Ableton Live 12 Manual

for Windows and Mac

Reference Manual by Michelle Hughes, Sara Riegel, Ania Kuźbik, Chandler Tipton, Timothy Beutler,
Dennis DeSantis, 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
Contents
1. Welcome to Live 21
1.1 The Ableton Team Says: Thank You 21

2. First Steps 22
2.1 Installation and Authorization 22
2.2 Learn About Live 22
2.2.1 Using the Info View 22
2.3 Live’s Settings 23
2.3.1 Display & Input 23
2.3.2 Theme & Colors 24
2.3.3 Audio 24
2.3.4 Link, Tempo & MIDI 25
2.3.5 File & Folder 25
2.3.6 Library 25
2.3.7 Plug-Ins 26
2.3.8 Record, Warp & Launch 26
2.3.9 Licenses & Updates 26

3. Live Concepts 27
3.1 The Control Bar 27
3.2 The Status Bar 28
3.3 The Browser 29
3.4 Sound Similarity 30
3.5 Live Sets 32
3.6 Arrangement and Session 32
3.7 Tracks 34
3.8 Audio and MIDI 37
3.9 Audio Clips and Samples 38
3.10 MIDI Clips and MIDI Files 39
3.11 Devices 40
3.12 Clip and Device View 42
3.13 Scale Awareness 43
3.14 The Mixer 45
3.15 Presets and Racks 48
3.16 Routing 48
3.17 Recording New Clips 49
3.18 Automation Envelopes 51
3.19 Clip Envelopes 51
3.20 Undo History 52

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 3.21 MIDI and Key Remote 53
3.22 Saving and Exporting 53

4. Working with the Browser 55

4.1 Search Bar and Browser History 56
4.2 Filters and Tags 62
4.2.1 Filter Groups 63
4.2.2 Tags 66
4.2.3 Tags Editor 66
4.3 Collections 68
4.4 Library 71
4.5 Places 72
4.5.1 Downloading and Installing Packs in the Browser 73
4.5.2 Using Ableton Cloud 78
4.5.3 Transferring Files from Push 3 in Standalone Mode 79
4.5.4 User Library 82
4.5.5 Current Project 85
4.5.6 User Folders 87
4.6 Navigating in the Browser 89
4.7 Previewing Files 89
4.8 Hot-Swap Mode 92
4.9 Adding Content from the Browser to a Live Set 95

5. Managing Files and Sets 97

5.1 Sample Files 97
5.1.1 The Decoding Cache 97
5.1.2 Analysis Files (.asd) 98
5.1.3 Exporting Audio and Video 99
5.2 MIDI Files 105
5.2.1 Exporting MIDI Files 105
5.3 Live Clips 106
5.4 Live Sets 107
5.4.1 Creating, Opening and Saving Sets 107
5.4.2 Merging Sets 107
5.4.3 Exporting Session Clips as New Sets 110
5.4.4 Template Sets 110
5.4.5 Viewing and Changing a Live Set’s File References 111
5.5 Live Projects 113
5.5.1 Projects and Live Sets 113
5.5.2 Projects and Presets 117
5.5.3 Managing Files in a Project 118
5.6 Locating Missing Files 118
5.6.1 Manual Repair 119
5.6.2 Automatic Repair 119
5.7 Collecting External Files 121
5.7.1 Collect Files on Export 122

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 5.8 Aggregated Locating and Collecting 123
5.9 Finding Unused Files 123
5.10 Packing Projects into Packs 124
5.11 File Management FAQs 124
5.11.1 How Do I Create a Project? 124
5.11.2 How Can I Save Presets Into My Current Project? 124
5.11.3 Can I Work On Multiple Versions of a Set? 124
5.11.4 Where Should I Save My Live Sets? 125
5.11.5 Can I Use My Own Folder Structure Within a Project Folder? 125

6. Arrangement View 126

6.1 Layout 126
6.2 Navigation and Zooming 129
6.3 Transport and Playback 129
6.4 Launching the Arrangement with Locators 131
6.5 Time Signature Changes 133
6.6 The Arrangement Loop 135
6.7 Moving and Resizing Clips 136
6.8 Audio Clip Fades and Crossfades 138
6.9 Selecting Clips and Time 140
6.10 Using the Editing Grid 141
6.11 Using the …Time Commands 142
6.12 Splitting Clips 142
6.13 Consolidating Clips 143
6.14 Linked-Track Editing 144
6.14.1 Linking and Unlinking Tracks 144
6.14.2 Editing Linked Tracks 145
6.15 The Mixer in Arrangement View 146

7. Session View 148

7.1 Session View Clips 149
7.2 Tracks and Scenes 150
7.2.1 Editing Scene Tempo and Time Signature Values 152
7.2.2 Scene View 153
7.3 The Track Status Fields 155
7.4 Setting Up the Session View Grid 156
7.4.1 Select on Launch 157
7.4.2 Removing Clip Stop Buttons 157
7.4.3 Editing Scenes 157
7.5 Recording Sessions into the Arrangement 158

8. Clip View 161

8.1 The Clip Tabs/Panels 165
8.1.1 Clip Activator Switch 165
8.1.2 Clip View Sample Details 165
8.1.3 Clip Tabs/Clip Panels 166

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 8.1.4 Clip Name and Color 167
8.1.5 Clip Region/Loop and Display 168
8.1.6 Clip Signature 172
8.1.7 Clip Groove Chooser 173
8.1.8 Saving Default Audio Clip Settings with the Sample 174
8.1.9 MIDI Clip Scales 174
8.1.10 MIDI Clip Bank and Program Change 175
8.2 The Audio Tab/Panel 177
8.2.1 Warp Controls 177
8.2.2 Clip Start and End Fades 178
8.2.3 Clip RAM Mode 179
8.2.4 High Quality Interpolation 180
8.2.5 Clip Gain and Pitch 181
8.2.6 Destructive Sample Editing 182
8.2.7 Reversing Samples 183
8.2.8 Cropping Audio Clips 184
8.2.9 Replacing and Editing the Sample 184
8.3 The Pitch and Time Utilities Tab/Panel 185
8.4 The Transform and Generate Tabs/Panels 186
8.5 Clip Defaults and Update Rate 188

9. Audio Clips, Tempo, and Warping 190

9.1 Tempo 190
9.1.1 Setting the Tempo 190
9.1.2 Tapping the Tempo 191
9.1.3 Nudging the Tempo 192
9.1.4 Clip Tempo Followers and Leaders 192
9.2 Warping 194
9.2.1 Warping Options in Settings 195
9.2.2 Importing Samples 196
9.2.3 Warp Markers 196
9.2.4 Warping Short Samples 198
9.2.5 Auto-Warping Long Samples 200
9.2.6 Manipulating Grooves 204
9.2.7 Quantizing Audio 204
9.3 Warp Modes 205
9.3.1 Beats Mode 205
9.3.2 Tones Mode 206
9.3.3 Texture Mode 206
9.3.4 Re-Pitch Mode 207
9.3.5 Complex and Complex Pro Mode 207

10. Editing MIDI 208

10.1 The Clip Content Editor Layout for MIDI Clips 208
10.2 Zooming and Navigating in the MIDI Note Editor 210
10.2.1 Grid Snapping 211

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 10.2.2 Playback Options 211
10.3 Creating a MIDI Clip 212
10.4 Adding MIDI Notes 212
10.4.1 Draw Mode 213
10.4.2 Previewing Notes 213
10.5 Editing MIDI Notes 214
10.5.1 Non-Destructive Editing 214
10.5.2 Selecting Notes and Timespan 214
10.5.3 Moving Notes 215
10.5.4 Changing Note Length 216
10.5.5 MIDI Note Stretch 217
10.5.6 Deactivating Notes 218
10.5.7 Note Operations 218
10.5.8 Pitch and Time Utilities 222
10.5.9 MIDI Tools 231
10.5.10 Quantizing Notes 231
10.5.11 Editing Velocities 232
10.5.12 Editing Probabilities 237
10.6 Folding and Scales 240
10.7 Editing MIDI Clips 243
10.7.1 Cropping MIDI Clips 243
10.7.2 The …Time Commands in the MIDI Note Editor 243
10.7.3 Looping 244
10.8 Multi-Clip Editing 245
10.8.1 Focus Mode 246
10.8.2 Multi-Clip Editing in the Session View 247
10.8.3 Multi-Clip Editing in the Arrangement View 247

11. MIDI Tools 249

11.1 Using MIDI Tools 249
11.2 Transformation Tools 252
11.2.1 Arpeggiate 252
11.2.2 Chop 254
11.2.3 Connect 256
11.2.4 Glissando 258
11.2.5 LFO 260
11.2.6 Ornament 262
11.2.7 Quantize 265
11.2.8 Recombine 266
11.2.9 Span 269
11.2.10 Strum 271
11.2.11 Time Warp 273
11.2.12 Velocity Shaper 275
11.3 Generative Tools 275
11.3.1 Rhythm 275
11.3.2 Seed 277
11.3.3 Shape 278

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 11.3.4 Stacks 280
11.3.5 Euclidean 281

12. Editing MPE 282

12.1 Viewing MPE Data 283
12.2 Editing MPE Data 284
12.3 Drawing Envelopes 287
12.4 MPE in Live’s Devices and on Push 2 288
12.5 MPE in External Plug-ins 288
12.6 MPE/Multi-channel Settings 288
12.6.1 Accessing the MPE/Multi-channel Settings Dialog 289
12.6.2 The MPE/Multi-Channel Settings Dialog 291

13. Converting Audio to MIDI 292

13.1 Slice to New MIDI Track 292
13.1.1 Resequencing Slices 294
13.1.2 Using Effects on Slices 294
13.2 Convert Harmony to New MIDI Track 295
13.3 Convert Melody to New MIDI Track 295
13.4 Convert Drums to New MIDI Track 296
13.5 Optimizing for Better Conversion Quality 296

14. Using Grooves 297

14.1 Groove Pool 298
14.1.1 Adjusting Groove Parameters 299
14.1.2 Committing Grooves 300
14.2 Editing Grooves 301
14.2.1 Extracting Grooves 301
14.3 Groove Tips 302
14.3.1 Grooving a Single Voice 302
14.3.2 Non-Destructive Quantization 302
14.3.3 Creating Texture With Randomization 302

15. Using Tuning Systems 303

15.1 Loading a Tuning System 305
15.2 The Tuning Section 308
15.3 MIDI Track Options for Tuning Systems 309
15.3.1 Bypass Tuning 309
15.3.2 MIDI Controller Layouts 310
15.4 Learn More About Tuning Systems 311

16. Launching Clips 312

16.1 The Launch Controls 312
16.2 Launch Modes 313
16.3 Legato Mode 314
16.4 Clip Launch Quantization 315

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 16.5 Velocity 316
16.6 Clip Offset and Nudging 316
16.7 Follow Actions 318
16.7.1 Looping Parts of a Clip 321
16.7.2 Creating Cycles 322
16.7.3 Temporarily Looping Clips 322
16.7.4 Adding Variations in Sync 322
16.7.5 Mixing up Melodies and Beats 323
16.7.6 Creating Nonrepetitive Structures 323

17. Routing and I/O 324

17.1 Monitoring 326
17.2 External Audio In/Out 327
17.2.1 Mono/Stereo Conversions 327
17.3 External MIDI In/Out 327
17.3.1 MIDI Port Inputs and Outputs 328
17.3.2 Playing MIDI With the Computer Keyboard 330
17.3.3 Connecting External Synthesizers 331
17.3.4 MIDI In/Out Indicators 331
17.4 Resampling 332
17.5 Internal Routings 332
17.5.1 Internal Routing Points 333
17.5.2 Making Use of Internal Routing 335

18. Mixing 346

18.1 The Live Mixer 346
18.1.1 Additional Mixer Features 349
18.2 Audio and MIDI Tracks 350
18.3 Group Tracks 351
18.4 Return Tracks and the Main track 353
18.5 Using Live’s Crossfader 355
18.6 Soloing and Cueing 358
18.7 Track Delays 360
18.8 Keep Monitoring Latency in Recording Track Toggles 360
18.9 Performance Impact Track Indicators 361

19. Recording New Clips 362

19.1 Choosing an Input 362
19.2 Arming (Record-Enabling) Tracks 363
19.3 Recording 363
19.3.1 Recording Into the Arrangement 364
19.3.2 Recording Into Session Slots 364
19.3.3 Overdub Recording MIDI Patterns 366
19.3.4 MIDI Step Recording 366
19.4 Recording in Sync 367
19.4.1 Metronome Settings 369

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 19.5 Recording Quantized MIDI Notes 369
19.6 Recording with Count-in 370
19.7 Setting up File Types 370
19.8 Where are the Recorded Samples? 370
19.9 Using Remote Control for Recording 371
19.10 Capturing MIDI 372
19.10.1 Starting a New Live Set 373
19.10.2 Adding Material to an Existing Live Set 374

20. Comping 375

20.1 Take Lanes 375
20.2 Inserting and Managing Take Lanes 376
20.3 Recording Takes 377
20.4 Inserting Samples 377
20.5 Auditioning Take Lanes 378
20.6 Creating a Comp 378
20.7 Source Highlights 379

21. Working with Instruments and Effects 381

21.1 Using the Live Devices 383
21.1.1 Live Device Presets 385
21.2 Using Plug-Ins 390
21.2.1 Plug-Ins in the Device View 391
21.2.2 Sidechain Parameters 394
21.3 VST Plug-Ins 395
21.3.1 The VST Plug-In Folder 395
21.3.2 VST Presets and Banks 398
21.4 Audio Units Plug-Ins 399
21.5 Device Delay Compensation 400

22. Instrument, Drum and Effect Racks 402

22.1 An Overview of Racks 402
22.1.1 Signal Flow and Parallel Device Chains 402
22.1.2 Macro Controls 403
22.2 Creating Racks 404
22.3 Looking at Racks 405
22.4 Chain List 406
22.4.1 Auto Select 407
22.5 Zones 408
22.5.1 Signal Flow through Zones 408
22.5.2 Key Zones 409
22.5.3 Velocity Zones 409
22.5.4 Chain Select Zones 410
22.6 Drum Racks 412
22.6.1 Pad View 413

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 22.7 Using the Macro Controls 415
22.7.1 Map Mode 415
22.7.2 Randomizing Macro Controls 416
22.7.3 Macro Control Variations 418
22.8 Mixing With Racks 419
22.8.1 Extracting Chains 420

23. Automation and Editing Envelopes 422

23.1 Recording Automation in Arrangement View 422
23.2 Recording Automation in Session View 423
23.2.1 Session Automation Recording Modes 425
23.3 Deleting Automation 425
23.4 Overriding Automation 425
23.5 Drawing and Editing Automation 426
23.5.1 Drawing Envelopes 427
23.5.2 Editing Breakpoints 428
23.5.3 Stretching and Skewing Envelopes 430
23.5.4 Simplifying Envelopes 431
23.5.5 Inserting Automation Shapes 432
23.5.6 Locking Envelopes 433
23.5.7 Edit Menu Commands 433
23.5.8 Editing the Tempo Automation 433

24. Clip Envelopes 435

24.1 The Clip Envelope Editor 435
24.2 Audio Clip Envelopes 436
24.2.1 Clip Envelopes are Non-Destructive 436
24.2.2 Changing Pitch and Tuning per Note 436
24.2.3 Muting or Attenuating Notes in a Sample 437
24.2.4 Scrambling Beats 438
24.2.5 Using Clips as Templates 439
24.3 Mixer and Device Clip Envelopes 439
24.3.1 Modulating Mixer Volumes and Sends 441
24.3.2 Modulating Pan 442
24.3.3 Modulating Device Controls 442
24.4 MIDI Controller Clip Envelopes 443
24.5 Unlinking Clip Envelopes From Clips 443
24.5.1 Programming a Fade-Out for a Live Set 444
24.5.2 Creating Long Loops from Short Loops 444
24.5.3 Imposing Rhythm Patterns onto Samples 445
24.5.4 Clip Envelopes as LFOs 445
24.5.5 Warping Linked Envelopes 445

25. Working with Video 447

25.1 Importing Video 447

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 25.2 The Appearance of Video in Live 447
25.2.1 Video Clips in the Arrangement View 447
25.2.2 The Video Window 448
25.2.3 Clip View 449
25.3 Matching Sound to Video 450
25.4 Video Trimming Tricks 450

26. Live Audio Effect Reference 453

26.1 Amp 453
26.1.1 Amp Tips 454
26.2 Auto Filter 455
26.3 Auto Pan 458
26.4 Auto Shift 459
26.4.1 Input Section 460
26.4.2 Quantizer Tab 462
26.4.3 MIDI Tab 463
26.4.4 LFO Tab 464
26.4.5 Pitch Section 465
26.4.6 Vibrato Section 466
26.5 Beat Repeat 467
26.6 Cabinet 469
26.6.1 Cabinet Tips 470
26.7 Channel EQ 471
26.7.1 Channel EQ Tips 472
26.8 Chorus-Ensemble 473
26.8.1 Chorus-Ensemble Tips 474
26.9 Compressor 475
26.9.1 Sidechain Parameters 478
26.9.2 Compressor Tips 479
26.10 Corpus 480
26.10.1 Resonator Parameters 481
26.10.2 LFO Section 483
26.10.3 Filter Section 484
26.10.4 Global Parameters 485
26.10.5 Sidechain Parameters 485
26.11 Delay 486
26.11.1 Delay Tips 488
26.12 Drum Buss 488
26.13 Dynamic Tube 490
26.14 Echo 491
26.14.1 Echo Tab 492
26.14.2 Modulation Tab 493
26.14.3 Character Tab 494
26.14.4 Global Controls 495
26.15 EQ Eight 495
26.16 EQ Three 498
26.17 Erosion 499

