link2x's Reviews

Great kit, with a few caveats.

Firstly, this is a supremely useful interface - with phenomenal audio and a great feature set.

That said, using this on Windows comes with a few issues. The software is great (when it is working), but strays from perfection. When it is stable, I can't say I've had a single issue running/using the software, and the plugins are a treat.

Sometimes, however, both the Control Panel (needed for routing and DSP) and the Launcher (which handles updates, registration, and is required for launching the Control Panel) will either fail to open or fail to stay open.

I've found a general fix for this in closing the "audio server" background service, and allowing the Launcher to handle restarting it; but this is tedious and flow-ruining.

Their Facebook group has every right to be a good resource for niche/technical fixes like this, but unfortunately appears to be made up of mostly-not-tech-minded individuals. Fine enough, but it means you need to basically ignore everything there and go straight to their support if you can't find a fix.

All of that aside, this piece of kit gets a 5/5 for everything except the generally-minor software issues.

The preamps are gorgeous. The preamp modelling is great. The compressor modelling has improved my recording significantly. And the guitar amp/cabinet simulations have done the same for my limited guitar usage.

Not for everyone, but I definitely won't regret it.

The best way to use Ableton Live.

I just made the jump from a Novation Launchpad MK1 to the Ableton Push 2; absolutely floored. The speed it has already added to my workflow is staggering.

I thought Launchpad95 was cool, but this is something else.

Great workflow from beginning to end.

While Ableton Live's looks are in serious need of an overhaul, its workflow is what keeps me coming back.

Combine with a Launchpad and (in my experience) you can have a solid foundation down within an hour or two.

Version: Ableton Live 9