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Kool Tools: Ableton Push and Live 9.5

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Ableton has rolled out a new Push, alongside Live 9.5 – a free update for all Live 9 users. The company is inviting owners of the original Push to take part in a trade-in that offers a big saving on the new version. Plus, Ableton is introducing Link, a new technology that lets you play in time with multiple instances of Live and a growing number of iOS apps.

Like the original Push, the new version brings hands-on creation of melody and harmony, beats, and song structure. Now designed and engineered entirely by Ableton, Push has a new level of playability that puts even more elements of song creation at your fingertips.

Push’s new display adapts to show what you need and keep you in the creative flow. Library navigation, sample waveforms, effects parameters, and mixer levels are instantly visible on the display and tweakable via the touch-sensitive encoders.

Push now has fast, flexible sampling workflows that let you slice samples across the pads and play back single hits and time stretched samples. You can create looping instruments on the fly, chop up drum kits from recordings, or play longer rhythmic samples back in tempo.

Ableton is launching a trade-in initiative in which owners of the original Push can return their used unit and save up to 30 percent on the new one. Returned Push units will be refurbished and given to music education projects for young people – along with copies of Live – for free.

Ableton is continuing to improve how Live works with the original Push. The free Live 9.5 update brings additional functionality to the original unit, including new features and workflow improvements.

This free update for Ableton Live 9 is now available for all Live 9 users. With Live 9.5, the tool’s sampling instrument has been completely overhauled with a new interface, warping and slicing capabilities, and new analog-modeled filters. Now Simpler lets you slice samples across the keyboard, play single hits, or warp long samples so that they always stay in time with your song.

Live 9.5 introduces new filters based on classic vintage hardware that will self-resonate, produce feedback, and distort beautifully. Built in collaboration with Cytomic, these filters are now included in Simpler, Sampler, Operator, and Auto Filter.

Mixer volume meters now show both peak and RMS levels, indicating both sudden changes in level, as well as perceived loudness. This makes controlling your track’s dynamics easier. Plus, new waveforms show more visual detail of your audio samples, with smoother zooming and scrolling.

Live 9 Suite owners can enjoy three new Max for Live synthesizers that offer a wide range of sound design possibilities within a streamlined set of controls. These include: Bass, a monosynth designed for bass sounds; Poli, a polyphonic synth that excels at strings, pads, and stabs; and Multi, a synth designed for immediate tweakability from Push.

Coming soon, Link is a new technology that lets you play in time with multiple instances of Live and a growing number of iOS apps. It syncs devices’ timing over a wireless network, so you can set up almost instantly and jam with others as freely as a live band.

The new Push is immediately available from Ableton.com for US$799. Owners of the original Push can take advantage of the trade-in offer and order a new Push straight away. Live 9.5 is now available as a free download for Live 9 users.

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