Ableton Push 3: €949/€1899 PC MAC

Ableton’s new Push is a game-changer for music production but does it really mean the end of computer music making as we know it?

Ableton’s new Push is the version of the beloved controller that Ableton Live and existing Push users have been dreaming of. And that’s because it’s not just a controller anymore – it’s a full-on composing tool for music production and performance. It’s one that you can use standalone, because it can run your Live projects completely independently of your computer as it has a version of Ableton Live built in. Yes, you read that right. It comes with Ableton Live built in. No need for your computer anymore, right? It also comes with many other new enhancements and upgrades, but before we dive into the detail, let’s address the elephant in the room.

It’s not (really) Push 3

It is the third Push but, Ableton says, it’s officially just called ‘Push’. That’s probably because this Push is such a leap in concept over Push 2 that Ableton would rather you see it as the all-new and only Push. Which is fine, and it’s obviously their call, although we suspect that Ableton forums across the world are right now talking about ‘Push 3’. Indeed Live itself calls the unit ‘Push 3’ in its devices menu, so forgive us if we stick to the number for the time being.