Here is the Ableton Live Benchmark project file to use. Just download it, run it and see how many tracks you can get to play without having the sound start crackling up.
Make sure that you’re running 2048 Samples (or the highest available) and 48000 Sample rate.
To see the CPU performance, close all other apps you currently have running on your computer besides Ableton Live and open the Activity Monitor app.
Here’s how to use this test:
- Duplicate the only track that is used in the project.
- Duplicate as many instances of this track as you could and still be able to play the sound without any hickups.
- As soon as you can hear any difficulties in the project, delete tracks until you find that the project sounds fine. That is the amount of tracks that your system can handle in this test.
- Post your results here in this blog post comments. Please make sure to include your version number of Ableton, system (model number, year, specs).
| Computer | # of Test Tracks | Version No. |
|---|---|---|
| MacBook Pro 16” M1 Max 32GB RAM | 245 | 11.1b5 |
| MacBook Pro 13” M1 2020 16GB RAM | 133 | 11.1b6 |
| MacBook Pro 16” 2019 2.4 GHz intel core i9 32gb ram | 190 | 11.0.11 |
| Dell XPS17 (9700), 4K, 2060Max-Q, 32GB, 2TB SSD, i7-10875H | 109 | 11.0.11 |
| Scan 3XS Music production laptop, i7-10750h, 32 gb ram | 153 | 11.0.11 |
| i9-10900K PC Desktop, 64GB, 2TB SSD, RTX3080, Windows 11 Pro | 184 | 11.0.11 |
| MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro 16GB RAM | 205 | 11.1b6 |
| MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro (Running in Rosetta) | 150 | 11.1b6 |
| MacBook Pro 13" Mid 2014 2.6Ghz i5 8GB RAM | 32 | 11.0.11 |
| MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro 16GB RAM | 32 | 11.1b5 |
| MacBook Air M1 8-Core | 12 | 11.1b5 |
| iMac 27 2020 i9 3,6Ghz 10-core | 180 | 11 |
Hey! Did the test. Had a 153 tracks running, no crackles. Computer: Scan 3XS Music production laptop, i7-10750h, 32 gb ram. Version: 11.0.11
32 tracks on a Macbook Pro 13″ (Mid-2014) with 2,6 GHz Intel Core i5, 8 GB 1600 MHz DDR3, 256 GB SSD on MacOS Mojave 10.14.6 (18G9323) with Ableton Live Suite 11.0.11 (Build 2021-09-28)
MacBook Pro 16” 2019 2.4 GHz intel core i9 32gb ram Ableton live 11.0.11 – 190 tracks
Why is Ableton performing that badly on M1 macs?
Because they only just released a beta version native for M1 macs a month ago.
109 Tracks – Dell XPS17 (9700), 4K, 2060Max-Q, 32GB, 2TB SSD, i7-10875H, ThrottleStop used to turn-off CPU stepping/turbo/C1E modes (no fan noise/temps steady at 50 degrees Celsius or less), Live version 11.0.11 running on Windows 11 Pro.
184 tracks – i9-10900K PC Desktop, 64GB, 2TB SSD, RTX3080, Windows 11 Pro, Live 11.0.11.
11.1b6 – MBP M1 2020 13″ 16GB 1TB SSD – 133 tracks
11.0.11 – Mac mini 2018 / i7 6 core 3,2 GHz / 32GB / 1TB SSD –
108 tracks running smoothly.
Between 109 and 145 I have a quick dropout right at the beginning but after that it plays the loop with no issue.
Start to crackle at 145.
Thinking about getting a MBA M1 with 16GB and 1TB SSD. Do you think I’ll have better performance with the MBA or should I go straight to the M1 pro?
I’m throwing in the towel at 384. Ableton crashes when I try to duplicate any more. Audio plays fine tho and CPU never goes above 70% Threadripper 3960x 128gb ram
Macbook pro 14″
10 core Max 32 core GPU
32gb ram, 1tb SSD
Mac OS Monterey 12.0.1
Ableton Live 11.1b5
240 tracks running smoothly
Are these empty tracks? How many tracks with serum or diva or vital syth?
These are not empty tracks, read the main post above, this was a specific track count test for that.
I don’t own those plugins you asked so i can’t test them.
Macbook pro 14″ 2021 M1 M1 Max 32core, 32gb ram 1tb SSD mac os Monterey 12.0.1
Ableton 11.1b5 240 tracks
ableton 11.1b6 241 tracks
@ Music Prod Any chance you can add these results to the list please?
45 tracks on my MacBook Pro 17″ 2011 i7 16gb and SSD using Ableton 11.0.6. Pretty sure there’s something wrong with your Air M1 test.
