Ableton Live Intro Instruction Manual

Live Intro for Windows and Mac OS

Created by Bernd Roggendorf, Gerhard Behles, Robert Henke, Awi, Reiner Rudolph, Stefan Haller, Stefan Franke,
Frank Hoffmann, Andreas Zapf, Ralf Suckow, Gregor Klinke, Matthias Mayrock, Friedemann Schautz, Ingo Koehne,
Jakob Rang, Pablo Sara, Nicholas Allen, Henrik Lafrenz, Jan Buchholz, Kevin Haywood, Dominik Wilms, Christian
Kleine, Amaury Groc, Daniel Büttner, Alex Koch, Henrik Hahn, Simon Frontzek, Torsten Wendland, Torsten Slama,
Eduard Müller, Jeremy Bernstein, Bernard Chavonnet, Carl Seleborg, Claes Johanson, Bernhard Bockelbrink, Nico
Starke, Jörg Kluÿmann, Stefan Brunner, Tobias Hahn, Stefan von der Mark, Carsten Henÿinger, Stephan Diehl,
David Talbot, Robert Feldbinder, Diez Roggisch, Justine Lera, Dennis DeSantis, Ian Gallagher, Philipp Gries, Marie
Hoffmann, Marian Kalus, Stephan Krohn, Michael Dühr, Dennis Fischer.

Reference Manual by Dennis DeSantis, Ian Gallagher, Kevin Haywood, Rose Knudsen, Gerhard Behles, Jakob Rang,
Robert Henke, Torsten Slama.

Content provided by:
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e-instruments  www.e-instruments.com
Zero-G  www.zero-g.co.uk

Physical Modeling technology provided by:
Applied Acoustics Systems  www.applied-acoustics.com

Copyright 2010 Ableton AG. All rights reserved. Made in Germany.

This manual, as well as the software described in it, is furnished under license and may be used or copied only in accordance with
the terms of such license. The content of this manual is furnished for informational use only, is subject to change without notice,
and should not be construed as a commitment by Ableton. Every effort has been made to ensure that the infor mation in this
manual is accurate. Ableton assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in this book.

Except as permitted by such license, no part of this publication may be reproduced, edited, stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of
Ableton.

Ableton, the Ableton Logo, the Live logo are trademarks of Ableton AG. Apple, GarageBand, Mac, Macintosh, Mac OS and
QuickTime are trademarks of Apple Inc, registered in the U.S. and other countries. Finder is a trademark of Apple Inc. Windows
is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries. Intel is a registered trademark of Intel
Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. SONiVOX is the brand name trademark of Sonic Network,
Inc. VST and ASIOare trademarks and software of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH. ReWire, Recycle and REX2 are trademarks
of Propellerhead Software AB. All other product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective
holders.

Chapter 1

Welcome to Live

1.1 The Ableton Team Says: Thank You

Live is the result of musicians wanting a better way to create, produce and perform music
using a computer. A great deal of effort has been put into making Live easy and fun to
use, yet at the same time capable of helping you create music with unlimited depth and
sophistication. This effort continues even as you read these lines... in fact, a new, improved
Live version might already be available for download! Please check on our website now1,
or choose the Check for Updates command from the Help menu.

1

We hope you enjoy using Live and that it enhances your creative process. Should you have
suggestions about how we can improve Live, please let us know2.

Your Ableton Team.

1

http://www.ableton.com/downloads

2

[e-mail]

Chapter 2

First Steps

Note: This manual has been adapted for Live Intro. Specically, this means that features
which are not available in Live Intro have not been included. To learn more about the differ­ences between Live Intro and the full version of Live, please see the feature comparison chart
or download the full Ableton Reference Manual from the Ableton website1. The full-version
reference manual also contains information about all of Ableton's add-on instruments.

When you install Live and run it for the rst time, you will be presented with an authorization
dialog. Please see the chapter on authorizing Live should you have questions or concerns
during the authorization process.

2

If you do not (yet) own Live, you can still try out all of Live's features, but you will not be able
to save or export your work.

2.1 Learn About Live

Live comes with a set of interactive lessons to take you step by step through the key features
of the program. The lessons are organized in a table of contents, which can be opened

1

http://www.ableton.com/downloads

CHAPTER 2. FIRST STEPS 3

directly in the program via the Help menu. We highly recommend following the lessons.
Many users have told us that the lessons helped them become familiar with the program
very quickly.

