Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ableton Push 3

ableton.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

281–290 of 307 posts

Re: Ableton Push 3

#281

Post by makeitdouble »

coldtea wrote: post #175
pier25 wrote: post #158

I owned a Push 2 and sold it after a year. Never got into it because the pads weren't very good. Soft touches sometimes triggered notes at max velocity which drove me nuts. The Push 3 has more sophisticated pads with MPE and I'm very skeptical Ableton could pull that off with good QA. The other thing that I find ridiculous is they sell you a barebones computer for $1,000 with an i3, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB SSD. A compu…

> For that kind of money you could buy an M2 iPad Pro with more performance and a lot more battery time than 2.5 hours This has a strong https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9224 vibe to it. The computing-part hardware specs don't matter at all, the same way you don't compare the cpu specs of a phone or a synth to a laptop or tablet. This is about the interface, pads, firmware, comprehensiveness and convenience as a…

I think this take is also a bit shallow, given the maker touts the specs as a selling point. Arguing about the specs for the price shouldn't be shunned upon in these circumstances.

From the marketing piece:

> Intel 11th Gen Core™ i3-1115G4 processor with 8GB of RAM Built-in lithium battery with up to 2.5 hours play time Built-in 256GB SSD hard drive Replace processor, battery and hard drive as technology improves

Re: Ableton Push 3

#282

Post by makeitdouble »

rewgs wrote: post #196
pier25 wrote: post #158

I owned a Push 2 and sold it after a year. Never got into it because the pads weren't very good. Soft touches sometimes triggered notes at max velocity which drove me nuts. The Push 3 has more sophisticated pads with MPE and I'm very skeptical Ableton could pull that off with good QA. The other thing that I find ridiculous is they sell you a barebones computer for $1,000 with an i3, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB SSD. A compu…

This is...completely missing the point. It honestly blows my mind how often exemplars of the Dunning-Kruger effect make it to the top on HN. You know that feeling you get as a programmer watching, like, two people code on the same keyboard on CSI or whatever? That's the feeling anyone with expertise in a domain other than programming gets when reading comments on HN regarding said domain. The most fundamental appeal…

You:

> Literally no one in the Push's audience is looking to replace/upgrade the Push's hardware.

Ableton:

> Replace processor, battery and hard drive as technology improves

And why do people want to throw around the Dunning-Kruger effect in so many discussions. Does it help your point ?

Re: Ableton Push 3

#283

Post by seanp2k2 »

throwaway675309 wrote: post #278
coldtea wrote: post #175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> For that kind of money you could buy an M2 iPad Pro with more performance and a lot more battery time than 2.5 hours This has a strong https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9224 vibe to it. The computing-part hardware specs don't matter at all, the same way you don't compare the cpu specs of a phone or a synth to a laptop or tablet. This is about the interface, pads, firmware, comprehensiveness and convenience as a…

Point is not the hardware specs. The point is that the iPad Pro makes an excellent portable musical workstation on the go as well (GarageBand comes with it, and Logic Pro has been ported over). So if you had to choose one this becomes a relevant comparison point.

The other thing about the iPad is that it’s pretty stable and predictable, with a very mature OS and very mature hardware. It’s also commodity, so if it gets stolen on a tour or smashed or beer spilled on it, it’s not hard to find an Apple Store anywhere in the world and pick up a replacement. That’s huge for touring musicians.

Re: Ableton Push 3

#284

Post by seanp2k2 »

sssilver wrote: post #261
coldtea wrote: post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Ableton could have made an app to run the Live engine controlled by the Push. And it wouldn't have pads, dedicated dials, MIDI, inputs and outputs, MPE, and everything else. It would be just a big screen with a iPad-like touch UI. So nothing like this.

iPad does MIDI. You can do Bluetooth MIDI and if you want cables you can buy a dongle.

If anyone’s interested, the Oxi One is pretty awesome for sequencing bluetooth gear as well as midi and CV devices. I didn’t have super high hopes as it was a Kickstarter device, but they’ve surprised me by continually updating it, and it’s a pretty fantastic machine now.

