Ableton Move: a sketchpad or a groovebox? Live trance/EDM jam

Is Ableton Move an insanely competent sketchpad or a somewhat flawed groovebox? We're still trying to figure this out.
One thing is for sure though: it's super fast and fun to use and it sounds great! We are going to do a deeper dive into how the Move stacks up against other grooveboxes like Push 3 Standalone, MPC and Elektron boxes like the Syntakt. For now though, we just wanted to show a trance sketch we're working on.
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#abletonmove #trance #edm #electronicmusic

[@CarbonRacingYT]

Great video showing what the Move is capable of. I would love to see more content of you using the Move! Nothing specific, just cool jams or whatever you feel like doing! Other than that, great video!

[@sinewaymusic]

@@CarbonRacingYT Thanks, and I'm glad you liked it! Yes, we'll definitely be doing more on the Move, I already have two other sketches coming together. Will also be doing a form of review at a later point. Hope to see you around, thanks for your feedback!

[@synthebo]

Wow!!😮😮😮 Awesome!!❤❤❤

[@sinewaymusic]

@@synthebo hey, thank you! 🙏 🌟 ❤️

[@Harlem-Instrumental]

Great job showing what a sketch pad can do!

[@sinewaymusic]

@@Harlem-Instrumental Thanks! It was fun, and I have to say, quick! Very fast and easy to learn. 😊

[@Drrolfski]

For what it promises to do-a mobile sketchpad for Ableton Live-it's insane, IMO. It's probably one of the most intuitive and instant groove boxes on the market. Within 5 minutes, you have figured it out, and you just run with it without ever having to contemplate a manual or tutorials to grasp the essentials. I do wish it's better with loops, though. Ableton Live's strength has always been its ability to throw in loops and launch them in Session view without being bothered about tempo. The Move, however, lacks any advanced Warping features, and the fact that its factory soundbank doesn't come with any loops is telling.

[@sinewaymusic]

@@Drrolfski I have to agree, it's one of the quickest learning curved I've experienced so far. This sketch was literally done in an hour. The key thing I'm missing is a way to record a live jam like the one here in this video into the Arranger view of Ableton Live, along with all clip launches, mutes, and automation. That way you could record a jam like this while still being able to properly mix it in the daw. As a second best, I wish it had usb multitrack support like even the old MC-101 does. But other than that, this is an amazingly capable sketchpad/groovebox! Nice avatar BTW. 😊

[@froidurotclement3282]

@@sinewaymusic I didn’t know for the MC-101 multitrack possibilities… thanks!

[@sinewaymusic]

@@froidurotclement3282 Yeah, it multitracks all four tracks in stereo over USB, plus the mains/stereo mix down. It seems like Move should be capable of this too, but I know little about those things. One can always hope! 😊

[@rpaulseymour]

The lack of warp for loops surprises me…. But, I gave up this hobby 10 years ago maybe… and this box was irresistible. 5 min and wow. It has to me kind of that “magic” the first iPhone introduced. The blood sweat and tears that must have went into its creation shows. If there was an award for most intuitive design ever, I’d give it to this.

[@sinewaymusic]

@@rpaulseymour I agree with the sentiment of that, it's definitely the most intuitive groovebox I've used. Very few surprises once you figure out the basics.

[@sightfire]

I'd love to see more about how you approach building out your session for a song/jam. IE developing a single beat, bassline, lead, etc into the multiple versions that you use to play a structured song

[@sinewaymusic]

Thanks, we'll definitely consider that! Basically how to go from a loop to the full song structure.

[@ChipWarden]

I'd be interested in seeing how you take a track started on Ableton Move (maybe the one in this video) and complete it in Ableton Live. I know how I do it, but I'd like to see how you do it. 😆

[@sinewaymusic]

Hey there, I appreciate the suggestion. That might be difficult to record into a video since that process is often very fluid and unpredictable. Possibly I could give a walkthrough of what we ended up doing after the fact, so more of a summary than a documentary-style video? Let me think about this. Would you be more interested in the creative process or, say, the mixing process? Thanks again!

[@ChipWarden]

@@sinewaymusic I wrote up a whole long reply, then the page refreshed and I lost it. 😥 I'm sure whatever you come up with would be great. I always enjoy your videos (even if you are using gear I don't own).

[@sinewaymusic]

@@ChipWarden Thanks again, it makes me glad to hear that. Yes, we'll definitely do something like this soon. :) (Sorry about the lost message, I hate when that happens!)

[@remyvegamedia]

At first when Move came out I thought it really missed the mark. As time passes I start to see it as being a potential option as something for starting fairly simple ideas for the times that I like to spend a couple hours in a coffee shop and make simple beats. But then I remember that I can just get a controller for Koala Sampler and use my phone haha. I will say, though, the synths on Move are pretty nice and very usable.

