Ableton Live 12.2 Drops June 11 – Here’s What’s New
- Noise Harmony
- 24 hours ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 2 hours ago
Back in March, we covered the public beta of Ableton Live 12.2 and highlighted some of the changes coming to the software. Now it’s official — Ableton Live 12.2 will be released on June 11, 2025. With the release just around the corner, it’s a good moment to revisit what’s new in this version and what features are about to become part of the full release.
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Expressive Chords
One of the standout features in this update is the new Expressive Chords device. It lets you play full chords using a single key or pad. You can customize the voicing with MIDI or MPE, so it responds to velocity, slide, or pressure depending on your setup. It works across Live 12 Intro, Standard, and Suite — not just Suite users — making it more accessible. It’s a really fast way to sketch harmonic ideas without needing deep theory knowledge.
Roar Updates
Roar, the saturation and modulation device available in Live 12 Suite, also got a big update. It now has a new Delay routing mode, a Dispersion filter, and the option to use external audio or MIDI as a sidechain. This means you can route in a MIDI clip and use it to shape the sound or pitch of Roar’s feedback path. It makes Roar even more useful for designing basslines or modulated effects that follow your rhythm.
Auto Filter Reworked
Auto Filter has been redesigned visually and functionally. It includes new filter types like Vowel, DJ, and Comb, plus an improved modulation section and mixing tools. The update brings more options for filtering movement, especially useful in house-inspired sounds and phaser-style textures. And it’s now also part of the Move and Note environments, so you can access these tools across different Ableton platforms.
Meld’s Chord Oscillator
Meld now comes with a Chord oscillator, which creates chords from a single MIDI note using four sawtooth waves. You can control the shape, inversion, and scale awareness, so the chords stay in key automatically. Meld also includes a new Scrambler LFO 1 FX, which splits the modulation input into four amplitude zones and permutes them. It’s a creative way to add complexity without losing control.
Spectral Devices with Scale Awareness
Spectral Resonator and Resonators now follow Live 12’s scale settings. That makes it much easier to create pitched textures that sit well in a mix. For example, you can match rhythmic resonances with your track’s key instantly, without constant manual tuning.
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New Bounce Options
Live 12.2 introduces a Bounce to New Track function, which lets you convert any clip (MIDI or audio) into audio with all effects printed. There’s also a Bounce Track in Place option that turns an entire track into audio without creating a duplicate. This is great for cleaning up sessions or freezing CPU-heavy instruments.
These bounce features are also available directly on Push, which makes resampling workflows much faster without needing a mouse.
Better Browser, Simpler Organization
The Browser has been updated too. There’s now a Quick Tags panel that lets you assign and edit tags directly. Filter View is simpler, making it easier to find categories or instrument types. You can now customize the look of folders and labels, and see multiple metadata columns at the same time.
Push and MPE Enhancements
Live 12.2 brings Expressive 16 Pitches to Push — a feature that lets you play melodic lines across multiple octaves using one-shots and drum samples. Follow Actions are now available for both clips and scenes, and the Groove Pool and Tuning Systems can be accessed directly from Push. That gives you deeper control without switching to a computer.
You can also use the External Audio Effect device on Push now, so integrating outboard gear becomes easier.
Please note that Spectral Resonator and Roar are only available for users of Live 12 Suite.
Ableton Live 12.2 will be rolled out as a free update for all Live 12 users. If you own Live 12 but have automatic updates turned off, you’ll be able to download it manually from your Ableton account on release day.
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