Six layers of lo-fi character for Ableton Live. It runs on Push 3 in standalone mode and it’s free.
- Price
- Free
- Type
- Max for Live audio effect
- Runs on
- Ableton Live and Push 3
- Controls
- 66 automatable
Hear each layer
Press play and switch layers while the loop runs. Every clip is the same loop processed by Patina’s own sound engine.
Loads about 1 MB of audio when you press play.
Clips are level-matched so you compare character and not loudness. Keys 1 to 8 switch layers.
Six layers in the order history happens
Your sound gets recorded on a wobbly machine and pushed through hot gear. Then it’s sampled on a budget and pressed to a dusty record. Finally it’s dubbed to tired tape and played through one particular speaker.
Every layer has an On switch and a Depth knob. A Vary knob keeps each one drifting so nothing sounds looped.
- 1
Pitch
Slow wow and fast flutter blended with one Rate knob. The depth stays the same in cents at any speed.
- Depth
- Rate
- Fast
- Slow
- Drift
- Stereo
- X-Mod
- Mix
- 2
Distortion
Nine models from Transformer warmth to a Synth wavefolder. Output stays level as you turn up the drive and the analog models are anti-aliased.
- Model
- Depth
- In HP
- In LP
- Smooth
- Mix
- 3
Digital
Bit depth down to 2 and sample rate down to 1 kHz. Random stutters and stalls on top when you want chaos.
- Bits
- S.Rate
- Glitch
- Glitch Len
- Env
- Stereo
- 4
Vinyl
Six kinds of record noise synthesized live so it never loops. A scratch comes round once per revolution. Env can tuck the dust under loud passages.
- Crackle
- Clicks
- Pops
- Rumble
- Noise
- Hum
- Tone
- Env
- 5
Volume
Tape level wobble and dropouts. During a dropout the treble fades first just like real tape.
- Depth
- Rate
- Fast
- Slow
- Drift
- Dropouts
- Stereo
- 6
Timbre
32 speaker voicings from Landline and Gramophone to Studio Tiny. Depth morphs from flat to the full voicing.
- Profile
- Depth
- Vary
A finishing section adds Width, output filters, Gain and a Safety limiter. Intensity is a true wet/dry because the dry signal lines up exactly with the processed one.
Runs on Push 3 with no computer
Push 3 in standalone mode only loads devices built from Max’s own objects. Patina’s whole engine is one gen~ patch and even the vinyl crackle is synthesized on the fly. So the same file works on your laptop and on Push.
All 66 controls sit on ten pages of eight encoders. The Main page puts Intensity and every layer’s Depth under your fingers.
Patina adds 512 samples of latency (about 11 ms at 48 kHz). It reports this to Live so your tracks stay in time.
| Page | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main | Intensity | Pitch Depth | Dist Depth | Digi Depth | Vinyl Depth | Vol Depth | Timbre Depth | Gain |
| Pitch | On | Pitch Depth | Vary | Rate | Fast | Slow | Drift | Mix |
| Dist | On | Dist Depth | Vary | Model | In HP | In LP | Smooth | Mix |
| Digital | On | Digi Depth | Vary | Bits | S.Rate | Glitch | Glt Len | Env |
| Vinyl | On | Vinyl Depth | Vary | Rate | Crackle | Clicks | Pops | Noise |
| Volume | On | Vol Depth | Vary | Rate | Fast | Slow | Dropouts | Stereo |
| Tone/Out | Timbre On | Timbre Depth | Vary | Profile | Out HP | Out LP | Width | Gain |
| Vinyl+ | Rumble | Hum | Hum Hz | Tone | Stereo | Env | Release | – |
| Motion+ | P Stereo | X-Mod | X-Amount | Fast Drift | Slow Drift | – | – | – |
| Digi+ | In HP | In LP | Smooth | Stereo | – | – | – | Safety |
Install in a minute
You need Ableton Live with Max for Live. That means Live Suite or Live Standard with the Max for Live add-on.
On your computer
- Get Patina and put Patina.amxd in your Live User Library.
- Drag it onto any audio or instrument track.
- Play something. Pitch and Vinyl start on at gentle settings so you hear Patina straight away.
On Push 3
- Connect Push to your computer. It shows up in the sidebar of Live’s browser.
- Drag Patina.amxd into Push’s User Library.
- On Push open the browser and load Patina onto a track like any other effect.
Specs
- Price
- Free
- Device
- Max for Live audio effect (stereo)
- Works in
- Ableton Live with Max for Live and Push 3 standalone
- Controls
- 66 automatable controls with Info View help
- Push pages
- 10 pages of 8 encoders
- Latency
- 512 samples (reported to Live)
- Sample rates
- Any rate. Verified at 44.1 / 48 / 96 kHz
- Engine
- One gen~ patch using only Max’s own objects
- Version
- 1.0 (September 2026)
FAQ
Is Patina really free?
Yes. Join the Gear Up! newsletter and you get the download. There’s no account and no licence key.
Why do you ask for my email?
Newsletter sign-ups are how we keep making free tools. We only use your email for the newsletter and you can unsubscribe any time. Read how we handle your details.
Does it work outside Ableton Live?
No. Patina is a Max for Live device. It runs in Ableton Live and on Push 3 but there’s no VST or AU version.
Why do I hear crackle when the track is silent?
The Vinyl layer makes noise all the time. Turn Vinyl Env up so the noise follows your music. You can also lower Vinyl Depth or switch Vinyl off.
Can I save my own settings?
Yes. Save them as Live device presets. They appear in Live’s browser and on Push right next to Patina.
Where’s the full manual?
The user guide covers every control and all 32 Timbre voicings. It also has the ten Push pages and 14 recipes to start from.
Get Patina
Patina is free when you join the Gear Up! newsletter. Tell us your name and email and we’ll give you the download link.
The user guide is open to everyone. Read it now (PDF).