DeafMan transforms Ableton Live with custom colors, interactive editor

DeafMan’s creations for Ableton Live have evolved from a selection of cool retro themes to a vast library of complete color makeovers — a “visual system.” And there’s an insanely powerful new editor for managing themes, tweaking colors, creating customizations, and assigning color to tracks. It’s more than just customization: it’s a way of thinking about your workspace and music in hues and shades.*

These retro and SGI-inspired Ableton Live themes will make you smile

Deafman’s set of retro themes for Ableton Live, originally inspired by Silicon Graphics workstations, impressed when I first wrote about them. This summer, Clem has a bunch of updates: improved themes, a theme editor, a new pack, updated fonts (with Retina and bold versions), and easy installers. It’s a one-stop makeover kit for Ableton Live. But it’s more than that: it’s a mood enhancer. I smiled, like, literally.

Peter Kirn - July 12, 2025

Give Ableton Live 12 a new look with free Themes: Dark, Retro, Remixed

Ableton Live 12’s new Themes do look great, but is that enough choice for us obsessive DAW users, working on productions into the wee hours? Absolutely not! And so we’re grateful that Madeleine Bloom continues to do the great work of producing terrific themes, all available as free downloads.

Peter Kirn - September 23, 2024

Bitwig Studio now has some gorgeous themes, thanks to user mods

Peter Kirn - July 11, 2024

Remake Live 12 with retro refinement: updated workstation, ultra-dark themes

Peter Kirn - May 20, 2024

Live screenshot showing fully-expanded Roar saturation/coloration tool, including multiband processing.

Twelve things to try in Ableton Live 12 right now

Peter Kirn - March 5, 2024

Make Ableton Live easy on the eyes in low light – with a retro 80s & 90s look

Peter Kirn - October 4, 2023

Give Ableton Live the cool color scheme of a 90s SGI UNIX system with these themes

Peter Kirn - June 7, 2023

Quick Ableton Live tips: blackest ever UI, Saturator tutorial, see plug-ins on tracks – let’s go!

Peter Kirn - January 27, 2021