But after two days, I put it back into its package and will return it probably directly tomorrow.
For me:
- the small pads don't feel very good for sensitive drum programming (compared to larger Pads on 4x4 layouts).
- resting on the pads with the fingers results in ghost notes
- If you can play the piano, the scale/layout pad stuff has hardly any use. I don't want to learn a new instrument, if so, I would practice playing guitar or bass.
- the non-pad buttons (scene launch etc.) are too hard to press, very annoying when jamming
- I hoped that the parameter display would help me to get a more tactile approach to soft synth control. But it simply is like menu diving. I prefer one-knob-one-function. IMO for studio work, the push offers not enough display/knobs at once.
I see for live playing with prepared 8 macro controls, it might work quite well, if only.. - ..if only the 8 knobs would have been aligned the same way as on screen (as two rows of 4 knobs), so I can see and reach my Macro assignment at a glance, and not with annoyingly hard to read CAPITAL letters when reading the parameter labels on the Push. So for example, I want to change the second parameter in the second row.. wait, which buttons is that on Push? I prefer the same layout as the macros are, so I will check out the Akai APC 40 mkII soon.
- Using the Push2 to control the EQ8, for example, is hard, just like a menu diving orgy. On the computer screen, I can see all parameters at once, access them at once (with the mouse of course), even simply grab the circle balls in the EQ curve and drag them. Much quicker, much better overview.
- the browser for patches/devices is simply too slow, since I cannot touch it and the screen height is much too small. Instead, several knobs and a far on the right located push button for "Load" are involved. I am much quicker with the mouse, and I have a much better overview on computer screen. The mouse is like two knobs (x, y) and Load button in one control-device which I can operate more easily and much faster finally.
- The step sequencer could be ok (but I would prefer smaller step buttons, as on digitakt or TR8), but I don't have any motivation to get used to it, because:
- constantly changing the "mode" of the Push (scene launch, steq sequencer, keyboard input, device control, track selection, mixing, send levels, muting, ..) stresses me.
- unfortunately, the push is a little bit too large to fit nicely on my desk. Ok, I would have found a solution for that, if I really wanted to use it.
- scene launch (like a much cheaper launchpad),
- track selection/solo/mute control (Akai apc 40)
- input keyboard (any "normal" keyboard works well for me, all scales are possible since Bach well tempered),
- device synth control (I use and map my prologue synth to softsynths, works very well for classic subtractive orientated synths, I have about 30 knobs without menu diving, direct one-knob-one-function. No current parameter value display, of course, but for that a short look on the screen helps, where I can see all parameters of a TAL-u-no at a glance).