Frequently Asked Questions

No. Live works completely on its own — you can configure songs, backing tracks, MIDI files, and regions directly within Live. Studio is an optional companion for users who prefer a visual timeline editor for track preparation.

Both apps share the same song folder structure on disk (~/ESTË/songs/). You prepare tracks in Studio — arranging audio clips on a timeline, setting tempo maps, defining regions — then load the same song in Live for the performance. Changes made in Studio (like clip positions and trim points) are automatically reflected when you load the song in Live.

Send an email to hello@este.audio with your feedback, bug report, or feature request.

ESTË - LIVE is a lightweight macOS application designed for live IEM (In-Ear Monitor) mix management. The sound engineer sets up channels and buses, and each musician controls their own headphone mix from their phone browser in real time.

Live currently runs on macOS only, as it relies on CoreAudio for low-latency audio I/O. There are currently no plans for cross-platform support.

No. Live runs entirely on your local WiFi network (LAN). No cloud services, no internet connection required. Your audio data never leaves your network.

It depends on your audio interface. Each musician needs one stereo output pair (2 channels). For example, an 18-output interface supports up to 8 independent IEM mixes plus a main FOH bus.

Yes, Live is free to use with no restrictions. If you find it useful, you can support development through voluntary donations.

Any CoreAudio-compatible device works — USB, Thunderbolt, or built-in audio. If macOS recognizes it, Live can use it.

Yes. Each musician opens a URL on their phone browser and gets a personal mixer view for their IEM bus with independent volume, pan, and mute controls for every channel.

Each channel includes a 3-band parametric EQ, dynamic compressor, and Freeverb reverb. Factory presets are included for quick setup.

No. The mixer interface runs in any modern web browser (Safari, Chrome, Firefox). Musicians just scan a QR code or type the URL — no app install needed.

ESTË - STUDIO is a companion macOS app for offline track preparation. It provides a timeline editor where you can arrange audio clips, MIDI events, tempo maps, time signatures, and song regions before performing live with ESTË - LIVE.

Yes. Studio is a standalone app. You can use it as a timeline editor for organizing audio clips, MIDI events, tempo changes, and song regions without ever launching Live.

ESTË - METRONOME is a pro metronome for iPhone and iPad, built by people who play live. It includes Ableton Link, an Apple Watch companion, setlists with song parts, polyrhythms, and a speed trainer.

Metronome is available on the App Store for iPhone and iPad, with an Apple Watch companion.

Yes. Metronome is free, with an optional tip jar if you'd like to support development — the same approach as the rest of the ESTË suite.

It's a standalone app. There's no integration with Live or Studio for now, but we're not ruling it out for the future.