While I found other parts of the lesson interesting, the most exciting moment in this session was being able to use the Ableton Push for the first time. Prior to this session I never understood the utility of the Push in regards to writing music or sound design. My sound design tends to be with the goal of not needing to adjust parameters live, as the complexity of the FX rack will generate the desired effect without having to augment anything further. However, after setting up midi hi-hats with the processing centered around an m4l device called granular mirror maze, I got incredible results “playing” the fx over a simple club beat I threw together. Within this practice, I understood the potential of the push. Not only can it make sound design a more viscerally physical process, but it opens you up mentally to be able to use your sound design work almost like a live instrument. I think this can open up some exciting avenues for composition that I hadn’t considered. I also noted how easily my classmates who stick to hardware were able to grasp what was happening in Ableton when approaching it with a physical tool like the Push. In many ways, the Push can become a mutant amalgamation of multiple simulated hardware processes condensed and customized into one physical tool. If I ever get the chance to own one, I will definitely incorporate it into my sound design practices.