Is Ableton Live 12 Ready for Primetime?


Hey Friend,

Just a month ago, Ableton released Live 12. It was a major overhaul with a slew of new features aimed at enhancing user accessibility and making it easier to create music.

Having tested it through both the private and public betas, I’m here to share some personal insights—some of which I haven’t discussed publicly until now.

One on One Coaching

You can purchase and book a session for the next 60 days, but registration is only available for a week!

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Students can book here (save $150) -->

Pay Once, Get Access for Life

Pay once, and get access to the full All-Access program. 50% till Friday, and includes a free one hour one on one.

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Early Registration

Register before April 19th for the next Bootcamp and the price is $100 off. Once I officially open the doors, the price goes up.

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A New Look with New Features

Live 12 not only has a fresh, new interface, but also introduces new and innovative tools for music creation. While these updates are impressive, they bring up the age-old debate of when to upgrade your software to stay current without risking stability.

My Take: The Good and the Uneasy

The ambition behind Live 12 is clear, and its push for inclusivity, especially with new accessibility features, is commendable. However, my experience has been a mix of admiration and concern.

For example, Brian (who just joined our community last week) is a blind musician and vocalist and is using the new Voiceover screen reader in Live 12 to create music and perform on stage.

Ableton had to re-write Live 12 to implement those features, and more people having access to these features is a good thing.

We needed Live 12 to get to that feature, but then also there's the bugs...

One on One Coaching

I'm re-opening one on one coaching sessions for a week only. You can purchase and book a session for the next 60 days, but registration is only available for a week!

The Big Bugs: A Closer Look

Some bugs were quickly addressed after feedback, like the reimplementation of keyboard shortcuts for hiding and showing return tracks. However, a significant issue persists: send routings do not transfer between sets, which has been a cornerstone of my workflow for years.

I anxiously await the release notes of each beta release to see if this has been fixed, but I still wait... (side note, you can help get this fixed if you contact support. The more contact Ableton gets, the faster this will get fixed).

To Upgrade or Not to Upgrade?

So, should you upgrade? You don't want to be stuck with bugs, but you don't want to be the guy still using Live 8...

  • Consider upgrading on a secondary machine to explore the new features without disrupting your main setup.
  • Hold off on using Live 12 for live performances until it proves stable and reliable, sticking with Live 11.3 for now.

Perfect Performance Bootcamp Early Registration (Save $100)


I'm opening registration for our next Perfect Performance Bootcamp on April 19th.

But, I'm doing a special early registration discount if you register before then. The price is $100 off till April 19th, but once I officially open the doors, the price goes up.

This cohort runs May 6th-October 21.

Our current cohort is having amazing success, here's some thoughts from one of our students, Reese.
This isn't for everyone...but our students that are currently enrolled, are having amazing success and making some major progress.

If you have any questions on if it's right for you-or not, feel free to hit reply, and I'm happy to help!

The Verdict

While I am cautious and recommend a conservative approach to upgrading, exploring Live 12 on a non-primary system can provide insights and prepare you for eventual full adoption when stability is confirmed. Don't be a dinosaur and get left behind on a super old version, but don't rush to be an early adopter.

Join Our Community

If you’re looking for support as you navigate these updates, our All Access Community gives you access to all our courses, curriculum designed specifically for using Ableton for Playback, a community to help answer all your questions, and a weekly coaching call.

There's no better time to join.


To The Perfect Performance!

Will

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