Ableton 10 suggestions

[Edgex]

Hi community,

After a while using live for all my purposes around music, Live Dj-sets, recording, production, experimentation...

Live is probably the most intriguing and appealing music software out there.

To make it better here is a list of suggestions for Live 10;

Dj capabilities: be able to nudge individual tracks, to offset them live.
Color Warp Marks. useful for fast visual approach.

Loop functions, 4 - 8 - 16 bar buttons for quick looping sections while tracks are playing, as well as their position.


Thanks in advance, and make it rain!

[Jbvdb]

Sub groups inside of groups
Freeze, flatten synths without freezing effects on the same track
Resample in place pads in drum racks, I layer and effect a bunch of stuff on drum pads and the workaround to resample it is a pain. I wish there was a control click bounce in place type option to reduce CPU load.

[Ironlion]

[miekwave]

I'd like to see in Ableton 10

Ableton Server
A seperate instance for loading gigasample libraries. Ableton Server instance will allow your sets/sessions to load instantly.

SYSEX support
I need NRPN/RPN mapping to work with my legacy hardware. I'm currently using protools for this.

Native CUDA Support
Use your GPU to reduce CPU spikes.

Legacy Hardware Templates
Macro emulation in clip mode Rm1x Emulation, MC505 Emulation, XL-1 Emulation, MPC2000 Emulation
Legacy device SYSEX recognition, for example MC505 mute switches and fader

Native Notation View
Notation mode in addition to clip, arrangement

Native Autotune
Native Autotue effect

Global Transpose Latch
Ability to assign musical tracks "Transpose Enable" and Foley/Drum tracks "Transpose Disable" for easy realtime transposing without screwing up drums

CPU/RAM/DISK/FAN Meter
Better realtime diagnostic so we can better see whats bottlenecking the session/performance, definable in preferences, viewable in the same spot, right click display options
In addition to CPU meter add
Disc [x] I/O MBs or I MBs or O Mbs Temp
RAM % Used | % Available | Total Used | Total Available
CPU Total % | Core n % | Temp | % of tJunc Temp
GPU Total % | Temp | % of tJunc Temp
FAM RPM

Name Interface I/O
User definable Audio and MIDI I/O naming, like in Protools I/O naming

Library Improvements
Enable / Disable sub-path files.db access so we can greatly boost Ableton Suite Load Times
files.db Diagnostics configurator in advanced settings

Native 32-Bit > 64-Bit VST compatibility
Native auto-bridging of 32-Bit plug ins
Separate 32-Bit VST folder path
Separate 64-Bit VST folder path

Purge Options
- Preferences >> System Resources [Advanced]
MANUAL Purging options for samples/ram/temp/cache files
This comes handy when working with big libraries

Clip Mode Enhancements
- Show/hide CLIPS in Clip View (typical audio or midi clips)
- Show/Hide Plug In Chain (top 5 or 10) like they are Clips
- Show/Hide TUNER per/Audio instrument Track Takes up a Clip CELL: Displays like <<:F#:>>
- Show/Hide MINI SPECTRUM ANALYZER per instrument track - Takes up Clip Cell: Displays like :::::::: (32,65,125,250,500,1k,2k,4k,8k,16k) (Grey,Green,Yellow,Orange, Red from -90DB to -3 DB)
- Show/Hide MULTI BUS per Instrument Track - Takes up one CLIP CELL: Displays like :Serial Bus or Parallel bus option (like Protools Mix View for AUX) not to be confused with master output track or SENDS
- Show/HIDE 1 OCTAVE MINI KEYBOARD per instrument track - Takes up one CLIP CELL - Displays like a 1 OCTIVE keyboard to show you which notes are being played, useful for observing harmony progressions - Option to change Starting position (C to B)
- Show/HIDE DETECTED CHORD Per Instrument Track- Takes up One Clip CELL - Displays AUTO CHord Detected - looks like CM,Am, Bb7,Gsus7, etc
- SHOW/HIDE MODULATION per instrument track - Takes up One Clip Cell - Displays Modulation 1 as a progress bar from 0 (no mod wheel) to 100 (mod wheel all the way up)
- SHOW/HIDE PITCHBEND per instrument track - Takes up One Clip Cell - Displays Pitch Bend as a progress bar from -50 (bend reverse) to +50 (bend all the way up)
- Show/HIDE MIDI PANIC BUTTON per instrument track - Takes up one Clip Cell, get rid of those Pesky Hanging notes by clicking this button
- SHOW/HIDE CPU USAGE PER INSTRUMENT TRACK - Takes up one Clip cell - Hard time figuring out which track is causing CPU spike? Displays as :0%:0%:0%:0% (4 core) ::::::(6core) ::::::::(8core) or 0% total
- SHOW/HIDE RAM USAGE PER INSTRUMENT TRACK - Takes up one clip cell - See which tracks are eating most ram
- SHOW/HIDE OSCELOSCOPE PER INSTRUMENT TRACK - Takes up 3 Clip Cell Slots (Vertically) - Displays a OSCELOSCOPE of track output - Very handy for examining Transients on a bunch of drum tracks at the same time
- SHOW/HIDE MIDI FILTER PER INSTRUMENT TRACK - takes up 1 Clip Cell - Want to temporately or permantely block or smoothen out PB/MW/CC messages? Click on this cell to devine which MIDI filters are permissable on each track - also special 'Latch Note' mode for cool remix applications (like on Korg Electribe EA1, ER1)
- SHOW/HIDE A/B switch per Instrument Track - Takes up 1 Clip Cell - 'A' switch is the sound you are hearing 'B' turns off EQ/Compression/Sends/Effects and only plays raw instrument sound - This is VERY VERY handy for composing without effects
- SHOW HIDE ARTICULATION SWITCH PER INSTRUMENT TRACK- Takes 1 Cell - Don't like your articulation? Easily switch to Pizz from Legato with this custom switch

