Should I upgrade to Ableton Push 2?

If you weren't already aware, Ableton have been running a promotion alongside their newest hardware controller 'Push 2' - if you own Push 1, you can trade-in your old unit and save up to 30% on Push 2.  Ableton will refurbish the old units and give them to music education projects for young people, along with free copies of Ableton Live.

If you’d like to participate in the trade-in, now is your last chance as the sign-up ends this Sunday May 1st 2016!  Buy Push 2 before the end of Sunday and you’ll get a 30% discount! 

So, by participating in the trade-in offer, buyers of Push 2 can avoid the hassles of selling their old unit second-hand, and feel all warm and fuzzy about participating in a program that should help more children and teenagers get inspired by making music! Everyone wins right?  Well, the trade-in offer has been a big winner overall, but not everyone is convinced.  Some people complain about Push's new price-tag, and question whether the increase in price is actually justified.

Click here to check out the Ableton Push 2 trade-in offer at Sounds Easy >>>

So with the trade-in offer ending soon, the big question that many existing Push owners are now asking is whether the upgrade is worth it.  Well, I think this is a fairly subjective question that may vary depending on the type of Ableton user, and how much you use Push in your music productions.

If you only use Push as a MIDI sequencer, or simply use it to trigger clips within Ableton's session view, I think you can certainly get away with postponing the upgrade for now - you won't see a massive improvement in workflow.    

On the other hand, if Push is your main hardware controller for Ableton and you take advantage of it's many features, here are the top reasons why I think the upgrade to Push 2 is a great option for you:

1) The Pads

The pads just feel better.  Not only are they more responsive to touch (this sensitivity can also be adjusted to taste within the settings), they also have a bit more 'give' which improves playability.  These 2 small improvements alone make for a noticeably enhanced tapping experience!

2) The Screen

One of the main reasons behind using a controller like Push is to pull yourself away from the computer screen, and get closer to that feeling of playing a real instrument.  Push 1 allowed us to see what was possible with a MIDI controller, but Push 2 takes things to the next level.  The beautify hi-definition screen shows waveforms in all their glory, and makes accessing/tweaking parameters a visual delight!

3) The Simpler the better

If you like cutting up and re-working samples using Simpler or Sampler, you'll absolutely love the new simpler built into Ableton 9.5.  When used in combination with Push 2, you get quick controls over Simpler's slicing modes with fast, intuitive waveform editing via the LCD screen.  This is something that simply isn't possible with Push 1 - excuse the pun!

4) The build

Push 1 was made in collaboration with AKAI, Push 2 is 100% Ableton - the end result is a machine that provides seamless control over the intended software without compromises in quality or design.

For more information on the Push 2 trade-in offer, click here >>>

Or, feel free to contact us here if you have any questions!