MIDI Tools and Device Updates in Live 12 FAQ
Midi Tools in Ableton Live 12 enable Transformations and Generations in the Clip View note editor. MIDI devices that handle pitch information can be made scale aware and follow the global scale setting, or the scale setting of a playing clip.
- Visit Live > Help > Built-in Lessons > What’s New in Live > MIDI Tools.
- For tips on most features, type [?] to show Info View, then hover your cursor over the relevant feature. For in-depth explanations, visit the Live Manual.
Where do I find Live’s built in MIDI Tools?
To see MIDI Tools, create or select a MIDI Clip to open Clip View.
Which MIDI effects are updated in Live 12?
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M4L Modulators updated to accommodate modulation |
MIDI effects updated for feature additions and scale-awareness |
New MIDI utility |
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Which notes are affected by transformations?
Transformations apply to selected MIDI notes in the clip editor, or to notes included in a selected time region in the clip editor. If no notes are selected, in most cases the MIDI transformation will apply to all the notes in the editor. However, for the utilities in the "pitch and time" panel, or in the velocity/chance lane toolbar, the operations apply only to the contents of the note or time selection.
Why is Transform disabled?
The Transform panel is not active if the selected MIDI Clip contains no notes, or if a time region in the Clip editor is selected that contains no notes. The Generate panel works and can generate notes regardless of the selection. Transform and Generate panels also both appear inactive when in "Envelopes" view mode in the Clip editor.
I pressed reset. Why wasn’t the transformation changed?
Reset resets the parameters in the current transformation tool back to the default values. It does not affect already generated MIDI notes.
Can MIDI Tools parameters be automated or MIDI/Key mapped?
Parameters in MIDI Tools are Key/MIDI mappable. (This does not apply to Max for Live MIDI Tools.) MIDI Tools parameters cannot be automated.
How do I apply or undo a transformation?
The Transform button enables Auto-Apply. When enabled, this automatically applies the current settings in “real-time” as you adjust the parameters in the Transformation tab. To undo the transformation and restore the previous state, toggle this off. With Transform toggled off, you can also apply changes to the parameters manually by pressing the Apply button. You can also Undo/Redo with the standard commands [CMD/CTRL + Z] or File Menu > Undo / Redo.
When are changes created through transformations committed or saved?
Notes are “committed” as soon as you deselect them, or change the current selection. During a transformation, as long as you don’t change the note selection, you can step back to the previous state by toggling Transform off. After you change the selection, you can undo the last transformation using Edit > Undo or the keyboard shortcut [CMD/CTRL + Z].
When I go to Edit > Quantize Settings, or [SHIFT + CMD/CTRL + U] no menu pops up. Where are the settings?
As of Live 12, Quantize settings are in the MIDI Transformations panel in Clip View.
How do I change quantization parameters without quantizing/moving notes in real-time?
Turn off the "Transform" button via the Transformations panel in Clip View. When ready to quantize the selection, press the Apply button.
Where are Quantize parameters saved?
Quantize parameters, like the other Transform and Generate parameters, are now saved with the Live set (.als file). Quantize settings were previously saved globally in Live’s preferences.