# Ableton Live bypasses "silent" plugins with closed UI :: the keep alive workaround

**URL:** <https://forum.juce.com/t/ableton-live-bypasses-silent-plugins-with-closed-ui-the-keep-alive-workaround/14290>\
**Category:** Audio Plugins\
**Created:** [February 11, 2015, 11:53am UTC](https://forum.juce.com/t/ableton-live-bypasses-silent-plugins-with-closed-ui-the-keep-alive-workaround/14290 "2015-02-11T11:53:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![monotomy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/forum.juce.com/monotomy/32/960_2.png) [@monotomy](https://forum.juce.com/u/monotomy)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 11:53am UTC](https://forum.juce.com/t/ableton-live-bypasses-silent-plugins-with-closed-ui-the-keep-alive-workaround/14290/1 "2015-02-11T11:53:21Z")

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Maybe somebody runs in the same issue: Ableton Live (tested 8 & 9) bypasses plugins if they don't say anything for a while and it's UI is closed. This is especially a problem for autonomous plugins which can be silent for one or two bars... (sequencers, generators).

To avoid this you can use a "active sensing" workaround like in the good old MIDI time.

Code snipped which should explain itself (don't use the code as it is - not tested and statics maybe not a good idea)

```
void AudioProcessor::processBlock ( AudioSampleBuffer&, MidiBuffer& midiBuffer )
{
    // ....

    if ( getPlayHead() != 0 )
    {
        if( PluginHostType().isAbletonLive() )
        {
            class SensingTimer : public Timer {
                void timerCallback( ) {
                    ++callback_counter;
                }
            public:
                int callback_counter;

                SensingTimer() : callback_counter(1) {
                    startTimer(250);
                }
            };
            static SensingTimer sensing_timer;
            static int last_sensing = 0;

            if( last_sensing != sensing_timer.callback_counter ) {
                last_sensing = sensing_timer.callback_counter;

                MidiMessage sensing_message;
                midiBuffer.addEvent( sensing_message, 0 );
            }
        }
    }

    // ....
}
```

I don't spend a lot of time to find a better solution and did not find something in the forum.  
If anybody have a better one, just post it.

Please let me know if you know a host which does the same!

Cheers

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**Author:** ![jules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/41988e/32.png) [@jules](https://forum.juce.com/u/jules)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 9:30am UTC](https://forum.juce.com/t/ableton-live-bypasses-silent-plugins-with-closed-ui-the-keep-alive-workaround/14290/2 "2015-02-12T09:30:47Z")

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Could it also send a single inaudible audio sample, e.g. on sample of 1.0 / 32767.0? That could be sent every few seconds without causing any problems.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![monotomy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/forum.juce.com/monotomy/32/960_2.png) [@monotomy](https://forum.juce.com/u/monotomy)\
**Post date:** [February 13, 2015, 7:49am UTC](https://forum.juce.com/t/ableton-live-bypasses-silent-plugins-with-closed-ui-the-keep-alive-workaround/14290/3 "2015-02-13T07:49:13Z")

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I'll test this soon. I beleive audio should do the same...

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**Author:** ![chkn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/forum.juce.com/chkn/32/3862_2.png) [@chkn](https://forum.juce.com/u/chkn)\
**Post date:** [February 13, 2015, 8:06am UTC](https://forum.juce.com/t/ableton-live-bypasses-silent-plugins-with-closed-ui-the-keep-alive-workaround/14290/4 "2015-02-13T08:06:45Z")

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This sound like a bug, i would contact Ableton support, there are&nbsp;communicative

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![monotomy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/forum.juce.com/monotomy/32/960_2.png) [@monotomy](https://forum.juce.com/u/monotomy)\
**Post date:** [February 13, 2015, 1:16pm UTC](https://forum.juce.com/t/ableton-live-bypasses-silent-plugins-with-closed-ui-the-keep-alive-workaround/14290/5 "2015-02-13T13:16:49Z")

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I believe this is an "performance hack" and&nbsp;Ableton like to reduce unnecessary plugin calls to reduce CPU usage? Maybe?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chkn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/forum.juce.com/chkn/32/3862_2.png) [@chkn](https://forum.juce.com/u/chkn)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 8:20am UTC](https://forum.juce.com/t/ableton-live-bypasses-silent-plugins-with-closed-ui-the-keep-alive-workaround/14290/6 "2015-02-15T08:20:26Z")

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ask them, for me it makes no sense

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ans](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/forum.juce.com/ans/32/617_2.png) [@ans](https://forum.juce.com/u/ans)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 6:50pm UTC](https://forum.juce.com/t/ableton-live-bypasses-silent-plugins-with-closed-ui-the-keep-alive-workaround/14290/7 "2015-02-24T18:50:48Z")

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I can confirm that Ableton Live did this for years already, most likely for performance reasons.&nbsp;I haven't heard of any other host yet that does&nbsp;the same.&nbsp;

An occasional Active Sensing MIDI message fixes it. I once tried the "inaudible sample" method, but abandoned it. MIDI seems more lightweight and sensible to me.