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26.18 External Audio Effect 500
26.19 Filter Delay 501
26.20 Gate 502
26.21 Glue Compressor 505
26.21.1 Sidechain Parameters 506
26.22 Grain Delay 507
26.23 Hybrid Reverb 509
26.23.1 Signal Flow 509
26.23.2 Input Section 509
26.23.3 Convolution Reverb Engine 510
26.23.4 Algorithmic Reverb Engine 511
26.23.5 EQ Section 514
26.23.6 Output Section 515
26.24 Limiter 515
26.25 Looper 517
26.25.1 Feedback Routing 520
26.26 Multiband Dynamics 521
26.26.1 Dynamics Processing Theory 521
26.26.2 Interface and Controls 523
26.26.3 Sidechain Parameters 524
26.26.4 Multiband Dynamics Tips 525
26.27 Overdrive 526
26.28 Pedal 527
26.28.1 Pedal Tips 528
26.29 Phaser-Flanger 530
26.30 Redux 533
26.30.1 Downsampling 534
26.30.2 Bit Reduction 534
26.31 Resonators 535
26.32 Reverb 536
26.32.1 Input Filter 537
26.32.2 Early Reflections 537
26.32.3 Diffusion Network 538
26.32.4 Chorus 538
26.32.5 Global Settings 539
26.32.6 Output 540
26.33 Roar 540
26.33.1 Input Section 541
26.33.2 Gain Stage Section 542
26.33.3 Modulation Section 544
26.33.4 Feedback Section 546
26.33.5 Global Section 547
26.34 Saturator 548
26.35 Shifter 550
26.35.1 Tuning and Delay Section 550
26.35.2 LFO Section 551
26.35.3 Envelope Follower Section 552

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 26.35.4 Shifter Mode Section 553
26.35.5 Sidechain Parameters 554
26.35.6 Shifter Tips 554
26.36 Spectral Resonator 555
26.36.1 Spectral Resonator Tips 557
26.37 Spectral Time 558
26.37.1 Freezer Section 559
26.37.2 Delay Section 560
26.37.3 Resolution Section 561
26.37.4 Global Controls 561
26.38 Spectrum 562
26.39 Tuner 563
26.39.1 View Switches 564
26.39.2 Classic View 564
26.39.3 Histogram View 566
26.39.4 Note Spellings 567
26.39.5 Reference Slider 568
26.40 Utility 569
26.41 Vinyl Distortion 571
26.42 Vocoder 572
26.42.1 Vocoder Tips 574

27. Live MIDI Effect Reference 576

27.1 Arpeggiator 576
27.2 CC Control 579
27.3 Chord 580
27.4 Note Length 582
27.5 Pitch 583
27.6 Random 584
27.7 Scale 586
27.8 Velocity 587

28. Live Instrument Reference 589

28.1 Analog 589
28.1.1 Architecture and Interface 589
28.1.2 Oscillators 590
28.1.3 Noise Generator 592
28.1.4 Filters 592
28.1.5 Amplifiers 593
28.1.6 Envelopes 594
28.1.7 LFOs 595
28.1.8 Global Parameters 596
28.1.9 MPE Sources 597
28.2 Collision 598
28.2.1 Architecture and Interface 598
28.2.2 Mallet Section 599

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 28.2.3 Noise Section 600
28.2.4 Resonator Tabs 601
28.2.5 LFO Tab 604
28.2.6 MIDI/MPE Tab 605
28.2.7 Sound Design Tips 606
28.3 Drift 607
28.3.1 Subtractive Synthesis 607
28.3.2 Oscillator Section 608
28.3.3 Filter Section 610
28.3.4 Envelopes Section 611
28.3.5 LFO Section 612
28.3.6 Mod Section 613
28.3.7 Global Section 614
28.4 Drum Sampler 615
28.4.1 Sample Controls Section 615
28.4.2 Playback Effects Section 617
28.4.3 Filter Section 619
28.4.4 Global Section 619
28.4.5 Context Menu Options for Drum Sampler 620
28.5 Electric 621
28.5.1 Architecture and Interface 621
28.5.2 Hammer Section 622
28.5.3 Fork Section 623
28.5.4 Damper/Pickup Section 624
28.5.5 Global Section 625
28.6 External Instrument 626
28.7 Impulse 628
28.7.1 Sample Slots 628
28.7.2 Start, Transpose and Stretch 629
28.7.3 Filter 629
28.7.4 Saturator and Envelope 629
28.7.5 Pan and Volume 629
28.7.6 Global Controls 630
28.7.7 Individual Outputs 630
28.8 Meld 630
28.8.1 General Overview 630
28.8.2 Oscillators 631
28.8.3 Oscillator Macros 632
28.8.4 Envelopes Tab 634
28.8.5 LFOs Tab 635
28.8.6 Matrix Tab 635
28.8.7 MIDI and MPE Tabs 636
28.8.8 Settings Tab 636
28.8.9 Filters 637
28.8.10 Mix Section 639
28.8.11 Global Controls 639

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28.9 Operator 640
28.9.1 General Overview 641
28.9.2 Oscillator Section 642
28.9.3 LFO Section 644
28.9.4 Envelopes 645
28.9.5 Filter Section 647
28.9.6 Global Controls 648
28.9.7 Glide and Spread 649
28.9.8 Strategies for Saving CPU Power 650
28.9.9 Finally… 650
28.9.10 The Complete Parameter List 650
28.10 Sampler 658
28.10.1 Getting Started with Sampler 658
28.10.2 Multisampling 658
28.10.3 Title Bar Options 659
28.10.4 Sampler’s Tabs 660
28.10.5 The Zone Tab 660
28.10.6 The Sample Tab 666
28.10.7 The Pitch/Osc Tab 670
28.10.8 The Filter/Global Tab 672
28.10.9 The Modulation Tab 674
28.10.10 The MIDI Tab 675
28.10.11 Importing Third-Party Multisamples 676
28.11 Simpler 676
28.11.1 Playback Modes 677
28.11.2 Warp Controls 681
28.11.3 Filter 682
28.11.4 Envelopes 683
28.11.5 LFO 684
28.11.6 Global Parameters 685
28.11.7 Context Menu Options for Simpler 686
28.11.8 Strategies for Saving CPU Power 686
28.12 Tension 687
28.12.1 Architecture and Interface 687
28.12.2 String Tab 688
28.12.3 Filter/Global Tab 694
28.12.4 Sound Design Tips 698
28.13 Wavetable 699
28.13.1 Wavetable Synthesis 699
28.13.2 Oscillators 699
28.13.3 Sub Oscillator 701
28.13.4 Filters 701
28.13.5 Matrix Tab 703
28.13.6 Mod Sources Tab 704
28.13.7 MIDI Tab 706
28.13.8 Global and Unison Controls 706
28.13.9 Hi-Quality Mode 708

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29. Max for Live 709
29.1 Setting Up Max for Live 709
29.2 Using Max for Live Devices 710
29.3 Editing Max for Live Devices 710
29.4 Building Max for Live MIDI Tools 712
29.5 Max Dependencies 714
29.6 Learning Max Programming 714

30. Max for Live Devices 715

30.1 Max for Live Instruments 715
30.1.1 DS Clang 715
30.1.2 DS Clap 716
30.1.3 DS Cymbal 717
30.1.4 DS FM 718
30.1.5 DS HH 719
30.1.6 DS Kick 720
30.1.7 DS Sampler 721
30.1.8 DS Snare 722
30.1.9 DS Tom 723
30.2 Max for Live Audio Effects 724
30.2.1 Align Delay 724
30.2.2 Envelope Follower 725
30.2.3 LFO 726
30.2.4 Shaper 727
30.3 Max for Live MIDI Effects 728
30.3.1 Envelope MIDI 728
30.3.2 Expression Control 729
30.3.3 Expression Control Legacy 731
30.3.4 MIDI Monitor 732
30.3.5 MPE Control 733
30.3.6 Note Echo 739
30.3.7 Shaper MIDI 740
30.4 Max for Live MIDI Tools 741
30.4.1 Velocity Shaper 742
30.4.2 Euclidean 744

31. MIDI and Key Remote Control 746

31.1 MIDI Remote Control 746
31.1.1 Natively Supported Control Surfaces 747
31.1.2 Manual Control Surface Setup 748
31.1.3 Takeover Mode 749
31.2 The Mapping Browser 750
31.2.1 Assigning MIDI Remote Control 751
31.2.2 Mapping to MIDI Notes 751
31.2.3 Mapping to Absolute MIDI Controllers 751
31.2.4 Mapping to Relative MIDI Controllers 752

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 31.2.5 Computer Keyboard Remote Control 754

32. Using Push 1 755

32.1 Setup 755
32.2 Browsing and Loading Sounds 756
32.3 Playing and Programming Beats 757
32.3.1 Loop Selector 757
32.3.2 16 Velocities Mode 759
32.3.3 64-Pad Mode 759
32.3.4 Loading Individual Drums 759
32.3.5 Step Sequencing Beats 760
32.3.6 Real-time Recording 762
32.3.7 Fixed Length Recording 764
32.4 Additional Recording Options 765
32.4.1 Recording with Repeat 765
32.4.2 Quantizing 766
32.5 Playing Melodies and Harmonies 767
32.5.1 Playing in Other Keys 769
32.6 Step Sequencing Melodies and Harmonies 770
32.6.1 Adjusting the Loop Length 772
32.7 Melodic Sequencer + 32 Notes 773
32.7.1 32 Notes 773
32.7.2 Sequencer 774
32.8 Navigating in Note Mode 774
32.9 Controlling Live’s Instruments and Effects 775
32.10 Mixing with Push 1 776
32.11 Recording Automation 778
32.12 Step Sequencing Automation 779
32.12.1 Note-Specific Parameters 779
32.12.2 Per-Step Automation 780
32.13 Controlling Live’s Session View 780
32.13.1 Session Overview 781
32.14 Setting User Preferences 782
32.15 Push 1 Control Reference 784

33. Using Push 2 795

33.1 Setup 796
33.2 Browsing and Loading Sounds 796
33.3 Playing and Programming Beats 799
33.3.1 Loop Selector 799
33.3.2 16 Velocities Mode 801
33.3.3 64-Pad Mode 801
33.3.4 Loading Individual Drums 802
33.3.5 Step Sequencing Beats 805
33.3.6 Real-time Recording 808
33.3.7 Fixed Length Recording 810

17
 33.4 Additional Recording Options 811
33.4.1 Recording with Repeat 811
33.4.2 Quantizing 812
33.4.3 Arrangement Recording 813
33.5 Playing Melodies and Harmonies 813
33.5.1 Playing in Other Keys 816
33.6 Step Sequencing Melodies and Harmonies 817
33.6.1 Adjusting the Loop Length 819
33.7 Melodic Sequencer + 32 Notes 820
33.7.1 32 Notes 821
33.7.2 Sequencer 821
33.8 Working with Samples 823
33.8.1 Classic Playback Mode 824
33.8.2 One-Shot Mode 825
33.8.3 Slicing Mode 827
33.9 Navigating in Note Mode 829
33.10 Working With Instruments and Effects 830
33.10.1 Adding, Deleting, and Reordering Devices 832
33.10.2 Working with Racks 833
33.11 Track Control And Mixing 835
33.11.1 Rack and Group Track Mixing 837
33.12 Recording Automation 838
33.13 Step Sequencing Automation 839
33.14 Clip Mode 840
33.14.1 Using MIDI Tracks in Clip Mode 842
33.14.2 Real-Time Playing Layouts 842
33.14.3 Sequencing Layouts 842
33.14.4 Note-Specific Parameters 844
33.15 Controlling Live’s Session View 844
33.15.1 Session Overview 846
33.16 Setup Menu 847
33.17 Push 2 Control Reference 848

34. Synchronizing with Link, Tempo Follower, and MIDI 854

34.1 Synchronizing via Link 854
34.1.1 Setting up Link 854
34.1.2 Using Link 855
34.2 Synchronizing via Tempo Follower 856
34.2.1 Setting Up Tempo Follower 856
34.3 Synchronizing via MIDI 857
34.3.1 Synchronizing External MIDI Devices to Live 858
34.3.2 Synchronizing Live to External MIDI Devices 858
34.3.3 Sync Delay 859

18
35. Computer Audio Resources and Strategies 860
35.1 Managing the CPU Load 860
35.1.1 The CPU Load Meter 860
35.1.2 CPU Load from Multichannel Audio 862
35.1.3 CPU Load from Tracks and Devices 862
35.1.4 Track Freeze 863
35.2 Managing the Disk Load 865

36. Audio Fact Sheet 866

36.1 Testing and Methodology 866
36.2 Neutral Operations 866
36.2.1 Undithered Rendering 867
36.2.2 Matching sample rate/no transposition 867
36.2.3 Unstretched Beats/Tones/Texture/Re-Pitch Warping 867
36.2.4 Summing at Single Mix Points 868
36.2.5 Recording external signals (bit depth >/= A/D converter) 868
36.2.6 Recording internal sources at 32 bit 868
36.2.7 Freeze, Flatten 869
36.2.8 Bypassed Effects 869
36.2.9 Routing 870
36.2.10 Splitting Clips 870
36.3 Non-Neutral Operations 870
36.3.1 Playback in Complex and Complex Pro Mode 871
36.3.2 Sample rate conversion/transposition 871
36.3.3 Volume Automation 871
36.3.4 Dithering 871
36.3.5 Recording external signals (bit depth < A/D converter) 872
36.3.6 Recording internal sources below 32 bit 872
36.3.7 Consolidate 872
36.3.8 Clip fades 872
36.3.9 Panning 872
36.3.10 Grooves 872
36.4 Tips for Achieving Optimal Sound Quality in Live 873
36.5 Conclusion 873

37. MIDI Fact Sheet 874

37.1 Ideal MIDI Behavior 874
37.2 MIDI Timing Problems 875
37.3 Live’s MIDI Solutions 875
37.4 Variables Outside of Live’s Control 876
37.5 Tips for Achieving Optimal MIDI Performance 878
37.6 Summary and Conclusions 878

38. Accessibility Options in Live 880

38.1 Menu and Keyboard Navigation Settings 880
38.1.1 Using Tab for Navigation 880

19
 38.1.2 Settings Menu 881
38.1.3 Options Menu 882
38.1.4 Speak Help Text 882
38.2 Audio Setup 882
38.3 Connecting MIDI Devices 882
38.4 Navigating in Live 883
38.4.1 Navigate Menu 883

39. Live Keyboard Shortcuts 889

39.1 Showing and Hiding Views 889
39.2 Keyboard Focus and Navigation 890
39.3 Working with Sets and the Program 891
39.4 Working with Devices and Plug-Ins 892
39.5 Editing 892
39.6 Adjusting Values 893
39.7 Commands for Breakpoint Envelopes 894
39.8 Loop Brace and Start/End Markers 895
39.9 Zooming, Display and Selections 895
39.10 Clip View Editor View Modes 896
39.11 Clip View Sample Editor 896
39.12 Clip View MIDI Note Editor 897
39.13 Grid Snapping and Drawing 899
39.14 Global Quantization 900
39.15 Session View 900
39.16 Arrangement View 902
39.17 Comping 904
39.18 Commands for Tracks 904
39.19 Transport 905
39.20 Audio Engine 906
39.21 Browser 906
39.22 Similar Sample Swapping 907
39.23 Key/MIDI Map Mode and the Computer MIDI Keyboard 907
39.24 Momentary Latching Shortcuts 908
39.25 General Keyboard Navigation and Workflow 909
39.25.1 Using Tab for Navigation 909
39.25.2 Navigating Between Controls in the Settings Menu 909
39.26 Accessing Menus 910
39.27 Using Live’s Context Menu 910

40. Credits 911

20
1. Welcome to Live

1.1 The Ableton Team Says: Thank You

Live is the result of musicians wanting a better way to create, produce and perform music using a
computer. A great deal of effort has been put into making Live easy and fun to use, yet at the same
time capable of helping you create music with unlimited depth and sophistication. You can use this
manual as a reference to get familiar with all of Live’s features and workflows.

We hope you enjoy using Live and that it enhances your creative process.

Your Ableton Team.

21
2. First Steps

2.1 Installation and Authorization

Before getting started with Live, make sure you have the latest version of the software installed and
authorized. You can download the Live installer from your ableton.com User Account and then launch
it to install the software. Once installed, you can authorize Live. Note that each Live license comes
with two authorizations, so you can use the software on up to two computers, providing that you only
use one computer at a time.

2.2 Learn About Live

Live comes with a set of interactive lessons to take you step by step through the key features of the
program. The lessons are organized in a table of contents, which can be opened directly in the
program via the Help menu. We highly recommend following the lessons. Many users have told us
that the lessons helped them become familiar with the program very quickly.

We also recommend that you read the Live Concepts chapter, which encapsulates everything that Live
is and can do, and is therefore a worthwhile read for both beginners and experienced users. The
remaining chapters of this manual serve as in-depth reference for the material introduced in Live
Concepts.

2.2.1 Using the Info View

Live’s Info View displays the name and function of whatever you place the mouse over.

You can show or hide Info View by using the view control toggle in the bottom left corner of Live’s
window or by using the ? key.

