Ableton Announces Live 11

Published 23rd February, 2021

Live 11’s new Macro features and Rack improvements, the Spectral Time effect and two of the redesigned devices, plus per-track CPU monitoring.

Ableton Live 11 is now available at Ableton.com and at local retailers worldwide. The latest version of Live includes comping and MPE, new devices for experimentation, features for live performance, chance tools and much more.

A partial list of what’s new in Live 11 includes:

Comping

• Comping – Live organizes multiple passes of an audio or MIDI performance into individual takes. The best parts of these takes can be stitched together for the final result.
• Linked-track editing – Link two or more tracks to edit their content simultaneously.

MIDI Polyphonic Expression

• MPE support – Add bends, slides and pressure for each individual note in a chord, add subtle expression variations, morph between chords and create evolving sonic textures more easily.
• Expression View – Edit the pitch, slide and pressure envelopes of each note to refine the expression in the music.
• MPE-capable native devices – Wavetable, Sampler and Arpeggiator are updated to support MPE.

New devices

• Hybrid Reverb – Combines convolution and algorithmic reverbs, making it possible to create any space.
• Spectral Resonator – Breaks the spectrum of an incoming audio signal into partials, then stretches, shifts and blurs the result by a frequency or a note in subtle or radical ways.
• Spectral Time – Transforms sound into partials and feeds them into a frequency based delay, resulting in metallic echoes, frequency-shifted and reverb-like effects.
• Inspired by Nature – Six playful instruments and effects that use nature and physics as their inspiration.
• PitchLoop89 – Creates jittery glitch effects, delayed digital shimmers and outlandish vibrato.

Features for the stage

• Live Tempo Following – Live listens to and adjusts its tempo based on incoming audio in real time.
• Macro Snapshots – Store the state of Macros for later recall.
• Rack improvements – Racks can be configured to have between 1 and 16 Macros, Macro states can be randomized with the push of a button.

Tools to add chance

• Note chance – Sets the probability that a note or drum hit will occur.
• Velocity chance – Defines ranges for velocity probability for subtle, humanized variations in dynamics.
• Improved Follow Actions – Follow Actions can now be linked to the clip length, be set to jump to specific clips and be enabled and disabled globally. Scene Follow Actions make evolving arrangements possible.

Hybrid Reverb combines algorithmic and convolution reverbs. Chorus-Ensemble features updated sound and a new algorithm. All AAS devices now have updated UIs."

New sounds

• Voice Box, Mood Reel and Drone Lab are Ableton-designed Packs that each explore the spectrum of a specific sound palette.
• Upright Piano, Brass Quartet and String Quartet are three Packs created in collaboration with Spitfire Audio that capture popular orchestral instrument combinations in intimate detail.

Changes to Push

Live 11 also brings new functionality to Ableton’s Push hardware instrument.

• Visualizations for new devices – See visualizations of key parameters in Hybrid Reverb, Spectral Resonator and Spectral Time on Push’s color display and control them directly from the hardware.
• Key and Scale sync – The new Key and Scale feature in Live 11 is linked to Push and can be changed per clip.
• Polyphonic aftertouch support – Apply different levels of aftertouch to individual notes when using Wavetable, Sampler, and Arpeggiator for more nuanced and dynamic performances on Push.
• See up to 16 Macros – Access Macros 9-16 from a second page after the Rack page with Macros 1-8.

New in Max for Live

Max for Live gets major updates in Live 11. Among the many improvements are:

• MIDI Channel Routings – It is now possible to route MIDI to and from Max for Live audio effects and instruments.
• New API additions – A redesigned, MPE-compatible note API gives Max for Live access to many of Live 11's features.
• Performance improvements – A complete overhaul of Max for Live’s user interface integration for a smoother experience when working with Max for Live.
• Improvements for Device creators – A new live.scope object adds an oscilloscope to the object library, developers can more clearly indicate which systems their devices can be used on.

Pricing and availability

• Download versions of Ableton Live 11 cost 79 EUR / 99 USD for Live Intro, 349 EUR / 449 USD for Live Standard and 599 EUR / 749 USD for Live Suite.
• Existing Ableton Live owners should log into their accounts to check upgrade pricing.