Ableton/Live/UG/04 Browser

• 4. Working with the Browser

  • The browser for finding and previewing sounds, devices, samples and presets, with search, filters, tags, collections and places.
  • Ableton/Live/UG/04 Browser/01 Content Pane

    • 4.1 Content Pane

      • The content pane lists the items in the selected label, or the results of a search or filter.
      • Name is always shown. Add more columns from the Content Options menu, also opened by right-clicking a column name, and drag column names to reorder them.
      • Click a column name to sort by it, ascending or descending. The Content Options menu also shows or hides file extensions.
  • Ableton/Live/UG/04 Browser/02 Search Bar

    • 4.2 Search Bar

      • Results match all the search terms, not any one of them: "electric bass" finds items with both words.
      • Cmd+F (Mac) / Ctrl+F (Win) jumps to the All label and puts the cursor in the search field.
      • Narrow results by clicking tags in the Filter View, or type # and a tag name, such as #Drums, with autocomplete.
      • The x button clears the search terms only; the Clear button in the Results bar also clears selected tags.
      • Keyboard-only flow: Cmd+F, type, down arrow into the results, arrows to move, Esc to clear and return to All.
      • Ableton/Live/UG/04 Browser/02 Search Bar/01 Saving Search Results as Custom Labels

        • 4.2.1 Saving Search Results as Custom Labels

          • The Add Label button beside Clear saves the current results as a custom label in the Library.
          • Tagging items with your own tags and saving the search makes a label that works like a Collection.
          • Labels, factory or custom, can be renamed and given a new icon from their context menu; custom labels can be removed there too.
  • Ableton/Live/UG/04 Browser/03 Browser History

    • 4.3 Browser History

      • The arrow buttons left of the search bar step back and forward through past searches and navigation.
      • Cmd+] / Cmd+[ (Mac) or Ctrl+] / Ctrl+[ (Win) go forward and back.
  • Ableton/Live/UG/04 Browser/04 Filters and Tags

    • 4.4 Filters and Tags

      • The Filter View lists filter groups and their tags for searching content by description.
      • Hide it with the Show/Hide Filter View toggle; the Filter View menu beside it picks which groups appear.
      • Ableton/Live/UG/04 Browser/04 Filters and Tags/01 Filter Groups

        • 4.4.1 Filter Groups

          • Click tags in a group to narrow the content pane; Cmd-click (Mac) / Ctrl-click (Win) selects several in one group.
          • Each label keeps its own set of visible groups and selected filters. Hide a group by right-clicking its name; "Reset Filter Groups to Default" in the Filter View menu brings the defaults back.
          • The Results bar counts the applied filters. Clear resets them and the search; Add Label saves the results.
      • Ableton/Live/UG/04 Browser/04 Filters and Tags/02 Tags

        • 4.4.2 Tags

          • Tags help find, organize and discover content. All factory content from the Core Library and bundled Packs carries descriptive tags; third-party Packs from the Ableton shop are tagged in the Sounds group.
          • Factory tags can't be removed, but you can add other tags, including your own, in the Tag Editor.
          • Background sound analysis auto-tags user samples up to 60 seconds long with the best-matching tag. Turn this off with Enable Auto Tags in the Filter View menu, or change or remove auto tags in the Tag Editor.
          • VST3 plug-ins get tags from their VST sub-category when it maps to one of Live's categories.
      • Ableton/Live/UG/04 Browser/04 Filters and Tags/03 Tag Editor

        • 4.4.3 Tag Editor

          • The Tag Editor, opened from the Filter View menu, shows and assigns tags for the selected item. Check or uncheck tags; Shift-select several items to tag them together.
          • Add Tag… adds a custom tag to any group; Add Group… at the bottom creates a new group, which appears in the Filter View once one of its tags is used, for example a group for field recordings.
          • Right-click a tag and choose Add Subtag in… to nest tags under a parent tag. The Creator group doesn't allow subtags.
          • Custom tags and groups can be renamed or deleted from their context menu; default groups and tags can't.
      • Ableton/Live/UG/04 Browser/04 Filters and Tags/04 Quick Tags