[@sinewaymusic]

Yeah I can't really decide yet what I think about it. It's definitely a great sketchpad and it's fun to use, but it's also clear that it's meant for you to pick up the work in Live and finish the project there. I think it doesn't really shine as a standalone groovebox end to end, since the endpoint shouldn't be the Move itself. You probably have a more glamorous life than I do so I rarely find myself in coffee shops, period. 😂 Working from home in a suburb of Sweden here. 😊 But *if* I wanted to make music in a coffee shop, I'd honestly probably just bring my laptop and in-ear Bluetooth buds and work on some existing project there rather than sketching new things on a groovebox. Wouldn't be able to handle the stares from others otherwise. 😂 But that's just me! The Move definitely fits the bill though. 😊

[@sinewaymusic]

And yes, the synths are really great sounding, and the Move product guy has indicated that there will be other synth engines on it in the future and that it will see years of firmware updates, so that's promising. My #1 personal wish would be a way to record a jam into Live's Arranger view.

[@remyvegamedia]

@@sinewaymusic Hahaaa the coffee shop music sessions are usually pretty rare, but there is one that I go to maybe once or twice a month and sit with my MPC One Plus on my lap for about an hour or so before I go to teach piano. Definitely not a good enough reason alone to get the Move. Right now I'm curious, at most, when it comes to Move, so maybe in a couple years when used prices are really reasonable I might try one just for fun. I'm just gonna hold off on any Ableton hardware while they develop it all a little more and explore the potential of trying something by Elektron.

[@sinewaymusic]

@remyvegamedia You teach piano to students? That's very cool! Anyway, resisting that initial urge is often a good thing. And Elektrons are so fun. 😊 Working on a Digitone 2 sketch as we speak.

[@remyvegamedia]

@@sinewaymusic Yes, sir! Full time teaching and doing side gigs mixing at this point. Gave up the gigging on keys to teach and don't regret it at all haha. Awesome! Looking forward to hearing what you share in regards to Digitone 2. Your Digitakt video made me realize I think I'd much prefer one of Elektron's synths over the DT2 or OT and Digitone 2 is at the top of my list right now.

[@GeorgeHzMusic]

Aren’t all grooveboxes sketchpads? I mean, in the end, a DAW will be necessary for final mixing, mastering, and refinement.

[@sinewaymusic]

@@GeorgeHzMusic Yeah I agree it's hair splitting but I've heard it being described as a sketchpad in many places, sometimes to justify a certain lack of features. With this sketch, since it doesn't support multitracking, the final "mixing" basically just amounted to some eq:ing and compression.

[@Drrolfski]

You would think that if it wasn't for the fact that some of these grooveboxes make it notoriously cumbersome to export the stuff you made on them into a DAW. The Move is best in class in that regard.

[@sinewaymusic]

@@Drrolfski I might say that's where the line between a groovebox and a sletchbox might be drawn. 😊 Because I'd say the Push is best in class since it lets you record a full live jam into the Arranger view, whereas the Move doesn't.

[@DJCJ999]

I find it hard to work with samples of live instruments that I record to the pads.. I can't time stretch them to be perfect loops :/

[@sinewaymusic]

Yeah that's clearly a limitation. Personally I rarely use loops that way so I haven't run into that limitation yet. I did sample my voice though, which made it into some of the percussive elements in the background, that's a fun thing to be able to do. :)

[@JoshuaSimonson909]

On a somewhat related note, with the Ableton Push 3 (not the standalone version), does it only work with Ableton Live? Or can it send out MIDI data to any hardware synth?

[@sinewaymusic]

@@JoshuaSimonson909 There's very little that Push 3 can't do. It definitely can control and play other midi gear, just like the MPC, the Syntakt and the Digitone 2, and all other grooveboxes I've tried, including this one, the Move. 😊

[@JoshuaSimonson909]

@@sinewaymusic good to know, i had to send back my MPC One +, sadly the firmware seems to just not work at all with sending or receiving midi info, so i'm looking into getting something else now, either the Ableton Push 3, or the Elektron Digitakt II

[@sinewaymusic]

@JoshuaSimonson909 That sounds odd. MPC midi definitely works but can be a little confusing to know how it's set up. But perhaps you didn't click with it otherwise either?

[@JoshuaSimonson909]

@@sinewaymusic it was just sending out midi data inconsistently, seems others have had this issue for years as well I found out, I tried all the workarounds and nothing seems to work sadly, that said I did order the Oxi One sequencer to use with my Hydrasynth, this should create most sounds I want, as far as finding a MPC alternative, I may try out the Ableton Push 3, or a Elektron Digitakt II. The MPC One Plus wasn't that bad by itself, but the midi troubles were a deal breaker for me.

[@sinewaymusic]

@JoshuaSimonson909 Interesting. Never had issues with midi on the MPC, but I'm sure there can be issues from time to time. Hope you'll find the ideal setup for you. 😊