touchAble Live Controller Updated To Version 3

touchableDeveloper AppBC has released an update to touchAble, its iOS Ableton Live control app.

touchAble, available for both iPad and iPhone, that offers advanced control of clips, mixer, devices and more in Ableton Live.

touchAble 3 is designed to be easier to connect and set up, offers access to devices in racks and more.

Here’s the official intro video to touchAble 3:

Here’s what’s new in touchAble 3:

  • You can now use a simple USB cable to connect
    Access to devices in racks
  • New Live Device Template Pack (available as an in-app purchase) provides 42 layouts, for nearly every device in Live.
  • The device module can now follow the selected device in Live (Blue Hand)
  • Devices can now be loaded to any place of a track’s device chain using the browser and drag and drop.
  • You can now play notes with the keys of the piano roll within the MIDI Clip Editor in the scales tab.
  • Devices can be stretched to take 3/4 of the screens real estate.
  • Recoded Server. (Goodbye Java!:) From now on, the Server is running in the background as a System Service.
  • New Settings, including:
    • Follow currently launched scene option.
    • choose and assign different MIDI channels for Drum Pads, Keyboard, Isomorphic Keyboard and Piano Roll (MIDI Clip Editor).
    • iPads & iPhones Link Mode: combine several Devices to one big control surface.
    • Rotary controller sensitivity setting.
    • Snap and Timed Snap Mode 4 different envelopes: Exponential, Linear, Logarithmic, Hanning.
  • Bug fixes, optimisations and enhancements.

touchAble 3 is available for iPad and touchAble Mini 3 is available for iPhone.

If you’ve used touchAble, leave a comment and share your thoughts on it!

35 thoughts on “touchAble Live Controller Updated To Version 3”

  1. This app was already incredible, the new features and USB connectivity make it simply amazing! I can’t wait to get home and try out the new stuff!

    If you use Ableton, this is by far the best, most well integrated controller app available. Highly recommended. I thought the price was a bit steep at first but then considered how much I’ve spent on controllers over the years…it’s well worth it IMO.

  3. Though, now that I look a little closer, the device template IAP is $21.99! Damn it all, I just spent all my app funds on Black Friday app deals. Oh well, looks like I’ll be coughing up another 22 bucks tonight.

  4. I’ve just revisited this after, rem, too long and wow has it come a long way!

    I kinda feel a bit stupid for not paying more attention to it now.

    IAP for all the device representations is worth every penny – superb!!!

  6. The iTunes page says that there’s a special bundle deal on the iPad and iPhone versions. Is there anything for those poor slobs who have already bought the iPad version before now?

  7. Can somebody who purchased the device template pack report how Sampler looks? Can you see waveforms? That is kind of important to me. Thanks!

      1. That’s right – unfortunately there is no hook in Lives API for this yet – same with audio-clip, level-meters and similar things – but we’re hoping at some point there will be 🙂

  8. So I pay £17.49 for an app that controls some of Ableton Live and then have to pay a further £15.49 to control the rest. Is that right?

    1. touchAble is a general Live controller for arranging clips, mixing and effects. The IAP provides specialized templates for some of Live’s devices, like Operator.

    2. Don’t worry – your money will be well spent – it’s ridiculously cheap for what it does 🙂

      I’ve had a good play this evening and I’m blown away.

      This feels like Ableton on the iPad!

      Of course a computer running Ableton Live is required, but feck me… it’s good!

      I forgot I was using a remote controller – simply magic!!

      1. These apps don’t code themselves, you know. Even the simplest apps require a significant investment in time and resources, not only to develop them, but to support them and update them after launch.

        Let’s also consider that this app has a *deep* level of integration with Live, while conforming to all of Apple’s odd, and often frustrating, changing requirements. I’m *floored* at what AppBC has done here, and the pricing seems completely fair for what they’ve done.

  9. does anyone know how to set up touchable and push, so that they don´t steal the trackfocus from each other when selecting tracks?

    thanks!

  11. From their quickguide: it “always runs in the background as a system service”.
    So either:
    – believe them for being 100% secure (good luck) with their server component impossible to be exploited by a malware (now a valid target since it always runs, maybe with privileges).
    – or avoid upgrading and stick to the v2 for now !

  13. Oh, and it also installs its components in /System/Library/touchAble/.
    The “/System” folder is apple’s private domain and should never be messed with.

    Maybe someone that still has the server component installed can tell with which user the process is running ? I forgot to watch it before I manually removed everything.

    1. Thinking about it after seeing several concerned comments about the System/Library location, that wasn’t a great idea! We’ll move it in the next update!
      the server process is ran by the normal user account, has no privileges and is launched and controlled by launchctl. It’s the preferred way to run daemons on OSX, and there is nothing ‘magic’ or weird about it – in fact it only restarts the process if it crashes – and this behaviour can be stopped by a simple line in the terminal:

      launchctl unload -w /Library/LaunchAgents/touchAbleServer.plist

      however, you will need to start the server manually when you want to use it afterwards.

      1. Great !
        Now when the update’s there, an option to install the server component as a “resident service” or keep a “manual start and stop” would be fantastic (dont care much about the security of a process I only launch when I need).

    1. Yes – and it works even better now with their new server console. No need for ad-hoc wireless networks – just connect pc and IOS device to the same network and they connect. Haven’t tried usb yet.

  19. Excellent! This app is the only thing on my original iPad 1, which doesn’t move from in front of my DAW. I’m well impressed that it still runs like a dream on such relatively old hardware. Props to the dev for supporting old iOS versions. For that, he always gets my money.

    The IAP was an instabuy, and impressive it is too, my number one request for V3 has been granted. Well worth the money.

    An absolutely essential purchase for anyone with Live and an iPad or iPhone. I own Push too and they compliment each other so well.

    1. iPad 1 is most impressive!!!

      …they’re going for £70-£100 on fleabay…. crazy to think for that kind of cash you can have an excellent dedicated Live controller!

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