disclaimer: I also own the maschine mk3 and the maschine jam. I also have 7 midi controllers.. and I also work with cubase 9.5 pro, reason 10.
why first the disclaimer: ableton is not the center of the studio, that's cubase.
I bought the push 2 as an "instrument". each ecosystem brings its own working method and different results.
the screen is of high quality (as is that of the machine by the way), and with the buttons and encoders it is quite easy to navigate through "devices" (instruments and effects), all parameters neatly accessible, clearly arranged.
in a number of cases a nice visual feedback, but for some devices, where that would also be nice, this has not been implemented. I'm talking about the ableton devices themselves. the autofilter or reverb provide no visual feedback. with some devices that e.g. using filter envelopes have no visual feedback. you have to mix on the ear, that's true, but sometimes it is useful.
also eq8 device shows visual feedback, but not the difference between input and output signal. Shame. good here too, you use eq with your ears, but sometimes you immediately see where something is missing. so you will see that; the frequency spectrum as the sound plays, so it is sufficient.
ableton can get more out of the push 2's screen than it does now.
the 64 pads are quite good, good layout settings (the 64 pads can be set in multiple layouts). velocity sensitivity is good for 64 pads. they also have aftertouch. (the mk3 maschine has much better pads, even if only 16, but hey, I'm sorry... the maschine can't record aftertouch, big drawback.)
the mk3 machine has several handy buttons for workflow acceleration, sometimes accessible with the shift button, but it is clearer, faster. on push 2 it certainly works, but is more focused on playing in, than keeping an overview after playing in, although push 2 certainly has possibilities to edit clips, edit notes after playing in Ableton's stubborn way. works fine after getting used to it. perhaps this is also a very personal opinion and there will be people who prefer the push 2 for post-processing of clips.
no midi connectors is a loss, a sound interface as well (the maschine mk3 does have these 2 and makes it usable to take it with your laptop, without other stuff...).
working with samples works very well. I use my own samples (self-programmed synths, recordings via a field recorder, etc. etc.), and the so-called "simpler", 1 of the 2 samplers (in live 10 suite that is), has very extensive possibilities, easy to make your samples sound different already within "simpler". slicing beats is a no-brainer, and you can slice up to 64 pads, which is very nice.
the drum kits are not all equally good, but usable. However, the implementation via the so-called drum rack has been expanded. there is a lot to set up.
i compare push 2 and ableton live too much with maschine, they are both equally good in my opinion, but for me maschine is still the "boss". it is that I have a number of options via ableton that are not in maschine. and even though they are sometimes small, sometimes big differences, they make the… difference…
for someone who does not have a machine, and wants a total solution in one controller, the ableton push 2 is definitely recommended, although the software that is included is too little, to get all the power from the program.
the software is buggy.... that is with all DAWs, but the release notes from ableton are very extreme, meaning; she always has to solve many problems. nevertheless ableton works just fine, it is a very widely used DAW and can give you everything you want.
Are you in doubt between Maschine or Ableton? maschine mk3 does come with the complete software and a sound library that is unsurpassed. Again, if you want more from Native Instruments, you have to upgrade. at sales, about once or twice a year, the upgrade is half price. I also own complete 11 ultimate (version 12 is not interesting enough), and that gives immense possibilities for maschine. and then you come to the same price as ableton live 10 suite.
the choice is very personal, the maschine mk3 is actually only complete with the maschine jam, although you can also do without it, it works very well. contradictory. It's because I have the jam, and I'm so used to it.
it is what you want, want to achieve. in maschine 2.x software there are some limitations that ableton, even in live intro, doesn't have (but intro itself has some limitations...), but there are plenty of workarounds, which are not difficult or cumbersome, to achieve what you want.
so never listen to: you have to have the push 2, or you have to have the maschine mk3. it's too personal. trying it out is the only option.
they have both, well... then you're always good...
the push 2 including ableton live 10 standard or suite will provide years of enjoyment.
it would be the only controller you'll need as you can play well on it too. you don't necessarily need a keyboard. apart from a sound interface, you have everything within reach with 1 controller. that is the big advantage of the push 2. handy when you don't have much space or want everything in one.
I gave the sound quality a 5, but the push 2 produces no sound, the software does, and the software is strong enough to get good quality mixes. but that's what every DAW does... still there seem to be differences, but that's probably not something you'll really notice.
