Why I Might Not Buy Ableton Push 3 After All
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- Опубліковано 6 лют 2025
- The new Ableton Push 3 is out now. They are calling it a "standalone expressive instrument" with an option to use it with a battery through Wi-Fi, without any connections to the computer. There is a regular MIDI controller version as well.
I have been hesitating on buying it. Here are the pros and cons I came up with to help me decide if I should upgrade or not.
Push 3 release date: May 23, 2023
#abletonpush #abletonpush3 #ableton #abletonlive #musicproducer #musiproduction #musicgear #musichardware #midicontroller #midicontrollers
Happy that the Push 3 exists but don’t need it.
A mod wheel, pitch wheel, after touch, and expression pedals give you similar possibilities as MPE if you can play a keyboard. I’m not that in love with Ableton Live. I have it but it’s not my DAW of choice.
Hey Matthew thanks for the comment. Yeah, I love the way it does MPE but it isn't for everybody. Which DAW do you use most?
1. MPE is even better than I imagined. Being able to play expressively like I would on a guitar IN KEY is amazing. It almost feels like cheating. Mapping all of the MPE to a synth and then just using my natural movements to modulate makes even the most simple patch come to life.
2. Standalone: It wasn't something I thought I really needed (I got it because that's all that was in stock), but I'm so glad I went with the standalone version. I spent 6 hours yesterday just jamming and not even looking at my computer. Artistic limitations breed creativity. When I have to stick to stock Ableton devices and whichever samples I've loaded beforehand, I'm finding it refreshing and creative compared to the analysis paralysis on PC with 9 million VST plugins and endless sample libraries.
3. Workflow: they've made a lot of subtle changes to the workflow that not a lot of people are talking about in addition to the big ones like being able to easily edit midi. Clip view is very useful as well. This one is hard to quantify fully, but I'm finding it much more intuitively laid out than Push2, and I'm running into fewer barriers to creating.
Great review! Also the "Artistic limitations breed creativity" is exaclty why I think Push 3 Standalone would be a great tool.
Unfortunatelly for me it will be hugely expensive where I live because the exchange rate here is almost 5x times the dolar lol, and also I would have the shipping (about $300,00 X 5) and taxes (at least 60% of the product value +shipping).
But damn, I really wanted to buy this thing.
Wow thanks SO MUCH for that great comment and info about your experience with it. I love that the MPE was better than you'd hoped. I had a feeling it might be like that for people because it really looks like the way it was done and how the new pads work is fantastic. I look forward to trying it out at some point! Hope you're making some great music with your Push 3!
Your choice. For me Push 3 is a wunderful instrument and it will change the way we make music
It may change the way you make music but “you” isn’t “we”. I doubt if it’s effect is as large as you think in your head. I doubt more than a quarter of Ableton Live Users even buy it.
A revolution in your head isn’t a revolution.
I really look forward to trying out the Push 3. You're right, it looks like it can help make some interesting sounds way easier and more quickly. What are your favorite features so far?
@@luct Hy, the more sensitive pads, MPE, the perfect integration with Live and the possibility to make music with Push in a cafe ✌️
@@rumo201 Working on tracks from anywhere is definitely an awesome thing! I will have a chance to give the Push 3 a try at an event over the weekend and I'm looking forward to it. I hope you're having fun making some great music!
hi Luc, what is your Mac Studio spec?
It's the base Mac Studio with the M1 Max chip and 32 GB of RAM. I only upgraded the storage to 2 TB because I use a lot of it.
I was conflicted too but the 30 day return window pushed me to go for it. Might as well give it a shot
Did you get your Push 3 yet?
@@luct got it and returned it, too many hardware faults and too much erroneous behavior. I hope they work out the issues but they definitely went to market with it too soon
MPE is only important for live performances as MPE stile sound or control is easily replaced.
Recording in your parts is the best way to get a more human feel in your tracks. If all you do is sit and program with a mouse, I agree it's a waste. Personally, though, even for electronic genres, learning how to play in at least some parts is hugely beneficial.
2 hr battery sucks
Yeah it's not very long. But something I learned from someone at Ableton is that the type of battery they used in the Push 3 is likely to keep its charge for a long time. You know how the batteries in phones start degrading and they don't last as long after a short while - their battery apparently doesn't last as long on each charge (only 2 hours) but over time should keep pretty close to that two hours. I found that interesting. I'm hoping they might find ways to optimize the code in the future to make the battery last a bit longer.
It's a buggy mess right now