The Midlife Synthesist Ditches Complexity: Summit & Push 3 Go Back to Basics

The Midlife Synthesist sets the tone by dropping his latest obsession: pairing the Novation Summit with Push 3. Instead of getting lost in a maze of menus and pointless complexity, he’s on a quest for proper inspiration and fresh grooves. No paid shilling either—Summit’s on demo, but the opinions are as unfiltered as a rave at 4am.

Rather than throwing the viewer into a synth patch rabbit hole, he argues for a musical context-first approach. The idea? Jamming out some actual music, not just tweaking for tweaking’s sake. If you’ve ever spent an hour scrolling through presets and ended up with nothing but existential dread, this workflow might just be the antidote.

Instead of firing up a synth patch straight away, the Synthesist starts with a humble piano sound. Why? Because nothing kills momentum faster than sinking into the endless preset browser vortex. Starting with piano keeps the focus on strong musical ideas—if your chords are weak, no filter sweep is going to save you.

He’s using the Summit as a MIDI controller for a simple Ableton piano, laying out classic chord progressions before layering anything else. Structure first, synth nonsense later. It’s a refreshing slap in the face for anyone who thinks gear is a substitute for songwriting chops.

With the foundation down, it’s time to get gritty. The Summit’s bass patches come out swinging—rich, deep, and not trying to bulldoze the track. The sub bass in particular is so low you’ll want to check your headphones aren’t just fashion accessories.

The Synthesist points out that the Summit’s low end is impressive for a poly synth, channeling a bit of that Bass Station DNA without turning the whole song into a mud bath. It won’t replace a dedicated mono monster, but for a portable rig, it punches well above its weight. Add in some stock Ableton drums and the groove starts to thump.

Time for the synth to shine. The Summit isn’t just about wild patches—it’s user-friendly enough that even a caffeinated squirrel could find their way around. The Midlife Synthesist jumps between his favourite sounds, like the Boards of Canada patch, showing off the instrument’s lush timbres and the joy of instant tweakability.

With features like animate buttons and a dual filter, everything is on the front panel and ready for action. No deep-dive manual required—just grab, twist, and play. It’s a real performance synth, not just studio furniture. If you want to see how he wrings all this out in real time, you’ll have to watch the video for the full hands-on ride.