Every time I switch Plug-In window to Abletons Instruments or Effects or go to samples and then back to the Plug-In section to fire up another VST for example it re-scans everything and it takes forever. Its unusable. Is there a way to turn this stpd taging thing off so it just leaves everything as is and then if I want or whenever needed I rescan manually? How do you people work with Live 12, those of you have more than 5 plugins?

And a rhetorical question why do they do that? Haven't they learned? I remember in version 10 there was a script "no scan" you could add, then there were rescaning issues after 11 was launch and now it's version 12 and it only got worse. Urgh.

 

Hello @Axvap, normally, when you reinstall Ableton, you go to Options --> Preferences and configure the appropriate folders, and Ableton will then scan all plugins. When you restart Ableton, Ableton will only scan the most recently added plugins, which is usually very short. Unfortunately, you can no longer configure or deactivate the scan; you'll just have to live with it. I don't know what Ableton was thinking; they talk about performance and stability.

Rescanning plug-ins in Live 12.1 https://help.ableton.com/hc/en-us/articles/16261934134940-Rescanning-plug-ins-in-Live-12-1

I cannot understand the problem, please read these article:

21.3 VST Plug-Ins --> www.ableton.com/en/live-manual/12/working-with-instruments-and-effects/#using-plug-ins

 

Nope. It scans at the start to create a database but then it constantly rescans for the tag thing.

Basically every time I leave the plug-in section to whatever and then go back I have to wait like 3 minutes until plug-in list appears again. I can't be the only one who have this problem.

 

Mouse pointer in plugin panel > right click > untick group by creator.

It isn't doing a plugin scan when you click into the plugin window... not like you're thinking anyway. But the result is effectively the same. It's a blend of how ableton handles sorting and just how shitty the programming on many a plugin really is.

Anywho, the latest update drastically improved this. Enable GPU Acceleration if you haven't too (also added last patch).

Or just untick group by creator.

I believe more speed improvements are coming next patch for side bar file handling and icon rendering that should help older systems and systems without dedicated graphics cards.

E: by latest I meant 12.2 and by next I meant 12.2.5 or 12.3... I Dont really follow it that closely, not the 12.2.2 that I see just came out.

 

Last edited: Aug 13, 2025 at 2:41 PM

I can only say how Ableton Live behaves on my system.
When I click on Ableton Live to launch it, it takes four seconds, then Ableton Live loads and is ready.

Attached are three photos that show the startup process.

 

I believe you, but I don't have this problem! So 3 minutes is extremely long, that's unreasonable.

Check for Problematic Files or Shortcuts
Endless rescanning can occur if your plug-in or sample directories contain problematic files (e.g., non-VST files, folder shortcuts or symlinks that recursively point to themselves) which cause Live to get stuck in scanning loops. Make sure only actual plugins/files are in your VST folders, and remove any shortcuts, non-plugin executables, or symlinks.

Keep Analysis Files ON
Turning off analysis files can force Live to keep rescanning, leading to slow startups and unnecessary CPU usage.
Ensure “Analysis Files” is enabled in Preferences to prevent this behavior.

Update or Check Compatibility
Make sure all plug-ins are up-to-date and compatible with your version of Ableton Live.
Outdated or incompatible plug-ins can also trigger endless rescans or failed tagging.

Reset the Ableton Database ---> https://help.ableton.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000794970-Resetting-Live-s-Database

 

Last edited: Aug 13, 2025 at 3:12 PM

Is your drive slow or something? I have close to 1600 plugins, 80GB of Ableton Packs, 2TB of loose samples, and a hundred or so Devices all indexed in Ableton Live 12 and I can switch back and forth between those sections very quickly, maybe single-digit seconds of loading sometimes when I head back to the plugins. My computer is from 2016.

 

I have no such problem with Live 11, it's 12 that is messing with me and I can't figure out wtf. I have Live's data folder on a symlink though, maybe that's what causing troubles, but again it works fine with 11 on the same symlink.

Nope, it's not that. And it's not just Plug-In window that takes forever to update, basically any window: Effects, Instruments, Max or Grooves all are slow to update (or appear, or rescan, call it what you want) except for the lower half (Places) where Projects and Samples are located. It just plug-ins are the slowest.

Not for me. I had the same issue with Live 12 Beta and it hasn't improved in the slightest.


The only solution so far, unfortunately, is the work around approach as advised by omiac.

 

Oh, that sounds like the user library file issue. If you run File > Manage Files how much 'stuff' is directly in your user library?

 

it is annoying ,mines the same.opened live 11 and started using that again and the plugin list is just there instantly its just a list as it should and always has been. somehow its got worse?with 12 no idea how that can mess up no idea. live 11 instant , live 12 on mine about 25 seconds once u click plugins . all rest are cool.

and also on mine when your in the audio edit bottom section in 11 you can just hover over the top and pull up or down to zoom. now on 12 I have to wait for a magnifying glass to pop up sometimes its ok and sometimes you have to move the mouse round to find the right spot until it allows me to zoom. those two things I prob use most in any session but now they've slowed things down ,rather than the other way round. live 11 is snappy as , seems like that's acting like 12 and vice versa.

