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
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Looplet (Suite): a Max for Live device that loops and layers different parts of a single sample using four playheads
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Clipper and Transient Shaper (Suite): two new dynamics processors, both staples of modern drum and mix chains
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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
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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 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, w