Ableton live 9 released

[zerocrossing]

With your current setup, can you browse the Live library and load an instrument on a track, add some effects, and set the length of and record a clip on that track without looking at the computer screen at all?

Oh yeah that makes sense. Looking at a pixelated two line display vs a 2X" colour screen.

I never understand this thinking. Don't want to make electronic music while looking at a computer? Buy yourself a tape deck, some analog synths and MPC and STFU.

I came from using hardware drum machines/grooveboxes/samplers/etc, and I'll tell you one thing I know about all of them. They mostly suck due to their display and menu diving to get to advanced features. When computers came out it was a god-send. (Borg send?) When Apple introduced the mouse and graphical user interface computers became easy to manipulate and thus super powerful tools for music and other art forms. Sure, some things they suck at, like note input or even "clip triggering" but we have great hardware interfaces for these things, but the day you show me a hardware controller or instrument that lets you browse though content better than even Windows 3.1 is the day I'll eat my trackball.

I'll never buy Push. I don't make music or perform that way. I tried it once... didn't like it. I'm not saying it's wrong or bad, but it's not for me. I was using a keyboard to launch clips I had pre-recorded as well as perform some live lines and I was bored. I'm an "instrumentalist." My hands are happy when they're on a guitar or keyboard.

Is Push good? Is it better than Maschine? Better than an APC40? Better than MPD32? MPC Renaissance? I have no idea, but I imagine if you like Live and you do that sort of live clip launch style of music you'll dig it. If not, it's not like you don't have awesome choices for hardware controllers.

[ezelkow1]

+1

I never understand the hate that some people have with looking at a screen and using a mouse. Any video I have ever seen of someone using some sort of hardware interaction to load things up, it always takes at least 2x as long to accomplish anything. Just look at the push videos of loading instruments and effects.

That being said Im still eagerly awaiting a push, not for the mouseless interaction which I couldnt care less about, but its use as an instrument. For laying down drums I can see it being much quicker with its step sequencer than putting in notes by hand. Also being able to use it to play other instruments looks awesome, and to have it all in one, couldnt pass up trying that out.

[pdxindy]

I came from using hardware drum machines/grooveboxes/samplers/etc, and I'll tell you one thing I know about all of them. They mostly suck due to their display and menu diving to get to advanced features. When computers came out it was a god-send. (Borg send?) When Apple introduced the mouse and graphical user interface computers became easy to manipulate and thus super powerful tools for music and other art forms. Sure, some things they suck at, like note input or even "clip triggering" but we have great hardware interfaces for these things, but the day you show me a hardware controller or instrument that lets you browse though content better than even Windows 3.1 is the day I'll eat my trackball.

I'll never buy Push. I don't make music or perform that way. I tried it once... didn't like it. I'm not saying it's wrong or bad, but it's not for me. I was using a keyboard to launch clips I had pre-recorded as well as perform some live lines and I was bored. I'm an "instrumentalist." My hands are happy when they're on a guitar or keyboard.

Is Push good? Is it better than Maschine? Better than an APC40? Better than MPD32? MPC Renaissance? I have no idea, but I imagine if you like Live and you do that sort of live clip launch style of music you'll dig it. If not, it's not like you don't have awesome choices for hardware controllers.

I generally agree with you. I ordered Push to try it out cause it is not another layer of software but is only using Live. So one can always switch over to screen and mouse for stuff that needs a big lovely spacious screen.

I am also an instrumentalist. I like playing. I find Push appealing because it is a velocity and aftertouch sensitive 64 key midi controller that fits into a backpack. The AT is polyphonic too (at the hardware level). A backpack with Push and a laptop is appealing.

[VariKusBrainZ]

I don't get the purpose of push. I have a MIDI controller, APC40, keyboard and a mouse. What can't we do with these things that we must have push for?

With your current setup, can you browse the Live library and load an instrument on a track, add some effects, and set the length of and record a clip on that track without looking at the computer screen at all?

You dont need Push to do this if you have max4live and a midi controller.
There are plenty of devices available that are designed for one click arm/record , set record length etc. Just search max4live.com
I was looking at just such plugins last night

[grymmjack]

I don't get the purpose of push. I have a MIDI controller, APC40, keyboard and a mouse. What can't we do with these things that we must have push for?

With your current setup, can you browse the Live library and load an instrument on a track, add some effects, and set the length of and record a clip on that track without looking at the computer screen at all?

No, but I'm not a performer. I guess that's the only reason I'd want one of these to have another input device?

Meh.

I write music on the computer, I don't perform or pretend to play the stuff. A live show featuring me would be me walking out on stage, waving and pressing the spacebar, nodding my head a few bars, then walking off and going to the bar to get a drink.

