AbleSet 3.1: Cues, Devices Page and iOS App Explained

AbleSet 3.1 brings spoken cues, a new devices hub, and the AbleSet Connect iOS app. Here is a full breakdown of every major new feature from Leolabs.

AbleSet 3.1 from Leolabs is a substantial update to the live performance tool for Ableton Live, introducing spoken cues, a centralised devices page, a brand new iOS and iPadOS companion app, and a host of Canvas and status view improvements. This walkthrough covers every major addition so you can get up to speed quickly.

What It Does

The headline addition is AbleSet Cues, a VST plugin you drop onto any track in your Live set. Once in place, it automatically speaks song titles, section names, stop descriptions, and count-ins during playback. Six voices are available out of the box, including two that run entirely offline on your machine, and four online text-to-speech options that cache locally after the first generation so they also work offline. You can also supply a fully custom voice by dropping your own pre-recorded audio files into the Cues folder inside the AbleSet directory.

Count-ins are deeply configurable. You can set the default length globally, then override it per song or per section by adding simple attributes directly to locators or section clips. A single short attribute shortens the count-in to one bar, another disables it entirely, and a half-speed modifier doubles the length. Combinations are fully supported, giving you precise control without any complex menu diving.

The new Devices page acts as a central hub showing every browser, audio interface, OSC client, and connected iOS device in one place. From here you can remotely lock a browser, hide its navigation controls, push a message to the screen, flash cue lights to grab a performer’s attention, switch the active page, or force a reload. This makes it practical to manage devices positioned around a stage without leaving your own screen.

How to Use It

• Add AbleSet Cues: Create a new track in Ableton Live, drag the AbleSet Cues VST onto it, then open AbleSet settings and scroll to Cue Settings to choose what gets announced.
• Choose a voice: Select from the six built-in voices in Cue Settings. For a custom voice, open the AbleSet folder via the settings menu, navigate to the Cues folder, and place your pre-recorded audio files in a folder named custom.
• Customise count-ins per section: Add attributes inside square brackets directly on locators or section clips. Use c:1 for one bar, c:0 to disable, or c:1:hs for half-speed. Combine attributes freely.
• Use the Devices page: Click the Devices button at the top of the AbleSet interface to see all connected clients. Click any listed device to access remote control options including lock, messaging, cue lights, page switching, and brightness adjustment.
• Set up AbleSet Connect on iOS or iPadOS: Install the AbleSet Connect app, open it, and it will automatically find and connect to AbleSet on your local network. The app keeps the screen permanently awake and forwards connected MIDI controllers wirelessly to AbleSet.
• Configure MIDI forwarding: Inside AbleSet Connect, go to Settings and select MIDI Forwarding. Choose Native MIDI Forwarding for direct controller input to AbleSet, or RTP MIDI Forwarding to route to any RTP MIDI compatible software. MIDI mappings set up on iOS appear identically in the desktop AbleSet MIDI mapping editor.
• Enable scrollable song progress in Canvas: In Canvas settings, toggle the scrollable option on the progress bar, then set a zoom level. During playback the bar auto-scrolls to keep the playhead centred.
• Add visibility conditions in Canvas: Select any Canvas element, open its visibility condition field, and enter an OSC template string. The element will show or hide dynamically based on that condition. Toggle the hide-hidden-elements button to preview exactly how it will look during performance.
• Enable section measures in the status view: Go to Set List Settings and toggle Show Section Measures. AbleSet will display the starting measure number for each section, drawn from the measures track of your song.
• Copy and paste song and stop descriptions: In the set list editor, select a song entry and use Command C then Command V to duplicate it along with its song and stop descriptions intact.

Why It Matters

Live performance with Ableton Live has always demanded careful preparation, but managing cues, monitoring remote devices, and co-ordinating performers across a stage adds significant cognitive load in the moment. AbleSet 3.1 addresses that directly. Spoken cues reduce the need for visual attention during critical transitions, the devices page gives a single point of control for everything connected to your rig, and AbleSet Connect turns an iPhone or iPad into a proper wireless MIDI and remote control surface without any third-party bridging software. Taken together these additions make AbleSet a more complete live performance infrastructure rather than simply a set list tool.