        • 4.4.4 Quick Tags

          • Quick Tags shows the selected item's tags. Add… assigns another, with autocomplete, or creates a new tag after a "Create new tag…" prompt, asking for its parent tag or group.
          • The X beside a tag you assigned removes it; factory tags stay.
          • With several items selected, it shows every tag on any of them and marks tags not shared by all with an asterisk.
          • Selecting a tag shows its filter group in the Status Bar. Hide the section with Open Quick Tags in the Filter View menu.
  • Ableton/Live/UG/04 Browser/05 Collections

    • 4.5 Collections

      • Collections are color labels for grouping favorite or frequently used items of any kind, folders included. See Ableton/Collection.
      • Assign one from an item's context menu or with keys 1 to 7; 0 clears colors. Several items can be colored at once, and an item can carry several colors, though the content pane shows at most three squares.
      • Clicking a Collection in the sidebar lists everything with that color.
      • Rename a Collection from its context menu or with Cmd+R (Mac) / Ctrl+R (Win). The Edit button beside the Collections header chooses which labels show; Done exits. A hidden color reappears once it's assigned, but an empty visible color doesn't hide itself.
  • Ableton/Live/UG/04 Browser/06 Library

    • 4.6 Library

      • Library labels group content by type, searchable and filterable:
        • All: every item, devices first, then files.
        • Sounds: Instrument Racks and instrument presets, plus anything tagged in the Sounds group.
        • Drums: drum devices, Drum Racks, single hits, loops and one-shots, and anything tagged Drums.
        • Instruments, Audio Effects and MIDI Effects: built-in devices, their presets and your Racks, organized by device.
        • Modulators: modulator devices and anything tagged Modulator.
        • Max for Live: Max for Live devices, presets and Racks built from them.
        • Plug-Ins: VST and Audio Units plug-ins.
        • Clips, Samples, Grooves and Templates: Live Clips, raw samples, grooves and template Sets.
        • Tunings: Core Library tunings and saved .ascl or .scl files.
      • The Edit button beside the Library header chooses which labels show.
  • Ableton/Live/UG/04 Browser/07 Places

    • 4.7 Places

      • Places holds Packs, the User Library, the Current Project and folders you add. Library Settings can also show Splice, Cloud and Push.
        • Packs: the Core Library, installed Packs, and Pack updates and downloads.
        • Splice: the Splice sample catalog.
        • Cloud: Sets synced from Ableton/Note and Move.
        • Push: files on a Push 3 in Standalone Mode.
        • User Library: your saved presets, defaults, grooves, samples, Live Clips and more.
        • Current Project: the open Project's files.
        • User folders, added with Add Folder….
      • Ableton/Live/UG/04 Browser/07 Places/01 Downloading and Installing Packs in the Browser

        • 4.7.1 Downloading and Installing Packs in the Browser

          • The Packs label shows installed Packs (Ableton/File/.alp) as folders, plus Updates and Available Packs (owned but not installed). Pack presets, samples and clips also appear in the matching Library labels.
          • Click a Pack's download icon to download; it turns into a pause icon that shows progress. Downloads can be paused and resumed, singly or for several selected Packs, also from the context menu. Press Install when the download finishes.
          • The Content Options menu can show Pack sizes before download.
          • Delete an installed Pack from its context menu or with Delete; it goes back to Available Packs.
          • The Show Downloadable Packs toggle in Library Settings hides Updates and Available Packs.
      • Ableton/Live/UG/04 Browser/07 Places/02 Pack Info

        • 4.7.2 Pack Info

          • Most Packs have an info page with the creator, a summary and sometimes a tutorial. Open all of them via Help → Pack Overview, or one via Show Pack Info in an installed Pack's context menu. The Core Library has none.
      • Ableton/Live/UG/04 Browser/07 Places/03 Splice

        • 4.7.3 Splice

          • Splice is a royalty-free sample library reachable from the Splice label. Its Home page has navigation arrows, a search bar, a Search with Sound drop area and category buttons.
          • Browsing and previewing work without an account, but adding samples, saving to your Splice library and Search with Sound require logging in. An internet connection is required.
          • Hide the label from its context menu or with "Show Splice" in Library Settings.

