Happy with Live 9?

[RhinoInRio]

...I am.
So far I've had it about a week now and been playing around here and there, and reading this forum.
I must say, it needs a bit of getting used too, if you are used to the older versions. Especially the new Midi arrangement Overdub, the Automation Arm, re-enable automation, and the session record buttons are a bit confusing in the beginning. But after messing around with it for a while it becomes clearer. I must admit I never really missed these functions before, because there was always a way to get to the end result somehow before for my uses. Sure, the new browser also needs some getting used to, but hey, it'll work (even better than before).
My favorites are the new and overdone FX and M4L. Wow, a whole new universe to explore - especially M4L. I guess it's beyond me and I am extremely grateful to those who understand how to program all these new instruments and FX with M4L and what not. I'm just a user. Keep it up. ...and share

What I find sad though, is this continuous nagging and dissing going on in this forum about Live, about Ableton, about what should have been done, the price, the marketing....
What is wrong with these people who can not have constructive arguments or opinions without getting personal and let their anger out about who knows what on this forum? Ableton and their products are great. And they are getting better all the time. Sure, good software costs money. That's the way it is. If you buy it and are unhappy with it then you bought the wrong program. Ableton has over the years always listened to reasonable wishes and constructive advice of users to make it what is now and what was possible. It can always get better, and it does. But for me personally there is no other program out there that makes music making so much fun and has so many (endless) possibilities as Live.

Abletons' service is helpful and (usually) quite fast. The hardware integration is remarkable and easy. Live is a standalone all-in-one more-than-a-studio in a box. For me, it's more than I could have ever wished for in a recording program.

Well, that's it, I just had to get rid of it.
And NO, I don't have any ties to Ableton.

Cheers, keep up the good work.
Rhino

[re:dream]

Hmm, I tend to agree.

OK, so I am strictly an amateur, and I am not using Live as a tool for my livelihood. It is just a creativity tool and a way to have fun making music.

I grew up playing flute and bass guitar. I guess I have the point of departure that every instrument has its limitations and its strengths; my task as a musician (amateur or not) is to learn how to work within those.

Clearly there are always little things that I wish was done differently. writing values in automation points is one. But hey. It's not as if it breaks the software's functionality!

Bottom of the line for me is: what is my focus going to be?

- Am I going to focus on making music as best I can, using software and hardware that will always have some limitations (not to speak of the limitations and defects of my my own musicality and talent, such as they are)...

... or am I going to focus on all the obstacles and reasons why things can't work the way I want to?

You know what? If Live allowed me to write in automation values; or if it had better curve automation, or dual monitor support, or whatever - my music would still sound the same. It would still be more or less the same amount of fun making it.

I've loved Live ever since I first stumbled across it in 2006. It knocked the spots off the other software I was using or trying to use at the time (Cubase, Reason) and I have enjoyed messing around with it ever since. I tend to concur with the OP: in my judgement it's the coolest piece of music software I've ever come across (with Audiomulch possibly coming a close second). I've looked forward to the new release, and I must say I am very happy with Live 9. There are a thousand little tiny tweaks that look to make life easier (midi editing for example)... and there are some fabulous new tricks and tools (m4l's LFO; audio to midi) that will enable a whole lot of mayhem and experimentation. I think the folks at Ableton have done a fabulous job and I think they deserve better than the bitching and nagging that seems to come at them from some quarters.

[RhinoInRio]

You're right....
People tend to forget to just make music with it.
There is always going to be something to make better. Just like in life.

[agent314]

What I find sad though, is this continuous nagging and dissing going on in this forum about Live, about Ableton, about what should have been done, the price, the marketing....

I feel the same way, and I feel like it's just the unfortunate nature of online forums. So much hostility and shitting on other people's work for the sake of shitting on it

Live 9 isn't bug-free, but no software is going to be exactly perfect for every user, especially one meant to run on as complex and varied a range of hardware setups and with as wide a variety of third party plugs and partner systems as Live is.

I've found myself avoiding a lot of the 9 threads in here, simply because so many of them are so unconstructive bitching

There are definitely legit complaints about the system so far, but on the whole, I have been extremely happy with 9.

My approach is now to recheck my previous Live habbits. Live 9 isn't Live 8, some things changed. So sometimes (at least that was the case for me) you should try to change some of your habbits and match those with the new workflow.

