DAW / Ableton
Ableton Live 12
9.2Essential
Ableton Live 12 is a digital audio workstation (DAW) for music creation, performance, recording, mixing, and production, available in Intro, Standard, and Suite editions.
Plugin comparison
Ableton Live 12 vs Maschine 3
Specs, price and the Dubspot Score, side by side — with our verdict on which daw to buy.
Independent score / workflow fit / buying signal
Contenders
The side-by-side
Maschine 3 is Native Instruments' beat-making software, standalone or plugin. The free 3.7 update adds a Euclidean sequencer, a random note generator, and note probability.
Technical matrix
Specs compared
| Signal | Ableton Live 12 | Maschine 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | — | Free 3.7 update for Maschine 3 owners |
| Dubspot Score | 9.2 | — |
| Formats | VST2, VST3, Audio Unit v2 (AU), Audio Unit v3 (AUv3) | VST3, AU, Standalone |
| Editions | Three: Intro, Standard, Suite | — |
| Plugin format support | VST2, VST3, and Audio Unit v2 and v3 | — |
| Audio & MIDI tracks | Intro: 16; Standard & Suite: Unlimited | — |
| Scenes | Intro: 16; Standard & Suite: Unlimited | — |
| Software instruments | Intro: 8; Standard: 12; Suite: 21 | — |
| Audio effects | Intro: 27; Standard: 36; Suite: 59 | — |
| Sound library size | Intro: 5+ GB; Standard: 38+ GB; Suite: 71+ GB | — |
| Max for Live | Included in Suite edition only | — |
| Type | — | Beat-making and production software, groovebox workflow |
| Update | — | Maschine 3.7 (23 September 2026), free for Maschine 3 owners |
| New sequencing | — | Random note generator, Euclidean sequencer with live mode, note probability (Chance) |
| Formats | — | Standalone, VST3, AU |
| Platforms | — | macOS and Windows |
| Hardware | — | Works with Maschine hardware or with mouse and keyboard |
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