We also recommend that you read the Live Concepts chapter, which encapsulates every­thing that Live is and can do, and is therefore a worthwhile read for both beginners and
experienced users. The remaining chapters of this manual serve as in-depth reference for
the material introduced in Live Concepts.

2.1.1 Using the Info View and Index

Live's Info View tells you the name and function of whatever you place the mouse over. For
certain items, you can create your own text and it will appear in this window.

If you require more information on a specic user interface element or topic, please consult
this reference manual. The index, found at the end of the manual, contains the names of all
user interface elements and will lead you to the relevant section.

The Info View and its
Show/Hide Button.

CHAPTER 2. FIRST STEPS 4

Ctrl

,

,

2.2 Setting up Preferences

Live's Preferences window is where you can nd various settings that determine how Live
looks, behaves and interfaces with the outside world. This window is accessed from the
Preferences command, which in Windows is available in the Options menu and in OS X
is available in the Live menu. Preferences can also be accessed with the

(Mac) shortcut.

Live's Preferences are distributed over several tabs:



In the Look/Feel tab, you can modify various settings, including the language used for
text display and the color scheme, or skin, for the Live user interface. This is also
where you can adjust the size of objects displayed on the screen: the Zoom Display
slider allows you to zoom Live's screen to any percentage between 50% and 200% of
the standard interface size.



The Audio Preferences are used to set up Live's audio connections with the outside
world via an audio interface. Please take the time to follow the program's built-in
Setting up Audio I/O lesson, which will walk you through all the steps required to
set up and optimize the settings for any given system. To access the lesson, use the
Help View command from the Help menu.



The MIDI/Sync Preferences are used to help Live recognize MIDI devices for two
separate and distinct purposes:

(PC) /

 Playing MIDI notes. To learn how to route an external device into Live for MIDI

input, please see the Routing and I/O chapter.

 Controlling parts of the interface remotely. This subject is covered in detail in the

MIDI and Key Remote Control chapter.



The File/Folder Preferences pertain to Live's le management and the location of

plug-in devices.



The Record/Warp/Launch Preferences allow customizing the default state for new Live

Sets and their components, as well as selecting options for new recordings.



The CPU Preferences include options for managing the processing load, including
multicore/multiprocessor support.

CHAPTER 2. FIRST STEPS 5

F11



The User Account/Licenses Preferences are used to manage licensing and installation
of the Live platform, and add-on components like the Operator instrument.



The Library Preferences allow you to specify the location of Live's Library, repair the

Library and manage currently installed Live Packs.

2.3 The Main Live Screen

Most of your work in Live happens in the main Live screen. This screen consists of a number
of views, and each view manages a specic aspect of your Live Set, which is the type of
document that you create and work on in Live. Since screen space is usually limited, the
Live views can't all be displayed at the same time.

Each one of the selector buttons at the screen borders calls up a specic view; clicking this
one, for instance, opens Live's Device Browser:

The Device Browser
Selector.

To hide one of Live's views and free up screen space, click on the triangle-shaped button
next to it. To restore the view, click the button again.

You can run Live in Full Screen Mode by selecting the Full Screen command from the View
menu. To leave Full Screen Mode, click the button that appears in the lower right cor ner of
the screen. Full Screen Mode can also be toggled by pressing

. (Note: On Mac OS
X, this key is assigned by default to Exposé, and will not toggle Full Screen Mode unless
Exposé has been deactivated or assigned to a different key in OS X's System Preferences.)

A View Show/Hide
Button.

CHAPTER 2. FIRST STEPS 6

If one of the browser views is open, you can adjust the main window's horizontal split by
dragging.

Adjusting the Main
Window Split.

Chapter 3

Authorizing Live

Live is protected against illegal use by a copy protection scheme. This scheme has been
designed to meet the highest security standards while avoiding hassles for our customers. If
you nd this procedure to be an inconvenience, please understand that the copy protection
secures your investment: It allows Ableton to provide you with support and to continue
developing Live.

7

Please be aware that the standard Live license grants you the right to use Live on only one
computer at a time. You can, however, authorize Live more than once under the legal and
technical conditions described later.

