Ableton Live 12 Standard (DOWNLOAD)

General

Still the most-used DAW package around, whether you're an EDM producer or a self-recording musician, Ableton Live has already reached its 12th incarnation. While you don't get the full mountains of sounds and effects that come with the Suite edition, Ableton Live 12 Standard still includes a pretty hefty chunk of it, and that's alongside the classic Ableton concept: a blend of two workflows, so alongside the standard-issue recording functions and features, you get access to an array of tools designed for live music-making, or in Ableton-speak, clips can be created and triggered on the fly using an Ableton controller - a solid bonus for creative DJs and musicians alike. This is exactly the Ableton Live draw: electronic music that's actually interactive and anything but static.

What's New in Ableton Live 12 Standard?

The basic vibe and technical options of the new version are the same across the Intro, the Standard and the Suite editions. The difference between them lies in the included sounds and effects. So, while Standard is a touch more trim than Suite, you're still getting more than enough to play with. What separates Standard from Intro is the inclusion of both the Golden Era Drums and Trap Drums libraries from Sound Oracle, as well as an array of virtual instruments like Electric Keyboards, Orchestral Strings, Session Drums (Club and Studio) and Synth Essentials. The list of everything that you get is actually too long to fit here, but be assured that it's long, and includes every essential and even non-essential to support pro-grade recordings and performances.

Version 12 Additions

Other general version 12 updates include full support for screen readers, which is brilliant news for users with visual impairments. And, since searching for a sound was always a bit of a hassle, a smart search function that brings up sounds that come close to what you're already working with is a real time-saving tweak, as well as other great features like User Tagging, which even extends to the included Packs. And that's on top of the options to save search results and access your search history, so you can always find just the right things, whether you're in the studio or mid-set.