Once in a blue moon, you stumble across something that makes you second-guess your entire perception of the world…
Okay, that was a bit dramatic but at least it makes you second-guess what the internet’s advertisements have been spoon-feeding you. Because after being a full-time producer and Ableton Live user for the better part of a decade, I thought that I had seen everything there is to see when it comes to Ableton accessories and devices for my Push 2.
But after combing the depths of Etsy looking for some gifts for a friend, I came across the company Coda Handmade and I was honestly astounded that it took me this long to cross paths with this company.
Who Is Coda Handmade?
Coda Handmade is a smaller little maker company (I’m talking it’s a two-person team here) that knows what musicians need because they are musicians themselves, Tanner Merritt has been working as a singer-songwriter for the majority of his life, 15 of which was at a professional level while touring with the ambient-influenced heavy rock band O’BROTHER.
Derick Haight has been in the woodworking business for the better part pf 20 years, and the collective experiences they two guys share, coupled with the fact that they’ve been lifelong friends. made starting Coda Handmade a no-brainer.
Their company ethos stems from allowing people to make the best music of their lives, creating well-made gear, racks, and accessories from MIDI controllers and hardware synths. As more and more musicians and producers are working out of their living spaces, the lines between home and studio are continually becoming more blurred. Tanner and Derick want to make things that not only have a function but can help your workspace look more like home in your living space.
Ableton Push 2 Stand
I love my Push 2 and use it as a quintessential part of my workflow, but having it lie flat on the desk isn’t very inspiring let alone ergonomic. So to remedy this, I have tried everything from having it prompt up on book holders, tapping it in place against my other devices, and more just to have it at the angle I need to access its most potent features.
But Coda Handmade’s Ableton Push 2 Stand lifts up the device at an almost 45-degree angle, allowing for easier access to its buttons, dials, and touchpads than I have ever seen before. So let’s dive a bit deeper into my favorite features of this beautifully-simple accessory.
Its Aesthetic
I love some studio gear, but by and large, most of it always prioritizes function over form. This often leads to a studio filled with cold, black mic stands, sterile-looking monitor stands, and generic laptop mounts.
But the stained wood, sleek design, and the company’s cool logo printed on the side make this thing one of the better-looking devices on my desk. I won’t lie, I’ve had a few other professional producer friends come over for sessions in my studio since I got this thing and they all instantly head over to Etsy to purchase their own.
It’s Inspiring
I lightly touched on this before, but allow me to dive a bit deeper into my thoughts on the matter.
The Push 2, as is, isn’t that inspiring to look at. It’s incredibly useful and packs a ton of functionality into a travel-friendly device. But out of the box, it lies flat on the desk and can be a bit awkward to work with by default. This is why you almost always see professional producers having some sort of Jerry-rigged contraption or device that props up the Push so that all of its best features are more accessible.
But the Push 2 Desktop Stand simply feels right and looks right at home in my setup.
On a more casual note too, I will say that it’s always more fun to work with and on gear that your friends are jealous of, and this thing is a flex without a doubt.
Where To Go From Here?
What’s fun to hear also is that Coda Handmades make more than just this Ableton Push Desktop stand. In fact, this is only the beginning (albeit their most popular product). In fact, Coda Handmade makes a wide range of hand-crafted products suited for many of the most popular hardware synths, pedals, and production devices.
So if you are a Machine, Arp 2600, Moog, Akai, or any other hardware enthusiast who feels left out after reading this article on their Ableton Push 2 mount, don’t be. Because their Etsy shop offers a not-so-little something for everyone.
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.