The rst time you run Live, you will be prompted to complete the authorization process.
The software will walk you through the steps.

If the computer that you wish to authorize is connected to the internet, you can authorize
immediately by pressing the appropriate button in the dialog box. If you do not have
an internet connection, press the No internet on this computer button and follow the
instructions.

CHAPTER 3. AUTHORIZING LIVE 8

3.1 Copy Protection FAQs

3.1.1 Can I Use Live or Other Ableton Products Without a Serial

Number?

If you do not (yet) own Live or its add-on products, you can still try them out, but saving and
exporting will be disabled.

If trying Live or another product raises your interest in purchasing it, please visit the Ableton

webshop1. This site contains information about Ableton's distributor and dealer network. It

also offers you the opportunity to buy Ableton products online.

3.1.2 What if I Change My Computer's Components?

If you change your computer components for some reason, Live may indeed ask you to
authorize the software another time. Live does not need to be reauthorized when computer
peripherals are replaced (audio or MIDI hardware, printers, modems). But you may need
to authorize again if the motherboard, processor or network card is replaced. On some
computers, reformatting a hard drive will require a new authorization.

3.1.3 Can I Authorize Live More than Once?

The standard Live license allows you to use Live on only one computer at a time. However,
the Ableton server will provide you with two authorizations in good faith that you will use
Live on only one machine at a time.

You can therefore run Live on both a studio desktop computer and a tour laptop, but not at
the same time.

Should the Ableton server reject your demand for another authorization, please contact

Ableton's technical support2.

1

http://www.ableton.com/shop

2

http://www.ableton.com/support

CHAPTER 3. AUTHORIZING LIVE 9

To use Live on more than one computer at a time, you may require a secondary license or a
site license. Ableton offers these licenses at special rates.

3.1.4 Can I Play my Set from a Computer That Is Not Authorized?

Even if Live is not authorized, you can still load and perform a Live Set with no time limitation.
You cannot, however, save or export your work. When you go on tour, consider taking along
your Live program CD and a CD with the last state of your Live Set(s). In case of an
emergency, you can install and run Live on any computer available and play your backup
Live Set(s).

3.1.5 What Do I Do About Problems or Questions Regarding Copy

Protection?

Please visit Ableton's technical support page3.

3

http://www.ableton.com/support

10

Chapter 4

Live Concepts

This chapter introduces the essential concepts of Live. We advise you to read this chapter
early in your Live career, as a solid understanding of the program's basic principles will help
you fully exploit Live's potential for your music-making.

4.1 Live Sets

The type of document that you create and work on in Live is called a Live Set. Live Sets
reside in a Live Project  a folder that collects related materials  and can be opened either
through the File menu's Open command or via the built-in File Browsers.

A Live Set in the File
Browser.

CHAPTER 4. LIVE CONCEPTS 11

Selecting the Library bookmark in Live's File Browser will take you to the Live Library of
creative tools. Depending on what content you have installed, there may be a number of
demo Sets here, and double-clicking a Live Set's name in the Browser will open that Live
Set.

4.2 Arrangement and Session

The basic musical building blocks of Live are called clips. A clip is a piece of musical material:
a melody, a drum pattern, a bassline or a complete song. Live allows you to record and alter
clips, and to create larger musical structures from them: songs, scores, remixes, DJ sets or
stage shows.

A Live Set consists of two environments that can hold clips: The Arrangement is a layout of
clips along a musical timeline; the Session is a real-time-oriented launching base for clips.
Every Session clip has its own play button that allows launching the clip at any time and in
any order. Each clip's behavior upon launch can be precisely specied through a number of

settings.

Clips in the Session View
(Left) and in the
Arrangement View
(Right).

The Arrangement is accessed via the Arrangement View and the Session via the Session

View; you can toggle between the two views using the computer's Tab key or their respective

selectors. Because the two views have distinct applications, they each hold individual
collections of clips. However, it is important to understand that ipping the views simply
changes the appearance of the Live Set and does not switch modes, alter what you hear or
change what is stored.

The Arrangement and
Session View Selectors.

CHAPTER 4. LIVE CONCEPTS 12

The Arrangement View and the Session View interact in useful ways. One can, for instance,
improvise with Session clips and record a log of the improvisation into the Arrangement for
further renement. This works because Arrangement and Session are connected via tracks.

