Ableton Live 9.1 Bringing Dual-Monitor Support & More

ableton-live-9Ableton today offered a sneak peak at an upcoming update to Live 9 at an event held with Kompakt Records in Berlin.

CDM’s Peter Kirn reports that Ableton offered a preview of Live 9.1 – a free update that promises dual-monitor support and other frequently requested features.

Here’s what’s in in Ableton Live 9.1:

 

 

  • Dual-monitor support – this has been one of the most frequently requested features by Synthtopia readers, wanting to view Arrangement and Session views on different screens.
  • New integration with Push – this will include step sequencing of melodies (not just drums), and step sequencing of automation
  • Improved rendering when downsampling on export, which, depending on your workflow, may result in better final audio quality.

Ableton has not made an official announcement for Live 9.1, so details on the upgrade are to come, along with timing for the release.

Dual-monitor support has been one of the key features promised by the upcoming  Bitwig Studio. No date has been announced for its release, either, so it remains to be seen which will hit the streets first.

Excited about the promise of dual-screen support in Ableton Live? Let us know what you think about the Live 9.1 announcement!

48 thoughts on “Ableton Live 9.1 Bringing Dual-Monitor Support & More”

  3. agreed. dual monitor support is nice, but pressing Tab isn’t hard. more functionality for Push (which was already great) is something very exciting.

    1. When you’re used to working with dual monitors it slows down your workflow not being able to see everything at once. It’ll make it easier to drag between session and arrange too.

  4. You didn’t hear it from me, but plugin delay compensation was in the 9.1 alpha as well. They may announce it later, but it might have been moved to the next release, as it was a tad buggy.

  5. Was so happy to read the title of the article on Facebook, then I saw it’s gonna be available in Live 9 only. :/ I really, REALLY hope it’ll be available as a Live 8 update or something alike, dual-monitor is very great for optimizing the workflow. Ableton, don’t forget the users of previous versions. Live 8 is great, too.

    1. You must not know how software updates work… If you didn’t give them another $300-800, they haven’t thought about you in a long time

  6. Dual monitor support is welcome, of course, although for me it is not important as lately I trend to build live sets with no clips at all (maybe just some drum loops) – everything is live generated by vst plugins based on live input from push and keyboard – this scenario requires updates on midi signal routing (current midi routing implementation is not flexible enough), multichannel midi support (internally), poly aftertouch support (per note automation) improved parameter mapping and so on. But, well as obviously no one other noticed that live 9 initially had broken keyboard zone fade range functionality (I reported and had to prove that bug and it was fixed on live 9.0.5), I guess I’m nearly only one from millions of live users, who uses live for live that way (with no clips) so I don’t expect much improvements useful to me.

  7. Can somone tell me why having two screens is so good. I’ve seen it for ProTools sure, but ya press the tab key, and go from session to arrangement view in a millisecond.
    And what is so damn good about Push!?! I weighed up the pro and cons, and went with
    the fucking amazing APC 40. Oh, it doesn’t have a step sequencer, or you can’t use it as a drum
    pad? Yes you can! I just downloaded the free apc 64-40 remote script (by Hans Petrov i believe) and now use my apc as a keyboard, drum rack, step sequencer, or just the usual fantastic general setting it comes with.

    2. Having the mixer and the arranger on two different screens is the desired workflow for most people, and most other DAWs support it. Give it a try, I guarantee that after using dual monitors you’ll feel like someone’s cut your arm off when you have to go back to a single screen.

    3. You’re kidding right? I’ve been using dual monitors on ProTools for TWENTY YEARS. Being able to see multiple windows open at once in a necessity. Three monitors is optimum. Monitor 1 for editing, monitor 2 to view faders and your mix, monitor 3 for viewing plug-ins and/or additional software (like Soundminer etc.). I’m not a home hobbyist. I make a living doing audio 40+ hours a week.

      Ableton can do things that ProTools just flat out can’t. But it isn’t a replacement for ProTools. With 2 monitor support, it gets that much closer. Start throwing in timecode options and we’ve got something.

