Mar 8, 2013 - 11:04

Ableton PUSH and VST

I have a lot of requests about Push and VST these days.

Short answer: YES we can directly use PUSH with VST (fx or instrument)

Long answer, now.

Live takes care of our plugins (VST & AU) on two ways.
If the plugins as less than 32 parameters, ALL parameters are available in the device view at the left of the XY pad.
If there are more (which is the case in 90%), you have to choose which parameters you want to control with a remote surface or for using automation:

- by clicking on the configure button on the device

- then you choose a parameter on the VST window itself, you change the value and it appears in the left part of the device view.

- then reclick on configure and you can map whatever you want from that parameters chosen

You can choose 127 parameters maximum that is very enough.

The PUSH “only” maps ALL parameters of ALL devices in Live.
Following this thought, I tested PUSH with a VST in which I chose some parameters.

That works very fine.

You add (=configure) some parameters in the device view, each 8 parameters (because there are 8 encoders on PUSH), there is a “BANK” created and visible on the push that you can choose by pushing one of the buttons under the LCD.
Switching between banks make each encoder control different parameters.

Hope it helps

23 Comments

wrcdd March 8, 2013 at 11:12

Now let’s just wait between 12 to 16 weeks to try.

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- julien March 8, 2013 at 11:25
  
  I know it seems VERY long, but be patient. you’ll love it and probably a 9.0.2 will be ou with some fixes etc.
  
  Reply
Yan March 8, 2013 at 11:41

Hi,

It seems to works fine with parameters
Is it possible to browse and load VST directly in push like it is possible with factory instruments or sounds ?

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- julien March 8, 2013 at 11:42
  
  with the native scripts, we cannot browse them.
  I’ll work asap on that…
  
  Reply
  - yassine13 March 14, 2013 at 22:12
    
    Great news Julien ! BTW did you figure how to patch that part ( ie to be able to browse VSTs). It will be a killer feature, I’ll replace my Maschine MK2 with PUSH then
    
    Reply
    - julien March 15, 2013 at 00:07
      
      I reported the suggestion to Ableton and I’m quite sure they will modify it themselves :p
      
      Reply
Yan March 8, 2013 at 11:51

If i can bring some reviews/requests :

It may be usefull to browse VST from push (if not its one mouse boring operation) and browse as well sounds from vst plugins.

I use today an APC40, and i would love to have a key to change sounds from vst plugins instead of using a mouse for a simple “next sound” click.

I guess it would be possible with Push. I really dream about PUSHing away my dear mouse and focus on my ears instead of my eyes.

APC40 is still too dependant of the computer screen and the mouse.

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jose March 10, 2013 at 14:38

julien i have a cuestion about vst.If you modify the options.txt to autopopulate the first 127 parameters, this parameters automatically appears on the push? can you confirm this? thanks!

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- julien March 10, 2013 at 17:40
  
  Hi jose.
  Push “only” reflects what there is on the liveset.
  As soon as the device in Live is setup like that, YES Push will show them
  
  Reply
  - jose March 10, 2013 at 18:23
    
    that,s good news!!!
    
    Reply
  - mrk March 13, 2013 at 03:07
    
    this is obviously an unusual case, but what happens if more than 8 banks of parameters (i.e. 64 or more) are configured? i only see slots for up to 8 banks on the push.
    
    Reply
    - julien March 13, 2013 at 10:46
      
      there is a navigation included and, as with all instruments (operator for instance have much more than 128 parameters), there are kind of architecture and bank of bank displayed on the push.
      
      Reply
David March 20, 2013 at 21:17

That’s great news. Thanks for all you do answering PUSH questions and documenting info for Ableton.

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Gael March 29, 2013 at 12:55

Hi Julien great newsletter about vst
One question :
Push is capable to load user sound in Drum rack?
Exemple : i have some sample in places (live9) like kick and sd
Can i load it directly in push ?

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- julien March 29, 2013 at 21:43
  
  about drum rack, no.
  
  Reply
  - jasonswe March 31, 2013 at 05:29
    
    sure you can. save an empty drum rack as a preset and then in PUSH you browse to this drum rack with empty pads and you select a pad and hit the browse key to browse sample content (and User Library is an option)
    
    Reply
    - julien April 1, 2013 at 10:21
      
      thanks for the information !!
      I didn’t put my nose into my push since days and things are progressively improved all along the new scripts version for our pleasure
      
      Reply
Fill April 8, 2013 at 23:46

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGYmjiO0Rj4

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DJ Divine Justice April 18, 2013 at 00:48

If you open up Massive, click Configure, and then select a different preset, ALL of Massive’s parameter populate in that field and auto map to 16 banks of 8 knobs on Push!!

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Tom April 29, 2013 at 16:36

How do you re order the knobs? For example it seems that in push they appear in order you touch/change a parameter… where as I would like to order it so bank 1 is adsr filter, adsr amp, bank 2 osc controls etc?

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- julien April 30, 2013 at 09:45
  
  You can use options.txt features, afaik.
  You can also configure that one time, save the liveset as if it was a template and when you recall your liveset, it will be opened like you made it.
  Only workarounds, but working.
  
  Reply
visitour May 10, 2013 at 03:27

not an urban legend…you DO indeed need to create a rack if you want to LOAD a vst from Push

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- julien May 10, 2013 at 14:39
  
  there are workarounds now.
  btw, I don’t need that.
  
  Reply