1. A review from someone who bought with their own money. 2. Laid this out in a very informative way that anyone in their right mind can say, yep, makes sense or move on. 3. I think midi capture is highly underrated. There is no pressure when the record button is on. 4. If I ever decided to make songs, you sold me on this.
Ableton couldn’t have been more clear about what the Move is, but most people have missed the point. Thanks for the vid, I didn’t think about switching out the stock instruments for third party vst’s and I didn’t know I could sequence directly into Ableton. Ordered the Move today!
Only a minute in, but as a visual artist I genuinely, deeply love the fact you chose a blank 'I dont have art for this track yet' over a genAI slopfest like so many creators seem to have defaulted to in the music world The number of creators I've held in high regards in the past that instantly lost credibility in my eyes because they would stand for music folks rights but wouldn't bat an eye when the same thing happened to art folks right at the same time As someone who's silently watched your videos for the past 2-3 years, thanks a bunch and keep going, love your stuff and glad you found better balance for yourself than the daily upload used to be ! :D
I really appreciate that! Also shoutout to my wife who made the 2 little art pieces for the tracks on Bandcamp. I'm an idiot and only gave her about 30 minutes to do both lol, so she doesn't like them, but I'm just thrilled to NOT be using AI for that stuff lol.
What's really missing is a couple of basic no-destructive punch in effects if you want to use the Move for live performance. Even a basic filter would be a welcome addition.
@@vertigev FWIW - I picked up a used Korg NTS-3 Kaoss pad to pair with the Move. While I'd prefer everything built into the Move, this is a very simply way around the performance limitations of the product.
@@rrrobart9 You would think. But on the Discord group for Move, the response I received from the Ableton person seemed to imply that other features were ahead of performance features. They really see the Move as a sketch board first. I replaced an MPC One that I'd been using to play samples with my cover band with the Move ...but found it not as capable because of the lack of a simple filter. Still, it's LOT easier to use than the MPC, smaller, and much lighter. (which are important factors for me)
I am happy the Move fits you so well! After an initial honeymoon phase, I find myself struggling a bit with it. The main thing is that I don’t have good acoustic starter sounds on board, the piano is really good in the lower octave ranges but it totally sucks at the higher octave ranges. I also don’t like that the Move resets velocity and note length during step sequencing to a default value for every note you enter, I rely heavily on step sequencing melodies with lots of notes so it is a bit more clumsy in this department than my other grooveboxes, but I feel they can very easily fix this, so I hope it will be much better in a year or so.
Yeah it's definitely more about music writing than the sounds itself. I know that can be a big roadblock for some folks. I did notice the velocity issue, but I typically just use midi capture or live record so it doesn't bug me much. Thanks for watching!
Hey I dont create melodies with this yet,BUT i'm in to live performing and live looping and need a groove box for it. I looking into about the circuit rythm / Roland tr6s amd now the move? what would be your advice??I gig so I want something easy to set up and compact.... I dont like to be programing a lot, reason I assume that maybe the tr6s with that fader might be easier to create dynamics. But at the same time, now I see the circuit can be use as a "mixer" so I can just plug the guitar there manage effects and later just transport that to ableton as a project seems like a bridge to start getting original music out.
As a hardware guy I know deep down that eventually I will need to track out into a DAW and for that you will need to pick a daw to work with… Ableton have cornered the market here with the Move. A lot of boxes have Ableton export.. like the Force.. the Korg ESX2 to name but two but any class audio will track in any Daw but the Move simply cuts out a lot of that faff with drivers and cables and project routing. My only issues are that the move doesn’t have USBC audio so it can’t replace my SP404 as a sampler, also want to make my music not Ableton loops so there will be a learning curve until I get the drum racks and synths I like into a template… also.. the biggest let down in this device is that you can’t reimport your project after you have edited it in Ableton.. even if you only use the stock Move set! That means you can’t flesh out a track while away from your studio and then open it up and tweak the sound and midi when back at your home rig and then save it to cloud to then work on it some more when inspiration hits you on the road (or couch).. that sucks…. Come Ableton! To be frank.. if there was a decent midi controller to pair with Note iOS this device would be pretty redundant.
I think this video is spot-on for like I like the Move so much. It knows it's not the end-all-be-all for your music production needs. That's why it comes with Ableton Live intro or lite...whichever one is the better of those two. It is there simply for you to get your ideas down quickly. You demo'd it yourself, but for reference, the steps to get a track started are as simple as this. 1. Power on the Move 2. Open an empty set 3. Set a scale/key (optional, but helpful) 4. Noodle noodle noodle 5. Press capture - you now have your first clip on your first track, your tempo and you're ready to go 6. Move on to other tracks, rinse and repeat 7. Add more clips to further build out your idea And that's that. Super simple to get into, super fast to work with and it sets you up nicely to build out those complete tracks (which yours were gorgeous, by the way). And because it ties so well into the Ableton ecosystem, there's plenty of room to grow from there. I think it's also beneficial to go into the sampling workflow on it, because while I'm not much of a sampling guy, it sure makes me want to sample more and it's super simple to do. Anyway, great job on the video!
Great video. I ordered the Move at the start of the week and it’s arriving tomorrow. The way you’ve explained it is exactly how I planned to use it - to sketch out ideas without looking at a screen, then finish them off on the computer. I like your music. The track where you were improvising sounded like the start of something great.
The Move is nice for Ableton Live users. My substitute as a Logic Pro user is to plug my iPhone into a portable MIDI controller, such as the Novation Launchkey Mini MK4, and record in GarageBand basic 8-measure loops to later refine and develop into full tracks in Logic Pro on my laptop
You make a very good case for the Move, and all your points are valid. The only reasons why I didn’t get a Move are that most of my writing is with vocals and guitar (and I have yet to see any demo of anyone using the Move for that) and that I am not a great Ableton Live fan. But yeah, the Move design is pretty close to genius. I recently sold some of my synths and got myself an MPC key 37…. With the MPC 3 firmware, I hope to be able to write music without using a (standard) computer.
