Ableton Live for Mac

What's new in this version:

Stem Separation:
- Live Suite now features built-in stem separation that runs locally. Any recorded audio material — such as a song, loop, or sample — can be separated into four stems: Vocals, Drums, Bass, and Others. The Others stem includes all parts of the audio that are not recognized as vocals, drums, or bass
- You can separate audio files from the browser or separate clips from the Session or Arrangement View. To do so, right-click a sample in the browser or a clip in Session or Arrangement View and select Separate Stems to New Audio Tracks. Each stem is rendered onto its own track in a new Group Track. Any audio effects from the source track are also added to the Group Track. The clip used for separation is muted to avoid doubled output
- You can choose between two quality modes for the separation: High Speed and High Quality. The mode determines whether the separation process prioritizes quickness or accuracy. In High Speed mode, all stems are separated in a single pass, so the process will be faster, though it may still take several minutes on older system configurations. In High Quality mode, the separation accuracy is improved (as measured by a higher Signal-to-Distortion Ratio, i.e., SDR score), at the cost of slower processing. The Vocals, Drums, and Bass parts are processed through their own dedicated separation passes. The Others stem is then created from the remaining audio after the three passes
- Generally speaking, the overall amount of time required for the separation process highly depends on your system configuration. Stem separation may take a while on older Windows computers, Intel Macs, and Mac computers running macOS 11 Big Sur. Due to an incompatibility issue, stem separation will also run slowly on Apple Silicon computers with macOS 26.1 Tahoe. See this article for more information on macOS compatibility with Live

Splice Integration:
- Splice - the industry’s leading sample library - is now integrated into Live’s browser. Anyone with a free or paid Splice account can access their library, browse, preview, and download samples directly within Live
- You can browse and save samples to your Splice library, as well as preview Splice samples in sync with Live's transport. When you find a sample you like, you can drag it from the Splice label into the Session or Arrangement View. Alternatively, you can double-click the sample name or press the Enter key to load the sample into a Set
- Imported samples are saved to the User Library → Samples → Splice folder by default. You can update this location to the Current Project folder or a custom folder using the Download Folder for Splice Samples option in Live’s Library Settings
- In addition to searching for samples, you can have Splice find samples that would fit with existing material in your Set. To do so, make a clip or time selection within Session or Arrangement View, then click the Search with Sound widget in the Home tab of the Splice label. Splice will then find and display complementary samples based on the style and rhythm of the selection
- The Key filter in the sample categories within Splice includes an “Apply Key from DAW” option, which automatically detects the scale root and name set in Live’s transport bar when Scale Mode is active. You can use this option to constrain search results to the detected key and scale. Note that only major and minor scales are supported with this option. You can also use the Transpose option in the Splice Preview settings to set different transpositions for sample playback within the Splice label or sync the Splice Preview to the Set’s key
- By default, the Splice label is visible within the browser, but you can hide it via the “Hide from Sidebar” command in its context menu. The corresponding option in Live's Library Settings will also be updated accordingly
- Note that a Splice account is required to use this feature, including non-subscription accounts (which offer around 2,500 free samples). You can follow the instructions in the Splice label to create a new account as needed

Auto Pan-Tremolo Updates:
- Auto Pan now features an updated interface, including dedicated modes for panning and tremolo effects. To reflect its expanded functionality, the device has been renamed Auto Pan-Tremolo
- Two modes are now available: Panning and Tremolo. Panning modulates the placement of the source sound in the stereo panorama, while Tremolo modulates the signal level
- A real-time visualization displays either the current panning position in Panning mode or the current tremolo level in Tremolo mode
- New LFO Time modes include 16th, Triplet, Dotted, and Time. In Time mode, you can set the period of the LFO in seconds, which is useful for creating very long modulation cycles
- The Modulation Attack parameter ramps the LFO modulation when an onset occurs in the input signal. This causes the modulation to increase gradually so that it mainly affects the sustained portion of the signal. In Tremolo mode, this helps preserve transients, while in Panning mode, this keeps them in the center of the stereo field
- The Frequency Modulation parameter dynamically scales the LFO frequency based on the input signal’s level over time. Positive values speed up the modulation, while negative values slow it down

