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FIRST LOOK : Ableton Push 3
The rumour mill has been working overtime with Ableton Live enthusiasts. The third iteration of Ableton Push, simply titled – Push, is finally upon us. Let’s take a first look at what the Ableton have dreamt up for us over the last few years. RRP: $1499 (WITHOUT PROCESSOR) AND $2999 (WITH PROCESSOR) In 2001, Ableton, at the time a plucky start-up founded by Gerhard Behles, Robert Henke and Bernd Roggendorf, dared to take on the big players with the release of Live Version 1. In 2012, Ableton entered the hardware market with the release of Push 1; a 64 pad instrument and controller dedicated to creation and performance using Ableton Live. Push 1 proved to be a resounding success and rapidly found a host of devotees. In 2015, Ableton followed up with the release of Push 2. This iteration revealed a host of new features: a larger colour display with a finer resolution, upgraded pads, a mixing desk view displaying real time peak and RMS audio levels as well as some substantial workflow improvements. Fast forward to May 2023, and the newest addition to the family arrives. The arrival of Push, the new controller/workstation, updates Ableton’s offerings, alongside Live and the OS X app, Note. The update from Push 1 to Push 2 was substantial, but with the release of Push, the change is gargantuan. It would be impossible to cover all of the features without dedicating an entire Mixdown Mag to the task (Dear editors, can we? Please?). Instead, we’ll look at some of Push’s most jaw-dropping features. Spoiler alert: there are many. (It is important to note the Push and software provided for review, are still in the beta stage so features and functions at release may differ.) The Push’s configuration with a processor has an internal CPU processor, RAM and hard drive. The configuration without a processor ships without these, so it will always need to be connected to a host computer running Live to function. Later in 2023, upgrade kits will be available, and users will be able to upgrade the
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tethered Push to operate in standalone mode. Once powered up and connected to Live, the incredible sensitivity and feel of the pads quickly becomes apparent. A host of new MPE features turn each pad into an X and Y control surface that can be used to bend pitch, pitchslide between notes, perform filter sweeps, add vibrato to instruments and even trigger different sample layers – but more on these features later. Without a doubt, the biggest change is the introduction of the standalone mode. In 2023 it would be safe to say that most of us are reaching the point of exhaustion when it comes to looking at screens. Push changes that. The ability to disconnect from all of this is both liberating, and inspirational. With Push on my lap, in standalone mode, I immediately notice the hefty 3.95kg weight of the unit, but am surprised that after a few hours, I was still tapping away with no feeling of discomfort. Kudos to Ableton for keeping the heat low as well (you could fry an egg on my MacBook Pro after 10 minutes of working with any DAW!) At first, I found myself repeatedly reaching for the mouse/trackpad to perform certain tasks that were either not possible, or habitually performed, on the computer. Over time, the habit abated, and I found myself spending
more time writing, and less time tweaking, which came as a welcome surprise. Working with Push has the potential to make time accelerate, as there is nothing else you can do but create. Hours flew past without me noticing and the music flowed. Working solely with Push in standalone mode, I quickly became more adept at editing MIDI clips and notes. To my knowledge, this workflow hasn’t changed greatly since Push 2, but the fact that you can’t reach for a mouse, hones those skills, fast. Once ideas are developed in standalone mode, you drag and drop the project back to Ableton on a computer, to sequence and mix. It is possible, however, to route the audio outputs into the inputs and record/resample a finished track directly on the Push as well! DJ’s and performers will love fronting up to gigs with just Push in their hands and sets can be recorded easily by routing the outputs of a DJ mixer to the inputs of Push to record live performances using the new audio I/O. As a drummer and guitarist, the range of expression available is almost limitless, and often taken for granted. MIDI keyboards and controllers have never achieved the same heights of expression. As an instrumentalist, you don’t think about the incredible timbral varieties available to you, rather, you employ them without thought. Powerful hits to a tom-tom automatically have a more biting attack, and the pitch of the drum gently drops. Ride cymbals can be pinged on the bell, washed out with the shoulder of the stick, or used like a crash. Incredibly, the MPE implementation on Push brings this to your fingertips. By varying the taps of a pad, up/down or left/right, a host of sonic variation is available. Admittedly, the