Totally agree. It's the best idea starter and so fast! Ive gotten ideas down on other devices but the Move takes the guesswork out of the initial setup process. I'm really in love with its ability to inspire new ideas, and, like you, I never really liked working in a DAW for music creation. This makes it seemless to move from one to the other so I can actually complete those ideas. Great songs BTW!
Sounds awesome! I am really interested in it as a groovd box. Do you necessarily need the screen? I am blind and have been a Circuit user for a while and would like something more powerful. Could this be it?
I think there are ways around needing the screen, but as a standalone groovebox it is missing some features, especially compared to the circuits. However, a lot of those features can be sort of faked, like using parameter locks on certain steps to emulate sidechaining. I'm not sure if I can be much more help than that, sorry!
I don’t think you need it for the 8 macro encoders. Switching out the fx could be tough, but not impossible. I think you would have fun with it no matter what.
great video! i wish there was something like this for reaper. i like to have the "just get started" ability but being able to finish it in my favorite daw.
I like this product. I have collected a few of these grooveboxes. The menu diving on the others makes me crazy. This system is versatile and uncomplicated. You're able to get an idea out quickly. Capture is a nice feature. It's just fun. I'm hoping they add a song mode as an update.
The Ableton Move is a beast, and I am sure many people will still discover a lot on it. The workflow is really smooth, very clever shortcuts, the machine feels sturdy, 4 tracks feel enough for my use, synths sound good and so on... just got tired of typing.
I mean do they sync up without a computer. Mine broke so I've been mainly using a Tracker Mini but it would be super cool to set that on a keyboard and just Jam and tweak some knobs =).
Question I’ve been searching online for days and even read the manual: Is Move able to export/upload my custom drum racks audio to Live? I have friends who also use Ableton live and would like to know if when plugging in my Move to their Ableton will all the audio I have on my Move drum racks transfer over? Or will it only work with my own Ableton live where I already have those same samples stored ?
Yeah, you absolutely can share! One way you can do it is by using the Move manager in your browser to grab it. If you want just a preset you can send to someone though, here's roughly what I would recommend. Create your kit on the Move and get each of your samples assigned to each drum pad. From there, save it as a preset. Then pull up the Move manager and grab the preset, then share it. Any settings you have applied to each sample should get moved along with it...pun not intended there, but I'm keeping it.
I love my Move so much. I think with the sampling functionality too I can use it as a sort of 'bucket' for capturing sounds from other instruments as well as capturing ideas quickly with just the internal sounds.etc. This video really gets it spot on. I love how it integrates with Note as well.
Great video! Would like to ask you something: is there a way to have a beat "moving" by itself instead of continuously repeat itself identically? Some kind of probability x step? I need to understand if I can setup a scenario and let it morph itself while a play my instrument along. It doesn't seem to have any lfo assignable to parameters. Please let me know.
My goal next year to acquire a Move and Ep Koi 133 setup. Move for resampling and adsing things and the Koi for buikd the foundations of the beat. Plus with Move. Uploading files to ableton should be much easier! Have you tried using the move like this? Great vid by the way
Love the Move and also the fact that its feature set still makes me reach for my trusty op-z without regret. Honesty if they would add step components and more connectivity, it would blow the op-xy out of the water.
Don't know if you already answered this... but which would you choose...the Move or the SP 404 mk2 as portable scatchpad, also with recording guitar like you did in two videos about the SP? I have the SP since 3 weeks and learning...it's fun but also has so much I don't need ant the Move looks much simpler and easier
Hmmmm that's a really tough one, they are both so different! If I had access to Ableton Live, I'd use the Move for sure, but if not, I'd probably go with the SP-404mk2!
Do you find the move sequencer even more seamless than the Deluge? And I would love it if you covered some of the new open source software on the Deluge. Recently an overbridge style browser-app is under development, and audio+midi over USB is getting closer to being finished.
@Synth-PatchesCom Things are still under development, but the usb codec has currently been worked on and is very close to allow a 2in2out audio functionality. The goal is to make it compatible with class compliant audio interfaces potentially expanding the audio sources available greatly on the Deluge. But it seem like FreeBeat has taken a break from the Deluge atm. Which is understandable as he need to keep things fresh and relevant on a youtube channel. But it also is a bit strange that the Deluge isn't even mentioned as comparison when he talks about the Moves sequencer being the quickest and most intuitive in a portable box.
@@ChromaticFramerø Thank you for all the details...so there will be no separate stem export via USB, but maybe we will be able to use aux send and return?
@@Synth-PatchesCom Yes, Send return should become possible with an external interface. Currently there actually is a Stem export feature added, which will export stems to the SD-Card of the song, and you can just add those to your DAW. with the Overbridge-style app you can also move files directly via the USB, so no need to remove the SD card. The Deluge is becoming more and more feature packed by the day almost.
@@ChromaticFramerø Fantastic news! Will the "overbridge" app perform like an VST? The feature list is amazing, but I'm worried whether the CPU will be able to handle it...
You learn the way it's setup. Push has been using it for a while now. You can play either in key or chromatically, it's pretty straightforward and logical
I'm not FreeBeat here, but here's my take. It probably isn't worth it if you have no plans on using Live. It has limitations built into it such that it is very good at starting a track, but not so well-designed for finishing it, and that's where Live comes in. That said, I did see another comment where someone mentioned sampling the clips from the Move into an SP-404 MK2 and using that to further flesh out their track. While it's very much unorthodox for the workflow as designed, it's doable and likely repeatable across other platforms too.
I personally don't think so, it's just a little incomplete on it's own IMO. But there are quite a few people in this comment section that disagree with that statement, so maybe give it a shot?
It's a new type of product! ... that convinces me that I can't have the features that I wanted? ; - ) the lack of "audio tracks" is just shocking - that's where Ableton began. If I want to naturally record a song vocal, or musical riff (a great idea to use a portable device for) it'd have to sample parts into individual pads?
