3 title: Using the Ableton Push 2
4 menu_title: Ableton Push 2
8 Since version 5.0, Ardour has had full support for the Ableton
9 Push2. This is an expensive but well engineered control surface
10 primarily targetting the workflow found in Ableton's Live software
11 and other similar tools such as Bitwig. As of 5.0, Ardour does not
12 offer the same kind of workflow, so we have repurposed the Push 2 to
13 be used for mixing and editing, rather than the clip/scene oriented
17 <h2>Connecting the Push 2</h2>
19 Plug the USB cable from the Push 2 into a USB2 or USB3 port on your
20 computer. For brighter backlighting, also plug in the power supply
21 (this is not necessary for use).
24 The Push 2 will be automatically recognized by your operating
25 system, and will appear in any of the lists of possible MIDI ports
26 in both Ardour and other similar software.
29 To connect the Push 2 to Ardour, open the Preferences dialog, and
30 then click on "Control Surfaces". Click on the "Enable" button
31 in the line that says "Ableton Push 2" in order to activate Ardour's
32 Push 2 support. <!-- Then double click on the line that says
33 "Ableton Push 2". A new dialog will open, containing (among other things)
34 two dropdown selectors that will allow you to identify the MIDI
35 ports where your Push 2 is connected.-->
39 <img alt="the Faderport configuration dialog"
40 src="/images/push2_dialog.png">
44 Once you select the input and output port, Ardour will initialize
45 the Push 2 and it will be ready to use. You only need do this
46 once: once these ports are connected and your session has been
47 saved, the connections will be made automatically in this and other
51 <h2>Using the Push 2</h2>
53 Below we document the functionality accessible from each control on
54 the Push 2. The controls can be divided into several sections.
67 Conceptually, Ardour dividers the controls into a set of 8 strips,
68 each consisting of an encoder (at the top), 2 buttons on either side
69 of the display, and 8 pads. All the other controls have independent
72 Buttons who function is somewhat related to the label built into the
73 device will have the label illuminated.
76 Buttons that Ardour uses for entirely different purposes than the
77 builtin label are left unilluminated, but still provide some
81 The upper right encoder is used as a gain control (volume) for the
82 Master out or Monitor out busses.