Live 5 beta

[headquest]

abletons seems ok with bugfixing, but not raelly responsive to features suggestion. for a new version, i don't want bugs, for sure, bur the more new features I ll have, the more happy I ll be to give the money!

As a regular on the Ableton forum, the major feature requests I have seen since Live 4 came out are:
* Full PDC
* More efficient CPU usage
* Freeze
* An Arpeggiator
* Note preview in the MIDI editor
* More advanced quantise options
* Better timestretch
* MP3 import
* Easier to navigate transport controls
* Markers/locators in the Arrangement view

I'm not quite sure what your point was? Live 5 implements all of these features and more. Which is one reason why there has been such an overwhelmingly positive response from the established user base. We are all thrilled that Ableton DO listen to our feature requests and implement them so quickly and thoroughly.

[silicon/silicium]

well, as a regular of ableton forum, here are the one that doesn't seem to hit anyone:
-consolidate in the session view, hugely requested, never spoeken by abletons
-dual screen functionnalities
-more follow actions
there are some more features, I have to admit they made a great work with the live 5 features, but sometimes it seems that abletons only select a couple of features and won't ever include some others.
maybe I m waiting too much from them, as a energyXT user having his beta each week with new features everytimes...
but don't get me wrong, the work they did is excellent (except the removal of alt + clic for preview, and the navigation that could go even further imho.

[headquest]

All three of those could be useful, granted, but none of them are quite on the scale of those widely requested features they DID implement this time. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see all three in Live 6, though .

The Dual Screen is actually the only one of the three that I have personally seen requested. Your other two sound like fairly simple tweaks that could help workflow. Maybe they could come in a point upgrade?

Video integration is of course the other biggie not included this time around, but a likely headliner for Live 6 . Along with your Dual Screen request, it would probably require quite a big rethink of the GUI I imagaine.

The only other obvious one I have seen requested is for a more detailed sample editing option. That seems to be a regular request in other top sequencers too. I guess it boils down to the attraction of not having to fork out for Sound Forge/Audition/Bias/etc.

This all ties in with a massive concern that some of us have though ... that Live would in the future become bloated and lose it's Live performance/stability strengths . Quite a few sequencers have already gone down that route and *lost something* in the process.

Cheers, and yes it's a great bit of work from Ableton isn't it

[astar]

Live 5 rules. PDC and the Complex Warp are more important than anything else for me, but the huge one they missed was GROOVE QUANTIZE.

We already have the warp markers for audio, why not implement that idea in midi form and have the ability to export and quantize to these grooves? This has got to be coming in LIVE 6 tho, it's a commonly requested feature.

Other than that, they're spot on with this release and if you've tried the beta you'll know that even though there are more features it's just as stable as ever and actually better on the CPU now!

My predictions for Live 6: Groove Quantize, Dual Monitor and Processor support, more excellent effects and maybe a beat slicer (rex support?)

cheers!

[headquest]

My predictions for Live 6: Groove Quantize, Dual Monitor and Processor support, more excellent effects and maybe a beat slicer (rex support?)

cheers!

Yay! That will be sweet, and I think they could probably do all that without adversely affecting workflow

Regarding video, I hope that if they do it, they do as in Tracktion/FL Studio - a floating Quicktime (or other) window that doesn't get in the way when not required/in use. Even an Operator-style add on paid for seperately by those requesting it? (as FL5 did).

There's really so much new in 5 though - so much to celebrate right now - that speculating about 6 is premature

[z15]

beatslicer is something i've been waiting myself since slicing and reordering sounds is one thing i do a lot, at some point one of the most used tehchniques in my production.

the live elastic audio engine would lend itself to slicing and reordering stuff really well, but doing it with the currently very clumsy sample offset automation is... well, clumsy. it could use a careful rethink as far the interface is concerned.

[headquest]

Has anyone spent much time with the improved "Simpler" instrument yet? According to the publicity there are going to be a 100 or so new samples/presets for this in the full product. Judging by the few extras shipping with the beta, I'm quite excited by this... (I barely used Simpler at all in v4).

These new presets that are already there show how useful/powerful the new Device Groups can be as well - very effective!

Anyone else got any thoughts on this?

[Meffy]

Jus a reminder -- be sure to post your ideas for new features in the Abes' "Feature Wish List" forum.

Remember that some features are easier to program than others. A feature that looks simple to non-programmers might be easy to implement... or it might require all kinds of changes to the program's internal working, changes that could break existing features that users depend on.

IOW, it's great to have added features, but it's more important not to break anything unless there's an overwhelmingly convincing reason to do so.

This is a delicate balancing act, and it can be hard for non-developers to understand why some features can't or won't be implemented. Sometimes there's a very good rationale, just not one the average user could follow. And sometimes it's a matter of resources; each feature costs time and money, and devs have to justify that expense with predicted income. ROI is important to the guys who sign the paychecks.

