Well, we expected this, though maybe expected it a bit earlier. Avid is adding what is essentially an Ableton Live Session clone to its UI, available both in the new Pro Tools update and in a free iPad app called Pro Tools Sketch. The iPad app, for its part, visually looks very much like Apple’s […]

From the wonderful Jogging House – the producer behind Seil Records (Hainbach, etc.) – don’t miss Sonic Beds for Ableton Live (or WAV download). It’s a fuzzy, analog, modular and vintage and broken cassette analog pack so good, you could noodle with it like it’s a never-ending album and use it to lower your blood pressure.

One of the big features of Ableton Push is its standalone mode and upgradeability, enabled by the Intel-developed NUC platform. Over the summer, Intel discontinued that platform, raising some questions about where NUC was headed. Now, with Asus officially taking over NUC, here’s a look at the platform and what it could mean for Push 3’s future, with Ableton’s head of hardware weighing in.

We are awash with various dynamics tools these days, but don’t sleep on this. GMaudio is a deceptively simple upward compressor that you’ll want in your Ableton Live arsenal, as it can scale effortlessly from nuance to extreme. And it’s remarkable that it’s free; it almost feels like it fell out of an Ableton Live upgrade from a parallel universe.

Videosync 1.3 has landed. One of the better tools for integrating visuals seamlessly with Ableton Live, this version adds a new, unique method for generating and manipulating images, easy browsing of shaders for added visual effect inspiration, an intuitive new graphical Transform, and more. And there’s a Summer Sale on this week.

Ableton has been updating a lot of its Max for Live Devices this summer, including CV Tools and now Microtuner. Compatibility with standalone mode on the new Push is a must, of course, but there are enhancements for everyone, too.

Ableton’s Drift synth continues to earn some love, especially as it’s included in all versions of Live 11. Sonic Bloom has a 64 preset pack for this one, plus a free 10 preset pack – and continues to release new Live Themes, too.

VR music has quietly evolved from fringe experiment to serious, fun musical tool – and it’s done so entirely through one app, PatchWorld. Released publicly last summer, it’s gotten steadily more capable and reliable, including on Meta’s affordable Quest 2 headset and HTC’s VIVE. But most recently, on top of additions like Ableton Live integration, PatchXR has added a true killer app: multiplayer.

What if your external clock could be the orbits and rotations of the solar system – and what if the ratios were accurate? That’s the idea behind the new Manifest Audio Solarus, a beautiful free giveaway from producer, developer, and Ableton Certified Trainer Noah Pred.

The latest Max for Live gem is killihu’s new wonder, Control Matrix. It consolidates parameters in a floating window, complete with A/B compare and preset storage.