Ableton updates Live to v9.2

Ableton has announced the release of Live 9.2. This free update includes refinements to Live's audio warping engine, the introduction of latency-compensated automation, a new Tuner device, and more. Owners of Push gain the ability to use all 64 pads to play drums, improved aftertouch, and expanded touchstrip implementation. In addition, Max For Live now includes Max 7, the latest, most powerful version of Max.

Coinciding with the release of Live 9.2, Ableton is also making available a free new Pack specially optimized to make extensive use of Push's new 64 pad functionality. Assembled by finger-drummer extraordinaire Mad Zach, the 64 Pad Lab contains five Racks' worth of high-quality drum samples, percussion, loops, and one shots.

Also, in a new video, Mad Zach uses the 64 Pad Lab Pack to share strategies for playing with the 64 pad layout, tweaking individual sounds, as well as useful production tips for punchy drums. Watch the video here

9.2 Release Notes

Improvements and feature changes:

• Added the Tuner Device to the Live audio effects.
• Added a "Start Playback with Tap Tempo" preference to determine if Tap Tempo is going to activate playback.
• Improved tempo detection for warped audio files where the tempo appears to be constant.
• Improved warp downbeat detection.
• The first warp marker (1.1.1) is now placed closer to the beginning of an audio Clip, even if the that portion of audio does not contain loud transients.
• Improved the sound of Complex and Complex Pro Warp modes.
• Added the option "Warp Selection as x-Bar Loop" in the context menu when right clicking on a time selection inside an audio clip.
• Live Sets that contain Max for Live devices or third-party plug-ins now have lower latency.
• The latency introduced by a device is now displayed in the status bar, when hovering over the title bar with the mouse. No latencies are shown when latency compensation is turned off.
• Automation and Modulation are now fully latency compensated.
• Modifying the Arrangement loop brace with mouse or keys will not affect the current track selection, while previously all tracks were selected as soon as the braces where adjusted with the mouse.
• The Serato bridge is now compatible with Live 9.2.
• Scrub and RAM Mode are now exposed in the python API.
• Added support for the Roland A-Pro keyboard series.
• Most presets in "Sounds" and all presets in Operator have been updated to react to Aftertouch and/or Modwheel data.
• Updated 808 and 909 Kits with better sounding Kicks and Snares.
• New 606 & 808 Impulse presets have been added to the Core Library.
• Core Library Audio Clips now load with HiQ enabled and Fade disabled.
• The preferences setting "Start Transport with Record" has been renamed to "Start Playback with Record".
• Updated lessons and info texts.
• Dropped compatibility for Windows XP and Vista, OS X 10.5 and 10.6.

Bug fixes:

• When switching between Note and Scene mode with the APC20, the pad LEDs would occasionally not update correctly.
• The Session Ring would not be entirely displayed on screen any more when navigating through tracks if the Live Set contained folded Group tracks.
• Fixed a bug in the Axiom Air 25, 49 and 61 Control Surface remote script, where the Send mix mode controlled the available Sends for the currently selected channel, instead of controlling Send A for the first 8 channels.
• Fixed a bug in the MPK Control Surface remote script, where the Record Arm button had to be pressed twice to be toggled, and Exclusive Arm would not work.
• Fixed a bug in the Vestax VCM600 Control Surface remote script, where the Punch In and Punch Out controls would work only as momentary toggles.
• Fixed a bug which caused artefacts in the waveform visualisation when increasing the Gain on low amplitude audio clips.
• Live would not display Bluetooth audio devices in the Input and Output device menu under Preferences-->Audio.
• When controlling a number of mixer or device parameters via Aftertouch, crackles could be noticed in the audio stream.
• The Live browser "All Results" label would not remember the settings for the optional second column.
• Fixed a rare crash which might happen on OS X with certain input sources.
• Fixed a crash which might occur when deleting several Max for Live devices from a Live Set at once.
• Live would crash when quitting the application while renaming a Groove in the Groove Pool.
• Peak Levels in External Instrument and External Audio Effect devices would only be updated if these were displayed in Device View.
• A Live Set might become corrupt when saved after a crash recovery, if the original Live Set had meanwhile been modified by a different Live instance.
• Notes at the beginning of Clips would not be triggered when rendering or freezing tracks containing Max for Live devices or third party plugins.
• Remote mappings via a Max for Live device would not work for toggle parameters any more.
• The mouse would behave erratically when controlling encoders and faders on OS X, if the Live GUI was zoomed-in either via OS or via the native Live zoom preference setting.
• Minor adjustments to the translations of Clip context menus.
• Overdrive would report a wrong latency value, thus would not correctly be compensated.
• Saturator and Dynamic Tube would report a wrong latency value when operating in High Quality / Oversampling mode, thus would not correctly be compensated.
• Redux would report a wrong latency value when in Soft mode, thus would not correctly be compensated.
• Minor GUI bug fixes for high resolution displays.
• Fixed a bug which could cause graphics glitches and crashes on OS X when using high resolution displays.
• Fixed a bug where the mouse cursor would stay in stopwatch or beachball mode until the user physically moved the mouse. This would happen after loading devices, live sets, or anything else which would necessitate the use of the stopwatch cursor.
• Updated the pixel font (used primarily in device LCDs like Operator) for retina displays. Also improved the aspect of envelope curves drawn in the device's LCD displays.
• Fixed a glitch where the modulated value would become visible as an orange dot while dragging a slider, even if no modulation exists.

Changes for Push:

• Added 64 Pad Drum Rack mode for Push. The Note button now toggles between the Drum Rack three section layout and the 64 Pad Mode.
• Improved aftertouch response and added an aftertouch Threshold setting in the Push User Preferences.
• Added Modwheel functionality for the Push Ribbon Controller. Tapping the Ribbon Controller while holding "Select" toggles between Pitch Bend and Modwheel function.
• Holding "Delete" and tapping an encoder on Push resets the respective parameter to the default setting.
• Holding "Shift" while turning an encoder on Push changes the respective parameter with finer resolution.
• Improved buttons readability on Push. The Repeat and Metronome buttons now blink if active.
• When recording using Repeat on Push, the MIDI notes would be recorded with a negative offset with respect to the grid if the option "Reduced Latency when Monitoring" was on. This caused the very first note in the Clip not to be played back at all.
• Using "Shift" + "Add Effect" or "Add Track" while in Scales mode would cause the display to show the Note Layout options even after releasing the Shift button.
• When selecting a Drum Rack Pad set to Multisample mode with Push, pressing "Device In" with Push would automatically select the first device in the Chain list, and it would not be possible to go back to the enclosing Instrument Rack device.