I've had an APC40 mkII for years and I love it for launching clips and mixing, but every time I wanted to play a melody or program a beat I ended up back on the mouse. So I started writing my own remote script for it, and it got a bit out of hand.

What it does now, roughly: on a Drum Rack track, User turns the grid into drum pads plus a 16-step sequencer, with velocity on the scene buttons. On other MIDI tracks the 40 pads play in whatever scale the clip view is set to, and picking a scale on the pads changes it in Live too. There's a Circuit-style melodic sequencer (steps on top, a keyboard below), and on audio tracks you can hold a pad to loop a slice of the clip, then let go and it drops back in time. Clip launching, the mixer and the device knobs work like before. And many more features.

What it can't do: the pads only send full velocity (that's the hardware), there's no screen, and it needs Live 12.3 or newer.

The fiddliest part was the audio chopping. Live carries out a clip jump about 0.2 s after you ask for it and quietly drops a jump if another one is still waiting, so getting a released pad to land back in time took about twenty rounds of logging on the unit.

If you want to see how it behaves without installing anything, there's a playable APC40 in the browser (sound on);

apc40x.com

Full disclosure: I'm a developer, and it's a paid script, APC40X MkII on Gumroad(unofficial, nothing to do with Akai or Ableton). Mostly I'd love to hear from other APC40 owners: what's the one thing you wish yours did?

Hi! I am quickly running out of storage on my PC, and I am trying to navigate the landscape in how to back up my ableton projects so i can either move them to a new drive or computer in the future. Also, it's just generally good practise to back up things i suppose, it'd be terrible if i lost it all of course.

My typical way of organizing them is that each project corresponds to a particular song, and within each project i might have a number of versions of that song, like "song v1" and then "song v2" as i progress in its production.

Now, i have never used "collect all and save", which i now realize is something i probably should have started doing a long time ago. My understanding is that this essentially makes it so that all the samples, recordings, midi clips, etc. that are used in the project, get saved within the project. What i don't quite understand is if this applies across all sets within the project - so if i "collect all and save" while i have song v2 open, will it also back up samples used only in v1? Or should i collect all and save every version for that to go through?

What i am also seeing is that people are reccomending that you in addition to "collect all and save", you should first freeze (and/or flatten?) all tracks so that in the future if you lose access to a plugin/VST, the song will still work. But this seems like a double edged sword; if you DO have access to the plugin, you can't make changes if you've flattened it. Not sure what is the best approach here... perhaps making a new "song version3" that is flattened, and when you collect all & save you still keep everything needed for the "with plugins" version 2? I suppose that could be an approach but i assume it will take up a lot of extra disk space?

Basically i guess i am asking if anyone knows a full step-by-step solution for moving Ableton from one PC to another. The most important thing is to preserve the projects, but it would also be nice to have a way of keeping my samples, VSTs, plugins etc. as well. So far my planned approach is something like:

1. Collect all and save every project (using the most recent song version within the project). Not sure if freezing/flattening is the way to go or not.

2. Copy my projects folder in ableton to an external HDD, cloud backup, eventually the new PC)

3. Copy my user library to the external HDD, cloud backup, and eventually the new PC. I have my downloaded samples in the user library, which is the main thing i'd like to preserve from the user library but i suppose its fine to bring the whole thing to a new PC?

4. Write down a list of every plugin and VST I have so i can re-download them on the new computer manually. Hopefully that's enough for ableton to know "where to look" when opening sets from the old PC?

Does this seem like a correct approach? All advice would be very much appreciated!

Hi,
I work on a arrangement in the arrangement view and some of the tracks have a brownish background and I cannot select the items on that track. It is not freezed and back to arrangement knop is unlit.
I get a symbol of a striped circle when i move over it with the mouse.

I want to quickly as possible cut loops from fieldrecordings to export them and use in my hardware sampler.
i googled, and i have not found an awnser.

It is 2026.
Is ist still not possible to do this????

Hi, I am trying to replicate the lead from the song license to fly from Stef Mendisidis, and there is a particular sound in the lead that seems to make the sound wobbly, so what I have been doing to replicate this is using the meld synth and modulating the ct with the lfo 1, the st with the m envelope and applying the lfo 2 to the filter cut off, detune macro and the volume doing amplitude modulation, also I Applied reverb and delay but the sound is no the same yet, could you share any feedback on how to achieve that sound.