Recently bought and unboxed my move and have had it with me on the road for two weeks now its definitely a fun little tool I enjoy anything that can make you create and think differently. Your on the money though “inspiration” ✨
It would be hard for me to justify buying this over just using Ableton Note on an iPhone/iPad with a mini controller. It's an equally great little sketchpad/song starter. Seemingly better in some ways. Though I usually just prefer Drambo for this purpose.
the best thing about this is the recording feature where you can press a shitload of pads while the audio is playing and map all those pads to sample hits! SO FUCKKKING SICK im sure sooo many controllers and midi drum pads do this but idgaf its dope lol
There is not. I think that's a feature that's typically found on more jam oriented devices, rather than writing based ones. That being said, Ableton has said they are going to bring new features to Move in the future, so you never know!
Very unlikely they will add this since it wouldn't work in Ableton. It's great when you only have 64 steps to work with but with Move you can write 16 bar phrases, I haven't missed the feature at all.
I would have to disagree with FreeBeat on that one (but curious about what he is missing to recommend it as a groovebox, song mode perhaps?). I am not an Ableton user but I have had most grooveboxes on the market (Deluge, MC-101 and 707, Tracker Mini, Smpltrek, OP-1, Woovebox, Circuit Tracks and Rhythm). So far the Move strikes the best balance between ease of use and complexity for me. I've found it very inspiring and I've made something I like each time I sit with it. The capture feature, 16 bar limit, random preset loading, and loop mode edits have been a game changer for me personally. Also, the ability to backup projects or rename samples without fumbling with sc cards or cables is quite nice.
There are a lot of great standalone features, but IMO it needs at least a few additions before it's a proper standalone groovebox. First of all, I think sidechaining is a must. With the OP-Z, it could be faked with an LFO, but without full synth access (something that I *don't* think the Move needs), it's pretty tedious to change the velocity on each step. Second, I think it needs performance effects, even if it's just a master filter, this would be huge for jamming. Third, I'd love to have the ability to switch between sets in a quantized manor. Right now it's just instantaneous, so you can kind of fake it, but quantizing that switching would be huge. Obviously there's lots more could be added to make it a better standalone device, but IMO it's pretty perfect as is, at least for it's original intended use!
So your conclusion is that ableton Move is actualy a very niche product only designed for a select handful of people who wish to work in a very specific fashion. It's not a groove box it's not for creating songs at all it's not for a live jammin/performance environment at all. it's £450 sketchpad for the very first step of creation on your sofa or in a coffee shop. Then you get the hell off it and flesh out a song elsewhere in a main DAW (ableton live specifically) studio set up Ablton Move is actually just a small stepping stone product to a larger specific workflow that requires any owner to buy in wholesale to a specific DAW - ableton live.
I feel like quite a few of the videos I've seen do take notice of Move's position as a "sketch pad" as opposed to a full-on groovebox. But then again, maybe I've just been selective about which videos I've watched. Of course, plenty _do_ moan about its (deliberate, carefully considered) limitations and how it's not living up to being something Ableton had no intention of making it.
Yeah I've seen some people mention it's supposed to be a sketchpad, but most of them just gloss over the transfer to Live process, which is the whole point of the device in my opinion. Thanks for watching!
Best video ever! Finally, somebody gets it. No complaining. I was hoping this device is what you are saying, and I am happy to hear that somebody did it. This is what I was hoping with Circuits (and then learn disappointed that you can only record stereo and that is it. No export to DAW). So after many years, somebody did it! Because of that, I am switching my DAW (Studio One) to Ableton. Thanks again for this video! I already ordered mine! (also subscribed)
Yeah that's how I would describe it, but others are also enjoying it standalone! It'll be very interesting to see what Ableton adds to the Move via updates moving forward.
I feel like Ableton should have leaned more into the Ableton Note branding. People would have much more realistic expectations if they saw this as a hardware version of Note with a ton of extra features.
It’s crazy there’s still no Android release. I picked Note up at launch and still use it almost daily. Looks like some of its core features have gone into Move too. (New sets having 4 random presets, cloud sync with midi etc). Oh no think I just talked myself into buying one 🤣
I agree. I also think that a lot of people could answer their queries about Move and whether its workflow would vibe with them to a large extent by trying Note.
Hmmm, I suppose? I didn't really think about that since I'm using working in terms of, "okay these two clips will be my chorus, this will be my verse, here's an intro, here's an outro," etc. Then I just export into Ableton.
The OPZ was the device that unlocked my music making potential. Getting tracks out of it though is TRASH (i’ve not seen the work flow from OPXY yet). So the move might be perfect for me as I use Ableton 12 suite.
@@FreeBeat Working on that. I can say the following 1) all ablbundle/ablpresetbundle files are just archives without compression 2) All ablpreset and abl files (found in the unzipped archives) are just easily read JSON files. 3) you can re-upload (sideload) projects downloaded from your move back TO the move by way of opening them in Note, then marking them as cloud sync.
I've confirmed that they block this hacked sideloading approach when trying to directly upload "melodicSampler" and wavetable presets. Next I'm going to try embedding custom wavetable and melodicSampler presets inside of sideloaded sets then try to save those out as user presets within the opened set itself. If I can get this working, THEN I'll record a step by step tutorial. Keep on the look out!
Id much prefer a better ableton app on my iPad. Its 2025 and to have hardware have those kind of limitations and sound quality is just not keeping up with the times and competition. I have a fully fledged DAW on my iPad (Logic Pro) which is so easy to write music on and comes packed with quality usable sounds which is essential to have quality sounds and the ability to easily edit automation is essential for how I work. If the move had the ability to load packs, have audio tracks to record vocals on, add effect chains then maybe I might consider it. Ableton lost my interest by not making a better iPad app
Dude. I have had the move for a month as well. I've been able to start tracks when I'm out waiting for my kids hockey practice. But I object to the fact that Live is the next step. I will "play" my sequences out and bounce the stems down on my SP-404mkII. But I will play them out in 16-32-even 64 bar stems. Working the parameters of the synth as I do. So now I have full phrases on my SP. Yes, and then I resample.... but the presumption that you must use live is suspicious.