22
The Info View and its Show/Hide Button.

You can also create your own text notes for tracks, clips, devices and more, by selecting “Edit Info
Text” in the context menu for the corresponding item. You can then type text into the Info View, which
will be saved and displayed in your Live Set.

2.3 Live’s Settings

The Settings window is where you can customize various settings for Live. Settings can be found in the
Options menu on Windows and in the Live menu on macOS. You can also open the Settings window
using the shortcut Ctrl , (Win) / Cmd , (Mac).

Live’s Settings are distributed over several tabs, which are described below.

2.3.1 Display & Input

The Display & Input Settings contain options for language and zoom settings, as well as keyboard
navigation and other application settings.

• The Display section lets you select your preferred language for Live’s UI, as well as set the zoom
amount for Live’s main window (as well a second window, if open).

23
 • In Display Options, you can enable “Outline View in Focus” so that a border is drawn around
whatever view is currently selected. You can also choose how scroll bars are displayed, set the
Follow behavior for Arrangement View and clips, and show or hide user interface labels.
• You can enable various keyboard workflow options in the Navigation and Keyboard section,
such as using the Tab key to move keyboard focus, having the Tab key navigate in a
section continuously, and using the arrow keys to move clips.
• Mouse and Pen Input lets you enable Pen Tablet Mode, as well as permanent scrub areas.
• You can restore any “Don’t Show Again” warning dialogs that you previously switched off in
the Application Options section.

2.3.2 Theme & Colors

In the Theme & Color Settings, you can determine the overall look of Live’s appearance.

• You can choose a color scheme from the Theme section, or have Live follow the light/dark
mode settings from your OS. You can also set a warm, cool, or neutral tone to the color palette,
and enable high contrast if needed.
• The Customization tab lets you determine the opacity of the grid lines in the UI, adjust the
brightness level, and set the color intensity and hue.
• You can switch auto-assigning track colors on or off in the Track and Clip Colors section, or
choose a default color for all tracks. The Clip Color toggle can be set to generate random
colors or use the track’s color for new clips.

2.3.3 Audio

The Audio Settings options can be used to set up Live’s audio connections with the outside world via
an audio interface. This includes access to individual input/output devices, sample rate and latency
settings, and a testing section for audio interface calibration.

On macOS, you can use the Use System Device option in the audio output chooser to have the output
device in Live match what is selected in the macOS Sound System Settings. This way, you can
automatically use the same device for both Live and your operating system.

24
The Use System Device Option on macOS.

We suggest taking the time to follow the program’s built-in Setting up Audio I/O lesson, which will
walk you through all the steps required to set up and optimize the settings for any given system. To
access the lesson, use the Help View command from the Help menu.

2.3.4 Link, Tempo & MIDI

The Link, Tempo & MIDI Settings are used to help Live recognize external devices for three separate
and distinct purposes:

• Syncing the program with external devices, either via Ableton Link, Tempo Follower, or MIDI.
Please see the Synchronizing with Link, Tempo Follower, and MIDI chapter for details.
• Playing MIDI notes. To learn how to route an external device into Live for MIDI input, or how to
send MIDI to an external device, please see the Routing and I/O chapter.
• Controlling parts of the interface remotely. This subject is covered in detail in the MIDI and Key
Remote Control chapter.

2.3.5 File & Folder

The File & Folder Settings are used to configure settings related to data handling, custom Max for Live
paths, and Live’s decoding cache.

2.3.6 Library

The Library Settings allow you to specify a default location for various types of installed files, including
Packs and your User Library, as well as whether or not samples and other files are self-contained
when saving Sets. You can also choose to show or hide synchronization options for Ableton Cloud
and Push in Live’s Places.

25
2.3.7 Plug-Ins

The Plug-Ins Settings allow you to set the location of plug-in folders, specify which folders you want
Live to use, and modify the display behavior of plug-in windows.

2.3.8 Record, Warp & Launch

The Record, Warp & Launch Settings allow customizing the default state for new Live Sets and their
components, as well as selecting options for new recordings.

2.3.9 Licenses & Updates

The Licenses & Updates Settings are used to manage authorization, automatic updates, and usage
data.

26
3. Live Concepts
This chapter introduces the essential concepts of Live. We advise you to read this chapter early in your
Live career, as a solid understanding of the program’s basic principles will help you make full use of
Live’s potential for your music-making.

3.1 The Control Bar

The Control Bar is where you’ll find Live’s transport and tempo controls, as well as other useful controls
to customize Live’s scale and MIDI settings, monitor CPU usage, and toggle between the Session and
Arrangement View.

The Control Bar.

The Control Bar is grouped into nine sections:

Browser Options - This section contains the Show/Hide Browser toggle, which lets you show or hide
Live’s browser, and the Browser Config Menu, which includes the options to expand the browser to
full height and display the Tuning and Groove Pool sections.

27
Tempo Settings and Metronome - In this section, you will find controls for activating Link, setting your
Set’s tempo and time signature, customizing the metronome, and toggling Tempo Follower on or off.

Scale Settings - This section reflects the scale settings of the currently selected clip. Changes made to
scale settings in this section are applied to the currently selected clip/clip slot and to any subsequently
created clips or selected clip slots.

Follow and Arrangement Position - In this section, you can turn Follow on or off, as well as view and
adjust the current Arrangement position.

Transport Controls - This section contains controls for starting or stopping playback, and for starting
Arrangement recording.

Automation and Capture MIDI - This section contains controls for customizing MIDI overdub settings,
arming automation, re-enabling automation for currently overriden parameters, capturing MIDI, and
starting Session recording.

Arrangement Loop Settings - This section lets you activate and configure the Arrangement loop and
the recording punch-in and punch-out points.

MIDI and CPU Settings - This section lets you activate Draw Mode, enable the Computer MIDI
Keyboard, turn Key and MIDI map modes on or off, change the project sample rate, and monitor
CPU usage.

View Selector - This section contains a toggle that lets you switch between the Session and
Arrangement View.

3.2 The Status Bar

The Status Bar displays useful information like error messages or updates about available releases
(when Automatic Updates are enabled in the Licenses & Updates Settings).

28
The Status Bar.

When working in the MIDI Note Editor, the Status Bar also provides helpful details about a selected
note’s location, pitch, velocity, and probability. When hovering over an insert marker in the Session or
Arrangement View, the Status Bar displays the marker’s precise location.

3.3 The Browser

Live’s browser is the place where you interact with your library of musical assets: the Core Library of
sounds that are installed with the program, any additional sounds you’ve installed via Live Packs,
presets and samples you’ve saved, built-in and third-party devices, your Sets saved in Ableton Cloud,
your files stored on Push, and any folders that you’ve added manually.

29
The Browser.

You can show or hide the browser using the dedicated Show/Hide Browser toggle in the Control Bar
or by using the shortcut Ctrl Alt 5 (Win) / Cmd Option 5 (Mac). You can also use the
options in the Browser Config Menu to display additional sections or expand the browser to full
height.

3.4 Sound Similarity

Live comes with sound similarity recognition which is used in two features: Similarity Search and
Similar Sample Swapping. Similarity Search helps you find sounds similar to a reference file by
comparing the reference to the items in the Core Library and the User Library. Similarity Search works
with samples up to 60 seconds long, instrument presets, and drum presets. It can also be used in
conjunction with Live’s Similar Sample Swapping feature to replace sample files with other similar
sounds in Drum Rack, Simpler, or Drum Sampler.

A Show Similar Files icon is displayed next to compatible files that have been selected in the browser.

30
The Show Similar Files Icon Next to a Sample.

Clicking on the icon will bring up a list of sounds similar to the reference file. You can also right-click
an item and select Show Similar Files or use the Ctrl Shift F (Win) / Cmd Shift 5F
(Mac) shortcut to view this list. The reference file will be shown in the search field and all relevant
similar sounding items will be listed below it, ordered from most to least similar.

Similarity Search Results.

When saving custom User Labels based on a list of Similarity Search results, the sound file that the
search was based on is automatically shown at the top of the list.

Sound content needs to be analyzed in order for sound similarity features to work. The sound analysis
is performed in the background whenever Live discovers new user audio files. The status of Live’s
similarity sound analysis is displayed in the Status Bar when background scanning and analysis are in
progress, and a Pause button next to the analysis state can be used to stop this process at any time.
Note that the Core Library content is pre-analyzed.

31
3.5 Live Sets
The type of document that you create and work on in Live is called a Live Set. A Live Set resides in a
Live Project — a folder that collects related materials. Once the Project folder is saved, the Set can be
opened again using the File menu’s Open command.

A Live Set in the Browser.

The Live Project folder and related files belonging to the currently open Live Set are also accessible via
the Current Project label in Live’s Places.

3.6 Arrangement and Session

The basic musical building blocks of Live are called clips. A clip is a piece of 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 from them: songs, scores, remixes, DJ sets or stage shows.

You can work with clips in two views: the Arrangement, which is a layout of clips along a musical and
linear timeline; and the Session, which is a real-time-oriented “launching base” for clips. Every

32
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 specified through a number of settings.

Clips in the Arrangement View (Left) and in the Session View (Right).

The Arrangement is accessed via the Arrangement View and the Session via the Session View.

If you’re using Live in a single window, you can toggle between the two views using the computer’s
Tab key or their respective view controls in the top right corner of Live’s window. If you’re using two
windows, pressing Tab will swap the Session and Arrangement from one window to the other. Note
that if the ‘Use Tab Key to Navigate’ option is enabled in the Display & Input Settings, pressing Tab
will not switch between Arrangement and Session View. However, you can switch between the views
using the shortcuts Alt 1 (Win) / Option 1 (Mac) for Session View and Alt 2 (Win) /
Option 2 (Mac) for Arrangement View. You can also switch between the views at any time using
their Navigate menu entries.

The Arrangement and Session View Controls.

Because the two views have distinct applications, they each hold individual collections of clips.
However, it is important to understand that when you switch between the views during playback or
recording, only the UI is affected and not the currently playing clips.

The Arrangement View and the Session View interact in useful ways. One can, for instance, improvise
with Session clips and record a log of the improvisation into the Arrangement for further refinement.
This works because Arrangement and Session are connected via tracks.

33
3.7 Tracks
Tracks host clips and also manage the flow of signals, as well as the creation of new clips through
recording, sound synthesis, effects processing and mixing.

A Track in the Arrangement View.

The Session and Arrangement share the same set of tracks. In the Session View, the tracks are laid out
in columns, while in the Arrangement View they are stacked vertically, with time moving from left to
right.

A track can only play one clip at a time. Therefore, one usually places 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.

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.
Session clips take precedence. When a Session clip is launched, the currently playing clip stops in
favor of playing the newly-launched clip. In particular, if an Arrangement clip is playing on the track,
it will stop so that the Session clip can be played instead — even as the other tracks continue to play
Arrangement clips. The Arrangement clips in the track where the Session clip was launched will not
resume playback until you manually restart it using the Back to Arrangement button.

The Back to Arrangement button can be found in the Main track in the Session View and at the top-
right of 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 from the Session instead.

34
The Back to Arrangement Button in the Session View.

The Back to Arrangement Button in the Arrangement View.

You 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
Arrangement playback of only certain tracks.

35
A Single Track’s Back to Arrangement Button.

It is also possible to capture the current Session state into the Arrangement by activating the
Arrangement Record button from the Session View.

The Arrangement Record Button.

Recording into the Arrangement tracks allows you to create multiple takes for a clip and then put them
together into a composite track.

You can also link tracks together to perform the same operations on multiple tracks simultaneously.

36
Creating a Fade in Two Linked Tracks.

3.8 Audio and MIDI

Live deals with two types of signals: audio and MIDI. In the digital world, an audio signal is a series of
numbers that approximates a continuous waveform. The signal can originate from various sources,
including audio from a microphone, a sound synthesized or sampled through software, or a signal
delivered to a loudspeaker. A MIDI signal is a sequence of commands, such as “now play a C4 at
mezzo piano.“ MIDI is a symbolic representation of musical material, one that is closer to a written
score than to an audio recording. MIDI signals are generated by hardware input devices such as
MIDI or USB keyboards or software devices.

It takes an instrument to convert MIDI signals into audio signals that can actually be heard. Some
instruments, such as Live’s Simpler, are for chromatic playing of one sound via the keyboard. Other
instruments, such as Live’s Impulse, have a different 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 be added to MIDI tracks and vice versa.

You can find more information about inserting, reordering, and deleting audio and MIDI tracks in the
Audio and MIDI Tracks section of the Mixing chapter.

37
3.9 Audio Clips and Samples
An audio clip contains a reference to a sample (also known as a “sound file“ or “audio file“) or a
compressed sample (such as an MP3 file). The clip contains information that instructs Live where on
the computer’s drives to find the sample, what part of the sample to play and how to play it.

When a sample is dragged in from 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. When
the Browser File Preview button with the headphones icon is toggled on, the preview starts
automatically once the sample is selected.

A Selected Sample with Audio Preview in the Browser.

Live offers many options for playing samples in exciting new ways, allowing you to create an
abundance of new sounds without actually changing the original sample — all the changes are
computed in real time, while the sample is played. The respective settings can be found in the Clip
View, which opens when a clip is double-clicked.

38
An Audio Clip’s Properties as Displayed in the Clip View.

Many powerful manipulations arise from Live’s warping capabilities. Warping means changing the
speed of sample playback independently from the pitch so as to match the song tempo. The tempo
can be adjusted on the fly in the Control Bar’s Tempo field.

The Control Bar’s Tempo Field.

The most elementary use of 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 of a drunken jazz band’s
performance. It is also possible to radically change the sonic signature of a sound using extreme warp
settings.

3.10 MIDI Clips and MIDI Files

A MIDI clip contains musical material in the form of MIDI notes and controller envelopes. When MIDI
is imported from a MIDI file, the data gets incorporated into the Live Set, and the original file is not
referenced thereafter. In Live’s browser, a MIDI file appears with a special icon, and with the .mid file
extension.

39
A MIDI File in the Browser.

A MIDI clip’s contents can be accessed and edited via the Clip View, for instance to change a melody
or create a drum pattern.

A MIDI Clip’s Properties as Displayed in the Clip View.

Aside from recording incoming MIDI signals from external devices, Live also allows you to add MIDI
notes to clips through Draw Mode, MIDI Tools or audio-to-MIDI converters.

3.11 Devices
A track can contain not only clips but also a chain of devices for processing signals. Double-clicking a
track’s title bar brings up the Device View, which shows the track’s device chain.

The Device View Displaying a MIDI Track’s Device Chain.

40
Devices that receive and deliver audio signals are called audio effects. Audio effects are the only type
of device that fits in an audio track or a return track. However, two more types of devices are
available for use in MIDI tracks: MIDI effects and instruments.

Live’s built-in audio effects, MIDI effects, and instruments are available from the browser. You can add
devices to tracks by dragging them from the browser into the Device View, or dragging them onto a
Session or Arrangement track. You can also load instruments and effects into a track by selecting them
in the browser and pressing [Enter].

Live’s Built-in Devices Are Available from the Browser.

You can also use plug-in devices in Live. VST and Audio Units (macOS only) plug-ins are available
from the browser’s Plug-Ins label.

41
Plug-In Devices Are Available from the Browser’s Plug-Ins Label.

3.12 Clip and Device View

The Clip View is where you can set and adjust clip properties such as start or end points, looping, or
scale settings. When in the Session View, you can also access extended clip properties such as follow
actions.

The Clip View

When working with audio clips, the Clip View allows you to access warping controls and audio
transformation tools.

When working with MIDI clips, the Clip View includes pitch and time utilities, as well as MIDI
Transformation and Generative tools.

The Device View shows a list of the devices currently loaded on a selected track. MIDI tracks can have
MIDI effects, instruments, and audio effects loaded. Audio, group, and return tracks can have audio
effects loaded.

42
The Device View.

The Clip View and Device View can be stacked, which lets you view them at the same time. To do this,
use the triangle toggles next to the Clip View and Device View Selectors located to the left of the
Mixer View toggle in the bottom-right corner of Live. You can also use the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl
Alt 3 (Win) / Cmd Option 3 (Mac) for showing the Clip View and Ctrl Alt 4 (Win)
/ Cmd Option 4 (Mac) for showing the Device View.

Stacked Clip and Device View.

3.13 Scale Awareness

Live’s scale options let you set any clip to a scale of your choice, and can also be used to apply
scales across Live’s effects and devices. Once you activate Scale Mode for a given clip, effect, or
device, it becomes scale aware.

Scale awareness for clips can be enabled via the Scale Mode toggle in the Control Bar or directly
within the Clip View. A root key and scale type can be selected using the Root Note and Scale Name
choosers next to the Scale Mode toggle. Scale settings apply to a selected clip or, if no clip is
selected, to any subsequently created clips.

43
The Scale Mode Toggle and Scale Choosers in the Clip View.

The Scale Mode controls in the Control Bar reflect the current scale settings of any selected clip. These
controls can also be used to turn Scale Mode on/off or to set the same scale for multiple selected
clips.

Scale Options in the Control Bar.

In the Clip View, when Scale Mode is enabled, the Fold to Scale and Highlight Scale options will
appear in the Clip Content Editor. When Fold to Scale is on, only the key tracks that belong to notes of
the scale will be displayed in the Clip Content Editor. When Highlight Scale is enabled, the key tracks
that belong to notes of the scale will be highlighted in purple, which is the color that signifies scale
awareness across Live.

