Adam you’re doing a good job at getting me interested in the Push 2.
I’m going to upgrade my laptop to something formidable, and I might get a Push 2 while I’m at it.
If the physical sequencer of Push 2 and Ableton 9.5 is in the middle of an Octatrack and a DAW with mouse, I’m pretty interested.
The workflow on the Push 2 is really good! However the sound engine of Live doesn’t sound as good compared to Logic Pro X.
Actually the Octatrack sounds a bit better than Live!
I listened to dry samples!
I didn’t realize a DAW could sound better than another until I recently read a comment from Jean Michel Jarre:
“What I liked so much about Ableton Live 8 is that it’s really for DJs, but in terms of audio quality, Ableton 9 is one of the best-sounding DAWs I’ve ever heard. When you do a bounce on Pro Tools you are losing something, but absolutely nothing on Ableton Live if you know one or two tricks.”
For whatever reason a DAW may sound better—what is it anyways?—is all audio, software and hardware instruments, recorded affected by the quality of that engine?
I didn’t realize a DAW could sound better than another until I recently read a comment from Jean Michel Jarre:
“What I liked so much about Ableton Live 8 is that it’s really for DJs, but in terms of audio quality, Ableton 9 is one of the best-sounding DAWs I’ve ever heard. When you do a bounce on Pro Tools you are losing something, but absolutely nothing on Ableton Live if you know one or two tricks.”
For whatever reason a DAW may sound better—what is it anyways?—is all audio, software and hardware instruments, recorded affected by the quality of that engine?[/quote]
About the audio quality i don’t like like the sound of the last album from Jarre!
But that’s has more to do with mix down and mastering.
Speaking of reference audio quality you have to listen to the album from Boris Blank ‘Electrified’! Boris is a genius when it comes to sound quality. He uses Logic Pro X, it is not because of LPX that it sound so masterful, no it’s Boris who is the master. 
About the sound engine of a DAW it has to do with algorthims and data handling techniques on your computer so it is used efficiently!
Just in regards to Push… Playing round tonight… its so lovely to touch the pads. And the encoders, well they have touch sensitivity. So you can lightly tap them and get parameter information.
I kinda wish the rest of the buttons on the unit were that sensitive. I’m sure there’s an argument somewhere for not accidentally pressing a button if they were that sensitive, but hey that argument doesn’t apply to the pads or encoders does it?
Anyway I kinda discovered you can kinda hit the buttons. Usually they involve a ‘press’, but if you apply enough force, you can just tap your way to where you wanna be (probably about as much force as rytm pad hehe) :).
Bet the next version of Push has super nice sensitive buttons!
Yeah. I’m in the process of selling my beloved octatrack to go in on an Ableton Push 2 Suite(currently working in LPX). It’s a tough call, but I want to work more on my compositional abilities, which is not easy to focus on with the Elektron boxes. I intend on keeping my A4/AR/MnM because they’re just really fun to use(and I’d be hard-pressed to find something that bumps like the AR).
It’ll be nice to be directly connected to all of my sounds in the computer, thus eliminating the need to transfer them. Also, live recordings will probably be more direct.
The OT was a lot of fun, and it’s a definite intention to return to it someday!
I did quite the same, I sold the Octatrack, Machinedrum & Monomachine! Also a LPX user but i keep using this for recording and mixing.
For the Octatrack it’s now the Ableton Push 2 Live Suite mainly for sampling and more focus on song structure. With sampling i started with the Akai S1100 and later on the Kyma System and 4 years ago the Octatrack and it was fun but not really logical. Samplers are just computers and not a synths, and with the Push 2 it makes sampling just like a instrument in a evolving way! Also some people that are still using those ancient samplers are i bit stuck in their workflow and ravages of time! I had to much Elektron workflow in my set-up and there are things i like to do different. So now only the Analog Four & Rytm with Ableton Push 2 Live Suite.
So far i am very happy this i make this change! And for Overbridge i wait and see… … … for now i have a audio interface with 8 I/O that would do the job with no compromise in sound quality.
