Ableton Push: Questions & Answers

Discuss Push with other users.
Post Reply
flippo2007
Posts: 79
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 11:51 pm

Re: Ableton Push: Questions & Answers

Post by flippo2007 » Tue Nov 20, 2012 1:51 pm

Hi Jesse..

Is it possible to map two controllers to the same area in the session view at the same time?

Id love to build up my grid live with push but still having the faders and potis from the apc 40 on the same channels and clips i made with push....

Means.. Id love to have my control over the session view with the apc 40 like i do in my live situation right now..... But making new stuff on the fly with push - "filling" up the session view....

Another one: can i put effect devices on my channels to use them for mixing between clips and using dj-esque effects?

All the best, philip

d.coder
Posts: 35
Joined: Mon Aug 25, 2008 7:09 pm

Re: Ableton Push: Questions & Answers

Post by d.coder » Wed Nov 21, 2012 4:15 pm

Hi Jesse,

what is the physical resolution of the encoders, i.e. steps per 360°?
And what is the software resolution for volume faders, device parameters and vst parameters, i.e. how many steps are possible?
I hope more than 128, for fine tuning.

Thanks for your answers

sowhoso
Posts: 846
Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2007 1:14 am

Re: Ableton Push: Questions & Answers

Post by sowhoso » Wed Nov 21, 2012 4:39 pm

d.coder wrote:Hi Jesse,

what is the physical resolution of the encoders, i.e. steps per 360°?
And what is the software resolution for volume faders, device parameters and vst parameters, i.e. how many steps are possible?
I hope more than 128, for fine tuning.

Thanks for your answers
i would hope they are NRPN

d.coder
Posts: 35
Joined: Mon Aug 25, 2008 7:09 pm

Re: Ableton Push: Questions & Answers

Post by d.coder » Wed Nov 21, 2012 6:56 pm

sowhoso wrote:
d.coder wrote:Hi Jesse,

what is the physical resolution of the encoders, i.e. steps per 360°?
And what is the software resolution for volume faders, device parameters and vst parameters, i.e. how many steps are possible?
I hope more than 128, for fine tuning.

Thanks for your answers
i would hope they are NRPN
At least.
For devices and vst's I would prefer the resolution that the plugin uses native, or even better it's configurable like in kore or automap.

Angstrom
Posts: 14921
Joined: Mon Oct 04, 2004 2:22 pm
Contact:

Re: Ableton Push: Questions & Answers

Post by Angstrom » Fri Nov 23, 2012 3:11 am

Will Push work with Live 8, or is Live 9 a requirement?

I'm guessing it's Live 9 only, but would it work at all with Live 8?

I looked around the main site and couldn't actually see a "requirements" section.

S4racen
Posts: 5822
Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2007 4:08 pm
Location: Dunstable
Contact:

Re: Ableton Push: Questions & Answers

Post by S4racen » Fri Nov 23, 2012 9:27 am

Theres lot's that has had to be exposed through the API in Live 9 for Push to have it's functionality, i would imagine it would work as a standard midi controller but i doubt very much that it'll do anything of what people would buy it for!

Cheers
D

the bite
Posts: 167
Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2005 8:56 pm
Location: Sevilla
Contact:

Re: Ableton Push: Questions & Answers

Post by the bite » Sat Nov 24, 2012 3:09 pm

Hello Jesse,
we will be able to change the mode of the envelopes by default Linked to Unlinked only pressing a button on Push? This parameter is not midi mappeable and people are saying that it,s not accesible via API.
If i,m recording in session view and i want to unlink a parameter, i would have to use the mouse???? i see trouble here, because the main thing about Push it,s not to use the mouse.Please tell me that we can do this directly on Push.

djlimbs
Posts: 143
Joined: Wed Dec 12, 2007 12:07 am

Re: Ableton Push: Questions & Answers

Post by djlimbs » Mon Nov 26, 2012 1:39 am

Is there a way to have fixed a velocity on the pads (w/o using MIDI effect unit work-arounds)?

Is it possible to control drum racks w/ push's note mode, so we can access upto 64 samples on one full grid?

Thanks so much for this thread Jesse!

TheSleeve
Posts: 21
Joined: Tue Aug 09, 2005 2:38 pm
Location: Boston, MA

Re: Ableton Push: Questions & Answers

Post by TheSleeve » Tue Nov 27, 2012 4:17 pm

Push sends and receives standard MIDI messages. It can be used with other DAWs and devices, but it only sends plain notes and CC data, so you can't use the fancy note and drum modes that we have incorporated in Live.
I just wanted to confirm that I'm understanding this correctly. I am primarily interested in using Push as a replacement for a standard MIDI keyboard controller (in note mode). If I understand your explanation, the "pad-to-note" data conversion happens in Live, not in the Push itself. Does that mean I would need to use Live as the host and then load my instrument (VST) into a track so I can play it?

Similarly, in the case where I wanted to use the Push to play an external hardware MIDI device, would I simply need to set the track's output to my hardware MIDI interface?

If that's the case, that's fine! I just want to understand how it works.

I'm a guitarist, so having an isomorphic controller (like Push's chromatic note mode) makes way more sense to me than the non-intuitive layout of a standard keyboard, with its seemingly arbitrary assignments of white and black keys.

I'm also pumped about the diatonic modes. I can't wait to have a dorian blues jam, something I'm utterly incapable of on a standard keyboard.

wjbuchanan
Posts: 143
Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2011 8:12 pm

Re: Ableton Push: Questions & Answers

Post by wjbuchanan » Tue Nov 27, 2012 4:19 pm

Hi Jesse,
I'm wondering whether the Overdub feature of Live has been revised for Push - can we replace MIDI notes instead of playing on top of existing notes?

