Ableton Release Live 9.6.1 Update, Focus on Performance & Push 2 Improvements

Ableton Live 9.6.1 features a vast array of improvements and bug fixes. While there's been performance improvements for Live users, Push 1 and 2 users will feel the love in a big way too.  

It might be only a point update, but those who’ve been experiencing CPU spikes caused by external MIDI inputs, ASIO drivers, scrubbing clips, etc., in Live 9.6 will be happy to get Live 9.6.1 downloaded.

There’s also been a couple of bug fixes for Live crashing or freezing when exporting audio, control surface errors when using Remote scripts, an changes to help APC40 and Launchpad Pro users make the most of their devices.

But the improvements don’t stop there. Push 2 users can enjoy the ability to transpose the note played by a pad, clips not pulse in their assigned clip color (not just green). There’s also been improvements to waveform zooming behavior, fades in Simpler, and there’s improvements for Push 1 owners too.

Read the complete release notes below or visit the Ableton website and download your update here:

https://www.ableton.com/en/help/article/live-9-release-notes/

Improvements and feature changes:

  • Reduced CPU peak loads when launching, stopping or scrubbing clips, when clicking the "Back to Arrangement" button, when editing a running clip.
  • Improved CPU spikes caused by external MIDI inputs on OSX.
  • Improved the reliability and priority of the audio thread when using ASIO drivers. This contributes a noticeable performance improvement and fixes a few cases where Live would drop out when using certain audio interfaces.
  • Improved the performance of Ableton Devices on Windows.

Bugfixes:

  • Live could crash when exporting audio or freezing, if Simpler contained a very long audio file.
  • Live would crash when performing 'Undo' after dragging a sample onto Simpler's breakout view.
  • Occasionally, the grid lines for certain devices (e.g. the Frequency Display in EQ Eight, the Bandpass Display in Overdrive) would not be drawn under the 64-bit version on Windows
  • Reversing an audio Clip twice before the sample analysis completed caused the sample to be greyed out.
  • Certain Audio Unit parameters would show the wrong value in the Device View after instantiation.
  • With audio buffer sizes larger than 512 Samples, values sent by the APC40 and APC40 Mk2 encoders would cause the mapped Live parameters to behave erratically.
  • Device selection would stop working when using Control Surfaces based on User Remote Scripts.
  • Touching the Mod Wheel would stop transport when using the Arturia Keylab Control Surfaces.
  • Under certain circumstances, the Launchpad Pro might not initialize correctly.
  • Fixed a bug which prevented Max for Live devices from grabbing the Launchpad Pro matrix in the available User modes.
  • Fixed a bug which prevented Max for Live devices from grabbing the Launchpad matrix in the available User modes.

Changes for Push:

  • In Drum Racks, it is now possible to transpose the note played by a pad on Push 2.
  • On Push 2, playing clips now pulse in their assigned clip color, instead of green. Recording clips pulse between clip color and red.
  • Device selection is now remembered on a per-pad basis on Push 2.
  • In Mix mode, the track meters now change in color to reflect the state of the track routing / monitoring, as they do in Live on Push 2.
  • Improved the waveform zooming behavior on Push 2 for both Simpler and audio Clip mode.
  • If fades are enabled in Simpler, these will be displayed also on Push 2.
  • The zoom level is now represented graphically, whereas before a numeric value was used.
  • On Push, the active sample region for Simpler would not match the one in Live if ‘Snap’ was enabled.
  • Waveform updates are faster when switching between different Simpler instances.
  • When duplicating an Audio Clip or a Drum Rack pad based on Simpler, the waveform visualization of the copied item would not be preserved.
  • Improved performance when scrolling vertically in Session View with Push 2.
  • In a context of hotswapping presets, the "Load" feature in the Push 2 browser is set by default on "Load Next". In the former case, all drum pads will start pulsing white as long as the browser is open, whereas for hot-swapping a single pad, that pad is pulsing.
  • Added a "Load previous" in the Push 2 browser.
  • It is now possible to load a device faster from Push 2, without needing to enter its folder.
  • Previously, 'Press Browse to load a sample' would be erroneously displayed also when focused on Return or Master tracks.
  • It is now possible to use "Warp as x bars" also while the sample is not warped yet.
  • In Simpler, Waveform Slice points and Start, End flags displayed the wrong color when switching between tracks of different color.
  • Scale Layouts are now available for Push 2 as well. Furthermore, the 'Sequent^' and 'Sequent>' Scale Layouts have been improved.
  • The Push 2 Firmware is upgraded to version 1.0.49. This is a maintenance update.
  • When switching from Live mode to User mode, the LED state for mapped pads/buttons would not be recalled properly.
  • Push would display a wrong Clip length when using time signatures other than 4/4.
  • Under certain circumstances the channel meters would not be displayed when switching between Track Mix Mode and Global Mix Mode on Push
  • Previously, it was not possible to delete Return tracks from Push 1 and 2.
  • Push 1 would become unresponsive after performing 'Slice to Drum Rack'.
  • Device selection would not be remembered by Push 2 for Effect Racks.
  • Added the missing parameters for Analog 'Amp 2’ under the ‘Amp’ device bank, and 'AEG2 < VEL' under the ‘Amp 2 Envelope’ bank.
  • Vib Delay’ appeared twice under the Tension 'Vibrato' bank.
  • On Push, a number of toggle buttons across devices would display ‘0’,’1’ instead ‘On’, ‘Off’.
  • When switching to Clip mode with Push, Live would keep displaying device mode.
  • When selecting devices with Push in a long chain, Device View in Live would not auto-scroll anymore.
  • When adding plug-in parameters to the parameter list in Device View via 'Configure', the device bank in Push Device mode would only update after switching back from a different mode or track.
  • The Push Display could go blank when loading certain plugin presets or when switching through device banks with Push 2.
  • The Push 2 display would crash when browsing plug-ins, if the plug-in folder contained a number of devices which exposed the exact same name to Live.
  • “Lock to Control Surface" would not work anymore with Push 1 or 2.
  • Collapsing the Inline Mixer of a Drum Rack from Arrangement view would cause a visual glitch in Session View.
  • Adjusted the timing a notification is displayed on Push 2, which now is in relation to the length of the text.

Web: https://www.ableton.com/en/help/article/live-9-release-notes/

Learn Ableton Live & Push in The Ask.Audio Academy here.

Rounik is the Executive Editor for Ask.Audio & macProVideo. He's built a crack team of professional musicians and writers to create one of the most visited online resources for news, review, tutorials and interviews for modern musician and producer. As an Apple Certified Trainer for Logic Pro Rounik has taught teachers, professional... Read More

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