Tremolo mode offers several distinctive traits:
- A single LFO waveform is available, which can be morphed using the Shape parameter and inverted using the Invert toggle. Exponential and linear ramp shapes are useful for gating and ducking effects
- Harmonic mode modulates the signal level across fixed frequency bands in an alternating pattern, creating a dense, lush tremolo effect
- Vintage mode introduces additional warmth and grit alongside the tremolo effect by modulating the intensity of a non-linear curve instead of the signal level
- Note that the original Auto Pan device remains available in the browser and has been renamed Auto Pan Legacy. When opening existing Sets that contain Auto Pan presets, the legacy device will be automatically loaded

Bounce Group Tracks:
- It is now possible to bounce Group Tracks via two new commands: Bounce Group to New Track and Bounce Group in Place
- The Bounce Group to New Track command is available in the context menu for individual group slots or selections of group slots in Session View, and within the main lane of a Group Track in Arrangement View. The Group Track is bounced with all its processing, including any return tracks used via sends from the Group Track or any of its included tracks. For that reason, bouncing is performed from the Main track, pre-FX. The bounced audio is added as a clip to a new track
- The Bounce Group in Place command is available in a track title bar’s context menu, as well as the context menu for group slots in Session View and for the insert marker within the main lane of a Group Track in Arrangement View. This command bounces the Group Track along with all of its processing, including return tracks, as previously described for Bounce Group to New Track. The bounced audio replaces the Group Track with a single audio track
- Note that bouncing Group Tracks works similarly to rendering Group Tracks with the Include Return and Main Effects option. The key difference is that rendering is performed post-mixer on the Main track, while bouncing is performed pre-mixer on the Main track. This means that some routing configurations may produce silence or a partial signal when bouncing Group Tracks. For example, any tracks routed outside the Group Track are not included in the bounce. Additionally, return tracks that are part of the Group Track’s signal path are only included in the bounce if their final output reaches the Main track

Paste Bounced Audio:
- It is now possible to paste bounced audio from copied material as an alternative to using the Bounce to New Track or Bounce Group to New Track command
- To do this, first copy one or more clips in Session View, or a time selection in the Arrangement, from a single MIDI, audio, or Group Track using the regular Copy command. Then, right-click in an audio track, an empty MIDI track, or a take lane, and select the Paste Bounced Audio command from the context menu or the Edit menu. The copied material will then be bounced and pasted onto the track or lane
- Note that the source material is bounced in its current state when Paste Bounced Audio is used. This means you can modify the material and use the command again to create variations. Additionally, if the material is deleted, the Paste Bounced Audio command will no longer be available

Device A/B Comparison:
- Two new entries have been added to the device title bar’s Options menu: Compare: Switch to A/B and Compare: Copy A/B to B/A
- You can use Compare: Switch to A/B to toggle between two different device states: A and B. Each state can have its own unique set of parameter values. You can, for example, use state A for tweaking values while leaving state B at the device’s default settings, and then switch between the two to assess the differences. The corresponding shortcut for comparing device states is P
- To copy the current parameter settings from one device state to another, use Compare: Copy A/B to B/A. This is useful for preserving specific parameter changes that you want to keep while freeing up the other state for more experimentation
- Note that this feature is also accessible via the Max for Live API

New Features and Improvements:

Arrangement View:
- In Arrangement clips, MIDI notes where the note start is not part of the Arrangement will not be drawn, since they should not be played
- In the Arrangement View, the Insert Empty MIDI Clip command can now be used without time selection and will insert a clip at the insert marker. The clip length will be one bar or the currently selected grid size, whichever is longer
- Double-clicking to create an empty MIDI clip in the Arrangement View will now work when the grid cell is not completely empty. The clip created as a result will fill the available space in the grid cell
- It is now possible to create Arrangement MIDI clips in a definable time range by holding Shift while double-clicking

