News » Live 13 Introduces Step Sequencer, Drum Synth, ARA 2 & New Racks

Live 13 Introduces Step Sequencer, Drum Synth, ARA 2 & New Racks

Ableton has announced Live 13, with a Step Sequencer, Drum Synth, Multiband Racks and ARA 2 support. A public beta is available now.

Ableton has unveiled Live 13. The headline additions are a Step Sequencer with independent row lengths, a native Drum Synth, Multiband and Mid-Side Racks, 32 Macros that double as modulators, and long-awaited ARA 2 support. A public beta is open now, with the full release due in early 2027.

Push 3 gets a major update too, led by Custom Layouts and a Performance Mixer built for DJ sets and dub-style improvisation. If you’re thinking of buying, Ableton is offering 20% off Live 12 until Live 13 lands, and every Live 12 licence includes a free upgrade to the matching Live 13 edition.

A Step Sequencer and Drum Synth for Live

The Step Sequencer is the feature arguably many Live users have been waiting for. Each row has its own length and playback settings, so polyrhythms and shifting patterns come naturally, much as they do on an Elektron box. Velocity, chance, repeat and pitch bend can all be set per step, which makes it as useful for generative melodic parts as it is for drums.

It pairs neatly with Drum Synth, a new percussion instrument with three engines: classic drum machine, physically modelled and experimental. Between the two, you can now design and sequence a full kit without leaving Live’s own devices.

Racks get serious

The Rack updates may prove the most important changes in Live 13. Multiband Racks apply effects to specific frequency ranges, with a choice of filter types including linear phase. Mid-Side Racks process the centre and sides of the stereo field separately. Both jobs previously meant fiddly workarounds or third-party plug-ins.

Racks now support up to 32 Macros, double the previous limit. Each Macro can act as a remote control or a modulator, with its own curve for every mapping, which opens the door to far more complex and playable Racks. Round Robin cycles notes through chains in Instrument and MIDI Effect Racks, an easy way to add natural variation to repeated hits and sampled instruments.

New instruments and effects

Looplet (Suite): a Max for Live device that loops and layers different parts of a single sample using four playheads
Clipper and Transient Shaper (Suite): two new dynamics processors, both staples of modern drum and mix chains
Classic Dynamics & EQ Pack by Softube (Suite): five Max for Live effects modelled on studio hardware, covering FET and optical compression, British console EQ and compression, and analogue-style drive
Melodyne Essential (Suite): bundled with Live 13 Suite to take advantage of the new ARA 2 support

ARA 2 and workflow updates

ARA 2 support finally brings Live into line with Logic Pro, Cubase, Studio One and Reaper, all of which have offered it for years. ARA-compatible plug-ins such as Melodyne now run directly inside Live for pitch, timing and audio editing, without first recording audio into the plug-in.

Capture Automation records control gestures as editable automation. Contextual Browsing lets you load devices and swap presets from the device chain itself, and new clickable controls and keyboard shortcuts mean Instrument Racks and effects chains can be built without opening the main Browser.

In the mixer, Device Slots show and reorder each track’s devices without opening tracks one at a time. Envelope Clips bring automation and modulation to effects on Return tracks, including per-scene parameter changes in Session View, a welcome addition for anyone mixing live. New Core Library presets and templates cover vocal production, mixing and mastering.

Push 3: Custom Layouts and a Performance Mixer

Custom Layouts let you build your own pad surface for each Set, combining note areas, Session View, faders and XYZ expressive controls, mapped to tracks and parameters anywhere in the Set. They work both with Push connected to Live and in standalone mode.

Performance Mixer places Session View above touch-sensitive pad faders. Ableton says it designed the mode for DJ sets and dub-style improvisation, and it could make Push a far more convincing centrepiece for live shows.

The Step Sequencer also runs on Push’s pads, with Expressive Step Editing for adjusting individual steps. Device Mode gains jog wheel navigation through nested Rack chains, and Drum Rack returns and pad routings are accessible on Push for the first time.

Availability and pricing

Live 13 will be available in early 2027 from Ableton.com and local retailers, and the public beta is open now. Existing Live owners can check their upgrade price by logging in to their Ableton account.

Until Live 13 is released, new Live 12 licences and upgrades are 20% off, and every Live 12 purchase includes a free upgrade to the corresponding Live 13 edition. Separately, Push 3, Move and the Push Upgrade Kit are 20% off until 30 November.

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