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https://github.com/danielbayley/ableton-live-tools

A collection of useful additions to @Ableton Live, including better @Git integration.
https://github.com/danielbayley/ableton-live-tools

ableton ableton-live audio daw git music production sound version-control versioning

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A collection of useful additions to @Ableton Live, including better @Git integration.

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[Ableton Live] Tools
====================
Live tools is a collection of useful additions to the excellent [Ableton Live] [DAW]. Currently, it improves integration of Live with other tools, but useful devices, racks and templates will be added in future for various audio tasks. [Contributions](#Contributing) are welcome.

Instant Setup
-------------
If you just want to get started immediately on a project with version control, you can just run (open) the `SETUP.command` to clean up and use this repository as the basis for a project. Easy.

---

macOS [Services]
----------------
Live Tools includes a few handy services for Live users wise enough to be running macOS.

They are easy to use, simply open a `.workflow` file and choose the option to install. This just moves that workflow to your `~/Library/Services` folder which makes it available from the `Services` menu, in this case from within Live.

![](https://cloud.githubusercontent.com/assets/7797479/6123647/00608c06-b0fd-11e4-8273-1e8b272069de.png)

Note that due to security measures on macOS, permission must first be granted to Applications before they can be manipulated from scripts and services.

Open System Preferences and navigate to `Accessibility` under `Security & Privacy`. Click on the padlock icon and enter your admin password to access the list. Make sure Live is listed and enabled (you can just drag in `Live.app` from Finder if it isn't on the list). You might also want to grant access to System Events and Automator here. This only needs to be done once.

#


![](https://cloud.githubusercontent.com/assets/7797479/6142880/28871e60-b1b7-11e4-917a-eb7c19f2d7c3.png)

### Git integration
`Save Live Set as XML.workflow` will automatically uncompress `.als` files in the current project so that they play nice with Git, since a Live set is actually [just gzipped XML].

If you specify `⌘S` as the keyboard shortcut under `App Shortcuts` rather than `Services` this will actually override the native `Save Live Set` command so that now Live will in effect always save uncompressed `.als` files. Live has no problem opening these, so no need to worry about having to re-compress anything.

Return to System Preferences and under `Keyboard` then `Shortcuts`, add (`+`) a new shortcut and choose Live as the application. Enter `Save Live Set as XML` for the menu title (or whatever you want, providing this exactly matches the name of the `.workflow` file, should you decide to alter it).

#


![](https://cloud.githubusercontent.com/assets/7797479/6123649/03ff3c4a-b0fd-11e4-8153-a72e5b8e65aa.png)

### Pre-commit [hook]
While the above service works by uncompressing sets every time you save from Live, an even better method is to implement this as a `pre-commit` [Git Hook][hook].

If you use this repository as the basis for a project as mentioned above, then all you have to do is run (open) the `SETUP.command`. This just adds the `pre-commit` hook and will clean out the repository ready for your Live project.

Alternatively, you could setup a [Git template] including the hook which would apply it to any future repository using `git init`. Doing this on an existing repo will also work, and without overwriting anything.

~~~ bash
cd ~/path/to/project
mkdir -p ~/path/to/template/hooks &&
cp pre-commit ~/path/to/template/hooks
git config --global init.templatedir ~/path/to/template
~~~

### Commit
`Commit Live Project.workflow` will first ensure any `.als` files are uncompressed as above, but then also either open the current project in [GitHub Desktop], _[GitKraken]_ or _[Tower]_ depending on which is installed, or otherwise prompt for a commit summary.

### Export ALAC (`.m4a`) audio
`Export ALAC audio.workflow` essentially adds the option of exporting [Apple Lossless Audio Codec][ALAC] files straight from Live. These have the advantage of lossless compression and metadata support including artwork.

It works by automatically converting the latest `.wav` or `.aif` output from Live (providing you save to the current project folder). It will also rename any accompanying `.*.asd` [analysis file] to `.m4a.asd` as appropriate.

---

[Makefile]
----------
There's also a simple `makefile` [included] if you're into those.
`make watch` will watch for changes in the project folder and automatically emulate the above workflows.

---

# Collaboration
In the spirit of collaboration, which hopefully this project will aid, there are a few nice online tools for sharing Live sets which are appropriately listed here.

- [Blend]
- [Splice]

---

Alternate Live icon
-------------------
![](https://cloud.githubusercontent.com/assets/7797479/6123652/12002f48-b0fd-11e4-908c-804b7f02d2b4.png)

Also thrown in is an alternative icon for Live, if you prefer. This can be applied by choosing `Get Info` from the contextual menu in Finder with `Live.app` selected, and dragging the `Live.icns` file over the existing icon in the top left corner. [LiteIcon] is free and recommended for managing icons on macOS, if you find yourself doing this kind of thing often.

---

License
-------
[MIT] © [Daniel Bayley]

[MIT]: LICENSE.md
[Daniel Bayley]: https://github.com/danielbayley

[Ableton Live]: http://ableton.com/en/live
[DAW]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_audio_workstation

[services]: http://macosxautomation.com/services

[ALAC]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Lossless

[analysis file]: http://ableton.com/en/manual/managing-files-and-sets/#analysis-files-asd
[just gzipped XML]: http://crooked-hideout.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/ableton-live-set-is-gzipped-xml-ruby.html

[makefile]: http://gnu.org/software/make/manual/make.html#Introduction
[included]: Makefile

[git template]: http://git-scm.com/docs/git-init
[hook]: http://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Customizing-Git-Git-Hooks
[GitHub Desktop]: http://mac.github.com
[GitKraken]: http://gitkraken.com
[tower]: http://git-tower.com

[liteicon]: http://freemacsoft.net/liteicon

[blend]: http://blend.io
[splice]: http://splice.com