Ableton Push

[fraff]

I've just ordered one of [url="https://www.ableton.com/en/push/"]these beauts[/url]. Mine's on its way from Andertons who I've used before. Seems like a UK shipment has just arrived as a few places suddenly have them in stock - they seemed to be on back order with everyone till earlier this week.

Will probably do more for my song writing than a 4th bass! (IMHO )

There are quite a few videos online about them and how to get started etc, so I'm looking forward to getting stuck in. But I just wondered if any basschatters had had any experience of using them?

Cheers

[Skol303]

Good call! I don't own one myself but it's got great reviews in the music tech press. Seems like a very useful device for both performing live and getting ideas down quickly at home.

Let us know how you get on with it

[pantherairsoft]

My partner in crime/music was considering one. He currently uses a Native Instruments Maschine which is VERY good so it'll take some beating. This does look excellent though. Let us know your thoughts when it arrives!

[Zenitram]

I know my way round Logic, Reason, Reaper, ProTools, FruityLoops and even a bit of Atari back in the day, but when I tried Ableton (some years ago now) it completely flummoxed me. I couldn't understand what it was doing, or how it was designed, or how to even start using it. It made no sense to me. So I left it well alone. Then these big boxes start appearing with 64 little pads that all light up in different colours, but never say what they actually do, and I'm even more confused. I don't even know what it is about it that confuses me; I wish I knew.

That box looks very well made. It even has words on it. I want one.

[fraff]

I'll keep you all posted, though my learning curve may be steep and slow!

The Maschine does look excellent too but I just fancied the almost garage band type idea of playing and writing "graphically" which the Push seems built around. So I'm hoping this will be more of the same but with a lot more flexibility than you get with GB.

Now all I need is to sell my Decade so I can pay for it......

[fraff]

This is here!

First impressions - a very impressively built piece of kit, reassuringly solid, though I may regret that when I need to carry it in a rucksack with a laptop!

I think they're probably right that you seldom need to refer to Live on your laptop when working with the Push - it seems to do all the key things you need right from the hardware. Which is good, because as Zenitram says, Live doesn't seem the most intuitive piece of software. Though I suspect much of that is down to the fact that it doesn't really operate in quite the same way as most other DAW packages we know and love - and therefore feel comfortable in. I guess that's more the case in it's "Session" view which seems angled towards live performance than its "Arrangement" view, which is bit more familiar feeling.

Live 9 Intro, which comes with it, should certainly keep me entertained for a good while and the installed and additional free sound packs are pretty damn good, particularly in the drums department.

Getting a simple drum loop and melodic bits and pieces up was quicker than I expected - Ableton's online vids are pretty quick at setting you up with the basics.

I'm looking forward to getting really stuck into this....