Inconsistent velocity sensitivity

[shootdaj]

Is it just me or is the velocity sensitivity on the Push very inconsistent? I mean sometimes when I'm pressing buttons the velocity seems to just jump off the charts, even though I'm hittin the button with the same amount of force as previous hits, which register at a moderate velocity. This happens both in Note and Step-Sequencer modes.

[lyovino]

Yep, I'm having the same experience. I was hoping to retire the keys, but this is not going to happen here..
My guess is that all of the Instruments and Patches in the library are set up differently. Some loud, some too low..
If I use a plug like Omnisphere it's pretty consistent and satisfying across the board.

[SuburbanThug]

^What he said. I would check the velocity settings on the plugins or devices that you are using.

[shootdaj]

Well the differences are in the same instrument/sound, and it seems to be present with all instruments, even with a basic analog with default settings. And when I was use another controller, the inconsistencies are not there. I'm not sure, I've asked Ableton Support but haven't got a response so far.

[SuburbanThug]

I'm interested to know what version of Live you are using. Some people have reported that their velocity sensitivity is not as good as what I've got using the 9.0.1 Suite Demo.

[lyovino]

I'm interested to know what version of Live you are using. Some people have reported that their velocity sensitivity is not as good as what I've got using the 9.0.1 Suite Demo.

Very posible.. I'm on 9.0.3 Suite and have noticed the same, though 9.0.2 was no different?

[SuburbanThug]

You should definitely make a complaint. Tell them you want the same sensitivity and even velocity seen in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEa2MXHBkB0

I'm not looking forward to upgrading and finding out that this thing isn't what it was when I bought it.

[shootdaj]

I'm interested to know what version of Live you are using. Some people have reported that their velocity sensitivity is not as good as what I've got using the 9.0.1 Suite Demo.

I'm using 9.0.2..

[SuburbanThug]

Thanks. Let us know if you get things sorted.

[shootdaj]

I just got a reply back from Ableton support, and this is what they had to say:

Push is an instrument with 64-pads – quite a large number. As with any instrument, you will need to take some time to learn to get used to the different playing modes (and similarly, it will need some time to get used to you!).

As with all pad-based instruments, Push’s pads need to be “broken in”. This means, the more time you spend playing all the pads, the easier they become to play.

Something else to be aware of is Push’s Pad calibration mechanism. Push calibrates the Pads when starting up and also every 3 seconds when active (once the Pads are idle). The sensitivity also re-calibrates accordingly when changing between Drum, Instrument and Session mode to enhance the playability of each mode.

You can also further adjust the sensitivity to your playing style via the User Page. Reducing the Pad Threshold decreases the range of velocity dynamic for the Pads. This means it will take less force to reach the maximum velocity and will be less sensitive to lower velocities.

Adjusting the Log Curves allows for even finer control of the Pad response. The different log curves may suit different styles of playing for certain instruments.

Try experimenting with the different settings to see what works best for you.

If you are experiencing discrepancies between the Pads, you might consider powering off the unit, restarting it (ensuring nothing is touching the Pads) and waiting a few moments for re-calibration.

As mentioned above, you also need to allow time to break in all the pads.

In my opinion, the fact that Push constantly recalibrates itself may actually be contributing to the inconsistency. Most controllers don't recalibrate on-the-fly and are fairly consistent, in comparison. It could also be the "break-in" period that is mentioned in the reply. They weren't clear if the physical pads themselves that need to literally be broken in, or if by "breaking-in" they mean that the circuitry adapts to your pad hits. Either way, I guess I'll be trying to break it in and see if that helps. For a $600 controller, I was expecting the pads to be superb, but it seems like you have to hammer on them to get even a moderate velocity, which is obviously not possible when playing in the Note mode because you expect to play it like a keyboard where you don't have to hammer each pad like a drumpad. If anyone else has any input on this, please post back.

[lyovino]

shootdaj,

I'm experiencing pretty much what you describe. I can say in drum mode that I really don't have any issues, it's all in note mode that the sensitivity is not to my liking at all. Watching one of the videos that Dennis from Ableton is displaying a C-major scale on a piano patch, I cannot produce this at all. It sounds like I am missing each pad press and I'm only receiving half a hit, .. unless I lean into it, which then becomes uncomfortably noticeable. None of the videos I have watched explain whether or not they have gone into the settings and have them set at drastic measures? It would be very helpful if we got some feedback on this as I'm sure it will help somewhat along with the break in period as you mentioned above, I had no idea of this thanks for posting it. Perhaps in a future firmware/update they can tweak this anomaly.

[shootdaj]

shootdaj,

I'm experiencing pretty much what you describe. I can say in drum mode that I really don't have any issues, it's all in note mode that the sensitivity is not to my liking at all. Watching one of the videos that Dennis from Ableton is displaying a C-major scale on a piano patch, I cannot produce this at all. It sounds like I am missing each pad press and I'm only receiving half a hit, .. unless I lean into it, which then becomes uncomfortably noticeable. None of the videos I have watched explain whether or not they have gone into the settings and have them set at drastic measures? It would be very helpful if we got some feedback on this as I'm sure it will help somewhat along with the break in period as you mentioned above, I had no idea of this thanks for posting it. Perhaps in a future firmware/update they can tweak this anomaly.

Yeah, note mode is very unplayable for me as well. Last night I found a decent fix to the sensitivity by using the Velocity MIDI effect, and increasing the overdrive parameter. This essentially boosts the velocity in Live before it enters your instrument, but it definitely decreases the range of possible velocities. So there's a trade-off, but at least it's more playable. And I've only had my Push for a few weeks so the "break-in" period that they mention might be a key factor. How long have you had yours? Perhaps the videos that you've watched are using devices that have already been broken-in. But I would imagine that a week or two should be long enough to break-in the controller, but they didn't give a timeframe about how long it takes to break it in.

[lyovino]

I had to Push just over two weeks..
I've been using live just a year now, would you mind elaborating just a little about the velocity midi effect you spoke of, Thanks.

[Asymmetricalmusic]

Ableton's response of "Break it in" sounds to me like a cop-out

It basically sez to me that "you can't look for consistence in Push because Push is in-consistent"

[shootdaj]

I had to Push just over two weeks..
I've been using live just a year now, would you mind elaborating just a little about the velocity midi effect you spoke of, Thanks.

Yeah, if you go into your Live Browser > MIDI Effects > Velocity. Select it and drag it into your MIDI track with whatever instrument you have loaded. Now try hitting the notes on your Push. As you're hitting the notes, increase the "Overdrive" parameter on the Velocity effect, and you will notice the velocity of your hits getting higher. Adjust according to what you feel is the right "feel". Let me know if you have any more questions.