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Ableton drops Live and Push prices by 20 percent for Black Friday
Ableton doesn't offer discounts often. In fact, it's the first time the Push controller has been on sale since 2016.
Kris Holt11.15.2022
Ableton's music production tools are 25 percent off for Labor Day weekend
The Live 11 Intro package is down from $99 to $74.
Kris Holt09.02.2022
Ableton offers 25 percent off all of its music production software
The Live 11 Suite is down from $749 to $562 and you can save on packs as well.
Kris Holt06.08.2022
Launchkey 88 brings a luxurious keybed to a budget MIDI controller
Novation's latest Lauchkey controller has an expansive 88-key semi-weighted keybed.
Terrence O'Brien05.26.2022Albeton software and packs are 25 percent off for Black Friday
One of our favorites digital audio workstations is 25 percent off for Black Friday.
Igor Bonifacic11.25.2021
Ableton Live 11: The biggest upgrades explained
Ableton Live 11 is partially about playing catchup and partially about looking to the future.
Terrence O'Brien03.05.2021
This week's best deals: $100 off Apple's Magic Keyboard for iPad and more
Here are the best tech deals we found this week, including $100 off Apple's Magic Keyboard for iPad and $50 off the AirPods Pro.
Valentina Palladino01.29.2021
Ableton Live 11 is coming next year with MPE support
It was nearly five years between the release of Ableton Live 9 and Live 10. The biggest is definitely MPE support. The MPE curious can even dip their toes in with the $99 Orba from Artiphon, which doubles as a standalone instrument.
Terrence O'Brien11.10.2020
Splice members can download Ableton Live 10 Lite for free
Sample subscription service Splice is handing out free download of Ableton Live 10 Lite until December 31st, 2020.
Igor Bonifacic10.12.2020
New Launchkey MK3 MIDI controllers add a powerful arpeggiator
Novation is updating its Launchkey MID controller lineup with deeper Ableton integration and a powerful new arpeggiator.
Terrence O'Brien06.18.2020
Ableton Live is currently even cheaper than it was on Cyber Monday
Ableton Live is one of the most popular digital audio workstations available, and it's currently 40 percent off.
Marc DeAngelis04.08.2020
Ableton Live 10 is 25 percent off through Cyber Monday
If you're starting to feel constrained by GarageBand or the free software that came with your MIDI controller, it might be time to upgrade. And you might want to consider Ableton, which has discounted its Live 10 software by 25 percent. With the price cut, the app's Intro, Standard and Suite tiers now cost $74, $337 and $562 respectively, down from their usual $99, $449 and $749 price points. When it comes to audio production tools, Ableton Live 10 is one of our favorites. While it might be intimidating at first glance, the app features a clean and intuitive interface that encourages experimentation.
Igor Bonifacic11.29.2019
Ableton Live can control modular synths from your computer
Modular synthesizers are having something of a moment right now. Even mainstream players like Korg are trying to bring them to the masses. So it's no surprise that Ableton -- maker of one of the most popular digital audio workstations (DAW) in the world -- is trying to get in on the hype. Today the company officially launched CV Tools, a set of virtual devices for Live 10 that bring your computer and your modular gear closer together.
Terrence O'Brien07.17.2019
Motion made music: AUUG Motion Synth nearing Kickstarter goal
Imagine being able to play notes and alter sounds through the motion of your hand and arm, using an iPhone or iPod touch. That's the idea behind the AUUG Motion Synth, a unique musical instrument and controller that is getting close to its Kickstarter goal with another eight days to go in the campaign. The developers of the AUUG Motion Synth are looking for US$70,000 in funding and have achieved just over $57,000. The AUUG Motion Synth consists of an app to convert your hand motions to output (either sounds or MIDI actions) and a wearable grip that holds the iOS device and provides tactile feedback for virtual keys on the screen of the device. It supports wireless and cabled MIDI, so just about any musical hardware or external synthesizer can be controlled by hand and arm gestures. There's also a cloud component to AUUG: The company hopes to have a cloud service that will let users share settings and ideas. Some of those settings include presets for the AUUG app to work with other iOS music apps. One of the videos we've attached to this post shows how easy it is to set up the AUUG Motion Synth to work with other apps as simple as GarageBand or as complex as Ableton Live. There are a limited number of backing opportunities available starting at $68 and $78, with one of the aluminum AUUG grips and the software being your reward for backing the project. After the device goes into production, the AUUG Motion Synth will retail for $110. The entire concept makes a lot more sense when you've seen it in action, so check out the videos below for a full idea of how the app, grip and cloud work together with the musician to make beautiful music.