That is a really interesting approach! However, I do think that the move into live workflow is one of the major features of the move, I've never seen a device transfer into software so seamlessly. Also, I really hate that you think it's suspicious, makes me feel like I can't get excited about stuff lol. Obviously you don't have to use live, but in my opinion you're missing out on the best thing about the move.
Yeah man, this is exactly how I envisioned using this. Like a "Rough draft" tablet. I can't remember who was talking about this, but that's what they were talking about. They just were'nt into it because they didn't use Ableton. I don't use DAWs, I just do hardware jams for fun, but I thought I would like one of these. For $500 this might get me to learn Ableton because I think I'd enjoy the workflow with the Move. Good video, I think this is going to be a popular product when people understand where to use it.
Yeah I agree! Once people start to figure out what this is actually for it's gonna be an instant classic, and I hope it inspires a whole bunch of similar products from the other DAWs!
@@FreeBeat The price on the move is so good and it's such a powerful tool for music production I think this is going to really push sales of Ableton and in another year everyone is going to copy this. I can't wait to see you push the Move to it's limits and see what kind of tricks you come up with.
I have one coming with Santa 🎅 😂. Being all about DAWless, my plan is to make complete songs on it and perform them by playing the clips and recording the session. I’m going to resist using Ableton Live as much as possible. I think the speed of music creation and the resampling and use of 16 pitches in drum racks mean that it is so much more than “four tracks”.
I had one and made some really good songs on it (see my channel) but felt it wasn’t the best fit for me. I’ve tried all sorts of devices and think the Move is a great fit for fast music making and is not just sample based like the OG Play.
@@DavidDeLuge well I check, your song suck as well....Polyend play is not only sample based, since you have 8 Midi Tracks for synth.... Try to work your musical skills in state to bullshit video😂🤣
@ thank you. Unfortunately it seems we aren’t gonna get simultaneous midi in out. I don’t mind 4 tracks but I’d like more generative feature like polyend play I guess. And more ease to use with other Daws like logic or garage band
@@FreeBeat nah , you were talking about flushing out a track. Intending to mean make it complete not expel it from the device to be picked off by snipers. I think.
1. A review from someone who bought with their own money.
2. Laid this out in a very informative way that anyone in their right mind can say, yep, makes sense or move on.
3. I think midi capture is highly underrated. There is no pressure when the record button is on.
4. If I ever decided to make songs, you sold me on this.
Thanks so much Wabbit!
Ableton couldn’t have been more clear about what the Move is, but most people have missed the point. Thanks for the vid, I didn’t think about switching out the stock instruments for third party vst’s and I didn’t know I could sequence directly into Ableton. Ordered the Move today!
I bought a Teenage Engineering OP-XY, and last night I reached for the Move. It’s the most enjoyable portable groove box/ sampler to actually use.
How are you liking the XY?
The XY and ableton move together is awesome!
Check money bags over here lol
@ Word booty! I may buy another XY just to put over there, so I ain’t gotta lug it when I rise from my chair!
User interface/experience is of underrated importance. Highly capable hardware that is annoying to use often won't get used.
Only a minute in, but as a visual artist I genuinely, deeply love the fact you chose a blank 'I dont have art for this track yet' over a genAI slopfest like so many creators seem to have defaulted to in the music world
The number of creators I've held in high regards in the past that instantly lost credibility in my eyes because they would stand for music folks rights but wouldn't bat an eye when the same thing happened to art folks right at the same time
As someone who's silently watched your videos for the past 2-3 years, thanks a bunch and keep going, love your stuff and glad you found better balance for yourself than the daily upload used to be ! :D
I really appreciate that! Also shoutout to my wife who made the 2 little art pieces for the tracks on Bandcamp. I'm an idiot and only gave her about 30 minutes to do both lol, so she doesn't like them, but I'm just thrilled to NOT be using AI for that stuff lol.
What's really missing is a couple of basic no-destructive punch in effects if you want to use the Move for live performance. Even a basic filter would be a welcome addition.
@@lanceholland agreed!
@@vertigev FWIW - I picked up a used Korg NTS-3 Kaoss pad to pair with the Move. While I'd prefer everything built into the Move, this is a very simply way around the performance limitations of the product.
Those would be huge for people looking to use it as a standalone groovebox for sure!
Shocking… they should be close to top priority.
@@rrrobart9 You would think. But on the Discord group for Move, the response I received from the Ableton person seemed to imply that other features were ahead of performance features. They really see the Move as a sketch board first. I replaced an MPC One that I'd been using to play samples with my cover band with the Move ...but found it not as capable because of the lack of a simple filter. Still, it's LOT easier to use than the MPC, smaller, and much lighter. (which are important factors for me)
I am happy the Move fits you so well! After an initial honeymoon phase, I find myself struggling a bit with it. The main thing is that I don’t have good acoustic starter sounds on board, the piano is really good in the lower octave ranges but it totally sucks at the higher octave ranges. I also don’t like that the Move resets velocity and note length during step sequencing to a default value for every note you enter, I rely heavily on step sequencing melodies with lots of notes so it is a bit more clumsy in this department than my other grooveboxes, but I feel they can very easily fix this, so I hope it will be much better in a year or so.
Yeah it's definitely more about music writing than the sounds itself. I know that can be a big roadblock for some folks. I did notice the velocity issue, but I typically just use midi capture or live record so it doesn't bug me much. Thanks for watching!
