Ableton/Live/UG/37 Sync with Link Tempo Follower and MIDI/01 Synchronizing via Link
- Ableton Link keeps beat, tempo and phase in step across apps and devices on a wired or wireless network. Link Audio adds real-time audio streaming between the peers in a Link session, with no extra hardware.
- Any peer can start and stop on its own and stay in phase, with playback following the global launch quantization. Any peer can change the tempo for everyone, and peers can join or leave without disturbing the others.
- Link can run alongside Tempo Follower or MIDI sync; the Link session then takes its tempo from that external input.
- Link and Link Audio have their own Link tab in Ableton/Settings.
- The Link toggle sits in the Ableton/Live/UI/Control Bar. Set Show Link Toggle to Hide to remove it.
- The menu beside the toggle switches Link and Link Audio on or off, lists connected Link Audio peers, and opens the settings with Configure Link….
- Settings on the Link tab:
- Start Stop Sync — share start and stop between peers that also turn it on.
- Audio — turns Link Audio on. It works only while the Link toggle is on.
- Name — the name other peers see.
- Latency — input latency for incoming audio; the peer list shows how much audio each peer buffers.
- Sync to Incoming Audio — delays Live's playback by the latency so incoming Link Audio lines up with Live's clips. Only one peer in a session should turn it on.
- Peers list — each connected Link Audio peer with its status and buffered audio.
- Put the computer on the same network as the other devices, over stable Wi-Fi or a cable, and turn on the Link toggle. Live starts or joins a session, and the toggle shows how many peers are connected.
- With at least one peer connected and the transport stopped, Ableton/Live/UI/Control Bar/Field/Arrangement Position shows a progress bar for the global launch quantization. After you press play, Live waits for the bar to complete.
- The first peer sets the starting tempo. After that the last peer to change the tempo wins, and Link tempo changes override tempo automation in the Set.
- The metronome's recording count-in is unavailable while Link is on.
- Link Audio streams audio between Link peers on the same network, so Live can monitor and record other devices and apps. Both Link and Link Audio must be on for every peer.
- Each peer appears as an input source. In an audio track, choose the peer in the Input Type chooser and its source track in the Input Channel chooser. Monitoring needs In, or Auto on an armed track; recording needs the track armed.
- Every track with audio output can be streamed to peers. Live and Push can send and receive; other apps may only send.
