Ableton ships Live 6, Sampler

Ableton today released Live 6, an update to its music creation, production and performance platform as well as released Sampler, its advanced sound-design instrument. Version 6 adds QuickTime video support, a professional multisample library, and customizable racks of instruments and effects. Live 6 also satisfies frequent user requests by delivering multicore support, enhanced project management tools, and improved MIDI control. Live also brings multicore and multiprocessor support, Deep Freeze editing functionality with frozen tracks, new Project Management Tools, and several new/improved devices such as EQ Eight (replacing EQ Four) with improvements turning it into both a sound-shaping and mastering tool and Dynamic Tube for subtle coloration or drastic sonic manipulation. Live 6 is available for $600/€550 or $500/€470 for an electronic version (without the Essential Instrument Collection). Upgrades from Live 5 are $120/€100 and $180/€150 for others ($100/€80 more for boxed version).

"Live 6 upholds Ableton's tradition of responding to and respecting our vocal user base while maintaining our vision for the program," says Ableton CEO and co-founder Gerhard Behles. "The results are exciting—Live 6 is our most versatile and powerful version to date. We also spent significant development resources on workflow improvements to make sure Live continues to feel good as the functionality grows."

With QuickTime video support, users can drag & drop movies directly into Live's Arrangement View, and monitor the result on a video window or second screen. A new Essential Instrument Collection provides Live 6 users with a comprehensive library of multisampled instruments. The included instruments cover the entire musical spectrum, from orchestral strings and brasses, to classic guitars and electric keyboards, to instruments like the harp and the glockenspiel; in addition, users can load and play the collection in Live's Simpler, or in Sampler—Ableton's new optional multi-sample instrument.

Live's new Instrument and Effect Racks offer a new level of depth to Live without sacrificing accessibility. Use Racks to create, save, and control customized groupings of multiple instruments, effects and plug-ins. Then distribute your creations online. Use the Rack's included knobs to adjust any number of parameters with a single knob or fader. Live 6 comes with many preconfigured racks with both instruments and common processing tools like guitar and bass distortion, drum processing, and mastering.

Ableton Releases Sampler

In addition to shipping Live 6, Ableton has released Sampler, an advanced sound-design and sound-sculpting instrument available as an upgrade within Live. In addition to providing host integration, Sampler offers sound-design possibilities through its unique processing and modulation options. When combined within Ableton's Instrument and Effect Racks in Live 6, multiple Samplers provide depth of control, automation and sonic possibilities, according to the company. "Sampler is a powerful sound design tool that takes advantage of all that Live 6 has to offer," said Ableton CEO and co-founder Gerhard Behles. "More importantly, Sampler's interface is familiar to the Live user, which results in a painless learning curve and maximum fun inside the program."

Each instance of Sampler can host any number of sample zones. The company said that key and velocity ranges as well as crossfades can be defined using a graphical editor, while numerous playback and looping options can also be set up for each zone. Sampler also helps with mapping and also helps find appropriate loop points.

Ableton's Sampler also tightly integrates with Live. The GUI will be instantly familiar to users accustomed to Live’s look and feel, according to the company. "Its short loading times and efficient handling of large-volume libraries provide the sensation of a light-weight yet powerful engine," the company said.

Sampler is available for $200/€170 to Live 6 users.

Filed under: audio