Ableton Live 10 Suite

Ableton Live 10 Suite Features: Comprehensive DAW designed from the ground up for the creative studio or performing musician Includes 5000+ sounds (70GB+), unlimited tracks and scenes, 13 software instruments, 42 effects, and 32 content Packs — Mac/PC VST, AU 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/192 kHz 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 provides 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 favorite 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 organization and simpler automation Time signature changes allows you greater flexibility when scoring to video Multiple automation lanes makes 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 minimizes phase issues and tightens up your mix Instantly map MIDI control to nearly any parameter for a fully customized 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 ReWire support provides easy integration with Propellerhead's Reason and other software Multicore/multiprocessor support WAV, AIFF, MP3, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC file support

Ableton Suite 11 would be great, if it would run as stable as previous versions.

I use and own Ableton Suite since version 8. I love the workflow of Ableton. The consistent design, M4L and the rest of the whole package which comes with it is amazing! It's a great DAW for all kind of music - especially electronic music. With Ableton, you have everything you need on your fingertips to complete a professional track from start to finish.

My problem is that version 11 has some stability/performance issues on my Windows 10 PC, even though it's a P52 ThinkPad with a 6 core i7, 32 GB RAM and fast NVMe SSDs. I did all kind of system optimizations suggested by multiple websites and barely got closer to the stability levels of previous versions. I went back to use version 9, because the anxiety and constantly having to think about further system optimizations is slowing down my creative flow in 11. Spending hours trying to fix these issues is time I would rather spend making tracks.

I hope that Ableton get their act together and addresses these issues, soon.

Best DAW for matrix modular minded people who want flexible realtime control

So if you think all DAWs are too linear, and feel like a slave to the timeline, preferring pattern based external hardware drum machines, samplers and modular synths, then Ableton Live is likely going to be your favorite DAW like it is mine.

If you run sound, lighting and video from custom control surfaces, Ableton Live probably has the most flexible custom routing possibilities for control surfaces of every kind, and they do not try to pull vendor lock-in moves on you like Avid/Digidesign is known for.

I've used many DAWs from Performer, Vision, Cakewalk, Acid, Sonar, Pro Tools, Reason, Cubase and Logic, but Ableton Live for me is the best of the bunch overall. I think Pro Tools has better audio headroom, Sonar had a more robust MIDI implementation, Reason has better default virtual instruments, but for realtime control and production workflow perspective nothing beats Live for me.

I work primarily with my Eurorack modular synth these days, so I send MIDI clock from Live to my Malekko Sync to run my Transistor Sounds Labs - Stepper Acid Eurorack modular hardware sequencer module, from an instrument track that sends MIDI while receiving audio with my Akai MPK-49 acting as input device and control surface for effects plugins, and my workflow keeps my head and hands outside of the computer on my synths where I can get more done creatively. There is a slight time penalty to working this way as it introduces more steps, but ultimately I am much more creative and productive, ot to mention happier working hands on, with 1:1 controls:parameters on my modular synthesizer, so my creative output has increased with an overall more arcane process. I love it.

Worthwhile improvements over 10

Ableton Live has been my go to music DAW since version 7; I think it's a brilliantly capable DAW that makes the art of creation so much more engaging than something like Cubase, Reaper, Pro Tools etc. I'm sure you'll disagree but I love it. (I don't even write electronic music with it...) The latest version adds a number of useful new features to bring some workflow elements that have been missing for a couple of versions and under the hood improvements. Even at version 11.0 it seems more stable running sessions than 10 did towards the end of it's run.

The most functional DAW I've ever used.

Though this DAW is as ugly as they come, it more than makes up for it when it comes to functionality and the speed at which most things can be done. Many an intricate task which would take two minutes of messing around in another DAW takes about ten seconds in Ableton. However it's a layout that caters to a specific type of person (which is not an attack on people who don't gel with Ableton.)

It is most definitely a tad more complicated to get things to sound good. Ableton can be unforgiving at times. As such, a lot of people have a much easier time getting familiar with the basics of producing in different DAWs that make it 'easy' to sound good without knowing all the technical details. It's actually quite common for beginners to get stuck in Ableton, only to loop around a year or three later when they have gotten more of a grip on the technicalities. When you know what you want Ableton is fast. Particularly when it comes to sampling and sample editing.

