Optimizing CPU-Intensive Devices

To optimize performance in Ableton Live, follow these tips to reduce the performance impact of devices in your Live Set:

• Identify CPU-intensive tracks
• Reduce processing on tracks
• Optimize device Settings
• Adjust Clip and Warp settings
• Close plug-in device windows

Identify CPU-intensive tracks

As of Live 12, you can display each track’s impact on the CPU load using the Performance Impact indicators, by going to View → Mixer Controls, or by opening Mixer View at the bottom right of Live’s window. Each track has its own CPU meter to indicate the relative impact of that track on the CPU level of the current Set. You can then freeze or remove devices from impacted tracks to reduce processing demand.

Reduce processing on tracks

Freeze, Freeze and Flatten, or Bounce Track in Place

To reduce performance impact of a specific track containing CPU-intensive devices, you can render or temporarily render the track's contents. This converts dynamic instrument or MIDI processing into "frozen" audio to reduce CPU load.

• Freeze creates a temporary render of the audio and deactivates devices. A sample file for each Session clip is created, plus one for the Arrangement. Thereafter, clips in the track play back these “freeze files“ rather than calculating device and clip settings in real time. To Freeze a track, right-click on the track header and choose "Freeze." To return to real-time processing, select a frozen track and choose Unfreeze Track from the Edit menu.
• Freeze and Flatten (in Live 12.1 and earlier) renders the current state to an audio file and removes devices, replacing the original clips and devices. To Flatten a frozen track or to Freeze and Flatten a track in one step, right-click on the track header to open the context menu and select Freeze Track or Freeze and Flatten.
• As of Live 12.2, Freeze and Flatten Track, or Flatten for frozen tracks, has been renamed to Bounce Track in Place. Bounced audio files are stored in the folder Samples → Processed → Bounce, within the Project folder. Learn more in the Live 12.2 release notes. 
  
  

Resample or Bounce to New Track

To resample a track, create a new Audio Track and record the output of the affected track. You can then deactivate the devices on the original track, or delete it.

As of Live 12.2, Bounce to New Track is available in the clip context menu, as well as via the shortcut CTRL/CMD + B. When bouncing to a new track, the rendered audio clips are added to a separate track beneath the source track. You can then deactivate the devices on the original track or delete it to reduce processing demand. After bouncing, source clips are muted to prevent doubled output.

Place CPU-intensive effects on Return tracks

Return tracks allow audio from multiple tracks to be sent through the same instance of an effect, reducing the number of device instances needed. Learn more about routing audio in the Ableton Reference Manual. 

Optimize device settings

Reduce polyphony

Reduce polyphony of your devices, plug-ins and multisample instruments. The fewer voices currently in use, the less CPU is used.

Turn off Spread

Some Live devices, like Corpus, Operator, and Sampler, have a Spread parameter that generates two detuned voices per note. Turn Spread off to reduce processing demand.

Live 10 and earlier: Set Reverb to "Eco" mode

Eco mode controls the tradeoff between reverb quality and computer performance. Eco uses minimal CPU resources, while High delivers the richest reverberation.

Turn off filters, LFOs and effects

Turn off any unused parameters in devices.

Use the standard filter circuit

Cytomic filter circuits (OSR, MS2, SMP, PRD) use slightly more CPU than the standard filter circuit (Clean).

Adjust Clip and Warp Settings

De-activate Hi-Q mode on audio clips

Hi-Q mode improves sample rate conversion when transposing audio files, at the cost of a higher CPU load. The Hi-Q button can be toggled in Clip View.

Use Complex and Complex Pro warping sparingly

Use non-Complex warping algorithms or turn off warping where possible. Consider consolidating or resampling warped clips, or freeze tracks that contain Complex warped clips.

In Simpler or Sampler, disable warping

Or, use an algorithm other than Complex or Complex Pro.

Close plug-in device windows

Rendering device windows (GUIs) may add to Live's processing load. Keep plug-in device windows closed when not interacting with or modulating the device parameters.

Note: Auto-Hide Plugin Window does not close the plugin UI, but instead hides it. Since additional CPU load is added for each open instance, this can cumulatively cause a high base load in a Set that is not even playing. To reduce CPU load, make sure to close, not hide, device windows.