Glitch-free lock
Steady playback never re-seeks, stutters, or double-fires MIDI. LiveTC™ corrects only when the show actually moves, and when it does, you don't hear it.
Timecode tools for Ableton Live · macOS
Lock Ableton Live to SMPTE timecode, and capture the show.
Live has no native LTC chase, so LiveTC™ reads incoming SMPTE off any audio input and keeps Live's transport locked to it, without the re-seeking and glitching that plague bolt-on chasers. Run it in reverse and it captures a full timecoded playback session, from any DAW or source, straight into an empty Ableton Set.
macOS 12+ · Ableton Live 11.3+
Available now · macOSNo Max for Live required
SMPTE LTC · 29.97 DFGRID
The problem
When the timecode master rolls, Live has to be exactly where the show is, and Ableton can't chase LTC on its own. Bolt-on chasers re-seek on every frame and glitch the audio; roll the master mid-song and the playhead bounces between songs. And when someone hands you a timecoded session from another rig or DAW, there's no clean way to land it in Ableton on the grid, in time, on the first take.
How it works
From master roll to locked transport
Route LTC in
Feed your SMPTE master into any audio input on the machine, an interface channel, not a plugin slot.
It learns your Set
LiveTC™ maps which timecode belongs where in your arrangement automatically: no spreadsheets, no manual spotting.
Roll the master
Live locks to the incoming timecode and stays there, through song changes, mid-song starts, and master jumps, without audible corrections.
Or capture instead
Point it at a timecoded session from any DAW or rig and it records the whole run into an empty Set, on the grid, with a locator and take report per song.
SMPTE LTC · 25 fpsTC-ONLY
Locked and quiet. It only moves when the show moves.
In the app
A timecode display you can read from the drum riser
Real screenshots from the shipping build. One window, one menu, and a readout sized for a dark room.
The timecode window · big enough to read from across the stage
Lives in the menu bar · everything one click away
Neon Nights theme · one of the built-in looks
Amber Terminal theme · for the darkest FOH positions
What it does
Everything the transport needs to stay locked
One job: keep Live exactly where the timecode says, and never glitch getting there.
Grid & TC-Only sync modes
Two ways to follow: one keeps your bar lines and grid intact for warped Sets, one locks the timeline straight to timecode without ever touching tempo: the right behavior for unwarped material.
Capture Mode
Record someone else's timecoded playback into an empty Ableton Set, landed at the right position, punched in cleanly, riding through brief signal dropouts, with a named locator and a report for every take.
Tempo-aware capture
Grid captures come back with the show's feel intact: bar lines land on the beat across a multi-song roll, hands-free.
Built for real-world timecode
Locks the noisy, low-level, imperfect LTC feeds you actually get on a show, the kind that trip lesser chasers, and a single bad frame never yanks the transport to the wrong section.
Setlist-aware jumps
Multi-song sets just work: when the master's timecode enters a new song, LiveTC™ is there. Start the master mid-song and it lands you mid-song.
It learns your Set
LiveTC™ builds its own map of which timecode belongs where in your arrangement: no manual spotting, no fragile file-naming conventions.
All standard frame rates
24, 25, 29.97 NDF, 29.97 DF, and 30. Drop-frame is handled correctly, with auto-detection of the incoming rate so a wrong menu setting can't sink you.
Latency compensated
Timing is measured against your actual rig, not guessed, with a built-in calibration pass you can run whenever the setup changes.
Capture Mode
Not just chase. Capture.
Point LiveTC™ at a timecoded playback session from any DAW or rig and it records the entire run into an empty Ableton Set: every take lands at the right position, punches in cleanly, and ends with a named locator and a per-take report. Grid captures come back with the show's feel intact, hands-free.
- On time: every take lands at the right position, first try.
- Clean punch-in: recording starts exactly where it should, no drift.
- Resilient: a brief signal dropout doesn't ruin the take.
Why LiveTC™
Built for the rig, not the demo
- It doesn't glitch: steady playback never re-seeks, so audio and MIDI stay clean. The failure mode that plagues bolt-on chasers just isn't there.
- Two sync modes, not one: keep your grid intact on warped Sets, or lock straight to timecode on unwarped sessions. Each behaves correctly for its material.
- It captures, not just chases: record an entire timecoded session into an empty Set, on time and on the grid, with a per-take report.
- Built for real feeds: the decoder holds lock on the noisy, low-level timecode you actually get on a show day.
- Standalone menu-bar app: no Max for Live, no freezing, no plugin host, no third-party dependencies. One app, one clean install.
- Latency is measured, not guessed: timing is calibrated against your own rig, so what you hear is on time.
Specifications
The details that matter on a show day
LiveTC™ is a standalone macOS menu-bar app that talks to Live over its own minimal Remote Script: no Max for Live, no plugin host, no freezing. The proven M4L device ships as the fallback you can put on a show right now.
LiveTC™ · full specification
- Platform
- macOS 12+ menu-bar app
- Host
- Ableton Live 11.3+ · 12 recommended
- Frame rates
- 24 / 25 / 29.97 NDF / 29.97 DF / 30
- LTC input
- Any audio input
- Sync modes
- Grid · TC-Only
- Live link
- Own Remote Script · no Max for Live
- Capture
- Full-session record · per-take report
- Calibration
- Built-in, runs against your rig
- Fallback
- Shipping Max for Live device
LiveTC™: frequently asked questions
Does this work without Max for Live?
Yes. The native app is a standalone macOS menu-bar application that drives Ableton over its own minimal Remote Script: no Max, no plugin host, no freezing. A proven Max for Live device ships alongside it as the fallback you can put on a show today.
How does it avoid the glitching that other timecode chasers cause?
LiveTC™ only relocates Live's transport when the show has genuinely moved. Otherwise it holds lock and keeps playback running clean. Small timing drift is corrected inaudibly rather than by jumping the playhead, so audio never stutters and MIDI events never skip or double-fire.
What's the difference between Grid and TC-Only mode?
Grid keeps your bar lines and grid aligned to the show. Use it for warped, grid-based Sets. TC-Only never touches tempo; it locks the timeline directly to timecode, which is the correct behavior for sessions of unwarped clips.
What can I actually use it for?
Slaving Ableton to a house or front-of-house timecode master for show triggering, cueing lighting and video, or running a redundant backup rig locked to the same SMPTE as the main playback. Capture Mode also lets you pull a timecoded session from another DAW or rig into Ableton, on the grid, without re-performing it.
What do I get?
The standalone macOS menu-bar app that drives Ableton over its own minimal Remote Script, plus the proven Max for Live device as a fallback you can put on a show today. One install, no plugin host, no freezing.
What do I need to run it?
macOS 12 or later, Ableton Live, and an audio input carrying your LTC. The app installs its own Remote Script from inside the menu bar; you select it once as the Control Surface in Live.
Get LiveTC™
Run LiveTC™ on your rig.
A standalone macOS menu-bar app: one clean install, no Max for Live, no plugin host. Lock Ableton to your timecode master, or capture a whole timecoded session into an empty Set.
macOS 12+ · Ableton Live 11.3+