Ableton Live 12 Standard: DAW & Instrument Software

Ableton Live 12 Standard is a fast, fluid, and flexible software environment designed to bridge the gap between studio recording and live performance. Renowned for its unique dual workflow - featuring the non-linear Session View for improvisation and the traditional Arrangement View for timeline composition - Live 12 remains the industry standard for creative freedom. This latest edition empowers musicians to move seamlessly from initial spark to finished master, offering unlimited audio and MIDI tracks, 32-bit/192kHz multitrack recording, and a core library of over 38GB of sounds, loops, and instruments. Whether you are looking to capture hardware synths, design complex soundscapes, or perform on stage with real-time audio warping, Live 12 adapts to your process, not the other way around.

Intuitive Innovation & Sonic Discovery
Intelligent MIDI Generation Live 12 revolutionises the composition process with a new suite of MIDI Tools that allow you to generate and transform ideas instantly. Using the new Generators, you can conjure up melodies, chords, and rhythms based on constraints you define, sparking immediate inspiration. The new Transformations feature allows you to apply complex variations to your clips, such as adding ornaments, simulating guitar strums, or drawing acceleration and deceleration curves for more humanised dynamics. These tools operate destructively within the clip, allowing for rapid, committed editing that keeps the creative momentum moving forward.

Neural Network Sound Discovery 

Finding the right sound has moved from manual searching to intelligent discovery. Live 12 integrates neural network analysis to offer "Sound Similarity," a feature that scans the timbral characteristics of a sample and instantly suggests comparable sounds or presets. This technology enables "Drum Rack Swapping," where you can exchange every sample in a drum kit for an acoustically similar alternative in one click, facilitating instant textural experimentation. Coupled with a revamped, tag-based browser system, you can now filter content by musical descriptors rather than rigid folder structures, making library navigation faster and more intuitive.

Unobstructed Workflow & Tuning Freedom
The interface of Live 12 has been restructured to remove friction. You can now view the Mixer directly within the Arrangement View and stack the Clip and Device Views to see automation and instrument parameters simultaneously, eliminating the need to constantly switch windows. Musically, Live 12 breaks new ground by becoming fully "scale-aware"; a selected scale in the control bar can sync across MIDI clips and devices, guiding your harmonic choices. Furthermore, the software now supports global non-Western tunings and microtonal scales, accessible directly from the browser, allowing for exploration beyond the traditional 12-tone equal temperament.

Powerful Sound Design
Live 12 Standard introduces powerful new devices for deep sound manipulation. Roar is a dynamic saturation and colouring effect that offers everything from subtle warmth to multiband distortion, complete with a modulation matrix. You also get access to the new MPE-capable synthesiser Drift, a character-filled subtractive synth designed to quickly generate everything from shaky leads to massive pads.

Main features: 

• Comprehensive DAW designed from the ground up for the creative studio or performing musician
• Includes 70+GB of content, unlimited tracks and scenes, 20 software instruments, 72 effects, and 33 content Packs
• Session View provides a nonlinear approach to music creation via groove/loop/riff arrangement
• Arrangement View provides quick and intuitive composition, plus flexible performance and improvisation options
• Multitrack recording up to 32-bit/192kHz
• Nondestructive editing with unlimited undo lets you freely create
• Powerful MIDI sequencing lets you take control of software and hardware instruments
• Convert audio to MIDI to use with virtual instruments and more
• Advanced warping and real-time time stretching provide extensive flexibility with audio files
• Get creative with unlimited Audio effects and MIDI effects per project
• Includes a comprehensive selection of built-in audio effects, including a host of creative delays, filters, distortions, studio compressors, and EQs
• Integrated Cycling '74's Max for Live lets you make your own instruments and effects
• Full set of included Max for Live devices makes creating your own tools fun and easy
• VST and Audio Unit support lets you use all of your favourite plug-ins and virtual instruments
• Mix, match, and add effects without ever stopping the music
• Powerful creative and performing environment for DJs and mash-up artists
• Group tracks for better organisation and simpler automation
• Time signature changes allow you greater flexibility when scoring to video
• Multiple automation lanes make setting up intensely dynamic mixes easy
• Track Freeze lets you free up your computer's resources without stripping down your mix
• Automatic plug-in delay compensation minimises phase issues and tightens up your mix
• Instantly map MIDI control to nearly any parameter for a fully customised control environment
• MIDI output and MIDI Clock/sync let you create deeply complex rigs combining hardware and software seamlessly
• REX file support and native sliced audio file creation
• Video import and export for scoring to picture or warping picture to music
• Includes built-in step-by-step tutorials
• Multicore/multiprocessor support
• WAV, AIFF, MP3, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC file support

Tech Specs:

• Software Type: DAW
• Platform: Mac, PC
• Upgrade/Full: Full
• Download/Boxed: Download
• Bit Depth: 64-bit
• Plug-in Formats: AU, VST
• Hardware Requirements - Mac & PC: 5th Generation or later Intel Core i5 / Apple Silicon CPU or higher / AMD Quad-core or higher / 8GB RAM or more recommended
• OS Requirements - Mac: macOS 11 or later / PC: Windows 10 or later
• Discover more from Ableton Studio Software [Live 12 Standard]: https://www.ableton.com/en/live/