The program is divided into two parts. One shows a mixer layout with space to store interesting samples (which can be triggered and looped). The other gives you a view of the timeline (divided into 4-count bars, for example).

When it comes to features, Ableton's stock plugins are surprisingly good! Ranging from simple 3 band EQ's to Convolution Reverb. The stock plugins are included in the software purchase and tend to made to sound very transparent (to do what they are meant to, without colouring the sound more than necessary.) Regardless of whether you like this transparency, this among other things allows for these stock plugins to take up very little processing power, which is one of my favourite things about them.

The most adequate DAW for me

The learning curve never ends, but that is perfectly ok. I mostly do guitar music with it.

Fantasic for both the novice and the natural.

I've been using Ableton for about 6 or 7 years, and between the live and studio features, as well as the hefty amount of onboard plugins and instruments, I can't find an issue anywhere. Between the streamlined arrangement view, and the essential session view holding the mixer and clip launch functions, it doesn't take too long to get to know. A lot of people are turned off as soon as they see the layout for the first time, and I've met many people who cam vouch for this, but if you take your time, watch some tutorials and get the basics laid down, it can become a breeze very quickly. I'll quickly summarise some of the things about this DAW that makes it the 5 star choice in my opinion. - The intuitive browser and library sections make it incredibly easy to find exactly what you're looking for, which in my case is very important due to my masses of samples and VST plugins. - There is a vast network of tutorials, blogs, forums and websites entirely dedicated to Ableton, so you will always be able to find what you're looking to learn, or to master. - Ableton has an incredible stock range. From fantastic onboard synths, to sample-based drum racks, and their amazing audio and midi effects, you have everything you need to put a track or mix together from the initial installation. - I don't know where I'd be without Instrument racks. Creating the perfect bass, or lead, or anything for that matter, and saving all the effects parameters of both stock and VST plugins into one file makes instant recall ridiculously easy. All you have to do is highlight everything in the channel, and hit command and G (or CNTRL and G for windows users) and then hit the floppy disk logo in the bottom left corner to save that perfect synth you've spent hours on. - Using Ableton as a Live application is also incredibly creative, and fun, with many companies making dedicated controllers for Ableton such as Novation with their brilliant Launch range, and Akai with the APC range, allowing you to pretty much access every feature of Ableton you require without touching the computer. And last, but certainly not least, there are thousands if not millions of developers and designers out there working tireless every day to bring you the best in both free and premium Ableton content, whether it be a new instrument or effect with Max for Live, or simply a project that you can study to learn the basics of Ableton, or the defining characteristics of a certain genre, there will always be new content you can add to make your Ableton experience just that little bit more tailored to you, because if anything has to be said about music and it's creators, it's all about self-expression.

I really hope this helped anyone who was interested in the product, I am not paid by Ableton to say any of this, it is all entirely my own knowledge and opinion. Please feel free to contact me with any other questions you may have! https://soundcloud.com/patrickwatsonni https://www.facebook.com/PatrickWatsonMusicNI http://www.reverbnation.com/patrickwatsonmusic

I love this DAW

I was using every DAW on market and I think it's my most favorite. It has everything I need to start production.

Its price is kinda scary at first..

Like most things in regards to quality, They come at a price and Ableton 10 Standard/Suite is no exception. However, I am not feeling any buyers remorse in the least by working my way up to standard. For over a year now I've been using Ableton because after the FL Studio 12 update, I realized that I had a great run with it since day one but I had reached my limitations with the interface changing constantly, Initially I got 9 Live Lite when I purchased the Arturia minilab and realized that I spent years denying myself the simple things in production like a greater workflow dynamic. Even though its a software workstation, I cannot help but describe its dynamic workflow as tactile and with the ability to render audio to .wav as well as the linear/performance style interface, I don't think I will grow bored of this for some number of years, In fact I've still so much to learn.

Excellent DAW with a big learning curve

Ableton is a great DAW and my main choice for music production/composition. You can already make pretty amazing music out of the box due to it's very well made stock plugins and effects. It does have a somewhat steep learning curve - it took me a while to even figure out how to get into arrangement view, but once you learn it well it can be very powerful.

And while I still don't think it's MIDI editor is quite as easy to use as FL Studio's, recent improvements to the midi editor have made it very very powerful to use.

The one drawback I can see is that this DAW is pretty pricey - even more so than FL Studio's, with the suite version being 749$ without student discount - but I definitely think that it is worth it.