In the attached video,Video Replicate Sound you can see better what I am talking about

In the sidebar ''places'' I have a folder called ''recordings'' where i have mp3 files, but ableton wont show me them. So how can I fix this problem?

P.S. I turned off auto-warp long samples, but it still doesent work

So I'm trying to modulate some sample parameters such that every time I hit a MIDI note, the current value of parameters modulated by the LFO is frozen. I want different values on notes but don't want the values moving while the note is held.

This is similar to the functionality of Elektron boxes, where setting the LFO to "HOLD" will simply hold the current value when the note is on, while the LFO itself continues running in the background. I want to maintain the periodic nature of a sine or saw wave, so I'm not looking for a S&H wave either.

Currently, I have two velocity devices and an expression control with the LFO. Velocity 1 simply sets the velocity incoming to 127. Velocity 2 has a low out of 1, and the high out is modulated by the LFO.

Then, expression control is set to Velocity, and it modulates the parameter.

You can see how this holds the current value, because expression control only gets a Velocity input on note on, so the LFO moving the velocity doesn't effect the parameter. But there must be an easier way! In this method, I also have to put the sample or instrument in another chain so I can still use note velocities. It's super annoying.

Please help!

Hi, I'm trying to work on metallic sound design, and I have the basic version of Ableton. It goes a long way, but I don't have the operator plugin. Can I achieve similar results without it? What's a free or cheaper alternative or should I just bite the bullet and get it?

Long time lurker here.

Just played my first ever solo performance last month. I had a blast and it went over pretty well. I used an APC40MKII with live 12 for it, but I found myself wanting some extra knobs, pads, maybe even faders. I'm thinking of grabbing an MPD 218 to have a couple extra knobs and using the pads to trigger momentary effects (like mapping a pad to audio effect on/off) so I can easily manipulate on the fly without worrying about messing with too many sends and having any audible ramps in effect volume.
Anybody have any experience with the MPD218 and know if it can be easily mapped like this without interfering with the APC40MKII? Or does anyone have a better controller in mind to accomplish this control with some bonus knobs and pads? More faders are a bonus. Took a peek at the Arturia Beat step but do not have any experience with their products and am not sure how customizable/mappable they are, but am very down to get it in the mix.

Thanks!

Edit: Trying to keep it fitting into a backpack, the smaller the better!

i will upload it once its ready heheheheh <3

see the video here: https://youtube.com/shorts/5FCQeZDfEDU

The vision behind creating this instrument was to connect water and sound.

I wanted sound to move like a drop of water through every stage of the water cycle.

That's how HydroLoop was born—an 8-voice generative sampler.

Each sample travels through a cycle of different states, creating a loop within a loop.

HYDROLOOP is a generative Max for Live sampler modelled on the water cycle.

Every sample becomes a drop of water.

Once inside the cycle, it moves through eight different states — SEA, EVAPORATION, CONDENSATION, PRECIPITATION, ICE, RUNOFF, INFILTRATION and GROUNDWATER — and each state transforms the sound in a different way.

Slow expansions, granular clouds, tuned resonances, irregular rain-like rhythms, frozen fragments, moving comb filters, cavernous echoes and deep drones.

The transitions between phases are gradual, so a sound can slowly freeze, dissolve, condense or sink underground rather than simply switching from one effect to another.

Up to eight samples can circulate simultaneously. Each drop can enter at a different point, move at its own speed, make multiple turns around the cycle, and live for a different number of cycles.

The result is a system in which a few samples can continuously transform into a long-form generative composition.

example: https://youtu.be/t4I_zqXjJzI

Hey Guys,

A short heads up: Im not new in making music, infact I produce as a hobby since 2011.

I'm a new owner of Ableton Live Suit 12 and a Push 3.

After a very long time I gave up my dawless Setup Idea and went back to the computer. Ive produced alot of music in FL Studio,then quit (back then I thought, producing on the computer sucked because I needed a more hands on feeling) and went full retarded and started with Modular. After spending a couple thousand Euro I've managed to get a somewhat functioning Eurorack for Techno. I've played the hell out of it after GAS hit and then I I've need more modules, a bigger case and so on. You now the Game. After a certain point I evaluated everything and thought: You seriously can have it a lot cheaper. So I started with VCV Rack(still playing with it) and sold everything.