Hey I dont create melodies with this yet,BUT i'm in to live performing and live looping and need a groove box for it. I looking into about the circuit rythm / Roland tr6s amd now the move? what would be your advice??I gig so I want something easy to set up and compact.... I dont like to be programing a lot, reason I assume that maybe the tr6s with that fader might be easier to create dynamics. But at the same time, now I see the circuit can be use as a "mixer" so I can just plug the guitar there manage effects and later just transport that to ableton as a project seems like a bridge to start getting original music out.
As a hardware guy I know deep down that eventually I will need to track out into a DAW and for that you will need to pick a daw to work with… Ableton have cornered the market here with the Move.
A lot of boxes have Ableton export.. like the Force.. the Korg ESX2 to name but two but any class audio will track in any Daw but the Move simply cuts out a lot of that faff with drivers and cables and project routing.
My only issues are that the move doesn’t have USBC audio so it can’t replace my SP404 as a sampler, also want to make my music not Ableton loops so there will be a learning curve until I get the drum racks and synths I like into a template… also.. the biggest let down in this device is that you can’t reimport your project after you have edited it in Ableton.. even if you only use the stock Move set!
That means you can’t flesh out a track while away from your studio and then open it up and tweak the sound and midi when back at your home rig and then save it to cloud to then work on it some more when inspiration hits you on the road (or couch).. that sucks…. Come Ableton!
To be frank.. if there was a decent midi controller to pair with Note iOS this device would be pretty redundant.
I think this video is spot-on for like I like the Move so much. It knows it's not the end-all-be-all for your music production needs. That's why it comes with Ableton Live intro or lite...whichever one is the better of those two. It is there simply for you to get your ideas down quickly. You demo'd it yourself, but for reference, the steps to get a track started are as simple as this.
1. Power on the Move
2. Open an empty set
3. Set a scale/key (optional, but helpful)
4. Noodle noodle noodle
5. Press capture - you now have your first clip on your first track, your tempo and you're ready to go
6. Move on to other tracks, rinse and repeat
7. Add more clips to further build out your idea
And that's that. Super simple to get into, super fast to work with and it sets you up nicely to build out those complete tracks (which yours were gorgeous, by the way). And because it ties so well into the Ableton ecosystem, there's plenty of room to grow from there.
I think it's also beneficial to go into the sampling workflow on it, because while I'm not much of a sampling guy, it sure makes me want to sample more and it's super simple to do.
Anyway, great job on the video!
Yeah you summed it up perfectly! Thanks as always :)
Great video. I ordered the Move at the start of the week and it’s arriving tomorrow. The way you’ve explained it is exactly how I planned to use it - to sketch out ideas without looking at a screen, then finish them off on the computer. I like your music. The track where you were improvising sounded like the start of something great.
Thank you so much! I hope you love the Move :)
Woah! That sound from "You and Me" is awesome. It's really melodic and full. So cool to see you grow as a musician over the years! Keep it up!
Thanks so much! Glad you liked the song :)
I will probably buy mine this month and watching your video I am even more convinced to do so. ;)
Thanks for watching!
The Move is nice for Ableton Live users. My substitute as a Logic Pro user is to plug my iPhone into a portable MIDI controller, such as the Novation Launchkey Mini MK4, and record in GarageBand basic 8-measure loops to later refine and develop into full tracks in Logic Pro on my laptop
Nice! Does logic let you import GarageBand projects directly?
Check out logic for ipad. Its basically a super portable Logic.
The same for me but with Cubasis for my iPhone / iPad and Cubase for the PC
You make a very good case for the Move, and all your points are valid. The only reasons why I didn’t get a Move are that most of my writing is with vocals and guitar (and I have yet to see any demo of anyone using the Move for that) and that I am not a great Ableton Live fan. But yeah, the Move design is pretty close to genius.
I recently sold some of my synths and got myself an MPC key 37…. With the MPC 3 firmware, I hope to be able to write music without using a (standard) computer.
Yeah if you're looking to do all of that stuff away from the computer then the MPC is a wonderful choice for you!
Totally agree. It's the best idea starter and so fast! Ive gotten ideas down on other devices but the Move takes the guesswork out of the initial setup process. I'm really in love with its ability to inspire new ideas, and, like you, I never really liked working in a DAW for music creation. This makes it seemless to move from one to the other so I can actually complete those ideas. Great songs BTW!
Glad you're liking yours Terry!
Great video! Totally agree, move is THE first step. Then polish it of in the daw. Thanks, free beat! 💪🏾
Sounds awesome! I am really interested in it as a groovd box. Do you necessarily need the screen? I am blind and have been a Circuit user for a while and would like something more powerful. Could this be it?
I think there are ways around needing the screen, but as a standalone groovebox it is missing some features, especially compared to the circuits. However, a lot of those features can be sort of faked, like using parameter locks on certain steps to emulate sidechaining. I'm not sure if I can be much more help than that, sorry!
I don’t think you need it for the 8 macro encoders. Switching out the fx could be tough, but not impossible. I think you would have fun with it no matter what.
Have you seen this video about the Move by blind musician Andre Louis?
ua-cam.com/video/p8IbinbOhY4/v-deo.htmlsi=1lTvl26P1f2j85A9
Yeah I didn't realize there were so many accessibility options, that is outstanding!
@@FreeBeat yeah I wish more hardware was made like this! Hopefully more companies will follow
That is an excellent take on the device sir. Thanks for the video :)
Thanks so much friend!
It reminds me, more than a little, of Ableton Note. Have you used that and can you say anything about ant similarities?
I haven't personally used Note, but I've heard it's similar in workflow.
great video! i wish there was something like this for reaper. i like to have the "just get started" ability but being able to finish it in my favorite daw.
Yeah I'm really hoping that we start to see devices like this for other DAWs as well!
Tell them to start supporting the DAWproject file standard.
@@HammyHavoc does ableton support the dawproject file standard?
Great video! Is it possible to import samples i have in Ableton?
Yes! You can easily move samples around in the Move Manager :)
Really nice practical use you are showing here!
Did you use it with the current Live version or does it work with Live 11 for example too?
