Automate "Slice to Midi" in Ableton Live

The convenient function "Slice to Midi" isn't mapped to a hotkey in Ableton Live, you have to right click and select the appropriate menu item in the context menu.

Now, I did a quick hack with Autohotkey (sorry, Windows only [There seems to exist a port of Autohotkey. I couldn't test it but look here]) to reduce the necessary user action to a single keystroke.

UPDATE: New version checks if the Live window is active, before the command is executed.

Download and execute the file provided below. From now on the script sits in the background (and in the taskbar) and waits until you call it. Select the audio loop you want to slice. Hit "win+m". Now the loop should be sliced to a new midi track using the settings you made in a previous "Slice to Midi" action.

Some caveats :

• this works only in Windows
• probably with the english version of Ableton Live only (now with the german version, too - see below)
• the Ableton Live window has to be active
• and the loop to slice has to be selected

I'm sure there are lots of people who can write a better script. Please put a reference in the comments. Any comment on errors etc is appreciated.

Download 

The script basically simulates keystrokes:

• <alt+c> (<alt+e> in the german version) to enter the menu
• four times <down> to get to the "Slice to New Midi Track" menu entry
• <enter> to execute the command
• <enter> to confirm the "Slice to Midi" dialogue