More importantly, the device feels very much like an instrument that can be properly mastered, and the workflow brings together elements of other controllers into a more seamless whole. Ableton’s marketing in the lead-up to release has been exceptionally clean, and the design of the Push hardware very much reflects this sensibility. Push has been a long time coming, and Ableton made sure that it came up with some genuinely exciting ideas before releasing it. In conjunction with Push’s auto-mapped knobs, that’s a big deal. Perhaps more important to most users’ workflow, however, is the fact that individual clips can now carry their own automation data, which can be transferred between the Session and Arrangement views. The software can analyze audio recordings, and convert them into MIDI data-and in testing, it works very well, whether you’re using a clip from another song or a recording of yourself humming a melody. Of Live 9’s numerous internal improvements, its audio-to-MIDI feature has gotten perhaps the most attention. Whether you’re a classically trained musician or someone who plays entirely by feel, it’s an exciting new way to make tunes. ![]() The grid can either represent only the notes in the key you’ve selected, or offer all of the notes chromatically. The pads become piano keys, essentially, and a scale button lets you change the key, whether it’s major, minor, or from a host of other non-Western scales. Load one up, and the Push grid changes from the step-sequencer view into its unique method of notational input. You can control the resolution of the step sequencer, and the combination of real-time finger drumming and step-sequencer-style programming creates an interesting, unique perspective on beat creation.Įven more fun are pitched instruments. On the bottom-left 4×4 grid is a standard drum-pad layout moving your finger along the touch strip navigates through Drum Racks with more than 16 samples. ![]() Add a Drum Rack and Push turns its grid into a combination of pad triggers and a step sequencer. When used with Push, creating beats and melodies in Live 9 is intuitive and fun. Then, of course, there’s the most interesting stuff: actually playing. Push’s integration with the new browser makes it easy to browse and load sounds using the encoders at the top of the device, as Live 9 has an impressively expanded library, and you’ll have your own sounds set aside in the User section. ![]() Searches bring up dynamic lists that update as you type, and the bookmarks bar has been replaced by the ability to drag and drop folders from your desktop. ![]() The browser has gone through some significant changes, however the sounds list is now categorized by instrument type instead of device, and presets now have short preview clips that you can hear before loading them. Most everything inside the Live 9 software itself looks pretty familiar. A row of eight touch-sensitive encoders sits above an LED display for menus and parameters, and smart touches abound, like illuminated labels on function buttons that only appear when they’re relevant. The matte-black slab has an 8×8 grid of RGB-lit, pressure-sensitive pads, a vertical touch strip running along the side of them, and trigger buttons for editing, transport control, and more. And for good reason: The hardware is top of its class, and feels incredibly sturdy and responsive while looking like something out of Zomby’s fever dreams. Though it’s only a controller and not an audio interface (which would have been nice), Push is heavy, weighing in at 6.6 pounds.
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