> ableton push: the guide
> Step by step 4. Automation, third-party plugins, effects and mixing
Push’s rotary encoders can edit and
1 automate instrument/effect
parameters such as the filter Cutoff and
Resonance of our bass synth. The top row
of buttons (State Select) switches through
2 Push browser and can’t be controlled
banks of parameters: oscillators, filters
and envelopes, for example. To record
parameter edits as clip automation, press
the Automation button, enter Record
Mode and twiddle those knobs!
Clicking the main Map button in the
4 Rack enables us to assign its eight
knobs to selected parameters in Massive –
specifically, the Macros. We click each
Massive Macro, then the Map button
5 the Live Library. Simply click the Save
underneath the target Rack Macro to
make the assignments. With Live’s Macros
mapped to Massive’s Macros, we’re well
set up to control the synth with hands-on
parameters tailored to each preset.
Live’s Effects can be loaded/controlled
7 via Push, too. With our Massive track
selected, we press the Add Effect button,
choosing Auto Filter’s Elastic Band preset.
Pressing the Device button switches to
8 rotary encoders, too. Press the
Device mode, mapping the Auto Filter’s
controls to Push’s rotaries. The State
Control buttons bypass devices, while the
Selection Control buttons select them for
editing using the rotaries.
52 / ABLETON LIVE : THE ULTIMATE GUIDE 2015
Third-party plugins don’t appear in the
via the rotary encoders without some
prior setup. We hold down the Add Track
button to bring up a choice of Audio, MIDI
3 in Massive for this project using the
or Return track, and select MIDI. A MIDI
track is created in Live. We’re going to use
Native Instruments’ Massive synth, so we
search for it in the Live browser.
The last step is to save our Rack into
button in the Rack and give your saved
Rack a name. Now you can load your
Macro-mapped Massive Rack from the
6 Push’s In Key mode, so all we have to
Library whenever you need it, either
onscreen or, more importantly, via the
Push browser.
Push offers basic mix control via its
Volume button to assign them to per-
track level control. Pressing the Pan &
Send button repeatedly switches the
9 mute and solo: mute with the Mute
encoders through Pan and as many Sends
as you have set up. The Track button
switches to Track View, in which the
rotaries are assigned to the Volume, Pan
and Sends for the currently selected track.
We could assign controller mappings
standard Live plugin Configure button, but
for a long-term solution, we can wrap it up
in an Instrument Rack and save it into the
Library. To do this, we right-click its title
bar and select Group. Our Instrument
Rack has eight Macro knobs. Massive has
eight Macro knobs. And Push has eight
rotary encoders! How very convenient.
Now to record a pad sound. We’re in
do to trigger a series of related chords is
make a shape with our fingers and move it
around the grid. To record a series of clips
in succession, the New button copies all
the clips in the current Scene into the
corresponding slots in the next Scene
down, except for the selected one (our
Massive pad) which is record-armed.
The State Control buttons handle
button engaged, and solo with the Solo
button engaged. Finally, the Clip view
gives you control of various Clip
parameters such as start point, length
and Loop on/off.