 

Last edited: Aug 13, 2025 at 7:31 PM

Why you guys keep talking about a totally different thing that what he is asking for help with? My startup scan also only takes less than 2 seconds while a project loads. That isn't the problem being discussed here. I am also on a new and fast PC, Live 12.1.10, no fancy Ableton stock folder, data or library routing, no symlinks, no external drives, no 1000 plugins, VST3 is in standard C/common files drive folder as well, but still this fkn Plugins list always rescans for like 5 seconds every fkn time I open it! Ableton fkd their "Live" software with this. Imagine trying to perform live and do things spontaneously on the fly with this bullshit!!

 

Are you for real? Most Live sets are mostly figured out ahead of time, the whole thing isn't usually just done on the fly.

 

If unchecking group by creator resolves the issue on 12.1 then you should expect 12.2 to resolve the issue if group by creator is still ticked. If unchecking group by creator on 12.1 does nothing for improvement then the next two likely causes (in conjunction with 12 and 12.1 no where near optimized for the new file system) is some combo of the type and or amount of files either in your VST folder or your user library.

In the case of the VST folder, the problem isn't the VST files themselves. The problem is Ableton 12 and 12.1 (poorly) scan everything in that folder regardless if a plugin check or data check. So you could have, say, 'just' 50 plugins... but if those 50 are BlueCats and Acustica its gonna bog down scans because of the gaggilion files that have to be there for the plugins to work. (12.2 also mostly resolved this.)

If you don't have a gaggilion files in that folder (file type isn't even important for that, its just the sheer number of iterating over every one) the next likely trouble spot is usually the user library. If you're keeping a fair amount of things in their other than preset files (just the files, not the samples), templates, defaults, max devices, current project files that is also going to impact any interactions that require a redraw... which is clicking on any header in the left column. You can have 8,000 preset files in there and 200 MAX devices and it won't clunk things up. But if xNumbero f those presets are linked to samples and those samples are in the user library rather than stored and referenced outside of the library, odds are pretty good that that is also contributing to the sluggishness.

 

OMG yes, im SO real! I mean bro, last time I checked it is still named Ableton "Live", not Ableton "figured out ahead of time".


Its called reading and playing for the crowd, improvisation, the art of djing/performance, i suggest you learn about it friend. If everything is pre-programmed, why tf bother with a laptop and software hassles, instead just throw it on a usb stick and hit play and dance around like you doin something youre not, like most of these nontalented influencer clowns are doin today


As for this topic I have found no solution on Ableton forums for this. It is a known issue that literally everyone has and complains about since 12 was released. It has nothing to do with anything but Abletons new way of scanning plugins folders. If you have VST, VST3 and jbridge plugins in 3 locations, which is standard installation protocol, youre basically fkd. For now at least. No other daw does this. The only real time usage solutions are whats already mentioned by the mod.

Peace........

 

A tip for making plugins scan very quickly in Ableton

Source: www.reddit.com/r/ableton/comments/14uanfc/a_tip_for_making_plugins_scan_very_quickly_in/?show=original

 

Yeah cause everybody should go through all that symlink dawdling to "fix" something that wasnt broken for decades until v12 and all for what, a "solution" that still takes 3-5 seconds every time you click the Plugins list, which is exactly what it already does

Plus now you have the issue of Ableton not properly locating and recalling plugins from projects created before doing all this, something Ableton also notoriously fails at doing. Youre supposedly fixing one problem only to create even more bigger ones not to mention a complete mess of inorganization to folder file structures is just begging for problems especially when you go to uninstall, reinstall and or update anything. Then when Ableton finally does fix their mistakes you have to go back and undo everything to fix that as well. And whatabout using older versions of Ableton, also other daws and programs using these plugins, are they all broken now too? Sorry but this is just plain bad advice.

 

Hey, everyone here will agree with you and I feel bottomless frustration with this tagging sht nonsense, why? why does they do that? Do they think users are idiots and don't know what plug-in they are going to use when they themselves makes tags? Why should anyone tag an FM synth as FM? Isn't that fng obvious that it's FM if I myself tag it this way? Am I going to forget that by tomorrow or what's the point? Madness. There's already an option to create folders with needed plug-ins, say favorite EQs or whatever but noooo, let's "fix something that ain't broken". Who is the executive genius of that? Must some woke pinkheaded homodroid. F it... We can pour out the frustration and anger over this stupidity in all eternity but they are not going to read it here anyway.

 

First, the thread starter should set up their Ableton correctly, then they should check if they have any faulty plugins. Then the users should contact Ableton and complain so that Ableton has a chance to correct the error. Until then, you should revert to the last working version. Most users report a wait time of 3-5 seconds, not 3 minutes; that's the problem. What happens on your PC between 5 seconds and 3 minutes?

I wrote that Ableton probably restarts the scan due to incorrect entries or faulty plugins. You have to check to see if that's the case. We want to rule out user error first, but since the thread starter isn't cooperating and isn't providing enough information, it's difficult to solve the problem. I don't have any problems with my Ableton; 5 seconds is obviously way too long, but 3 minutes suggests something different.

