I don't regret it at all. I've made two albums from tracks that started off from messing around in standalone mode. It's also a nearly perfect controller when I'm working on my computer.
Here's the first one: [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy\_n8uLRHsfGgcaiZQCA3Pro1KWeD4lTecuk](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_n8uLRHsfGgcaiZQCA3Pro1KWeD4lTecuk)
The second one is still getting mixed and mastered but should be out in a couple weeks. It's kind of a metal album but every track started off on the Push as something other than metal and then I moved it over to the computer to add all of the metal stuff.
Edit: Here's the second one: [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy\_k--v32FYsLWMU3YzSp05pBRIycTXBeDLQ](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_k--v32FYsLWMU3YzSp05pBRIycTXBeDLQ)
The only reason you would regret buying it is if you don’t use it. Do you have a habit of buying things and getting bored of them? If not, I say go for it. If so, maybe you should return it.
I bought a 3 but already had a 2. I bought the 3 because of its standalone capabilities but after a few sessions i realized i could have a pretty similar experience with the push 2 as long as i had the space to bring my laptop with me. The rest of the push 3 improvements feel like a luxury and while they are great, probably not worth the 2k price tag. luckily, Ableton has a 30 day return policy no questions asked(they actually do ask why you didn’t like it).
in hindsight, i bought the push because i was having a mental block progressing my music and finishing my songs. i convinced myself that buying a push 3 was a key step that would bring my music to the finish line. the thing that finally helped me improve again was making smaller tasks to move towards completing my songs to make the task less daunting.
TLDR: beware gear acquisition syndrome
GAS is very, very real and I suffered from it throughout (and beyond) COVID. I’ve tried to rein it in by inserting pauses in the purchase process, e.g.…
**The Past:** I’d find something I like while browsing Thomann. I’d spend ten minutes with, ‘I need to buy this,’ bouncing around my brain. Fifteen minutes later I’d have bought the gear in question.
(It would then sit on a shelf, gathering dust, and I’d feel very, very guilty.)
**The Present:** Now, when I find something I think I’d like, I take a screenshot and I pause the process. In the morning the next day I’ll take another look.
**Do I still need this piece of gear?** (The answer is usually: “No.”) If the answer is yes, I give myself another 24 hours until I pull the trigger on my credit card.
This has really helped me with GAS. YMMV.
that's believable, i enjoyed the apparel events in the division 1 & 2, but you could earn then through gameplay purchases were/are optional. i am happy my addictions were music production related and not gaming related, i'd be beyond broke.
I am a huge push fan with ableton and I bought my push 2 for $550, was a good deal and loved it until I had a water leak on it that killed it 😖 I don’t see a huge difference between the 2 vs 3 that justifies the extra money. I get the audio inputs and that’s a nice addition but I have tons of audio inputs and don’t need it on the push. I still want the 3 but have been holding out.
Now if users can chime in on the stand alone version and how well its works in standalone I would love to hear too.
I had the standalone for a minute, but it was too big and heavy for what I wanted.
If you plan on playing out live and don’t wanna bring a computer? There’s nothing else like it. If you’re just gonna set it on your desk, just get the regular push.
The controller itself is brilliant. The standalone aspect I found kind of annoying haha like just copying a drum rack I had saved with samples, to the push, was not as straight forward as I would’ve expected haha
So, I like sitting on the couch with beat machines on my lap. Because of how big and heavy it was, it didn’t work for that. If it’s gonna sit on my desk, I don’t have any need for the standalone functionality.
Like, as much as I love the push workflow, it weighs twice as much as my MacBook, so the most portable ableton option is, well, a laptop. I couldn’t rationalize having the standalone haha
If you’re not carrying it anywhere, then the weight doesn’t matter. And if you’re using it a lot in situations where you’re not near your computer, then sure it might be worth it.
Also I got one of the defect units that took a minute and twenty seconds to boot up. Which I guess is a hardware issue. So keep an eye out for that. It should boot up in 45 seconds
Love it. It’s the main component of my live set. I have an unnecessary amount of gear and if I had to get rid of it all, this would be the keeper (used to be the Deluge). I love being able to work out sets on the computer and then seamlessly transfer them over.
