Grab a drink ☕and join me for a music making session with PLAYGRND for Ableton Push. To learn even more; wrkshp.thinkific.com/courses/playgrnd-push-playground
This tool is so musical (and haven’t come to all modules yet), you can focus on doing music and deciding what sounds nice to your ear, instead of endlessly tweaking presets. It is an ocean of sweet spots as far ❤
@@AndriSoren I've had Push2 some time ago but I sold it. Looking at your videos makes me miss it... Do you think buying it now makes sense? It's sold out almost everywhere, incl. Ableton's own store, so perhaps new version is coming soon? It's about time, honestly.
@@Len_M. No, thanks. Not in a hurry. I mostly use Akai APC40 MK2 and use it with Bitwig - awesome combo, can do much more than APC with Ableton (basically replicates all that's available with Push2, e.g. playing melodies & chords, drum & melodic sequencers).
Very useful info here Andri. Interesting following your thought process during this production walktrough. Could really get a feel for whats possible with the Playgrnd setup. Although I doubt I will ever try and edit the arrangement o from the Push. That is just to much hassle.😉. Triggering clips into arrangement is ok. Btw nice you didn't quantize the dr1 clip. More unquantizing to the people😅
@Tord Elmer thank you. Looking forward to doing more of these full breakdowns and sharing them with you inside PLAYGRND. As always it’s an interesting challenge to develop workflows and find ones that, well, flow :) And yes, quantizing, our old friend, sometimes essential, sometimes overkill.
Hey Andri! So far so good, enjoying it by minute 30! Just a detail perhaps would've helped in the quantization of the "tom bass" line, you were trying to quantize only to 16ths but you were playing triplets at the end of the clip...I have found the 1/16 + T works perfectly in these cases where you mix triplets with "non triplets" in the same clip!
Hey @darrell Johnston - the majority of videos on my channel involve the PLAYGRND setup (or a close variation of it) so in terms of making something live and improvised these show a lot of how I work (including subtitles as mortyn pointed out - thank you mortyn). Indeed in the future I’ll make more of these however, especially within the accompanying guide to PLAYGRND.
It’s absolutely possible! There are guest slots for your own sounds or VSTs in the VA1 rack, and spare slots for samples in SR1. Some PLAYGRNDers have also customised the sounds in LD1, PD1 and BS1.
Hello! Yes it is! The guide and challenge videos are made using Push 2, but because Push 3 is so similar in terms of how it works fundamentally, that shouldn't be an issue. The PLAYGRND file itself works with Push 3 (standalone as well) but I plan to do some more detailed testing in the next weeks to see if there are any improvements to be made - this is because Push 3's software is still very new and things can change. Long story short - PLAYGRND already works with Push 3, and I'll make sure it stays that way :)
Hey DeakoN, it’s definitely possible. Adding and even setting up audio tracks can be done from Push, though setting up external instruments will involve using the mouse and keyboard etc. What is possible is to save an external instrument rack into your user library and load this from Push when you need it. As always with Ableton Live there are a few options to do things. PLAYGRND is modular in the sense that it’s made to be adjusted and to be able to swap things in or out. It should grow with you.
What do you do to clean your Push and get it looking so perfect and camera ready? I keep a cover on it and wipe it with a microfiber cloth to keep the dust off.
I use the same! A little air blower comes in handy too (even gets featured in videos now and then) and a decksaver or similar to keep it clean when not in use. This is the way.
Hello! It does! From initial testing all seems fine, and I’ll do some more in depth testing to see if any adjustments are necessary over the next few weeks.
You are treading on the edge of some kind of ambient Drum and Bass except the BPM. Ambient for sure though. Do an ascending snare then an 808 drop to 28hz 👌🏻😬 I have Impact Sound Works Shreddage 3 Hydra and a couple other versions like Stratus and Jupiter. Hydra would go great over this though. 🤘🏻 They have a free version if you own Kontakt, you should check it out.
@Len M. yes! Ambient DnB dna is in here somewhere! I still don't know what else. It's sometimes really freeing not thinking at all about genres and just making something - but fun to discuss as well like here :) Thanks for the tip on Stratus, I didn't know it. Don't own Kontakt for now tho. Hydra gives me such a throwback to the legendary Synth1 (which I loved so deeply but have never gotten it to play nice on newer systems). So much stuff out there to try out.
