A1R Guide
Everything you need to run your live show from Ableton Live — controlled from any phone, tablet or laptop.
Introduction
A1R turns Ableton Live into a rock-solid live setlist & section navigator. It installs as a Control Surface (a small remote script inside Ableton) plus a lightweight standalone server. You control everything from a browser — on the same computer, or a phone/tablet on the same Wi-Fi.
A1R reads your song structure straight from Ableton locators (and optional MIDI clips), so there's nothing new to maintain — arrange your set in Ableton and A1R follows.
Install & Set up
Setup takes about 5 minutes. You need Ableton Live 11 or newer on Windows or macOS.
- Download & run the installer. Your download link is in your license email (or on your account page).
- Open Ableton Live → Preferences (Ctrl/Cmd + ,) → Link/Tempo/MIDI.
- Under Control Surface, select A1R_MAX (or your tier's control surface). Leave Input and Output set to None.
- Launch A1R from the Start menu / Desktop shortcut. It runs in the tray — it doesn't have to wait for Ableton.
- Open http://localhost:1234 in your browser. On a phone/tablet on the same Wi-Fi, open the address A1R shows on screen (e.g.
192.168.1.x:1234). - Activate your license (see below). Done — build your setlist in Ableton and it appears instantly.
Activation & Licensing
A1R uses a one-time online activation bound to your computer.
- In A1R, click the A1R logo → Activate.
- Paste your license key (format
A1R-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX) → Activate. - Your tier unlocks instantly. You can now go fully offline.
Moving to another computer
Each tier includes multiple PC activations. To free a slot, open your account and deactivate a device, or use Deactivate inside A1R. Then activate on the new machine.
Updates
Your purchase is a one-time payment — your tier is perpetual. Free updates are included for 1 year; after that the app keeps working, and you can renew to get newer updates.
Click the A1R logo to see your license — tier, updates, device — plus keyboard shortcuts and Sign Out.
Connect from a phone or tablet
A1R serves a web app on port 1234. Any device on the same Wi-Fi can control the show.
- Make sure the phone/tablet is on the same Wi-Fi as the A1R computer.
- Open the address A1R shows (e.g.
192.168.1.50:1234) in the device's browser. - Add it to your home screen for a full-screen app feel.
The A1R Companion PWA (a1r.app/app) can find your A1R on the network and open it in one tap, plus manage your license. Max
A1R on a phone — full control over the same Wi-Fi.
Locators & song structure
A1R builds your setlist from Ableton locators in the Arrangement. A locator marks the start of a song or a section.
- Name a locator with your song title to start a song.
- Name locators inside a song (
Intro,Verse,Chorus…) to define its sections. - Optional flags in a locator name control behaviour — e.g.
[skip]to skip a section, a duration like(3:20), or a jump target.
Sections
Each song is shown as a grid of sections with bar counts and durations. Tap a section to jump to it (respecting your Jump mode). A section can also come from a MIDI clip when there's no locator.
The setlist — songs colour-coded, each with its sections, bar counts, durations and skip markers. Same UI on desktop and phone.
SONG NAME track
Prefer clips over locators? Add a track named SONG NAME and put a clip per song (its name = the song title, with optional [duration]). A1R uses these as song boundaries — a fast alternative to song locators.
Setlist editor (Sort)
Lite+ Reorder your setlist by dragging songs in the Sort view. Hide songs you're not playing tonight. Elite adds full Edit — duplicate songs, swap/duplicate sections virtually (Ableton stays untouched).
Auto Locator
Lite+ One click writes tidy section locators across your set. Live 12+
Jump modes
Control how A1R moves between sections and songs:
| Mode | Behaviour |
|---|---|
| 1 Bar (default) | Jump is quantized to the next bar — musically tight. Uses Ableton's native launch quantization. |
| Section | Waits until the current section ends, then jumps — seamless arrangement flow. |
| Instant | Jumps immediately on tap. |
A pending jump is shown with a red blink on the target section until it lands.
Tap the mode button to switch between 1 Bar, Section and Instant.
Loop
Toggle a loop on the current section using Ableton's native loop brace — sample-accurate and visible in Arrangement. Loop a section a set number of times, then continue automatically. Available on every tier, including Free.
The loop button in the transport — tap to loop the current section on/off.
Transport & metronome
The bottom bar shows position, tempo, time signature, remaining time, and Play/Loop controls. A visual metronome gives beat feedback. Stopping and starting resumes cleanly from the section you selected.
The transport bar — position, tempo, current song, Play/Loop, and remaining time.
Lyrics & Chords
Max Display synchronized lyrics with chords. Write lyrics per song using simple markup — #Section headers and inline [Chord] tags. Export to PDF / PNG for print or a music stand.
Lyrics with chords — transpose, resize, export to PDF / PNG. Current section highlighted live.
Mixer
Pro+ Control track volume, mute and solo live, with real-time dB metering. Group and label the tracks that matter for your show.
The live mixer — faders, mute/solo and real-time dB metering.
MIDI Mapping
Max Map any MIDI controller button/pad to A1R actions (play, stop, next/previous section & song, jump, tempo…). Click Learn, press a control, and it's bound.
OSC Control
Pro+ Send and receive OSC. Trigger clips/commands from external devices, and drive timed OSC from a dedicated track. Set the target IP/port in the OSC panel.
A1R Link (multi-PC)
Max Keep two or more computers in sync — main + redundant, or split responsibilities. A1R Link checks that every PC has an identical setlist, then syncs jumps automatically. Turns on by itself once a matching peer is found.
Keyboard shortcuts
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Space | Play / Pause |
| ← → | Previous / Next section |
| ↑ ↓ | Previous / Next song |
Shortcuts work in the browser view. Full mapping is available via MIDI on Max.
Full keyboard shortcut list lives in the logo popup, along with your license info.
Tiers & features
| Feature | Free | Lite | Pro | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Setlist grid & sections | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jump modes & transport | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Loop | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sort setlist · Auto Locator | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mixer · OSC | — | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Lyrics & Chords · MIDI Map · A1R Link · Phone/Tablet | — | — | — | ✓ |
| PC activations | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Elite (coming soon) adds Canvas editor, custom styles and section editing. See pricing.
Troubleshooting
A1R shows "waiting for Ableton"
The server is running but Ableton isn't connected. In Ableton, make sure the A1R_MAX Control Surface is selected (Preferences → Link/Tempo/MIDI).
A1R shows this overlay until Ableton connects — select the A1R_MAX Control Surface.
No songs appear
A1R needs locators (or a SONG NAME track). Add a locator named with your song title at the start of each song.
Phone can't open A1R
Phone and computer must be on the same Wi-Fi. Use the exact address A1R shows (including :1234). Some guest/corporate networks block device-to-device traffic.
Changes in Ableton aren't picked up
Re-selecting the Control Surface doesn't always reload — fully quit and reopen Ableton if a script change doesn't apply.
FAQ
Do I need internet during a show?
No. A1R activates online once; after that it runs completely offline.
Is it a subscription?
No — one-time payment. Your tier is perpetual; updates are included for 1 year.
Can I move it to another computer?
Yes. Each tier includes multiple activations, and you can deactivate a device to free a slot.
Which platforms?
Windows and macOS, Ableton Live 11+. Control from any modern browser (phone/tablet/laptop).