
    d9 $ midicmd "start" # s "midi"


    let melody = slow 6 $ "0 2 [4 8 .] [3 4 3] 8 4 9"


    d3
$ note
((scaleP scalePattern
  $ (rotR 4)
  $ (+ slow 8 "x" <~> ((0.25 ~>) generateMelodicSeed))
  -- $ slow 4 \n
  $ generateMelodicSeed
))#s "[pe-gtr:8,midi]" #gain 1.2 #orbit 2 #midichan 3


    d9 $ midicmd "start" # s "midi"

index > /home/xinniw/Documents/garden/Ableton Live Minimum System Requirements.md

Minimum requirements Abelton Live 1.5

Abelton Live Version 1.5

Spring 2002 System Requirements: G3 Macintosh or faster 64 megabytes of RAM CD-ROM drive MacOS 8.6 256 color monitor, 800 x 600 pixels

I find this set of specs fascinating given what Live was able to achieve on this platform. Version 1.5 of Live has a surprising amount of workflow in common with the current version of Abelton Live (v.11 at the time of writing).

Features already present in v 1.5:

mixing (panning, summing, sends)
real-time audio stretching and sampling
the famous session view -> arrangement view -> session view workflow
vst audio effects

Notably missing was midi sequencing and therefor VSTi's although I don't think this omission was due to any performance restrictions. Multitrack recording was added in version 2, and midi control in 3, virtual instruments in 4.

Looking through the version requirements of subsequent versions of Live we get through live 6 before we see a change in processor speed requirement. The most rapid bloat in requirements seems to come in the form of required ram.

Live 6

Mac: OSX: 10.3.9 (10.4 recommended) CPU: G3 RAM: 512 MB QuickTime 6.5 recommended

PC: WIN: XP/Vista CPU: 1.5 GHz RAM: 512 MB DirectX or ASIO compatible soundcard QuickTime 6.5 recommended

Live 5

Mac: OSX: 10.2.8 CPU: G3 RAM: 512 MB

PC: WIN: 2000/XP CPU: 600 MHz RAM: 512 MB DirectX or ASIO compatible soundcard

Live 4

Mac: OS9: 9.2 (OSX 10.1.5 recommended) CPU: G3 RAM: 256 MB

PC: WIN: 98/2000/XP CPU: 600 MHz RAM: 256 MB DirectX or ASIO compatible soundcard

Live 3

Mac: OS9: 9.2 (OSX 10.1.5 recommended) CPU: G3 RAM: 256 MB

PC: WIN: 98/2000/XP CPU: 400 MHz RAM: 128 MB DirectX or ASIO compatible soundcard

Live 2

Mac: OS9: 9.1 (OSX 10.1.5 recommended) CPU: G3 RAM: 256 MB

PC: WIN: 98/2000/XP CPU: 400 MHz RAM: 128 MB DirectX or ASIO compatible soundcard

Live 1

Mac: OS8: 8.6 CPU: G3 RAM: 128 MB

PC: WIN: 95/98/NT 4.0/2000 CPU: 300 MHz RAM: 64 MB DirectX or ASIO compatible soundcard

How much of this increase in RAM consumption was driven by the graphical environment and how much was driven by increasing audio requirements? I suspect that the graphical environment is the main driver. One hint is that the windows specs consistently require 1/2 the amount of RAM as the Mac versions.

What features were dropped in later versions because the performance benefits they offered became obsolete with faster hardware?

index > /home/xinniw/Documents/garden/Ableton Live Minimum System Requirements.md