As before, cursor buttons move the grid around the Session View in single row/column steps, or whole banks with the Shift key. This allows the pads to reflect clip colours from Live, as well as to show which clips are playing or recording. As well as the shape change, the most noticeable change is that the MkII’s pads are now fully multi–coloured, upgraded from the MkI’s green/yellow/red. This maps to eight tracks at a time in Live, plus the Master and Scene Launch column. The core of the APC40 remains the 9x5 clip-launch grid, laid out above faders and track controls to mimic Live’s Session View. That being said, it seems well built and sturdy enough to survive being carted around in a padded gig bag. The MkII has more in common with modern music tech commodities that spend most of their time in the studio. The MkI was built like a piece of traditional pro-DJ equipment, with a tough metal enclosure and replaceable crossfader module. The unit is also much lighter, which is a good thing for the travelling performer, right? Well yes, but it is a by–product of cheaper, more plastic, materials. The bulky bevelled surround is gone, and the launch pads are now slim rectangles instead of squares, trimming the size in all dimensions. The new APC is significantly more compact that the original. The question now is whether Akai’s take on what makes an Ableton Performance Controller stand up against the alternatives that have come since. I’m happy to say that these have almost all been addressed in this new version without losing any of the essence of what made the MkI so usable. In my original review I was enthusiastic, bar a couple of layout gripes and feature requests. Hardware companions to music software are now commonplace, but when the original APC40 launched in the pre–iPad days of 2009, it was one of the first of its kind. You can also buy individual modules to mix and match your own setup.A reboot of the first dedicated Ableton Live controller brings with it many welcome improvements. The Modules come in three packages: Traveler, Studio and Master. But there’s also the Orbiter module, which consists of a pressure sensitive disc and endless ring dial. The Knob, Slider and Keys modules respectively offer three of its namesake controls. This customisable controller system boasts native compatibility with a plethora of different DAWs, and even other software such as Photoshop, Unreal SDK and more.Įxcluding the Core module – which is essentially the “hub” in a setup – there are four different types of modules to choose from. If you have a pretty good idea of the kinds of control you want on your setup – or perhaps are interested in experimenting with different layouts, then the modular Monogram Creative Console could be right up your alley. Plus, you’ll also get a free copy of Ableton Live Lite, two virtual synths, a collection of Puremagnetik effects and 5GB of samples and loops to get started. Visual organisation features also let you colour code your clips with RGB lighting and change the scale of the grid. It offers nine faders, a five-by-eight clip launch matrix and plenty of knobs that correspond to what you’ll see onscreen. The AKAI APC40 MKII is a reliable controller to keep on your desk, particularly if you plan to be working on Ableton Live. The 11 best production controllers to buy in 2021 at a glance: Bear in mind, that while some of these might seem designed for a particular DAW, they will usually be user-assignable too. In this list, we’ll explore the best MIDI production controllers you can buy in 2021, from modest portable keyboards to expressive touch surfaces and others in-between.
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