For later i go for the Plogue ‘Bag of chips bundle’ because i really liked the SID & VO-6 synthesis methods of the Monomachine.
http://www.plogue.com
Right now I’m only with a LPX workflow. The notion of using multiple DAWs is a foreign concept to me.
How do you combine Ableton and LPX?
My idea was to use Ableton for my live instruments, similar to the OT pick/flex machines and instantly sample and build from there. Which would take me from LPX.
I’m surprised so many here are selling off all of their Elektrons in the wake of Push 2. My Push 2 is arriving this week, and while I am eyeing up the rest of my gear and considering listing some things for sale once I can asses it for my workflow, I find it hard to consider selling my Elektron gear just because I know it well and it’s fast for me to work with. I may change my mind and sell the OT if it really seems redundant with Push, but that’s only because I’m thinking there might be a MKII sometime in the next year that I’d eventually replace it with. Even if I do sell my Elektrons after getting Push 2, it will be to replace them with the Overbridge-enabled Analogs for integration with Live. Just can’t imagine my studio without some Elektron goodness in it. 
I just have Ableton just for two days now and have not tried a combined session with LPX so far.
Yeah. I really love the Elektron workflow. The best part about Elektron IS that is presented in a way that emphasizes sound design/exploration instead of composition like Ableton might be. The presentation of both seems like it would be the most balanced, imo.
The OT is the only thing I would want to give up for P2 for the time being. I like the jam capabilities of the Elektrons. However, there DOES seem to be a little bit of stress when it comes time to make a track with them(especially with OT due to limited outputs, fixing something in post would be a dangerous task). If they make an MKII which enables OB, then I’d definitely return. Or at least, more outputs to plug into my interface. I’d be very happy to pick up a second/third job to buy an interface with more inputs and an MKII to return to that jam-composition and post-tweakability.
On the subject of the idealitic thinking of OT MKII. The scenes(aside from the p-locks, being the most significant aspect of the machine) make me nervous because I’m always exploring blindly.
The unit is A LOT of fun, and I’m certain I will miss it.
Yeah. I really love the Elektron workflow. The best part about Elektron IS that is presented in a way that emphasizes sound design/exploration instead of composition like Ableton might be. The presentation of both seems like it would be the most balanced, imo.
The OT is the only thing I would want to give up for P2 for the time being. I like the jam capabilities of the Elektrons. However, there DOES seem to be a little bit of stress when it comes time to make a track with them(especially with OT due to limited outputs, fixing something in post would be a dangerous task). If they make an MKII which enables OB, then I’d definitely return. Or at least, more outputs to plug into my interface. I’d be very happy to pick up a second/third job to buy an interface with more inputs and an MKII to return to that jam-composition and post-tweakability.
On the subject of the idealitic thinking of OT MKII. The scenes(aside from the p-locks, being the most significant aspect of the machine) make me nervous because I’m always exploring blindly.
The unit is A LOT of fun, and I’m certain I will miss it.[/quote]
Think I’m pretty close to selling OT for push 2 as well. OT can be a lot of fun for jamming and I’ve got a bag full of keeper ideas from my time with it but the limitations and workarounds that some people find inspiring just kinda frustrate me and I feel hemmed in by it. When I do get serious with it with all 16 tracks going and a bunch of banks and parts, the fact I can’t name tracks, banks and scenes etc it’s just a total headfuck to come back to the project later. I just haven’t been able to click with it in any kind of serous way that isn’t a pain in the arse to develop in to finished tracks. Just a ton of random jams/ideas. I also feel like both the OT’s limitations and the things it excels at can often create a pretty heavy fingerprint in music made on an OT and it can quite easily make stuff sound kind of generic/fx for the sake of fx etc. Don’t get me wrong. I do love the OT for some reason and would love to keep it but the money would come in handy right now to fund push and some pedals… And also the new roland sampler due next year has me curious… But we’ll see. I’ll probably get push on finance and see how I feel about keeping the OT after a few weeks. I need a sampler/sequencer for live and OT is still pretty much the only non-computer option so I’m kind of over a barrel with it…
I’m less surprised, especially when it is OTs and MMs on the chopping block.