When a scale is active, any pitch-related parameters in MIDI Tools and the Pitch and Time Utilities
panel will also use the selected scale.

44
Live’s Arpeggiator, Chord, Pitch, Random, and Scale MIDI effects include the Use Current Scale
toggle in their device title bars. When switched on, a clip’s current scale will be applied and pitch-
based device parameters will be adjustable in scale degrees rather than in semitones.

Scale awareness can also be enabled for Auto Shift’s Quantizer and for Meld’s oscillators and filters.

3.14 The Mixer

Consider an audio clip playing in an audio track. The audio signal from the clip reaches the leftmost
device in the chain. This device processes (changes) the signal and feeds the result into the next
device, and so on. The number of devices per track is theoretically unlimited. In practice, the
computer’s processing power imposes a limit on the number of devices you can use at the same time,
a topic that deserves separate discussion. Note that the signal connections between audio devices
are always stereo, but the software’s inputs and outputs can be configured to be mono in the Audio
Settings.

When the signal has passed through the device chain, it ends up in Live’s mixer. As the Session and
Arrangement share the same set of tracks, they also share the mixer. The mixer can be shown in both
views for convenience.

The Live Mixer in the Arrangement View.

To optimize the screen layout, the individual mixer sections can be shown or hidden using the Mixer
Controls entries in the View menu or the options in the Mixer Config Menu in the bottom right corner
of Live’s window.

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The Mixer Config Menu Options.

The mixer has controls for volume, pan position and sends, which determine how much of a track’s
output feeds the associated return track’s input. Return tracks only contain effects, and not clips. Via
their sends, all tracks can feed a part of their signal into a return track and share its effects.

The mixer also includes a crossfader, which can create smooth transitions between clips playing on
different tracks. Live’s crossfader works like a typical DJ mixer crossfader, with the exception that it
allows crossfading not just two but any number of tracks — including the returns.

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The Crossfader and Track Crossfader Assign Buttons.

Consider a MIDI track playing a clip. The MIDI signal from the clip is fed into the track’s device chain.
There, it is first processed by any number of MIDI effects. A MIDI effect receives and delivers MIDI
signals. The last MIDI effect in the chain is followed by an instrument, which receives MIDI and outputs
audio. Following the instrument, there can be any number of audio effects — as in an audio track.

A MIDI Effect, an Instrument and Some Audio Effects in a MIDI Track.

If a MIDI track has no instrument (and no audio effects), 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 from the mixer.

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The Mixer for a MIDI Track without an Instrument.

3.15 Presets and Racks

Every Live device can store and retrieve particular sets of parameter values as presets. As presets are
stored independently from Live Sets, new presets become part of your User Library that any project
can draw from.

Live’s Instrument, Drum and Effect Racks allow saving combinations of devices and their settings as a
single preset. This feature makes it possible to put together powerful multi-device creations, effectively
adding all the capabilities of Live’s MIDI and audio effects to the built-in instruments.

3.16 Routing
All tracks deliver signals, either audio or MIDI. The targets for these signals are set up in the mixer’s
In/Out section, which contains signal source and destination choosers for every track. The In/Out

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section, accessible via the In/Out option in the Mixer Controls submenu of the View menu, is Live’s
“patchbay.“ Its routing options enable valuable creative and technical methods such as resampling,
submixing, layering of synths, complex effects setups, and more.

Track Routing Is Set up Using the In/Out Section.

Signals from the tracks can be sent out of Live via the computer’s audio and MIDI interfaces, to
different programs that are connected to tracks or devices within Live. Tracks can also be combined
into a group track which serves as a submixer for the selected tracks.

Likewise, a track can be set up to receive an input signal to be played through the track’s devices.
Again, tracks can receive their input from outside of Live or from another track or device in Live. The
monitoring 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 from within a track’s device chain, by
using the External Audio Effect and External Instrument devices.

3.17 Recording New Clips

Audio tracks and MIDI tracks can record their input signal and thereby create new clips. Recording is
enabled on a track by pressing its Arm button. With multiple tracks selected, pressing any of their Arm
buttons will arm all of them. You can also hold down the Ctrl (Win) / Cmd (Mac) modifier when
clicking the Arm buttons to arm several tracks at once. If the Exclusive Arm option is enabled in the
Record, Warp & Launch Settings, 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.

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Track Arm Buttons.

It is also possible to record into Session View slots on the fly. This technique is very useful for 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 stops 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 of choice
for 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.

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3.18 Automation Envelopes
Often, when working with Live’s mixer and effects, you will want the adjustments made to the controls’
values to become part of the Set. The changes to a control’s value that happen across the
Arrangement timeline or Session clip are called automation; 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.

Automated Parameters in the Arrangement View.

Practically all mixer and effect controls in Live can be automated, even the song tempo. Recording
automation is straightforward: all changes of a control that occur while the Control Bar’s Automation
Arm and Arrangement Record buttons are on become automation in the Arrangement View.
Automation is recorded to Session View clips if 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 favor of the new control setting).
The control will stop tracking its automation and continue using the new value until the Re-Enable
Automation button is pressed or a Session clip that contains automation is launched.

3.19 Clip Envelopes

Envelopes can be found in both tracks and clips. Clip envelopes are used to automate or modulate
device and mixer controls. Audio clips have additional clip envelopes to influence the clip’s pitch,
volume and more; these can be used to change the melody and rhythm of recorded audio. MIDI clips
have extra clip envelopes to represent MIDI controller data. Clip envelopes can be unlinked from the
clip to give them independent loop settings, so that larger movements (like fade-outs) or smaller
gestures (like an arpeggio) can be superimposed onto the clip’s material.

An Envelope for Clip Transposition.

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3.20 Undo History
Undo History displays a list of actions taken since opening a Set and lets you revert or reapply them
as needed. Actions are listed from newest at the top to oldest at the bottom, and each one can be
reverted when deselected or reapplied when selected.

To open the list, select Undo History from the View menu or use Ctrl Alt Z (Win) / Cmd
Option Z (Mac).

Undo History.

To restore an action, click on an entry in the list or select an entry with your keyboard and press Enter.
When an action is selected, all of the actions that followed it (i.e. those listed above the selected
action in the Undo History view) are greyed out, indicating that they have been undone. All of the
actions that precede the selected action (i.e. those listed below it in the view) remain active, indicating
that their changes still apply. This workflow makes it easy to reverse or recover multiple actions at once
instead of undoing or redoing each step individually.

Note that the Undo History view is cleared whenever you open a Set, be it a new Set when opening
Live or an existing saved Set. Creating or opening a Set is treated as the first action in the Undo
History view and cannot be undone.

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3.21 MIDI and Key Remote
To liberate the musician from the mouse, most of Live’s controls can be remote-controlled via an
external MIDI controller. Remote mappings are established in MIDI Map Mode, which is engaged by
pressing the MIDI switch in the Control Bar.

In this mode, you can click on any mixer or effect control, and then assign it to a controller simply by
sending the desired MIDI message (for example, by turning a knob on your MIDI control box). Your
assignments take effect immediately after you leave MIDI Map Mode. Session clips can be mapped
to a MIDI key or even a keyboard range for chromatic playing.

MIDI keys and controllers that have been mapped to Live’s controls are not available for recording
via MIDI tracks. These messages are filtered out before 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, which works just like MIDI Map Mode.

Live offers, in addition to this general purpose mapping technique, dedicated support for Ableton Push
1, Push 2, and Push 3.

3.22 Saving and Exporting

Saving a Live Set saves everything it contains, including all clips, their positions and settings, and
settings for devices and controls. An audio clip can, however, lose the reference to its corresponding
sample if the sample is moved or deleted from disk. The links between samples and their clips can be
preserved with a special command, Collect All and Save, which makes a copy of each sample and
stores it in a project folder along with the Live Set.

A separate Save button in the Clip Title Bar of an audio clip can be used to save a set of default clip
settings along with the sample, so that each time the sample is dragged into the program, it will be
automatically loaded with these settings. This is especially useful if you have specific warp settings for
a clip that you want to use in multiple Live Sets.

Exporting audio from Live can be done from both the Session and Arrangement Views by selecting
‘Export Audio/Video’ from the File menu or by using the shortcut Ctrl Shift R (Win) / Cmd

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 Shift R (Mac). By default, Live will export the audio coming through on the Main output as an
audio file of your specifications via the Export Audio/Video dialog options.

Live can also export individual MIDI clips as MIDI files.

Exporting and saving material for later use in Live can be done very conveniently with the Live Clip
format. Session View clips can be dragged back out of a Live Set to the User Library, and thereby
exported to the disk as Live Clips.

A Live Clip in the Browser.

Live Clips are a very powerful way of storing ideas, as they save not only the clip’s Clip View settings,
but also the corresponding track’s instruments and effects chain. Live Clips in the browser can be
previewed and added to any open Live Set just like sample files. Once loaded in a Live Set, they are
restored with the original envelope and device settings.

Using Live Clips, you can build your own personalized library of:

• MIDI sequences with matching instruments and effects, e.g., a MIDI drum pattern with the
associated Impulse and effects settings;
• Different regions or loops referencing the same source file;
• Variations of a sample loop created by applying Warp Markers, clip envelopes and effects;
• Ideas that may not fit your current project but could be useful in the future.

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4. Working with the Browser
Live’s browser is the place where you interact with your library of musical assets: the Core Library of
sounds included with the program, any additional sounds you’ve installed via Live Packs, presets,
samples you’ve saved, built-in and third-party devices, and any folders on your hard drive that
contain samples, tracks, etc. Additionally, you can access files from Ableton Cloud and Push in
Standalone Mode via the browser’s Places section.

The browser is divided into four main sections: the search bar, filters, sidebar and content pane.

The Browser’s Sections.

1. The search bar helps you find browser items and tagged content. The Browse Forward and
Browse Back buttons to the left of the search field let you access the browser’s previous search
or navigation states.

2. The Filters section can be used to search for items in your library using descriptive tags. You can
also access the Tags Editor using the Edit button to the right of the Filters bar to assign and
create tags.

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 3. The browser’s sidebar contains the Collections, Library, and Places labels.

4. The content pane displays the items in whatever label is selected in the browser, or the results of
searching and filtering.

You can adjust how the width is split between the left and right panels of the browser by dragging the
middle divider line horizontally. You can also expand the overall size of the browser by dragging its
right edge to the right.

Working in the browser involves choosing one of the labels from the Collections, Library or Places
sections in the sidebar, and then filtering or selecting the items that appear in the content pane. You
can also use the search bar to look for specific items or tags.

4.1 Search Bar and Browser History

To find browser content, type your desired search term(s) into the search bar. The results will include
files that match all search terms, as opposed to any. For example, if you search for “electric bass” any
items containing both “electric” and “bass” in their filenames will be displayed.

To search across all Library locations, select the All label or press Ctrl F (Win) / Cmd F
(Mac) to automatically switch to the All label; this shortcut also places a cursor in the search field.

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The Browser’s Search Field.

You can further refine your search by selecting tags from various filter groups to narrow the results. For
example, if you want to find string sounds, you can type “strings” into the search field and then click
on any tags in the Filters view to display results matching only those tag descriptions.

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You Can Search for Content Using Search Terms and Narrow the Results Using Tags.

It is also possible to search for tagged content via tags directly by typing # into the search bar
followed by the tag name, e.g., #Drums. Auto-complete suggestions for tags will appear as you start
typing after the hashtag.

You Can Also Find Tagged Content by Searching For Tag Names.

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If you stumble upon a set of search results that you like and want to easily find again, you can create
a custom user label containing the search results by clicking the Add Label button to the right of the
Clear button.

Use the Add Label Button to Save Search Results.

Once saved, you can access the label and its contents like any other label in the Library.

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A Saved Custom User Label.

You can also use custom labels to store specific items in one place for easy access — similar to using
the Collections labels — by tagging content with your own custom tags and then saving the search
results into a new label.

You can rename or remove the label using the right-click context menu options as needed.

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Context Menu Options for a Custom User Label.

You can click the x button in the search bar to clear any search terms. Note this does not reset the
Filters view. You can use the Clear button in the Results bar to remove any selected tags as well as
entered search terms.

For mouse-free searching, we suggest the following sequence of keyboard actions:

1. Ctrl F (Win) / Cmd F (Mac) to place a cursor in the search field and switch browser
focus to the All label;
2. Type your search terms or tag names;
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 field and show all items in the All label again.

The arrow buttons to the left of the search bar can be used to go forward or backwards in the
browser’s history.

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Use the Arrow Buttons to Access the Browser History.

You can also use the following keyboard shortcuts:

• Go forward in the browser’s history: Ctrl ] (Win) / Cmd ] (Mac)

• Go back in the browser’s history: Ctrl [ (Win) / Cmd [ (Mac)

The history includes past searches as well as previous navigation states.

4.2 Filters and Tags

The browser includes a set of filters which can be used to search specific content using descriptive
tags.

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Filters in the Browser.

Relevant filters are displayed based on which category of the browser is selected. To search with all
available filters, use the All label in the browser’s Library.

The Filters section contains filter groups, tags, and the Tags Editor.

4.2.1 Filter Groups

Each filter group contains a set of tags that you can click on to narrow the results that appear in the
content pane. To select multiple tags in one group, use the Ctrl (Win) / Cmd (Mac) modifier when
clicking on tags.

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The Sounds Filter Group and its Associated Tags.

Filter groups can be hidden/shown by right-clicking the Filters header in the browser and then
selecting/deselecting groups. You can also right-click on individual filter group names in any browser
label to hide those groups for that label.

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You Can Choose Which Filters are Displayed for Each Label.

The set of available filter groups is unique to each label, and the state of enabled filters is saved and
recalled when moving between Library labels. This means you can customize exactly which groups
are shown for every label as needed.

To reset the Filters view and remove any selected tags (as well as any entered search terms), click the
Clear button in the Results bar.

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Use the Clear Button to Remove All Selected Tags.

4.2.2 Tags

Searching for items using tags is a good way to explore content in the browser that you may not
realize is there if you tend to use the same devices and presets over and over again. Tags are also
useful for organizing browser content, especially when you create your own custom tags and tag
groups.

All included Live content (i.e., content from the Core Library and Live Packs that come with each Live
edition) is tagged with a set of descriptive tags. Content from the third-party Packs available in the
Ableton webshop are tagged with the “Sounds” filter group tags.

It is not possible to remove any default tags from installed content, however you can add your own
additional custom tags using the Tags Editor.

4.2.3 Tags Editor

The Tags Editor allows you to create and assign tags to any items in the browser. You can also create
your own tag groups to further organize your tags library.

Click on the Edit button to the right of the Filters bar to open the Tags Editor.

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Use the Edit Button to Expand the Tags Editor.

Once opened, you will see which tags are currently assigned to a selected browser item in the set of
default filter groups.

The Tags Editor.

To add or remove a tag, check or uncheck the box next to the relevant tag. You can apply multiple
tags to the same browser item by checking multiple boxes. To tag several items at once, hold Shift
and select multiple files in the browser before applying the desired tags.

You can add custom tags to any filter group using the Add Tag… option at the end each group.

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Use the Add Tag… Option to Create Custom Tags.

You can also create your own tag groups using the Add Group… option at the bottom of the Tags
Editor. Tag groups are similar to filter groups, in that any custom tags created within a tag group will
be shown in the Filters view.

Use the Add Group… Option to Create Custom Tag Groups.

Once a new group is created you can add custom tags for that group. As soon as a browser item is
tagged with a new tag from that group, the group will appear in the Filters view. This is a good way to
organize browser items for specific uses, such as tagging all of your field recordings or vocal samples
in their own unique groups for easy access later.

Note that it is not possible to edit or remove any of the default filter groups or their associated tags.

4.3 Collections
The Collections labels each have their own assignable color, which you can use to group different
browser items together (including folders) in one place. These labels enable you to quickly organize
and access particular browser items (for example, your favorite or most-used items).

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You can assign Collections labels via a selected item’s context menu, or by using the number key
shortcuts 1 through to 7 . Use 0 to reset color assignments.

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 different item types. For example, you can assign
the same color label to a drum sound, a MIDI effect, 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 unfolded to show their contents.

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 of those colors will be shown
in the content pane.

Browser Items and Their Assigned Colors in the Content Pane.

Each Collection label can be renamed via its context menu, or by pressing Ctrl R (Win) / Cmd
R (Mac).

You can choose which labels are visible in the browser by clicking the Edit button, which will appear
when hovering the mouse to the right of the Collections header, and checking the Show/Hide Label
option next to each label.

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The Collections Edit Button in the Browser.

Editing Shown and Hidden Collections in the Browser.

To exit Edit Mode, click the “Done” button.

Note that when a hidden unassigned color becomes assigned to a browser item, the Collections label
for that color will be shown in the sidebar automatically. However, visible color labels are not
automatically hidden if all their assignments are removed.

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4.4 Library
The Library section consists of various labels that contain different browser items organized by type.
You can use the search bar or filters to find and explore all of the available instruments and sounds in
your library. The Library section is organized as follows:

• All — all items from every label of the browser in a single list with devices at the start and file
types after.
• Sounds — all of your Instrument Racks and instrument presets.
• Drums — all of your drum presets. This includes full drum kits, which are available as Drum
Racks, at the top of the list, as well as single drum hits, which are shown after the Drum Rack
presets.
• Instruments — all of your Instrument Racks, as well as default Live instruments and their presets,
organized by device rather than by the type of sound.
• Audio Effects — all of your Audio Effect Racks, as well as “raw” Live audio effects devices and
presets.
• MIDI Effects — all of your MIDI Effect Racks, as well as “raw” Live MIDI effects devices and
presets.
• Max for Live — all of your Max for Live devices and presets, as well as any Racks that are built
with those devices.
• Plug-Ins — your third-party VST and/or Audio Units plug-ins.
• Clips — all of your Live Clips.
• Samples — all of your raw audio samples.
• Grooves — all of your grooves.
• Templates — all of your template Live Sets.
• Tunings — all tuning systems in the Core Library and user-saved .ascl or .scl files.