I Upgraded from Push 2 to Push 3 controller and I don't regret it. (even if the workflow is a bit different so I still need to work on my muscle memory).
Anyway, I plan to get the Standalone Upgrade, just to have a machine to take with me for messing around and compose, without taking out my computer from the studio.
It is like the combination of THE controller made for Live (especially if you got Suite and use mostly the Suite instruments and device) and a "notebook" for writing music without computer.
Also, the soundcard works great and the external midi controls too!
I don’t regret the Push 3. It’s the centrepiece of my studio (alongside a few synths and a controller keyboard).
Didn’t go for standalone as I figured I could always upgrade. Very glad I did as I’ll always want a laptop within arms reach for the things the Push sucks at (adding third party effects, choosing samples, etc). Most of the time it feels pretty DAWless when I record and I have my laptop to the side, which stops me getting distracted by tweaking when I should be getting material down. Sampling is a joy.
Got an ASP800 ADAT which pairs beautifully with it.
The portability is immense. I brought it when visiting friends with a mic, phones and laptop and meant I could record a track and do a basic mix with nothing else.
Got stand-alone and can say I don’t regret it a bit, however, I did overestimate my need for standalone and probably would be equally happy for half price.
I was looking for a standalone device as I have no studio and very often no table except my lap. It‘s how it is. I wanted to get lost in the device, getting into a flow. It did not click, I spent lots of time with menu diving, after putting 4x4 I was not in need of the pads, it was too bulky overall. I sent it back and bought a Deluge. Suits perfectly to my situation, sounds great, makes me a better musician.
I have no regrets whatsoever. I absolutely love mine. I'm about 50/50 using it in standalone vs controller. Either way, I like it a lot. I still have my Push 2, just in case something goes wrong with it, but I love the Push 3. I really like designing sounds on it using Wavetable and Drift.
SInce I got the Push 3, I use Ableton stock devices almost exclusively. When using it as a controller, I will use 3rd party VSTs like Pigments or Vital, but I can cover a ot of the same ground with Wavetable as I get with those. So I don't miss them too much when working standalone.
It is also pretty great for controlling/sequencing my other hardware. I do have to use some M4L devices and map them to macros on the laptop so I can automate parameter changes via Push. But theat is true for every one of the standalone boxes I have tried, so it isn't a dela breakre for me.
I also make a lot of effects racks and instrument racks on the laptop and just move them to Push, so I can use them standalone.
Of course, there are still things I wish that it could do, such as mapping macros or devices like LFO. But all in all, I have a great time with it.
I do not regret the purchase, but I also went into knowing what to expect. I had no illusions that it would be able to completel replace using Live on the laptop. It just won't do that. But it is excellent for a standalone device to build quality tracks.
Ableton user, Not Push owner, but I havea Novation LaunchPad PRO.
I have no doubt that if you use it on its full potential (dedicating time to it, an really learning all of its functions) you wont regret it at all. I've played Live settings with my LaunchPAD and I cant even start to imagine how cool it mus be to be able to have the kind of control that Push can provide for the session.
Im really sure that you will enjoy it.
Congrats on the adquisition!
I had push 2 and loved it, I decided to upgrade to 3 because I wanted the audio interface (I didn't have another one) so I could record guitar and analog synths. Its totally worth it, but for me the standalone was not necessary. I have 2 workstations in my house so its no extra work to plug the push into a computer.
If you're not sure about standalone, get the regular one and you can always buy the upgrade kit later if you decide you really want standalone.
I’ve had tons of problems with my Push 3 tbh. Crashes like crazy and I can’t get the output latency lower than 25ms when I’m using it as my main audio interface. I’ve already gone back and forth with Ableton support about it. It’s in a stable state now. I learned you can’t connect it to a thunderbolt hub even if said hub is ~$200 and Thunderbolt 4. And I have to use it with my AU Arrow interface just to keep my latency below 10ms.
