Live 4 review

Since its launch in 2001, Live has tended to elicit one of two responses from musicians: either it's an intriguing audio manipulation tool to complement their existing sequencer, or it's the kind of intuitive music software they've been waiting for all their lives.

For many users, the ability to warp audio files while overdubbing new elements on the fly has been as attractive as the virtually non-existent learning curve that otherwise blights music-making on the Mac.

Now, with the release of version 4, developer Ableton has finally transformed Live from being solely an audio manipulation tool to one that also offers a comprehensive Midi feature set. For the first time, Live presents itself as the complete modern recording environment.

Live 4's Midi support will turn many studio heads. Besides all the traditional sequencing tasks, there are plenty of Live-style twists. For instance, Midi bank and program change settings can be set for individual Midi files, and Midi controller movements are represented as clip envelopes, which means they can be employed independently of the original clip. Midi patterns can be layer-recorded or data can be drawn into Live's graphical editor. Both approaches suit Impulse, Live 4's new percussion instrument. Having dragged a sample to each of Impulse's eight pads, you can create grooves using nothing more than your Mac keyboard.

The second of Live's new Midi instruments is Simpler, designed for instant sample-based synthesis. Again, dragging and dropping a sample onto its interface opens up excellent editing possibilities. When used in conjunction with the new Midi effects, such as Scale, Chord and Random, a simple one-note sample can be transformed into an entire melodic passage.

There's also full support for both VST and AudioUnit plug-in instruments, including automation and remote control. To select a plug-in, simply drag it onto an empty Midi slot - Live takes care of all the behind-the-scenes 'cabling'. You can also import and export standard Midi files. Midi playback benefits from quantization and Live 4's new swing/groove settings (which can also be applied to audio files). Finally, Midi tracks can send their data to external hardware synths, ReWire programs or other Midi tracks in Live.

Not to be outdone, the 24-bit/192kHz-capable audio side of Live has also had a host of refinements. You can now preview and combine AIFF, WAV and SDII audio files of various sample rates and bit depths without prior conversion. You can also time-stretch audio files in real time to ensure clips stay in sync, and preform non-destructive sample reverse of individual files. Moreover, rhythm, time-warping, volume and pitch can all be controlled for individual notes and sections within a clip, and there 's always the luxury of unlimited Undo should anything go horribly wrong.

Live 4 also offers track-to-track routing for complex mixes, post-effects recording and Midi-to-audio conversion. Effects can be grouped either pre- or post-mixer on up to 12 send/return tracks, and the order of effects and instruments can be freely arranged. What's more, you can now preview and cue clips through separate audio outputs and the program supports unlimited audio and Midi tracks. A host of Midi mapping, group triggering, clip launching, crossfading and preset-saving features wait quietly in the wings, and every improvised move you make is recorded.

However, all this innovation does require a seriously powerful Mac. Despite Ableton's claim that Live 4 has been optimised for the Mac and that Live is intelligent in its handling of CPU resources, a 1GHz G4 DP with 1.25GB of RAM struggled with a modestly ambitious Live set in Mac OS X. Similarly, a 600MHz G3 iBook choked on just half a dozen clips and two bus effects. There's no 'freeze' function - as there is in Logic, for instance - to take the pressure off, although Live does its best by deactivating anything not in use. Removing unused stereo channels and using RAM Mode for selected clips also helps.