A controller, for those who are not familiar with the term, is a version of an input device that is specifically attuned to a singular piece of software. It is unlike the keyboard and mouse which works across the operating system and programs… the controller enables the user to access functions with great eaae and without having to fiddle around with virtual sliders and knobs.
This evening (June 3), at the MAO Den inside Black Market in Sabio St., Makati the Ableton Push 2 is being demoed.
The Push 2 from Ableton, is an incredible leap from its predecessor in that this new one has a color LCD providing much needed visual feedback away from that on the computer screen. This allows the user to get more tasks completed just on the controller rather than constantly referring back to the screen of the computer to which it is connected to.
Hosting this demonstration was none other than legendary frontman Raymund Marasigan. He’d been introduced to the Push 2 a bit earlier and had some time to experience the controller first hand.
Ed Rollo, one of the founders of Sol Passion Music and long time user of Ableton products, masterfully crafted music in front of our very eyes in practically no time at all (around 30 mins according to him, if he weren’t narrating each step he was taking).
There’s plenty of jargon: words like pitch, reverb, delay, tracks, scales, slicing, quantize, and the like among the simpler ones. These of course all pertain to manipulating sound by putting each in a sequence one by one eventually ending up with a pattern that loops over “time”. For the uninitiated this might actually be quite a lot to digest but with expert guidance Ed showed one participant how easy it actually is to create beats and loops with the controller.
One of the more daunting parts of using the controller is the central area which houses a considerable number of keys that light up differently depending on the “view” that the user is currently on. There’s one for actually sequencing a kit, another that maps chromatic keys into the entire board, there’s also another one where timelines are placed into rows allowing duplication and other cool trims to be accomplished. There is also the all important play and record/overdub button which, when activated, place keys pressed during the sequence playback into the current active timeline. Below is a condensed version of the workflow that we followed through with Ed:
Truthfully, the learning curve isn’t all that steep (backend / software side notwithstanding) and any user level can be creating music in no time at all. It’s an essential accessory for any artist/producer.
Php39,500 would net you an Ableton Push 2 from JB Music stores, right now is on sale at Php33,575, it comes with a basic version of Ableton that can be upgraded for a little bit more money XD
The evening was capped off with performances from Ed, Abdel Aziz, and Squid 9 – @raymsmercygun himself organically making tunes with the controller. The Ableton Push 2 has been in the market for around 6 months prior to this evening’s display.
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