This is what I was running into when I first started using 9 - I didn't like how the browser was forcing me to rearrange my library structure, etc., but after using it for a while, I'm realizing I like the 9 implementation more than 8, by a large margin.

[ObtuseMoose]

Yep. I'm a happy upgrader, too. Yes, I'm having to adjust my workflow to some of the changes, and I'm hoping that future updates will smooth over some rough spots, but there's nothing stopping me from making music with Live 9 right now. I'm confident things will get better over time, and I'm OK with that.

Really really looking forward to Push, no matter how long it takes. I've made music for 20 some years without it, waiting a few more weeks or months to get my hands on it isn't going to ruin my creativity .

--
Moose

[esp81]

Not at all, they should have added proper snap to grid and typing in exact values when they updated the automation. Seems like a no-brainer considering every other DAW has this for 10+ years.

[krizgainz]

,

[RhinoInRio]

Not at all, they should have added proper snap to grid and typing in exact values when they updated the automation. Seems like a no-brainer considering every other DAW has this for 10+ years.

...that's what I mean.
Live was the pioneer in elastic audio under the DAWs - and now everyone is copying the idea.
I'm sure snapping and "typing" values will come soon. The idea is not to leave your hands from your instrument and not on your mouse.

[esp81]

I'm sure snapping and "typing" values will come soon..

I seriously doubt it, considering it's been requested so many times for the past 6-7 years with no response from Ableton.

[The Northern Contingent]

Yes - very happy. It is an excellent upgrade Nuff said.

[justchris86]

i love it. its great! for sure worth the price.

[dj_blueprint]

i demo'd it and then took the plunge yesterday.. it's way too early to give it a thumbs up or down but so far i like it. The start-up time is longer though, which I dislike, greatly.

[Rosko]

I'm happy, it's not perfect like some elements of the browser i hate but overall i think its great & will maybe improve certain things in time, who knows.

[andrewbrewer]

Very happy w/ the upgrade. I'm noticing little things, such as subtle changes to the midi editor that make it feel more exact. I couldn't point to something specific, it's just very inviting.

[JuanSOLO]

I dig it, I got 1 thing I really wanted, Rec Automation to Session.
I really like the way it works, I dig the new O button and how that is implemented.
When I fired up the beta and started testing it with my APC40, clicked ovr button, I thought "HELL YEAH Perfect!"
It was weird to adjust to warping tracks when they changed that, now I would hate to go back, I feel the same about the browser.
I got some things I didn't expect, like EQ8, compressor, updates that are fantastic. Effects I use on EVERY TRACK.
There are some M4L calls that work like I wanted them too before 9, now I can send a call that selects a device, bluehands it, AND brings it into view. FUCK YEAH if you use controllers and want to keep a small cohesive footprint.

Performance wise, it's not a whole lot different than 8 was for me.
Sure there are TONS of things I think they should add, some things that make Live look primitive in relation to other software.
Traktor's midi editing is still lightyears beyond Ableton Live.
Nevertheless, I have been using Live in a very specific way for a long time, optimizing a Live Set, streamlining my workflow around Lives limitations. I'm just as much OK with that as I was with Live 3-8.

It's weird to see posts from people getting specifically different results that I am experiencing, for example I thought a new Live Set seemed to start up lighting fast.

Personally I am happy to see PUSH as an example that Ableton still think of themselves as a company whos trying to make the laptop an instrument, even though I will not get PUSH. Still there's a ton of things I can think of to make Live more live and less mouse and screen.

For me Live is just a tool to create, I never expect it to do everything I desire, and if there is something it doesn't do, I can find something that does. For example if I need specifically tight timing when sequencing VST's, External Gear, whatever I can always get a product that is known for that, like a Cirklon.
That said, I modded the M4L MonoSequencer to be controlled by my APC40 much like an Elektron product works, only I get to custom tailor is to exactly what I need, Thats WAY COOL TO ME.

For me the whole "typing in specific values" is the kind of thing that makes me want to ditch a Laptop over hardware. I understand people get off on being so specific, to each their own, but I just dont work like that.
I'm more of a "happy mistakes" kind of person, OR if something doesn't work the way I want it, I move on instead of getting emotional about it.