Maxforlive.com Help and FAQ

I registered but can't log in

If you haven't already, please check your Spam or Junk folder. You MUST activate the account before trying to login. Resetting your password won't make a difference. If you registered but did not receive the activation email, we'll help you out. Contact us and we'll send you the link you need.

How do I share my device?

At this time, a "device" can only be a single .amxd file. This file must actually be a working Max for Live device. Any files ending in .amxd files that are not actually Max for Live devices, or are valid device files that are not functional and/or point to yet another destination are not appropriate for maxforlive.com.
Post the .amxd file to share your device. The .amxd file contains the Max patch and ableton device information needed.

  1. Step 1: Freeze the device. In the Max editor, click "Freeze Device" in the bottom editor window. Freezing the device includes subpatchers, audio files, image files, Javascript code, or third-party Max external objects into the one .amxd file that you will exchange with other users.
  2. Step 2: Find the .amxd file for your device. You can generally find this the quickest by right-clicking the device in your Ableton Library, and selecting "show in explorer" on PC and "show in Finder" on a Mac. You will be taken directly to the file you need to upload here.
  3. Step 3: Create a new device on maxforlive.com (requires that you are logged in). Give the device a name, a version, and a description. Browse to the .amxd file and click "save device".

You may only share a device if you own the rights to all source code (i.e. Max patches) and related images and abstractions. Do not post other peoples work as your own.
Note that only free devices should be hosted on maxforlive.com. Do not post any device files that cannot be edited or that require payment to use or edit fully. You can however still post about your device if you charge for it by using the "reference" feature to post a link to where your device can be purchased. In summary, if not free, post reference, if free, post device or reference.

Devices posted here must have some musical or video purpose that is clearly outlined in the device description. Do not post devices or link to content that attempt to harm our users machines, or annoy them (like by poping up tons of windows).Violators of this term will have their devices deleted and their accounts disabled without notice.

You can post a mod of an existing device in the library so long as A) the device was free to start with B) you credit the original author in the description C) the license applied to the original device does not prohibit derivatives. Details on creative commons license options can be found at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/.

At this time, only .amxd files are allowed for all users. Any other text or binary data posted but renamed to end in .axmd will be deleted and your account disabled without notice.
Same for screenshot images. Any attempt to rename other binary data to an image extension to bypass the filter is logged.

Note that in the future we will also add support for uploading the any associated .adv files for your device that represent the ableton presets that could accompany it.
If you need to upload a Zip file please refer to Zip Request for more details.

Please direct all problems or questions to us via email. See the contact page for details.

How do I use a device I download from this site?

The devices files you download from here can be directly added to your ableton set by dragging them from the device browser on to a destination.

  • Click "download device" on the page for the device you want and note where you save it.
  • Navigate to that location in the Ableton Live browser and drag the device into a track on your set. Note that MIDI Devices can only be dropped on a MIDI track and Audio Devices on Audio Tracks.

Use any content downloaded from this site at your own risk. With great power comes great responsibility. Max has great power. There is no guarantee that devices you use from this site won't break your computer or corrupt your Ableton Live set.
Also your are obliged to respect the license applied by the author for every device.

Please direct all problems or questions to us via email. See the contact page for details.

What is a "reference" on maxforlive.com?

A "reference" is an entry in the library for a device that does not contain the actual .amxd file. Instead of hosting the actual device on maxforlive.com, the author has chosen to host it somewhere else and just point to it from the device library. The "Hide References" checkbox let's you browse and search the library without seeing any of these if you only want to look for things that you can actually get from this site.

"Reference" entries in the library (device entries without the .amxd file itself) must include a link where users can buy, or download the referenced device. Links must go directly to pages where a user can download, or purchase your device.

Users who post "references" in the library are responsible for updating the device links whenever they change. In an effort to keep the library free from broken links, when users report a broken link we might contact you in order to resolve it. We reserve the right to delete your device entry from the library if the issue can not be resolved.
Please make every effort to update your reference whenever you change the URL on your own site.

I downloaded a device but I don't understand how to use it or I get an error. Help?

Devices you download from here are not supported by Ableton nor Cycling '74. As per our Terms of Service, use them at your own risk. You're pretty much on your own for figuring out how to use them. Hopefully the device author commented the device well or provided a link to documentation but there's no guarantee.

Please report corrupt or broken device problems to us via email. See the contact page for details.

User accounts and profiles

User accounts exist to allow users to rate devices, post comments, upload devices and learn about each other on profile pages.

Usernames can only be numbers and letters. No special characters or spaces allowed. Usernames are used to authenticate you with the site, and are used to identify you as the author of devices you share.

If you are having trouble registering because the form calls your username invalid, or you never recieve the activation email, first check your "spam" filter and if still no luck, contact us and we'll add you manually.

On User Profile pages, do not enter any URL or link to any external content that is not directly related to your music or art.
Any advertising content posted not related to Max for Live devices is not allowed. User accounts whos profile pages, devices, or comments contain advertisements unrelated products might be removed and banned.

Comments

Comments are for discussing particular devices. Any comment posted that is not related to the device on the same page may be deleted without notice. For general discussions, visit the Cycling '74 forums or the Ableton forums.

Links in comments should be about the device being discussed only. Links advertising products or services in comments that are not related to the device itself or at least a Max for Live related topic might be deleted.

How can I change my email address or username?

To change your email address or username after you register, email us for help.

Password Policy

Passwords must contain only numbers and letters. No "special characters". Good password = 23l2k3jAl Bad password = Ableton!!!
Maximum 20 characters for passwords.

Passwords are stored encrypted. We have no idea what they are. To change your password, click "forgot password" on the login page.

How can I be notifed when new major features are added?

Subscribe to the RSS feed for updates.

I am trying to change my password but I get an "Invalid Token" error. What does that mean?

Tokens are used by maxforlive.com to facilitate changing your password. When you submit your email address to reset your password, you should recieve an email containing a unique URL including your token. If you click on that link and get "Invalid Token", most likely it is because you clicked on the link 24 hours or more after the token was generated. To generate a new and valid token, submit your email address again on the forgot password page.

Please direct all additional problems or questions to us via email. See the contact page for details.