GUI Enhancements
Icon only for Tracks:
Default icons to choose from: Kick Snare Hat Horns Strings Keys Lips Woodwinds [FX] logo Mini 303 Mini 909 Mini 808

Native Melodyne Integration with License
Native single track Melodyne audio editing (partner with Melodyne and Sell Melodyne for Ableton licenses)

Native midifile.nam support
Midi PG Names in PC dropdown menu after designated Bank + Program Change number

Polyphonic Aftertouch control
Polyphonic aftertouh for instruments/cotrollers that use it

Native Regions Menu View
Pro Tools has this since before 2003, Ableton should too

Native Automation Quantification
Play with Korg EA-1 motion sequencer and switch between smooth and on note, really cool


Native Tuning and Scales calibration
Native microtonal appendto Ableton Instruments and Packs

Easy Native Show Hide All Automation Lates KB hotkey
Something like CTRL+H or whatever.

Native Blind Mode / Discrete Laptop Mode
Ability to open and close sets without looking at the screen monitor / closed laptop mode

Native IRQ resolution for controllers and interfacce
so Tracks automatically identifies correct interface/controllers when loaded on other usb plug in configurations

Ableton Cloud
Ableton Cloud: Sessions for easier collaboration >50MB Sessions
Ableton Cloud: Projects for easier sharing or collaboration of Ableton Packs and Instruments only


MOD, XM, IT, S3M conversion
MOD Tracker Conversion and I'll die happy

Mod Tracker Editor View
Column Arrangement view as opposed to Row based arrangement view (see fast tracker II)

[Jbvdb]

I/O naming! Yes!

[dreadrocksean]

I use Ableton Live for onstage live backing tracks that i trigger manually. Each song is a series of sessions. I play an average of 30 songs per night and they add up really fast. If I want to change the order of songs, it is a nightmare to look for a song.

Each song is an average of 15 session rows for each section of the song. Thats 450 rows alone for the songs that I actually play! I also have songs on the extra list at the bottom should the night call for them.
Because the project is so large. Moving a song group of session rows to rearrange the set takes about 2 mins! It's becoming very difficult to manage.

I color code songs in groups of sessions but it would be awesome if I could contract song groups of sessions (rows) which would expand when the first of the group (the one showing) is put in play. Find a song header with only 30 to 35 rows of headers is nothing. It would be on one screen without the need to scroll.

[miekwave]

I use Ableton Live for onstage live backing tracks that i trigger manually. Each song is a series of sessions. I play an average of 30 songs per night and they add up really fast. If I want to change the order of songs, it is a nightmare to look for a song.

Each song is an average of 15 session rows for each section of the song. Thats 450 rows alone for the songs that I actually play! I also have songs on the extra list at the bottom should the night call for them.
Because the project is so large. Moving a song group of session rows to rearrange the set takes about 2 mins! It's becoming very difficult to manage.

I color code songs in groups of sessions but it would be awesome if I could contract song groups of sessions (rows) which would expand when the first of the group (the one showing) is put in play. Find a song header with only 30 to 35 rows of headers is nothing. It would be on one screen without the need to scroll.

+1 Brilliant feature request
I might add ability to GUI collapse scene rows to accommodate exactly what you are asking for.

