The new Ableton Push is an MPE-enabled standalone music production powerhouse

Rumors have been swirling round Ableton’s Push 3 for years. The Push 2, arguably the perfect {hardware} controller for one among (if not the) hottest DAWs (digital audio workstation), was launched in 2015. Practically eight years later, it’s nonetheless head and shoulders above a lot of the competitors. However there are some trendy facilities that it lacks. And Native Devices modified the sport in 2020 when it launched the Machine+, a controller for its desktop suite that might additionally perform as a standalone music manufacturing field because of an Intel Atom CPU and 4GB of RAM.

Contemplating the lengthy lead occasions required for product improvement, it’s secure to imagine that Ableton was already exhausting at work on its new controller when Maschine+ was introduced. However I’d additionally enterprise a guess that the corporate watched the response to Native Devices’ field carefully and tweaked its plans accordingly.

The result’s the Ableton Push – not Push 3, not Push+ – simply Push. And it makes a hell of a primary impression. It is available in two configurations: a fundamental controller for $999, and a higher-end mannequin with a processor for $1,999. With a processor it could perform as a completely standalone instrument, just like the Maschine+. Nevertheless it nonetheless additionally provides tight integration with Ableton Stay 11 when linked to a pc. It has 64 MPE enabled pads, that pair completely with Stay’s newest updates. It has a built-in battery for actually untethered creation. And, in a pleasing shock, even in the event you keep on with the controller solely variant to begin, you’ll be capable of improve it with a DIY package later this yr for full standalone operation.

However let’s begin with the {hardware}. Bodily the brand new Push and the Push 2 are very related. They’re each hulking black slabs that appear like they have been ripped out of the management panel of an alien spaceship. The display seems to be precisely the identical. And that’s not a nasty factor. It’s a big, moderately high-resolution LCD with wonderful viewing angles. It refreshes quick sufficient that you just really watch your MIDI notes scroll by in actual time as you document them. The UI itself is straightforward and intuitive however enticing. There’s no pointless graphics or something, simply clear strains and textual content.

The knobs, buttons and pads all really feel nice. One of many new additions to the controls is a big jog wheel to the appropriate of the display that may be a delight. It’s harking back to the one on Polyend’s Tracker, however extra noticeable detents. (One other enjoyable characteristic Push borrows from Tracker is auto generated venture names, which turns out to be useful.) And the pads. Effectively. They’re the primary I’ve encountered that actually give Akai’s a run for his or her cash. I feel I nonetheless have a slight desire for the texture of an MPC’s bigger pads however, these aren’t MPE succesful so, Ableton wins? My solely grievance in regards to the {hardware} actually is that the pads may be too delicate. However that may simply be fastened by going into the settings. Which you need to most likely do anyway to tweak the responsiveness to your liking since MPE might be fickle and unforgiving at occasions.

Round again you’ll discover you’ll discover a bunch of latest connections too. There’s USB-C for connecting to a pc to regulate Stay, a 12v DC connector, and two jacks for connecting maintain pedals similar to on a Push 2. However these pedal jacks may also ship CV now, so you possibly can management modular gear. There’s additionally a USB-A port for connecting class compliant MIDI controllers, so if pads aren’t your factor you possibly can join a keyboard, or play one instrument with the keyboard whereas knocking out drum tracks on the Push immediately. You’ll additionally discover ⅛” MIDI out and in ports.

Extra importantly, there are two audio ins and two audio outs, plus a headphone jack and two ADAT jacks for connecting to different audio gear. See, the brand new Push – even with no processor in it – can be an audio interface. Granted it solely has ¼” jacks (switchable between balanced and unbalanced), so it isn’t very best in the event you’re recording vocals and wish an XLR jack with phantom energy. However in the event you’ve obtained one other audio interface already with ADAT you possibly can join it to the Push after which all of a sudden you’ve obtained eight or 12 or nevertheless many inputs to work with. It’s now actually able to being the centerpiece of a recording studio.