Browser:
- The browser now features new default sidebar icons for Drums, Instruments, Audio Effects, and Packs
- Updated the icons for devices and presets to improve discoverability and to better distinguish between type (audio, MIDI, instruments) and architecture (built-in devices, Max for Live)
- When filtering for Content|Set, the results no longer show backup Sets. A new Content|Backup Set filter can be used to filter by backup Sets instead

When the browser is in focus, it is now possible to show and hide the Filter View and Tag Editor with the following shortcuts:
- Filter View: Ctrl Alt G (Win) / Cmd Option G (Mac
- Tag Editor: Ctrl Shift E (Win) / Cmd Shift E (Mac
- Double-clicking a tag in the Quick Tags panel now adds that tag to the search field and triggers a tag search
- There is a new context menu entry "Show tag X in Tag Editor" available when right-clicking a tag button in the Quick Tags panel. Selecting this entry opens the Tag Editor and moves focus to the tag
- It is now possible to hide the Splice, Cloud, and Push labels by right-clicking on them in the browser sidebar and selecting the "Hide from Sidebar" command. The corresponding options in Live's Settings will be updated accordingly

Clip View:
- It is now possible to use the "Set 1.1.1 Here" context menu command for multiple audio clips as long as all clips are of the same length and have the same warp marker positions

Control Surfaces:
- Newer control surfaces can now access an additional parameter bank in the CC Control device
- The Move Control Surface now offers a wider array of LED brightness options when using recent firmware
- When using the Move Control Surface, it is now possible to navigate between device parameter banks by pressing Shift and turning the wheel

Core Library:
- Added new Drum Racks and samples by Tamuz
- Added two new templates for recording vocals and guitar
- Added new presets for Auto Pan-Tremolo (the previous presets are now stored in the Auto Pan Legacy folder)
- Added Push XY mappings to Rack presets
- Added small refinements to the Vocal Recording Template and Drum Rack presets
- Fixed the Lydian Scale preset

Interface:
- Reduced the minimum mixer height, which makes it possible to substantially decrease the size of the mixer when editing clips or Arrangement content. As a result of this change
- The mixer pan controls will be hidden as the mixer's size is reduced
- The track activator buttons will become compressed as the mixer gets smaller
- When using time-limited licenses (such as rent-to-own), Live now periodically displays a progress dialog during runtime while attempting to re-authorize the license. If the license has expired, a prompt to save the Set appears before saving and exporting are disabled. If no internet connection is available during the re-authorization, a prompt to retry is displayed; otherwise, saving and exporting will be disabled
- Added purchasing options to several areas within the trial version of Live
- Updated the What's New in Live lesson to include features from Live 12.3
- Updated software text in various areas of Live
- Updated various software text translations in German, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, and Chinese

Max for Live:

Updated the bundled Max version to build 9.0.9:
- Max for Live Improvement
- JS Live API: fixed crash when path to jsliveapi_setpathfromid is invali
- live.banks: support button assignments for parameter bank
- live.grid: direction arrows redraw after clic
- Read the complete release notes from Cycling '74: Max 9.0.9 Release Notes | Cycling '7
- The following attributes are now available via the Max for Live API
- Track.insert_device and Chain.insert_device: Inserts the specified device at the optionally provided index in the track or chain. If no index is provided, the device will be inserted at the end of the chain. The device name is the name as it appears in the browser. Only native Live devices can be inserted; Max for Live devices and plug-ins are not supported
- RackDevice.insert_chain: Inserts a new chain at the given index, or at the end of the chain list if no index is provided
- DrumChain.in_note: Get/set/observe access to the MIDI note that will trigger the chain. This is useful in conjunction with insert_chain used on RackDevices that are Drum Racks, since by default they will be created with the In Note set to "All Notes,” encoded by -1

