Device Navigator V2 by KILLIHU
NAVIGATE, ACTIVATE AND TAKE CONTROL OF EVERY DEVICE ON YOUR TRACK
Device Navigator V2 is a Max for Live utility that gives you an instant, scrollable list of every device on any track — select, focus, activate or deactivate them without ever hunting through a crowded device chain. Perfect for producers managing complex racks, dense effect chains or multi-track live sets.
- Instant Device Focus: Click any item in the list to select that device and scroll the project view directly to it.
- Global On/Off: Activate or deactivate all devices on a track in a single click, with a new single-button toggle introduced in v2.0.
- Lock Switch Per Device: Exclude individual devices from the global activation/deactivation — ideal for keeping instruments always on while bypassing effects.
- Auto & Manual Track Modes: Automatic mode follows your track selection; manual mode locks the display to any chosen track regardless of what you click in the project.
- Chain Explorer: Expand the floating window to browse rack chains and the devices inside them, with activator and lock controls at every level.
- Multiple Instances: Run several instances simultaneously, each locked to a different track, for true multi-track device management.
- Mappable Buttons: Dedicated mappable On, Off and On/Off buttons for MIDI or key mapping without polluting the undo history.
- Auto-Expand Racks: Racks open automatically when selected so focus navigation always lands in the right place — or disable it if you only need activation control.
USER GUIDE: Device Navigator 2.0
Device Navigator V2 by KILLIHU
NAVIGATE, ACTIVATE AND TAKE CONTROL OF EVERY DEVICE ON YOUR TRACK
Device Navigator V2 is a Max for Live utility that gives you an instant, scrollable list of every device on any track — select, focus, activate or deactivate them without ever hunting through a crowded device chain. Perfect for producers managing complex racks, dense effect chains or multi-track live sets.
- Instant Device Focus: Click any item in the list to select that device and scroll the project view directly to it.
- Global On/Off: Activate or deactivate all devices on a track in a single click, with a new single-button toggle introduced in v2.0.
- Lock Switch Per Device: Exclude individual devices from the global activation/deactivation — ideal for keeping instruments always on while bypassing effects.
- Auto & Manual Track Modes: Automatic mode follows your track selection; manual mode locks the display to any chosen track regardless of what you click in the project.
- Chain Explorer: Expand the floating window to browse rack chains and the devices inside them, with activator and lock controls at every level.
- Multiple Instances: Run several instances simultaneously, each locked to a different track, for true multi-track device management.
- Mappable Buttons: Dedicated mappable On, Off and On/Off buttons for MIDI or key mapping without polluting the undo history.
- Auto-Expand Racks: Racks open automatically when selected so focus navigation always lands in the right place — or disable it if you only need activation control.
USER GUIDE: Device Navigator 2.0
Additional information
| MaxforLive | Control Devices |
|---|---|
| Ableton Live Compatibility | Ableton Live 11 Standard with MaxforLive, Ableton Live 11 Suite, Ableton Live 12 Standard with MaxforLive, Ableton Live 12 Suite |
| Min. Requirements | Ableton Live 11 Standard with MaxforLive Installed or Ableton Live 11 Suite |
| OS | Mac, Windows |
PRICE: £12.00
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Device Navigator V2 by KILLIHU
Managing a track loaded with plugins, racks and instruments in Ableton Live is a constant battle of scrolling, clicking and losing your place. Device Navigator V2 by killihu solves that problem entirely. Drop it on any track and a clean floating window gives you a live, scrollable list of every device present — click once to jump straight to it, toggle it on or off without touching the device chain, and lock the ones you never want bypassed. It is the session utility that should have been built into Live from the start.
Key Features
- One-Click Device Focus: Selecting any device in the list moves Ableton’s project focus directly to that device, scrolling the chain into view automatically. No more hunting through a wall of plugins.
- Global Activation/Deactivation (v2.0 Single Button): A single On/Off toggle activates or deactivates every device on the track at once. If you prefer the two-button layout from v1 (separate On and Off buttons), you can switch back in the settings panel.
- Per-Device Lock Switch: Every slot in the list carries a lock icon. Enable it and that device is excluded from the global toggle — perfect for protecting your instrument or a master limiter while freely bypassing all the effects around them.
- Auto-Lock Instruments: Enable this setting and instruments have their lock switch activated by default every time you load a new track, so your synths and samplers are never silenced accidentally during an effects comparison.
- Automatic & Manual Track Modes: In automatic mode the list mirrors whichever track is currently selected in Live. Switch to manual mode and a dropdown appears so you can pin the display to any specific track — including return tracks and the master, provided you select them before activating manual mode.
- Chain Explorer: Expand the floating window to reveal two additional columns. The left column lists the chains inside any selected rack (effects or instrument); the right column shows the devices within the chosen chain, each with its own activator and lock controls.
