Tim Exile PTNSHIFT Turns Your Ableton Push Into a Generative Madhouse
4,3 / 5,0 | 
Take it to the stage! Tim Exile PTNSHIFT is a generative performance instrument that you play with Ableton Push.
Tim Exile PTNSHIFT
When I first saw the demo for musician/developer Tim Exile’s Scapeshift, I thought it looked and sounded really cool – but I had trouble imagining how I might incorporate it into my workflow. That conundrum has been solved with his latest app, Tim Exile PTNSHIFT.
Made for Native Instruments Reaktor 6, Tim Exile PTNSHIFT uses the same generative groovebox engine of Scapeshift but is more performance-oriented, interfacing seamlessly with Ableton Push for live performance. (PTNSHIFT currently works with Push 2, with Push 3 compatibility coming soon.)
Tim Exile PTNSHIFT: Shift the Patterns
As with Scapeshift, Tim Exile PTNSHIFT offers five drum synthesizers, two monosynths and a polysynth, a resonator, a noise generator, effects, and a multiband master bus processor. It also has a (non-AI!) generative music engine to morph continuously between two patterns or build off infinite variations of a main theme or riff.
Crucially, PTNSHIFT takes all of this into the live performance arena. It has a Note Mode for exploring, creating and auditioning patterns as well as a Session Mode to publish collections of curated patterns for live performances.
With the included app, you can connect PTNSHIFT to your Push, with graphics appearing on the Push screen. It’s really slick. Check out the demo videos to see it in action.
Tim Exile PTNSHIFT: “A sweet spot between pre-planning and improvisation”
Tim Exile says that PTNSHIFT developed out of his decade of live-looping performances, which he admits were hit or miss. “Those days gave me a yearning for an instrument that occupied a sweet spot between pre-planning and improvisation,” he said on his Patreon page. “PTNSHIFT is my answer to that.”
He continued: “It’s also inspired in no small way by Autechre who I think are shining examples of this approach. There’s so much new territory to explore in the world of generative live performance. I’m thrilled to be a part of the advance party.”
Tim Exile PTNSHIFT: Pricing and Availability
The app includes more than 350 presets created by Tim to get you started; Electric Gamelan, Hypnotic Acid, Atonal Techno, Joist, and Vapourwave pattern packs; as well as a blank version of PTNSHIFT for making your own pattern bank from scratch.
Tim Exile PTNSHIFT is available now from Tim’s Patreon page for $59. You can also get it in a bundle with Scapeshift for $99. Note that you need a full license for Reaktor 6 to run it.
More Information
- Tim Exile PTNSHIFT product page
- All about Native Instruments
- All about synthesizers
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