User Manual

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Chapter 30
Audio Fact Sheet
Prior to the release of Live 7, much of Ableton's development effort was focused on carefully
and objectively testing Live's fundamental audio performance. As a result of this testing, we
have implemented a number of low-level improvements to the audio engine. We have also
written this fact sheet to help users understand exactly how their audio is (or is not) being
modied when using certain features in Live that are often misunderstood, as well as tips
for achieving the highest quality results.
As mentioned above, the focus of our research has been on objective (that is, quantiable
and measurable) behavior. We make no claims about what you can hear because we can't
possibly predict the variables that make up your listening environment, audio hardware,
hearing sensitivity, etc. Furthermore, this paper makes no claims about how Live compares
to other audio software. Rather, it is a summary of measurable facts about what Live actually
does under various conditions.
30.1 Testing and Methodology
As of this writing, every version of Live is subjected to a suite of 473 automated tests that
cover every aspect of Live's functionality. We add additional tests as we add features, and