4.3 Tracks

Tracks host clips and also manage the ow of signals, as well as the creation of new clips
through recording, sound synthesis, effects processing and mixing.

The Session and Arrangement share the same set of tracks. In the Session View, the tracks
are laid out vertically from left to right, while in the Arrangement View they are horizontal
from top to bottom. A simple rule governs the cohabitation of clips in a track:

A Track in the
Arrangement View.

A track can only play one clip at a time.

Therefore, one usually puts clips that should play alternatively in the same Session View
column, and spreads out clips that should play together across tracks in rows, or what we
call scenes.

A Scene in the Session
View.

CHAPTER 4. LIVE CONCEPTS 13

The exclusivity of clips in a track also implies that, at any one time, a track will either play
a Session clip or an Arrangement clip, but never both. So, who wins? When a Session clip
is launched, the respective track stops whatever it is doing to play that clip. In particular, if
the track was playing an Arrangement clip, it will stop it in favor of the Session clip  even
as the other tracks continue to play what is in the Arrangement. The track will not resume
Arrangement playback until explicitly told to do so.

This is what the Back to Arrangement button, found in the Control Bar at the top of the
Live screen, is for. This button lights up to indicate that one or more tracks are currently not
playing the Arrangement, but are playing a clip from the Session instead.

We can click this button to make all tracks go back to the Arrangement. Or, if we like what
we hear, we can capture the current state into the Arrangement by activating the Record
button. Disengaging Record Mode or stopping Live using the Stop button leaves us with
an altered Arrangement.

4.4 Audio and MIDI

Clips represent recorded signals. Live deals with two types of signals: audio and MIDI. In the
digital world, an audio signal is a series of numbers that approximates a continuous signal
as generated by a microphone or delivered to a loudspeaker. A MIDI signal is a sequence
of commands, such as now play a C4 at mezzo piano. MIDI is a symbolic representation
of musical material, one that is closer to a written score than to an audio recording. MIDI
signals are generated by input devices such as MIDI or USB keyboards1.

The Back to
Arrangement Button.

It takes an instrument to convert MIDI signals into audio signals that can actually be heard.
Some instruments, such as Live's Simpler, are for chromatic playing of one sound via the
keyboard. Other instruments, such as Live's Impulse, have a different percussion sound
assigned to each keyboard key.

Audio signals are recorded and played back using audio tracks, and MIDI signals are

1

For an introduction to digital audio and MIDI, please see http://img.uoregon.edu/emi/emi.php and

http://www.midi.org/

CHAPTER 4. LIVE CONCEPTS 14

recorded and played back using MIDI tracks. The two track types have their own corre­sponding clip types. Audio clips cannot live on MIDI tracks and vice versa.

Information about inserting, reordering and deleting audio and MIDI tracks is found here.

4.5 Audio Clips and Samples

An audio clip contains a reference to a sample (also known as a sound le or audio le)
or a compressed sample (such as an MP3 le). The clip tells Live where on the computer's
drives to nd the sample, what part of the sample to play and how to play it.

When a sample is dragged in from one of Live's built-in File Browsers, Live automatically
creates a clip to play that sample. Prior to dragging in a sample, one can audition or
preview it directly in the Browser; the switch in the Browser with the headphone icon
activates previewing.

Live offers many options for playing samples in exciting new ways, allowing you to create an
abundance of new sounds without actually changing the original sample  all the changes
are computed in real time, while the sample is played. The respective settings are made in
the Clip View, which appears on screen when a clip is double-clicked.

Samples Are Dragged in
from Live's File Browsers.

CHAPTER 4. LIVE CONCEPTS 15

Many powerful manipulations arise from Live's warping capabilities. Warping means chang­ing the speed of sample playback independently from the pitch so as to match the song
tempo. The tempo can be adjusted on the y in the Control Bar's Tempo eld.

The most elementary use of this technique, and one that usually requires no manual setup,
is synchronizing sample loops to the chosen tempo. Live's Auto-Warp algorithm actually
makes it easy to line up any sample with the song tempo, such as a recording of a drunken
jazz band's performance. It is also possible to radically change the sonic signature of a
sound using extreme warp settings.

