Ableton Live Lite: any good?
- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 8997 posts since 1 Aug, 2003
My new Focusrite interface comes with a license for Live Lite.
I'm a Cubase user and guitar player, and have been intrigued by Live's loop based approach ever since it entered the market. Now I'm wondering, should I install Lite and give it a go, or is it too restricted in functionality, just a teaser to get the 'real' deal?
I'm a Cubase user and guitar player, and have been intrigued by Live's loop based approach ever since it entered the market. Now I'm wondering, should I install Lite and give it a go, or is it too restricted in functionality, just a teaser to get the 'real' deal?
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el-bo (formerly ebow) el-bo (formerly ebow) https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=208007
- KVRAF
- 16369 posts since 24 May, 2009 from A galaxy, far far away
It's actually a great tool. Much more than a teaser. And if you already have another main DAW, you probably won't find it's limitations too limiting.cptgone wrote: ↑Tue Aug 06, 2019 11:30 am My new Focusrite interface comes with a license for Live Lite.
I'm a Cubase user and guitar player, and have been intrigued by Live's loop based approach ever since it entered the market. Now I'm wondering, should I install Lite and give it a go, or is it too restricted in functionality, just a teaser to get the 'real' deal?
It comes with Simpler, which is a really great loop/slice/dice playback machine. Great workflow, and in version 10 they've now decided to include all of the stretch algorithms.
Nothing to lose but a few megs on your hard drive
- KVRian
- 527 posts since 22 Sep, 2016
If I remember correctly, it’s only 8 tracks and you are restricted to a small handful of Live’s plugins (no 3rd party plugs). It wasn’t available when I bought Live. I won’t knock it, but you’ll probably hit a wall pretty quick if you are planning on making a full song with it. At least that’s what I thought every time I saw the chart comparing different versions of Live.
- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 8997 posts since 1 Aug, 2003
No 3rd party plugs? I'll pass then.
Thanks el-bo and W23, if I had suspected it was that bad I'd have googled the comparison sheet myself, instead of asking here.
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el-bo (formerly ebow) el-bo (formerly ebow) https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=208007
- KVRAF
- 16369 posts since 24 May, 2009 from A galaxy, far far away
No restrictions on 3rd-party plugs (Within the smaller track limit, of course), and most of the basics from Ableton Standard.W23 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 06, 2019 11:39 am If I remember correctly, it’s only 8 tracks and you are restricted to a small handful of Live’s plugins (no 3rd party plugs). It wasn’t available when I bought Live. I won’t knock it, but you’ll probably hit a wall pretty quick if you are planning on making a full song with it. At least that’s what I thought every time I saw the chart comparing different versions of Live.
Aside from track count, Lite 10 is better spec'd than 'Intro 9', which was an $80 purchase.
As for hitting a wall: It's possible that you would do so if you were looking at it as a main DAW. However, even then it offers enough workflow goodies to produce good quality output e.g resampling, instrument/drum racks, simpler etc. It could even be seen as a bonus to have such limitations i.e to force a workflow that could yield very different results than a full-blown DAW with almost no limitations
But also, as an adjunct to another DAW, you get to take advantage of the streamlined workflow, clip-launching etc. that can help with sketching and experimenting with ideas. These ideas could then be transferred to a much more open environment, for further development.
Also, to the op. Might be worth trying to score a copy of Bitwig 8-track (Normally sold here, cheaply). While it is a bit more restricted than Live Lite, it seems to be stealing a lot of die-hard Live users, as it seems to improve on certain aspects. So, if one would end up investing in a full-blown second DAW, it would be worth being sure which one was more suited
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el-bo (formerly ebow) el-bo (formerly ebow) https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=208007
- KVRAF
- 16369 posts since 24 May, 2009 from A galaxy, far far away
- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 8997 posts since 1 Aug, 2003
Wow, thanks el-bo, you raise many interesting points.
I'm gonna give Live a go after all (and yes, I've been eyeing Bitwig, but that isn't free... I'm rooting for them though, looks like an innovative work-in-progress).
I'm gonna give Live a go after all (and yes, I've been eyeing Bitwig, but that isn't free... I'm rooting for them though, looks like an innovative work-in-progress).
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el-bo (formerly ebow) el-bo (formerly ebow) https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=208007
- KVRAF
- 16369 posts since 24 May, 2009 from A galaxy, far far away
Definitely worth checking out Youtube tutorials for certain elements like Simpler, Racks etc. as much of it will translate with no issue. This guy is one of the best:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWvaxzI ... doEjjyuQgI
Also, keep an eye open for BW 8-track on the buy/sell forum. I've regularly seen it go for under a tenner A worthwhile investment if you wanted to really immerse yourself in the workflow before possibly spending a lot of money
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- KVRian
- 1286 posts since 7 Dec, 2013 from Earth
Complete list of all Live Lite features:
https://www.ableton.com/en/products/live-lite/features/
https://www.ableton.com/en/products/live-lite/features/
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- KVRAF
- 35436 posts since 11 Apr, 2010 from Germany
I tried it a few times. Confused the hell out of me, and, i couldn't be arsed to learn it, so, i uninstalled it. I'm sure it's cool for the stuff it does, but, i already spend way too little time with the stuff i do understand to learn yet another tool.
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el-bo (formerly ebow) el-bo (formerly ebow) https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=208007
- KVRAF
- 16369 posts since 24 May, 2009 from A galaxy, far far away
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- KVRAF
- 1996 posts since 16 Jan, 2013 from USA
The 8 tracks are too limiting for real use for most. It’s a leader to upsell you. But so are all the others. And Live, while oddball in many ways, is very quick in actual use once you are acclimated to it.
- KVRian
- 710 posts since 26 Oct, 2018
I bought "standard" for 100,- Upon powerusing it this summer, It's pretty good. I mis some features like, MIDI LFO routing "without Max for Live". But all in all it supports 3 or 4 workflows simultaneuosly. I got it all organized from the start, so it boots up a skeleton for a completeable song. Also shows nice organization in the plugins department. Quite good
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Last edited by Skupje on Tue Aug 06, 2019 5:23 pm, edited 2 times in total.
- KVRian
- 527 posts since 22 Sep, 2016
Yeah, my bad. I was thinking about Live 9 Intro ...the last time I looked, and they had a comparison chart. Focusrite has been giving away a ton of really good free software lately. I’ve been thinking about a new interface lately. I may have to look at getting a Clarett or somethingel-bo (formerly ebow) wrote: ↑Tue Aug 06, 2019 11:54 amThere are no restrictions on 3rd-party plugs
But there IS a chart comparing them, so yes...I suppose we both could have googled the answer.
https://www.ableton.com/en/live/compare-editions/
- KVRian
- 710 posts since 26 Oct, 2018
I had a Saffire 6, but it's slapped together..It's a bad deciscion to have a DAC emit two loud 0dbfs pops to an active monitor arrangement on power up and down. Everytime it shuts down it's like BANG!