I totally agree with you about the Air M1 test, that test is not correct at all as the air should only be 10% less if any compared to the pro so either they had their buffer settings incorrect or something else was conflicting with the ableton session on their machine.
80 Tracks – MacBook Pro 13” M1 2020 8GB RAM – Live 11.1b6.
345 tracks on my custom build AMD Ryzen 3900x + 32gb Ram
60-62 Tracks with i7 Macbook Pro late 2013 (8GB RAM), Big Sur 11.6, Ableton Live 11.0.11
Pro Tipp: There is a Ableton Performance-Thread at Ableton Forum. They are using the Ableton live Demoprojects!! Its about Ableton live 10, perhaps someone start a new thread with Live 11 + some Apple m1 Configs…..
72 tracks. MacBook Pro 2017 (15.4). i7 Quad 2.9GHz, 16gB ram. Ableton 11.0.12
156 tracks on MBP 15″ 2019 i9 16GB ram. Ableton 11.0.11
Alienware X17 – i7 11800h, RTX 3080.
259 tracks (without killing background processes)
I did this test on my new laptop because I was worried my CPU had a poor performance but hopefully I was wrong :) thanks!
oh, I forgot: 32 GB RAM
Macbook Pro 15” Mid 2015
16gb RAM
72 tracks
Live Suite 11.0.2 / 11.0.5 / 11.0.6 / 11.0.11 / 11.0.12
Somehow with the 11.0.10 maximum tracks was 71
Tower:
Intel i7-7820X 3.60GHz
32gb RAM
Hackintosh High Sierra 10.13.6 = 214 Tracks
Windows 10 Pro 21H1 = 196 tracks
MacBook Pro 15” 2015 core i7@2.0GHz 16 Gb Ram & Live 11.0.6 – 64 tracks
Comp: i7 8700k 32Gb Ram & Live 11.0.12
Windows 11 Pro – 72 tracks
MacOS Mojave 10.14.6 – 165 tracks
asus g14 2020 ryzen 9 4900hs 40gb ram sample rate 48000 at 1024 focusrite 4i4 3rd gen., live 11.0.6 192 tracks
I did another set of tests with desktop units
Dell XPS Studio 9100 2010 Core i7-920 24gb Windows 10. 1 tb sata -ssd. Live 11b5. 40 tracks focusrite 2i2 2nd gen.
Cyberpower Master Gamer 2017 Ryzen 2700x 64gb. Windows 10. Nvme ssd. Live 11.0.12. 210 tracks. MOTU 828 preES.
Both desktops could only go 1024 sample rate. I know this page is for M1 benchmarks but I’m dying to see how my current equipment holds up before choosing to pull the plug and go Apple.
63 playable tracks but can’t work with the lag. 15″ MBP Mid-2014 2.5 GHz Intel Core i7 16 g of RAM
Here are my results from my self-built Windows Desktop PC:
Intel i7 8700k @ 3.7 GHz, Windows 11 21H2, 32GB RAM
2048 buffersize, 48kHz Samplerate
Ableton Live 11 Suite Version 11.0.12
170 Tracks with Steinberg UR22MK2 (usb; latency mode setting: “standard”)
160 Tracks with ESI Juli@ (internal pci-card)
143 tracks – Mac mini 2018 – 3,2 GHz 6-Core Intel Core i7 – 32GB – Ableton Live 11.1b10
iMac 27 2012late i7 3.4Ghz 16g ram 751g ssd
72 tracks in Ableton 11.02
MacBook Pro 15 mid-2012 non-retina, i7 2.3 GHz, 16GB, 1TB SSD
63 tracks Ableton Live 11
MacBook Pro 14″ M1 Pro – 10CPU 16GPU – 16Gb RAM – Running on Battery
234 Tracks with internal soundcard
254 Tracks with UAD Apollo MK2
iMac 2013 – i5 Quadcore 2.9Ghz – 8Gb RAM
Firewire Soundcard Behringer FCA202
62 Tracks
Live 11.0.12 INTEL
PC / ASUS Prime Z590-P / Intel i5 11600K / 32Gb RAM / 512Gb SAMSUNG SSD 970 EVO Plus
202 Tracks running without Crackles on YAMAHA AG03 ( ASIO )
M1 Mac mini 2020 8gig ram
102 tracks
PC / INTEL i9-12900K / 32GB RAM / NO VGA / 1TB SAMSUNG SSD 980 PRO / ID44 AUDIO / WINDOW 11 / ABLETON 11.1
almost 420 Track
PC / INTEL i9-12900K / 32GB RAM / RTX3060 / 1TB SAMSUNG SSD 980 PRO / SSL2+ / WINDOW 11 / ABLETON 11.1
370 Tracks without a single Click or Pop.
2010 Mac Pro Cheesegrater 5,1 12 core 3.33 w/64gb ram OS 10.13.6 High Sierra, Ableton Live 11.0.12
144 tracks w/ RME UCX
Not bad for an OG Mac.