For those who go for the Push with a processor you’ll discover an eleventh Core i3 inside, with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB exhausting drive. Which may not sound like a lot, nevertheless it’s loads of energy to deal with most audio processing, particularly with out the overhead of attempting to deal with a windowing system and safety software program and people 16 Firefox tabs you haven’t closed in about three months. In actual fact, I seen far much less latency working with dwell audio on the Push immediately than I do on my XPS 15 with a Eighth-gen Core i7 CPU, 32GB of RAM and a second-generation Focusrite Scarlett interface. For those who’re involved about your $2,000 MIDI controller / groovebox changing into out of date, although, Ableton says it expects to make processor upgrades accessible sooner or later.

That Intel NUC Compute Aspect does chew by way of the battery fairly shortly, nevertheless. Ableton estimates that Push can get two to 2 and a half hours out of the battery, which strains up with my anecdotal expertise to this point. The Push is kinda huge and heavy at 8.7 kilos, I wouldn’t precisely name it transportable. Nevertheless it’s really been nice to take a seat down on my sofa at night time, after the children go to mattress and chip away at this assessment with out an elaborate setup or being tied to an outlet.

{Hardware} is all properly and good, however what is admittedly going to make or break the expertise right here is the software program and, properly, to this point so good. Just a few intriguing issues to notice on the prime, the Push is operating Linux. Which signifies that, technically, Ableton Stay 11 has been ported to Linux. I don’t assume you need to get your hopes up about an official port being made accessible for that Mint field you’ve been constructing, although. I’ve additionally been informed that VST help on Push is technically attainable, although clearly that may require getting builders on board and changing their plugins.

There may be a technique of getting third-party devices on Push, although: Max for Live, a improvement platform contained in the DAW. Help for Max is big as it could actually open the probabilities of the Push as a standalone instrument. Ableton even just lately launched a pack of building blocks and tutorials to encourage individuals to construct their very own Max for Live units. And there’s corporations like Fors that construct unimaginable business merchandise that run on Max. Help proper now might be spotty for the reason that controls must be correctly mapped for Push. And even a few of Ableton’s personal Max units just like the Impressed by Nature collection don’t work correctly in the intervening time.

However don’t fear, Ableton’s built-in units are wonderful. And whereas I may be unhappy not getting access to my favourite softsynth in standalone mode, you possibly can simply construct a whole and extremely polished observe utilizing nothing however the default Stay devices and results. However in the event you do want extra selection, you possibly can set up Ableton sound packs immediately over WiFi. You can too drag over your individual pattern library utilizing the Continuity characteristic in Stay 11. You’ll see Push showup within the sidebar when linked to the identical wifi community. Although, oddly, you possibly can’t switch over USB.

Along with dragging over samples you possibly can pull over presets, collections and favorites. I extremely suggest, by the way in which, that you just use the Collections in Ableton to prepare your goto sounds, results, et cetera. Whereas the jog wheel is actually an enchancment, it could nonetheless be a little bit of a slog navigating by way of lengthy lists of presets and samples. Group – not my sturdy go well with – is clearly key to getting probably the most out of Push as a standalone instrument.

One unimaginable characteristic of continuity, although, is having the ability to connect with your Push and pull a venture you began in standalone mode into the desktop app for remaining association. Which is type of primarily as a result of, whereas Push appears nice for jamming, dwell efficiency and sketching out concepts, you possibly can’t do tremendous tuned association modifying or combine all the way down to audio.

Clearly, the value goes to be a problem, although. The standalone configuration prices $1,999, whereas the controller solely variant will set you again $999. The DIY improve package is predicted to ship later this yr for $1,049. That is quite a bit for a MIDI controller, even one as good as this. And whereas I am pretty sure there are no DAWs in a field as highly effective as what Ableton has put collectively, they’re additionally not almost as costly. Even Maschine+ is just $1,199. 

I’ve solely had Push for a couple of week and am nonetheless coming to grips with the workflow. So that is actually extra of an prolonged hands-on than a full assessment. Whereas Ableton is my DAW of selection and I personal a Push 1, the variations are vital. Plus there are nonetheless some software program kinks to iron out. I’ve encountered a handful of bugs, particularly when attempting to edit MIDI notes within the piano roll. And as soon as the whole unit froze up on me. However the Push is at the moment operating prerelease firmware and requires a beta model of Stay 11 to make the most of Continuity. I plan to proceed testing Push and revisit it for a longterm assessment.