By default, all of the Library labels are visible in the browser. You can customize which labels are
shown by clicking the Edit button that appears when hovering to the right of the Library header and
then selecting or deselecting labels.

The Library Edit Button in the Browser.

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Editing Shown and Hidden Labels in the Browser.

When you are finished, click the “Done” button to exit Edit Mode.

4.5 Places
The Places labels contain your Live Packs, User Library, Current Project folder, and any external
folders that you’ve added to the browser. Additionally, you can enable the Cloud or Push labels in
Places via the corresponding Library Settings options to access files from Ableton Cloud or your
standalone Push in Live.

The actual contents of the Places section will vary depending on how you’ve configured your library.
Available labels include:

• Packs — Contains Live’s Core Library, any additional Packs that you’ve installed yourself, and
available Pack updates and downloads.
• Cloud — Displays synced Sets from Note and Move when Ableton Cloud is enabled in Live.
• Push — Shows all files from Push 3 when connected in Standalone Mode.
• User Library — Contains items you’ve saved yourself, such as default presets, grooves,
personalized Rack and device presets, samples, Live Clips, etc.

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 • Current Project — Shows all files that belong to the currently open Project.
• User Folder — Shows specific folders from any of your hard drives that you’ve added to Live’s
browser.
• Add Folder — Click this label to add a folder from any of your hard drives to Places.

4.5.1 Downloading and Installing Packs in the Browser

The Packs label in the browser shows all Packs that come pre-installed with Live, any Packs that you’ve
installed yourself, and available Pack updates and downloads.

Installed Packs appear as a folder in the content pane, which can be unfolded to reveal the included
Pack contents. Presets, samples, and Live Clips installed by Packs will also appear in the appropriate
Library labels.

Installed Packs in the Browser.

To check for existing updates for your installed Packs, navigate to the Packs label and expand the
Updates section.

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Available Updates for Installed Packs in the Browser.

You can also view Packs that you own, but have not installed. These uninstalled Packs appear in the
Available Packs section.

Downloadable Packs in the Browser.

You can download any available Packs or updates by clicking the download icon to the right of the
Pack name.

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Press the Download Icon to Download a Pack.

While the Pack is downloading, the download icon changes to a pause icon that also indicates the
progress of the Pack’s download.

The Download Progress Is Indicated in Yellow.

Should you need to, you can pause Pack downloads and resume them at a later point. To pause a
download, click the pause icon. When a download is paused, the paused icon changes back to a
download icon. To resume a paused download, click the download icon again.

Note that you can also download a Pack, pause, resume or cancel a download, or install a Pack by
choosing the appropriate command in that Pack’s context menu.

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Context Menu Options for a Pack.

You can download several Packs at once by selecting them in the Available Packs list and then
clicking one of the download icons. You can also pause and resume downloading multiple selected
Packs using one of their pause icons.

When the download is complete, you can install a 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 in a pop-up dialog that indicates the
status of the process.

It can be useful to know the size of a Pack before you download and install it. For example, you may
have limited space on your hard drive. You can configure the browser to show the size of all Packs
that appear in the Updates and Available Packs sections. To do this, right-click on the Name header in
the browser’s content pane and choose the Size option in the context menu.

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Show or Hide the Size of Packs in the Browser.

You can delete an installed Pack via its context menu or by selecting it in the browser and pressing the
Delete key. Note that deleted Packs will appear once again in your list of Available Packs.

By default, updates and downloadable Packs are shown in the Packs label, however, it is possible to
hide the Updates and Available Packs sections. To do so, use the Show Downloadable Packs toggle
in the Library Settings.

Show or Hide Downloadable Packs in the Browser.

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4.5.2 Using Ableton Cloud

Ableton Cloud is a service that lets you store up to eight Sets from Move and Note, which you can
access across all Ableton products. When Cloud is enabled in Live, synced Sets appear in the Places
section of the browser.

To enable Cloud functionality in Live, open Settings, go to the Library tab, and switch the Show Cloud
option to On.

The Show Cloud Option in Settings.

Once enabled, a Cloud label will appear in Places. Selecting it displays a message prompting you to
sign in to ableton.com to authorize the service. Click the Sign In button to open a web browser and
log into your ableton.com user account.

Sign In to Enable Ableton Cloud in Live.

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After Cloud is activated, your synced Sets will appear within the Cloud label.

Synced Sets in the Browser.

Note that all factory and imported samples used in synced Sets are stored in the User Library, which
must be set and accessible when opening those Sets in Live. If you open a synced Set and see that
samples are missing, check whether your User Library is set to a custom location, such as an external
hard drive. To relink the samples, make sure the custom User Library location is connected and
accessible.

Since Sets can be synced from Move or Note to Live but not the other way around, we recommend
using the Collect All and Save command from the File menu when saving synced Sets you’ve
developed further in Live. This gathers all samples used in the Set into a single Project folder, which
you can then save to a specific location on your computer.

4.5.3 Transferring Files from Push 3 in Standalone Mode

You can develop songs continuously between Push and Live: any Set you make in Standalone Mode
on Push can be opened on or transferred to your computer. You can also transfer Sets back to Push to
continue your work away from your studio, as long as you use native devices, freeze any tracks
containing plug-ins, and collect all of your samples into the Project folder.

Make sure that Push is in Standalone Mode and connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your
computer. By default, the “Show Push” option in Live’s Library Settings will be set to On.

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The Show Push Option in Live’s Settings.

When you click on the Push label in Places, you will see any available Push units within range. The
Push name for the device is also shown. If there are multiple Push units in range, you can find the
specific “Push xxx-xxx” name in the Status Tab of Push’s Setup menu; that way you can confirm
exactly which unit will be paired. Click on the Connect button to pair Push with Live.

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Connect Push to Transfer Files.

On Push, a six-digit code will be displayed; enter this code in the dialog window that appears in Live,
and then press OK to continue the pairing process.

Once you’ve successfully paired Push with Live, all of your saved Project folders from Standalone
Mode and Push’s User Library will appear in Live’s browser.

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Push Project Folders in the Browser.

As long as Push is paired with Live, you can view any new Sets or changes that you make to existing
Sets in Standalone Mode in Live’s browser by switching away from the Push label in Places and then
back again to refresh the list of files.

You can unpair Push and your computer by right-clicking on the Push label in Places and selecting
Disconnect.

Read more about continuity between Push and Live in the Push manual.

4.5.4 User Library

The User Library is where all of your saved custom presets, defaults, Live Clips, template Sets, etc., are
stored. Because the User Library has its own unique location (separate from other installed content), it
can easily be backed up or shared between different Live installations or computers.

By default, the User Library is created at the following location when Live is first installed:

• Windows: \Users\<username>\Documents\Ableton\User Library

• Mac: Macintosh HD/Users/<username>/Music/Ableton/User Library

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You can set a different location for the User Library using the “Location of User Library” option in the
Library Settings.

Initially, the User Library is mostly empty; it only contains a set of default folders: Clips, Defaults,
Grooves, Presets and Samples. You can add your own custom folders and sub-folders, as well as
remove the default folders if needed.

Folders in the User Library.

Items that you save to your User Library will also be available in the appropriate Library labels.

4.5.4.1 Clips Folder

Live Clips are stored in the Clips folder. You can drag any clip into the folder to save it.

When saving a MIDI clip, the MIDI data (e.g., notes and automation), as well as any device settings,
are included.

When saving an audio clip, or a MIDI clip that uses a device that references audio samples (such as
Drum Rack, Sampler, etc.), the referenced samples will also be stored with the clip. This happens
automatically when the Browser Behavior option “Collect Files on Export” is set to Always in the
Library Settings, which is the default setting.

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4.5.4.2 Defaults Folder

The Defaults folder contains your saved defaults for tracks, devices, effects, Slicing to MIDI options,
and more. Using default presets allows you to recall specific device settings each time you load that
device.

See the Default Presets section for more information about saving and using default presets.

For an overview of all the possible defaults in Live, refer to the Using Defaults article in our Knowledge
Base.

4.5.4.3 Grooves Folder

The Grooves folder is where your custom groove files are stored.

The timing and volume information from 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 context menu.

Check out the Using Grooves chapter for more details about how grooves work in Live.

4.5.4.4 Presets Folder

The Presets folder contains your saved Instrument, Max for Live, MIDI and Audio Effect presets.

As with saving clips, any referenced audio samples included in the preset will also be saved.

You can read more about saving device presets in the Saving Presets section of the Working with
Instruments and Effects chapter.

4.5.4.5 Samples Folder

All referenced samples from saved presets, tracks, etc., are stored in the Samples folder.

A separate folder for recorded samples or processed samples will be created as soon as said
samples are saved, depending on their source.

4.5.4.6 Templates Folder

Saved template Sets, as well as any custom default Live Set, are stored in the Templates folder.

See the Template Sets section of the Managing Sets and Files chapter for more details about using
templates.

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4.5.4.7 Managing Files in the User Library

You can access an overview of your User Library, including its contents, as well as any missing or
external files, by selecting “Manage Files” from the File menu and then clicking on the “Manage User
Library” button that appears in the Help View.

You Can Manage the User Library in the Help View.

4.5.5 Current Project

The Current Project label contains all of the files that are included in the currently loaded Project.

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An Expanded Live Set in the Current Project Label.

You can access all of the tracks in the Set (including their clips and devices), the Return and Main
tracks, as well as any loaded grooves.

Once a Project has been saved at least twice, a Backup folder will appear in the Current Project
label.

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Backup Sets in the Current Project Label.

This folder contains the last ten saved versions of the Live Set. You can identify backup Sets by the
timestamp in brackets next to the Set name. Live automatically deletes the oldest backup Set once
there are more than ten backups. Deleted backups are moved to the trash bin.

This feature can be especially useful if you have accidentally overwritten a Project file, or want to
access a previous version of your Live Set.

If you’re working on a Live Set that you haven’t yet saved, there is no Backup folder, and the current
Project refers to a temporary location.

You can right-click on the Current Project label and select Show in Explorer (Win)/Finder(Mac) to
open the Project folder’s location on your computer.

Check out the Live Projects section of the Managing Files and Sets chapter for in depth information
regarding how Project folders and Sets work in Live.

4.5.6 User Folders

Live’s browser allows you to work with your creative tools regardless of where they are installed on
your computer. This allows you to, for example, store large sample collections on one or more

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external drives, and still use the browser to access their contents - there is no need to keep files in a
single centralized location.

In order to work with your own folders in Live, you must first add them to the browser, either by
dropping them directly into the Places section from the Explorer (Win)/Finder (Mac), or by using the
Add Folder option in the browser’s sidebar.

The Add Folder Option.

After adding a user folder, Live will scan it, which “teaches” the browser about its contents. How long
the scanning process takes depends on the number of files and sub-folders contained in the folder. A
spinning wheel next to the Places label indicates that scanning is still in progress. Once completed, the
files in the folder will be accessible from Places.

Adding a user folder does not actually move the folder to a new location, but simply makes it
available in Live’s browser. If you reorganize your drives using Explorer (Win)/Finder (Mac), Live
may not be able to find user folders that have been moved or renamed. Additionally, if a user folder is
contained on an external hard drive, and Live is opened while the drive is not connected, the folder
will not be found.

A user folder that cannot be located by Live will still appear in the browser but its name will be grayed
out. You can attempt to find it by using the context menu’s Locate Folder command, or tell Live to
“forget” the folder via the Remove from Sidebar command. You can also use this command to remove
folders that aren’t missing, but which you simply don’t want to work with anymore.

Note: Only add discrete content folders to Places rather than entire hard drives. Adding hard drives or
very large folders can slow the indexing process, or the content may need to be continually re-
indexed each time Live is started.

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4.6 Navigating in the Browser
Moving through the files in Live’s browser can be done with either the mouse or the computer
keyboard:

• Scroll up and down in a browser label with the up and down arrow keys, the mousewheel, or
by clicking and dragging while holding the Ctrl Alt (Win) / Cmd Option (Mac)
modifier.
• Close and open folders, or move between the sidebar and content pane with the left and right
arrow keys.

By default, any previously open folders will close when you open a new one, but you can override
this behavior by holding Ctrl (Win) / Cmd (Mac) while opening new folders.

4.7 Previewing Files

Live allows you to preview samples, clips, and instrument presets directly in the browser. This can help
give you an idea of how something sounds before adding a new element to your Set.

To enable previewing, activate the Preview switch next to the Preview Tab at the bottom of the
browser.

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The Preview Switch.

Once enabled, you can preview a file in the browser by selecting it. Use the up and down arrow keys
to move between files and their audio previews.

You can preview files even when the Preview switch is not enabled by pressing Shift Enter or the
right arrow key when a browser item is selected.

When a file is being previewed, a waveform is shown in the Preview Tab. You can click in the 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 off.

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The Preview Tab’s Scrub Area.

By default, the Raw button is deactivated, which allows Live to preview files at the beginning of the
next bar when transport is running. This helps you get an idea of how the sound fits into your current
project. Enable the Raw button to preview files at their original tempo. Audio previews are looped
when Raw is deactivated and unlooped when Raw is enabled.

Please note that scrubbing is not possible when Raw is enabled.

You can adjust the volume of audio previews using the Main track’s Preview/Cue Volume knob.

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The Preview/Cue Volume Knob.

If you have an audio interface with at least four dedicated outputs (or two dedicated stereo outputs),
you can preview or cue files via headphones connected to a separate pair of outs — while the music
continues to play from the Main outputs. Check out the Soloing and Cueing section of the Mixing
chapter to learn how to set up Live for cueing.

4.8 Hot-Swap Mode

Hot-Swap Mode can be used to quickly preview and swap out sounds via the browser. You can enter
Hot-Swap Mode by pressing the Q key, or by clicking any of the hot-swap buttons on devices.

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The Hot-Swap Button in an Instrument Rack.

When Hot-Swap Mode is enabled, a temporary connection is established between the browser and
the selected device on a track. This allows you to access and preview other devices directly in the
browser.

You can navigate through browser items using the up and down arrow keys to hear an audio preview
of whatever is selected. When you find a new sound that interests you, press the Enter key to load
the corresponding device in place of the one currently on the track.

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Hot-Swap Mode Results for a Drift Preset.

For devices that use samples, such as Simpler, Drum Rack, Sampler and Impulse, you can swap out
the entire device preset itself using the hot-swap button in the device title bar, as well as the individual
samples using the hot-swap buttons that appear in the following locations:

• Simpler - on the lower right side of the Sample Display.

• Drum Rack - on each of the Drum Rack pads.
• Sampler - at the top left of the Zone Editor, when it is expanded.
• Impulse - on each of the sample slots.

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Hot-Swap Mode Results for a Drum Rack Pad.

To exit Hot-Swap Mode you can use the Q key, or click the X button in the browser content pane or
on the device’s hot-swap button.

4.9 Adding Content from the Browser to a Live

Set
There are several ways to add browser content to a Live Set:

• Items can be dragged and dropped from the browser into tracks in the Session or Arrangement
View. Dragging and dropping content from the browser into the space to the right of Session
View tracks or below Arrangement View tracks will create a new track and place the new
item(s) there.
• In the Session View, double-clicking or pressing Enter on a device in the browser will load it
into the currently selected track. Similarly, double-clicking or pressing Enter on a sample will
load it into the currently selected track. Samples will be loaded into a Simpler device for MIDI
tracks, or into a clip slot for audio tracks.

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• In the Arrangement View, double-clicking or pressing Enter on a device or sample in the
browser will load the item onto whatever track is currently selected.
• Files can also be dropped directly into Live from the Explorer (Win)/Finder (Mac).

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5. Managing Files and Sets
Various types of files are used in making music with Live, from those containing MIDI and audio, to
more program-specific files such as Live Clips and Live Sets. This chapter will explain everything you
need to know about working with each of these file types in Live.

5.1 Sample Files

A sample is a file that contains audio data. Live can play both uncompressed file formats (WAV, AIF
and Sound Designer II for Mac) and compressed file formats (MP3, AAC, Ogg Vorbis, Ogg FLAC
and FLAC).

As Live plays the samples directly from disk, you can work with a large number of (large) samples
without running into RAM memory limitations. Please note, however, that you may run into disk
throughput problems if your disk is nearly full, and/or (on Windows systems) highly fragmented. Hard
drive rotation speed can also affect disk performance. Refer to the section on managing the disk load
for more information.

Live can combine uncompressed mono or stereo samples of 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 file. This usually happens quickly enough that you will be able
to play the sample right away, without waiting for the decoding process to finish.

Note: When adding a long sample to a project, Live might tell you that it cannot play the sample
before it has been analyzed. Please see the section on analysis for an explanation.

5.1.1 The Decoding Cache

To save computational resources, Live keeps the decoded sample files of compressed samples in the
cache. Maintenance of the cache is normally not required, as Live automatically deletes older files to
make room for those that are new. You can, however, impose limits on the cache size using the File &
Folder Settings’ 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 files not being used by the current Live Set.

