Ableton Live 11.1 beta adds Apple Silicon Support

Live 11.1 adds native support for Apple computers running on the M1 Silicon chip and other new features.  

This release also comes with a number of small improvements, including an updated Shifter device, which adds a new mode for real-time monophonic pitch shifting, as well as delay, an envelope section, an LFO and glide functionality.

Two new Max for Live utilities, Align Delay and MIDI Shaper are also added. Align Delay allows artists to compensate for lag when sending signals throughout their system. MIDI Shaper generates modulation data that can bring more expression to MIDI performances.

Additional features include improvements to comping, updates to Clip handling, and more.

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Native Apple Silicon Support

  • Live 11.1 adds native support for Apple M1 computers. 

  • Note: The beta auto-update from 11.0.10b3 is still based on the Intel architecture. If you are on an M1 machine, please download the universal installer from Centercode.

Arrangement View Improvements

  • You can use the Arrow Left key to navigate from an automation lane or take lane to the main track, this will fold the lanes as well. You can also use the Arrow Left key to navigate from tracks in a group to the main Group Track.

  • The Arrow Left/Right shortcut has been added to the Arrangement Track Title Bar info text. The shortcut folds/unfolds the track.

  • The Arrow Left/Right shortcut has been added to the Toggle Additional Automation Lanes info text. The shortcut folds/unfolds additional automation lanes.

Browser

  • A new Devices icon has been added to Live’s Browser: 

    • When viewing Sets in the browser, you will see a Devices icon for device chains on a track that contain at least one device.

    • When you expand a Live Set in the browser, either from the Current Project folder, Templates folder, or a folder of Sets you have added in Places, you can unfold the tracks in the Set to reveal their device chains. These chains can then be moved into the current open Set using drag and drop or by double-clicking on the chain. The Device settings from the original Set are retained but any previously recorded automation is not.

Capture MIDI

  • The first note is placed at the start of the captured clip in phrases that are eight bars or less.

  • When using Capture MIDI while other clips are also playing, the longer phrase that was played will be captured in a new clip.

  • The loop boundaries are set to include a played note if it extended beyond the final bar.

  • If only one long note is played, Capture MIDI will set the loop boundaries to one, two, four, or eight bars. The tempo is set accordingly.

  • In Session View, new captured clips now use the “Adaptive Grid: Narrow” setting instead of “Fixed Grid: 1/16.”

Clip View

  • Added responsive Clip View options:

    • In Clip View, all clip properties are now displayed in tabs instead of additional panels. The tabs in Clip View can be arranged vertically or horizontally by selecting “Arrange Clip View Panels Vertically” or “Arrange Clip View Panels Horizontally” from the View menu. 

    • When Clip View panels are arranged vertically, the individual tabs (e.g. Clip, Audio, Envelopes, etc) can be collapsed and expanded using the arrow icon to the right of the tab header.

    • When Clip View panels are arranged vertically, the individual tabs (e.g. Clip, Audio, Envelopes, etc) can be folded/unfolded using the Arrow Left/Right keys.

    • Sample information for audio clips (e.g. sample name, sample rate, etc) is also displayed in the Clip View and appears differently in the vertical/horizontal view modes.

    • Clip View panels can now be accessed using keyboard shortcuts. In MIDI clips, ALT + 1 switches to the Notes panel, ALT + 2 switches to the Envelopes panel, and ALT + 3 switches to the Note Expression panel. In audio clips, ALT + 1 switches to the Sample panel and ALT + 2 switches to the Envelopes panel.

    • The chosen Responsive Clip View mode is now saved in Live’s Preferences.cfg file. 

  • When multiple audio clips are selected, the sample properties (sample rate, bit depth, and channel count) for all samples will be displayed in the Clip View. If a value is not the same for all samples, the character “*” will be displayed. In Clip View, you will also see the total number of samples selected.

Comping

  • You can now duplicate selected take lanes using the keyboard shortcuts CMD + D (Mac) / CTRL + D (Win), or by right-clicking on the take lane header and selecting “Duplicate.”

  • Changing the color of a clip in a take lane changes the color of the corresponding clip in the track’s main lane and vice versa. Splits are created on the updated clips in certain cases when the relation between other highlights on different clips change.

  • The horizontal lines that separate multiple take lanes match the color of the clips that are in those lanes.

  • When renaming multiple tracks or take lanes using the context menu option, you will see the edit field when you right-click on a track or take lane.

Control Surfaces

  • When navigating between devices on a selected track with the PreSonus ATOM SQ, you can now scroll between devices by holding the navigation buttons down. 

  • If an invalid CC, note, or channel value is used in a UserConfiguration.txt file, the associated User Remote Script can still be loaded.