[saturdaysaint]

As someone that often uses Live as a traditional DAW (on steroids), the only thing I'm missing is track lanes, which make for easier comping and crossfading.

[z15]

headquest,

simpler is actually one of the things i fell in love with in live4. i first dismissed it as a toy but later realized it's really powerful since it's so fast and intuitive. i have a growing library of stuff i've sampled out of vinyls and recorded with my mic... now i can just drop one of the wave files to simpler and quickly adjust the and length + looping so i can come up with a weird rhythm snippet or a beautiful soundscape in no time. i never bothered to work like that with "proper" samplers since it was so much more timeconsuming.

i don't feel that the new simpler adds THAT much to the old recipe but i have to admit that the filter and pitch envelopes are a happy surprise addition. i didn't bother with the presets before and i don't know if i'll do that with new ones in v5, we'll see. the basic things that make simpler great were there already in v4 IMO - the speed and visual feedback.

[DHR53]

I just downloaded the demo the other day, and haven't spent much time messing with it, but... I opened a few old songs, and didn't notice much difference in the cpu usage? Is anyone getting a big improvement, or is it just a case of wishful thinking... Didn't notice much different myself? Soome marker things in arrange, but you still can't navigate with the keyboard... Maybe I'm missing some stuff...

[dgkenney]

After a couple of days a playing with Live 5 I am even more impressed with a program that I was already impressed with -Live 4

The only thing I would add is a "folder track" kind of operation. Because of Live's routing flexibility you can get a great number of midi and audio tracks tied to a single instance of a multi-timbral synth. It would be nice to be able to consolidate them within a folder for clearer visual and efficeint use of real estate.

Dan

[headquest]

The only thing I would add is a "folder track" kind of operation. Because of Live's routing flexibility you can get a great number of midi and audio tracks tied to a single instance of a multi-timbral synth. It would be nice to be able to consolidate them within a folder for clearer visual and efficeint use of real estate.

Dan

Agreed. One nice touch in v5 though is that you can horizontally rescale tracks in the Session View - simply drag the edge in and you can reduce the tracks you're no longer using to a slither.

[headquest]

I just downloaded the demo the other day, and haven't spent much time messing with it, but... I opened a few old songs, and didn't notice much difference in the cpu usage? Is anyone getting a big improvement, or is it just a case of wishful thinking...

Definitely a measurable difference here. I did the Ambience test and got a couple of extra instances going.

The Freeze function is really nice though as well (if you find you need it). Simply right click - yes, I'm serious!! - RIGHT click over the track name and select Freeze from the menu. Nice.

Didn't notice much different myself? Soome marker things in arrange, but you still can't navigate with the keyboard... Maybe I'm missing some stuff...

I recommend taking a much more detailed look! As well as Freeze, PDC, all the stuff I mentioned a couple of posts ago, have a play with the arpeggiator and new audio effects - simply superb

Have fun!

[FaX]

I have to embarassingly admit I won't buy the upgrade too V5 myself.
The sad truth is I was more productive with Live as an Audio only app.
Since V4 I have got a tonne some 16+ well thought out and heavily sequnced ideas etc that have never seen the light of day.
I really need sparse and stripped back working environments to get the results I need.
So I've reinstalled my original boxed 3.0 and updated the patch to 3.14 from an old update CDR I had filed away.
I like the rewire and jam approach recording as much stuff without midi as possible with Reason3.
I tend to only work in arranger view now also.
I find I prefer P5 V2's midi implementation and I get PDC ,great ARP section , superb vst layering options with splits / zone / velocity layers saved as presets with effects (any DXi/VSTi - Dx/VST effect + Arp and MFX combination) for fast recall.
Much more fluent step modes for my needs also and the window in P5 can have it's sequencer detatched and dragged over to a second monitor (ditto all vst / dx instruments and efx).
I'm really productive working this way.
However I am fully aware that this is only a good set up for me a probably would not suit alot of peoples working methods.
I also have to factor in that when I bought Live 3 the exchange rate wasn't great ...
I spent $850 (AUD) on V3 .
After banks transfer and all fees where calculated for the V4 uograde I had spent $250(AUD) upgrading to Version 4.
I got P5 for almost the same price as the Live 5 upgrade.
I'm saving for a new lightweight/ultraprotable laptop due to health reasons and haven't been able to work for the last 4 years at all .
So it's just not an economical viability for me.
I've spent $1100 (AUD) on Ableton software in 2 years.
I have no doubt V5 is a fantastic move in the right direction.
Ableton excell at listening too their customwer/client base and giveing them what they want in a very well thought out and innovative package.
The reality is I can't keep up with the jones's anymore and have to be realistic about what I can and can't afford.
Thankgod for ALOT of great freeware dev's is all I'll say.
Enjoy Live 5 guys and don't torment me with it's many cool new features (I've stayed away from the beta deliberately).
How long till the release is duedo you lot think ?
They're up too Release Candidate 2 in the beta aren't they ?