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Settings for the Decoding Cache.

5.1.2 Analysis Files (.asd)

An analysis file is a little file that Live creates when a sample file is brought into the program for the first
time. The analysis file contains data gathered by Live to help optimize the stretching quality, speed up
the waveform display, and automatically detect the tempo of long samples.

When adding a long sample to a project, Live might tell you that it cannot play the sample before it
has been analyzed. This will not happen if the sample has already been analyzed (i.e., Live finds an
analysis file for this sample), or if the Record, Warp & Launch Settings’ Auto-Warp Long Samples
preference has been deactivated.

An analysis file can also store default clip settings for the sample:

Clicking the Clip View’s Save button will store the current clip’s settings with the sample’s analysis file.
The next time the sample is dragged into Live, it will appear with all its clip settings intact. This is
particularly useful for retaining Warp Marker settings with the sample. Storing default clip settings with
the analysis file is different from saving the clip as a Live Clip.

While analysis files are a handy way to store default information about a particular sample’s settings,
keep in mind that you can use different settings for each clip within a Live Set — even if those clips
refer to the same sample on disk. But if you drag a new version of the sample into a Live Set, Live will
use the settings stored in the analysis file for the newly created clip.

The analysis file’s name is the same as that of the associated sample, with an added “.asd“ extension.
Live puts this analysis file in the same folder as the sample.

Samples that have an .asd file are displayed like this in the browser.

Samples without an .asd file look like this.

The analysis files themselves do not appear in Live’s browser.

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Note that you can suppress the creation of .asd files by turning off the Create Analysis Files option in
the File & Folder Settings. All data (except for the default clip settings) can be recreated by Live if the
.asd file is missing, however this will take some time for longer samples.

5.1.3 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 files can be used to burn an audio CD for listening purposes or a data CD,
which could serve as a backup of your work or be used with other digital audio applications. If your
Set includes video, you can also use the Export Audio/Video command to export this to a new video
file, which will be created in the same directory as the rendered audio files.

5.1.3.1 Selection Options

The Render Dialog’s Selection Options.

The Export dialog’s Rendered Track chooser offers several options for which audio signal to render:

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The Rendered Track Chooser.

• Main — The post-fader signal at Live’s Main output. If you are monitoring the Main output, you
can be sure that the rendered file will contain exactly what you hear.
• All Individual Tracks — The post-fader signal at the output of each individual track, including
return tracks and MIDI tracks with instruments. Live will create a separate sample for 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-fader signal at the output of the selected track.

The other Selection fields determine the start time and length of the exported material:

• Render Start — Sets the position at which rendering will begin.

• Render Length — Determines the length of the rendered sample.

Tip: A fast way to set both the Render Start and Length values is to select a range of time in the
Arrangement View prior to invoking the Export Audio/Video command. But remember — a rendered
audio file contains only what you heard prior to rendering. So, for example, if you’re playing back
some combination of Session View clips and Arrangement material, then that is what will be captured
in your rendered file — regardless of which view is active when you render.

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5.1.3.2 Rendering Options

Audio Rendering Options.

The Export dialog offers several audio rendering options:

• Include Return and Main Effects – If this is activated, Live will individually render each selected
track with any return tracks used by that track, as well as effects used in the Main track. This is
especially useful when rendering material for a live performance, or when providing stems to a
mixing engineer or remix artist.
• Render as Loop — If this is activated, Live will create a sample that can be used as a loop. For
example, suppose your Live Set uses a delay effect. If Render as Loop is on, Live will go
through the rendering process twice: The first pass will not actually write samples to disk, but
add the specified delay effect. As the second pass starts writing audio to disk, it will include the
delay “tail“ resulting from the first pass.
• Convert to Mono — If this is activated, Live will create a mono file instead of a stereo file.
• Normalize — If this is activated, the sample resulting from the render process will be normalized
(i.e., the file will be amplified so that the highest peak attains the maximum available
headroom).
• Create Analysis File — If this is activated, Live will create an .asd file that contains analysis
information about the rendered sample. If you intend to use the new sample in Live, check this
option.
• Sample Rate — Note that your choice of sample rate works as follows: if you select a sample
rate equal to or higher than the rate you’re using in your project (as set in the Audio tab of Live’s
Settings), Live will export in a single step, at the sample rate you’ve chosen in the Export dialog.
If you export at a sample rate that is lower than your current project sample rate, Live will first

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 export at the current project sample rate and then downsample the file in a second step using a
high-quality process. Note that this may take a few moments.

5.1.3.3 Encoding Options

Audio Encoding Options.

• Encode PCM — If activated, a lossless audio file is created.

• File Type — WAV, AIFF, and FLAC formats are available for PCM export.
• Bit Depth, Dither Options — If you are rendering at a bit depth lower than 32-bit, choose one of
the dither modes. Dithering adds a small amount of noise to rendered audio, but minimizes
artifacts when reducing the bit depth. By default, Triangular is selected, which is the “safest“
mode to use if there is any possibility of doing additional processing on your file. Rectangular
mode introduces an even smaller amount of dither noise, but at the expense of additional
quantization error. The three Pow-r modes offer successively higher amounts of dithering, but
with the noise pushed above the audible range. Note that dithering is a procedure that should
only be applied once to any given audio file. If you plan to do further processing on your
rendered file, it’s best to render to 32-bit to avoid the need for dithering at this stage. In
particular, the Pow-r modes should never be used for any material that will be sent on to a
further mastering stage — these are for final output only.
• Encode MP3 — If activated, a CBR 320 kbps MP3 file is created. It is possible to export PCM
and MP3 simultaneously. If neither toggle is enabled, the Export button will be disabled.

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5.1.3.4 Video Rendering Options

Video Rendering Options.

In addition to settings for audio rendering, the Export dialog provides additional options for rendering
video:

• Create Video — If this is activated, a video file will be created in the same directory as your
rendered audio. Note that this option is only enabled if you have video clips in the
Arrangement View. Also, it is not possible to only render a video file — 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 for the video rendering.
The choices you have here depend on the encoders you have installed.
• Video Encoder Settings — This button opens the settings window for the selected encoder. Note
that the settings options will vary depending on the encoder you have chosen. Certain
encoders have no user-configurable options. In this case, the Edit button will be disabled.

Once you’ve made your selections and clicked Export to begin the rendering process, audio
rendering will begin. After 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 of the process.

Unless you’ve specified a special window size or aspect ratio in the encoder settings, the rendered
video file will play back exactly as it appeared during real time playback in Live. The video file will
also contain the rendered audio.

For more information about working with video in Live, see the Working with Video chapter.

5.1.3.5 Real-Time Rendering

Normally, rendering happens as an offline process. But if your Set contains an External Audio Effect
or External Instrument that routes to a hardware effects device or synthesizer, the rendering process is
a bit different. In this case, rendering the Main output happens in real time. If you render single tracks,
all tracks that don’t route to an external device anywhere in their signal paths will be rendered offline.
Then, any tracks that do access these devices will be rendered in real time. Live will automatically

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trace each track’s signal flow and detect if real-time rendering is necessary. You’ll then be presented
with several options when you start to render:

Waiting for External Devices to Become Silent.

• Skip — By default, Live will wait for ten seconds before starting a real-time render. This should
allow any sound from external devices to fade out, but if you need more time (for example, if
you’re waiting for a long reverb tail), you can increase the wait time by typing a new number in
the number box. On the other hand, if you’re sure that your external devices aren’t making any
sound, you can speed the process along by pressing “Skip,“ which will start the render
immediately.

After 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 from the beginning if
the Auto-Restart option is enabled.
• Restart — Manually restarts the rendering process.
• Cancel — Stops the rendering process and deletes the partially rendered file.

The number of rendering attempts (if there has been more than one) will also be listed in the dialog
box. If you find that dropouts and restarts keep happening, you should close other running
applications to allow more processing power for rendering. Please see the chapter on computer
audio resources for more tips on improving performance.

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5.2 MIDI Files
A MIDI file contains commands that prompt MIDI compatible synthesizers or instruments, such as
Live’s Simpler, to create specific musical output. MIDI files are exported by hardware and software
MIDI sequencers. Importing MIDI files into Live works differently than with samples: MIDI file data is
incorporated into the Live Set, and the resulting MIDI clips lose all reference to the original file. MIDI
files appear with a special icon in the browser.

A MIDI File in the Browser.

You can import MIDI files by using the browser or the Create menu’s Import MIDI File… command.
Note that when using the Import MIDI File… command in the Arrangement View, the file will be
inserted at the Insert Marker position. When using the command in the Session View, the file will be
inserted in the currently selected clip slot.

5.2.1 Exporting MIDI Files

Live MIDI clips can be exported as Standard MIDI files. To export a MIDI clip, use the File menu’s
Export MIDI Clip command. This command will open a file-save dialog, allowing you to choose the
location for your new MIDI file.

Exporting a MIDI file is different from saving the clip as a Live Clip.

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5.3 Live Clips
Individual audio or MIDI clips can be exported to disk in the Live Clip format for easy retrieval and
reuse in any project. Audio clips only contain references to samples on disk (rather than the audio
data itself), so they are very small, which makes it easy to develop and maintain your own collection.

To save a clip from the open Live Set to disk, simply drag it to the Places section of the browser and
drop it into the Current Project or any user folder. For audio clips, Live will manage the copying of the
clip’s sample into this new location based on the selection in the Collect Files on Export chooser. You
can then type in a new name for the clip or confirm the one suggested by Live with Enter .

A Live Clip in the Browser.

Live Clips are a great way of storing your ideas for 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 devices. 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, for 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 for more on this topic.

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Note that storing default clip settings with a sample’s analysis file is different from saving a Live Clip.
The default clip in the .asd file annotates the sample with sensible default values (warp, gain and pitch
settings) so that it will play in a defined 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 of variations
from the same audio clip by using different warp, pitch, envelope and effect settings, and store them
all as separate Live Clips. In the browser, you could then independently sort and preview these clips,
even though they are all referring to the same source sample.

5.4 Live Sets

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

5.4.1 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 different name and/or
in a different directory location, or the Save a Copy command to create a copy of the current Live Set
with a new name and/or new directory location.

5.4.2 Merging Sets

Live makes it easy to merge Sets, which can come in handy when combining work from different
versions or pieces. To add all tracks (except the return tracks) from one Live Set into another, drag the
Set from 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 from 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 for Importing Live Sets.

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Arrangement View Drop Area for Importing Live Sets.

If you prefer to import individual tracks from a Set, you can unfold the Live Set in the browser just as if
it were a folder.

Unfolding a Set to Reveal its Contents.

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You can now drag the individual tracks and drop them as described at the beginning of this section.
Any grooves that were saved with your Set are also available as a folder within the unfolded Set.

If you only want the device chain (e.g., a device and its audio or MIDI effects) from another Set, you
can drag in the Devices icon from the Set in the browser.

The Devices Icon in an Expanded Live Set.

You can also drag Group Tracks and nested Group Tracks from Live’s browser. Group Tracks can be
expanded in the browser, allowing you to load an individual track from within.

In addition to unfolding Sets, you can further unfold the tracks within the Sets to access the individual
Session View clips that were used on the track:

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Revealing the Session View Clips Contained in a Set.

You can browse, preview and import Session View clips from the Set as if they had been stored as
individual Live Clips. This means that any Live Set can serve as a pool of sounds for any other,
suggesting creative reuse and crossover.

5.4.3 Exporting Session Clips as New Sets

You can export a selection of Session View clips as a new Live Set by dragging them to the browser.
To export a Set, first click and drag, or use the Shift or Ctrl (Win) / Option (Mac) modifiers,
to select more than one Session View clip. Then, simply drag and drop the clips into the Current Project
or any user folder, where you can either confirm Live’s suggested name or type in one of your own.

5.4.4 Template Sets

Use the File menu’s Save Live Set As Default Set… command to save the current Live Set as the default
template. Live will use these settings as the initialized, default state for new Live Sets. You can use this
to pre-configure:

• Your multichannel input/output setup.

• Preset devices, like EQs and Compressors, in every track.
• Computer key mappings.
• MIDI mappings.

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Note that any template Set in Live’s browser can be set as the default Live Set via the Set Default Live
Set entry in the Set’s context menu or the File menu.

In addition to this default template, you can create additional template Sets for different types of
projects, each with their own unique configuration of tracks, devices, etc. To do this, save the current
Live Set using the File menu’s Save Live Set As Template… command. Any Sets saved as a template
will appear in the browser’s Templates category and the Templates folder in the User Library. Note
that the User Library’s Templates folder is automatically created the first time a template Set is saved.
These Sets will then function as templates: they will load with the configuration you saved, but with the
name Untitled.als, ready to be used as a new Set.

Multiple Template Sets in the User Library.

5.4.5 Viewing and Changing a Live Set’s File References

To view a list of the files referenced by the current Live Set, choose the Manage Files command from
the File menu, click the Manage Set button, and then click the View Files button. Live will display one
line for each file used by the Live Set. To list all clips or instruments in the Live Set where the file is
actually used, click the triangle to expand the line. Here is what you can do:

• Replace a file — Dragging a file from the browser and dropping it on an entry in the list makes
the Live Set reference the new file instead of the old one. For samples used in audio clips, Live
retains the clip properties; the Warp Markers are kept if the new sample has the same or a
greater length as the old sample and discarded otherwise. Please note that replacing a sample
will change all clips in your Set that reference this sample.

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Every Entry in the File Reference List is a Drop Target for Files.

• Hot-swap files — Using the Hot-Swap button at the left-hand side of each entry, you can
quickly browse through alternatives for the file that is currently being referenced. This is like
dragging files here, only quicker.

The File Reference List’s Hot-Swap Button.

• Edit a referenced sample — using an external application (which can be chosen in the Settings’
File/Folder tab). Clicking the Edit button will open the referenced sample in the external
application. The sample will remain offline as long as the Edit switch is engaged. For samples
used in audio clips, the current set of Warp Markers is retained only if the sample length
remains the same as before. Note that the Edit button is only available for samples, not for other
types of files such as Max for Live devices.

The File Reference List’s Edit Switch.

• View a file’s location — The Location column states if a file is missing, or if it resides in your User
Library, a Project or somewhere else (“external“). When unfolded, the entry shows the specific
places in the Set where the file is used.

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The File Reference List’s Location Column.

5.5 Live Projects

A Live Project is a folder containing Live-related files that belong together. Consider, for example,
work on a piece of music: You start out with an empty Live Set; you record audio and thereby create
new sample files; you drag in samples from collections; you save different versions of 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 folder for this Live Project will
maintain all the files related to this piece of music — and Live’s File Manager will provide the tools you
need to manage them.

5.5.1 Projects and Live Sets

When you save a Live Set under a new name or in a new folder location, Live will create a new
project folder 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 folder. Here is the result as displayed by the Live browser:

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A Live Set and its Recordings in a Live Project Folder.

The project folder (“Tango Project“) contains the Live Set (“Tango.als“) and a Samples folder, which in
turn contains a Recorded folder with two samples in it. Note that the current Project is also indicated in
the title bar of Live’s application window.

Next, we record another track into our Project. We save the modified version of the Live Set under a
new name so that we do not lose the previous version. Accepting the Save As command’s default
suggestion, we store the new version of the song in the Tango Project folder.

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A Second Version of the Live Set Has Been Added to the Project.

The Tango Project now contains two Live Sets, and its Samples/Recorded folder contains the samples
used by both of them.

And now for something completely different: 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 folder, say on the Desktop. Live creates a new project folder named Samba Project
next to Tango Project.

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A New Project Was Added Next to Tango Project.

So far we have seen how to create Live Projects and save versions of Live Sets into them. How do we
open a Project? Simply by opening any of 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 of our work on “Tango with Piano.als,“ we get sidetracked: The piece
evolves towards something entirely different, and we feel that it should live in a Project of its own. So,
we “Save As…“ under a new name and in some location outside the current Project, say the Desktop:

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A New Project Was Added by Saving a Live Set Outside its Original Project.

Note that the new project folder has no Samples folder (yet). “Electro with Piano.als“ is still
referencing the piano sample from the original Tango Project. There is nothing wrong with this except
for when the Tango Project is moved away or deleted; then “Electro with Piano.als“ will be missing
samples. You can prevent this by collecting external files. Even after the fact, Live’s tools for searching
missing files can help solve this problem.

There is actually no need to keep a Project’s Live Set exactly one level below the Project itself. Within a
project folder, you can create any number of sub-folders and move files around to organize them as
desired, although you may need to use the File Manager to “teach“ the Project about the changes
you’ve made.

In general, Live will do what it can to prevent situations such as orphaned (Project-less) Live Sets,
which have the potential of confusing both the user and Live’s file management tools. It cannot,
however, control situations in which Sets or files are moved out of order and become disorganized via
the Explorer (Windows)/Finder (Mac).

A note for users of older Live versions: Live does not allow overwriting Live Sets that were created by
older major versions to prevent compatibility problems. Instead, you will be requested to “Save As…“.
Doing this will ensure that the newly saved Live Sets reside in project folders.

5.5.2 Projects and Presets

By default, new instrument and effect presets are stored in your current Project. At times however, it
may make more sense to save a preset to another folder or to your User Library, so that you can
access them from other Projects. You can drag a preset between folders after saving it, or simply drag
the title bar of the device over a folder in the sidebar, wait for the content pane to open, and then
drop it into the content pane, adding it to the folder.

