KeySwitch & Expression Map for Ableton Live

Version 4.1

The KeySwitch & Expression Map is a Max for Live device for Ableton which provides you the possibility to switch in a single track easily between articulations of VST libraries or programs of external instruments with your piano, MIDI controller or automation envelopes.

Create 16, 32 or 64 key switches with MIDI notes, program changes or MIDI controls.
Operate the key switches with your piano, MIDI controller or Ableton’s automation envelopes.
Connect easily key switches of your VST plug-in (e.g. Sine, Synchron, Kontakt, Spitfire, Opus etc.).
Control remotely programs from keyboards, synthesizers, percussion pads etc.
Create own key switches with Ableton’s Instrument Racks or Effect Racks.
Export and import your presets and share them with other users.
Supports Instant Mapping to control multiple instances dynamically.
Includes a virtual control pad for your key switches, an XY controller in the display to perform MIDI CCs and a piano which shows you the pitch range of your instrument.
Assign additionally an Automation Key to change on the fly between improvisation and automation.
The design perfectly integrates into the interface of Ableton Live.
Detailed online user manual with many illustrations and further tips in a growing knowledge base.
MPE support for Ableton 11.

*Attention!
Max For Live is part of the Ableton Live Suite.
If you use Ableton Live Standard you might have to buy an add-on license to use this device.
Ableton Live Lite and Intro do not support Max For Live!

Please find more information here:
https://www.ableton.com/en/live/max-for-live
https://help.ableton.com/hc/en-us/articles/206407124-Buying-Max-for-Live-

25,00 EUR

+ VAT (depending on your country)

If you are a pupil, student or you have a small budget, please click here.

Please note that the video still shows an older version of the KeySwitch & Expression Map. There will be soon a new video with version 4. Stay up to date and subscribe to the YouTube channel.

“More than 400 musicians and composers worldwide are already using the KeySwitch & Expression Map. Thank you for your trust and motivating feedback!“

Keep up the great work!

June 2022

Your plug-in is useful! It’s very useful, so I’ve translated the manual into Japanese.
https://geshtalt.notion.site/KeySwitch-Expression-Map-e98803817cad478298c76ada4a041087

[ありがとうございました for the translation and amazing support, DJ geshtalt!!!]

February 2022

Thanks for creating this amazing plugin.

January 2022

Hi there! Thank you for creating such a useful Max tool for all of us! It’s quite clever what you have done here.

January 2022

Thanks and great job on the plug in.

October 2021

Amazing tool!!!

July 2021

Just wanted to thank you for creating this tool. It’s incredibly useful, and I’ve spent all day today mapping all my favorite libraries – and it’s been a great day! As a film/tv composer I’ve almost completely moved my scoring work to Logic, but I still like to do short form work in Ableton and this will make it that much more efficient and enjoyable. Thanks for sharing this with the world!

June 2021

I wanted to thank you so much for this amazing program! I just started using it, but I can see the incredible power of it.

April 2021

Your patch is beautifully designed, a rarity in the world of crappy M4L patches. Both, the external presentation as well as the layout of the patch itself are stellar, you’ve clearly put in a huge amount of effort into it.

March 2021

I love your solution for this massive problem I had!! I even bought Nuendo so I can shift there to write film scores but damn I just could not leave Ableton! Your solution has made it a breeze!!

March 2021

I recently bought your Keyswitch & Expression Map plugin! I am so rejoiced to finally have a good way to manage my libraries in Ableton Live.

March 2021

Danke, dass es KeySwitch & Expression Map für Ableton Live gibt! Einer der Hauptgründe für mich, dass ich doch nicht die DAW wechsle (weil gerade für’s Handling mit orchestralen Kompositionen und VIs hat Ableton leider noch massiven Aufholbedarf).

March 2021

I have recently started directing my musical passions towards ochestral but had the issue that I have been using Ableton almost 20 years and that I am an extremely loyal and pureist Ableton user. So it seems Logic and Cubase were better for orchestration but this changes EVERYTHING. I am sooo happy to find this you have no idea. Seriously this is the most awesome thing ever.

