Ableton releases Ableton Live Intro (free update from Live LE)

Ableton has announced the release of Ableton Live Intro, which aims to provide the essentials of Ableton Live at an unbeatable price. For both talented newcomers and seasoned professionals, Live Intro has got what it takes for writing songs, making beats, recording, remixing, DJing and performing music live on stage, according to Ableton.

Ableton says that for those just starting out, Live Intro's fluid workflow, real-time audio manipulation and 7 GB audio content package provide a "smart step" into the world of music production and digital DJing. For established DJs and producers, Live Intro provides studio-quality sound and an opportunity to plug Live's renowned composition and performance features into any digital audio setup via ReWire.

Key features:

• Multitrack recording up to 32-bit/192 kHz.
• Powerful and creative MIDI sequencing of software and hardware instruments.
• Advanced warping and real-time time-stretching.
• Non-destructive editing with unlimited undo.
• Supports AIFF, WAV, MP3, Ogg Vorbis and FLAC files.
• Full ReWire support; runs as Slave or Master.
• Top-grade content package with loops and beats from premium sound designers.
• 500 built-in Instrument Racks and Drum Racks plus Simpler (a sampler) and Impulse (a virtual drum machine).
• 200 built-in audio and MIDI effects.
• Powerful groove engine; apply and extract grooves in real time.
• VST and AU support; automatic plug-in delay compensation.
• Simple MIDI mapping plus instant mapping for selected hardware.
• Single-screen user interface for simple, creativity-focused operation.
• Multicore and multiprocessor support.

Includes:

• 7 GB of instruments, beats and loops (in the boxed version of Live Intro, the download version includes a 1 GB selection).
• "Construction Kits" - practical song/track templates.
• Built-in interactive lessons.
• Printed Getting Started Guide in English, French, German or Japanese (box only).
• Localized software menus, tutorials and PDF reference manuals in English, Spanish, French, German and Japanese.

More information, including a detailed feature comparison between Live Intro and the full version of Ableton Live, is available at: www.ableton.com/live-intro

Live Intro is available as a boxed product and as a download from music retailers worldwide and in the Ableton web shop. Pricing is around $99 / €99.

Free upgrade to Intro for LE users: Ableton is offering Live LE users a special Able10 bonus: a completely free upgrade to Live Intro.