@@AndriSoren The full versions can be used in the free Kontakt player by the way. Just wanted to let you know that. Keep up the amazing work you are so inspiring! I have a real problem with Option overload I bought everything I could get my hands on and I’m stuck wondering which ABC I should use on XYZ because I have 1000 different versions of ABC. It’s so frustrating. Limitation breeds innovation! 🤘🏻✌🏻
@@AndriSoren If I could give you any Tips on things to buy that you WILL actually use and your Music will benefit from they would be 1. Spectrasonics Omnisphere 2 and 2. Serum 🤘🏻✌🏻
That’s the beauty of Ableton Live Andrew. If you have the time you can make almost anything. This project is the culmination of years of experience and building. Everyone can choose to make their own setup, answering their own needs and wants, and they definitely should consider doing so! Regarding the price, value is of course very much relative. That said, time is even more precious, and that’s what PLAYGRND saves so much of.
@@AndriSoren Your experience does have value, but in this case your pricing of 400 euros for a liveset and instructional videos is way off. Obviously the liveset you've designed is a complex one and it's debatable if time needs to be saved when making music....Actually I'm going to say I find the pricing insulting. It's just greedy. Not sure why I'm reacting so strongly to this.Anyway no more replies.
@@andrewcampbell8938 I share your opinion 100%. In fact it could be interesting to have a look at this to get inspiration for a own live set. And you are right, if the route is the goal in one´s music making than these kinds of shortcuts can be contraprodutive. And expensive. But at least the good news is that we can decide not to buy.
Hello @@andrewcampbell8938, Thank you for sharing your thoughts, it's thought-provoking for me and I'm happy to admit challenging in the sense that I feel I've taken a lot of care and time to make something valuable and price it accordingly. I never set out to make anybody unhappy with it. There is also a world in which PLAYGRND doesn't exist, and we wouldn't be having this conversation. I spent years making this, and it's the project of a lifetime for me, for lots of reasons. I've spent years in the wilderness, going broke trying to be a solo-artist, starting a free-for-all music festival (which inevitably collapsed) and learning many things the hard way. I have my own story, as do we all. I'll share a little more about PLAYGRND below should it be of interest. I should just first gently correct you on the pricing however (for anyone reading), as the current price that anyone pays is closer to $200 (€180 or so) due to the launch discount. Perhaps there was an error when you looked at the page. So far I've not had anybody who owns it tell me it's over-priced (or anything else I've made) and if anything I've instead been told it was too cheap and that I should ask more. I don't know if you also sell products to people, but it's important to factor in all the costs that go along with doing so; 19-23% sales tax, and then 50% tax (I'm based in Belgium) on what's left after considerable expenses, if we start talking in terms of 'greed' or profit, there isn't much left on each sale. That's not a complaint, just a fact. I'm no Gordon Gecko fan at all, I should add - greed is not good. That said, pricing and value vary from place to place (sadly) and person to person massively. I'd like one day to offer Parity Purchasing for example to make up for currency/economy differences (it's rare but I'm looking at platforms that start to offer this). In the meantime my "products" are relatively unique in that I don't just offer educational discounts but some of them also offer discounts on other related products and software. Where possible I offer refund guarantees so nobody is unhappy, which also gives me peace of mind that I'm "doing right by them" no matter what. I also interact with pretty much each student individually and provide live support, something which I've not seen many places. @Marcus Lutz thanks for chiming in on this as well. As you say, nobody "has" to buy PLAYGRND. It isn't akin to oxygen or food, and everyone is free to make their own setup should they wish, and can take inspiration from what I've (freely) talked about in this video and others. PLAYGRND is however priced very competitively to products made by other creators/small companies and online schools and I'll stand by that. That said, it's also a really unique project in that it does (or tries to do) so many things at once. (I haven't seen anything similar) Which is again why the price is significant. An objective calculation puts the value at easily over $600. I was myself surprised to see this and wished in retrospect I hadn't made the project/product so big. I don't quite dare ask that figure today, but then again why is that? What voice tells us that this is wrong? It's a super interesting topic for myself and for everyone. If (and I stress the if) we can offer someone a transformation in what they do which saves time, frustration, loneliness and is a lot of fun, how do we price that? This could all sound defensive, but I suppose I'd rather share some of the nuance behind the process of getting here. If someone stops me to tell me I'm greedy I inevitably check in with myself to see if I've "strayed off the path". When I first started selling things online I had to get used to being able to "scale" my time and effort in ways that weren't possible when I worked in offices or taught in classrooms. I felt guilty in a way, and it was a strange feeling. When I reflected up on it, I thought about how I've taught in a few electronic music schools where students paid far, far too much (up to $20,000) and received far, far too little, it put things into perspective, and as such and I've always aimed to offer more than what they do, in a way that can deliver more value for much less cost. I feel that's what I'm doing today, and I feel 100% ok with that - but I'm always willing to listen to where I can do better, and I get feedback to that effect now and then. I will make mistakes. I need to be able to listen and grow. Funnily enough, the timing of all this is quite apt, as tomorrow is the 10 year anniversary since I quit the job that was making me miserable and feeling desperate. I went through some crazy times since then until now, but tomorrow I'll raise a glass to it all. At the end of the day, it's super-difficult to communicate on what can be an emotive subject in text-format. I'm sure in person we'd find some kind of understanding. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.