An Audio Clip's
Properties as Displayed
in the Clip View.

The Control Bar's Tempo
Field.

4.6 MIDI Clips and MIDI Files

A MIDI clip contains musical material in the form of MIDI notes and controller envelopes.
When MIDI is imported from a MIDI le, the data gets incorporated into the Live Set, and
the original le is not referenced thereafter. In the Live File Browsers, a MIDI le appears
as a folder that can be opened to reveal its individual component tracks, which can be
selectively dragged into the Live Set.

CHAPTER 4. LIVE CONCEPTS 16

As you'd expect, a MIDI clip's contents can be accessed and edited via the Clip View, for
instance to change a melody or paint a drum pattern.

MIDI Files Are Dragged
in from Live's File
Browsers.

A MIDI Clip's Properties
as Displayed in the Clip
View.

4.7 Devices and the Mixer

A track can have not only clips but also a chain of devices for processing signals. Double­clicking a track's title bar brings up the Track View, which shows the track's device chain.

CHAPTER 4. LIVE CONCEPTS 17

Live's built-in audio effects, MIDI effects and instruments are available from the Device
Browser and can be added to tracks by dragging them from there into the Track View, or
into a Session or Arrangement track.

The Track View
Displaying a MIDI Track's
Device Chain.

You can also use plug-in devices in Live. VST and Audio Units (Mac OS X only) Plug-ins are

Live's Built-in Devices
Are Available from the
Device Browser.

CHAPTER 4. LIVE CONCEPTS 18

available from the Plug-In Device Browser.

Consider an audio clip playing in an audio track. The audio signal from the clip reaches the
leftmost device in the chain. This device processes (changes) the signal and feeds the result
into the next device, and so on. The number of devices per track is theoretically unlimited,
(although there is a limit of eight instruments and twelve audio effects within a single set
when using Live Intro). In practice, the computer's processor speed also imposes a limit
on the number of devices you can use at the same time, a topic that deserves separate

discussion. Note that the signal connections between audio devices are always stereo, but

the software's inputs and outputs can be congured to be mono in the Audio Preferences.

Plug-In Devices Are
Available from the
Plug-In Device Browser.

When the signal has passed through the device chain, it ends up in Live's mixer. As the
Session and Arrangement share the same set of tracks, they also share the mixer. The mixer
can be shown in both views for convenience. To optimize the screen layout, the individual
mixer sections can be shown or hidden using the View menu's entries.

CHAPTER 4. LIVE CONCEPTS 19

The mixer has controls for volume, pan position and sends, which adjust the contribution
each track makes to the input of any return tracks. Return tracks only host effects, and not
clips. Via their sends, all tracks can feed a part of their signal into a return track and share
its effects.

The mixer also includes a crossfader, which can create smooth transitions between clips
playing on different tracks. Live's crossfader works like a typical DJ mixer crossfader, except
that it allows crossfading not only two but any number of tracks  including the returns.

The Live Mixer in the
Arrangement View (Left)
and Session View (Right).

Devices that receive and deliver audio signals are called audio effects. Audio effects are the
only type of device that t in an audio track or a return track. However, two more types of
devices are available for use in MIDI tracks: MIDI effects and instruments.

Consider a MIDItrack playing a clip. The MIDI signal from the clip is fed into the track's device
chain. There, it is rst processed by any number of MIDI effects. A MIDI effect receives
and delivers MIDI signals. One example is the Scale effect, which maps the incoming
notes onto a user-dened musical scale. The last MIDI effect in the chain is followed by an
instrument. Instruments, for instance Live's Simpler and Impulse, receive MIDI and deliver
audio. Following the instrument, the signal can be additionally processed by audio effects
 as in an audio track.

Live's Crossfader.

CHAPTER 4. LIVE CONCEPTS 20

If a MIDI track has no instrument (and no audio effects), then the track's output is a plain
MIDI signal, which has to be sent somewhere else to be converted into audio. In this case,
the track's mix and Send controls disappear from the mixer.

4.8 Presets and Racks

A MIDI Effect, an
Instrument and an Audio
Effect in a MIDI Track.

The Mixer for a MIDI
Track without an
Instrument.

