................... 328 flters .......................................................544
trimming tricks ........................................329 global and unison controls ...................550
window .................................................. 327 Matrix Tab .............................................545
View menu commands MIDI Tab ................................................550
Mod Sources Tab ..................................547
Index 759
oscillators ...............................................542
sub oscillator .........................................543
wavetable synthesis .............................. 541
Widen Grid command ................................. 115
Z
Zoom Display ................................................. 32
Zooming
in Arrangement View ............................ 101
in Clip View ........................................... 139

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1

Ableton Re erence Manual Version 10

Schönhauser Allee 6-7 | 10119 Berlin, Germany

Copyright 2018 Ableton AG. All rights reserved. Made in Germany.

Content provided by:

3.1.4 Can I Play my Set rom a Computer That Is Not Authorized?................................ 38

Managing Files and Sets 59

5.6.2 Projects and Presets ................................................................................................... 92

Arrangement View 101

Session View 119

Clip View 131

Audio Clips, Tempo, and Warping 153

9.3.7 REX Mode ................................................................................................................ 168

Editing MIDI Notes and Velocities 171

Converting Audio to MIDI 189

Using Grooves 195

12.3.2 Non-Destructive Quantization ...............................................................................200

Launching Clips 201

Routing and I/O 211

15.7 Track Delays ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 244

Recording New Clips 245

Working with Instruments and E ects 259

Instrument, Drum and E ect Racks 281

18.5 Zones ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 288

Automation and Editing Envelopes 301

Clip Envelopes 313

20.5.4 Clip Envelopes as LFOs .......................................................................................... 324

Working with Video 325

Live Audio E ect Re erence 333

22.19 Gate ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 376

Live MIDI E ect Re erence 423

23.6 Scale ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 431

Live Instrument Re erence 435

24.6.6 Global Controls ....................................................................................................... 476

Max or Live 553

Max or Live Devices 557

MIDI and Key Remote Control 573

Using Push 585

28.2 Browsing and Loading Sounds ………………………………………………………………………586

Using Push 2 635

29.4 Additional Recording Options ………………………………………………………………………653

Link, Synchronization, and ReWire 705

30.4.2 Running Live in ReWire Slave Mode ...................................................................... 711

Computer Audio Resources and Strategies 713

Audio Fact Sheet 719

MIDI Fact Sheet 729

33.3 Live’s MIDI Solutions …………………………………………………………………………………… 730

Live Keyboard Shortcuts 737

Your Ableton Team.

1.2 What’s New in Live 10?

1.2.1 Device Additions and Improvements

1.2.2 Capture MIDI

1.2.3 Multi-Clip Editing

1.2.4 Nested Group Tracks

1.2.5 Arrangement Editing Improvements

•[CTRL][L](PC) / [CMD][L](Mac) will now toggle the Arrangement loop on or o .

1.2.6 Automation Improvements

•Automation segments can be moved horizontally.

•It is now possible to create an automation breakpoint by double-clicking anywhere in an

1.2.7 Navigation Improvements

(Mac) while scrolling will zoom to the mouse pointer’s position.

1.2.8 Mixing Improvements

•A [right-click](PC) / [CTRL-click](Mac) command can switch each track’s Pan control to a