Grab a drink ☕and join me for a music making session with PLAYGRND for Ableton Push. To learn even more; wrkshp.thinkific.com/courses/playgrnd-push-playground
I have only 3 modules, and it’s already a big instrument. I can’t wait to play the complete PLAYGRND. Thanks Andri.
@Matteo Anselmo - thank you! Really excited to hear what you’ll make with it :)
I get to the mini playgrnd module next week.
So hyped.
@@thereal702edge
This was awesome. Just started the bass module. Can't wait to unlock more of PLYGRND!
:)
This tool is so musical (and haven’t come to all modules yet), you can focus on doing music and deciding what sounds nice to your ear, instead of endlessly tweaking presets. It is an ocean of sweet spots as far ❤
@Marcin T this is epic feedback! :))
So stoked on this!
Working just on Push "alone" is such a different experience. This was pretty awesome! :)
Thank you so much @Artur Godlewski!
@@AndriSoren I've had Push2 some time ago but I sold it. Looking at your videos makes me miss it... Do you think buying it now makes sense? It's sold out almost everywhere, incl. Ableton's own store, so perhaps new version is coming soon? It's about time, honestly.
@@Artek604 I have 3, 2 Push 2’s I could probably part with one 😂 If a new Version was coming it would of come out in January.
@@Len_M. No, thanks. Not in a hurry. I mostly use Akai APC40 MK2 and use it with Bitwig - awesome combo, can do much more than APC with Ableton (basically replicates all that's available with Push2, e.g. playing melodies & chords, drum & melodic sequencers).
Very useful info here Andri. Interesting following your thought process during this production walktrough. Could really get a feel for whats possible with the Playgrnd setup. Although I doubt I will ever try and edit the arrangement o
from the Push. That is just to much hassle.😉. Triggering clips into arrangement is ok. Btw nice you didn't quantize the dr1 clip. More unquantizing to the people😅
@Tord Elmer thank you. Looking forward to doing more of these full breakdowns and sharing them with you inside PLAYGRND. As always it’s an interesting challenge to develop workflows and find ones that, well, flow :) And yes, quantizing, our old friend, sometimes essential, sometimes overkill.
Flot!! Mange tak!
Dope
Hey Andri! So far so good, enjoying it by minute 30! Just a detail perhaps would've helped in the quantization of the "tom bass" line, you were trying to quantize only to 16ths but you were playing triplets at the end of the clip...I have found the 1/16 + T works perfectly in these cases where you mix triplets with "non triplets" in the same clip!
Ah yes! Well spotted Daniel, you’re absolutely right :)
@@AndriSoren Want to be part of PLAYGRND very soon (hope i can make it before the discount ends!)
Can we see a video of you doing a live performance rather than a production session?. I really wanna see how good it is for on the fly performances
@@hakurimakamuri can you mind your own business for a change? 👽
Hey @darrell Johnston - the majority of videos on my channel involve the PLAYGRND setup (or a close variation of it) so in terms of making something live and improvised these show a lot of how I work (including subtitles as mortyn pointed out - thank you mortyn). Indeed in the future I’ll make more of these however, especially within the accompanying guide to PLAYGRND.