Re: Ableton Push 3

#285

Post by seanp2k2 »

jmcphers wrote: post #223
jtode wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Musician here, most of us (the ones that aren't also programmers) just have to pay up the arse every time for every thing. I've been teaching myself keys the last few years and had been planning to one day get myself a big $6k stage keyboard, when I felt that I had sufficiently developed to warrant it. I have since tried out Zynthian, and my conclusion was that with a pianoteq license and a good controller, I can hav…

FWIW, I recently replaced "Pianoteq license and a good controller" with a Nord. I've found that the friction involved in getting the laptop warm and Pianoteq started/running, while relatively low, is still enough that I didn't often just sit down and play. The Nord is a simple appliance and is always there inviting me to practice. I still have the laptop and Pianoteq and use them with the Nord as a controller sometim…

I’ve also been in that situation and considered something like a Roland Integra 7, which can be found for around $1k in good condition if one is patient and willing to buy second-hand from Japan. I already have a pretty nice Studiologic 88 key hammer controller, but using that with Ravenscroft 275 on an iPad with an interface, mixer, preamp, and the speakers in the living room (studio monitors) is still a pain to turn on and use when we want. Acoustic pianos are obviously the most immediate, but a Nord or other stage piano with powered monitors is pretty convenient too.

Re: Ableton Push 3

#286

Post by seanp2k2 »

jmcphers wrote: post #225
klodolph wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem is that pure MIDI controllers are often not very good. When you pay $2,000 for a synthesizer, it can have a very good keyboard.

This used to be true, but I don't think it is any more. The Kawai VPC1, for example, contains an incredibly nice action, costs $2,500, and is a pure MIDI controller. https://kawaius.com/product/vpc1/

The osmose by Expressive E is pretty cool too, and Studiologic controllers have nice Fatar keybeds that are considered top of the line for synths and workstations.

Re: Ableton Push 3

#287

Post by smcnally »

Jagerbizzle wrote: post #205
dubcanada wrote: post #197

This thread is super hackernews-y, people complaining about the performance of the PC that runs it compared to equally priced specs, some comments about source code and APIs, some comments about copying a open source product, a few about when AI can make music?? Doesn't really seem to be much talk about the actual product, I must say I haven't owned either, but it looks super cool! The video was very well done showca…

I bought one. I'm a hobbyist that's been using Ableton in a hobbyist manner since 2005 or so. As a software developer that works remotely, I have extremely limited desire to sit in front of my computer when work is over, and thus I end up using my music gear (which is unfortunately all crammed in my home office) much less than I'd like to. The appeal of a product like this is that I can take it into a different room…

Going analog after long stretches of being digital is a good forcing function to take breaks and get physical. Even just strumming and knob twisting is enough change-up to get different juices flowing.

This Push looks even more fun with controls beyond pads. And this is a page out of Framework — atypical in DAWs and music gear:

> You can add the standalone components later using the Upgrade Kit, and replace your processor, battery or hard drive to keep up with advances in technology.

Re: Ableton Push 3

#288

Post by earthnail »

cmehdy wrote: post #280
earthnail wrote: post #208

I had the privilege of playing with the Push 3 a few weeks ago. If you owned a Push before, it’s exactly what you think it is: basically the Push you always wanted. The fact that it’s a standalone device now is brilliant. So is the built-in battery. Just super, super convenient. Controls are mostly self-explanatory. It has a fantastic tutorial when you first use it; overall a really polished experience. The MPI on th…

What do you think about the materials of the device? The Push 3 looks amazingly interesting to me but the 2 has a lot of comments about plastics not ageing well. It's not a device one would want to replacer anytime soon, so I'm really wondering if it will last basically.

The one I played was flawless, but that ofc is a sample size of 1.

My Push 2 also has one rotary knob that doesn’t rotate as well and it always annoyed the hell out of me. The plastics did age well on my Push 2 though.

Re: Ableton Push 3

#289

Post by visarga »

coldtea wrote: post #189
visarga wrote: post #182

Earlier quoted context omitted.

you remember individual comments from 15 years ago?

No, it's a famous comment that has become sort of a HN/hackerspace meme.

Oh, yes, I know one of those comments too

> No wireless. Less space than a nomad. Lame.

(iPod launch, CmdrTaco, /. 2001)

Re: Ableton Push 3

#290

Post by dragonwriter »

visarga wrote: post #289
coldtea wrote: post #189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, it's a famous comment that has become sort of a HN/hackerspace meme.

Oh, yes, I know one of those comments too > No wireless. Less space than a nomad. Lame. (iPod launch, CmdrTaco, /. 2001)

“But the fact that some geniuses were laughed at does not imply that all who are laughed at are geniuses. They laughed at Columbus, they laughed at Fulton, they laughed at the Wright brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown.” —Carl Sagan

(Though I'd prefer Galileo in the top spot instead of Columbus; if anything Columbus could replace Bozo: the people that laughed at him were actually completely right, not failing to recognize his genius.)

Post reply on HN