Best of 2021: Ableton has a long-held tradition of incrementally improving its DAW rather than radically altering it. Live 11, in that vein, features a large number of changes and improvements.

These can be broadly split into three categories: enhanced tracking capabilities, new tools that will be primarily useful in a live performance context, and upgrades to Live’s existing sound generation, processing and sequencing capabilities.

The Suite edition of Live 11 includes four main new effects: PitchLoop89 (a pitchshifting effect inspired by an obscure, primitive digital pitch-shifter, the Publison DHM 89 B2), Hybrid Reverb (a dual algorithmic and convolution reverb suitable for both standard and sound design-esque reverbs), and Spectral Resonator and Spectral Time (which respectively create resonant comb filter-like and granular delay-style effects).

Also included with the Live 11 Suite are three new great-sounding instruments that were created in collaboration with Spitfire Audio (Upright Piano, Brass Quartet and String Quartet), three new sound packs (Voice Box, Mood Reel and Drone Lab), and six ‘Inspired by Nature’ chance-based instrument and effects.

These don’t feel as substantial as previous, meatier additions to Live such as 10’s Wavetable and Echo, but they are of a decent enough quality and their quirky nature makes them complementary to 11’s chance-based features.

What’s more, certain existing effects have been given substantial upgrades: Redux and Chorus are now much more full-featured, and Phaser and Flanger have been integrated into a single more powerful effect much like Simple Delay and Ping Pong Delay were in the Live 10 update.