          • 4.7.3.1 Logging Into Splice

            • Login, or Try free for a new account, opens the web browser with a device confirmation code. Check it matches the code in Live, confirm, then log in.
            • Once logged in, the Library icon becomes active and the Home page rearranges its browsing buttons and Search with Sound area.

          • 4.7.3.2 Searching for Splice Samples

            • Search by term, then choose Samples or Packs. Filter by instrument, genre, key, tempo, and one-shot or loop, and sort by popular, relevant, recent or random.
            • Free accounts see only their included samples, around 2,500.
            • The Instruments, Genres and Cinematic FX buttons browse by category and subcategory.
            • Search with Sound: drag a clip, or capture a time selection, onto the drop area to get 50 compatible samples.

          • 4.7.3.3 Working with Splice Samples

            • Each result shows its pack image, one-shot or loop icon, name, tags and a menu for Likes, Collections and the pack. Click the play button or name to preview.
            • Previews loop and sync to the Set's tempo by default; preview options at the bottom change tempo sync, looping, key, scale sync and loudness. The heart adds a sample to Likes.
            • Drag a sample onto a track or into Sampler, Simpler, Drum Rack or Impulse; in Session View, double-click or press Enter. Splice clips are set to Complex warp mode so they sound like the preview.
            • Loaded samples are licensed and saved to your Splice library, in User Library/Samples/Splice by default; Library Settings can switch this to the Current Project or a custom folder.

          • 4.7.3.4 Splice Library

            • Holds Likes, Collections and every sample you have loaded into a Set. Collections can be created, renamed, described, made private, shared or deleted.

          • 4.7.3.5 Splice Settings

            • Subscription plan, display settings, usage logs, information on certified licenses, a knowledge base link and a feedback option.
      • Ableton/Live/UG/04 Browser/07 Places/04 Using Ableton Cloud

        • 4.7.4 Using Ableton Cloud

          • Ableton Cloud stores up to eight Sets from Move and Ableton/Note for use across Ableton products. Select the Cloud label and sign in to ableton.com to turn it on; synced Sets then appear there.
          • Samples in synced Sets live in the User Library, which must be reachable when you open them, for example an external drive that holds a custom User Library location.
          • Sync runs from Move or Note to Live only, so use File → Collect All and Save when keeping a synced Set you've developed in Live.
          • Hide the label with "Show Cloud" in Library Settings.
      • Ableton/Live/UG/04 Browser/07 Places/05 Transferring Files from Push 3 in Standalone Mode

        • 4.7.5 Transferring Files from Push 3 in Standalone Mode

          • Sets made on a Push 3 in Standalone Mode can be opened in Live, and Sets can go back to Push if they use native devices, freeze plug-in tracks and collect their samples.
          • With Push on the same Wi-Fi network, click the Push label, choose the unit and press Connect, then enter the six-digit code shown on Push. Project folders and Push's User Library then appear in the browser.
          • Switch away from the label and back to refresh. Disconnect from the label's context menu. Hide it with "Show Push" in Library Settings.
      • Ableton/Live/UG/04 Browser/07 Places/06 User Library

        • 4.7.6 User Library

          • The User Library stores your presets, defaults, Live Clips, templates and more, in its own location so it can be backed up or shared.
          • Default location: ~/Music/Ableton/User Library (Mac) or \Users\<username>\Documents\Ableton\User Library (Win). Change it with "Location of User Library" in Library Settings.
          • It starts with Clips, Defaults, Grooves, Presets and Samples folders; add or remove folders as you like.

          • 4.7.6.1 ABL Assets

            • Assets from Move and Note Sets synced through Ableton Cloud.

