Ableton Forum

Angstrom wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 26, 2024 11:28 pm

Where is the search for the online manual? Am I missing something here?

You're not missing something. There is simply no search functionality.

Who makes a manual without a search

Ableton.

Ableton used to have one of the best manuals in the business, and now it really doesn't have one!

Not really no. The online version is not even up to date for Live 12.

Please can we have our manual back.
I'm finding it hard to tell people to RTFM when there's no FM.

Angstrom wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 26, 2024 11:28 pm

The maddening thing about the online - only manual for Live 12 is that it has no search function!

In the PDF I would always search to find a specific item. I'd open the info tab in Live, hover over the element to find its weird name , such as the "waveform overview" or whatever. Then I'd search the PDF for that phrase. Where is the search for the online manual? Am I missing something here? Who makes a manual without a search, or even an alphabetic appendix of topics? It's weird. Ableton used to have one of the best manuals in the business, and now it really doesn't have one!

Tried to lookup something the other day and ran into the no search option issue as well. Super frustrating as a user not being able to search to find something.

To find something, you first need to know what section of the "manual" it would be listed in, again search would be really handy here?
Then you need to expand the section (if it actually contains the information you need), then do a browser based search - and of course it's limited to the section of the "manual" you are on.. zero ability to search the entire "manual" now.

Give me a PDF please, update the key commands that have changed please.. Seems like such a simple request and here we are months later without an accurate, searchable, offline available manual on a pretty vastly changed Live release.. c'mon.. this is messed up.

I think Ableton gave up on the PDF Manual, the latest 12.1 Beta 1 has no Docs Folder, 12.0.10 still had this folder i believe.

seriously fk u Ableton.

There is not a single paid (expensive) DAW out there, who doesnt have an offline Manual in some sort. Congrats you are the only one!

On top of that outdated online manual and no search function.

How hard can it be to create a PDF version - Ableton.

lincolnkid wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 27, 2024 6:52 am

Please can we have our manual back.
I'm finding it hard to tell people to RTFM when there's no FM.

This.

And, the main person I’m trying to say that to is myself. I’ve needed help recently and online searches mostly just lead to old forum posts or shit reddit threads with results arranged by hits and/or date that amount to a painful amount of reading useless/unrelated info… this is especially aggravated when you aren’t sure of the keyword to use and/or if that keyword is too generic or broad

If Ableton needs to start a GoFundMe to hire a person to make a manual, I’d be happy to chip in; as long as it’s for an *OFFLINE* pdf I can download

One thing to their credit, there are a ton of new features and key commands in the latest beta, they're obviously not finished with Live 12.

Not to their credit, they're an independent super successful company with more than 2 million unique users by their CEO's own words over ten years ago. If they don't have the funding to hire someone to update the online manual constantly for minor changes, and the IT knowledge to to set this online manual up to be downloaded as a PDF, then there's something really wrong at Ableton HQ. I mean in general for such a small in the greater scheme of things company they move glacially, and not always IMO because they want to do things right. Compare this all to Cockos with Reaper and it's shocking. It really feels like Ableton has adopted corporate IT culture of overworking a small team instead of hiring more people.

Machinesworking wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 03, 2024 7:46 pm

One thing to their credit, there are a ton of new features and key commands in the latest beta, they're obviously not finished with Live 12.

Live was released four months ago and went into public beta eight months ago (things were pretty set in stone by then). During this time, the manual could have been fully updated.

Not to their credit, they're an independent super successful company with more than 2 million unique users by their CEO's own words over ten years ago. If they don't have the funding to hire someone to update the online manual constantly for minor changes, and the IT knowledge to to set this online manual up to be downloaded as a PDF, then there's something really wrong at Ableton HQ.
I mean in general for such a small in the greater scheme of things company they move glacially, and not always IMO because they want to do things right. Compare this all to Cockos with Reaper and it's shocking. It really feels like Ableton has adopted corporate IT culture of overworking a small team instead of hiring more people.

The company's C-level has millions, so there is no lack of funding. But after the reorganization (read layoffs) last summer, they reorganized again last month. So yeah, you're not far off with that last sentence.

Edit: deleted pointless forum filler that fixes nothing

End Rant.

Sorry, but not sorry.

H20nly wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 04, 2024 8:26 pm

End Rant.

Sorry, but not sorry.

I have the same problem. I don't know if it is connected to the way the new Apple CPUs work but I can't even use one selector drum rack without Ableton breaking apart on my m1 Macbook with a Rme UFX. Crackling Audio, delayed response for playback. Just 1 track with a bigger drumrack. A friend had to start using his old laptop again because Ableton became unreliable while doing a show for live TV.

Dubprince wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 04, 2024 9:07 pm

H20nly wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 04, 2024 8:26 pm

End Rant.

Sorry, but not sorry.

I have the same problem. I don't know if it is connected to the way the new Apple CPUs work but I can't even use one selector drum rack without Ableton breaking apart on my m1 Macbook with a Rme UFX. Crackling Audio, delayed response for playback. Just 1 track with a bigger drumrack. A friend had to start using his old laptop again because Ableton became unreliable while doing a show for live TV.

This is a bit over the top. Something is wrong on your system for sure. I noticed dammed near similar performance to the old 12 core Mac Pro with the M1 Air here. One thing, are you on the latest version of Sonoma? earlier versions have some issues with plugins etc.

Machinesworking wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 05, 2024 3:44 pm

This is a bit over the top. Something is wrong on your system for sure. I noticed dammed near similar performance to the old 12 core Mac Pro with the M1 Air here. One thing, are you on the latest version of Sonoma? earlier versions have some issues with plugins etc.

I am on Ventura. I tried two different M1 Macbooks. Both have the same problem.
When you talk about problems with plugins do you mean the ableton stock plugins as well? Because I was only using
a drum rack in that case.
I was also a little bit unclear in my comparison. When I use a buffer size of 256 I can safely play a 4 bar pattern on the selector drum rack without crackling. anything below has the risk of crackling. It is just 1 drum rack/track though. The whole project is empty. Just this one drum rack. The crackling only comes at the moment I start the playback or whenever the loop restarts and I can always see the cpu jump in the red at that point.
Tried it on a windows laptop and I can play it at 64 buffer size without any problems.

+1 for PDF (sorry for crossposting, found theme later)

This caught me out yesterday when I went to work on some music with my laptop at a park and needed to look up one of the new key commands. Definitely would love to see the PDF manual return!

+1