Mouse and keyboard are the most efficient tools in my arsenal, the APC40 is handy for experimentation but that's about it. I create many dis-contiguous selections using the CTRL key and clicking in the live cells, then hit ENTER to launch them anyway, more than I use the APC40. The APC40 automapper with the 8 knobs and the faders and transport control/cue level/sliders for level per track are awesome though. Handy.

Look, I'm not saying anyone who buys push is throwing money away or anything, just that I don't get it. Aside from the reason you mentioned about having another input device away from the computer I can't think of why I'd want one since my APC40 can do stuff already (even step sequencing) with M4L. I guess it's just for performers, though I highly doubt that many people will be designing sounds in real time in front of a crowd of people

Seems that push is at odds with the way I work, so pass until something more compelling strikes me as a dire need I cannot live without.

There is nothing more precise or immediate when making music with Live than my computer keyboard, mouse, and MIDI keyboard/APC combo.

Guess I'm not the target market. I'm looking forward to hearing about how I don't get it and there is really some neat stuff I would want, but so far, nah. Pass.

Why depend mainly on only 1 controller that I have to learn all this stuff about, when I can get on with what the 4 I have now? I already have 4 input devices (5 if you count my voice and beatboxing skills now with audio to midi), etc.

[zerocrossing]

I find Push appealing because it is a velocity and aftertouch sensitive 64 key midi controller that fits into a backpack. The AT is polyphonic too (at the hardware level). A backpack with Push and a laptop is appealing.

Polyphonic aftertouch... now I'm interested. Yeah, maybe as an alternate MIDI controller Push could be a pretty cool thing, though I wonder how hard it would be to get used to playing notes on it as opposed to a keyboard which I'm used to. I'm pretty picky about how a keyboard feels. Novation's do a good job. In terms of pads, the Akai MPD32 and Maschine were the best feeling ones I found. I guess it would depend on how the Push feels to me, but yeah I could see that being pretty awesome.

[hibidy]

My hope for push was "live on steroids" which isn't actually the case. I'm sure the controls are nice, I'm sure it does some nice things, I'm sure it even works sometimes. But 599 for a controller is too much me thinks. Also, my spirits are dampened a bit because 9 isn't quite right and I don't trust 600 bucks for yet another controller.

I could change my mind later, but you can't even get one anyways, so it's moot unless you got one during beta testing or one of the lucky earliest adapters. (many will be SOL)

[claudedefaren]

...

[thecontrolcentre]

But 599 for a controller is too much me thinks.

I agree. Hopefully, once demand dies down the price will drop, and then they'll be available second-hand.

[zerocrossing]

Installed suite 9 on my new laptoplast night.. Seems Like most changes are cosmetic, besides the addition of Glue and M4L. They are nice changes, but.. Mostly cosmetic...

I thought so at first too, but upon closer inspection I think that all the changes kind of add up to a nice "polish."

Check this vid out:



It's true that a lot of giant changes I was hoping for didn't materialize in this revision and I think that caused me to focus on what Live 9 wasn't and not what it was. I remember writing something about the Adobe products that basically went, "I wish they'd release a version without a ton of new features but a few well thought out ones and a lot of polish and optimization." I think that's what Ableton did and it's hard to get excited about because it's not something huge but instead a whole bunch of tiny things that overall add up to a better overall experience. To me, the cost of the upgrade is really fair when you consider what they're offering. I doubt I'll ever use the "x to midi" functions but even if I just use the Glue Compressor and the automation tweaks it's worth it.

[shanecgriffo]

my old version of NI's B4 wont seem to run on ableton 9
it scanned at start up but wont show up on the plugin list.
fault of ableton or NI i wonder?

[aMUSEd]

my old version of NI's B4 wont seem to run on ableton 9
it scanned at start up but wont show up on the plugin list.
fault of ableton or NI i wonder?

Or neither, it's showing and playing for me (on Mac) - maybe something system specific?

[shanecgriffo]

my old version of NI's B4 wont seem to run on ableton 9
it scanned at start up but wont show up on the plugin list.
fault of ableton or NI i wonder?

Or neither, it's showing and playing for me (on Mac) - maybe something system specific?

mm,not sure about that.. pretty sure it was working on the beta version and it shows up in v8 all on the same system (pc not mac)

[hibidy]

groove 3.......... y u no have live 9 videos????!!!!

[Kaboom75]

I think Live 9 got few changes because Ableton spent all their time recoding Live to be 64bit.

They are going mad in the Ableton forums many just found out if you order Push you get it June 25th :/