Performance:
- Improved the speed of adding a new track to a Set in cases where a default audio or MIDI track is configured
- On certain Windows laptops running under power-savings modes, the CPU meter's behavior will now be less erratic and dropouts less likely. However, it is recommended to run Live with the best performance power plans and with no CPU frequency scaling

Setup:
- A different installer technology is now used on Windows, which makes the installation and uninstallation of Live significantly faster. The installer’s interface looks slightly different, but its functionality remains the same as before. Additional improvements include
- The new installer can now replace any existing Live installation going back to Live 10. When selecting an installation folder that already contains Live, the installer will offer to uninstall the existing version and replace it with the new one. Previously, this was only possible if the existing version was the same edition and version as the new one
- It is now possible to install Live into a folder that already contains files. In this case, the installer displays a warning and asks for confirmation. Previously, installation into a non-empty folder was not possible. Note that installing into a non-empty folder may overwrite existing files. When uninstalling Live, all files in the installation folder are removed, including those that were present before the installation
- The Ableton USB Windows Audio Driver for Push and Move has been updated to version 5.72.0
- The Visual C++ distributable has been updated in order for Live’s auto-update functionality to work properly. Follow the prompt in Live’s Status Bar to update it
- Bugfixes

Live Bugfixes:
- Fixed an issue where a MIDI track's soloed state would not be preserved when bouncing the track in place
- The UI of VST3 plug-ins will now animate more smoothly when changing plug-in parameters
- Reduced Live's CPU load when nudging clips within a Set with many (i.e., several hundred) locators
- Preset changes for some plug-ins with a large number of parameters will now occur noticeably faster on some platforms
- Fixed an issue where Live would hang when recording a large number of automation events
- Fixed a crash in Live that occurred when instantiating some plug-ins, including SoundBetter’s Halo Effect, if Push 2 was connected
- Fixed an issue that occurred in plug-in sliders, where it was impossible to set a slider to the minimum or maximum value in some circumstances
- Fixed a bug that caused Live to hang when recording dense MIDI CC
- Fixed an issue that caused visual glitches to appear when changing VST3 parameters from the plug-in’s UI
- Fixed MIDI program change for some VST3 plug-ins, including Korg M1, Sylenth1, and Viper
- Fixed an issue with incorrect labels in Analog's Glide Time mode
- Fixed an issue where the Quick Tags view would sometimes obscure items in the content pane
- Fixed a bug where Expression Control's curve controls would not work until switching from the Velocity tab to a different tab
- Adjusted the way Live plays back tempo automation ramps and curves to be more mathematically accurate. Previously, ramps with increasing tempo were played slightly too slow and ramps with decreasing tempo were played slightly too fast
- Clicking on the clip title bar in the Clip View now fully scrolls Arrangement clips into view as expected, zooming out if necessary. When multiple clips are selected, all clips are scrolled into view. Previously, only the time selection start was scrolled into view
- Fixed an issue where the volume for Group Tracks would not appear after clicking the Optimize Arrangement Height toggle. Folded Group Tracks in the Arrangement View are now taller so that the volume controls are visible again
- Fixed an issue that occurred when using the Bounce to New Track command on a part of a clip from a frozen Group Track, where the entire bounced clip was muted instead of only the time range that was bounced, while at the same time the UI indicated that only the bounced region was muted
- Fixed an issue where the mixer or device parameters would sometimes briefly show a wrong value when adding or bouncing a track, or loading a Set
- Fixed a crash that occurred when discarding unsaved changes in the File Manager
- Live will no longer crash when using the ASIO driver for audio interfaces with an odd number of output audio channels, e.g., 3 or 9 channels
- On Windows, added support for odd-numbered input and output channels. Previously, opening a device that used an odd-numbered channel would fail
- Fixed a crash that occurred when viewing the browser history after restoring a Set with exactly two undo steps
- Fixed a bug in the Komplete Kontrol S Mk3 Control Surface that could cause delays when renaming tracks and devices
- The Komplete Kontrol S Mk3 Control Surface no longer shows device-related information in Live's Status Bar
- Fixed a crash that could occur when calling duplicate_clip_to_arrangement on a track in the Max for Live API
- On Windows, Live no longer hangs while working with certain videos
- When in automation mode, take lanes can now be inserted and made visible from the tracks header context menu. When these entries are selected, the automation mode is closed in order to show the take lanes
- Fixed an issue where crossfades would be reset after dragging and dropping a clip
- When soloing a track, track activators for Group Tracks are now grayed out like other track activators, as expected
- Fixed an issue where the "Reset Fades" command was disabled for clips with no fades
- Reduced the spacing between the track index number and track name in default track names
- The GPU renderer on Windows will now perform much better with curves such as MPE curves in the MIDI Note Editor, allocating a lot less memory. The changes should also reduce the likelihood of audio glitches that could occur because of the GPU renderer

