ableton-freeze-resample

name	Ableton Freeze Resample
description	This skill should be used when the user asks to "freeze a track", "resample/bounce to audio", "render stems", "commit this MIDI to audio", "print this track", or wants a MIDI/instrument track rendered to an audio file in Ableton Live. Uses renderPreFxAudio to bounce a track region and import it back as an audio clip.
version	0.1.0

Ableton Freeze / Resample

Bounce a track region to an audio file and bring it back into the project — for CPU relief (freeze/commit), creating stems, or capturing a performance. Uses resources.renderPreFxAudio(track, startBeat, endBeat) (returns a file path) and resources.importIntoProject(path).

When to use

Triggers: "freeze", "resample", "bounce to audio", "render stems", "commit/print track". For sampling an external file into an instrument, use ableton-sample-chopper.

Process

1. Use ableton-live-runner for build/run/kill + scaffold.
2. Identify the source track + range (in beats). For a full song, use 0 → total beats; for stems, loop over the relevant tracks.
3. Render the region to audio:

   const path = await api.resources.renderPreFxAudio(track, startBeat, endBeat);
   

   Note: this renders pre-FX audio of the track's content.
4. Bring it back — import and place on a (new) audio track as a clip:

   const imported = await api.resources.importIntoProject(path);
   const audioTrack = await song.createAudioTrack();
   await audioTrack.createAudioClip({ filePath: imported, startTime: startBeat });
   

5. Show progress for long renders with api.ui.showProgressDialog (update per track).
6. Optionally mute/disable the original to "freeze" it (the rendered clip now plays instead).

Stems pattern

async function renderStems(api, song, startBeat, endBeat) {
  const out = [];
  for (const t of song.tracks) {
    try {
      const p = await api.resources.renderPreFxAudio(t, startBeat, endBeat);
      out.push({ track: t.name, path: await api.resources.importIntoProject(p) });
    } catch { /* skip tracks that can't render (e.g. empty Drum Rack) */ }
  }
  return out; // array of { track, path }
}

Limits

• renderPreFxAudio renders the track's pre-effects signal — insert FX added by ableton-fx-chain / ableton-tone-recipes are NOT captured. The SDK has no post-FX render verb; for a post-FX print, move the wanted FX onto a return track or accept the dry bounce.
• It is typed for an AudioTrack + beat range; rendering instrument/MIDI tracks relies on it accepting any track — the stems loop's try/catch skips ones that can't render.
• An empty Drum Rack (no kit) renders silence — load a kit first.
• Audio import copies the file into the project; use the returned path for clips.

See ableton-sample-chopper, ableton-quick-mix.