CPU Meter

  • The CPU meter drop-down menu now can be customized to display:

    • both the Average or Current CPU usage levels

    • only the Average level, with the Current level switched off

    • only the Current level, with the Average level switched off

  • Alternatively, the CPU meter can also be switched off entirely.

  • By default, Live will not display the Current level; it must be enabled from the drop-down menu.

Interface

  • You can use the left and right arrow keys to navigate radio buttons anywhere in Live. If you are navigating radio buttons on a device that is inside of a Rack with the left and right arrow keys, you can get back to moving between devices in the Rack using the left and right arrow keys by hitting the ESC key.

  • In Session and Arrangement View, the Monitor radio buttons now have a default state that can be restored. When the In/Out section is expanded, you can press the Delete key to reset the Monitor radio buttons to the default (“Off” for audio tracks and “Auto” for MIDI tracks). This option is also accessible via the Edit menu option “Return to Default.”

  • The Quantize Settings dialog buttons in the MIDI Note Editor now say “Apply” and “Close” instead of “OK” and “Cancel.”

  • Deactivated device title bars are easily readable in all Live Themes, even if the device is selected.

  • An error message will be displayed in the status bar if an auto-update cannot be downloaded.

  • Added a new "MIDI Envelope Auto-Reset" entry to the Options menu: 

    • When enabled, certain MIDI control message types that are not automated for a given clip will automatically reset at the start of a new clip. 

    • Note: for users who intentionally work opposite to this behavior, enabling this change will make corresponding Live Sets behave differently. 

    • In Live 11.0.5, "MIDI Envelope Auto-Reset" is disabled by default. 

    • In Live 11.1, "MIDI Envelope Auto-Reset" is enabled by default for new Sets, and disabled by default in older Sets.

  • Updated various info texts.

  • Updated some Help View lessons.

Max for Live

  • Updated the bundled Max build to version 8.2.0 Beta 665eec0.

  • It is now possible to call select_notes_by_id on a Clip object in Max for Live, passing a list of note IDs. This will select only those notes that have the provided IDs.

  • Link functions have been added to the Max for Live API.

  • You can access the IDs of newly created notes using the Python API or the Max for Live API. 

  • It is possible to get a dictionary of all the notes in a MIDI clip using the Python API or Max for Live.

  • When Max fails to load, an error message will be displayed that contains a link to a Knowledge Base article that explains potential causes for the issue and steps to take to resolve it.

  • Error reporting in the Max Window is more consistent.

  • Four new theme colors are available in Max for Live.

  • amxd~: ‘realtime_params’ attr for realtime report of parameter data from outlets

  • Dynamic Colors: ability to use a name which references a dynamic color (follows Live or Max color themes)

  • live.adsr~ / live.adsrui: new objects

MPE

  • Added an MPE Settings dialog box to the I/O section of Live’s mixer. You can use the settings to:

    • configure the MPE zone and range of note channels used by Live when sending MPE to an external MIDI device or plug-in 

    • select the upper or lower zone and number of note channels 

    • select multi-channel mode, which sets an arbitrary range of note channels

  • The above MPE settings can be used for hardware synths that require a specific MPE configuration, or plug-ins that do not officially support MPE but can be used with MPE controllers due to their multi-timbral support. 

Multi-Clip Editing

  • Time selection interactions, note selection interactions, and new note editing options have been added to multi-clip editing:

    • Time in the MIDI Note Editor can be selected across loop and clip boundaries.

    • Note editing (e.g. copy, cut, paste, delete) can be used when working with note selections across clips and loop boundaries. 

    • Notes can be cut or copied from multiple clips and inserted into the same set of clips, as long as the clip selection/foreground clip has not changed, or into a different clip once that new clip has been selected.

  • Selected loop bars can now be duplicated using the context menu or the CMD + D (Mac) / CTRL + D (Win) keyboard shortcuts.

  • In Arrangement View, it is possible to draw notes in background clips without first changing the foreground clip. Notes can also be drawn continually across clip boundaries, except in Focus Mode.

  • When using a pen to draw notes with "Draw Notes with Pitch Lock" enabled, any notes that cross a loop boundary are no longer deleted.

  • When more than 64 clips or eight tracks are selected in Arrangement View, the MIDI Note Editor is no longer available for multi-clip editing to prevent potential performance issues. 

New Devices and Device Improvements

  • Introduced "Shifter", a new audio effect in Live Standard and Suite. Shifter is a multi-purpose audio effect for pitch shifting, frequency shifting, and ring modulation. The pitch or frequency of incoming audio can be tuned using Coarse or Fine parameters and further adjusted with a Tone filter and Window parameter. Shifter also has Delay, LFO, and Envelope Follower sections for additional modulation. The Shifter device can set pitch or frequency using its own parameters or by incoming MIDI notes. 

