> I’m specifically interested in tools for high-quality stem separation or generating unique melody ideas when I’m stuck.

Soo I saw this earlier and literally had to jump in cuz I've been down this rabbit hole for months!! Honestly, I was super skeptical about AI in Ableton at first... I'm a bit of a purist and I always worry about artifacts or things sounding "fake," you know? But for real, some of this tech has become actual life-savers when you're hitting that 3 AM producer's block.

For your situation, I would suggest looking into iZotope RX 11 Standard for the stem separation side of things. I know it's a bit of an investment, but the "Music Rebalance" feature is highkey the gold standard. It's way more reliable than those free web converters that usually leave weird phasey metallic sounds everywhere. If you're doing serious production, you gotta be cautious about the quality of your source material, and RX is basically the pro choice for keeping things clean.

On the melody side? Oh man, you HAVE to check out Playbeat 3 by Audiomodern. It’s technically a groove randomizer but the way it handles patterns is AMAZING for getting out of a rut. Basically, it uses algorithmic logic to generate steps you wouldn't normally think of. Also, since you're in Ableton, check out LALAL.AI Desktop App if you want a dedicated standalone for batch processing stems—it’s surprisingly clean for vocals! Just be careful not to rely on them too much or every track starts sounding the same, lol. But yeah, these tools are fantastic for sparking that initial vibe!! gl with the tracks!

ngl i was sooo hyped for AI but honestly some of it is kinda mid... i spent way too much on plugins that just dont hit the mark. anyway for your situation i think these are the only ones worth it if youre on a budget like me:

* LALAL.AI High-Resolution Stem Separation - basically the best for stems, way better than the free stuff i tried iirc. it's like $15 for a 90-minute pack which isnt bad tbh
* Orb Plugins Orb Producer Suite 3 - i use the melody generator when i cant find a vibe, i think it was around $99 on sale
* Mixed In Key Captain Chords Epic - seriously good for writing progressions fast

unfortunately i had issues with some free VSTs crashing Ableton... lowkey super frustrating. but yeah hope that helps u out!! gl with the tracks

Seconding the recommendation above! Tbh, UVR is a total beast. Just a quick warning tho: be super careful with where u download these AI tools.

* Web tools: Safe but slow.
* Local apps: Fast but HUGE CPU hogs.
* Shady sites: Highkey a malware risk.

Always stick to official GitHub repos to keep ur rig safe. Anyway, keeping it local is way better for privacy too. Good luck!

tbh i'm still kinda new to this but i really agree with the point about staying local. i was super nervous about using web tools at first because you never really know where youre music is going once you upload it. doing it yourself takes a bit more effort to learn but its worth it for the peace of mind. here is why i prefer the diy route:
* no monthly fees eating your budget
* you own the whole process * its safer for privacy than those pro services honestly i still get a bit confused with the technical side and worry about crashing my rig. do you guys find that running these locally slows down your creative flow much tho?

Been using this for years, no complaints

Honestly, i've been using these tools for like two years now and the main thing I've learned is that you want stuff that stays in your workflow without needing a constant sub. If your looking for something that grows with you, I HIGHLY recommend looking at Plugin Boutique Scaler 2 for the melody side of things. It’s basically the gold standard at this point because it actually teaches you theory while you mess around with it, rather than just spitting out random MIDI. For stems, if you want more than just a file splitter, Hit'n'Mix RipX DAW is the real deal. It treats audio like MIDI notes which is mind-blowing when you first try it. It’s a bit pricey but worth it for the long-term ownership vibe since you aren't paying for credits every time you want to isolate a vocal. idk, just my two cents after wasting money on stuff that became obsolete in six months. Stick to tools that actually integrate into Ableton easily!

Any updates on this?

Ok so, I'd actually suggest a different approach. Respectfully, those high-end VSTs are way too pricey for what they do. Honestly, you don't need a $200 plugin for stems anymore. I use UVR5 Ultimate Vocal Remover—it's totally free and literally beats most paid stuff. For melodies, check out Lekko Audiomodern Chordjam. It's usually like $40 or less on sale, way better value than the expensive suites mentioned earlier. Good luck!