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When saving presets that contain samples to a new location, Live may copy the samples depending
on the settings in the Collect Files on Export chooser in the Library Settings. You can then type in a
new name for the device or confirm the one suggested by Live with Enter .

5.5.3 Managing Files in a Project

Live’s File Manager offers several convenient tools for managing Projects. Once you’ve opened a Live
Set that is part of the Project you wish to manage, choose the Manage Files command from the File
menu, and then click the Manage Project button. The File Manager will present you with an overview
of the Project’s contents and tools for:

• Locating files that the Project is missing.

• Collecting external files into the Project folder.
• Listing unused files in the Project.
• Packing a Project in Pack format.

5.6 Locating Missing Files

If you load a Live Set, Live Clip or preset that references files which are missing from their referenced
locations, Live’s Status Bar (located at the bottom of the main screen) will display a warning message.
Clips and instrument sample slots that reference missing samples will appear marked “Offline,“ and
Live will play silence instead of the missing samples.

Live’s File Manager offers tools for repairing these missing links. Click on the Status Bar message to
access these. (This is actually a shortcut for choosing the Manage Files command from the File menu,
clicking the Manage Set button, and then clicking the Locate button found in the Missing Files section.)
The File Manager will present you with a list of the missing files and associated controls.

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The File Manager’s List of Missing Files.

5.6.1 Manual Repair

To manually fix a broken file reference, locate the missing file in the browser, drag it over to the File
Manager and drop it on the respective line in the list of missing files. Note that Live will not care if the
file you offer is really the file that was missing.

5.6.2 Automatic Repair

Live offers a convenient automatic search function for repairing file references. To send Live on a
search, click the Automatic Search section’s Go button. To reveal detailed options for guiding the
automatic search function, click the neighboring triangular-shaped button.

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Automatic Repair Options in the File Manager.

• Search Folder — includes a user-defined folder, as well as any sub-folders, in the search. To
select the folder, click the associated Set Folder button.
• Search Project — includes this Set’s project folder in the search.
• Search Library — includes the Live Library in the search.

For each missing file, the automatic search function may find any number of candidates. Let’s consider
the following cases:

• No candidate found — you can choose another folder and try again, or locate the sample
manually.
• One candidate found — Live accepts the candidate and considers the problem solved.
• Several candidates found — Live requires your assistance: Click the Hot-Swap button (i.e., the
leftmost item in every line of the list of missing files) 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 if you like.

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5.7 Collecting External Files
To prevent a Live Set from containing broken file references, Live provides the option of collecting (i.e.,
copying) them into the Set’s project folder. This is accomplished via the File Manager:

• Choose the Manage Files command from the File menu

• Click the Manage Set button
• Unfold the triangular-shaped fold button in the External Files section.

Options for Collecting External Files.

Separated by location (other Projects, the User Library, installed by factory Packs, and elsewhere —
sample collections from external drives, for example), the File Manager provides:

• A file count and the associated disk space used;

• A Show button that will list the files in the browser;
• A Yes/No toggle for engaging or disengaging collection.

Note: Make sure to confirm your choices by clicking the File Manager’s Collect and Save button!

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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 files
referenced by the current Set, including those from Live’s Core Library or other installed Packs. Note
that this can cause a lot of copying, especially if your Live Set uses large multisample collections!

5.7.1 Collect Files on Export

When you save Live Clips, device presets or tracks by dragging them into the Browser, Live manages
the copying of associated files based on the selection made in the Collect Files on Export chooser in
the Library Settings. This chooser provides the following options:

• Always, the default setting, will copy files into the same folder as the clip, preset, or track
without notification.
• When Ask is selected, Live provides a dialog box with options for copying files.
• Never means that files will not be copied when saving.

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5.8 Aggregated Locating and Collecting
Instead of having to deal with problems while you are in a creative mode, you might prefer putting
aside some dedicated housekeeping time to solve all the problems in one go. Using Live’s File
Manager, you can find missing files and collect external files not only for the current Live Set but also
for:

• The User Library — choose the Manage Files command from the File menu; then click the
Manage User Library button.
• The current Live Project — choose the Manage Files command from the File menu; then click the
Manage Project button.
• Any Live Project — right-click on a Project in the browser’s content pane, and choose the
Manage Project option.
• Any selection of Live Sets, Live Clips, Live Presets — right-click on the respective items in the
browser, and choose the Manage Files command.

Remember to click the Collect and Save button at the bottom of the File Manager when you are
finished. Otherwise your changes will be discarded.

5.9 Finding Unused Files

Live’s File Manager can find the unused files in a Project for you. You can then review them and
decide to delete them individually or collectively. When searching for “unused“ files, Live will inspect
each file in a Project folder, checking if it is referenced by any of the Live Sets, Live Clips or device
presets in the Project. If not, the file is regarded as unused — even if other Projects or programs still use
it.

To find the unused files for the currently open Project, choose the Manage Files command from the File
menu, click the Manage Project button, and then click on the triangular-shaped fold button next to
“Unused Files“ to access a summary and the Show button. Clicking the Show button makes the
browser list the unused files; there, you can preview samples and delete them if you like.

Note you can also find the unused files from the Library: choose the Manage Files command from the
File menu, then click the Manage Library button, and then see the Unused Files section.

Last but not least, you can find the unused files for all Projects found in a specific folder (and its sub-
folders): right-click on a folder in the browser and choose the Manage Projects command, then see
the Unused Files section. Live inspects each Project individually and labels a file unused even if
another Projects in the same folder does use that file. To prevent losses, you may want to first collect
the files into their respective Projects and then purge the Projects of unused files.

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5.10 Packing Projects into Packs
Live’s File Manager provides the option of packing a Live Project in Pack format for convenient
archiving and transfer. To do this, choose the Manage Files command from the File menu, click the
Manage Project button, and then click on the triangular-shaped fold button next to “Packing.“ Click
the Create Pack button to bring up a file-select dialog where you can specify the name and location
of a new Pack file. Creating a new Pack from a Project does not affect the Project. If you want the
Project deleted, you can delete it using the browser.

Live employs lossless compression techniques to minimize the file size of Packs. Depending on the
audio materials in a Project, this saves up to 50 percent in file size.

To unpack a Pack (i.e., to restore the original Live Project), double-click the Pack file (.alp), drag it into
the Live main window, or locate it via the File menu’s Install Pack command.

5.11 File Management FAQs

5.11.1 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.

5.11.2 How Can I Save Presets Into My Current Project?

You can save presets directly to the current project by dragging from 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 referenced samples, etc.

5.11.3 Can I Work On Multiple Versions of a Set?

If you’d like to work on different versions of the same Live Set, save them into the same Project. This will
usually be the Project that was created when you saved the first version of the Live Set. If a Project
contains multiple Live Sets it will only collect one copy of any samples used by the various versions,
which can save disk space and help with organization.

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5.11.4 Where Should I Save My Live Sets?

You can save Live Sets anywhere you want, but saving to pre-existing Project folders can cause
problems, and should be reserved for special cases. You should only save a Live Set to an existing
Project if it is somehow related to the Project — for example, an alternate version of a song that’s
already in the Project.

5.11.5 Can I Use My Own Folder Structure Within a Project Folder?

You can organize your files any way you want within a Project, but you’ll need to use the File
Manager to relink the files that you’ve moved around:

1. In Live’s Browser or via your operating system, reorganize the files and folders within your
Project folder.
2. Navigate to the Project folder in the Browser and choose Manage Project via the context menu.
3. If you’ve changed the original location of any samples used in the Project, the Missing Samples
section of the File Manager will indicate this. Click the Locate button to search for the samples.
4. Since you know that your samples are all in the Project folder, unfold Automatic Search. Then
enable the Search Project and Fully Rescan Folders options. Finally, click Go to initiate the
search.
5. When searching is complete, click Collect and Save at the bottom of the File Manager to
update the Project.

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6. Arrangement View
The Arrangement View is one of Live’s two main views for song structuring and composition. In
contrast to Session View, which centers around improvisation, looping, and clip launching, the
Arrangement View lets you combine and arrange different elements of a song on a linear timeline. The
complete layout of a song or project is referred to as the Arrangement.

A Song in the Arrangement View.

6.1 Layout

The Upper Area of the Arrangement View.

1. The Overview displays the Arrangement’s entire layout of clips from start to end and can be
used for zooming and navigation. The black outline represents the currently displayed part of

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 the Arrangement. You can click and drag horizontally to scroll left or right, or click and drag
vertically to zoom in or out. To zoom out to the full Arrangement, double-click anywhere within
the black outline.
2. In the beat-time ruler, time is displayed in bars-beats-sixteenths. Clicking and dragging in this
area works the same way as in the Overview: drag left or right to scroll through the timeline, or
drag vertically to zoom. Double-clicking in the beat-time ruler zooms in to the current selection.
If nothing is selected, double-clicking the beat-time ruler zooms out to show the entire
Arrangement.
3. Clicking anywhere in the scrub area launches playback from that point. You can also hold the
left mouse button down over a point in the scrub area to loop playback for that area based on
the current global launch quantization value.
4. Locators can be added to any point in the scrub area to trigger playback for multiple areas of
the Arrangement. This is useful for organizing a piece into launchable sections.
5. Use the Set Locator button to add locators to the scrub area during playback or while
recording. When a locator is selected, the Set Locator button becomes the Delete Locator
button, which can be used to remove locators.
6. The Previous and Next Locator buttons launch playback for locators. The jump between
triggered locators is quantized based on the global launch quantization value.
7. Use the Automation Mode toggle to show or hide automation lanes.
8. The Lock Envelopes toggle can be used to lock envelopes to the song position rather than to
clips. This lets you move clips without moving automation envelopes.

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Track, Mixer, and Additional Zoom Controls in the Arrangement View.

9. Clips are contained and arranged in a track’s main lane. When using the comping workflow,
you can add clips from various take lanes into the main lane.
10. Volume, panning, I/O, and additional mixer controls are available via the Arrangement Track
Controls. You can customize which controls are shown using the Arrangement Track Controls
submenu in the View menu.
11. In the Arrangement View, tracks are stacked vertically. Tracks can be reordered by selecting
and dragging them above or below other tracks.
12. You can add new tracks to the Arrangement by dragging instruments and devices into the
Mixer Drop Area underneath tracks. Adding instruments or MIDI effects to this area will create
a MIDI track, while adding audio effects will create an audio track.
13. The Optimize Height and Optimize Width toggles can be used to fit all tracks into the current
height or width of the Arrangement. You can also use the corresponding keyboard shortcuts H
and W .
14. You can enlarge the waveform display in audio clips using the Waveform Vertical Zoom Level
slider. This is useful for highlighting transients and waveform details without having to adjust the
clip gain. The zoom level is applied to all audio tracks in the Arrangement, as well as new clips
as they are recorded.
15. In the time ruler, time is displayed in minutes-seconds-milliseconds. You can click and drag in
the time ruler to scroll left or right.
16. You can open the mixer in Arrangement View via the Mixer option in the View menu or by
using the Mixer View toggle in the bottom right corner of Live’s window.

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6.2 Navigation and Zooming
In addition to some of the options described in the Layout section, the following navigation and
zooming methods are also available:

• To zoom in and out around the current selection progressively, use the + and - keys, or
scroll with the mouse wheel or trackpad while holding Ctrl (Win) / Cmd (Mac). You can
pan the display by clicking and dragging while holding the Ctrl Alt (Win) / Cmd
Option (Mac) modifier.
• To zoom in the current selection completely, press Z or use the Zoom to Arrangement Time
Selection command in the View menu. You can revert to the previous zoom state by pressing the
X key. Note that when zooming in multiple times using the Z key, the X key can be
pressed multiple times to go back one step each time the key is pressed.
• If you select time on a clip in the Arrangement, the Clip Content Editor will zoom in on that
selected time as well.
• To vertically zoom a selected track, scroll inside a track’s main lane with the mouse wheel or
trackpad while holding the Alt (Win) / Option (Mac) modifier. Note that if the
Arrangement contains a time selection, all tracks with selected content will zoom vertically.
• To have the Arrangement display follow the song position and scroll automatically, turn on the
Follow switch in the Control Bar, or use the Follow command from the Options menu. Follow will
pause if you make an edit or scroll the view horizontally in the Arrangement, or if you click on
the beat-time ruler. Follow will start again once you stop or restart playback, or click in the
Arrangement or clip scrub area.

The Follow Switch in the Control Bar.

6.3 Transport and Playback

The transport controls in the Control Bar trigger playback of the Arrangement.

You can click the Play button to start playback; to stop playback, click the Stop button. Alternatively,
you can use the space bar to toggle playback on or off.

The Play and Stop Buttons in the Control Bar.

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It is also possible to map computer keyboard keys or MIDI messages to the transport controls, which
lets you set up a specific configuration for triggering playback as needed.

The flashing blue insert marker on a track determines where playback starts. By default, the marker is
at the start of the Arrangement. You can click anywhere within a track to move the insert marker and
set a new play position. To return the insert marker to the starting play position, you can double-click
the Stop button or press the Home key (Win) or Function + left arrow key (Mac).

Arrangement Playback Begins from the Insert Marker.

To continue playback from where it last stopped, rather than from the insert marker, hold Shift
while pressing the space bar.

The play position is also accessible via the Control Bar’s Arrangement Position fields.

Set the Play Position in the Arrangement Position Fields.

The Arrangement Position fields show the play position in bars-beats-sixteenths. When one of the
fields is selected, the value can be adjusted using a few different methods: - Use the mouse to adjust
the value by dragging up or down. - Type a number and then press Enter . - Use the up and down
arrow keys to increase or decrease the value.

Adjusting the Arrangement Position fields automatically moves the insert marker.

You can also launch playback using the scrub area above the tracks. By default, the Permanent Scrub
Areas option is enabled in Live’s Display & Input Settings, which lets you click anywhere in the scrub
area to start playback from that point.

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Use the Scrub Area to Launch Playback.

When clicking between different points in the scrub area, the jump between triggered play positions is
quantized based on the Quantization Menu’s value in the Control Bar. You can also hold the left
mouse button down on a specific point in the scrub area to play a repeated portion of the
Arrangement based on the global launch quantization value.

Even if the Permanent Scrub Areas option is switched off, you can still scrub through the Arrangement
by Shift -clicking anywhere in the scrub area or in the beat-time ruler.

The Clip Content Editor in the Clip View also has its own scrub area in individual clips that can be
used to trigger playback.

To ensure that MIDI notes play even if playback starts after the beginning of a note, Live will chase
MIDI notes by default. You can also deactivate or reactivate this behavior using the Chase MIDI
Notes command in the Options menu.

6.4 Launching the Arrangement with Locators

To set up multiple locations in the Arrangement for triggering playback, you can add launchable
locators to the scrub area.

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Use Locators to Launch Playback in the Arrangement.

The Set Locator button can be used to add locators to any part of the Arrangement in real time during
playback or when recording. Locators are quantized according to the global launch quantization
value set in the Control Bar.

The Set Locator Button.

If you use the Set Locator button while transport is not running, a locator will be added at the insert
marker location or at the start of the time selection. You can also set locators using the Add Locator
option in the scrub area’s context menu or via the Create menu.

Note that when locators are added to the Arrangement, the Set Locator button becomes the Delete
Locator button for any selected locators.

You can jump to locators by clicking on them or by using the Previous and Next Locator buttons below
the Set button. After jumping to the first or last locator in the Arrangement, the Previous and Next
Locator buttons will jump to the Arrangement start or end, respectively.

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The Previous and Next Locator Buttons.

Locators can also be triggered using MIDI/key mapping. If the transport is stopped, double-clicking
on a locator will select it and start playback from that point.

Selected locators can be moved by clicking and dragging or by using the arrow keys. You can
rename selected locators using the Rename option in the Edit menu or the shortcut Ctrl R (Win)
/ Cmd R (Mac). You can also enter your own info text descriptions for locators via the Edit Info
Text option in the Edit menu or the locator’s context menu. To delete a locator, use the Delete key,
the Delete Locator option in the Create menu, or the Delete Locator button.

The Loop to Next Locator command in a locator’s context menu offers a quick way of looping
playback between two locators. The Set Song Start Time Here command can be used to overrule the
default “playback starts at selection“ behavior: when this command is checked, playback starts at the
locator instead.

6.5 Time Signature Changes

Live’s time signature can be changed at any point in the Arrangement using time signature markers. To
add a marker at the current insert marker position, use the Insert Time Signature Change command via
the Create menu or the scrub area’s context menu.

Any time signature with a one- or two-digit numerator and a denominator of 1, 2, 4, 8 or 16 can be
used as a value for a marker. The numbers must be separated by a delimiter such as a slash, comma,
period, or any number of spaces.

You can also type or adjust time signature values using the Time Signature Numerator and
Denominator fields in the Control Bar. This will change the time signature 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 fields show an automation
LED in the upper left corner.

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The Time Signature Fields.

Time signature markers appear just below the beat-time ruler. Note that this marker area is hidden if a
Set contains no meter changes.

Time Signature Changes.

Time signature markers can be moved with the mouse or left and right arrow keys. You can edit the
time signature values for selected markers via the Edit Time Signature command in the Edit menu or the
scrub area’s context menu, or by using the shortcut Ctrl R (Win) / Cmd R (Mac). To delete a
time signature marker, use the Delete key or the Delete command in the Edit menu.

