Originally launched as FruityLoops, Image-Line's DAW holds near-iconic status for a certain generation of producers, particularly in the hip-hop and EDM realms. It retains its place at the cutting edge of DAW technology. While some of the changes might require a little getting used to for veterans, Ableton has again managed to enhance Live’s capabilities without adding bloat to its famously streamlined workflow. There are new devices, too, along with updates for existing ones. The long-awaited Live 11 takes things to the next level, adding much-requested features such as an elegant comping system and support for MPE. Since then, it's exploded in popularity and influenced the development of countless other desktop and mobile apps.

When the first version was released in 2001 it threw out the traditional design rulebook and established itself not just as a recording program for composers, but also as a performance instrument in itself. It's hard to overstate the impact that Live has had on the music software marketplace. Latest update doesn't feel as essential as the last few versions -Plugin delay compensation is still an issue for a few of the effects