Another solution is to have Ableton Server which allows better management between two sets that can be cued on "A" and "B" simutaniously

[brisboisaudio]

Sub groups inside of groups

Was literally thinking of this. I use groups more than sends and having sub groups would be amazing.

Also some form of integrated automation controls with Ableton's effects rack and 3rd-party plugins (instead of just having the black box parameter on some non-supported plug-ins); like assignment controllers I can connect with parameters inside a plug-in etc.

[crackinkid]

- Multiple midi editing
- Making your own shortcuts for any function (reverse shortcut would be genius)
- Using Session and Arrangement View simultaneously/ next to each other! (like in bitwig ...)

Those would be my main wishes for Vers 10.

[olivier.orand]

1 - Solo safe function

2 - The possibility to send the "Return tracks" to "Group"

3 - Naming the "Send" (when we have many "Return tracks Fx" it's really annoying to know who's who)

[District_Onagi]

Dedicated piano roll for EACH sample in a Drum Rack

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVc9D0E ... be&t=1m50s

Make it easier than automating hi hats and snare rolls, With Ableton's timestretching, it would breathe new life into chord and instrument one shots if you could pitch up and down individual samples within the drum rack, and not have to move samples that you do want to pitch up and down into a separate midi track.

[miekwave]

Dedicated piano roll for EACH sample in a Drum Rack

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVc9D0E ... be&t=1m50s

Make it easier than automating hi hats and snare rolls, With Ableton's timestretching, it would breathe new life into chord and instrument one shots if you could pitch up and down individual samples within the drum rack, and not have to move samples that you do want to pitch up and down into a separate midi track.

This isn't exactally the answer you're looking for but you can duplicate Drum Rack and convert each duplicate (sample) into a simpler piano roll instance, and then group the tracks.

Another alternative is to speak 16 samples across all 9 octaves.

Another alternative is to duplicate multiple instances into MIDI rack and remap each pitch to octaves

Another more complex solution is assigning samples to a macro and do pitch swapping, as such you would for example sequence a line and trigger a different sample every 16th note of your choosing.

Another solution is to use pitch bend events on seperate DUPLICATE instances

[Idonotlikebroccoli]

I would like almost everything on page 1 of top voted at Centercode:

Grouping within a group
Edit Multiple Midi-Clips
In-clip audio editing
Freeze and Flatten side-chained tracks
Bounce in Place
Tagging plug-ins by category
Comping tool
MP3 export
Automation snap to Grid
More than 8 macros
Graphics Elements compensation
EQ8 Linear mode / dynamic eq + More Filter Slope options for EQ8.
chord Identification in piano roll
custom keyboard shortcuts
Undo after save!
Add more curves for automations

Not from top voted page 1:

Chase MIDI notes (being able to play from middle of MIDI note)
Native modulation (LFO, envelope generator, etc.)
Being able to adjust knobs of automated parameters
Type automation values with keyboard
Clip background colour in arrangement view
More MIDI editing tools (split, click+drag draw, strum, etc)
Double-click to create MIDI clips in arrangement view
Plugin sandbox (crash protection)
Show/hide tracks
Inline piano roll in arrangement view

And have pitch bend reset to 0! Shit's driving me mad: SUG-0986: make it so Pitch Bend in MIDI clip modulation does not get stuck on old values

[District_Onagi]

Dedicated piano roll for EACH sample in a Drum Rack

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVc9D0E ... be&t=1m50s

Make it easier than automating hi hats and snare rolls, With Ableton's timestretching, it would breathe new life into chord and instrument one shots if you could pitch up and down individual samples within the drum rack, and not have to move samples that you do want to pitch up and down into a separate midi track.

This isn't exactally the answer you're looking for but you can duplicate Drum Rack and convert each duplicate (sample) into a simpler piano roll instance, and then group the tracks.

Another alternative is to speak 16 samples across all 9 octaves.

Another alternative is to duplicate multiple instances into MIDI rack and remap each pitch to octaves

Another more complex solution is assigning samples to a macro and do pitch swapping, as such you would for example sequence a line and trigger a different sample every 16th note of your choosing.

Another solution is to use pitch bend events on seperate DUPLICATE instances

Thanks for the possible remedies, the first one seems most practical... but here's the thing, I want to be able to choke my samples, as within the drum rack. I assume that you can't do this doing the first method?

I could also duplicate the sample within the drum rack and raise or lower the pitch macro, couldn't I?( I'm away from my computer). Still, that isn't the same as having access to the piano roll which has a set amount to raise of lower the pitch given each key... It could be all so much more simpler, no pun intended.

[H20nly]

@ miekwave, can you describe in a little more detail how this Ableton Server idea works?