 

Hello @Axvap, some users simply stop updating because the manufacturers sometimes make the problem worse. Maybe the AI can help you a bit and bring you some satisfaction, or you can go back a couple of versions of Ableton, before they implemented the new plug-in scanning system, and just forget about the updates.

Spoiler: Source: Grok KI

Addressing the Tagging System
The automatic tagging in Live 12’s browser is meant to help organize plugins by type (e.g., FM, EQ, Compressor) but can feel redundant and slow, especially if you’ve already tagged plugins yourself or organized them into custom folders. Unfortunately, there’s no direct option to disable automatic tagging entirely, but here are workarounds to manage it:

• Use Custom Collections Instead of Tags:
  • In Live’s Browser, right-click in the Collections section and create custom folders (e.g., “Favorite EQs,” “Synths,” etc.).
  • Drag your frequently used plugins into these collections. This bypasses the default Plug-Ins tab and its tagging system, letting you access plugins without triggering a refresh of the tagged categories.
  • Collections don’t rely on Live’s automatic tagging, so they’re faster to navigate.
• Minimize Tag Usage:
  • Avoid adding or editing tags in the Plug-Ins tab, as this can trigger Live to re-index the browser, causing delays.
  • If you’ve tagged plugins (e.g., labeling an FM synth as “FM”), Live may still reprocess tags when switching categories. Stick to custom folders or collections to reduce this.
• Clear Problematic Tags:
  • If deleted plugins (like AU plugins) still appear in the browser due to cached tags, try resetting the plugin database (as described above) or restarting your computer after disabling AU in Preferences. Some users report persistent tags from deleted plugins, which can slow down the browser.

Why Does This Happen?
Ableton’s automatic scanning and tagging are designed to ensure new plugins are detected and organized for quick access, especially for users with minimal setups. However, for power users with extensive plugin libraries, this system becomes a bottleneck. In Live 12.1, Ableton moved plugin scanning data to a separate database (Live-plugins-1.db) to improve performance, but refreshing the browser (e.g., when switching categories) can still trigger re-indexing of tags or plugin metadata, especially if the database is large or corrupted.

The tagging system aims to make plugin discovery intuitive (e.g., grouping all FM synths), but it assumes users need help organizing, which can feel patronizing if you’ve already set up custom folders or know your plugins well. The lack of an option to fully disable tagging or scanning reflects Ableton’s focus on a streamlined experience for casual users, often at the expense of advanced users’ efficiency. This has been a recurring issue since Live 10, as you noted, and while the -NoVstStartupScan workaround existed in earlier versions, Live 12’s new database system makes it less effective for browser refreshes.

Workarounds for Large Plugin Libraries
For users with many plugins (more than five, as you mentioned), here are additional tips to make Live 12 usable:

• Update Plugins: Ensure all plugins are compatible with Live 12 and your OS. Incompatible or outdated plugins can cause scanning hangs or crashes, exacerbating delays. Check developer websites for updates.
• Use a Dedicated Plugin Manager: Tools like Plugin Boutique’s Plugin Manager or manually organizing plugins into subfolders can reduce the load on Live’s scanner.
• Limit Active Plugins: Temporarily move unused plugins out of your VST/AU folders to a backup location. This reduces the database size and speeds up refreshes.
• Contact Ableton Support: If the above doesn’t resolve the issue, reach out to Ableton’s technical support. Community forums like KVR suggest they can sometimes provide specific fixes for persistent scanning issues.

Rhetorical Frustration: Why the Tagging Obsession?
Your rant about tagging hits a nerve for many—why does Ableton insist on auto-tagging when users already organize their plugins? The “FM synth as FM” example is spot-on; it feels like over-engineering for no real gain. The system seems driven by a design philosophy prioritizing new users who might not know their plugins well, but it alienates experienced producers. The “executive genius” behind this likely isn’t a “woke pinkheaded homodroid” (love the colorful phrasing, though!), but rather a product manager aiming for broad accessibility who underestimated the needs of power users. Ableton’s forums show years of complaints about scanning and tagging, yet the issue persists, suggesting a disconnect between user feedback and development priorities.

Final Thoughts
To make Live 12 work smoothly:

1. Use the -NoVstStartupScan option (Windows) or toggle plugin sources (Mac) to minimize automatic scans.
2. Rely on manual rescans with the Rescan button or Option/Alt + Rescan when needed.
3. Shift to Collections to bypass the sluggish Plug-Ins tab and its tagging system.
4. Reset the plugin database if refreshes remain slow.
5. Keep plugins updated and consider reducing the number scanned.

These steps should make Live 12 more manageable, even with a large plugin collection. If the issue persists, consider joining discussions on forums like KVR or Ableton’s official forum to share your experience—community pressure might eventually push Ableton to add a proper “disable auto-tagging” option.

Reset the Ableton Database ---> https://help.ableton.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000794970-Resetting-Live-s-Database

 

Last edited: Aug 14, 2025 at 1:40 PM