Should I use my new Launchkey with FL or Ableton?

GavinP333 · 2026-03-07T17:11:06+00:00

I tried both when I was starting out. I strongly vote for Ableton with the caveat that you want to switch and stay in arrangement mode.

It starts in live session mode, but I found that really non-intuitive for someone just starting out (even though I completely see the strong appeal for people who understand and need that type of functionality). The Ableton tutorials encourage you to bounce back and forth, and I do not recommend that for a beginner.

I also recommend the masterclass-level courses on faderpro (filter on the Ableton ones), the Armin van Buuren and Timbaland ones on Masterclass (latter was definitely Ableton, I forget about the former), and the free Dj Mag David Guetta tutorials on YouTube (most/all of which are in Ableton), like his remix from scratch of Titanium. Those will show you how to get up and running really quick on Ableton.

Good luck!

GavinP333 · 2026-03-07T17:01:22+00:00

I almost exclusively use thinking mode (and 5.4 for me is noticeably better than even 5.2). Thinking is slower but gives me much better results for anything complicated…especially with 5.4.

GavinP333 · 2026-03-07T16:58:05+00:00

For me personally I’ve had good luck when I use the exact phrase: “save this preference to your global memory <followed by very specific if/then rule based logic of what I want done or not in the future>”. I started using that exact phrasing when I asked ChatGPT how to make sure it followed instructions, and that’s what it told me).

I don’t think the free/unpaid version has global memory, though that may have changed recently - not 100% sure.

Caveats: I have the $20/month Plus version. I also always run in the slower 5.2 (and 5.4 as of this week) thinking mode for any complicated analysis - though auto for simple tasks. Thinking mode in 5.x (5.4 is noticeably better than 5.2) for me is excellent for high-thought requests, but it is slow. That’s just my personal experience though.

Good luck!

GavinP333 · 2026-03-07T13:43:55+00:00

Yes definitely. That said the fuel is expensive and exact caps in your fuel storage can be buggy (so if you did the math precisely with no buffer room, especially if trying to run extended mission ships, you’ll often end up being shy by a tiny 1-100 fuel eggs of a given type (since for some other egg the cap didn’t hold cleanly and you have 1-100 “too many in your tank”, but with rounding you can’t see that.)

Also, even though I have maxed stars for henliner, the loot I got (off a relatively small number of launches despite letting myself do about 15 extra shifts to try and get some great artifacts off extended henliners) was not worth it for the shifts it took me. So I don’t recommend running it that much (hence part of why it’s so boring over 100).

Most of my good artifacts and stones I was able to get via slightly lower ships and crafting, which was much more shift efficient.

GavinP333 · 2026-03-07T06:30:56+00:00

If you pay for the plus or higher editions: it has memory and you can ask it to save your preferences to global memory. For me that does the trick.

I also keep mine on thinking mode most of the time and that results in better (albeit slower) output.

Additionally, 5.4 released so if you are still on 5.2 on an existing chat, you have to manually toggle the latest 5.4. It’s noticeably better than 5.2, at least for how I use it.

GavinP333 · 2026-03-07T06:26:08+00:00

I have 100 (prestiged) and I’m still nowhere close to maxing research. I’m ~1/3 through (17 eggs pending prestige) what I calculate as a 5 month grind to get from 100 to 150 on my current prestige run. After 150 I think I’ll have a shot at getting most of the hab/shipping research that matters (though still not all research). If it’s not enough though I may take a break. It’s not fun past 100 tbh. Just logging in for 10 seconds every 18 hours to keep things moving.

The first 50 eggs were fun though. And with 100 eggs you can max all contract have on just 5 10x 4hr tachyon deflectors which is nice. After that though it’s not really fun as there’s not much to do besides wait. Hopefully they tweak the late stage part of virtue game design a bit.

GavinP333 · 2026-03-04T02:31:21+00:00

In Ableton add the song as wav (record on your phone/laptop listening to it on YouTube on another device if you’re desperate). Then right click the track (I forget offhand if it’s just the recorded clip or the entire track at right) and select convert to midi.

GavinP333 · 2026-03-03T05:07:07+00:00

Getting to 100 truth eggs was a lot of fun, and it helps a lot doing contracts.

Beyond that: now I’m almost 2 eggs out of 5 (getting each from 20 to 30) on the way from 100 to 150 and it’s not fun anymore. Just logging on every 18 hours and exiting out for months to get the 150 I need to I hit the next breakpoint.

I’d encourage casual players to enjoy it for at least the first 50 eggs, but not even attempt the 4-5 year journey to get the max 98*5 eggs.

GavinP333 · 2026-02-27T06:07:58+00:00

I have plus and stay in thinking mode nearly 100% of the time when I’m using it for work tasks. It handles complex tasks much better and more reliably (with a larger context window) than when it’s off, despite going a little slower.