Just like I mentioned in the video, I was on Live 11 for the whole video! :)
Hi really good video. Wondering if there are any piano sounds or any acoustic sounding instruments in the core library? - thanks so much
I think there are a few pianos, but you can also import your own samples!
I like this product. I have collected a few of these grooveboxes. The menu diving on the others makes me crazy. This system is versatile and uncomplicated. You're able to get an idea out quickly. Capture is a nice feature. It's just fun. I'm hoping they add a song mode as an update.
The Ableton Move is a beast, and I am sure many people will still discover a lot on it. The workflow is really smooth, very clever shortcuts, the machine feels sturdy, 4 tracks feel enough for my use, synths sound good and so on... just got tired of typing.
Absolutely haha, thanks for watching!
Hey I love your videos ❤ is it possible to hook up a keylab or maybe even a lunchkey and use them in the DAW mode?
I mean do they sync up without a computer. Mine broke so I've been mainly using a Tracker Mini but it would be super cool to set that on a keyboard and just Jam and tweak some knobs =).
I don't think anything beyond the keys themselves will work. It doesn't seem like the Move supports CC messages, either incoming or outgoing.
Question I’ve been searching online for days and even read the manual: Is Move able to export/upload my custom drum racks audio to Live? I have friends who also use Ableton live and would like to know if when plugging in my Move to their Ableton will all the audio I have on my Move drum racks transfer over? Or will it only work with my own Ableton live where I already have those same samples stored ?
Yes it is! I just made a bunch of samples on the Move and they transferred into Live perfectly :)
Yeah, you absolutely can share! One way you can do it is by using the Move manager in your browser to grab it. If you want just a preset you can send to someone though, here's roughly what I would recommend.
Create your kit on the Move and get each of your samples assigned to each drum pad. From there, save it as a preset. Then pull up the Move manager and grab the preset, then share it. Any settings you have applied to each sample should get moved along with it...pun not intended there, but I'm keeping it.
I love my Move so much. I think with the sampling functionality too I can use it as a sort of 'bucket' for capturing sounds from other instruments as well as capturing ideas quickly with just the internal sounds.etc. This video really gets it spot on. I love how it integrates with Note as well.
Absolutely! Thanks for watching :)
can it drive your analog midi synths? i was disappointed in garage bands lack of midi out.
It can, but it's pretty limited MIDI function wise.
Great video! Would like to ask you something: is there a way to have a beat "moving" by itself instead of continuously repeat itself identically? Some kind of probability x step? I need to understand if I can setup a scenario and let it morph itself while a play my instrument along. It doesn't seem to have any lfo assignable to parameters. Please let me know.
My goal next year to acquire a Move and Ep Koi 133 setup. Move for resampling and adsing things and the Koi for buikd the foundations of the beat. Plus with Move. Uploading files to ableton should be much easier! Have you tried using the move like this? Great vid by the way
Interesting! Why not just go standalone on the Move? It also has a mic and line in for sampling. Unless you had a specific use in mind for the KO?
Love the Move and also the fact that its feature set still makes me reach for my trusty op-z without regret. Honesty if they would add step components and more connectivity, it would blow the op-xy out of the water.
Thanks for watching!
Don't know if you already answered this...
but which would you choose...the Move or the SP 404 mk2 as portable scatchpad, also with recording guitar like you did in two videos about the SP?
I have the SP since 3 weeks and learning...it's fun but also has so much I don't need ant the Move looks much simpler and easier
Hmmmm that's a really tough one, they are both so different! If I had access to Ableton Live, I'd use the Move for sure, but if not, I'd probably go with the SP-404mk2!
Thank you for this inspirational video! Looking forward to more videos on the Move!
Thanks so much!
Do you find the move sequencer even more seamless than the Deluge? And I would love it if you covered some of the new open source software on the Deluge. Recently an overbridge style browser-app is under development, and audio+midi over USB is getting closer to being finished.
Audio over USB in Deluge? I thought it would be impossible due to hardware architecture of the Deluge...
@Synth-PatchesCom Things are still under development, but the usb codec has currently been worked on and is very close to allow a 2in2out audio functionality. The goal is to make it compatible with class compliant audio interfaces potentially expanding the audio sources available greatly on the Deluge.
But it seem like FreeBeat has taken a break from the Deluge atm. Which is understandable as he need to keep things fresh and relevant on a youtube channel. But it also is a bit strange that the Deluge isn't even mentioned as comparison when he talks about the Moves sequencer being the quickest and most intuitive in a portable box.
@@ChromaticFramerø Thank you for all the details...so there will be no separate stem export via USB, but maybe we will be able to use aux send and return?
@@Synth-PatchesCom Yes, Send return should become possible with an external interface. Currently there actually is a Stem export feature added, which will export stems to the SD-Card of the song, and you can just add those to your DAW. with the Overbridge-style app you can also move files directly via the USB, so no need to remove the SD card. The Deluge is becoming more and more feature packed by the day almost.
@@ChromaticFramerø Fantastic news! Will the "overbridge" app perform like an VST? The feature list is amazing, but I'm worried whether the CPU will be able to handle it...
how do you know what pads to play so well since it’s not set up like a typical piano keyboard?
You can set the key and scale of the pads in settings :)
You learn the way it's setup. Push has been using it for a while now. You can play either in key or chromatically, it's pretty straightforward and logical
Am I wrong that this device is not worth it if you do not use Live?
I'm not FreeBeat here, but here's my take. It probably isn't worth it if you have no plans on using Live. It has limitations built into it such that it is very good at starting a track, but not so well-designed for finishing it, and that's where Live comes in. That said, I did see another comment where someone mentioned sampling the clips from the Move into an SP-404 MK2 and using that to further flesh out their track. While it's very much unorthodox for the workflow as designed, it's doable and likely repeatable across other platforms too.
I personally don't think so, it's just a little incomplete on it's own IMO. But there are quite a few people in this comment section that disagree with that statement, so maybe give it a shot?