Will we be able to populate our own sounds into PLAYGRND?
It’s absolutely possible! There are guest slots for your own sounds or VSTs in the VA1 rack, and spare slots for samples in SR1. Some PLAYGRNDers have also customised the sounds in LD1, PD1 and BS1.
Hi, I have a question: is this compatible with both Push 2 and 3?
Cheers!
Hello! Yes it is! The guide and challenge videos are made using Push 2, but because Push 3 is so similar in terms of how it works fundamentally, that shouldn't be an issue. The PLAYGRND file itself works with Push 3 (standalone as well) but I plan to do some more detailed testing in the next weeks to see if there are any improvements to be made - this is because Push 3's software is still very new and things can change.
Long story short - PLAYGRND already works with Push 3, and I'll make sure it stays that way :)
This is great. When using the playgrnd live set is it possible/easy to add audio tracks for external instruments to build upon your idea?
Hey DeakoN, it’s definitely possible. Adding and even setting up audio tracks can be done from Push, though setting up external instruments will involve using the mouse and keyboard etc. What is possible is to save an external instrument rack into your user library and load this from Push when you need it. As always with Ableton Live there are a few options to do things.
PLAYGRND is modular in the sense that it’s made to be adjusted and to be able to swap things in or out. It should grow with you.
@@AndriSoren thanks! Well I purchased the course and I’m looking forward to starting the journey :)
@@slipperz87 amazing! See you inside :)
What do you do to clean your Push and get it looking so perfect and camera ready?
I keep a cover on it and wipe it with a microfiber cloth to keep the dust off.
I use the same! A little air blower comes in handy too (even gets featured in videos now and then) and a decksaver or similar to keep it clean when not in use. This is the way.
@@AndriSoren Awesome, same.
Decksaver is a lifesaver.
Thanks!
Gaffer tape is really great for cleaning pads and buttons.
does PLAYGRND also work with Push 3 in Standalone mode?
Hello! It does! From initial testing all seems fine, and I’ll do some more in depth testing to see if any adjustments are necessary over the next few weeks.
You are treading on the edge of some kind of ambient Drum and Bass except the BPM. Ambient for sure though. Do an ascending snare then an 808 drop to 28hz 👌🏻😬 I have Impact Sound Works Shreddage 3 Hydra and a couple other versions like Stratus and Jupiter. Hydra would go great over this though. 🤘🏻 They have a free version if you own Kontakt, you should check it out.
@Len M. yes! Ambient DnB dna is in here somewhere! I still don't know what else.
It's sometimes really freeing not thinking at all about genres and just making something - but fun to discuss as well like here :)
Thanks for the tip on Stratus, I didn't know it. Don't own Kontakt for now tho. Hydra gives me such a throwback to the legendary Synth1 (which I loved so deeply but have never gotten it to play nice on newer systems). So much stuff out there to try out.
@@AndriSoren The full versions can be used in the free Kontakt player by the way. Just wanted to let you know that. Keep up the amazing work you are so inspiring! I have a real problem with Option overload I bought everything I could get my hands on and I’m stuck wondering which ABC I should use on XYZ because I have 1000 different versions of ABC. It’s so frustrating. Limitation breeds innovation! 🤘🏻✌🏻
@@Len_M. thank you for the tip, and amen about limitations and focus! Thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement too 🙏🏻🙏🏻
@@AndriSoren If I could give you any Tips on things to buy that you WILL actually use and your Music will benefit from they would be 1. Spectrasonics Omnisphere 2 and 2. Serum 🤘🏻✌🏻
Crazy expensive. This isn't that difficult to make.
That’s the beauty of Ableton Live Andrew. If you have the time you can make almost anything. This project is the culmination of years of experience and building. Everyone can choose to make their own setup, answering their own needs and wants, and they definitely should consider doing so!
Regarding the price, value is of course very much relative. That said, time is even more precious, and that’s what PLAYGRND saves so much of.
@@AndriSoren Your experience does have value, but in this case your pricing of 400 euros for a liveset and instructional videos is way off. Obviously the liveset you've designed is a complex one and it's debatable if time needs to be saved when making music....Actually I'm going to say I find the pricing insulting. It's just greedy. Not sure why I'm reacting so strongly to this.Anyway no more replies.
