Ableton Push 2 cheat sheet

How to use this cheat sheet

Push 2 is fastest when you stop thinking of it as a giant controller and start thinking in jobs. Use it to launch clips, record drums, play in scale mode, step-sequence patterns, control macros and perform rough arrangements. Keep this page open while practising, then build muscle memory one section at a time.

Official reference: Ableton's Push 2 manual. For the full workflow, use the Ableton Push tutorial.

Session View controls

Producer habit: create three scenes first: Intro, Main and Breakdown. Launch them on Push, then record the performance into Arrangement View when the flow works.

Drum Rack quick moves

Start with a small kit: kick, clap or snare, closed hat, open hat and two percussion sounds. Record feel first, then clean timing afterwards.

Melodic and scale mode

For beginners, use In Key mode and write short basslines first. For experienced producers, use Chromatic mode when passing notes, tension or borrowed notes matter.

Device and macro control

Best practice: build racks with eight macros named by job: tone, grit, width, space, movement, punch, decay and trim. Push 2 becomes much faster when the set is prepared.

Recording and capture checklist

• Arm the correct track before playing.
• Set clip length before recording if you want a fixed loop.
• Use metronome or count-in when timing matters.
• Record a rough version before editing notes.
• Duplicate the clip before changing the rhythm or sound.
• Use Quantize carefully; tight is not always better.

15-minute Push 2 workflow

Open full Push tutorial Back to Ableton hub