AliveInVR
More actions
| AliveInVR | |
|---|---|
| |
| Information | |
| VR/AR | VR |
| Developer | AliveIn Tech Ltd. |
| Publisher | AliveIn Tech Ltd. |
| Platform | SteamVR, Oculus Rift (Platform) |
| Device | HTC Vive, Oculus Rift |
| Operating System | Windows |
| Type | Music software |
| Genre | Indie, VR |
| Input Device | Tracked Motion Controllers |
| Play Area | Standing, Room-Scale |
| Game Mode | Single Player, Online Multiplayer |
| Language | English |
| Release Date | August 9, 2017 (Early Access); December 6, 2017 (full release) |
| Price | Free to play (listing checked October 18, 2026) |
| App Store | Steam |
| Website | https://www.aliveintech.com/ |
| Infobox Updated | 2026-10-18 |
AliveInVR is a VR App for controlling Ableton Live through a spatial music interface, developed and published by AliveIn Tech Ltd. It sends MIDI control messages to Live for clip launching, instrument performance and mixing. It requires a separate installation of Ableton Live, specified by the developer as version 9.7 or later; AliveInVR does not generate music on its own.[1]
The application first became available in Early Access on August 9, 2017 and left Early Access on December 6 that year.[2][3] Its Steam listing offered it free to play when checked on October 18, 2026.[1]
Features
AliveInVR represents musical controls as blocks placed around the user. Layouts can be rearranged in three dimensions, saved and restored. Version 0.0.0.27 introduced eight layout slots in October 2017, with separate arrangements for Session, Note and Mixer modes and restoration of the last layout at startup.[4]
| Interface mode | Function |
|---|---|
| Session | Launches Live clips and reflects their colors, names and track names in VR.[1] |
| Note | Plays instruments or drum racks hosted in Live.[1] |
| Step | Provides a drum-rack step sequencer. The user selects a drum pad, enables or disables steps and adjusts the quantization level. The steps can be repositioned in space.[5] |
| Mixer | Adjusts track levels, sends and returns.[1] |
The September 2017 release 0.0.0.26 added XYZ controllers. A user holds a controller's grip and moves a hand within a sphere to send control values. These controls can address the selected instrument's macros or pitch bend, or MIDI continuous-controller assignments mapped globally in Live.[6] Transport controls include play, stop, record, metronome and recording quantization. Further controls added in October support creating and duplicating clips, loop recording, fixed-length recording and automation recording.[7][8]
An optional interface places the main controls on the back of the user's hand, where the other controller's trigger operates them.[9] The application also has indoor and outdoor environments, time-of-day settings, playback-linked visual effects and an in-world camera whose output can be sent to the desktop for recording.[1]
Spatial mixing and audio routing
The April 2018 update introduced spatial mixing using audio routed from Live through the AliveInVR ASIO driver. Playing clips produce sound at their blocks' positions. In that release, mono channels received binaural spatialization; stereo channels used panning and proximity instead. Instrument and drum-rack audio was spatialized at the triggered block. Waveform displays could be enabled for active sounds.[10]
ASIO output was added separately in version 1.0.4.4 on December 19, 2018. It allowed AliveInVR to send its output directly to an ASIO audio device. The release notes specify selection through the Audio/MIDI settings and an automatic application restart when the driver or buffer size changes.[11]
Collaboration
AliveInVR supports individual use and a social mode for collaborating on or watching a hosted Live session. The April 2018 release shared the host's audio and session controls, with avatars, voice chat and invitations to Steam friends. Participants could trigger clips and scenes or edit the step sequencer. The developer restricted real-time drum-rack and instrument performance to the host because remote participants would experience latency. Music and voice used separate audio feeds, and waveform displays were not transmitted to clients because of bandwidth limits.[10]
The same release included an experimental desktop spectator mode when no headset was connected. It allowed navigation and viewing a session, with no interaction with the musical blocks.[10]
Setup instructions
The documented configuration combines a Windows PC, a compatible PC VR runtime and controllers, AliveInVR, and the separate Ableton Live installation. MIDI carries the musical control information; the developer's stated Live requirement is version 9.7 or later.[1] The October 2017 grouped-track fix was distributed as a MIDI Remote Script update and required restarting Live after the first run of the updated AliveInVR.[12]
For the documented spatial-mixing and social workflows, Live's audio is routed through the AliveInVR ASIO driver. Spatial audio is enabled in AliveInVR's Audio/MIDI menu, while the Social menu handles hosting or joining sessions.[10]
Release history
| Date | Documented release or change |
|---|---|
| August 9, 2017 | First public release, following an announcement that it would enter Early Access.[2][13] |
| August 15, 2017 | Official Oculus Rift CV1 support announced, requiring Oculus Touch controllers.[14] |