February 2021

This is an M4L program that I dreamed of and really like. Thank you for making it.

February 2021

Thanks for developing such an awesome tool for Ableton. Your KS/Expression Map is a game changer when working with orchestral VI’s. I hope you will continue to work on this. It’s become such an important add-on to Ableton and more composers should be aware of it.

January 2021

Hi there! Very cool add-on! Thanks a lot! Keep up the good work, this thing can really change the perception of Ableton as EDM-only DAW.

January 2021

I purchased your max for live device today. Thank you for the hard work that must have gone into it !!

December 2020

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a user guide as innovative and useful as yours. Well done!

December 2020

Thank you for this! This is gold!

December 2020

I have been looking for something like this in ages!! I have stopped using Ableton Live because of lack of keyswitching management. Thank you immensely.

November 2020

After playing around with Logic’s way of handling articulations and Cubase’s way of handling expression maps this definitely makes my “go to DAW” Ableton more friendly for orchestration.

November 2020

An amazing way to handle articulations.

November 2020

Thanks for making a great device for allowing producers to play instruments in Ableton easier!

October 2020

Hi Thanks for making this. I bought the cheap Spitfire library Intimate Strings, but was so sad to find out that there was no option for key switching to make a more natural performance. Then I found your plugin.

September 2020

This is really the greatest thing I’ve seen in quite a while.
Great work and thanks for the detailed explanation.

July 2020

A great idea very smartly implemented. Exactly what I was looking for to simplify the addition of orchestral articulations in Ableton Live. Fantastic job.

June 2020

I am very grateful for your invention and I hope you find ways to bring it to peoples attention.

June 2020

I’ve been looking for an easier way to automate keyswitching in Ableton Live for at least a couple years now. Every so often, I’ll check Max4Live to see if anyone’s come up with a proper solution. A while back, I found a M4L device that promised to be a solution, but it was a bit buggy. I happened upon your device this morning and it works perfectly. And your documentation is so thorough and clear!

May 2020

Support

The set-up of the device is not difficult and very straightforward. How to do it in detail, you can find in a lovely designed step by step online user manual with a lot of illustrations and a knowledge base with further tips. If you are in a hurry, you will find there as well a quick start guide which explains the interface and all features of the KeySwitch & Expression Map quickly. Additionally you can download and share presets for VST libraries or hardware on the support page.

Manual

Knowledge Base

Presets

FAQs

“Automate your articulations and MIDI CCs in orchestral compositions with Ableton Live’s automation envelopes in the Arrangement View!”

Story

I originally created this patch for own purposes, because I did not find any satisfying solution for Ableton Live to manage in a comfortable and clear way the articulations of my VST libraries.

I love working with Ableton, but you either load all the articulations into seperate tracks and scroll through them until you get dizzy, or you work with provided key switches and memorize MIDI notes and CC numbers that not only vary from library to library, but are even inconsistent between its different instruments.

Multi-Clip Editing in Live 10 has been a great new feature to edit numerous tracks simultaneously and has definitely helped to make composing in Ableton more straightforward. But it still didn’t allow me to work in the way that I had in my mind.

Finally, I had some time in the end of 2019 between two projects and decided spontaneously to build my own solution in Max for Live. Euphoric to have finally found my long awaited workflow for orchestral compositions, and encouraged by some enthusiastic musician friends, the idea came up to develop the device in such a way that it would be accessible to anyone else looking for a more natural feeling way to play or edit multiple articulations of an instrument in a single track.

So I tried to imagine what other Ableton users would like to have included in this kind of device and released the first version finally in April 2020.

Over the last two years, the Keyswitch & Expression Map has become the daily companion of more than 400 musicians and composers worldwide. This has been a great compliment and motivation to further develop the KeySwitch & Expression Map. Thank you for your kind and inspiring feedback as well as your support. I hope that I was able to implement all your wishes in version 4.

If you have further ideas, you discover a bug or in case of any questions, please write me a message using the contact form.

I wish you much success for your projects!