iMac 27 2015 i5 3,3Ghz 4-core / 24gb ram OS 10.14.6, Ableton Live 11.1
69 tracks without any glitch
– Mac mini i7 2018 128SSD 32Go ram = 137 without any tiny little crack but usable at 145 tracks
– macbook pro 16 2,3Ghz 1to 16Go Ram = 161 tracks
macbookAir M1 16gb Ram 256ssd
Live 11.1.1
135 tracks
Macmini9,1
Apple M1
Total Number of Cores: 8
Memory: 8 GB
Ableton Live 11 Suite 11.1.5
95 tracks
Mac studio m1 max 64gb ram 1Tb SSD
Live 11.15
248 tracks
MacBook Pro 16 M1Pro 32gb 2tb 245 tracks
I did a test a while back with this system:
Cyberpower Master Gamer 2017 Ryzen 2700x 64gb. Windows 10. Nvme ssd. Live 11.0.12. 210 tracks. MOTU 828 preES.
I replaced the 2700x cpu since the 5950x went on sale… I was debating do I get the MacStudio with an m1 max or wait for the next ryzen cpu out this fall?
I was able to get 329 tracks to play with a “pop” when I hit play. If i could live with the pop at the pressing of the play button… well, I quit at 450 tracks. CPU meter at top showed 72%. I back off ten tracks at a time until there was absolutely no pop when I hit PLAY. 300 tracks was my best.
I was able to do 250 tracks with a single pop at start… at 256 samples.
I was able to do 200 tracks with no pop at 256 samples.
I could work at 75 tracks with NO POPS at all at 128 samples.
I got 30 tracks at 64 samples.
I got 16 tracks at 32 samples.
I should be able to record 24 tracks with basic channel strip plugins without noticeable latency with this machine.
i think I can get a motherboard with thunderbolt 4 from ASUS for $ 250, to get myself the throughput on my MOTU device for better latency. BUT all in all, I can wait a generation or two on the MacStudio.
14″ M1 Pro, 16gb.
I got 210 before clicking around caused crackles. Live 11.2b7
MBP 13” 2020 Four Thunderbolt 3 ports – 2 GHz Intel Core i5
108 tracks
Ableton 11.1.6
16bg Ram
409 tracks on a MacStudio m1 Ultra 64 ram without any problems. With 410 i get a pop when i press play. Ableton shows 72% cpu. I could add more tracks but Ableton starts to crash when i add more tracks.
Abeton 11.2.5
Macbook Pro 16inch, 2019
Intel i9 2.4Ghz 8 Core with AMD 5500M
64GB Ram
Mac OS X Ventura
162 tracks
I could get up to about 183, but I found if i kept it playing for longer than 5-10 seconds that it would start to drop samples. I had to bring it all the way down to 162 before it felt stable.
Macbook Pro 13″, 2018
Intel i5, 2.3GHz
16GB RAM
macOS Monterey
Ableton Live 11
85 tracks with loads of brower tabs in Chrome and Safari and other apps open
Mac Pro 2009 | 2 x 3.46GHz 6-Core Intel Xeon | 96 GB DDR3 RAM | 2TB SATA SSD | macOS Monterey | Live 11.2.10 – 120 Tracks
Macbook Pro 16″ 2019 | Intel i9 2.3GHz | 16 GB DDR4 RAM | 1TB SSD | macOS Ventura | Live 11.2.10 – 130 Tracks
PC
i5-12400f
32gb ram, 1tb SSD
win 10
3070
221 tracks
Lenovo T14s Gen 3 AMD
AMD Ryzen 6850U – 32 GB RAM – 1 TB SSD
Scarlett 18i8 (only up to 1024 samples supported, not 2048)
Live 11.3.2
around 115 tracks (at 1024 samples)
The test was a bit flawed because the energy settings were on balanced and with Push 3 connected and an external 4k screen.
Redid the test only with power and the inferface connected.
161 tracks!
Didnt expect such a huge difference
Custom PC with i7 12700, 32 GB ddr4, m2 pcie4 ssd, win 11 pro got 280 tracks.
Macbook Pro M3 Pro (2023) 18 GB RAM 1 TB.
Ableton Live 11.3.11
251 Tracks before cracking. CPU at 83%
199. Ableton 11. Redmibook 14 Pro.
Core i7 12650H. 16 GB RAM.
144 tracks
Macbook Air 2022, M2, 24GB Ram, 2TB
Mac OS Ventura 13.6.5
Ableton Live 12.0.1
MacBook Pro 13 2020 m1 16gb ram 256 ssd
157 playing tracks without issue wow.