Need help with a device?
Most answers are right on this page. If yours isn’t, send me a message. Feedback and ideas are always welcome.
Include the device name, your Ableton Live version, whether you’re on macOS or Windows, and what happened. That helps me get to the answer faster.
Install in two steps.
- Drag the downloaded .amxd device file from your download folder onto a track in Ableton Live.
- Click the Save icon on the device. Live saves it to your User Library automatically.
Find it later with Ableton’s search bar, under User Library, or in the Max for Live browser tab.
Want to organize it manually?
- Open Ableton Live and select User Library in the browser sidebar.
- Create a folder named Live Workflow Tools anywhere inside your User Library.
- Drag the downloaded .amxd file from your download folder into that folder in Live’s browser.
Common questions.
Short answers to the things people ask me most.
Where can I download my devices and updates?
Open your Gumroad Library, log in with the email address used for the purchase, and select the product. The newest files are available there, including free updates for devices you already own.
How do I update a device?
- Download the latest
.amxdfrom your Gumroad Library. - In Ableton Live, right-click the title of the device you already have installed and choose Show Device File in Browser.
- Right-click the highlighted file, choose Show in Finder (Mac) or Show in Explorer (Windows), and replace it with the new file. Keep the same filename.
Version check: Hover over the device logo. The installed version number appears in Ableton Live’s Info View.
Why are my files not showing in Quick Launcher?
Make sure the files are inside User Library/Presets/Quick Launcher or one of its first-level folders. Quick Launcher turns those first-level folders into tabs.
To open the folder, right-click User Library in Live’s browser, choose Show in Finder (Mac) or Show in Explorer (Windows), then open Presets and Quick Launcher.
Also check that the file uses one of the supported formats: .adv, .adg, .vstpreset, or .aupreset.
Which preset formats does Quick Launcher support?
-
.advfor Ableton and Max for Live device presets -
.adgfor Ableton racks -
.vstpresetfor VST3 plugin presets -
.aupresetfor Audio Unit plugin presets
Save Max for Live devices as an Ableton device preset first. Quick Launcher does not launch raw .amxd or .vstplugin files directly.
Why do presets appear in Quick Launcher but not open?
Your system first needs to know that .vstpreset and .aupreset files should open with Ableton Live.
- MacRight-click a preset file, choose Get Info, then under Open with choose the Live version you use and click Change All. Live not listed? Choose Other…, set Enable to All Applications, and select it.
- WindowsRight-click a preset file, choose Open with, Choose another app, the Live version you use, and Always.
Then double-click the same file in Finder or Explorer. If it opens in Ableton Live there, it should also work from Quick Launcher.
Why does a preset open in a new Ableton window?
Quick Launcher opens presets through your system, just like a double-click in Finder or Explorer. Two things can send them to a new window instead of your current Set:
Allow Multiple Instances: turn it off in Live’s settings.
More than one Live version: link the file type that opens wrong (.adv, .vstpreset or .aupreset) to the Live version you use, with the steps in the answer above. Only one version can be linked at a time, so relink it when you switch, for example between a beta and the regular release.
Can I map Quick Launcher to a key or MIDI control?
Yes. Map the Launch button on the device in Live’s Key Map or MIDI Map Mode. The launcher then opens at your cursor.
The preset slots themselves can’t be mapped. Click a preset or press 1-9 instead. Keyboard mapping for tabs isn’t possible yet.
Why doesn’t Auto Track Colors color my tracks?
Check that Live’s audio engine is on. Auto Track Colors applies colors while audio is running.
A track gets a color when its name contains one of your keywords. New and renamed tracks update automatically while Auto Update is on. To recolor everything at once, click Color All Tracks.
Why does Simpler Tuner show a question mark?
The question mark means the pitch in the file is unclear. Simpler Tuner does not apply an offset in that case because it does not want to guess the wrong root note.
Clear tonal one-shots should normally detect easily. Chords or samples without a clear fundamental may not. If a clear one-shot still fails, send me the file and I can take a look.