As a controller, it’s brilliant. But using it as a solo interface is underperforming
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I became addicted to synths and drum machines around 2017 and I’ve purchased dozens and dozens and dozens of hardware synths and drum machines since then. Why so much hardware? Well, I really dislike having a computer involved, but they are indispensable tools, honestly.
Anyway… the Push 3 Standalone was the single best thing that I’ve ever wound up with. Turns out all I needed was *everything* in a portable box / instrument. Haha.
I’ve been more creative now than I have been in years and barely know how to use Ableton Live. At the moment, I’m only using Live when I wanna transfer a project over to back it up.
Do it!! (Or don’t. I’m not you.)
Dunno if it helps but I bought the push 2 second hand, and ended up selling it after a few weeks.
Reason is that it takes up too much space, some things are just much simpler to do with the keyboard and mouse so I was going back and forth and it was just not a good workflow.
I regretted it before i started playing gigs. When i played couple gigs, i realized it was very useful. If i was not playing gigs, i’d sell it RIGHT AWAY. I literally see no point of having especially standalone if you don’t want to make music on train. But again, you can make music on train with laptop too and have way quicker access to everything and more features, plus VST.
I don't regret it at all. I've made two albums from tracks that started off from messing around in standalone mode. It's also a nearly perfect controller when I'm working on my computer.
Agreed
Please share the music if you don't mind ofc
Here's the first one: [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy\_n8uLRHsfGgcaiZQCA3Pro1KWeD4lTecuk](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_n8uLRHsfGgcaiZQCA3Pro1KWeD4lTecuk) The second one is still getting mixed and mastered but should be out in a couple weeks. It's kind of a metal album but every track started off on the Push as something other than metal and then I moved it over to the computer to add all of the metal stuff. Edit: Here's the second one: [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy\_k--v32FYsLWMU3YzSp05pBRIycTXBeDLQ](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_k--v32FYsLWMU3YzSp05pBRIycTXBeDLQ)
Ty
The only reason you would regret buying it is if you don’t use it. Do you have a habit of buying things and getting bored of them? If not, I say go for it. If so, maybe you should return it.
I appreciate the input.
Gas much ?
I bought a 3 but already had a 2. I bought the 3 because of its standalone capabilities but after a few sessions i realized i could have a pretty similar experience with the push 2 as long as i had the space to bring my laptop with me. The rest of the push 3 improvements feel like a luxury and while they are great, probably not worth the 2k price tag. luckily, Ableton has a 30 day return policy no questions asked(they actually do ask why you didn’t like it). in hindsight, i bought the push because i was having a mental block progressing my music and finishing my songs. i convinced myself that buying a push 3 was a key step that would bring my music to the finish line. the thing that finally helped me improve again was making smaller tasks to move towards completing my songs to make the task less daunting. TLDR: beware gear acquisition syndrome
GAS is very, very real and I suffered from it throughout (and beyond) COVID. I’ve tried to rein it in by inserting pauses in the purchase process, e.g.… **The Past:** I’d find something I like while browsing Thomann. I’d spend ten minutes with, ‘I need to buy this,’ bouncing around my brain. Fifteen minutes later I’d have bought the gear in question. (It would then sit on a shelf, gathering dust, and I’d feel very, very guilty.) **The Present:** Now, when I find something I think I’d like, I take a screenshot and I pause the process. In the morning the next day I’ll take another look. **Do I still need this piece of gear?** (The answer is usually: “No.”) If the answer is yes, I give myself another 24 hours until I pull the trigger on my credit card. This has really helped me with GAS. YMMV.
Good stuff. Thanks.
are software/plugins a part of that syndrome?
Of course. But then it's called PAS (Plugin Aquisition Syndrome) ;-)
that shit is real, i used to be addicted to NI, Waves, & Plugiin Boutique sales. this was pre covid, now not so much.
Yes, and new Fortnite costumes apparently.
that's believable, i enjoyed the apparel events in the division 1 & 2, but you could earn then through gameplay purchases were/are optional. i am happy my addictions were music production related and not gaming related, i'd be beyond broke.
