10 New Ableton Live Skins

mattsonic · Post by **mattsonic** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 6:28 am

For the past two weeks I’ve been programming the world’s only Ableton Live Skin Editor. It works on Mac Classic, OS X, Windows 98, 2000, and XP…even Linux! Now you can finally completely customize the appearance of Ableton Live…

Or at least, you almost could have. Shortly before finishing it, I came across this post on the Ableton Live forums. It explains that a skin editor violates the Ableton Live End User License Agreement (EULA). In other words, if I release this handy software to world I could go to jail

. Since I greatly admire Live and its programmers, and I don’t like jail, this software cannot be released unless Ableton says it is OK. (BTW, if anyone at Ableton is reading this, feel free to drop me a line at [email protected])

The next best thing I can do is try to supply you with as many different skins as possible. Click here to visit the SonicTransfer Ableton Skin Library. So far, there are 10 brand new skins for you to try out. If you have any skin ideas, click here to visit the SonicTransfer Forums.

Lastly, even though you can’t currently download the editor, you can still check it out. Click here to watch a video that shows off some of the basic features of the software.

zappen · Post by **zappen** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 6:55 am

can you change the design or it just change colors? because in the examples are all changed colors

alvaro · Post by **alvaro** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 8:32 am

Hi matt,

Seems very very cool. Thank you for those skins. Its a pity that abletons does not allow it.

Cheers

djsynchro · Post by **djsynchro** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 8:48 am

You rock.

My problem with the Ableton skin is that to my taste their not boring enough! Let me explain. Look at graphic design programs, Quark Xpress Freehand, InDesign Photoshop. They're all really boring looking because people work on them, they're not video games. The Live 6 skin is almost what I want but it's yucky greenish would prefer more neutral (or very slightly blue) grey. And the track highlight is screaming acid green not-so-nice.

I want a skin that looks like this forum: White & light grey with highlight colours for things like LEDs switches. Sucks that I can't use your proggy! Now I will have to hack it with a Hex editor....

Cool website!

Meef Chaloin · Post by **Meef Chaloin** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 9:02 am

thanks for these, some really nice ones there

Silicon/Silicium · Post by **Silicon/Silicium** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 9:17 am

hey, abes, make a step in this direction!!! even if it needs a disclaimer on this software saying ableton's have nothing to do with this software, don't support it, etc

sqook · Post by **sqook** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 9:21 am

Silicon/Silicium wrote:hey, abes, make a step in this direction!!! even if it needs a disclaimer on this software saying ableton's have nothing to do with this software, don't support it, etc

They have in the past made such a disclaimer. This is why applications of this sort are not supposed to be publically available.

If you read the thread linked by the OP, you'll see that it's basically because the skin format is a bit messy, and may change drastically without notice between versions. Basically, it's a matter of liability...

difference · Post by **difference** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 10:33 am

Cheers for the skins.

Shame you can't make the program available

.

Hyperion · Post by **Hyperion** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 11:01 am

Thanks for the skins. I am glad not to have to worry about designing them myself. Yours are great...

Martyn · Post by **Martyn** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 11:43 am

Some of these are really good, even in L6b18. The "Subtle" one is particularly easy on the eye, all cursers clear and visible over waveforms too, well done.

The Abes would do well to consider letting you put this out, as long as users are well aware that the risk (what risk

) is purely down to the individual, I really don't see why its a problem.
I'd love to have a go with the program, there's not a single Live skin that I really like. Battleship is the one I use mostly but there's a black curser over a black waveform, it now flashes, but it's piss poor really!! Portofino is nice too, but it's a dark theme with black text, which makes it about as useful as a chocolate teapot.

Thanx a lot for these, some of them are keepers for sure.

Cheers

friend_kami · Post by **friend_kami** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 12:02 pm

Martyn wrote:Some of these are really good, even in L6b18. The "Subtle" one is particularly easy on the eye, all cursers clear and visible over waveforms too, well done.

The Abes would do well to consider letting you put this out, as long as users are well aware that the risk (what risk ) is purely down to the individual, I really don't see why its a problem.
I'd love to have a go with the program, there's not a single Live skin that I really like. Battleship is the one I use mostly but there's a black curser over a black waveform, it now flashes, but it's piss poor really!! Portofino is nice too, but it's a dark theme with black text, which makes it about as useful as a chocolate teapot.

Thanx a lot for these, some of them are keepers for sure.

Cheers

+1

headquest · Post by **headquest** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 3:14 pm

Excellent stuff!! Wonderful!! Thanks for sharing these with us

Poster · Post by **Poster** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 3:33 pm

hi mattsonic,
is it possible to have different colors for the track background and the mixer area in Arrange?
They are always the same color, which is so not useful..

jackmazzotti · Post by **jackmazzotti** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 4:16 pm

hi
all of the skins download as .txt files instead of .ask files

M. Bréqs · Post by **M. Bréqs** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 4:21 pm

jackmazzotti wrote:hi
all of the skins download as .txt files instead of .ask files

Try changing the extension...