This would make it more like a hardware style groovebox pattern - set the fixed clip length and keep trying takes until you get it right.

Currently, it's quite hard to do this with live as you need to use the arrangement view with a fixed loop length- session view just "merges" the MIDI.

It would also be good if this was a "one shot" feature that stops recording after one take - the arrangement view keeps recording and if you're not fast enough it wipes the take.

I'm torn between waiting for Push, or going with one of the Elektron devices...if Push can do this then I'll happily wait!

Cheers!

Surreal
Posts: 560
Joined: Wed May 17, 2006 1:18 am

Re: Ableton Push: Questions & Answers

Post by Surreal » Wed Nov 28, 2012 3:44 am

TheSleeve wrote: I just wanted to confirm that I'm understanding this correctly. I am primarily interested in using Push as a replacement for a standard MIDI keyboard controller (in note mode). If I understand your explanation, the "pad-to-note" data conversion happens in Live, not in the Push itself. Does that mean I would need to use Live as the host and then load my instrument (VST) into a track so I can play it?

I imagine that the 'fancy' part of the pad to note conversion happens in the python script. You could use Push but you would probably only get one boring note layout.

TheSleeve
Posts: 21
Joined: Tue Aug 09, 2005 2:38 pm
Location: Boston, MA

Re: Ableton Push: Questions & Answers

Post by TheSleeve » Wed Nov 28, 2012 12:25 pm

Surreal wrote:
TheSleeve wrote: I just wanted to confirm that I'm understanding this correctly. I am primarily interested in using Push as a replacement for a standard MIDI keyboard controller (in note mode). If I understand your explanation, the "pad-to-note" data conversion happens in Live, not in the Push itself. Does that mean I would need to use Live as the host and then load my instrument (VST) into a track so I can play it?
I imagine that the 'fancy' part of the pad to note conversion happens in the python script. You could use Push but you would probably only get one boring note layout.
Interesting. Hopefully we can confirm that to be true! Even if I only had access to the chromatic mode, that would be fine.

The thing that makes me excited about the Push is that the chromatic note layout is analogous to a guitar, with each column of pads representing a guitar fret and each row of pads representing a guitar string. I'm not sure if that was done by design or if it was just a coincidence. Just like on a guitar, if you move a column to the right (up a fret), the pitch increases by a minor 2nd, and if you move up by a row (up a string), the pitch increases by a perfect 4th. The Push is going to be instantly playable by guitarists, whether they realize it or not.

I have tried over the years with limited success to become a decent keyboard player, but for whatever reason, the grid-based guitar fretboard makes way more sense to me than the linear layout of a keyboard. So, the Push is really going to open up new possibilities for my playing and composition. I can't wait!

TheSleeve
Posts: 21
Joined: Tue Aug 09, 2005 2:38 pm
Location: Boston, MA

Re: Ableton Push: Questions & Answers

Post by TheSleeve » Wed Nov 28, 2012 1:41 pm

In case anybody is interested in how the chromatic note mapping works, I made a little diagram showing how it was set up in the launch video.

These are the intervals relative to the lower-left pad.
(P1 = root (perfect unison), m2 = minor 2nd, M2 = major 2nd, m3 = minor 3rd, M3 = major 3rd, P4 = perfect 4th, TT = tritone, P5 = perfect 5th, m6 = minor 6th, M6 = major 6th, m7 = minor 7th, M7 = major 7th)
Instead of doing extended intervals above an octave, I started back at the root after the M7.

Code: Select all

M7	P1	m2	M2	m3	M3	P4	TT
TT	P5	m6	M6	m7	M7	P1	m2
m2	M2	m3	M3	P4	TT	P5	m6
m6	M6	m7	M7	P1	m2	M2	m3
m3	M3	P4	TT	P5	m6	M6	m7
m7	M7	P1	m2	M2	m3	M3	P4
P4	TT	P5	m6	M6	m7	M7	P1
P1	m2	M2	m3	M3	P4	TT	P5
Just like a guitar. Ah, that makes me so happy.

In diatonic mode, it appears to be set up like this:

Code: Select all

1  2  3  4  5  6  7  1
5  6  7  1  2  3  4  5
2  3  4  5  6  7  1  2
6  7  1  2  3  4  5  6
3  4  5  6  7  1  2  3
7  1  2  3  4  5  6  7
4  5  6  7  1  2  3  4
1  2  3  4  5  6  7  1
In diatonic mode, depending on the mode you select, the appropriate scale degrees will be shifted appropriately. For example, if I chose Aeolian, then the 3, 6, and 7 would be flatted "behind-the-scenes."

If you're unfamiliar with intervals and modes, then this all sounds like gibberish to you. If that's the case, check the "Interval (music)" and "Mode (music)" articles on Wikipedia for a basic introduction.

flippo2007
Posts: 79
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 11:51 pm

Re: Ableton Push: Questions & Answers

Post by flippo2007 » Wed Nov 28, 2012 2:31 pm

Hey!

As im currently working happily with an apc 40 - and im highly interested in your opinion..

How would you combine the apc 40 with push in one setup?

Best regards,
Philip

spiral scratch
Posts: 15
Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2011 7:48 pm

Re: Ableton Push: Questions & Answers

Post by spiral scratch » Wed Nov 28, 2012 10:09 pm

Hi Jesse,

Can you confirm it will possible to play with levels/pans/sends/rack knobs above 8 tracks while launching/stopping/soloing clips above the same 8 tracks? Not sure about this since you wrote that Push design was focused on controlling one track at a time.

Thanks! :D

Post Reply