What's so special about Ableton Live 5?

[ModuLR]

i think you'll have to assign those parameters not in the list to midi controllers and then use those to automate them.

Live doesn't seem to pickup on parameters outside of the initial 128... For example, in Live you can normally just hit record, move the parameter you want to automate and it'll record it. But if it's over that 128, then it doesn't even recognize it.. meaning there is no way to record it's actions. Pretty lame to be honest. I'm surprised this one got by me. Not a biggie in that I tend to use the internal live plugs rewired into T2. But I wanted to work some loops that would have been exported, and it would have been nice to use Live's clip envelopes on these params, but I can't. weak sauce.

[keyboardmatt]

other people have stated this already, but the reason i personally like live is the session view. it is so easy to quickly improvise and arrange and so fun to do so. in other hosts, music seems like dreaded work. in live there is nothing holding me back from any idea in my head, and i can take that idea into a finished product easier than i could in any other host.

[robenestobenz]

i think you'll have to assign those parameters not in the list to midi controllers and then use those to automate them.

Live doesn't seem to pickup on parameters outside of the initial 128... For example, in Live you can normally just hit record, move the parameter you want to automate and it'll record it. But if it's over that 128, then it doesn't even recognize it.. meaning there is no way to record it's actions. Pretty lame to be honest.

Yeah, that's awful. I somehow didn't expect it to extend as far as recording automation (although it's logical it would, since the parameters aren't displayed).

[headquest]

Hey ModuLR!

VST implementation in Live is very much a quickly evolving thing... Live 1 (just three and a half years ago, mind you ) didn't have it at all. Live 2 introduced VST effects (without their interface) and Live 3 allowed you to view their GUI. In Live 4 VSTi was implemented. As VSTs themselves continue to grow more complex you can be sure that Ableton will improve the way they are handled in Live.

And this is perhaps one of the things I love most about Ableton...

Robert Henke recently stated that with Live 4 Ableton produced the sequencer they had basically invisaged from the beginning. The new features in Live 5 are ALL directly as a rusult of user feedback

This is a really stark contrast with most sequencer developers (naming no names ), who seem to treat their updates as simply ticking boxes to keep up with *the competition*.

There's a fair few sequencers around now, and many of the developers seem to be playing a game, and pretty out of touch with the needs and wishes of their own user base.
Ableton simply have a fantastic attitude in this respect, and it's really important to understand and appreciate the very real difference here.

If you check Alex's posts

http://www.ableton.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=27667

and:

http://www.ableton.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=27532

..regarding the beta testing of the next version of Live 5 (which will be available to download in just a few days) you will catch a sense of just how willing and determined Ableton are to serve their users, rather than simply follow their own hidden agenda.

So head over to their site and put in a request for the automation you are after!!

[DubGusset]

It's fashionable. It has some novel ideas and tricks. It can do things quickly to loops and short phrases.

But it's not designed for longer pieces or soundtrack work. It's a doodle pad. A fun machine. It's what Acid might have been if all the brains hadn't of left SoundForge when Sony took over.

Most often you see Ableton used with one of the other main hosts, and that is *the* crucial indicator of the limited scope of Ableton.

Way off the mark.

[highdropod]

nothing. you wouldn't like it. don't even bother.

check out the demo for yrself.

[c1c2]

I use both Live and SX3.
So many things that have been said are true.

Maybe one thing to add: Live5 is the _first_ software I bought that
kept the promises made before I bought it. Without exception.
Live5 isn´t just "modern" or "fresh", it´s a piece of software that
does its job because of its sophisticated design.

The first software which is an interface for the user not vice versa.

Not to say, there are no bugs, but nothing, which disturbed my workflow
that much I couldn´t find a fast workaround.

[Lunch Money]

The first?

Tracktion is clearly designed with the user in mind. But even something 'traditional' like Logic has a design that keeps a certain demographic in mind. Ones that are accustomed to such an interface.

And THOSE kinds of softwares were the bridge between the hardware world and the software world, so to make new software users feel comfy back in the day, it makes sense that there'd be a visual emulation of what the folks were using in the hardware world. Surely that takes the user into consideration?

But neither Tracktion NOR Logic NOR Live were likely the first. I'm sure that almost any software you buy, PERIOD, has the user in mind. Nobody intentionally designs a UI to scare people away or make them not want to use it! It just happens by accident sometimes.

Greg

[mandolarian]

Nobody intentionally designs a UI to scare people away or make them not want to use it!Greg

Not used many mainframe programs, huh, Greg?

[Lunch Money]

Nope.

But my point stands.

[arke]

"OMG AutoCAD's GUI is SOOO hard to learn, it must be a very good and featureful program!" ... of course, this also applies to other things, but AutoCAD is kinda extreme

[imekon]

I don't find Live all that useful - the 'split' between arrangement and session view gets in the way.

The MIDI editor is very basic, so I find I use another sequencer to create music.

Having said that Live is very good at routing audio and midi, especially in Live 5.

[c1c2]

The first?

Tracktion is clearly designed with the user in mind. But even something 'traditional' like Logic has a design that keeps a certain demographic in mind. Ones that are accustomed to such an interface.

Don´t know if I understand any subtle content
as English is not my native language, but I guess
I understand most you said.
If not, forbear with me.

I never used Tracktion. So I cannot comment that.
But with Live5 for me there was no need to first
get accustomed to something.
It feels like Live5 gets accustomed with me.
And that is the main difference to other software
I used up to now. No matter if they were music applications or not.

And THOSE kinds of softwares were the bridge between the hardware world and the software world, so to make new software users feel comfy back in the day, it makes sense that there'd be a visual emulation of what the folks were using in the hardware world. Surely that takes the user into consideration?

Yes, Cubase SX reminds me of such an interface.
It´s like a huge console I never have owned.
Maybe that´s the difference. Maybe for a professional
producer this is the easiest way to get access to a virtual studio. For me it´s not. I´m not a professional. OK.

The first?
But neither Tracktion NOR Logic NOR Live were likely the first. I'm sure that almost any software you buy, PERIOD, has the user in mind. Nobody intentionally designs a UI to scare people away or make them not want to use it! It just happens by accident sometimes. Greg

What counts to me is the result - not the intention -
if I pay 500 bucks for something.

But to get to the point, my problem with SX is
supposedly, that it was designed for something
I don´t really need. This is not imperatively
a fault of SX, but rather mine, when I decided
to buy the software.

No offence at all
c1c2

[Lunch Money]

None taken-- I didn't notice that you were a non-native English speaker or I would have given you more benefit of the doubt.

So, most of my points were against things you weren't meaning to say. I agree with what you're saying, now that I have a clearer vision of what was meant.

Greg

[Barbarossa]

Interesting thread for a Non-Liver...
Since i'm not really satisfied with Tracktion, becasue of no informations, if certain aspects are planned to be improved, i take a new look at Live.

Maybe one of you can answer me some questions?

1. Does Live have folder-tracks? (means, you can create a track, which contains other tracks -> i.e. Drums-foldertrack)

2. Does Live offer screensets? (with push of a button you can recall user-made screen layouts - i.e. showing plugin analyzer)

3. I know that Live allows routing tracks into other tracks, but does it have 'rack-filters' like Tracktion?

4. Is it capable of sidechaining? If yes, how do you set it up

5. Is it possible to use different plugins on L and R channel? If yes, how do you achieve that?

6. Does it offer freeze-functionality? If yes, how does it work?

7. I tried Live4 once and it was a CPU-hog compared to Logic5.5 and Tracktion1. How did the CPU-efficiency develop with Live5?