Steve Sande12.10.2013
Ableton Push review: a dedicated controller for the Live faithful
MIDI might be a little long in the tooth as protocols go, but it's been the prevailing standard for getting music hardware and software to play nice pretty much since its inception. As such, the MIDI controller is a fairly established staple in professional and bedroom studios alike. The problem is they're generic by nature. They come in all shapes and sizes, but to be profitable, they need to appeal to a broad range of applications. Ableton clearly didn't think this arrangement was up to snuff, though, so it created Push -- a software controller built entirely for the latest version of its popular Live production software. While there have been Live-specific controllers before -- some even officially endorsed by Ableton -- Push is a whole new beast. It's one that hopes to unite hardware and software in a way that an all-purpose controller never could. Ableton also has lofty musical ambitions for Push: it claims it designed the hardware as an instrument in and of itself; something that lets you close the lid of the laptop and use to make music with, while not looking like you are checking your email. And, given that Ableton makes the software that it's building Push for, integration is understandably expected to be airtight. But how well does it work? Is it an instrument? Will it replace all your other controllers? Do you want one? Is it worth the $599 pre-order price? Will it blend? We've pushed ourselves to explore the device fully in an effort to find out (apart from that last question, of course).%Gallery-183384%
James Trew03.24.2013
Miselu Neiro Android-powered synth hands-on at SXSW (video)
This is the Miselu Neiro, a "portable, net-enabled social music device" which was announced this weekend at SXSW. We were able see and handle the first-ever prototype fresh off the lab bench at the SoundCloud Open House in Austin. The app-based, Android-powered synth features a two octave velocity and pressure-sensitive keyboard, a capacitive multitouch widescreen, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity and even a webcam. Battery life is expected to be in the five to six hour range. The laptop-sized instrument features audio I/O, MIDI I/O, two USB ports, an HDMI port and an SD card slot. It currently runs Gingerbread on a dual-core TI OMAP processor -- although those aren't the final specs. While the silicon valley startup is mum on pricing and availability, it's teamed up with Yamaha to outfit the device with an NSX-1 DSP chip (for high-quality synthesis and effects) and with Retronyms to create a powerful suite of touch-controlled, cloud-enabled musical apps in time for launch. The instrument also includes a dock area for accessories (such as a speaker bar) and the company plans to license the interface to third-party manufacturers. Beyond the Neiro prototype, Miselu also showcased its older, larger, proof-of-concept device (controlling Ableton Live via MIDI / OSC over WiFi) and a USB-powered digital speaker cabinet built in partnership with Onkyo that integrates Trigence's Dnote technology for high-quality audio reproduction using only 500mA of power. Check out the pictures in our gallery below, then hit the break for our hands-on video -- complete with a walkthrough by CEO Yoshinari Yoshikawa and a drum-machine demo.
Myriam Joire03.13.2012
Kinect hack turns your living room into a crazy one-man laser techno dance party (video)
We've seen it aid surgery, help make smarter robots, and even do some gaming stuff, but honestly, what good is a controller if it can't fuel your crazy techno dance parties? Vimeo user Matt "Namethemachine" Davis posted a video showing a new hack for the peripheral, using its camera-based motion detection, combined with Ableton Live, DMX protocol, and more clever hackery to create a one-man electro-laser light show. It's easy to see this getting a bit out of control real fast in a room packed with overexcited club goers, but if you're looking to recreate the communal experience for you and your cat in your one bedroom apartment, this may be just the ticket.
Brian Heater06.03.2011
Novation Twitch touchstrip DJ controller makes the scene at Musik Messe 2011 (video)
We're not professional musicians by a long shot, but when we do get a chance to break away from the relentless torrent of cellphones and tablets, nothing quite hits the spot like a little music appreciation. Of course, when done Engadget-style this usually means a gadget of some sort -- and we'd be lying if we didn't say that Novation's newest didn't whet our appetites for some after-hours beatmatching. Twitch is essentially a full-figured DJ controller, but instead of some sort of round jog wheel (which the current reviewer has always found to be extremely counter-intuitive) the company added a touch strip, which can be used for everything from finding the beat to zooming in and out of the waveform display (after watching the video, it's hard to believe we've been beatmatching without pinch-to-zoom for this long). This bad boy also boasts a full compliment of controls for Serato, Traktor NI, and Ableton Live. You're probably interested in seeing how it performs in the real world, but unless you're in Frankfurt for Musik Messe, you're going to have to settle for the video after the break. Look for it in July for a street price in the $500 range.
Joseph L. Flatley04.08.2011
Snyderphonics Manta controller takes on Ableton Live, looks (and sounds) great doing it (video)
We sure do love our obscure instruments here at Engadget. Even something as simple as the Monome, with its grid of 64 pads (and little else) can get the creative juices flowin' when partnered with the right software. Well, we just received word that SevenUpLive, the driver that gets Monome to play nice with Ableton Live (via Max / MSP), has just received support for Snyderphonics' handsome Manta controller. What's this all mean? Well, besides looking great, Manta features velocity sensitive plates and polyphonic aftertouch, which means a higher level of control than many of your boutique controllers. But you need a demonstration, right? Why didn't you say so? Video after the break.
Joseph L. Flatley11.23.2010
Apple introduces MIDI to iOS 4.2, iPads the world o'er get ready to rave
Although musicians were quick to pick up on the iPad's possibilities as a control surface, the audio production corner of the App Store is still overwhelmingly devoted to things like guitar amp models and soft synths -- that's because until recently there was no way to send MIDI commands from iOS (not that some folks didn't figure out workarounds). That's why we were excited to hear about the appearance of MIDI APIs in iOS 4.2. What does this mean for all of you would-be Brian Enos? The gang over at Create Digital Music have put together a handy guide to what we might expect from a world where all out iOS devices can communicate via MIDI, whether through the USB cable or over WiFi -- and it is a brave new world, indeed. Intrigued? We were too! And we were pleased to find out that yes, the M-Audio Uno works with the iPad, and that the accelerometer can indeed be used to pitch bend. Unfortunately, we also learned that the Line 6 MIDI Mobilizer is a lot less exciting than we thought it might be (that is, until third party devs go to town on the thing). Hit the source link for all that stuff and more. Or just peep the video after the break, if you wonder what the next version of Pianist Pro holds.
Joseph L. Flatley11.04.2010