It's a new type of product! ... that convinces me that I can't have the features that I wanted? ; - ) the lack of "audio tracks" is just shocking - that's where Ableton began. If I want to naturally record a song vocal, or musical riff (a great idea to use a portable device for) it'd have to sample parts into individual pads?
Recently bought and unboxed my move and have had it with me on the road for two weeks now its definitely a fun little tool I enjoy anything that can make you create and think differently. Your on the money though “inspiration” ✨
Glad you're liking it!
I think you sold it for me 😂
Great review 👏
Hope you love it! Also, I'll have a proper review out after I've spent more time with it :) Thanks for watching!
It would be hard for me to justify buying this over just using Ableton Note on an iPhone/iPad with a mini controller. It's an equally great little sketchpad/song starter. Seemingly better in some ways. Though I usually just prefer Drambo for this purpose.
That's fair, although I love the all in one hardware approach of the Move :)
the best thing about this is the recording feature where you can press a shitload of pads while the audio is playing and map all those pads to sample hits! SO FUCKKKING SICK
im sure sooo many controllers and midi drum pads do this but idgaf its dope lol
Appreciate this. However, am I crazy or is there no conditional trig feature? As in, play a note every other pass or every fourth etc?
There is not. I think that's a feature that's typically found on more jam oriented devices, rather than writing based ones. That being said, Ableton has said they are going to bring new features to Move in the future, so you never know!
Not currently, but I believe those features are in the Ableton DAW now, so I hope they add them to the Move.
Very unlikely they will add this since it wouldn't work in Ableton. It's great when you only have 64 steps to work with but with Move you can write 16 bar phrases, I haven't missed the feature at all.
@ I hear you and that is what I expected. But for me, that is a bit of a must have. Thanks for the vid!!
Like vertigev said, with 16 measures per clip it's not really needed at all. Especially with all the copy/paste/duplicate shortcuts
How viable is it for non-Abelton users, does this work flow still work other than a groove box?
I would absolutely *not* recommend it for non Ableton users. If you're looking to keep everything on the Move itself you'll wind up disappointed.
I would have to disagree with FreeBeat on that one (but curious about what he is missing to recommend it as a groovebox, song mode perhaps?). I am not an Ableton user but I have had most grooveboxes on the market (Deluge, MC-101 and 707, Tracker Mini, Smpltrek, OP-1, Woovebox, Circuit Tracks and Rhythm). So far the Move strikes the best balance between ease of use and complexity for me. I've found it very inspiring and I've made something I like each time I sit with it. The capture feature, 16 bar limit, random preset loading, and loop mode edits have been a game changer for me personally. Also, the ability to backup projects or rename samples without fumbling with sc cards or cables is quite nice.
There are a lot of great standalone features, but IMO it needs at least a few additions before it's a proper standalone groovebox. First of all, I think sidechaining is a must. With the OP-Z, it could be faked with an LFO, but without full synth access (something that I *don't* think the Move needs), it's pretty tedious to change the velocity on each step. Second, I think it needs performance effects, even if it's just a master filter, this would be huge for jamming. Third, I'd love to have the ability to switch between sets in a quantized manor. Right now it's just instantaneous, so you can kind of fake it, but quantizing that switching would be huge.
Obviously there's lots more could be added to make it a better standalone device, but IMO it's pretty perfect as is, at least for it's original intended use!
What a brilliant and clever video and explanations!
Thank you!
You don't need a cable to access the Move Manager, works over Wi-Fi 😎
Yeah I just found that out! Even more awesome lol
So your conclusion is that ableton Move is actualy a very niche product only designed for a select handful of people who wish to work in a very specific fashion.
It's not a groove box
it's not for creating songs at all
it's not for a live jammin/performance environment at all.
it's £450 sketchpad for the very first step of creation on your sofa or in a coffee shop.
Then you get the hell off it and flesh out a song elsewhere in a main DAW (ableton live specifically) studio set up
Ablton Move is actually just a small stepping stone product to a larger specific workflow that requires any owner to buy in wholesale to a specific DAW - ableton live.
Pretty much! Except it comes with Live Intro, which is more than enough for a LOT of people out there. So you don't really have to buy anything else.
Great summary that cuts through all the marketing and dazzle. Well said
I feel like quite a few of the videos I've seen do take notice of Move's position as a "sketch pad" as opposed to a full-on groovebox. But then again, maybe I've just been selective about which videos I've watched. Of course, plenty _do_ moan about its (deliberate, carefully considered) limitations and how it's not living up to being something Ableton had no intention of making it.
Yeah I've seen some people mention it's supposed to be a sketchpad, but most of them just gloss over the transfer to Live process, which is the whole point of the device in my opinion. Thanks for watching!
Best video ever! Finally, somebody gets it. No complaining. I was hoping this device is what you are saying, and I am happy to hear that somebody did it. This is what I was hoping with Circuits (and then learn disappointed that you can only record stereo and that is it. No export to DAW). So after many years, somebody did it! Because of that, I am switching my DAW (Studio One) to Ableton. Thanks again for this video! I already ordered mine!
(also subscribed)
Thank you so much for the kind words! I hope you love your Move and Ableton Live :)
So it's more like a ecosystem product.
Was hoping for a more standalone product but it is an interesting take.
Yeah that's how I would describe it, but others are also enjoying it standalone! It'll be very interesting to see what Ableton adds to the Move via updates moving forward.
Great video. I wish it had more interesting sounds though
I feel like Ableton should have leaned more into the Ableton Note branding. People would have much more realistic expectations if they saw this as a hardware version of Note with a ton of extra features.
As an Android user, I can't say I've ever used note haha.
It’s crazy there’s still no Android release. I picked Note up at launch and still use it almost daily. Looks like some of its core features have gone into Move too. (New sets having 4 random presets, cloud sync with midi etc). Oh no think I just talked myself into buying one 🤣
I agree. I also think that a lot of people could answer their queries about Move and whether its workflow would vibe with them to a large extent by trying Note.
re clips can you confirm / explain
i've heard you require an empty clip to stop clips so you actually have 7 clips with data max not 8 per track?