  • Introduced the Align Delay device, which is now included in the set of Max for Live devices that come with a Suite license, or a Standard plus Max for Live license. Align Delay is a Max for Live device that delays incoming signals by samples, milliseconds, or meters/feet.  

  • Introduced the MIDI Shaper device, which is now included in the set of Max for Live devices that come with a Suite license, or a Standard plus Max for Live license. MIDI Shaper is a Max for Live MIDI device that uses multi-breakpoint envelopes to generate mappable modulation data. 

  • The Cytomic Filters, which are used in the Wavetable, Echo, Simpler, Sampler, Operator, and Auto Filter devices, have been updated and improved in stability, sound and performance. As of 11.1, the Cytomic filters (particularly the MS2 and SMP options) might deviate in sound compared to previous Live versions, especially when driven hard. 

  • An update to the Softtube libraries may cause subtle sound changes in the Amp and Cabinet audio effects.

  • In the Sampler, Wavetable, Impulse, Simpler, Channel EQ, Hybrid Reverb, Chorus-Ensemble, Phaser-Flanger, Echo (output knob only), and Spectral Resonator (input send only) devices, Gain controls now increment/decrement consistently by 1 dB when pressing the up/down arrow key, or by 0.1 dB when pressing the Shift key.

  • Spectral Time:

    • The effect order can now be reversed using two radio buttons “Frz > Dly” or “Dly > Frz” on the right panel of the Spectral Time device above the Dry/Wet knob.

    • A “Zero Dry Signal Latency” option has been added to the context menu in the Spectral Time device. Enabling it reduces the latency of the dry signal to zero instead of syncing it with the output of the effect. This option is useful when playing a live instrument through Spectral Time and monitoring the output.

  • Spectral Resonator:

    • In the Spectral Resonator device, the Shift parameter will now increment/decrement by one semitone when pressing the up or down arrow keys, or by one octave when holding the Shift key.

  • Wavetable:

    • A context menu option for Hi-Quality mode has been added to the Wavetable device. When Hi-Quality is off, Wavetable modulation is calculated every 32 samples. Low-power versions of the Cytomic filters are also used to further reduce CPU. Using Wavetable with Hi-Quality mode off can save up to 25% CPU compared to having it enabled, which is ideal for working with large sets or maintaining low latencies. Please note that as of 11.1, Hi-Quality mode will be off by default when loading a new instance of Wavetable or any of its Core Library presets. However, any user presets or Live Sets created previously will still load Wavetable in Hi-Quality mode to ensure sound consistency with earlier Live versions. Subtle sound differences may occur when Hi-Quality mode is enabled.

Push Device Visualization

  • On Push 2, the Hybrid Reverb parameter banks Algorithm 1 and Algorithm 2 have been renamed to Algorithm Pg 1 and Algorithm Pg 2. Also some parameters for Hybrid Reverb on Push 2 have been rearranged for easier navigation.

  • Updated some parameter names for the Chorus-Ensemble device on Push 2.

  • The Saw Up and Saw Down icons for Sampler’s LFO waveforms on Push 2 now appear as expected.

Session View Improvements

  • Using the Arrow Left/Right keys to navigate the Session View no longer skips return tracks, if they are visible.

  • Multi-selecting scenes now behaves the same as multi-selecting clip slots.

  • Selecting scenes no longer highlights the Master track, instead the scene itself is highlighted. 

  • Navigating from the last clip slot to a scene with the Arrow Right key will highlight the Master track.

  • You can click on a scene number or the Master track header to access the Master track and Scene View panel.

Setup

  • To avoid incompatibilities, you will be asked to save Live Sets created with an older version of Live as a new file in Live 11.1.

  • In Live’s Preferences, file paths that are unavailable (e.g. if an external drive is not connected) display a “(not available)” message. Paths that haven’t been set yet display a “(not set)” message.

Bugfixes

Live Bugfixes

  • Devices that use beat sync divisions now remain in sync when the device is re-enabled during playback.

  • The Filter LFO dropdown menu in the Tension device now appears as expected.

  • Previously, when merging a device chain containing no instrument with another device chain containing an instrument, the instrument would be deleted from the merged chain.

  • Live no longer moves samples from a temporary project to the final saved project folder.

  • Fixed a bug that created file path issues with the Live Recordings temporary folder if it was also saved and renamed in Places.

  • The undo text for changed clip colors has been corrected in the Edit menu.

  • Previously, if a plugin was grouped into an Instrument or Drum Rack, the MPE settings of the plugin were not retained when the Rack was saved as a preset.

  • Fixed a crash that occurred if non-supported MPE data (e.g. MIDI CCs other than Pitch, Slide, or Pressure) was sent to a Sampler/Simpler device.

  • Fixed a crash that occurred when clicking on a parameter in Live and adjusting the same parameter using an encoder on Push at the same time.

