Ableton Live by Ableton

Why Choose Ableton Live?

Ableton Live is built for speed, flexibility, and creativity, making it the go-to DAW for producers, performers, and sound designers alike. Its Session View provides a non-linear, clip-based workflow, allowing users to sketch ideas, experiment with arrangements, and remix tracks in real time—a feature that sets it apart from traditional timeline-based DAWs. This makes Ableton an especially powerful tool for electronic music production, beatmaking, and live performance, where spontaneity and hands-on control are essential.

With Max for Live, Ableton offers limitless expansion, letting users create custom instruments, effects, and MIDI tools, making it one of the most versatile DAWs available. Its seamless hardware integration, deep MIDI capabilities, and real-time audio manipulation empower artists to push creative boundaries without interruption. Whether producing in the studio or performing on stage, Ableton provides an intuitive, fluid experience that turns ideas into finished tracks with ease.

  • Current Version: 12
  • OS Compatibility: Windows and macOS

Available Versions

  • Ableton Live Lite – Free version included with some instruments
  • Ableton Live Intro – Entry-level version with essential features
  • Ableton Live Standard – Full DAW with advanced instruments and effects
  • Ableton Live Suite – Ultimate version with a complete collection of instruments, effects, and sound libraries

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Ableton Live 12 Intro

Ableton Live 12 Standard

Ableton Live 12 Suite

Key Features

Designed for Creation, Production, and Performance

Live is developed as a result of musicians seeking an improved way to create, produce, and perform music using a computer. A significant effort has been invested to make it easy and fun to use while enabling the creation of music with unlimited depth and sophistication. The manual is a reference to help users become familiar with all of Live’s features and workflows

Comprehensive Browser

Live’s browser is the central location for interacting with your musical asset library. This library includes the Core Library sounds, additional sounds from Live Packs, presets, samples, built-in and third-party devices, and folders from your hard drive. Files from Ableton Cloud and Push in Standalone Mode can also be accessed via the browser’s Places section.

Detailed MIDI Clip Editing

A MIDI clip in Live holds notes and controller data needed to play a MIDI instrument. It functions as a musical score for the device, specifying note pitch, length, position, and dynamics (velocity). MIDI clips are composed in the Clip Content Editor and edited using utilities in Clip View’s tabs/panels, the MIDI Note Editor, and the Velocity and Chance Editors.

Versatile MIDI Quantization

Live provides four distinct methods for quantizing MIDI notes. These include quantizing notes as they are being recorded, quantizing notes by moving them to snap to visible grid lines, and using the Quantize MIDI Tool for more precise control over the start and end points of notes.

Audio to MIDI Conversion Capabilities

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Built-in Audio Effects

Live comes equipped with a selection of custom-designed, integrated audio effects. An example is the Amp effect, which emulates the sound and character of classic guitar amplifiers using physical modelling technology, developed in collaboration with Softube. The Amp effect is available in Live Standard and Suite Editions.

MPE Data Editing

Live supports the viewing and editing of MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) data. There are dedicated sections for viewing and editing this data, drawing envelopes, and utilizing MPE with Live’s own devices, Push 2, and external plug-ins. Access to MPE/Multi-channel Settings is also provided.

Enhanced Accessibility Options

Live 12 introduces new accessibility options for both macOS and Windows users. These include support for screen readers and assistive technologies, new themes, a high-contrast option, streamlined keyboard navigation, and better organization of the Settings menu.

Check out the documentation!

Screenshot of Ableton Project Window

Who Uses Ableton?

  • Skrillex (Electronic/Dubstep Producer): Skrillex has mentioned his preference for Ableton Live
  • Deadmau5 (Electronic Music Producer): Deadmau5 extensively uses Ableton Live in his productions, as evidenced by his live streams and studio sessions.
  • Diplo (Electronic/Pop Producer): Diplo has been shown working with Ableton Live in his production process.
  • Armin van Buuren (Trance DJ and Producer): Armin van Buuren uses Ableton Live for mixing and editing his weekly radio show “A State of Trance” and for creating edits for his DJ sets.

Screenshot of a Virtual Instrument from the list to the right

Included Virtual Instruments

  • Analog – Classic analog-style synthesizer
  • Operator – FM synthesis powerhouse
  • Wavetable – Modern wavetable synthesis
  • Sampler & Simpler – Advanced and streamlined samplers
  • Drum Rack – Customizable drum machine
  • Collision – Physical modeling percussion instrument
  • Electric – Classic electric piano emulation
  • Tension – String modeling synthesizer
  • Impulse – Versatile drum sampler

Included Plugins / Effects

  • Echo – Tape-style delay with modulation
  • Reverb – High-quality spatial effects
  • Glue Compressor – Analog-style bus compression
  • Saturator – Warm distortion and harmonic enhancement
  • Auto Filter – Classic filtering with LFO modulation
  • Chorus-Ensemble – Vintage-style chorus effect
  • Phaser-Flanger – Analog-inspired modulation effects
  • Corpus – Physical modeling resonator
  • EQ Eight – Precision equalizer for mixing and mastering
  • Limiter – Transparent peak limiting for finalizing tracks

Screenshot of a Plugin/Effect from the list to the left

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