Hi everyone,

I'm having a problem in Ableton Live 12.2 where when I play notes on my computer keyboard, it triggers sound from all active tracks with plugins loaded, instead of just the selected track.

I have 3 synths (Serum 2) with Monitoring: Auto in Ableton Live 12.2.and Computer MIDI Keyboard is on (yellow). When I select a track and press keys on my computer keyboard, no sound comes out. To get sound, I have to set Monitoring: In or Arm the track.
Is there a way to play sound from only the selected track with the computer keyboard without needing to enable Arm or Monitoring: In?

In FL Studio, if you click on a track, you can use the computer keyboard to play notes for that specific track, but in Ableton, I need to either enable 'Arm' for the track or set 'Monitoring' to 'In' to get sound from the selected track.

Is there a way in Ableton Live to play only the selected track with the computer keyboard without having to enable 'Arm' or 'Monitoring: In' on each track? Is there a setting or workaround that can make this work?

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

 

Hello @verwest, since hardly anyone makes music with a keyboard, here's an AI answering, I hope it can help you, but keep in mind that AI sometimes hallucinates.

Spoiler: Source: Grok KI

Understanding the Issue in Ableton Live 12.2
In Ableton Live, the Computer MIDI Keyboard (activated via the yellow toggle in the Control Bar) sends MIDI notes from your QWERTY keyboard (e.g., A-S-D-F for the C major scale) to all armed or input-monitored MIDI tracks simultaneously. This is by design: Live routes incoming MIDI to any track where the Arm button is red (armed) or the Monitoring dropdown is set to "In" (which enables input pass-through regardless of arming). With Monitoring on "Auto" (the default), input only passes through when the track is armed and not playing back clips.

Your setup—three Serum 2 synth tracks with Monitoring: Auto—explains the behavior:

• When no tracks are armed, no MIDI reaches any track, so you hear nothing.
• When you arm one track, only that one should receive and play the MIDI (others won't, unless they're also armed or set to "In").
• If you're hearing sound from all tracks when playing notes, it could mean multiple tracks are accidentally armed (check for multiple red Arm buttons) or set to "In". Arming typically unarms others unless you hold Ctrl/Cmd while clicking.

This differs from FL Studio's piano roll helper, where selecting a track isolates keyboard input to it. Ableton prioritizes multi-track workflows (e.g., layering synths), so there's no built-in "play selected track only" mode for the Computer MIDI Keyboard without arming or monitoring changes. However, there are efficient workflows and workarounds to minimize hassle.

Quick Fixes for Your Current Setup
To play just the selected track's Serum 2 synth with your keyboard, without changing Monitoring from "Auto":

1. Arm the Selected Track Efficiently:
   • Click the track's Arm button (it turns red). This enables Monitoring: Auto to pass MIDI through.
   • To avoid unarming others unintentionally: Hold Ctrl (Windows) / Cmd (Mac) while clicking Arm—this arms the track without disarming siblings.
   • Play notes: Use A-S-D-F-G-H-J (C-D-E-F-G-A-B in C major); shift octaves with Z/X; adjust velocity with C/V.
   • Disarm when done: Click Arm again (or use shortcut Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + R to cycle arming on selected tracks).
   • Pro Tip: If you often switch tracks, map a MIDI controller button or keyboard shortcut (via MIDI Map Mode, shortcut Cmd/Ctrl + M) to the Arm button for one-click toggling.
2. If You Prefer No Arming (Set Monitoring to "In"):
   • Select the track > In the I/O section (click the small "i-o" header to expand), set Monitoring to In.
   • This lets MIDI play through constantly, like an aux track—great for auditioning without recording risk.
   • Drawback: It enables input on all tracks set to "In," so solo the track (shortcut Shift + S) to isolate sound.
   • Switch back to Auto when recording to avoid accidental overdubs.

With either method, ensure:

• No clips are playing in the track (they can mute input on Auto).
• Track volume/pan is up and not muted/soloed incorrectly.
• Serum 2 is loaded and set to receive MIDI on Channel 1 (default).