  • Fixed a crash that occurred if all return/delay tracks were deleted and then a track containing a take lane was duplicated and moved. Live would crash if undo was selected twice after duplicating and moving the track.

  • In the Filter/Mod section of the Delay device, a custom icon for the Ping Pong setting is now displayed on Push 2.

  • Fixed a crash that occurred when going to “Save Set as Template” from the File menu, then typing the name of the set, and finally pressing the [Escape] key twice to cancel the process.

  • Improved keyboard shortcut support for French keyboard layouts

  • Fixed a bug that caused peak CPU load to be calculated incorrectly if the buffer size selected in Live’s Preferences wasn’t a multiple of 64 samples.

  • Fixed a crash caused by loading multiple instances of certain VST3 plug-ins when Live’s transport was running.

  • Fixed an issue in Session View that caused notes to sometimes be triggered twice when recording a MIDI clip with both “Record Quantization” and “Chase MIDI Notes” enabled.

  • Fixed an issue caused when using multiple Control Surface scripts that are set to automatically arm MIDI tracks.

  • When highlighting an area of a take lane using Draw Mode, the clip name appears as expected.

  • Plug-ins that cannot be loaded appear with a standard device background that includes a more detailed error message.

  • Loading .alc files from Core Drum Kits into Arrangement View now preserves the Drum Rack chain routings.

  • In Arrangement View, the dialog box that appears when multi-clip editing is no longer available because more than eight tracks are selected appears as expected.

  • When several audio clips with different pitch values are selected, you will see the range of values for each clip highlighted in blue on the Pitch dial in Clip View.

  • Renaming take lanes in linked tracks works as expected.

  • Folded clips with long fades appear as expected.

  • Fixed an issue that caused clip fades to reset when resizing adjacent clips.

  • Fixed a crash caused by some VST3 plug-ins with certain undesignated MIDI CC mapping parameters.

  • The CTRL + 5 fixed/zoom adaptive grid keyboard shortcut works as expected on Windows.

  • Fixed an issue in Session View that caused notes to sometimes be triggered twice when recording a MIDI clip with both “Record Quantization” and “Chase MIDI Notes” enabled.

  • Fixed two bugs that caused the time selection to not be updated as expected when editing several clips compared to editing a single clip.

Max for Live Bugfixes

  • When the LFO device's modulation waveform exceeds its minimum/maximum, it now draws a horizontal line, as is consistent with the Envelope Follower and Shaper devices. The MPE Control device no longer creates high CPU spikes when receiving MIDI CC 64 (Sustain).

  • Fixed various bugs that affected these bundled Max for Live devices: Envelope MIDI, LFO, Note Echo, and MIDI Monitor.

  • Fixed a bug with the Expression Control device.

  • Key events keep working when a selected Max for Live device becomes invisible.

  • Selected parameters of a Max for Live device can still be controlled by key events even if the device is no longer visible.

  • The correct return IDs of newly created notes will be added to new clips when using the Python API or Max for Live API.

  • Mapped waveforms in the LFO device appear as expected.

  • Setting the MPE Control device Pitch Curve to an S Curve shape works as expected.

  • Fixed an issue that could cause CPU spikes when using Channel Aftertouch in the MPE Control device.

  • amxd~: notifies parameter hub when device state changes

  • jit.gl.model: fixed file loading when embedded in M4L device

  • jsliveapi: eliminate crash when there's no 'this' for operations

  • jsliveapi: improved handling of large strings

  • live.* UI objects: improve negative value handling with some units

  • live.* ui objects: Outputs the correct value when opened and initialized by pattr

  • live.banks: error reporting refinements

  • live.banks: fixed bank renaming in response to '-' argument

  • live.banks: fixed crash when adding a new bank with index 1 when banks are empty

  • live.banks: fixed crash with certain 'edit' messages

  • live.banks: fixed crashing with bad input

  • live.dial: fixed large mode automation drawing

  • live.drop: ensure value when restoring

  • live.scope~: fixed delayed drawing after deletion

  • Help patchers: fixed crash clicking '?' menu in Live
  • Device project: fixed hang when changing the "development path type"
  • Editor Startup: improved Windows startup times
  • Live Object Model doc: updated with Live 11 additions
  • Parameters: filters hidden parameters before generating automation for Live
  • pcontrol: scheduler works in patches opened via load message
  • Timing: improved locked metro accuracy
  • Max Console in Max for Live: long text wrapped and shows device name

  • Object Browser: Max for Live UI objects shown in correct category

  • Object Palette: icons added for all live.* UI objects

  • Parameters Window / Inspector: auto-quote Info Title / Info

  • Parameters: only dirty if it exists in a Max for Live device

  • Performance: CPU usage improvements after starting Editor

Live 11.1 is now in public beta. If you own a Live 11 license, you can test Live 11.1 – join the beta program.

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