REVIEWS ABLETON PUSH
KEY FEATURES I/O: 2x input jacks, 2x main output jacks, headphones out, ADAT in and out (up-to 10-in/10-out), USB-C, USB, MIDI in and out (via adapter), 2x pedal/CV ports. PRICING: Push controller $999, Push standalone $1,999. Upgrade kit (available in late 2023) $1,049
Ever since version 1 arrived in 2013, Ableton has been calling its Push hardware an ‘instrument’. In the past this has always felt rather hyperbolic – Push 1 and 2 were both great in their own way, but beyond Ableton's own marketing department nobody seriously considered either to be anything other than a MIDI interface for Live. The latest version, however, might actually warrant that categorization.
This third generation – known simply as Push, as Ableton is ditching the numbered naming – boasts numerous design tweaks and new features, but two aspects stand out. The first is an overhauled pad grid, which adds multidimensional polyphonic expression to the controller (aka MPE) for a considerably more versatile and expressive playing experience. The second is the fact that Push is now available in both controller and standalone configurations, with the latter featuring a CPU that can run Live within the Push hardware, entirely independent of a computer.
We'll return to these aspects, but let's get the smaller stuff out of the].