Workarounds for "FL Studio-Like" Selected Track Isolation
Since there's no native setting for auto-isolation on selection, try these:

1. Use a Dedicated "Preview" Track:
   • Create a new MIDI track at the top of your session.
   • Load a blank instrument (e.g., Operator or just route to your Serum via MIDI output).
   • Set its Monitoring to In (permanent pass-through).
   • Route its MIDI output to the selected track's input channel (in I/O > MIDI To > select your synth track).
   • Arm only the preview track. Now, keyboard input always goes here, but triggers only the routed destination—effectively "selecting" by changing the route.
   • Bonus: This avoids arming your actual synth tracks, reducing recording risks.
2. Max for Live Devices (If You Have Suite Edition):
   • Search Browser for "MIDI Monitor" or "CV Tools" > MIDI utilities.
   • Insert a MIDI effect like MIDI Sidechain or a custom device to gate/redirect input to the selected track only.
   • Community example: Devices like "Track Selector" (free on maxforlive.com) can automate arming/monitoring on selection.
3. Third-Party MIDI Remote Script: Selected Track Control (STC):
   • This free script (compatible with Live 12) lets you control the currently selected track via keyboard shortcuts, including auto-arming or monitoring toggles.
   • Download from stc.wiffbi.com (includes install guide for Ableton's MIDI Remote Scripts folder).
   • Pair with Kimidi (free Mac app; Windows alternatives like AutoHotkey) to send MIDI notes from your keyboard to STC, which routes them only to the selected track.
   • Setup: Install script > Enable in Preferences > MIDI > Input/Output > Select "SelectedTrackControl" as a control surface.
   • Result: Select a track, hit a hotkey (e.g., for notes), and it plays isolated—closest to FL behavior.
4. General Workflow Hack: Keyboard Shortcuts for Speed:
   • Enable Record Quantization (in Options menu) for cleaner input.
   • Use Shift + Tab to cycle track selection quickly.
   • For multi-track preview: Hold Ctrl/Cmd to arm multiple without unarming others, then play layers.

Why No Direct Setting? And Testing Tips
Ableton's philosophy favors explicit control (arming for recording intent) over implicit (like FL's selection). If this feels clunky, check Ableton's forum or Reddit's r/ableton for user scripts—many share custom MIDI routers.

To test:

• New set with one Serum track: Arm it, enable Computer MIDI Keyboard, play A-S-D. Hear sound? If not, check audio output routing and Serum's MIDI channel.
• Update to latest 12.2 beta if issues persist (via ableton.com/downloads).

If none of this resolves it, share a screenshot of your track headers/I-O sections—could be a routing quirk. Happy producing!

 

Without a 'proper' controller connected Ableton will not auto arm a selected track. If you are selecting a particular track via mouse you can hit the record arm as you select a track. You can make sure Record Exclusive is enabled in settings so that you don't then have to disable it before enabling another (you can enable multiple still by using shift + selection method). "c" also is the shortcut if you're already focused on a track, obviously need to hit b first to disable the keyboard midi function.

 

You need to create a file with the name Options.txt in

Windows : \Users\User Name\AppData\Roaming\Ableton\Live x.x.x\Preferences
Mac OS X : \User\Library\Preferences\Ableton\Live x.x.x\

Then add this line in it :

-EnableArmOnSelection

Need to restart ableton if it was open.

Then arm a track, and when you select an another track it will be the new armed one.

There is far more options that may be added in this file.

https://help.ableton.com/hc/en-us/articles/6003224107292-Options-txt-file (not really a full list of available options)

 

Yes, I do all of that. The problem is that I want it to automatically know that when I select track 3 and press MIDI keys, the sound should come from that synth, not require me to click Arm or In to hear the sound.
I mostly use the keyboard for sound design.

 

This method worked, but after fixing the file, we need to right-click on Arm in Ableton and check the Arm Exclusive option. Then restart Ableton
Thanks

 

You welcome, have a good music making !

 

This option is the first thing I configure during a fresh installation. I don't understand why this isn't available as a standard setting.

 

Some things in Ableton I don't know why it doesn't allow on the settings. Another issue it has is that you can't close all the plugins with one click. For example, when you create a rack and save it, when you open it again, all the plugins reopen, and you have to close them one by one. I think in FL Studio, by pressing F5, you can close all the plugins at once.

 

You can close and open the windows of the plug-ins you are working on using the following keyboard shortcut:

Windows : Ctrl + Alt + P
Mac OS : Command + Option + P

 

And there is an option under "settings -> plug-ins" dealing with the plugin windows opening/closing behaviour