Ableton Push 3: Audio Sampling

The Ableton Push 3 has powerful audio-sampling capabilities, so this guide will show you how to work with samples, record and edit audio, and more. Follow the sections below to get started.

1. Recording Audio
   • Recording Audio Clips to Push 3
2. How to Warp Audio on Push 3
3. Working with Samples

Recording Audio

NOTE: All the audio line outputs are balanced connections.

The Push 3 comes packed full of sounds you can choose from, but you can record any audio and use it for sampling purposes. It’s also an audio interface, so it’s truly a plug-and-play recording device! If you want to record audio, you must first go through some initial setup.

1. Press the Gear (Settings) button, then press Audio.
2. Use the dedicated encoders to adjust the specific input and output settings.

Preamp types

IMPORTANT: Push 3 does not support Phantom Power (+48v).

You’ll notice three preamp types: Line, Instrument, and High. These are custom-tailored to optimize the signal for the gear you connect. So, when you’re connecting your gear, make sure to update the preamp type:

• Line: Synths, drum machines, and keyboards
• Instrument: Guitar and bass
• High: Microphones

Recording Audio Clips to Push 3

Once you’ve updated the audio settings, you can record audio on your Push 3. The recorded audio can then be further edited for sampling.

1. Press the + button, select Audio Track, highlight Default Track, and press the jog wheel.
2. Press the Mix button, select the audio track you want to record, and press the Mix button again.
3. Press the second button above the display, use the third encoder above the display, and select Ext. In.
4. Once the I/O settings are updated, press Record.
5. When you press the Session Mode button (the button with three vertical lines on the right side) and hold down the record button, select the track to record arm. The channel pads should be lit.
6. Press and hold Clip. Use the first encoder above the display to enable the count-in.
7. Press the channel’s first pad button to begin recording the audio clip. Press the Record button to stop recording.

How to Warp Audio on Push 3

One great feature of Push 3 is the ability to warp audio. Warping allows you to change parameters like start and end length, tempo, and start offset. What’s great is that your audio sample will maintain its integrity while you manipulate the waveform!

1. Press the Clip button (located next to the mixer button) to view the waveform.
2. Press the Edit button to adjust the sample’s start and end points, then press the Warp button.
3. Press and hold the Shift button to make finer adjustments when zooming and moving the start and end points.

Working with Samples

You can sample your audio in three ways: Classic Playback, One-shot Playback, and Slicing Playback.

• To change a sample’s playback mode, use the last encoder at the top of the display. Different controls and options will be available depending on the playback mode.

Classic Playback

Classic Playback is the factory-default sample playback mode. It has an ADSR envelope, supports polyphony, and sustains the notes when you hold the pad. While Classic Playback is mainly geared towards melodic lead instruments, you can also get creative with percussive instruments. Classic Playback uses all 64 pads.

One-shot Playback

One-shot Playback is specifically for monophonic playback and is for samples like drums, stabs, or other short-length samples. It will only play the sample once, no matter how long the sample is. Like Classic Playback, it uses all 64 pads.

• Trigger and Gate will determine how long a sample fades out after a pad is released.
• If Gate is enabled, the sample will fade when you release the pad.
• If you enable Trigger, the sample will continue playing even when the pad is released. This means that when you release a pad and press the pad again, the previous sound will continue to fade out.

Slicing Playback

Slicing Playback allows you to slice samples and turn them into individual samples. It’s nondestructive slicing, meaning the original sample will stay intact. This mode is perfect for slicing drum loops into individual hits and creating unique rhythmic fills or breaks.

In Slicing Playback mode, the only playable pads are the slices you create. For example, if there are 16 slices on your track, only 16 pads are playable. The pad layout is left to right, in groups of four.

You can slice audio in four ways: Transient, Beat, Region, and Manual. Depending on the sample you’re working with, you may choose one over the other, so read on to determine what slicing option is best for your application.

• Transients: Slices are created at any transients. Use the sensitivity encoder to change how much transience is detected. Higher sensitivity will result in more slices being created. Lower sensitivity will result in fewer slices.
• Beat: Beat slices are placed at the set musical beat division (e.g., eighth notes, sixteenth notes).
• Region: Not to be confused with Beat slicing, Region slicing is placed at a time division (e.g., 4/4, 3/4).
• Manual: As the name implies, you create the slice points manually. This is especially useful when you’re slicing nonrhythmic patterns.

If you want to manually create slices, follow these steps.

1. Press the first pad to begin playback.
2. Once the sample has reached a point where you want to add a slice, press any empty pad. The sliced sample will now be assigned to that pad.
3. Once you’ve created your slices manually, exit out of pad slicing.

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