Music tech Software Tech

Ableton Live 13 hands-on: ARA 2, Drum Synth, new effects, more

Ableton Live 13 is now in limited public beta. That includes a lot of what you’ve asked for, like multi-band Racks, overhauled preset navigation, and ARA 2 support for tools like Melodyne. And it’s packed with new goodies: a very Ableton step sequencer, a multi-engine Drum Synth with some nice twists, new effects, a new ambient looper, and more. Also, I know some of you will like this: no mention of AI. It’s like we just get to talk about music-making tools again.

Max 9.2: V8 FFTs, better Windows support, Ableton abl goodies, more

Cycling ’74 has a surprisingly packed Max 9.2 update out now, with improvements and additions for Jitter, the Web, V8 (JavaScript), buffers, video on Windows, Gen, and the Ableton abl collection. It’s a slew of nice stuff for patchers.

Peter Kirn - October 14, 2026

Motion Music tech Software Tech

Ableton Note 2.1 for iOS update is subtle, but it can change how you work

Note 2.1, the iPad and iPhone app from Ableton, might not strike you as a big update. But new ways of working with Clips, Warp Markers, and a refined UI (Landscape Mode!) can make Note way more usable.