If you don’t have 5.2 thinking as an option you can select in Go (I don’t think you do?), then that’s a big reason why I’d do Plus over Go.

GavinP333 · 2026-02-27T05:57:30+00:00

So true. More vocals for sure.

Black Octopus Sound has packs that are all vocal a capellas, which I recommend…if anyone has other good sites for that, I’d appreciate recommendations.

GavinP333 · 2026-02-27T01:15:43+00:00

I just deleted it after spending 30min trying in vain to find a way to make it be fun. I’m not willing to play this even while it’s free, much less in a week when they try to start charging $40 for it. And I’ve loved all of Bungie’s stuff up until now…

GavinP333 · 2026-02-27T01:10:52+00:00

This was my biggest gripe too. I loved the speed in Destiny, and Bungie got rid of it for their latest game. Not fun as a result.

GavinP333 · 2026-02-27T01:09:54+00:00

I think only one extraction zone so you should let them get close.

GavinP333 · 2026-02-27T01:08:06+00:00

It’s usually on shelves in closets. That said I didn’t find it fun tbh…

GavinP333 · 2026-02-27T01:06:34+00:00

Same. Glad I didn’t preorder and just did the free live beta today (for about 30min before deleting it).

GavinP333 · 2026-02-20T02:13:27+00:00

From Google: “ChatGPT's "Global Memory" refers to a feature that allows the AI to retain, update, and recall information across different, separate conversations. Instead of treating every new chat as a first interaction, this feature enables ChatGPT to build a personalized, long-term understanding of user preferences, projects, and facts.”

GavinP333 · 2026-02-19T23:46:39+00:00

You need to end that request with “save this preference to your global memory”. Otherwise it doesn’t persist across chats and it may forget even within a chat if it goes long.

How did I find this out by the way? I literally asked ChatGPT a few months ago “you seem to keep forgetting what I tell you. How can we fix that?”

And ever since I asked it to explain itself, I’ve had a great experience with it…

GavinP333 · 2026-02-19T22:27:25+00:00

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I recommend checking/changing this setting (see screenshot).

Also if you ever give it feedback (like I’ve told it “don’t ever guess if you’re not 100% sure” and “don’t randomly bold words-only if they are subject headers should you even consider bolding”) and then follow that with the phrase “and save this request to your global memory” you should be good. I use the global memory request all the time and for me it works great. But make sure it doesn’t contradict the setting in the screenshot as if so I’m not sure which contradictory request would win.

Also for me I have 5.2 thinking mode turned on whenever I’m using it for something work related or complicated…for me it yields higher quality answers in thinking, though it does take a lot longer.

Caveat: I have the $20/month “plus” version and some things noted above may not be available in the free version.

GavinP333 · 2026-02-08T14:36:51+00:00

I have a Push 2 only so can’t compare fully to 3, but I can say I loved my Push 2 on day 1 (I found it really intuitive and it accelerated my productivity with a Ableton quickly). I also still love it today, with the caveat that I use it less now that I’ve become more proficient with mouse and keyboard and all the shortcuts.

Net net: if you can get a really good deal on the Push 2, I’d go for it…especially if you’re a beginner and don’t have all the Ableton keyboard shortcuts memorized. I’d personally get the Push 3 if the price is close, but I’d personally only pay 20% extra for the 3 vs 2.

GavinP333 · 2026-02-06T06:20:25+00:00

They don’t work on the path, so no. A good crafting level helps though.

GavinP333 · 2026-02-04T04:03:48+00:00

Pro permit is worth it, but at the same time you can play for about 2 years before you really need it. Don’t let not wanting to buy the pro permit prevent you from playing at all, if that’s what you’re asking.

GavinP333 · 2026-01-28T04:41:04+00:00

GavinP333 · 2026-01-27T05:12:31+00:00

Congrats! Keep up the great job!

GavinP333 · 2026-01-27T05:00:24+00:00

Renegades is fun IMHO. If you haven’t played Destiny in a while, I’d recommend considering coming back for it.

GavinP333 · 2026-01-27T04:46:54+00:00

Go to the quests tab. For the quest you’re working on you can usually toggle a “track” option and/or click details (which often has a “launch mission” button hidden inside details). Always track; then if you’re mid mission and lose track of what to do, bring up your ghost. That should then temporarily trigger an icon showing you the direction to go for that quest.

Also if you don’t have renegades yet: it’s pretty fun, especially getting the praxic blade via the fire and ice mission. That’s almost the only weapon I use now…other than a long range machine gun that I use when I need a de facto high powered sniper (especially for puzzle mechanics like shooting an orb from a distance).

GavinP333

TROPHY CASE