Accessibility fixes:
- Live no longer crashes when navigating the transport bar using VoiceOver
- Cleaned up the contents of the Control Bar for screen reader users
- Improved the way Live's sample rate indicator reports itself to screen readers
- On Windows, Live will no longer crash with NVDA or Narrator screen readers when the browser or File Manager is shown or has its elements expanded
- Fixed an issue where Live would hang when bouncing a track that contained samples with high sample rates
- Fixed a crash that could occur during multi-clip editing when right-clicking a note in a background clip if there were no notes of the same pitch in the foreground clip
- Fixed a crash that could occur when capturing MIDI into the Arrangement if existing clips were overwritten during the process
- Fixed a bug where automatically generated files might not have adhered to the file path length limitation on Windows
- Fixed a bug in Hybrid Reverb where the previous reverb tail was still audible after the device was turned off and then back on
- Fixed an issue where focus was lost after closing certain views, such as the Undo History or File Manager in the Help View. Now, when one of these views is closed, focus returns to the visible main view (Arrangement or Session) as expected
- The context menu options "Set 1.1.1 Here" and "Warp from Here" are no longer shown for the rightmost edge of a clip
- Fixed minor timing issues that could occur when recording or bouncing clips with tempo automation
- Fixed a crash that occurred when duplicating scenes by holding Alt (Win) / Option (Mac) and dragging them above other scenes
- Fixed a bug on macOS that could cause Live to hang indefinitely in certain scenarios
- Fixed a bug where duplicating multiple scenes with linked scene follow actions resulted in some of the follow actions to not be triggered as expected
- Fixed a bug in the Komplete Kontrol S Mk3 Control Surface script that caused some pitch-related parameters to be too sensitive
- Fixed a bug in the APC64 Control Surface script that could result in a crash when hot-swapping devices via Push
- Fixed a bug in the Move Control Surface script that incorrectly allowed the loop menu to be accessed for audio tracks
- Fixed a bug in the Move Control Surface script that caused step durations to be displayed incorrectly when a triplet step grid was used
- Fixed a crash that occurred when dragging Group Tracks from the browser into a Set
- Fixed a crash that occurred when pressing Enter with two or more selected scenes
- Fixed a crash that could occur when clicking on specific sample references in the File Manager
- Fixed an issue where latency would not be correctly compensated in bounced audio when using plug-ins that have a dedicated latency for offline processing
- Fixed a bug that caused sidechaining to fail when exporting audio if the sidechain source was a Group Track and the “Include Master and Return Effects” option was enabled
- Fixed a crash that occurred when dragging files into the Arrangement

Max for Live Bugfixes:
- Clip IDs accessed by Max patches will now remain stable when clips are moved in the Arrangement View

Fixed the following issues in Max for Live:
- Sending getid to a live.remote~ or live.modulate~ now returns 0 if the last mapping failed
- Fixed errors that occurred when undoing or redoing operations such as duplication of a Max device with a remote~ or modulate~ that has been mapped to a parameter
- Fixed an issue where bouncing a track involving Max for Live Modulators would not work correctly if the Modulator was mapped to a device in the bounced track but was located on a different track
- Note: When saving a Set in Live 12.3 that was created in an earlier version, you will be prompted to save it under a new name