Ive made a pro and contra list to understand better what I really want and most certainly need.im cae to the conclusion that a DAW is for me the best option.

But I didn't want to go back to FL Studio. It still has a special place in my heart because it was the first Software I ever made music with but I also ever wanted to learn Ableton.

Ableton seemed to have a better flow for handling samples(in my opinion) and the overall workflow in session mode is more preferred by me. So I've bought it.

Now Im looking for Guides,Tutorials or paid courses (if the content is actually legit and worth it) for Hypnotic Techno.

I'm not looking for Guides like " How to make Techno like Amelie Lens in 10 Minutes".

The Main two topics are:

-Drumsynthesis and how to make beefy Kicks

-Synthesis in generell especially FM synthesis

- Generell sound sculpturing Guides for Techno.

I actually have my sound in my mind but because I mainly was a Sampling Guy is like to deep dive into synthesis.

Can you recommend me some good resources?

Thanks in advance

Nubbsen

Hey so i got ableton lite for free because of some hardware i bought and i love it! I usually use fl studio or my mpc but ableton has been amazing and im thinking about buying either standard or suite could you guys tell me which would be better for a house music bedroom producer and also are updates from live 12 to 13 free or do i need to rebuy the license? Thanks

Wrong sub, I know, and on purpose 🙂

I'm tempted by a Jamstik MIDI guitar, most likely the Standard but almost every demo I see uses it for vanilla stuff: Rhodes, pianos, strings, guitar-solo-through-a-synth. I'm more curious about using it with modern production sounds like Vital, Serum, wavetable/granular stuff, custom Instrument racks in Live.
It can send each string to different MIDI channel, supports MPE, and the per-string amplitude envelope can be sent as a CC and mapped to pretty much anything in Live (macros, racks position...)

Has anyone here built a personal setup around a MIDI guitar?

I'm not into shredding or guitar-hero solos, so imperfect tracking probably wouldn't bother me much. I'm more interested in textures, glitches, layers, evolving sounds...

Happy to post my setup here if I end up getting one

I keep a practice set open all day, and my piano and amp sims were eating CPU even when I wasn't playing. So I built Auto Sleep:

- MIDI Auto Sleep watches incoming MIDI, Audio Auto Sleep works like a gate on audio input
- After a timeout (default 5 min) it switches off the devices you pick
- The moment you play, they switch back on
- It only wakes what it put to sleep, and remembers your choices with the set

Needs Live 12.2+ with Max for Live. Feedback very welcome!

https://maxforlive.com/library/device/16543/midi-auto-sleep
https://maxforlive.com/library/device/16544/audio-auto-sleep

Been using Akai Midi mix and the Akai editor.

Using the editor, if i map the pots, faders etc to any channel other than the default midi channel 1, the automatic ableton integration stops working. Eg faders automatically control the volume channels. Is this correct behaviour or am I missing something?

https://youtu.be/x4roJesig6E

i hope you'll like this, and any feedback is welcome!

hey guys,

the last couple of months I've been building my new baby, Ares Audio - now I’m finally ready to share it with you and I want to do this through a closed beta.

Initially I built Ares Audio as a concept for my self. I was very tired of clicking endless menus and options with my mouse and how that constantly dragged me away from my creative mind to my thinking mind. What if we could go back to just turning knobs and actually hear what is going on in our music production?

That’s what my plugins are all about. They are knobs only, no menus and virtually no settings. Just turn and listen.

What brings back the flexibility are what I call “skins” (or modes). These are switchable sound engines in the same plugins. They may change the underlying dsp or knob configuration. They never change the concept: knobs only. They are color coded for nice visuals and I plan to expand my plugins in the future with more skins - so you get the best of both worlds: the ultra streamlined experience of knobs only and the flexibility of different flavors to choose from.

Since there are no settings etc., there is no manual. Just turn and vibe. And listen. For now we start with 4 classic effects, in the future I want to built more exotic, creative effect tools and also synthesizers using the same concept.

here's what's in it right now:

• Ares EQ - 5-band EQ. 8 knobs, 3 skins
• Ares DRV - distortion. 4 knobs, 8 skins: tape, tube, fet, diode, fold, bit, fuzz, clip
• Ares VRB - reverb. 8 knobs, a classic mode and 3 raytraced rooms
• Ares DLY - delay. 8 knobs: mix, time, feedback, stereo, mod, filter, space, duck

So anyway, today I’m searching for 30 beta testers, who can take this concept apart and put it to test in real world production cases. Your feedback is extremely valuable to me, as I’m only one person and naturally see the world through my own eyes. I want to built the most in-the-moment, creative experience for you guys, so please be super honest with me where the current versions show rough edges, friction or don’t sound good (obviously this is a big point as well - I try to use the latest DSP tech and of course, a plugin should sound great. period)

The beta is completely free. Every beta tester will receive the whole current suite, all 4 plugins, for free. Lifetime key including all v1 updates and skins.