Would you recommend an akai controller to use along with push2?
i don’t know, i’ve never used one
I am a huge push fan with ableton and I bought my push 2 for $550, was a good deal and loved it until I had a water leak on it that killed it 😖 I don’t see a huge difference between the 2 vs 3 that justifies the extra money. I get the audio inputs and that’s a nice addition but I have tons of audio inputs and don’t need it on the push. I still want the 3 but have been holding out. Now if users can chime in on the stand alone version and how well its works in standalone I would love to hear too.
I had the standalone for a minute, but it was too big and heavy for what I wanted. If you plan on playing out live and don’t wanna bring a computer? There’s nothing else like it. If you’re just gonna set it on your desk, just get the regular push. The controller itself is brilliant. The standalone aspect I found kind of annoying haha like just copying a drum rack I had saved with samples, to the push, was not as straight forward as I would’ve expected haha
Well there's the force but it's shit
Whoa the force is great 🤣😟
Technically though, isn’t the standalone the best of both worlds?
So, I like sitting on the couch with beat machines on my lap. Because of how big and heavy it was, it didn’t work for that. If it’s gonna sit on my desk, I don’t have any need for the standalone functionality. Like, as much as I love the push workflow, it weighs twice as much as my MacBook, so the most portable ableton option is, well, a laptop. I couldn’t rationalize having the standalone haha If you’re not carrying it anywhere, then the weight doesn’t matter. And if you’re using it a lot in situations where you’re not near your computer, then sure it might be worth it. Also I got one of the defect units that took a minute and twenty seconds to boot up. Which I guess is a hardware issue. So keep an eye out for that. It should boot up in 45 seconds
Thanks for the input! Yes the weight is for sure a concern.
Love it. It’s the main component of my live set. I have an unnecessary amount of gear and if I had to get rid of it all, this would be the keeper (used to be the Deluge). I love being able to work out sets on the computer and then seamlessly transfer them over.
So you master them in live?
Honestly… I never master anything I’m doing live. Just a rough mix in Ableton.
The MPE calls to me, but then I think. Playing since 1973 WITHOUT MPE do I really NEED it?
Yes. I have the linnstrument 128 snd mpe is just super amazing.
If you don’t want it……slide it over here😎
😂
I Upgraded from Push 2 to Push 3 controller and I don't regret it. (even if the workflow is a bit different so I still need to work on my muscle memory). Anyway, I plan to get the Standalone Upgrade, just to have a machine to take with me for messing around and compose, without taking out my computer from the studio. It is like the combination of THE controller made for Live (especially if you got Suite and use mostly the Suite instruments and device) and a "notebook" for writing music without computer. Also, the soundcard works great and the external midi controls too!
I don’t regret the Push 3. It’s the centrepiece of my studio (alongside a few synths and a controller keyboard). Didn’t go for standalone as I figured I could always upgrade. Very glad I did as I’ll always want a laptop within arms reach for the things the Push sucks at (adding third party effects, choosing samples, etc). Most of the time it feels pretty DAWless when I record and I have my laptop to the side, which stops me getting distracted by tweaking when I should be getting material down. Sampling is a joy. Got an ASP800 ADAT which pairs beautifully with it. The portability is immense. I brought it when visiting friends with a mic, phones and laptop and meant I could record a track and do a basic mix with nothing else.
Got stand-alone and can say I don’t regret it a bit, however, I did overestimate my need for standalone and probably would be equally happy for half price.
Shame there’s no song record though
Honestly, it’s a bit hard to believe. Hopefully they will add it.
I regret buying it on launch day and then seeing it significantly discounted a few months later during the holidays with a free upgrade to Live 12.
I was looking for a standalone device as I have no studio and very often no table except my lap. It‘s how it is. I wanted to get lost in the device, getting into a flow. It did not click, I spent lots of time with menu diving, after putting 4x4 I was not in need of the pads, it was too bulky overall. I sent it back and bought a Deluge. Suits perfectly to my situation, sounds great, makes me a better musician.
I have a deluge. It honestly is the best DAW in a box I have ever encountered.
