How does the brand new Ableton Push carry out as an instrument – with these new expressive pads? We invited artist Kyoka (Raster) to check out Push in reside improvisation.
Kyoka, the Japanese-born, Berlin-based composer,producer, and sound artist recognized for her outings on Raster (nee Raster-Noton), has at all times had a knack for spontaneous experimentation. This was actually an experiment – Kyoka had some primary expertise on Push 2, however had these days been acting on different standalone {hardware}. She walked within the door, we performed with some devices and results and saved the digicam rolling. As Kyoka herself emphasizes, it was “improvisation with zero preparation, zero plan – simply let it stream.”
Push’s sturdy fits and tradeoffs stay. There’s nonetheless some activity switching – swapping the encoders between instrument parameters and mixing, for example. However there’s additionally the inspiration of discovering new issues – and all of the capabilities the Push’s a number of options enable, now even with out a pc. And the grid of pads has extra potential than ever. (Kyoka did deliver alongside her self-produced sound pattern library, then warped it past recognition in Easier and with the results.)
Right here’s what occurred:
For extra on expression, right here’s a hands-on video exploring how the grid itself works. The primary a part of the video works with Pressure and Corpus, the AAS-engineered bodily modeling devices in Ableton Stay (and a few Hybrid Reverb). These are each on the standalone mode instrument; I simply began with the init and dialed in some settings whereas enjoying, which is vastly satisfying. I’m enjoying in (not likely tuned, primarily pentatonic) pelog as mapped on the instrument. Nevertheless it’s a kind of imagined – if believable – instrument.
I deliberately left some errors and tough edges – the great thing about that is that you just can deal with this like an acoustic instrument. Observe what occurs as I demo altering sensitivity parameters.
Then, you’ll see a quick instance of how one can modulate synthesis parameters in Drift – these are simply the defaults – by wiggling your finger on the X/Y dimensions of the pads and making use of roughly stress.
There’s much more to discover right here. However that is already a super bodily modeling instrumental interface. And I believe usually this calls consideration to all the probabilities of MIDI Polyphonic Expression usually, as discovered on devices just like the Roger Linn LinnStrument, Joué Play, and Madrona Labs Soundplane – all of which may also work seamlessly with Stay’s built-in units now. (You may even use these with the brand new Push – because it’s all MIDI.)
Extra Kyoka
Catch extra of Kyoka’s music:
June 13, 19.00 – 23.45
Dommune – TBA
https://www.dommune.com/Aug 24
Mutek Montreal
Kyoka Solo ({Hardware} Stay Set)
https://montreal.mutek.org/en/artists/kyoka-2Aug 25
Mutek Montreal
Kyoka & Shohei Fujimoto (CINEMA BLACKBOX) – For neuroscience, sound and visible analysis
https://montreal.mutek.org/en/artists/kyoka-shohei-fujimoto
And another reside units from her from the previous – together with a preview of what to anticipate at MUTEK this 12 months:
