Is There Anything for Me in Ableton 12??

[DunedinDragon]

I spent a good deal of time yesterday and today watching videos about the new features of Ableton 12 and I'm struggling with whether there's anything for me to gain in this release. I do a lot of MIDI recording but it's a more traditional studio approach in which I record tracks direct through commercial plugin instrument libraries on a 99 key keyboard or sometimes guitar plugged in direct. I use some synths, but again these are typically multi-layered synths played from a keyboard. Most of my post processing tends to deal with adjusting mod wheels or other modification inputs or keyswitches to adjust timbre or styles/dynamics/vibratos/etc. I think I've seen most of the key features of Ableton 12, but there seems to be very little there that would benefit me because of what and how I run my sessions. Am I missing something???

[Gral]

What kind of answer do you expect?

Would you like someone to list the new features of L12 point by point and comment on how useful they find them?

Since you've already watched a bunch of videos about the new release, you know what to expect and can decide whether the new features are worth your money.

Even if nothing at all tempts you to buy L12, bear in mind that L11 will not be updated indefinitely. The day will come when you will buy L12 for this reason alone. I say you might as well buy it now and have fun with it from the start and not just before the next major release.

That's just my opinion.

[chapelier fou]

Curious to know which 99 key keyboard you use.

[Tarekith]

Maybe it’s made by N-Audio?

[102455]

I think he was aiming for the 8 and missed.

[Tarekith]

You think?

[[jur]]

Maybe it’s made by N-Audio?

you killed it, so smart!

[102455]

You think?

Therefore I am.

[slow.robot]

if you know about the new features and still aren’t sure, then you most likely don’t need it. I’d say save some $ and hold off for something more useful to you—or wait until they add some features you’d get some use out of.

[DunedinDragon]

Curious to know which 99 key keyboard you use.

Native Instruments S88MK3....

[yur2die4]

From what I am seeing, Live’s midi implementation has leveled up quite a bit in 12. I’m a little overwhelmed by all these little changes. It’s pretty badass. But this is just from my perspective. I think having Suite helps. But even without it, so many quality of life features. Can finally see the Note editor And devices simultaneously. There is a midi control device that is a little flexible in its options, which might be perfect for routing to a plugin. I’m still kinda working my way through all this new stuff heheh

[Street Spirit]

Curious to know which 99 key keyboard you use.

They got 99 problems but a keyboard aint one

[Pitch Black]

There are a lot of little GUI and workflow improvements that aren’t “headline” features.

In the MIDI realm, the new handling of the envelops tab in Clip View is much more comfortable to me, and actually quite a big quality of life improvement.

The options for MIDI editing in Clip View are quite extensively overhauled - note splitting… (de-)crescendo etc - before you even get into the really new Modifiers and Generators.

Do you have anything to lose by checking out L12 in demo mode to see if there’s anything there for you?

[jlgrimes]

I spent a good deal of time yesterday and today watching videos about the new features of Ableton 12 and I'm struggling with whether there's anything for me to gain in this release. I do a lot of MIDI recording but it's a more traditional studio approach in which I record tracks direct through commercial plugin instrument libraries on a 99 key keyboard or sometimes guitar plugged in direct. I use some synths, but again these are typically multi-layered synths played from a keyboard. Most of my post processing tends to deal with adjusting mod wheels or other modification inputs or keyswitches to adjust timbre or styles/dynamics/vibratos/etc. I think I've seen most of the key features of Ableton 12, but there seems to be very little there that would benefit me because of what and how I run my sessions. Am I missing something???

Most of 12's improvements are with midi editing, in which they improved alot, so doing things such as chopping notes and/or easily generating midi patterns and altering them. Live 12's piano roll is much more fully featured and open ended for user piano roll scripts than 11 but if you don't do alot of midi editing, it might not be for you but I don't consider myself a heavy midi editor but some things such as Quantize seems a bit easier to use on 12 and uses a nondestructive approach (unless you are using Record Quantization (I wish they would have made this non destructive as well though). They have also refined their use of scales and made them compatible with built in plugins such as Meld which can adust many of its synth parameters based off of scales. This can make it really easy to create musical evolving textures.

There aren't too many updates regarding instrument Racks, but there are a ton of QOL improvements such as seeing the mixer in the arrangement view and tagging of VSTs and presets and samples.

There are also a new instrument (Meld) and new audio effect, Roar, and a Performance Pack which I haven't used but hear it is good for using Live, Live for what i guess is triggering loops.

About the only thing I really see 12 lacking in now is lack of ARA or an included pitch correct tool (for audio).


I'd say for midi, this is probably one of Ableton's best updates but if you don't really edit much, there might not be a whole lot.