Although it looks steampunk compared to P3 and the processor power is low it‘s more complete.
All about the easy of use. You can have a beat up in seconds.
No, it’s amazing. I have the midi controller version and it’s like its own incredible instrument
I have no regrets whatsoever. I absolutely love mine. I'm about 50/50 using it in standalone vs controller. Either way, I like it a lot. I still have my Push 2, just in case something goes wrong with it, but I love the Push 3. I really like designing sounds on it using Wavetable and Drift. SInce I got the Push 3, I use Ableton stock devices almost exclusively. When using it as a controller, I will use 3rd party VSTs like Pigments or Vital, but I can cover a ot of the same ground with Wavetable as I get with those. So I don't miss them too much when working standalone. It is also pretty great for controlling/sequencing my other hardware. I do have to use some M4L devices and map them to macros on the laptop so I can automate parameter changes via Push. But theat is true for every one of the standalone boxes I have tried, so it isn't a dela breakre for me. I also make a lot of effects racks and instrument racks on the laptop and just move them to Push, so I can use them standalone. Of course, there are still things I wish that it could do, such as mapping macros or devices like LFO. But all in all, I have a great time with it. I do not regret the purchase, but I also went into knowing what to expect. I had no illusions that it would be able to completel replace using Live on the laptop. It just won't do that. But it is excellent for a standalone device to build quality tracks.
Ableton user, Not Push owner, but I havea Novation LaunchPad PRO. I have no doubt that if you use it on its full potential (dedicating time to it, an really learning all of its functions) you wont regret it at all. I've played Live settings with my LaunchPAD and I cant even start to imagine how cool it mus be to be able to have the kind of control that Push can provide for the session. Im really sure that you will enjoy it. Congrats on the adquisition!
I heard that if you produce in arrangement view, then the push isn’t the piece of gear you need.
I had push 2 and loved it, I decided to upgrade to 3 because I wanted the audio interface (I didn't have another one) so I could record guitar and analog synths. Its totally worth it, but for me the standalone was not necessary. I have 2 workstations in my house so its no extra work to plug the push into a computer. If you're not sure about standalone, get the regular one and you can always buy the upgrade kit later if you decide you really want standalone.
I’ve had tons of problems with my Push 3 tbh. Crashes like crazy and I can’t get the output latency lower than 25ms when I’m using it as my main audio interface. I’ve already gone back and forth with Ableton support about it. It’s in a stable state now. I learned you can’t connect it to a thunderbolt hub even if said hub is ~$200 and Thunderbolt 4. And I have to use it with my AU Arrow interface just to keep my latency below 10ms. As a controller, it’s brilliant. But using it as a solo interface is underperforming
I love mine. I literally ran an entire EDM festival off of my push 3 this weekend. It went amazingly well. Super versatile.
It ran an entire EDM festival? Did it schedule the portaloos, organise security and do the litter pick once gates closed 😂
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I regretted buying the Push 2. Didn’t feel like it did anything I couldn’t already do and faster with other methods.
I became addicted to synths and drum machines around 2017 and I’ve purchased dozens and dozens and dozens of hardware synths and drum machines since then. Why so much hardware? Well, I really dislike having a computer involved, but they are indispensable tools, honestly. Anyway… the Push 3 Standalone was the single best thing that I’ve ever wound up with. Turns out all I needed was *everything* in a portable box / instrument. Haha. I’ve been more creative now than I have been in years and barely know how to use Ableton Live. At the moment, I’m only using Live when I wanna transfer a project over to back it up. Do it!! (Or don’t. I’m not you.)
Dunno if it helps but I bought the push 2 second hand, and ended up selling it after a few weeks. Reason is that it takes up too much space, some things are just much simpler to do with the keyboard and mouse so I was going back and forth and it was just not a good workflow.
I regretted it before i started playing gigs. When i played couple gigs, i realized it was very useful. If i was not playing gigs, i’d sell it RIGHT AWAY. I literally see no point of having especially standalone if you don’t want to make music on train. But again, you can make music on train with laptop too and have way quicker access to everything and more features, plus VST.