Time signature markers are not quantized; they may be placed anywhere in the timeline, and their
positioning is only constrained by the editing grid. This means that it is possible to place meter
changes in “impossible“ places — such as before the end of the previous measure. Doing so creates a
fragmentary bar, which is represented in the scrub area by a crosshatched region. Live is happy to
leave these incomplete measures as they are, but if you’d like your Set to conform to the rules of music
theory, you can choose one of the context menu options for “correcting“ incomplete bars.

A Fragmentary Bar and its Context Menu Options.

Delete Fragmentary Bar Time deletes the duration of the fragmentary bar from the Arrangement,
thereby moving any audio or MIDI clips on either side of the deleted area closer together in the
timeline. The next time signature marker will now fall on the expected barline.

Complete Fragmentary Bar inserts time at the beginning of the fragmentary bar, so that it becomes
complete. The next time signature marker will now fall on the expected barline.

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Please note that both of these options affect all tracks — deleting and inserting time changes the
length of the entire Arrangement.

When importing a MIDI file into the Arrangement, you’ll be given an option to import any time
signature information that was saved with the file. If you choose to do this, Live will automatically
create time signature markers in the correct places. This makes it very easy to work with complex
music created in other sequencer or notation software.

6.6 The Arrangement Loop

To repeatedly play a section of the Arrangement, activate the Arrangement Loop using the Loop
Switch toggle in the Control Bar.

The Control Bar’s Loop Switch.

If no clip(s) or time is selected, the loop brace will cover the entire Arrangement. You can set the loop
length numerically using the Loop Start and Loop Length fields in the Control Bar, which determine the
loop start position and loop length, respectively.

The Loop Start Fields (Left) and the Loop Length Fields (Right).

The Loop Selection command in the Edit menu can be used to turn on the Arrangement loop and set
the loop brace to the current time selection. The corresponding shortcut for this command is Ctrl
L (Win) / Cmd L (Mac), which can also be used toggle the Arrangement loop on or off when a
clip or time is selected.

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The Arrangement’s Loop Brace.

The loop brace can be adjusted using the following keys and commands:

• The left and right arrow keys nudge the loop brace to the left or right based on the current grid
settings.
• The up and down arrow keys shift the loop brace left or right in steps based on the loop brace
length.
• Ctrl (Win) / Cmd (Mac) + the left and right arrow keys shortens or lengthens the loop by
the current grid settings.
• Ctrl (Win) / Cmd (Mac) + the up and down arrow keys doubles or halves the loop length.

You can also drag the loop brace: dragging from the left or right edge adjusts the loop start/end
points, while dragging the brace bar horizontally moves the loop without changing its length.

To trigger playback from the loop brace’s starting point, enable the Set Song Start Time Here
command in the brace’s context menu. This command overrules the default behavior, which triggers
playback at the insert marker or active time selection.

6.7 Moving and Resizing Clips

A piece of audio or MIDI is represented in the Arrangement View by a clip sitting at some song
position in one of Live’s tracks.

Dragging a clip moves it to another song position or track.

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Moving a Clip.

Dragging a clip’s left or right edge changes the clip’s length.

Changing a Clip’s Length.

Note that only the clip bar is draggable, it is not possible to drag from the clip’s waveform or MIDI
display.

Clips snap to the editing grid, as well as various objects in the Arrangement including the edges of
other clips, locators and time signature changes.

To slide the contents of a warped audio clip or a MIDI clip within the clip’s boundaries, hold Ctrl
Shift (Win) / Shift Option (Mac) while dragging the clip’s waveform or MIDI display. To
bypass grid snapping, hold down Ctrl Alt Shift (Win) / Cmd Option Shift (Mac)
while dragging the clip’s contents.

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6.8 Audio Clip Fades and Crossfades
The beginning and end of audio clips in the Arrangement View have adjustable volume fades.
Additionally, adjacent clips on the same audio track can be crossfaded.

Fade controls are located at the edges of audio clips, provided that the tracks are expanded enough
for the fade handles to be visible. If a track is folded or too small, you can adjust the height of the
track until the handles appear.

You can hover over an audio clip to access the fade handles, which initially appear as small squares
at the clip’s edges.

Fade Handles in an Audio Clip.

If Automation Mode is enabled, you can momentarily toggle the fade controls by holding the F key
while hovering over an automation lane.

The Fade In Start and Fade Out End handles let you change the duration of a fade in or fade out
without affecting the fade peaks. However, fade edges cannot move beyond fade peaks. You can
select one of the handles and drag it out across the clip to change the length of the fade. You can
further adjust the fade’s intensity using the Fade Curve handle, which shapes the curve of the fade.

Adjusted Fades in a Clip.

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You can also set the length of a fade by selecting a range of time within the clip that includes the clip’s
beginning or end and executing the Create Fade In/Out command in the Create menu or using the
shortcut Ctrl Alt F (Win) / Cmd Option F (Mac).

Adjacent audio clips can be crossfaded. Creating and editing crossfades is similar to creating and
editing start and end fades:

• Click and drag a fade handle over the adjacent clip’s edge to create a crossfade.
• Click and drag the slope handle to adjust the shape of the crossfade’s curve.
• Select a range of time that includes the boundary between the adjacent clips and execute the
Create Crossfade command from the Create menu.

Crossfaded Clips.

Selecting a fade handle and pressing the Delete key deletes the fade, unless the Create Fades on
Clip Edges option is enabled in the Record, Warp & Launch Settings. In this case, pressing Delete
returns the fade handle to a default length of 4 ms. These default fades help prevent pops or clicks at
clip edges.

Automatically Create Short Fades At Clip Edges.

Another result of enabling the Create Fades on Clip Edges option is that adjacent audio clips will
automatically get 4 ms crossfades. These can then be edited just like manually-created crossfades.

There are some limits to the length of fades and crossfades:

• Fades cannot cross a clip’s loop boundaries.

• A clip’s start and end fades cannot overlap each other.

When a fade handle is selected, a dotted black line will appear on the relevant clip to indicate the
limit for that handle. This is especially useful when editing crossfades, because one clip’s loop
boundary may be hidden under the other clip.

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Note that fades are a property of clips rather than the tracks that contain them, and are independent
of automation envelopes.

6.9 Selecting Clips and Time

Apart from moving and resizing clips, Arrangement editing is selection-based: you select something
and then execute a command (e.g., Cut, Copy, Paste, Duplicate) on the selection.

Here is how selection works:

• Clicking a clip selects the clip.

• Clicking into the Arrangement background selects a point in time, represented by a flashing
insert marker. The insert marker can then be moved in time with the left and right arrow keys, or
between tracks via the up and down arrow keys. Holding Ctrl (Win) / Option (Mac)
while pressing the left and right arrow keys snaps the insert marker to locators and the edges of
clips in the selected track or tracks.
• Clicking and dragging selects a timespan.
• To access the time within a clip for editing, unfold its track by clicking the button next to the
track name. Note that selected tracks can also be unfolded by pressing the U key. You can
adjust the height of the unfolded track by dragging the split line below the Unfold Track button,
or by using the Alt + (Win) / Option + (Mac) and Alt - (Win) / Option -
(Mac) shortcut keys. You can also resize the height of a track by pressing Alt (Win) /
Option (Mac) while using a pinch gesture on a supported trackpad or touchscreen. To resize
all tracks in the Arrangement View at once, hold Alt (Win) / Option (Mac) while resizing
a single track. You can also unfold all of your tracks at once by holding down the Alt (Win)
/ Option (Mac) modifier when clicking the button, or by using the Alt U (Win) /
Option U (Mac) shortcut.

Adjusting an Unfolded Track’s Height.

• Clicking and dragging in the clip’s waveform or MIDI display allows you to select time within
the clip.

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 • Clicking on the loop brace is a shortcut for executing the Edit menu’s Select Loop command,
which selects all material within the loop.
• Holding Shift while clicking extends an existing selection in the same track or across tracks.
You can also hold Shift and use the arrow keys to extend or shorten the selection.
• Pressing the 0 key deactivates a selection of material, even if 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 a selection of audio material, even if it contains multiple audio clips. To
do this, select the range of time you want to reverse, and choose the Reverse Clip(s) command
from the clip’s context menu or press the R shortcut key. Note that it isn’t possible to reverse a
selection that contains MIDI clips.
• You can nudge a selection of material using the left and right arrow keys.

6.10 Using the Editing Grid

To ease Arrangement editing, the cursor will snap to grid lines that represent the meter subdivisions of
the song tempo. The grid can be set to be either zoom-adaptive or fixed.

You can set the width of both zoom-adaptive and fixed grid lines using the context menu available in
either the Arrangement View track main lanes or the MIDI Note Editor in the Clip View.

The following shortcuts, also available as Options menu commands, allow you to quickly adjust the
grid:

• Ctrl 1 (Win) / Cmd 1 (Mac) narrows the grid, doubling the density of the grid lines
(e.g., from eighth notes to sixteenth notes).
• Ctrl 2 (Win) / Cmd 2 (Mac) widens the grid, halving the density of the grid lines (e.g.,
from eighth notes to quarter notes).
• Ctrl 3 (Win) / Cmd 3 (Mac) toggles triplets mode; this would, for instance, change the
grid from eighth notes to eighth note triplets.
• Ctrl 4 (Win) / Cmd 4 (Mac) turns grid snapping on or off. When the grid is off, the
cursor does not snap to meter subdivisions.
• Ctrl 5 (Win) / Cmd 5 (Mac) toggles fixed and adaptive grid modes.

The current spacing between adjacent grid lines is displayed above the time ruler in the lower right
corner of the Arrangement View.

You can hold down the Alt (Win) / Cmd (Mac) modifier while performing an action to bypass
grid snapping. If the grid is switched off, using the modifier will temporarily enable it.

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6.11 Using the …Time Commands
Whereas the standard commands like Cut, Copy and Paste only affect the current selection, their “…
Time“ counterparts act upon all tracks by inserting and deleting time. This means that adding time
inserts the selected time across all tracks in the Arrangement, while removing time deletes the selected
time across all tracks. Any time signature markers within the selected region will also be affected.

• Cut Time cuts a selection of time from the Arrangement, thereby moving any audio or MIDI clips
on either side of the cut area closer together in the timeline. This command reduces the length of
your Arrangement by whatever amount of time you have cut.

The Selected Area to be Cut (Left), The Result of the Cut Time Command (Right).

• Paste Time places copied time into the Arrangement, thereby increasing its overall duration by
the length of time you have copied.
• Duplicate Time places a copy of the selected timespan into the Arrangement, thereby
increasing its overall duration by the length of the selection.
• Delete Time deletes a selection of time from the Arrangement, thereby moving any audio or
MIDI clips on either side of the deleted area closer together in the timeline. This command
reduces the length of your Arrangement by the amount of time you have deleted.
• Insert Silence inserts a chosen amount of empty time into the Arrangement starting at the insert
marker.

6.12 Splitting Clips

The Split command divides a clip into individual parts, which is useful for isolating certain areas of one
clip into its own separate clip, or breaking down one clip into multiple parts.

You can click anywhere within a clip’s waveform or MIDI display and then use the shortcut Ctrl E
(Win) / Cmd E (Mac) or the Split context menu option to divide the clip at that location. The newly
split clip will have its own clip edges and can be moved or edited like any other clip.

You can also isolate a specific portion within a clip by dragging over the desired area of the clip’s
waveform or MIDI display and then using the same shortcut or context menu option to separate out
that selection into a new clip.

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The Result of Splitting a Clip.

6.13 Consolidating Clips

The Consolidate command combines selected material from several adjacent clips into one new clip.
The command can be applied to clips per track or to adjacent clips across multiple tracks in the
Arrangement. Consolidating clips is a good way to join material from several clips into a new loop.

For example, if you have a set of clips that sound good in Arrangement Loop mode that you want to
combine into a loop, you can select your desired clips and then use the Consolidate command in the
Edit menu or main lane context menu, or use the shortcut Ctrl J (Win) / Cmd J (Mac).

The Result of Consolidating Clips.

The consolidated clip can be now treated like any other clip; you can for instance, move the clip to a
new position in the Arrangement, or drag MIDI clip edges to create more repetitions.

When consolidating audio clips, a new sample is created for every track in the selection. These
samples are essentially recordings of the time-warping engine’s audio output, prior to processing in
the track’s effects chain and mixer. Hence, the samples incorporate the effects of in-clip attenuation,
time-warping and pitch shifting, and of the respective clip envelopes, however, they do not
incorporate the effects. If you want to create a new sample from the post-effects signal, use the Export
Audio/Video command to export a specific selection of clips into one audio file.

Consolidated samples can be found in the current Set’s Project folder, under Samples/Processed/
Consolidate. If the Set has not yet been saved, consolidated samples are stored at the location
specified by the Temporary Folder.

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6.14 Linked-Track Editing
Linked-track editing makes it possible to use the comping workflow and other phase-locked editing
operations on multiple tracks at once.

6.14.1 Linking and Unlinking Tracks

Selected tracks can be linked by using the Link Tracks command in the track header’s context menu.

The Link Tracks Command.

It is also possible to link tracks in a Group Track by opening the Group Track header’s context menu
and using the Link Tracks command.

Linked tracks display a linked-track indicator button in the track headers.

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A Track’s Linked-Track Indicator Button.

Note that you can create multiple instances of linked tracks in a Set, however each track can only
belong to one of these instances.

Hovering over a track’s linked-track indicator highlights the tracks that are linked together. This can be
especially useful for identifying multiple instances of linked tracks. Clicking on a track’s linked-track
indicator selects all tracks that are linked together.

You can add tracks to an existing instance of linked tracks by first selecting the tracks you want to add,
then holding Ctrl (Win) / Cmd (Mac) and using the Link Tracks command in one of the existing
linked track header’s context menu.

Any subset of linked tracks, or a mix of linked and unlinked tracks, can be linked together by selecting
their track headers and clicking the Link Tracks context menu command.

To remove tracks from an instance of linked tracks, select the tracks you want to unlink and use the
Unlink Track(s) option in the track or Group Track header’s context menu.

6.14.2 Editing Linked Tracks

Once you have created an instance of linked tracks, the following operations can be applied to all
tracks simultaneously:

• Moving and resizing clips.

• Selecting clips and time.
• Using the “… Time” commands.
• Splitting and consolidating clips.

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 • Creating and editing audio clip fades. Only clip fades that start at the same time position can
be adjusted simultaneously.
• Arming and disarming tracks.
• Renaming, inserting, and deleting take lanes, as well as enabling and disabling Audition Mode
on take lanes. This also applies when take lanes are hidden in some linked tracks.

6.15 The Mixer in Arrangement View

There are two sets of mixer controls available in the Arrangement View: the mixer and the
Arrangement track controls.

The Mixer (Bottom) and Arrangement Track Controls (Right).

The mixer can be opened using the Mixer command in the View menu or the shortcut Ctrl Alt
M (Win) / Cmd Option M (Mac). You can also show/hide the mixer using the mixer view
control in the bottom right corner of Live’s window.

You can customize which controls are available in the mixer via the Mixer Controls submenu in the
View menu.

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The Mixer Controls Submenu.

The View menu also contains a submenu for showing/hiding the various Arrangement track controls.

Values and settings are shared between the mixer and Arrangement track controls, so you can use
either to adjust tracks. Note that some controls are only available in the mixer, such as the
Performance Impact indicators, track delays and crossfader.

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7. Session View
In Live’s Arrangement View, as in all traditional sequencing programs, everything happens along a
fixed song timeline. For a number of applications, this is a limiting paradigm:

• When playing live, or when DJing, the order of pieces, the length of each piece and the order
of 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 of music or a film score, it can be more efficient and
inspirational to start with an improvisation, which is later refined into the final product.

This is exactly what Live’s unique Session View is for.

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7.1 Session View Clips

The Controls for a Session View Clip.

1. Each clip in the Session View has a triangular button at the left 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 neighboring clips using
the arrow keys. Please refer to the manual section on clip launch settings for details on how to
customize this behavior.
2. Click on a square Clip Stop button to stop a running clip, either in one of the track’s slots, or in
the Track Status field 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. 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 of clips does not predetermine their
order; the Session grid offers random access to the clips it contains.

Notice that, even if you stop playback for a Session View clip, the Play button in the Control Bar will
remain highlighted, and the Arrangement Position fields will continue running. These fields keep a
continuous flow of musical time going, so that you can always know your position in song time during
a live performance or while recording into the Arrangement, regardless of what your individual
Session clips are doing.

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You can always return the Arrangement Position fields to 1.1.1 and stop playback for the entire Live
Set by pressing the Control Bar’s Stop button twice.

The Arrangement Position Fields and the Stop Button.

Clips can be renamed using the Rename command in the Edit menu or the clip’s context menu. You
can rename several selected clips at once by executing the Rename command. You can also enter
your own info text for a clip via the Edit Info Text command in the Edit menu or in the clip’s context
menu. The context menu also contains a color palette where you can choose a custom clip color.

Clips can be reordered by drag-and-drop. Multiple adjacent or nonadjacent clips can be selected at
once by Shift -clicking or Ctrl -clicking, respectively.

Slots in Group Tracks show a shaded area to indicate that at least one of the contained tracks
contains a clip in that scene. The color of the shading is the color of the left-most clip in the group.
These group slots also contain launch buttons which will launch all of the respective clips. Group slots
which have no corresponding clips contain stop buttons. Clicking in any group slot selects all of the
clips it refers to.

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 therefore makes sense to put a set of
clips that are supposed to be played alternatively in the same columns: parts of a song, variations of a
drum loop, etc.

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