Best ableton live shortcuts for mac, osx, windows using shortcuts while performing repetitive tasks in software can save you up to 60 hours per year according to some estimates. Ableton is no exception - that's more time you can spend on your productions or buying groceries or whatever.
using shortcuts while performing repetitive tasks in software can save you up to 60 hours per year according to some estimates. ableton is no exception - that's more time you can spend on your productions or buying groceries or whatever. so let's review some of the top shortcuts for ableton live!
many of these you may (should) already be duly familiar with but there are a few that can escape even a seasoned producer. definitely have a look and let me know what stands out to you as the most useful shortcut.
play from playhead
shift + spacebar
starting playback from your keyboard defaults back to the start of the selection. holding shift and pressing spacebar starts the track from where you left after, simplifying the process of resuming from a pause.
insert time
cmd + i (ctrl + i)
it can be a pain to highlight half of your project and move it a few bars just to make a little room for a new part. this shortcut makes that process much simpler.
insert silence can be used to help you get creative with your arrangement. the Beatles famously used to drop in odd half bars or extra beats to create odd time signatures or build extra anticipation before a chorus & insert time can help you do these kinds of things quickly in live.
delete time
cmd + shift + delete (ctrl + shift + delete)
I use delete time all the time when editing podcasts & working on sound design & it can save you ridiculous amounts of time as an effective compositional tool when you want to remove a few bars or a full section from your track. make these easy on yourself with this shortcut!
loop selection
cmd + l (ctrl + l)
looping in arrangement mode is great for beginning a track as you can hear, track, & develop a section without worrying about the length or needing to stop & restart the transport.
obviously, this shortcut will set the loop bracket to the current selection & turn looping 'on'. remember you can turn looping off with the loop switch in the top right corner of the program.
more looping shortcuts
Ableton Shortcuts Template Mac Free
cmd + arrow (ctrl + arrow)
the downside to these is that you have to first select the loop bracket to make it 'active'. from there, however, you can hold cmd and use the arrow keys to expand or shorten the loop (by a factor of two) or move it around your song.
follow transport
cmd + shift + f (ctrl + shift + f)
following playback let's you keep a careful eye on all the details of your track as it plays & this shortcut both turns on and turns off the function. as soon as you interact with live in some way, it will disengage from following, so keep that in mind.
cut automation only
cmd + alt + x (ctrl + alt + delete)
the default clipboard behavior is to edit clips & envelopes as one entity & this is usually preferred. in some cases, however, you'll want to edit automation independently of its associated automation & you can do so by adding 'alt' to the standard clipboard shortcuts. notice when an envelope is deleted, breakpoints are created on either side of the deleted segment & an automation line is drawn to smoothly connected.
duplicate envelopes only
option + cmd + d (alt + ctrl + d)
another useful way to ignore the audio in your clips when you only want to focus on automation. fantastic for cycling a pattern in arrangement view, as duplicating automation can help you make interesting modulations above changing audio, like rhythmic filter sweeps.
record
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fn + f9 (f9)
a very useful shortcut for quick recording. note that if you've enabled 'start playback with record' in the record/warp/launch section of the preferences this will handily also start your transport.
I find that on osx it's a little difficult to press f9 (as a combination of fn key & f9 key) with one hand & I often find it essential to initiate recording with one hand. this is why I recommend key mapping record to something simpler & saving it to your default template. this way you create your own keyboard shortcut that is much easier to use - necessary for such an essential command.
that's it for part 1. check out part 2 and part 3 by clicking below for even more shortcuts you should know!
check out the updated version of this article here
using shortcuts while performing repetitive tasks in software can save you up to 60 hours per year according to some estimates. ableton is no exception - that's more time you can spend on your productions or buying groceries or whatever. so let's review some of the top shortcuts for ableton live!
many of these you may (should) already be duly familiar with but there are a few that I didn't know about before researching for this article. definitely have a look and let me know what stands out to you as the most useful shortcut.
![Ableton Ableton](/uploads/1/2/7/0/127092728/647382615.png)
fades are a valuable tool. not just for seamlessly joining clips and transparently bringing tracks in and out of a song, they're also a necessary utility for removing zero-crossing pops from your clips.
follow transport: cmd + shift + f (ctrl + shift + f)
following playback let's you keep a careful eye on all the details of your track as it plays. very useful indeed, this shortcut both turns on and turns off the function.
mute tracks: fn + f1, f2, f3, etc. (f1, f2, f3, etc.)
how often do you need to quickly mute something to get reference of the rest of the song? you can quickly mute and unmute tracks 1-8 with the function keys. mind that if you have tracks in groups, even if they are collapsed, they are still considered to be in the order they are in.
record: fn + f9 (f9)
a very useful shortcut for quick recording. note that if you've enabled 'start playback with record' in the record/warp/launch section of the preferences this will also start your transport. handy!
exclusive arm/solo: cmd + click (ctrl + click)
the function of this shortcut will depend on your settings in the record/warp/launch section of the preferences. if you have exclusive arm and solo enabled, cmd (ctrl) + clicking these in the mixer will allow you to arm or solo multiple tracks. if exclusive arm and solo are not enabled, this will allow you to to simultaneously disarm or desolo all other tracks but the one you click.
insert time: cmd + i (ctrl + i)
it can be a pain to highlight half of your project and move it a few bars just to make a little room for more. this shortcut makes that no problem. don't forget you can delete time as well (via cmd (ctrl) + shift + delete) so don't worry about getting too exact with the amount of time you add.
duplicate time: cmd + shift + d (ctrl + shift + d)
this shortcut is great for creating variations and 'children' from your current loops. just duplicate a few bars over and make adjustment to the patterns and sounds and you've got a b-section!
paste time: cmd + shift + v (ctrl + shift + v)
you don't always want everything moved over, I know. so just copy what you need and paste it right into the middle of your song!
loop selection: cmd + l (ctrl + l)
a great tool for looping whatever you have highlighted. in my opinion this makes session view obsolete for all but live applications. this same shortcut is very useful inside clips where it will snap the clip loop to the selection.
more looping shortcuts: cmd + shift + l, cmd + arrow (ctrl + shift + l, ctrl + arrow)
more tools for working with loops in arrangement view. cmd (ctrl) + shift + l will select the loop to make it 'active'. from there, you can hold cmd and use the arrow keys to expand or shorten the loop (by a factor of two) or move it around your song.
midi tracks and clips: cmd + shift + t and cmd + shift + m (ctrl + shift + t and ctrl + shift + m)
we'll go into the more common shortcuts now for anyone missing out (I was definitely a late-bloomer with some of these, I empathize). create a midi track and midi clip speedy-quick!
quantize: cmd + shift + u (ctrl + shift + u)
you can quantize with cmd (ctrl) + u but if you want control over the settings you'll want to add shift. works for both midi and warped audio.
group devices: cmd + g (ctrl +g)
cmd (ctrl) + g does a lot of things and undoubtedly you're already using it for this and grouping tracks. one of the best features of ableton imo.
open preferences: cmd + , (ctrl + ,)
cmd + , gives you quick access to the preferences on nearly every osx application, ableton included.
consolidate: cmd + j (ctrl + j)
I have to mention consolidate, just because it changed my life. incredibly useful to quickly 'bounce' several clips into one. flattens any warp adjustments you make. works for both midi and audio. HUGE.
those are some of my favorites, hope you find them useful and time-saving! for me, the speed of ableton enhances and inspires creativity.
remember you can find all of my production tips here and follow the socials to never miss a new tip//
remember you can find all of my production tips here and follow the socials to never miss a new tip//