  8. Hopefully they do a duel monitor set up where you can have your mixer on one. Screen and your arrangement view on the other. I know of very few people who will make use of having session mode and arrangement mode on different monitors. Also PLEASE LET US RENAME IO

  10. they need to add a remove all automation button for midi clips, I know they have a show only automated envelopes option, but it takes ages sometimes

  12. Push sequencing for melodies is great. Would like to be able to hold a note or chord live, and then switch to session to launch a scene. Currently, your note quits when you switch over.

  16. Multiple monitors never did anything for me other than give me neck pain at the end of a work day. I much prefer a well designed and flexible interface on one large screen. But seeing how my second monitor “is” my Push, I’m very excited for those new features.

  18. What Ableton needs to add is time stretching to Simpler/ sampler. But to be honest, I cant wait to try Bit wig . This software may be the new hotness for Hip/hop sample based production.

  19. Oh thank god the thumbs down trolls have woken from their slumber and arrived to let us all know they have nothing to contribute to the conversation other than a goal to make it all hidden…

  20. To be honest, I rarely have to jump between Clip or Arrangement view when I’m working – I’m either in Clip view when doing live sets, or strictly in Arrangement when I’m composing. What I’d really like to see is the ability to pop out the MIDI sequence window onto a separate monitor. The constant battle for screen real estate between sequence and arrange sections is driving me nuts! Better yet, integrate the two so that MIDI editing can happen directly in the Arrangement section. Would be much easier to spot MIDI edits against the timeline.

    1. The ability to edit midi directly on the timeline in Arrangement view would be an amazing improvement. I wish for that all the time.

  22. 32/64 bit bridge / vst support so that all my plugins function like they do in 8. Seriously guys, major let down on 9’s release. WTF

    1. You should check out Jbridge. I’ve successfully bridged all my old 32bit plug-ins to work with 64bit Live, both on OSX and Win 7, and they’ve all been working well so far.

  23. Wooooo Hooo!!!!!

    Dual monitor support is awesome. Live can get very cluttered when multiple AU plugins are on-screen… Dual montors makes music more fun. I won’t have to constantly open and close and resize and move plugin windows!!!!! Hooray!!!!

    AND, when I arrange my tracks, I will have a much larger and easier to read overview of my project!!!!

      1. He/she means the clip view/plugin view window at screen bottom expands taking up screen real estate. I hope selecting the plugin on the mixer view screen leaves the arrangement view alone. Otherwise it’s a fail.

  24. Not sure if this will enhance work flow. I rarely use both at once since my display is 52″. Most menus have too much screen in them to start. Rendering change is helpful. Face it they are running out of ideas on a near perfect program:)

  25. um how many years have I been using Apple’s Logic Pro with 3 screens, almost 10 ! I am giving Ableton 9 a chance, I am composing with it, I have tried live jamming, I’ve even had wireless midi including midi sync with ios devices…. It all goes back to Logic. I don’t feel like I’m making masters in Ableton yet, after rendering a song created in Live 9 I feel like I’ve just made food with artificial ingredients although I am an all Organic cook. I will give the new update some love when it comes out I’m sure.

    1. Couldn’t agree more..let’s face it.

      The most effective way of getting tracks sounding as they should is either rewire live into Logic or Pro Tools or create your track in Live and then export all the audio to another DAW for mixing. I love Live and been using it since version 4 so don’t think I’m just hating. It’s just the best way of working for me and getting tracks sounding like I just bought them from a record store.
      Live is def the best DAW to start a tune as it’s got the best workflow.

    1. Yes!!! I can’t believe you are the only person to mention this. The browser needs more than one search at once so you switch between results and when selecting plugins effects etc to clear the search field so the things show up!! Not hard, live 8 had it albeit slow….

  30. In my particular case dual display is useless because ableton forgot to add a zoom facility on the 2nd display. let me be more specific i use a laptop 17 ” and 32 led screen, so far with the zoom i managed to work very nicely using 32″ led screen (live 8), in live 9.1 with the introduction of the 2nd screen any of arrangement or session display is minute. Bitwig forgot totally to include zoom facility.
    So come on Ableton make dual display with independent ZOOMs !!

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