From 7d8a63c4a75773e0381069b3db419398cbcee034 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Paul Davis Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2016 22:25:55 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] start fleshing out Push 2 support docs --- .../06_Abelton_Push2.html | 157 ++++++++++++++---- 1 file changed, 128 insertions(+), 29 deletions(-) diff --git a/_manual/22_using-control-surfaces/06_Abelton_Push2.html b/_manual/22_using-control-surfaces/06_Abelton_Push2.html index 41604b5..1586353 100644 --- a/_manual/22_using-control-surfaces/06_Abelton_Push2.html +++ b/_manual/22_using-control-surfaces/06_Abelton_Push2.html @@ -5,13 +5,14 @@ menu_title: Ableton Push 2 ---

- Since version 5.0, Ardour has had full support for the Ableton - Push2. This is an expensive but well engineered control surface - primarily targetting the workflow found in Ableton's Live software - and other similar tools such as Bitwig. As of 5.0, Ardour does not - offer the same kind of workflow, so we have repurposed the Push 2 to - be used for mixing and editing, rather than the clip/scene oriented - approach in Live. + Since version 5.4, Ardour has had full support for the Ableton + Push2. This is an expensive but beautifully engineered control + surface primarily targetting the workflow found in Ableton's Live + software and other similar tools such as Bitwig. As of 5.4, Ardour + does not offer the same kind of workflow, so we have repurposed the + Push 2 to be used for mixing and editing and musical performance,, + without the clip/scene oriented approach in Live. This may change in + future versions of Ardour.

Connecting the Push 2

@@ -48,37 +49,135 @@ menu_title: Ableton Push 2 future sessions.

-

Using the Push 2

+

Basic Concepts

- Below we document the functionality accessible from each control on - the Push 2. The controls can be divided into several sections. + With the Push 2 support in Ardour 5.4, you can do the following + things:

-
Pads
-
-
Buttons
-
-
Encoders
-
-
Touch Strip
-
+
Perform using the 8 x 8 pad "grid"
+
The Push 2 has really lovely pressure-sensitive pads that can + also generate either aftertouch or note (polyphonic) pressure.
+
Global Mixing
+
See many tracks at once, and control numerous parameters for each.
+
Track/Bus Mixing
+
View a single track/bus, with even more parameters for the track.
+
Choose the mode/scale, root note and more for the pads
+
37 scales are available. Like Live, Ardour offers both + "in-key" and "chromatic" pad layouts.

+ +

Musical Performance

- Conceptually, Ardour dividers the controls into a set of 8 strips, - each consisting of an encoder (at the top), 2 buttons on either side - of the display, and 8 pads. All the other controls have independent - functions. + Messages sent from the 8x8 pad grid and the "pitch bend bar" are + routed to a special MIDI port within Ardour called "Ableton Pads" + (no extra latency is incurred from this routing). Although you can + manually connect this port to whatever you wish, the normal + behaviour of Ardour's Push 2 support is to connect the pads to the + most recently selected MIDI track. +

- Buttons who function is somewhat related to the label built into the - device will have the label illuminated. + This means that to play a soft-synth/instrument plugin in a given + MIDI track with the Push 2, you just need to select that track.

- Buttons that Ardour uses for entirely different purposes than the - builtin label are left unilluminated, but still provide some - functionality. + If multiple MIDI tracks are selected at once, the first selected + track will be used. Note that messages originating from all other + controls on the Push 2 will not not be delivered to the + "Ableton Pads" port. This makes no difference in practice, because + the other controls do not send messages that are useful for musical + performance.

+ +

Global Mix

- The upper right encoder is used as a gain control (volume) for the - Master out or Monitor out busses. + This is the default mode that Ardour will start the Push 2 in. In + this mode, the 8 knobs at the top of the device, the 8 buttons below + them, the video display and the 8 buttons below that are combined to + provide a global view of the session mix. + + +

+

+ The upper buttons are labelled by text in the video display just + below them. Pressing one of the buttons changes the function of the + knobs, and the parameters that will shown for each track/bus in the + display. As of Ardour 5.4, the possible parameters are: +

+
Volumes
+
The display shows a knob and text displaying + the current gain setting for the track, and a meter that + corresponds precisely to the meter shown in the Ardour GUI for + that track. Changing the meter type (e.g. from Peak to K12) in the + GUI will also change it in the Push 2 display. The physical knob + will alter track/bus gain. +
+
Pans
+
The display shows a knob indicating the pan direction/azimuth + for the corresponding track/bus. Turning the physical knob will + pan the track left and right. If the track/bus has no panner + (i.e. it has only a single output), no knob is shown and the + physical knob will do nothing.
+
Pan Widths
+

For tracks with 2 outputs, the display will show a knob + indicating the pan width setting for the corresponding + track/bus. The physical knob can be turned to adjust the + width. +

+

+ Unlike many DAWs, Ardour's stereo panners have "width" + parameter that defaults to 100%. You cannot change the pan + direction/azimuth of a track with 100% width, but must first + reduce the width in order to pan it. Similarly, a track panned + anywhere other than dead center has limits on the maximum + width setting. If these concepts are not familiar to you, + please be aware than many DAWs use a "panner" that actually + implement "balance" and not "panning", hence the difference. +

+
+
A Sends
+
The display shows a knob indicating the gain level for the + first send in that track. If the track has no send, no knob will + be shown, and the physical knob for that track will do nothing. +
+
B Sends, C Sends, D Sends
+
Like "A Sends", but for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th sends of a + track/bus respectively. +
+

+ +

Track Mix

+ + +

Specific Button/Knob Functions

+ +

+ In addition to the layouts described above, many (but not all) of + the buttons and knobs around the edges of the Push 2 will carry out + various functions related to their (illuminated) label. As of Ardour + 5.4, this includes: +

+

+ -- 2.37.2