| November 15, 2017 | Version 0.0.1.15 added Step mode.[5] |
| December 6, 2017 | Left Early Access.[3] |
| December 15, 2017 | Version 1.0.0.4 added Windows Mixed Reality headset support.[15] |
| April 28, 2018 | Social sessions and spatial mixing released.[10] |
| June 8, 2018 | Version 1.0.2.11 added selectable sample rates and haptic feedback for Windows Mixed Reality controllers.[16] |
| December 19, 2018 | Version 1.0.4.4 added ASIO output.[11] |
In June 2019, the developer used AliveInVR's announcement feed to introduce its separate application Tranzient, which included its own audio engine, looping and effects.[17] The developer's current website distinguishes AliveInVR, its earlier Ableton controller, from Tranzient's self-contained music-production environment.[18]
System requirements
The following are the legacy minimum specifications still displayed on the Steam listing when checked on October 18, 2026. Steam separately notes that its Windows client has required Windows 10 or later since January 1, 2024; the older Windows 7 entry is not a current Steam-client requirement.[1]
| Component | Listed minimum |
|---|---|
| Processor and operating system | 64-bit |
| OS | Windows 7 SP1 or newer |
| Processor | Intel i5-4590 / AMD FX 8350 equivalent or greater |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 / AMD Radeon R9 290 equivalent or greater |
| Network | Broadband Internet connection |
| Storage | 300 MB available space |
| VR runtime | SteamVR or Oculus PC |
| Music software | Ableton Live V9.7 or later, installed separately |
The listing states that AliveInVR is not affiliated with or endorsed by Ableton AG.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 "AliveInVR". Steam. https://store.steampowered.com/app/674180/AliveInVR/. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "AliveInVR is now released". AliveIn Tech via Steam Community. 2017-08-09. https://steamcommunity.com/games/674180/announcements/detail/1440442886465429117. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Now out of Early Access!". AliveIn Tech via Steam Community. 2017-12-06. https://steamcommunity.com/games/674180/announcements/detail/1468601249984523105. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
- ↑ "0.0.0.27 Released - Save and load layouts, minor bug fixes.". AliveIn Tech via Steam Community. 2017-10-05. https://steamcommunity.com/games/674180/announcements/detail/1458462436625787821. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "0.0.1.15 Step Sequencer Support Released!". AliveIn Tech via Steam Community. 2017-11-15. https://steamcommunity.com/games/674180/announcements/detail/1455088452293747286. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
- ↑ "0.0.0.26 Released - 3D XYZ controllers, indoor scene!". AliveIn Tech via Steam Community. 2017-09-29. https://steamcommunity.com/games/674180/announcements/detail/1488861100300766980. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
- ↑ "New release - Transport controls added!". AliveIn Tech via Steam Community. 2017-10-13. https://steamcommunity.com/games/674180/announcements/detail/1452833663553133702. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
- ↑ "New release - New, Duplicate, Fixed Length Record, Automation Record, Session Record, Undo, Redo!". AliveIn Tech via Steam Community. 2017-10-23. https://steamcommunity.com/games/674180/announcements/detail/3024590958097501083. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
- ↑ "0.0.0.21 Released - Controls on your hands!". AliveIn Tech via Steam Community. 2017-09-11. https://steamcommunity.com/games/674180/announcements/detail/1442697397888215509. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "ASIO output comes to AliveInVR in v1.0.4.4". AliveIn Tech via Steam Community. 2018-12-19. https://steamcommunity.com/games/674180/announcements/detail/1697193170901377289. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
- ↑ "Minor patch - support for grouped tracks". AliveIn Tech via Steam Community. 2017-10-08. https://steamcommunity.com/games/674180/announcements/detail/1458462703304807219. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
- ↑ "The first release of AliveInVR is coming soon". AliveIn Tech via Steam Community. 2017-07-31. https://steamcommunity.com/games/674180/announcements/detail/1440441697488676026. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
- ↑ "Oculus support now Live". AliveIn Tech via Steam Community. 2017-08-15. https://steamcommunity.com/games/674180/announcements/detail/1440443348074834950. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
- ↑ "Windows Mixed Reality Support Added!". AliveIn Tech via Steam Community. 2017-12-15. https://steamcommunity.com/games/674180/announcements/detail/3066253941346958725. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
- ↑ "v1.0.2.11 released!". AliveIn Tech via Steam Community. 2018-06-08. https://steamcommunity.com/games/674180/announcements/detail/1649887617614573266. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
- ↑ "Check out Tranzient, our latest app is out!". AliveIn Tech via Steam Community. 2019-06-03. https://steamcommunity.com/games/674180/announcements/detail/1597002662757425779. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
- ↑ "Tranzient | Make Electronic Music in VR". AliveIn Tech. https://www.aliveintech.com/. Retrieved 2026-10-18.