Ableton has finally announced the newest version of Live, disclosed today to be hitting the “shelves” in early 2021. I wanted to take a moment to recognize some of the bigger updates like a new comping feature and big changes to enhancing your live show.
Comping is something that other DAWs have given producers for years now, however Ableton has taken some time to implement it into their platform. With Live 11, comping is one of the features that producers are most excited to see as it allows you to continuously record as each take is placed into a new “lane.” Ableton has decided to call each new take that you record a “lane” and allows you to rename them, use only the best parts for them, and integrate them with MIDI. This is something that I see being the biggest step up between Live 10 and 11.
Additionally, you can use your favorite MPE (MIDI polyphonic expression) controller to add more “feeling” to your tracks. Essentially this feature will allow you to add bends, slides, and pressure per note through your MPE. You can also adjust how reactive Live is to your MPE data points.
Another feature that I believe to be a big selling point on this new version is the tempo following for live sets. With Live 11, you’re now able to set the tempo dynamically by choosing which instrument input you want the tempo to match and Live will automatically update the tempo in real time! This is an amazing feature because it allows you to really jam out in live sets without having to worry about if your filters are going to stay at the same tempo as your drummer’s kick drum.
Lastly, Ableton also threw in a slew of new devices and instruments that help you manipulate your signal and create new sounds. If you want to read more about the new features and updates, check out the full list of items with some examples videos here.
