Projects on Push (standalone)

Sets created on Push can be transferred to your computer to continue working in Ableton Live and to back up your Projects. You can transfer Sets from your computer to Push to create a mobile version.

However, Live Projects are not automatically synchronized between your computer and Push. To transfer content between Push and your computer, they must be connected to the same network. Push’s USB ports are not enabled to transfer any content such as Live Sets, presets, or media files between your computer and Push. 

Requirements for Projects on Push
Transferring from Push to your computer
Transferring from computer to Push
Transferring Sets from Move and Note to Push
Managing presets and files
Backup
Troubleshooting

Requirements for Projects on Push

Push and your computer must first be connected following the instructions below. Once connected, use the Push label in Live’s Browser → Places to move Projects and files between devices, and to manage content stored on Push.

When transferring Projects, please note:

• Third-party plug-in devices (VST, VST3, or AU) will not be transferred to Push. To make sure your Set plays back as expected, freeze tracks containing plug-ins before transferring.
• Some Max for Live devices have limited functions on Push. Learn more about Max for Live compatibility.
• To avoid missing files, organize your samples and media using these guidelines on saving Projects and external storage and backup.
• Make sure all relevant Packs are installed on both Push and your computer. Learn more about managing Packs on Push (standalone).

Setting up Push

To enable transferring content, connect both Push 3 and the computer to the same network via Wi-Fi or ethernet.

To connect to Wi-Fi, press the Setup button, then use the lower display buttons to navigate to select the Status or Wi-Fi tab, depending on the installed Push software.

Use the buttons above the display to do one of the following:

• Toggle Wi-Fi On or Off

• Toggle Hotspot On or Off

You can find more information in "Section 12 - Connect to Wi-Fi" in the Push User Manual.

Note: Unless you’ve blocked network connections using a firewall, these should be enabled by default. Learn more about troubleshooting Push (standalone) network connection.

Next, authorize Live on Push (standalone), then pair with your computer following these steps:

1. Open Live, go to Live’s browser, and from Places, open the Push label.
2. Click Connect to pair Push with your computer. 
   
3. Wen prompted, enter the six-digit code displayed on Push into the dialog shown in Live, then press OK to continue pairing.
   

Note: Opening the Push label shows each available Push and its assigned name, “Push xxx-xxx”. To confirm the correct Push is connected, on Push go to Setup → Status to display the Push's assigned name.

Once you've paired Push with your computer, your user folders and files will appear in the Push label. 

Transferring from Push to your computer

1. In Live’s Browser, open Places and select the Push label.
2. Open the folder named Projects. 
   
3. To open the Set as the current Project, double click on it. To transfer it to your computer without opening it, drag and drop it to another location in Live’s browser.

Once a Set is opened in Live on your computer, the next time you save it you’ll be prompted to save a new version on your hard drive. This allows you to keep any changes you’ve made on your computer, since Projects are not automatically synchronized with Push.

Note: Push does not automatically collect samples from Packs. When transferring Sets created on Push that contain samples from Packs, the relevant Packs must be installed on the destination computer. 

Learn more about creating and Saving Sets on Push (standalone).

Transferring from your computer to Push

Sets transferred from your computer to Push will play back as expected, as long as you:

• Use only Ableton instruments and effects.
• Collect and save all necessary samples into your Project.
• Freeze tracks containing plug-ins (VST, VST3, or AU) before moving the Set to Push. Third-party plug-in devices and non-built-in Max for Live devices will not be transferred to Push. 

To transfer Live Sets and other files from your computer to Push, use Live’s Browser to drag and drop the files. You can either:

• Add the Project’s enclosing folder to Places in Live’s Browser, and drag and drop the desired Project from there onto the Push label.
  
• Or simply drag and drop the Project from where it’s saved on your computer, e.g. from the macOS Finder or Windows File Explorer, onto the Push label.

To avoid missing files when transferring:

• Make sure Live Sets on your computer are saved into unique project folders along with all referenced samples. Follow these guidelines on saving Projects.
• Use Collect All and Save to collect your samples into the project folder.
• If using Places in Live’s browser to access Projects on your computer, only add discrete, relevant folders, not entire hard drives or system folders. Follow these guidelines for managing content in Places.

Note: If your Set contains audio samples, avoid missing media errors by transferring the entire Project folder onto Push. If you transfer only the Live Set (.als file) you may see the error message on Push: “Some referenced media files are missing.”

Transferring Sets from Move and Note to Push

Move and Note Sets uploaded to Ableton Cloud can be accessed directly on Push. 

1. On Push, press the Sets button.
2. Open Set Library by turning the leftmost encoder (knob), or by nudging the jog wheel to the left.
3. Select Cloud. Selecting Cloud on Push for the first time requires activation in a web browser, at http://push.local/cloud. If you're not logged in to your Ableton.com user account, you'll be prompted to log in. 
   
   
4. Select a Set and press the top-right display button to open the context menu. 
   
   
5. Press again to confirm Add to Places.
   
   

Managing presets and files

For how to manage presets and custom instruments on Push 3 (standalone), visit Presets on Push (standalone).

Managing files on your computer

With Push connected to your computer via Wi-Fi, open Push → Projects in Live’s Browser, then move files using drag and drop or right-click / CTRL+click.

Live Projects dropped onto the Push label in Live’s Browser will appear in the Projects folder on Push. Samples or presets dropped on the Push label are added to the Push User Library. Open the Push label to view the Push User Library. To delete a file, select it and press Delete, or right-click on the file name and choose Delete. To rename a file, right-click on the file name and choose Rename. To create a new folder, right-click in the desired location and choose New Folder.

Managing files on Push

To view Sets saved on Push, press the Sets button. 

By default, when saving a Set on Push (standalone), all samples used in the Set are collected into the project folder, except samples from Factory Packs. If opening a Set shared from another user, you should install any Factory Packs used in the Set to avoid missing samples.

Backup

To prevent lost work, Live Projects created on Push should be regularly backed up to your computer, or to an external hard drive via your computer. Should you need to ship or return Push, be sure to back up all Projects, samples, and files such as custom presets before shipping. Learn more about external storage and backup.

Troubleshooting

• If you have trouble connecting to Wi-Fi or pairing Push (standalone) with your computer, or if you receive an error message regarding joining the network, make sure both your computer and Push are successfully connected to the same network, and try powering your router, computer, and Push off and on again. You can also connect via ethernet.
• Additional troubleshooting support for network issues is available for macOS and Windows here: Troubleshooting Push (standalone) network connection.
• If you see the error message “Some referenced media files are missing” on Push after transferring a Set from your computer, open the Set on your computer and perform Collect All and Save. Then re-transfer the project folder to Push.
• If the above steps don’t solve an issue with transferring files or connecting Push, contact Support using our contact form.