          • 4.7.6.2 Chord Banks

            • Chord banks saved for the Stacks MIDI Tool.

          • 4.7.6.3 Clips Folder

            • Live Clips (Ableton/File/.alc); drag a clip here to save it. MIDI clips keep notes, automation and device settings. Referenced samples are saved with the clip while "Collect Files on Export" is set to Always, the default.

          • 4.7.6.4 Defaults Folder

            • Saved defaults for tracks, devices, effects, Slicing to MIDI and more, recalled each time the device loads.

          • 4.7.6.5 Grooves Folder

            • Custom grooves (Ableton/File/.agr). Extract one from any clip by dragging it to the Groove Pool or with Extract Groove. See Ableton/Live/UG/14 Grooves.

          • 4.7.6.6 Presets Folder

            • Instrument, Max for Live, MIDI effect and audio effect presets (Ableton/File/.adv), with any referenced samples.

          • 4.7.6.7 Samples Folder

            • Samples referenced by saved presets and tracks, with separate subfolders for recorded and processed samples.

          • 4.7.6.8 Templates Folder

            • Template Sets and the custom default Live Set.

          • 4.7.6.9 Managing Files in the User Library

            • File → Manage Files, then Manage User Library, shows its contents and any missing or external files.
      • Ableton/Live/UG/04 Browser/07 Places/07 Current Project

        • 4.7.7 Current Project

          • Lists the open Project's files: tracks with their clips and devices, Return and Main tracks, and grooves.
          • After a Project is saved twice, a Backup folder appears with the last ten saved versions, timestamped in brackets. Older backups go to the trash. Handy after overwriting a Set by accident.
          • An unsaved Set has no Backup folder and lives in a temporary location.
          • "Show in Finder" (Mac) / "Show in Explorer" (Win) in the label's context menu opens the folder.
      • Ableton/Live/UG/04 Browser/07 Places/08 User Folders

        • 4.7.8 User Folders

          • Add your own folders, such as sample collections on external drives, by dropping them into Places or with Add Folder. Live scans them, with a spinning wheel while it works.
          • Adding doesn't move the folder. A moved, renamed or disconnected folder shows grayed out; use Locate Folder, or Remove from Sidebar to forget it.

          • Note/Info Add specific content folders, not whole drives; very large folders slow indexing and may be re-indexed at every launch.
            

  • Ableton/Live/UG/04 Browser/08 Navigating in the Browser

    • 4.8 Navigating in the Browser

      • Scroll with the arrow keys, the mouse wheel, or Cmd+Option-drag (Mac) / Ctrl+Alt-drag (Win).
      • Left and right arrows open and close folders and move between the sidebar and the content pane.
      • Opening a folder closes the others unless you hold Cmd (Mac) / Ctrl (Win).
  • Ableton/Live/UG/04 Browser/09 Previewing Files

    • 4.9 Previewing Files

      • Turn on the Preview toggle at the bottom of the browser to hear samples, clips and instrument presets when you select them. Without it, Shift+Enter or the right arrow previews the selected item.
      • The Preview tab shows a waveform; click it to jump. Clips saved with Warp off can't be scrubbed.
      • With Raw off, the default, previews start on the next bar while the transport runs and loop. With Raw on, they play at their original tempo, unlooped and unscrubbable.
      • The Main track's Preview/Cue Volume knob sets the level. An interface with a spare pair of outputs lets you cue previews in headphones while the main mix plays.
  • Ableton/Live/UG/04 Browser/10 Adding Content from the Browser to a Live Set

    • 4.10 Adding Content from the Browser to a Live Set

      • Drag items onto Session or Arrangement tracks; dropping them right of the Session tracks or below the Arrangement tracks creates a new track.
      • In Session View, double-click or Enter loads a device onto the selected track; a sample goes into a Simpler on a MIDI track or into a clip slot on an audio track. In Arrangement View, the same loads the item onto the selected track.
      • Files can also be dropped in from Finder or Explorer.