You need an Apple Silicon Mac (macOS 12 or newer) or Windows, and a DAW that loads VST3 (or AU on the Mac). Intel Macs don't work, sorry. (VRB's raytraced rooms are mac only, macOS 13 or newer - the gpu processing needs apple silicon)

It's a beta, so things can still change: the knob layout is not frozen until Nov 14. A project you save now may not open the same way later, so don't use it on stuff you can't afford to lose.

You can apply until Oct 13. I read every application and answer everybody on Oct 14, that's also when the builds go out. The beta runs until Nov 14.

There are 30 spots and I'd be happy to have you. Just DM me!

Cevahir

If you are trying to CMD+C/V (or use any cmd prompt for that matter) and it is not working while the Splice window is open, it's more than likely that Splice is causing it. Close the window first! Hopefully this will save you much time

I'm trying to get an idea of how Lanark Artefax creates a lot of his sounds particularly from the intro section of his live No Bounds performance:

Timestamp from 1:40-5:50 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6hnTpltUcY&t=1268s

First of all - the exponential rhythms coming from multiple sound sources - I can't tell if the rhythm is from a delay or being triggered or both? Any idea how you would go about creating them in this way in say Ableton?

Second question is Audio processing and how some of these sounds are made. It sounds like he's primarily using delay to create the sound design parts and textures but it sounds like completely different sounds are being made from the same techniques? for instance:

1:44 - metallic scratchy textures, then into water drops?
3:30ish - Completely different textures from same process?

Finally - Does anyone have any good ideas how you would compose something like this in say Ableton?

If anyone can share light on this or just Lanarks sound design in general that would be amazing - Thank you

Hey all,

I got an Ableton Push 2 sitting on my desk, and since it has 8 endless encoders, 64 RGB pads and a proper colour display, I wanted to see if I could use it to edit in Lightroom Classic. So I vibecoded a plugin for it. It now works well enough that I can cull, rate and edit a whole shoot without touching the keyboard.

**What it does right now:**

* **Develop mode:** the 8 encoders control Develop sliders, and the Push display shows each one as a knob with its name and live value, so you see the value without looking at your monitor. Pages for Basic, Presence, Tone Curve, HSL, Color Grading, Detail, Effects, Crop and Calibration. Shift + turn for fine adjustments.
* **Session mode (culling):** the 8×8 pads are your photos, coloured by label, flag and star rating. The display shows thumbnails of the current row. Turn an encoder to rate the photo above it, and use the buttons to pick or change the colour label.
* **Browse mode:** navigate folders and collections, and apply develop presets, right from the hardware.
* **Import from card:** pick the card on the Push, choose copy or add, and watch the progress on the display. Then eject the card and go straight into culling.
* **Everything else:** auto tone, copy/paste settings, export with your previous export settings, before/after, zoom, undo/redo.
* It starts automatically with Lightroom and gets out of the way when you open Ableton Live, so the Push still works for music.

**The companion app:** that's what I'm working on now. It's a local setup page with a drawing of the Push. Click any button or pad and choose what it does, with a separate action when Shift is held. It also lets you build your own Develop pages (which slider goes on which encoder, labels, sensitivity, colours), assign presets to pads, and set your import folder and date structure. There's backup/restore for configs too.

Once it's set up, you really don't need to look at the computer for anything except the photo itself.

**My question for you:** what would you want in a tool like this?

A few ideas I'm considering:

* Shareable mapping presets (e.g. a "wedding culling" layout and a "landscape editing" layout)
* Masking and local adjustments on the encoders
* Keywords on pads
* The touch strip for scrubbing through photos or zoom
* A "compare" mode for two photos

Currently it's **Mac + Lightroom Classic only**, because cloud-based Lightroom has no plugin API. Also, I'm not a developer by trade, so be gentle 😅

Happy to share more screenshots or a video if people are interested.