Drum Racks have been part of Ableton Live since version 7, and in the fast‑moving world of DAW updates, that can make them feel like a legacy feature. But don’t let their age fool you. Drum Racks remain one of the most versatile, flexible and downright powerful tools in Live’s instrument line‑up. Combined with the possibilities of the new Drum Sampler introduced in Live 12.1, Drum Racks have plenty of life left in them.

In this article, we’ll look at what makes Drum Racks still worth mastering in 2025, from core concepts to deeper techniques that will help unlock their creative potential.