The Gate device is improved by the addition of a Release (hysteresis) setting

The Gate device is improved by the addition of a Release (hysteresis) setting

The original Compressor and Gate have also been given a few minor tweaks. The Gate adds new sidechain EQ options and a Return control (effectively a hysteresis option, adding an independent gate close threshold).

Both the Gate and Compressor also now include real-time waveform displays which show the amount of gain reduction being applied, similar to the display found in FL Studio effects such as the Fruity Limiter. It’s a great tool for helping to understand exactly what the devices are doing and it’s a shame that the Glue Compressor doesn’t feature something similar.

The Compressor’s algorithms have also been updated, meaning that it no longer features the selectable FF1, FF2 and FB models, or the Opto setting. Loading Live 8 sets will launch the Compressor device in Legacy Mode, which uses the older algorithms but features the new GUI updates. The Upgrade button allows the device to be switched to the new algorithm, retaining the same settings (Opto mode reverts to the Peak setting).

Legacy mode

Live 8 projects call on a Legacy Mode Compressor, which includes the obsolete FF1, FF2 and FB modes

Live’s flagship parametric EQ device, EQ Eight, also highlights more of Live 9’s new workflow features. New additions include adaptive Q (in which the frequency band narrows as more boost or cut is applied), an audition mode to solo individual frequency bands, and the ability to toggle the main display out of the device itself and into the session/arrangement window. It’s become a much more versatile tool, with the enlarged view and integrated spectrum analyser particularly useful. Again, it’s a shame other devices don’t offer the expanded view.

cursorA neat touch in EQ Eight is the inclusion of a small text box in the bottom left-hand corner of the frequency display pane which relays the cursor’s position as frequency, note and level. In combination with the built-in spectrum analyser it’s a powerful addition to the EQ device. However, there are a couple of weaknesses; there’s no way of adjusting the scale of the display, and the analyser doesn’t show the absolute levels of each frequency (there’s not even a line to indicate 0dB, which would be particularly useful).

EQ Eight has also apparently been fully rewritten to sound smoother. It’s now always in the Hi-Quality mode, with the addition of an oversampling option for even better high frequency performance at the expense of CPU usage.

The lack of new devices is undeniably underwhelming, but it’s bolstered by the inclusion of Max For Live as standard in the Suite package (previously a paid option, and still available as an add-on if you elect to purchase the Standard version rather than the full Suite – Max For Live isn’t compatible with the Intro version). As previously, three versions of Live are available, each with quite different feature sets. For the first time, though, Suite is a long way ahead of Standard. The inclusion of Max For Live, numerous additional loops and samples, plus Live mainstays such as SamplerOperator and Analog makes Suite worth the extra £210.

The 29 devices included in the Max For Live Essentials pack offer a range of instruments, audio effects and MIDI effects (which include two sequencers):

Author Greg Scarth
6th March, 2013

Comments

  • Thanks for the good article. 🙂 Hopefully the guys are working on multiple displays as well.

    Report
  • @5CRNRS – only after plugin delay compensation FFS!

    Report
  • I’m pretty sure that you can achieve multiple displays with Max plugins, though I haven’t tried it myself. Get googling!

    Nice, thorough, unbiased article. I, too, would have liked to see a few more real advances to Live’s instruments, but I can’t deny that there’s a certain special something about the sum of the new workflow enhancements that makes Live much more fun and intuitive to work with. And admittedly, if Push is anywhere near as rad as it seems, that will be something to celebrate.

    Report
  • Really good review. Thanks for this. I wasn’t planning to upgrade but I think you’ve persuaded me to go for it. Looks like there are more new features than I realised. Liking the look of the Max for Live instruments…

    Report
  • Pretty shit that you have to pay $9 for 3rd party software just for the privilege of having your mixer on a separate monitor.

    Report
  • The multi-window and parallel view tools at http://www.erasermice.com also work with max for live 5.1.9 and live 8. I thought $9 is a pretty cheap upgrade given the amount of time I’ve put into the patches.

    Report
  • I would like to purchase the ableton 9 Live and Push. Excellent price point on the dolphin music website. What does everyone think.

    Mike Noize

    Report

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You currently have an ad blocker installed

Attack Magazine is funded by advertising revenue. To help support our original content, please consider whitelisting Attack in your ad blocker software.

Find out how

x

    A WEEKLY SELECTION OF OUR BEST ARTICLES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX