Ableton Live 11 Suite (DOWNLOAD)

General

The last time we were treated to a fresh, full-sized edition of Ableton's Live Suite, it was 2018. And that was the follow-up to version 9 which came out way back in 2013, and before that, version 8 emerged as far back as 2009. Looking at it this way, it's clear that, while many DAWs have maybe just a couple of years in them at the most, every edition of Ableton Live manages to stand the test of time. As such, Ableton Live 11 Suite is so complete, that we probably won't need version 12 until around 2024.

What is Ableton Live?

For anyone who has yet to encounter it, Ableton Live is one of the biggest DAW packages on the planet. By blending the clip-based, real-time production loved by producers, musicians and DJs alike, with the smooth interfaces of Ableton's external hardware controllers and more-traditional sequencing techniques, this complete, ultra-contemporary music-making tool can be seamlessly applied to any genre and any performance and production style.

What's new in Ableton Live 11 Suite?

No new edition comes without some sweet new treats, and with version 11, we get a tidy stack, including Comping, where different takes can be recorded one after the other in a loop, so that the best take can be selected later. One of the most essential new features has to be the added MPE, or MIDI Polyphonic Expression support. MPE finally overcomes the limits that have existed since MIDI was first introduced, and is able to apply the range of expression to a single note that could only previously be applied to the entire MIDI track - including pitch-bend. While there aren't that many keyboards out there that are able to do this just yet, more are on the way, and since Ableton 11 is likely to be around for a few years yet, it's definitely worth having.

More Fresh Functions

An audio-based tempo-follower has been added that also functions in real-time, so you can do things like loop a pattern at a tempo based on the speed of a real, human drummer. Note-chance and velocity-chance are also nice little tweaks, since they're able to inject more-human variations into what would otherwise feel like static patterns. Of course, new sound-packs and devices also come included, and for the techies, Max for Live is still present - a kind of modular system that can be used to build your very own custom devices.