Keyboard Magazine - March 2008 - (Page 56) AUDITION ABLETON LIVE 7 PERFORMANCE-ORIENTED MUSIC PRODUCTION ENVIRONMENT (MAC, PC) by Craig Anderton The new Nudge controls allow fine-tuning tempo on the fly. Live 7 now handles multiple time signatures within a single piece. The Session View matrix is being used to develop a remix. Different clips are being arranged into possible scenes. The Key and MIDI buttons make it easy to assign controllers to Live parameters. Live, as always, is verydrag-and-drop oriented. Here, the browser is showing instruments you can drag into live, including three new ones: Analog, Electric, and Tension. Hover the mouse cursor over any element of Live, and the Info View describes what you’re seeing. This is useful, and not just for beginners. 56 keyboard 03-2008 The RAM button lets you stream a clip from RAM instead of your hard drive, which can improve performance — especially with laptops that have slower drives. Live not only supports REX files, but can slice audio into pieces triggered by MIDI. The Mixer is highly customizable; you can configure channel strips, meters, and more for anything from a consolelike mixer to something more stripped-down. Cross-platform audio and MIDI sequencer with groove and live performance emphasis. PROS Brilliant workflow once you “get” the program. Stable, innovative audio engine. DAW-type elements have evolved over the past few revs. Handles multiple time signatures. Creative sliceoriented features and REX support. Improved fine tempo control. Several effects support sidechaining. Updated EQ. 64-bit resolution for mixer and other summing points. Extremely high fun factor. CONS Costlier than competing DAWs. New instruments cost extra. Warping capabilities, while amazing, lack some of the subtleties of Acidizing techniques. Still can’t record solo button actions. Still not quite a full “DAW replacement.” Doesn’t support control surface protocols other than Mackie Control (and emulations). Ableton Suite boxed, $999; download, $799; Live 7 boxed, $599; download, $499. Ableton www.ableton.com http://www.ableton.com
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