VIXSOUND installs a small plugin so it can control Ableton Live. You do this once. Live 11 and Live 12 use different menus, and Mac and Windows quit Ableton in different ways.
What you need
Ableton
Live 11 or Live 12, Standard or Suite. Live Lite does not include the control-surface feature VIXSOUND uses. Max for Live is not part of the setup.
Mac
macOS 12 or later. Apple Silicon is the stable build. Intel Macs use the Intel beta on the download page.
Windows
Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit, public beta. Windows on ARM is not available yet.
Account
A VIXSOUND account. Create it on the website, then sign in inside the app with the same email and password.
Install the app
Install VIXSOUND before you open Ableton's settings. If Ableton is already open, quit it completely after the plugin step so it can load VIXSOUND at startup.
Mac
1Download the installer for your Mac. Apple Silicon (M1 or later) and Intel are separate downloads.
2Open the DMG and drag VIXSOUND into Applications.
3Open VIXSOUND from Applications and sign in.
4On the setup screen, click Install Plugin. VIXSOUND copies the plugin into Ableton's User Library.
2Run the .exe. If Windows shows “Windows protected your PC”, click More info, then Run anyway. If antivirus quarantines the file, choose Allow, Keep, or Restore, then run it.
3Open VIXSOUND and sign in.
4On the setup screen, click Install Plugin. VIXSOUND copies the plugin into Ableton's User Library.
Pick VIXSOUND as a Control Surface, and leave that row's Input and Output on None. VIXSOUND does not use a MIDI port. Your keyboard stays on its own row. Any free Control Surface slot is fine. Other control surfaces can stay in the other slots.
Ableton Live 12 (Standard or Suite)
In Live 12 the menu is Settings. Link and Tempo & MIDI are separate sections. The Control Surface list is under Tempo & MIDI.
1Quit Ableton completely if it was open while you installed the plugin, then open it again.
2On Mac, open Live → Settings, or press Command-Comma. On Windows, open Options → Settings, or press Ctrl-Comma.
3Click Tempo & MIDI. Skip the Link section.
4Under Control Surface, select VIXSOUND.
5Set that row's Input and Output to None.
6Close Settings. In VIXSOUND, Connect and Ready should turn on.
Ableton Live 11 (Standard or Suite)
In Live 11 the menu is Preferences. Control surfaces live on one tab named Link, Tempo & MIDI.
1Quit Ableton completely if it was open while you installed the plugin, then open it again.
2On Mac, open Live → Preferences, or press Command-Comma. On Windows, open Options → Preferences, or press Ctrl-Comma.
3Click Link, Tempo & MIDI.
4Under Control Surface, select VIXSOUND.
5Set that row's Input and Output to None.
6Close Preferences. In VIXSOUND, Connect and Ready should turn on.
If VIXSOUND is missing from the Control Surface list, Ableton has not scanned the plugin yet. Quit Ableton completely, open it again, and select VIXSOUND. In the VIXSOUND setup screen you can also click Reinstall plugin, then quit and reopen Ableton.
If Connect stays unfinished
Install can be done while Connect and Ready are still off. The notes below are the cases we see most often.
Ableton is still running a previous VIXSOUND script
Ableton reached VIXSOUND, and it is still holding an older copy of the plugin in memory. Closing the window leaves Ableton running, so the next launch loads that same copy. Quit both apps, open VIXSOUND first, then open Ableton.
Mac
1Quit VIXSOUND.
2Quit Ableton from the Dock. If the icon stays, press Command-Option-Esc, select Ableton Live, and click Force Quit. Wait until it is gone.
3Open VIXSOUND and sign in. Leave Ableton closed for a few seconds so VIXSOUND can refresh the plugin.
4Open Ableton from the Dock or from Applications.
5In Settings (Live 12) or Preferences (Live 11), confirm VIXSOUND is selected, with Input and Output set to None.
Windows
1Quit VIXSOUND.
2Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete and click Task Manager. Select Ableton Live and choose End task. Wait until it disappears from the list.
3Open VIXSOUND and sign in. Leave Ableton closed for a few seconds so VIXSOUND can refresh the plugin.
4Open Ableton Live.
5In Settings (Live 12) or Preferences (Live 11), confirm VIXSOUND is selected, with Input and Output set to None.
macOS says Ableton is damaged
Cancel that dialog. Leave Move to Trash alone. Open Ableton from the Dock or from Applications, then select VIXSOUND under Control Surface.
Windows says the connection service is not running
Ableton can be fine while VIXSOUND's local connection is stopped. Click Retry connection in the setup screen. If antivirus blocked it, allow VIXSOUND and try again. If the message says the connection runtime could not be set up, reinstall VIXSOUND or write to support.
Questions
Does this work with Ableton Live 12 Standard?
Yes. Live 12 Standard and Suite both work. In Live 12, select VIXSOUND under Settings → Tempo & MIDI. Max for Live is not required.
Where is the Control Surface list in Live 11?
Live 11 uses Preferences → Link, Tempo & MIDI. Live 12 moved the same list to Settings → Tempo & MIDI, and Link is its own section.
Why are Input and Output set to None?
VIXSOUND talks to Ableton through the plugin, not through a MIDI cable. Choosing your keyboard on the VIXSOUND row takes that keyboard away from your tracks. Leave the keyboard on its own Control Surface row.
Can I keep other control surfaces?
Yes. MIDI controllers and other scripts can stay in the other slots. Only the VIXSOUND row needs Input and Output set to None.