Released in October, Ableton Move is a standalone groovebox and controller designed for fast and intuitive music-making. Equipped an OS that shares many similarities with Ableton's iOS app, Note, Move is a stripped-back and portable alternative to the company's Push controller that's significantly more affordable at $449.
As is the case with pretty much any notable release in the music tech world, Move drew both high praise and pointed criticism from the online community. In our review, we described Push as an "excellent sketchpad and handy Live controller" that was great for roughing out rhythmic and melodic ideas, while noting that it was a device that some might struggle to integrate into their creative workflow.
The device isn't without its limitations, and the one that prompted the most pushback from Ableton's user base is Move's limited track count. Move is equipped with four tracks, each of which can hold a single Drum Rack device (itself containing 16 instances of the Drum Sampler device), a Melodic Sampler device or one of two Ableton synths: Drift and Wavetable.
In a video shared earlier this week, Ableton addressed members of its community that were dissatisfied with Move's track count, and responded clearly to those asking whether it would furnish the device with additional tracks via a firmware update down the line.
Replying to a comment that suggested that four additional tracks would "take Move to another level", Ableton's Head of Product Johannes Russ said: "I want to be straightforward about this one. No, we do not intend to add four more instrument tracks to Move."
Russ goes on to explain that the way Ableton has optimized Move's CPU performance wouldn't allow for the addition of extra tracks. "Move's CPU performance memory is optimized to give you a really stable, snappy and fluid experience so you can stay in the flow," he says. "That was the number one priority when we made Move."
"When we built the first prototypes, we thought about the question of whether four tracks are enough, a lot. But then we made these prototypes and we put it into the hands of artists and colleagues and everyone really clicked with it. It was really fun, they were creating lots of ideas, and we knew we were on to something quite special.
"We decided to go ahead with it, knowing that whatever you start on Move, you can always extend in Live and Push. That's where you finish your music and put all the details in."
Elsewhere in the video, Ableton offers an insight into the making of Move, stating that their initial aim was to create something "accessible and affordable" that would be useful for music-makers of varying experience levels.
With affordability comes compromise, and it was Move's track count that took the hit. As the old saying goes, though, less is often more - in our review, we observed that Move's limited and focused design contributes to an overall workflow that's fast and accessible. Sometimes, four tracks is all you need.