Every Live device can store and retrieve particular sets of parameter values as presets. As
presets are stored independently from Live Sets, new presets become part of a library that
any project can draw from.

Live's Instrument, Drum and Effect Racks allow saving combinations of devices and their
settings as a single preset. This feature allows for the creation of powerful multi-device
creations and effectively adds all the capabilities of Live's MIDI and audio effects to the
built-in instruments.

CHAPTER 4. LIVE CONCEPTS 21

Ctrl

4.9 Routing

As we have seen, all tracks deliver signals, either audio or MIDI. Where do these signals
go? This is set up in the mixer's In/Out section, which offers, for every track, choosers to
select a signal source and destination. The In/Out section, accessible through the View
menu's In/Out option, is Live's patchbay. Its routing options enable valuable creative and
technical methods such as resampling, submixing, layering of synths, complex effects setups
and more.

Signals from the tracks can be sent to the outside world via the computer's audio and MIDI
interfaces, to other programs that are connected to Live via ReWire or to other tracks or
devices within Live.

Likewise, a track can be set up to receive an input signal to be played through the track's
devices. Again, tracks can receive their input from the outside, from a ReWire program or
from another track or device in Live. The Monitor controls regulate the conditions under
which the input signal is heard through the track.

Track Routing Is Set up
Using the In/Out Section
in the Arrangement (Left)
or Session View (Right).

4.10 Recording New Clips

Audio tracks and MIDI tracks can record their input signal and thereby create new clips.
Recording is enabled on a track by pressing its Arm button. With multiple tracks selected,
pressing any of their Arm buttons will arm all of them. You can also hold down the
(PC) / (Mac) modier when clicking the Arm buttons to arm several tracks at once. If
the Exclusive Arm option is enabled in the Record Preferences, inserting an instrument into
a new or empty MIDI track will automatically arm the track. When the Control Bar's Record

CHAPTER 4. LIVE CONCEPTS 22

button is on, every armed track records its input signal into the Arrangement. Every take
yields a new clip per track.

It is also possible to record into Session View slots on the y. This technique is very
useful for the jamming musician, as Session recording does not require stopping the music.
When a track is armed, its Session slots exhibit Clip Record buttons, and clicking one of
these commences recording. Clicking the Clip Record button again denes the end of
the recording and launches the new clip. As these actions are subject to real-time launch
quantization, the resulting clips can be automatically cut to the beat.

Session recording in conjunction with the Overdub option and Record Quantization is the
method of choice for creating drum patterns, which are built up by successively adding
notes to the pattern while it plays in a loop. It only takes a MIDI keyboard (or the computer
keyboard) and a MIDI track with Live's Impulse percussion instrument to do this.

Track Arm Buttons, as
They Appear in the
Session View.

The Control Bar's
Quantization Chooser.

4.11 Automation Envelopes

Often, when working with Live's mixer and effects, you will want the controls' movements
to become part of the Arrangement. The movement of a control across the Arrangement
timeline is called automation; a control whose value changes in the course of this timeline is
automated. Automation is represented in the Arrangement View by breakpoint envelopes,
which can be edited and drawn.

CHAPTER 4. LIVE CONCEPTS 23

Practically all mixer and effect controls in Live can be automated, even the song tempo.
Creating automation is straightforward: All changes of a control that occur while the Control
Bar's Record switch is on become automation.

Changing an automated control's value while not in Record Mode is similar to launching a
Session clip while the Arrangement is playing: It deactivates the control's automation (in
favor of the new control setting). The control will stop tracking its automation and rest
with the new value until the Back to Arrangement button is pressed, which will resume
Arrangement playback.

4.12 Clip Envelopes

Envelopes are found not only in tracks but also in clips. Clip envelopes are used to modulate
device and mixer controls. Audio clips have, in addition, clip envelopes to inuence the
clip's pitch, volume and more; these can be used to change the melody and rhythm of
recorded audio. MIDI clips have additional clip envelopes to represent MIDI controller
data. Clip envelopes can be unlinked from the clip to give them independent loop settings,
so that larger movements (like fade-outs) or smaller gestures (like an arpeggio) can be
superimposed onto the clip's material.

The Automated Pan
Control and its
Envelope.