Hmmm, I suppose? I didn't really think about that since I'm using working in terms of, "okay these two clips will be my chorus, this will be my verse, here's an intro, here's an outro," etc. Then I just export into Ableton.
The OPZ was the device that unlocked my music making potential. Getting tracks out of it though is TRASH (i’ve not seen the work flow from OPXY yet). So the move might be perfect for me as I use Ableton 12 suite.
Yeah if you loved the OP-Z, and already use Ableton? The Move is definitely the right...move...to make lol
Yea, but I’m going to use it offlabel to move things from Ableton Live to move via hack/sideloading. Don’t care about their original intended use.
How do you do that?
@@FreeBeat Working on that. I can say the following 1) all ablbundle/ablpresetbundle files are just archives without compression 2) All ablpreset and abl files (found in the unzipped archives) are just easily read JSON files. 3) you can re-upload (sideload) projects downloaded from your move back TO the move by way of opening them in Note, then marking them as cloud sync.
I've confirmed that they block this hacked sideloading approach when trying to directly upload "melodicSampler" and wavetable presets. Next I'm going to try embedding custom wavetable and melodicSampler presets inside of sideloaded sets then try to save those out as user presets within the opened set itself. If I can get this working, THEN I'll record a step by step tutorial. Keep on the look out!
Ableton might ban me for this, lol.
Great video!
Thanks so much!
Id much prefer a better ableton app on my iPad. Its 2025 and to have hardware have those kind of limitations and sound quality is just not keeping up with the times and competition. I have a fully fledged DAW on my iPad (Logic Pro) which is so easy to write music on and comes packed with quality usable sounds which is essential to have quality sounds and the ability to easily edit automation is essential for how I work. If the move had the ability to load packs, have audio tracks to record vocals on, add effect chains then maybe I might consider it. Ableton lost my interest by not making a better iPad app
Okay that's pretty cool.
Yeah it's absolutely awesome haha
Dude. I have had the move for a month as well. I've been able to start tracks when I'm out waiting for my kids hockey practice. But I object to the fact that Live is the next step. I will "play" my sequences out and bounce the stems down on my SP-404mkII. But I will play them out in 16-32-even 64 bar stems. Working the parameters of the synth as I do. So now I have full phrases on my SP. Yes, and then I resample.... but the presumption that you must use live is suspicious.
That is a really interesting approach! However, I do think that the move into live workflow is one of the major features of the move, I've never seen a device transfer into software so seamlessly.
Also, I really hate that you think it's suspicious, makes me feel like I can't get excited about stuff lol. Obviously you don't have to use live, but in my opinion you're missing out on the best thing about the move.
@@FreeBeat ... unless after 15 years you are f*ckn sick of Live.
@@FreeBeat My point is that it is a great idea maker, and that you don't really have to use Live.
Yeah man, this is exactly how I envisioned using this. Like a "Rough draft" tablet. I can't remember who was talking about this, but that's what they were talking about. They just were'nt into it because they didn't use Ableton. I don't use DAWs, I just do hardware jams for fun, but I thought I would like one of these. For $500 this might get me to learn Ableton because I think I'd enjoy the workflow with the Move. Good video, I think this is going to be a popular product when people understand where to use it.
Yeah I agree! Once people start to figure out what this is actually for it's gonna be an instant classic, and I hope it inspires a whole bunch of similar products from the other DAWs!
@@FreeBeat The price on the move is so good and it's such a powerful tool for music production I think this is going to really push sales of Ableton and in another year everyone is going to copy this. I can't wait to see you push the Move to it's limits and see what kind of tricks you come up with.
This thing seems pretty damn cool, but overpriced for what it is
IMO it's a fantastic price for what it is!
I have one coming with Santa 🎅 😂. Being all about DAWless, my plan is to make complete songs on it and perform them by playing the clips and recording the session. I’m going to resist using Ableton Live as much as possible. I think the speed of music creation and the resampling and use of 16 pitches in drum racks mean that it is so much more than “four tracks”.
THEN BUY A POLYEND PLAY
I had one and made some really good songs on it (see my channel) but felt it wasn’t the best fit for me. I’ve tried all sorts of devices and think the Move is a great fit for fast music making and is not just sample based like the OG Play.
@@DavidDeLuge well I check, your song suck as well....Polyend play is not only sample based, since you have 8 Midi Tracks for synth.... Try to work your musical skills in state to bullshit video😂🤣
I'm interested how you like using it like that!
This is an incredible way to write music! I’m glad you’ve found a new favorite workflow.
Yeah I'm pumped!
Liked your vid, but I totally disagree: we HATE Ableton Live, will never use it with that DAW, and enjoy using as a groove box
Interesting! What updates would you like to see come to the Move in the future? Thanks for watching :)
@ thank you. Unfortunately it seems we aren’t gonna get simultaneous midi in out. I don’t mind 4 tracks but I’d like more generative feature like polyend play I guess. And more ease to use with other Daws like logic or garage band
It’s Flesh things out not flush. When you flesh out an idea you’re adding meat to the bones of it. You can flush out bugs or bank robbers
Can’t I just flush out all the bad grooves? ;)
@ whatever floats your boat mate.
Yup, isn't that what I said?
A hunting dog flushes out birds from hiding so the hunter can shoot them.
@@FreeBeat nah , you were talking about flushing out a track. Intending to mean make it complete not expel it from the device to be picked off by snipers. I think.
This thing suck! For the same money you can have a Polyend play who makes your Move RIDICULOUS
@BASILEMOJO not a good comparison, the Play+ is $800 if you want synths. That's almost twice as much and doesn't have an internal battery.
There’s always one that doesn’t get it.
The Play is great for jamming! It is not at all for songwriting. Completely different devices.