@@andrewcampbell8938 I share your opinion 100%. In fact it could be interesting to have a look at this to get inspiration for a own live set. And you are right, if the route is the goal in one´s music making than these kinds of shortcuts can be contraprodutive. And expensive. But at least the good news is that we can decide not to buy.
Hello @@andrewcampbell8938,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, it's thought-provoking for me and I'm happy to admit challenging in the sense that I feel I've taken a lot of care and time to make something valuable and price it accordingly. I never set out to make anybody unhappy with it. There is also a world in which PLAYGRND doesn't exist, and we wouldn't be having this conversation. I spent years making this, and it's the project of a lifetime for me, for lots of reasons. I've spent years in the wilderness, going broke trying to be a solo-artist, starting a free-for-all music festival (which inevitably collapsed) and learning many things the hard way. I have my own story, as do we all. I'll share a little more about PLAYGRND below should it be of interest.
I should just first gently correct you on the pricing however (for anyone reading), as the current price that anyone pays is closer to $200 (€180 or so) due to the launch discount. Perhaps there was an error when you looked at the page. So far I've not had anybody who owns it tell me it's over-priced (or anything else I've made) and if anything I've instead been told it was too cheap and that I should ask more. I don't know if you also sell products to people, but it's important to factor in all the costs that go along with doing so; 19-23% sales tax, and then 50% tax (I'm based in Belgium) on what's left after considerable expenses, if we start talking in terms of 'greed' or profit, there isn't much left on each sale. That's not a complaint, just a fact. I'm no Gordon Gecko fan at all, I should add - greed is not good.
That said, pricing and value vary from place to place (sadly) and person to person massively. I'd like one day to offer Parity Purchasing for example to make up for currency/economy differences (it's rare but I'm looking at platforms that start to offer this). In the meantime my "products" are relatively unique in that I don't just offer educational discounts but some of them also offer discounts on other related products and software. Where possible I offer refund guarantees so nobody is unhappy, which also gives me peace of mind that I'm "doing right by them" no matter what. I also interact with pretty much each student individually and provide live support, something which I've not seen many places. @Marcus Lutz thanks for chiming in on this as well. As you say, nobody "has" to buy PLAYGRND. It isn't akin to oxygen or food, and everyone is free to make their own setup should they wish, and can take inspiration from what I've (freely) talked about in this video and others.
PLAYGRND is however priced very competitively to products made by other creators/small companies and online schools and I'll stand by that. That said, it's also a really unique project in that it does (or tries to do) so many things at once. (I haven't seen anything similar) Which is again why the price is significant. An objective calculation puts the value at easily over $600. I was myself surprised to see this and wished in retrospect I hadn't made the project/product so big. I don't quite dare ask that figure today, but then again why is that? What voice tells us that this is wrong? It's a super interesting topic for myself and for everyone. If (and I stress the if) we can offer someone a transformation in what they do which saves time, frustration, loneliness and is a lot of fun, how do we price that?
This could all sound defensive, but I suppose I'd rather share some of the nuance behind the process of getting here. If someone stops me to tell me I'm greedy I inevitably check in with myself to see if I've "strayed off the path". When I first started selling things online I had to get used to being able to "scale" my time and effort in ways that weren't possible when I worked in offices or taught in classrooms. I felt guilty in a way, and it was a strange feeling. When I reflected up on it, I thought about how I've taught in a few electronic music schools where students paid far, far too much (up to $20,000) and received far, far too little, it put things into perspective, and as such and I've always aimed to offer more than what they do, in a way that can deliver more value for much less cost. I feel that's what I'm doing today, and I feel 100% ok with that - but I'm always willing to listen to where I can do better, and I get feedback to that effect now and then. I will make mistakes. I need to be able to listen and grow.
Funnily enough, the timing of all this is quite apt, as tomorrow is the 10 year anniversary since I quit the job that was making me miserable and feeling desperate. I went through some crazy times since then until now, but tomorrow I'll raise a glass to it all.
At the end of the day, it's super-difficult to communicate on what can be an emotive subject in text-format.
I'm sure in person we'd find some kind of understanding.
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.
Hi @@marcuslutz, thanks for chiming in - I added a response to your message in my answer to Andrew. 🙏