CHAPTER 4. LIVE CONCEPTS 24

4.13 MIDI and Key Remote

To liberate the musician from the mouse, most of Live's controls can be remote-controlled
via an external MIDI controller. Remote mappings are established in MIDI Map Mode, which
is engaged by pressing the MIDI switch in the Control Bar.

In this mode, you can click on any mixer or effect control, and then assign it to a controller
simply by sending the desired MIDI message (for example, by turning a knob on your MIDI
control box). Your assignments take effect immediately after you leave MIDI Map Mode.
Session clips can be mapped to a MIDI key or even a keyboard range for chromatic playing.

An Envelope for Clip
Transposition.

MIDI keys and controllers that have been mapped to Live's controls are not available for
recording via MIDI tracks. These messages are ltered out before the incoming MIDI is
passed on to the MIDI tracks.

Session clips, switches, buttons and radio buttons can be mapped to computer keyboard
keys as well. This happens in Key Map Mode, which works just like MIDI Map Mode.

Live offers, in additionto this general purpose mapping technique, dedicated support for the

Akai APC40, Akai APC20 and Novation Launchpad, which allows for mouse-free operation

of the program.

The Key/MIDI Map
Controls.

CHAPTER 4. LIVE CONCEPTS 25

4.14 Saving and Exporting

Saving a Live Set saves everything it contains, including all clips, their positions and settings,
and settings for devices and controls. An audio clip can, however, lose the reference to its
corresponding sample if it is moved or deleted from disk. The links between samples and
their clips can be preserved with a special command, Collect and Save, which makes a copy
of each sample and stores it in a project folder along with the Live Set.

A separate Save button in the Clip View saves a set of default clip settings along with the
sample, so that each time the sample is dragged into the program, it will automatically
appear with these settings. This is especially useful if you have made warp settings for a clip
and want to use it in multiple Live Sets.

Exporting audio from Live can be done from both the Session and Arrangement Views.
Live will export the audio coming through on the Master output as an audio le of your
specications via Export Audio.

Live can also export individual MIDI clips as MIDI les.

Exporting and saving material for later use in Live can be done very conveniently with the
Live Clip format. Session View clips can be dragged back out of a Live Set to the File
Browsers, and thereby exported to disk as Live Clips.

Live Clips are a very powerful way of storing ideas, as they save not only the clip's Clip View
settings, but also the corresponding track's instruments and effects chain. Live Clips in the
Browser can be previewed and added to any open Live Set just like sample les. In the Live
Set, they restore the original clip's creative options.

Using Live Clips, you can build your own personalized library of:

A Live Clip in the File
Browser.

CHAPTER 4. LIVE CONCEPTS 26



MIDI sequences with matching instruments and effects, e.g., a MIDI drum pattern with
the associated Impulse and effects settings;



Different regions or loops referencing the same source le;



Variations of a sample loop created by applying Warp Markers, clip envelopes and

effects;



Ideas that may not t your current project but could be useful in the future.

4.15 The Library

The Live Library acts as a repository of sounds that are available to all projects. In Live's
File Browsers, the Library is accessible through a bookmark. Bookmarks can be selected by
clicking the Browser's title bar to open the Bookmark menu:

The rst time you run Live, it will automatically install its Library to your standard user folder.
You can, of course, move it to a new location. After installation the Library will already
contain a few sound ideas, courtesy of Ableton. We encourage you to experiment with this
material to get a sense of what the program can do, but we do not recommend removing
or changing the contents of the factory Library. (If you do, however, you can always repair

your Library).

Ableton provides additional Library content in the form of Live Packs which are available
from installation CDs, DVDs or the Ableton website2. Owners of a boxed version of Live Intro

2

http://www.ableton.com/downloads

Choosing the Library
Bookmark.

CHAPTER 4. LIVE CONCEPTS 27

can enjoy the Essential Instrument Collection 2 LE, a multi-gigabyte library of meticulously
sampled and selected instruments.

28

Chapter 5

Managing Files and Sets

Various types of les are used in making music with Live, from those containing MIDI and

audio, to more program-specic les such as Live Clips and Live Sets. This chapter will

explain everything you need to know about working with each of these le types in Live.
However, we should rst take a look at Live's File Browsers, through which most les arrive
in the program.

5.1 Working with the File Browsers

Live offers three File Browsers which can be accessed via their selector buttons.