Game changers?
May saw some big names jostle for the computer-free music crown. *Sob*
As it won’t have escaped your notice, over the last few weeks Ableton revealed its standalone hardware controller/performance instrument Push 3. Nigh-on simultaneously, Apple launched its much anticipated iPad version of Logic, allowing most attributes of its flagship DAW to be accessed outside of a desktop-based setup. In tandem with Push 3 (now just referred to as ‘Push’, FYI), which contains a CPU that runs the Live software within its (hefty) exterior, we couldn’t help but be left pondering whether this could be the start of a mainstream move away from the standard desktop DAW we’ve cherished for so long.
While both releases are extremely feature rich and fun to use, can they – and should they – really replace the desktop software world? It’s a question that’s been playing on HQ. Later this issue we’ve got longer-than-usual reviews of both, wherein we address that question and the products themselves on their own merits.