As an annual ritual, I’m going to tell you about the Ableton Live 11 software update.
This new version has been announced through the Ableton website but also through the media in the world of CAM.
Unfortunately, at the time of writing, the software is not yet available. Its commercialization is planned for the first quarter of 2021. Don’t worry, you can always pre-order it on the manufacturer’s website.
Why announce the update now?
Simply because it’s the Christmas and New Year period and what could be nicer than to offer to a member of your family, our boyfriend or girlfriend the version 11 of this essential software that has become Ableton Live!
In addition to the pre-sale effect, this has a significant impact on the Ableton live user community. We are moving from the widely acclaimed 10 version to a version 11 full of promises and from this point of view Ableton spoils us.
What’s new in version 11?
Let’s get to the heart of the matter with a new recording mode known in other software as composite recording.
Recording and assembly of takes:
Now with Ableton live 11 when recording both audio and midi, you’ll be able to select the best moments from each of the different takes and then put them together to make the perfect recording.
A significant advantage of this new recording mode is that it also brings the possibility to work on the sound design, in a new way that I had already explored in this title by gathering samples, of different types of instruments for the assemblies in order to create sudden changes of instrumentation. We’ve already experienced this kind of exploration with Electro music.
And believe me, there are many other ways to experience sound design with this kind of functionality…
Editing of linked tracks:
The objective is to link tracks together to make the edition. This allows to keep the alignment of the different tracks.
This is very useful, for example, when recording the drums, one experiences the experience of recording the bass drum with one microphone at the back and one at the front.
With the editing of linked tracks, you will be able to simultaneously edit the content of each of the two bass drum tracks.
This editing principle is very interesting because it allows to keep the alignment of the rear mic track in relation to the front mic track and allows to respect the phases when recording with the microphones. If you are recording percussion, drums, a guitar amp with several microphones it will save you a lot of time.
It also works with midi tracks! In this context, it will be interesting if you are doing Layering and you want to edit two or more tracks simultaneously.
Ableton Live 11 compatible with MPE controllers!
In a previous article based on the Midi, I mentioned the arrival of MPE controllers and of course their compatibility with the software on the market. The Ableton Live 11 update solves this lack of compatibility. Now you will be able to use in Ableton Live 11 controllers such as Roli and certainly the much awaited Osmose from Expressive E.
This contribution of expressivity will give new sound perspectives to your compositions where each note can benefit from a control of several parameters in real time for a much more advanced instrumental interpretation. Both in real time and in editing.
Of course new, more expressive sounds are included in this update. Synths like Wavetable, Sampler and Arpeggiator have been updated to support the MPE protocol. Ableton Live 11 will come with MPE presets for each device. This update for MPE controllers allows the push 2 control surface to benefit from expression possibilities allowing the use of polyphonic aftertouch for example.
And the Stage?
This version 11 also brings a lot of new features for musicians on stage, and that’s saying a lot!
Follow the tempo:
Until now, when you wanted to work with Ableton Live on stage, it was necessary to send a click that everyone had to follow. Now LIVE listens to and adjusts the tempo of a predefined audio input in real time! Incredible isn’t it, I can’t wait to try this feature, can you?
What about macros?
This new version now allows you to record the state of macros at any given moment in your game and recall them later, which is perfect for creating instant changes to your sounds in the middle of a performance.
In order to benefit from the captures of macros, an improvement of the racks has been carried out in order to benefit from 1 to 16 macros as well as a randomization button. All of this of course assignable to a MIDI controller!
Are you unpredictable?
When you play with a sequencer, whether in the studio or on stage, it is very rare to be unpredictable both in the playing and in the sounds, especially if for example you play an instrument like the guitar and you have to follow the click of your Stan…
Ableton Live 11 can be unpredictable depending on the luck factor!
With the Note Chance parameter it is possible to determine the probability that a note will occur and then let Ableton live 11 generate variations that will evolve and change over time.
Now it is possible to use the Velocity Chance parameter to define ranges of velocity probability to create variations and humanize midi drum or synth clips.
Actions !
Do you use Follow Actions in Live? Personally I love the Follow Actions and knowing that now in Ableton Live 11 the actions can now be linked to the length of the clip to create interesting sequences faster and that’s awesome! This will allow you to create songs that are much more scalable in terms of arrangement and also to be able to switch from one specific clip to another knowing that Ableton Live 11 allows them to be activated or deactivated globally.
Scale of play
Let’s go back to something necessary or even useful: in the Midi clip editor you can now block the clip on a precise musical scale so that you don’t get the wrong note. And this function of Ableton live 11 goes even further but I’ll talk about it again with the new features of Push…
New peripherals!
Hybrid Reverb is a convolution and algorithmic model hybridisation, designed to create realistic sound spaces as well as spaces that defy the laws of physics. I can’t wait to try it in sound design…
Imagine breaking down the spectrum of an incoming audio signal into its parts, then stretching, shifting and scrambling it. Then play it as an instrument with MIDI. That’s what Spectral Resonator offers, heavy stuff apparently !!!
And its brother Spectral Time, which transforms sound into partials and passes them through in a frequency-like delay, for results comparable to metallic echoes, frequency shift and reverb effects. The Freeze function captures and holds incoming audio indefinitely. This one tickles my curiosity…
Inspired by Nature is a collection of 6 playful instruments and effects inspired by physical and natural phenomena. Created in collaboration with Dillon Bastan.
Created in collaboration with Robert Henke and based on one of the first digital effects processors, PitchLoop89 creates glitch effects, digital delays with typified tones and unusual vibratos that will give character to sounds both on stage and in the studio.
New sounds!
I will let you discover this when Ableton live 11 is released, but be aware that 3 banks entitled Upright Piano, Brass Quartet and String Quartet have been made in collaboration with Spitfire audio.
What about Push ?
With Ableton Live 11, the management of musical scales is done in connection with the midi and push editor. Now this can be modified from one clip to another.
The display of the new peripherals has been brought to push so that you can view them directly on the controller screen.
When using Wavetable, Sampler, Arpeggiator and VSTs that support MPE performance, it is possible in Push to set polyphonic aftertouch support.
In Push you access macros 9 to 16 on a second page after the rack page with macros 1 to 8 the second page appears automatically as soon as you assign more than 8 macros.
The last word about this update of Ableton live 11.
I would have liked Ableton live 11 to be directly available for download following the announcement of its update, because currently with the lockdown we have time to experiment, create and develop our musical style. Only one question comes to my mind: in the current context, do we have the financial means to do this upgrade?
Certainly Ableton has a limited time offer and maybe it is necessary to put this offer in the Santa Claus list next to the one for me to make your next mixes and masters 😉