How to Install & Use Tech House Market Project Files in Ableton Live 12

This guide explains how to properly install and use Tech House Market (THM) third-party Ableton Project Files, including packs from artists like Josh Baker and Chris Stussy. If you follow these steps

Projects cannot be opened with Ableton Live Standard — you need Ableton Live Suite to open these project files.

What You’ll Need Before Starting

Before opening Ableton, make sure you have:

• Ableton Live 12 Suite

• A Tech House Market Project Pack downloaded from your account

• All included sample folders from the pack

• Enough disk space (projects can be several GB)

⚠️ Important: Do not open the project directly from your Downloads folder. Ableton requires a proper folder structure to avoid missing files.

Step 1 – Download & Extract the Project Pack

1. Download the pack from your Tech House Market account

2. Right-click the .zip or .rar file

3. Choose Extract / Unzip

4. You should now see a main folder containing:

   • .als Ableton project file(s)

   • A Samples folder (or similar)

   • Sometimes Presets, Clips, or Grooves

✅ This extracted folder is your full project — keep everything together.

Step 2 – Move the Project to a Safe Location

Move the entire extracted folder to one of these recommended locations:

Option A (Recommended):

Documents → Ableton → Projects → Tech House Market

Option B:

• Any dedicated music drive

• Just make sure the folder stays in one place permanently

❌ Do NOT:

• Open projects from Downloads

• Split samples into other folders

• Rename folders after opening the project

Step 3 – Open Ableton Live 12 Correctly

1. Launch Ableton Live 12

2. In the Browser (left panel):

   • Click Places

   • Navigate to the folder where you saved the project

3. Open the project by:

   • Double-clicking the .als file OR

   • Dragging it into Ableton

Ableton will now load:

• All tracks

• Devices

• Automation

• Samples

Step 4 – Collect All and Save

This step prevents missing samples forever.

1. In Ableton’s top menu:

   File → Collect All and Save

2. Enable all options

3. Click OK

✅ Ableton now embeds all samples inside the project folder.

Step 5 – If You See “Missing Files”

If Ableton shows a Missing Files warning:

1. Click Manage Files

2. Select Locate

3. Point Ableton to the project’s Samples folder

4. Let Ableton rescan

⚠️ 99% of missing file issues happen when:

• The folder was moved

• Files were opened from Downloads

• The project wasn’t extracted fully

Step 6 – Required Devices & Compatibility Notes

Stock Ableton Devices

Most Tech House Market projects use Ableton stock devices only.

However, depending on the pack:

• Projects cannot be opened with Ableton Live Standard — you need Ableton Live Suite to open these project files.

If something is disabled:

• Check you’re on Live 12 Suite

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Step 7 – Best Workflow Tips

💡 To get the most value from THM projects:

• Save the project as:

  File → Save Live Set As…

• Rename it to your own track idea

• Study:

  • Drum group processing

  • Buss routing

  • Automation

  • Groove & swing settings

• Drag elements into your User Library for reuse

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Common Problems & Fixes

Problem	Solution
Project opens empty	You opened the .als without the full folder
Missing samples	Use Collect All and Save
Devices disabled	Check Ableton edition & Max for Live
CPU spikes	Freeze tracks / reduce oversampling

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Need More Help?

If you still experience issues:

📩 Contact us at: [e-mail]

Please include:

• Ableton version

• Operating system

• Screenshot of the error message

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Final Tip

Tech House Market project files are designed to be learning tools, not just tracks. Reverse-engineer them, experiment, and make them your own.

Happy producing 🚀