Ableton Live 11.3 update is now in beta and is a major MPE overhaul of the entire device section, including a new synth Drive.
Update: Ableton Live 11.3 update is out now.
Article From April 4, 2023
With Live 11, Ableton introduced MPE technology into its DAW. This makes it possible to play the instrument super expressively. It goes beyond what the classic monophonic aftertouch can do by combining expressivity and polyphony.
The 11.0 update was just the beginning. With Live 11.3, a free update is now available, in beta, with which the developers expand further the MPE capabilities of their DAW. And there is also a neat new synth device.
Ableton Live 11.3 (Press Release)
The latest update adds Drift, an all-new MPE-capable synth and the first for all editions of Live – including Live Lite. Users also get more expressive control and instruments and effects updated for use with MIDI Polyphonic Expression, or MPE.
Drift Synthesizers
Drift (for all Live 11 versions) is a characterful MPE-capable device capable of a wide variety of sounds from every era of modern music. It’s minimal layout and interactive controls make adjusting the sound easy for musicians new to synthesis while still giving even experienced sound designers a broad sonic palette.
Inspired by classic hardware but borrowing heavily from modern synths and Eurorack modules, Drift has been carefully tuned by ear to deliver great sound at any setting, quickly and easily.
More MPE-Capable Instruments
This free update to Live 11 also adds MPE capability to Analog, Collision, Electric, and Tension, providing more options to add expressive control to your music.
Many features in Live 11 have now been updated to support MPE:
- The MPE Control device now has added functionality, an updated UI, and reduced CPU load.
- Note Echo now supports MPE with feedback controls for each dimension. This offers a creative way for MPE modulation to change over time.
- An updated Core Library with expressive content is available in 11.3.1.
There is no video about the new update but here again what’s new in Live 11.
First Impression
A nice update that makes Ableton Live more performant with MPE. In a time of more and more MPE controllers like Erae Touch, Osmose, etc. a logical and good next step for Live 11.
Ableton Live 11.3 update is now in beta. If you own a Live 11 license, you can test Live 11.3
More information here: Ableton
Available at my partner
Love to use Ableton.
I have a desktop at home, my laptop for the road/client sessions and a desktop in the studio.
Game over.
Bitwig gives me three licenses. Arturia gives me 5.
Just ask Ableton tech support, and they will give you 3 activations. This was so far no problem for me.
Seems like Ableton are happy building this tower of candy, whilst not showing any interest in resolving the biggest and fundamental weakness: The mixing enviroment. One should think it’d be of great interest to sort this out seeing how many still choosing to exit after composing and mix elsewhere. I don’t understand this thinking. I’m still on 9 but considering moving to Logic for this reason. Mixing in Live is still rubbish. Logic still got the tempo sync –a free recording feature and a better overview – encouraging you to finish projects. Anyone else who felt the same and took this route?
Upgrade. The gain staging has vastly improved since v9 my friend. No more battling Logic Pro’s dark sound engine, and built in (colored) soft clippers.
Why is it difficult for so many people to understand that Ableton was and still is designed for live and performances? Why would they waste their time and resources making it a mixing software when that’s simply not what it was designed for. There’s plenty of other DAWs that focus on mixing and mastering yet people still don’t understand what Live means.
I wish they would introduce an auto sample feature. Especially standalone now. That feature did so much for Logic & MPC. Being able to auto sample external instruments and vsts into Sampler would be amazing