Getting started

To use Pushpin, you need the following things:

  • A Raspberry Pi 5
  • An Ableton Push 2
  • A USB audio interface of some variety
  • A way to burn disk images to SSD card

We’re working on adding a sequencer to Pushpin, but currently it lacks any ability to sequence. Until we release that feature, we recommend the following for sequencing notes:

  • Any MIDI-based sequencer (Kinga’s a fan of the Elektron Rytm mk II and uses that in demos)
  • A USB midi interface

1. Download Pushpin image

Please see our Releases page on GitHub

2. Burn to SD card

The Raspberry Pi Foundation has a good tutorial for doing this here:

https://projects.raspberrypi.org/en/projects/raspberry-pi-setting-up/2

During this process, you can also configure network settings, which you’ll need to do if you don’t have a keyboard and mouse plugged into the Pi.

3. Plug everything in and hit power

Connect everything together; how you do this depends on what sequencer and soundcard you’re using.

Insert the SD card into your Raspberry Pi 5 device and hit power; the Linux distribution will boot and you will automatically be logged in as the user pushpin (default password: groovebox).

Power on the Ableton Push 2 device if you have not yet done so.

You should hopefully now be running Pushpin!

4. Configure MIDI devices

To sequence, you currently need to connect a MIDI sequencer. To select this:

  1. Press the “Setup” button twice. This will bring you to the MIDI setup page.
  2. Twist the first encoder to set your “in” device to your MIDI sequencer.

# Troubleshooting

This is very in-development software so usually the easiest way to resolve an issue is to update the latest version. You can change the version of Pushpin by navigating to /pushpin and typing:

$ git fetch origin && git tag

To check out a different version, type:

$ git checkout <version>

Pushpin has a Wayland-based graphical user interface you can use if you’re connected via a screen and keyboard.

To load it, type:

$ wayfire-pi

This includes a number of useful tools for hacking on, troubleshooting, and extending Pushpin. Chief amongst these is qpwgraph, which you can use to visually troubleshoot Pipewire connectivity.

“Raspberry Pi” is a trademark of Raspberry Pi Ltd. “Ableton” and “Ableton Push” are trademarks of Ableton AG. “Elektron” is a trademark of Elektron Music Machines MAV AB. All trademarks used with permission. Nothing on this page is intended to imply any association with the aforementioned trademark holders.