They don’t have the DAW compatibility that AR and A4 have, or the raw analog flavor. The Analog Elektrons are more immune to the competition, I think.
Push 2, with its 8 encoders, banks, screen, step sequencer with parameter locks, and vast digital capabilities gives users some Elektron familiarity, but adds features that have populated OT mk2 and MM mk3 wish lists for years.
As cool and quirky as my MM was, it has taken me three days to develop the same workflow and muscle memory using Push 2 with Monark, Operator, and DiscoveryPro, and I have much more room to grow with it.
And since Push 2 is still a hardware platform on the surface, the creativity boosting limitations that Elektrons give us are still there, they’ve just been moved further down the field.
I’m less surprised, especially when it is OTs and MMs on the chopping block.
They don’t have the DAW compatibility that AR and A4 have, or the raw analog flavor. The Analog Elektrons are more immune to the competition, I think.
Push 2, with its 8 encoders, banks, screen, step sequencer with parameter locks, and vast digital capabilities gives users some Elektron familiarity, but adds features that have populated OT mk2 and MM mk3 wish lists for years.
As cool and quirky as my MM was, it has taken me three days to develop the same workflow and muscle memory using Push 2 with Monark, Operator, and DiscoveryPro, and I have much more room to grow with it.
And since Push 2 is still a hardware platform on the surface, the creativity boosting limitations that Elektrons give us are still there, they’ve just been moved further down the field.[/quote]
I may change my tune shortly after I get mine (it was just marked as shipped), but at least from where I’m sitting now it’s hard to totally fathom putting so much back ITB. That said, you’ll probably see the thread I just posted on Gearslutz about selling my digital gear in the wake of Push 2, and my non-OB Elektrons are under consideration.
BTW, I’m considering getting Monark while it is on sale and took a quick look at DiscoveryPro on your recommendation. Would you be able to share the Push templates you’ve made for them with me?
Interesting, I recently invested in soft synths to make more interesting sounds. I use Ableton everyday and use MIDI keyboard instead of Push.
In the same time I would like to get a second OT just for playing with audio stems and to make more live tweaks.
You can buy mine if you want! Message me!
Certainly! And I’ll be updating them with bank names once the Isotonik controller editor is updated for Push 2.
Likewise, it was as I expected; these album-spanning collaborative notions never seem to work out.
Barring the percussive elements, I enjoyed the sounds sculpted in the song. I’ll be checking out that album.
Thanks for the explanation. Actually, I just came to realize that shortly after asking, as I’m perusing the Live manual in anticipation of Push arriving, and saw the “Audio Fact Sheet” section. Explains it all in very technical, transparent, exhaustive detail.
That sounds spectacular. The Komplete Kontrol keyboard controllers’ encoders are like that as well. It is such good design.
Compare to Elektron’s encoders which require a very careful, forceful push—when you wish to reveal a parameter value by depressing an encoder, half the time you’ll still unintentionally nudge the value. Thankfully, they eventually made it possible to display all parameter values by holding down the Parameter buttons, a wonderful idea, but touch-sensitive encoders are superior design.
Push 2 made me a Live convert. Perhaps you could use just one DAW.
I previously thought it insane, a wonderfully inane notion, to switch DAWs. After the time spent learning one, why do it all over again. I am deeply frustrated with Logic, but assumed it’s opacity was more emblematic of DAWs, complex and infinitely powerful as they are, how could they be intelligible and intuitive.
But Push 2 appears phenomenal, too compelling to ignore even though it necessitates a DAW switch. So I downloaded the Live demo. To my disbelief, it is intuitive. Configurations that required extensive time and help on Logic were accomplished quickly or some trial and error. I’m wondering now if I might even come to like it. Not a sentiment I previously thought possible for a DAW.