Following the hype of the Push 3’s launch, creators and educators have shifted from flashy headlines to sharing high-value tutorials for current and prospective users, aimed at enhancing their use of the device.
We’ve curated our top three videos that demonstrate the Push 3’s power and provide insightful tips on improving workflow and overall production. So, prepare to delve into these expert breakdowns of Ableton’s Push 3’s standout features.
Recording Vocals and Sampling Vinyl in Ableton Push 3 Standalone w/ Ski Oakenfull
One of Push’s biggest strengths is its hands-on approach to sample manipulation and streamlined workflow for getting the inspiration that a fantastic sample gives you out of your head and into Ableton. This is not unique to the Push 3, per se, but the features included in the new device ramp up the speed and accessibility of this process. Point Blank Online’s Ski Oakenfull is a wizard in all things Ableton. In this latest tutorial, he drops some serious knowledge on how to sample vinyl and flip it into a full track using Ableton and the Push 3.
Check Out More Of Point Blank Online’s Official Courses and Classes Here
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN ‘Recording Vocals and Sampling Vinyl in Ableton Push 3 Standalone w/ Ski Oakenfull’
- How to maximize the speed of your workflow by using Clip Editors to their full advantage (…and avoid having to waste time bouncing back and forth between arrangement and session view)
- WTF MPE is and how you can use it to add more expression and life to your sounds (…so that your music feels like a living, breathing piece of art instead of lifeless loops stacked atop each other)
- Choosing the right portions of samples that are easiest to flip into something wholly new and exciting (…so that you never have to question whether a sample “will work” in your track again)
Ableton Push 3 – Sampled Beat-Making Session
Creating music digitally via a computer and audio workstation offers boundless creative avenues for musicians. However, maintaining studio-recorded music’s authentic swing, texture, and feel can be challenging. Sampling is great for repurposing these recordings into new beats or arrangements. Still, retaining the vitality and emotion that computers can’t naturally emulate often requires additional effort.
This tutorial serves as an excellent guide for overcoming this challenge. It demonstrates how Push 3 can take a sample, modify it, and maintain the original sample’s life and soul, even when reorganized in a digital environment.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN ‘Ableton Push 3 – Sampled Beat-Making Session’
- The importance of using Simplers and Samplers (so you can easily access the original sample in case you need to bring it all back to the basics).
- Choosing the right Warp Mode for your samples (…so you maintain the sample’s timbre and timing and don’t sacrifice quality regardless of how you flip the sample)
- Adding humanizing elements using the Push 3 to your percussion samples (…so even when you’re chopping on the grid, it still sounds live and authentic)
Push 3: Recording Vocals & Instruments (Looping & Arrangement View)
The Push 3 offers a standalone model, making it probably the most game-changing device to hit this year. And while this alone is enough to make many touring musicians drool, it’s flown under the radar just how much can be accomplished with the small yet powerful computer that the Push 3 comes with.
As the computer is powerful enough to handle basic recording needs, you can easily create full demos without even looking at your DAW! From recording and tacking guitars to writing and recording vocals, you can get your ideas out of your head and into Ableton to be further tweaked when you’re back in the studio without anything other than a most rudimentary recording setup and the Push 3 and this tutorial breaks down exactly how it’s done while sprinkling in some tips and tricks along the way.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN ‘Push 3: Recording Vocals & Instruments (Looping & Arrangement View)
- How to setup external gear into the Push 3 so that you can record guitars and vocals yourself (…it’s easier than you would expect, but many producers don’t even know it’s a thing, so it’s worth mentioning here)
- Learn about a few super low-key upgrades on the Push 3 that nobody is talking about (…but will make recording and tracking guitars on the pitch and in time, insanely easier).
- A few fast tips that are relevant for live performers looking to integrate the Push 3 into their setup (…because the Push 3 has a ton more quality-of-life features than previous iterations, didn’t that make Push 3 a beast for gigs.)
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