- Auto-Expand Racks: When you select a rack in the list, Device Navigator automatically expands it so the focus navigation can scroll to devices inside it. If you are only using the plugin for activation control and do not want racks opening, simply disable this option in settings.
- Multiple Simultaneous Instances: Open as many instances as you need, each pinned to a different track in manual mode. Clicking a device in any instance selects that track and places focus on the device — essential for live performance and complex session management.
- Mappable Buttons: Because mappable controls in Max for Live add a step to the undo history, Device Navigator isolates its mappable On, Off and On/Off toggle buttons in the settings section. Map them to keys or MIDI and trigger global activation changes without affecting your undo stack.
- Floating Window with Persistent Position: The window can be freely repositioned and, with the Keep switch enabled, its position is saved with the project or device preset. The Restore button snaps it back to its default size and position whenever needed.
How It Works
Install the AMXD file into your Ableton User Library, then drag Device Navigator onto any track — it works best on a dedicated MIDI or audio track you keep open throughout your session. The floating window opens immediately, listing every device on the selected track. Use automatic mode during composition to stay in sync with your track selection, then switch individual instances to manual mode for tracks you want to monitor permanently. The Chain Explorer panel expands from the right side of the floating window, letting you drill into racks without ever clicking inside the Ableton device chain itself.
Use Cases
- Effects Comparison: Lock your instrument and master bus devices, then use the global toggle to flip all effects on and off in one hit — a clean A/B comparison in a single keystroke.
- Live Performance: Pin multiple instances to your key tracks, map the global toggle to a MIDI pad, and activate or cut entire effects chains on the fly without breaking your flow.
- Complex Session Organisation: When a track holds dozens of plugins across nested racks, use Device Navigator to jump directly to any device instead of scrolling endlessly through the chain.
- Recall & Focus: When returning to a project, quickly scan what is loaded on each track and navigate to any device in seconds.
System Requirements
- Ableton Live 11 or 12 with Max for Live
- Windows or Mac
- Mac users: requires an additional installation step for the 11live.tools external component (full instructions provided in the user guide)
Frequently Asked Questions
A: Device Navigator is a MaxforLive utility that lets you manage and control up to 16 devices on an Ableton Live track via a floating window interface. You can jump between devices, toggle them, and automate your workflow more effectively.
A: Yes, Device Navigator requires MaxforLive.
A: MaxforLive is a platform that integrates the visual programming environment Max with Ableton Live, allowing users to create and use custom audio, MIDI, and control devices.
A: You can explore more of Killihu’s tools and devices here: KILLIHU
Important Information
## vV2.0 – 8 May 2026
Released 8th May 2026 – v2.0
New features and improvements:
– Added chain browser for navigating within effects racks.
– Increased the number of devices displayed per track to 24.
– Activating/deactivating all devices at once can be done with a single button.
– The device itself now appears with the ‘Lock’ activated by default.
– It is possible to automatically activate the ‘Lock’ for instruments.
– It is possible to automatically store the position of the floating window when saving the project or when creating a device preset.
– Added mappable buttons to activate/deactivate all devices at once.
– Updated PDF Manual.
v1.1 New features and improvements:
– Modified GUI to adapt to the new rack design in Live version 12.2, does not change the operation of the device.
v1.0 – Initial release – June 2025
Our Products are generally provided as Zip file downloads which in all cases will need to be extracted and saved to your hard drive prior to installation. Details on the different file type provided and what to do with them are below.
.alp Files – These are Ableton Live Packs and will either install directly into the Packs Section of the browser of Ableton Live or ask you to save them to your hard drive. For packs that install to the library, when you double click on them you will see a pop up window asking you to confirm that installation is ok as the files are described as “Legacy”. This is fine and you are ok to proceed, the packs are created using the format for an earlier version of Live and so remain compatible with the current version.
.amxd files – These are individual MaxforLive Devices and can be stored anywhere on your hard drive. We’d advise creating a folder for them and then adding that folder as a location within the Places section of Lives Browser.
Unzip the ZIP file and copy the plugin amxd file to your User Library folder. There are two ways to find where your User Library is located: Go to Preferences – Library – Location of User Library
Or [right-click] on the User Library in the Browser – Show in Explorer
The device uses an external Max component. To install on Mac, the following steps must be followed.
Copy the file 11live.tools.mxo to the folder: /users/shared/Max 8/Library/ Open the Terminal utility and type: xattr -d -r com.apple.quarantine “/users/shared/Max 8/Library/”
It is also possible to use this folder: /users//Documents/Max 8/Library/
In the Terminal utility write the same but changing the folder path: xattr -d -r com.apple.quarantine “/users//Documents/Max 8/Library/”
11live.tools.mxo is an external Max components created by 11olsen. On his website you will find very interesting material for the development of Max devices – https://www.11olsen.de/max-msp-externals
More information about the use of external components of Max and Mac security in the following link.
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