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APC 40 MKII comes with a copy of Ableton Live Lite in the box, so you can start making music and creating mixes straight away. The design has been updated, though, with a lower, wider profile with quite a heavily damped action.
Ableton’s takeover modes go some way to negating the need for them, but it’s worth being clear – if you need motorised faders, the Mk2 isn’t for you. In 2009, Akai Professional collaborated with the creators of Ableton Live, a powerful music performance and production software environment, and introduced the original Ableton Performance Controller—APC40. Comprised of a dynamic interface, an advanced pattern generator, and onboard effects, Twist lets you create serious sounds using simple controls.
That ease of use is similarly reflected in the Device Control section, again with 8 rotaries, along with buttons to navigate through different devices, lock control to a single device, and switch them on and off. APC40 mkII features a 5x8 RGB clip-launching grid that’s built for dexterous exploration: launch clips and create or perform your song from the ground up using 40 responsive triggers. Building upon this original partnership, Akai Professional now introduces an all-new, reimagined Ableton Live controller-APC40 mkII. The new shape and multi–colour capability of the pads really bring the clip grid to life (though an upgrade to eight rows would have been welcome). APC40 mkII features a 5x8 RGB clip-launching grid that's built for dexterous exploration: launch clips and create or perform your song from the ground up using 40 responsive triggers.
The main things one might look for in a controller dedicated to Ableton Live, which aren’t found in the APC40 Mk2, are all related to MIDI creation, really. In the ‘MIDI’ section of this tab, make sure the ‘Track’ and ‘Remote’ boxes are checked for both the Input and Output of the Apc 40 Mk2 (Sync can also be optionally checked). Hybrid 3, by AIR Music Tech, is a virtual synthesizer for electronic musicians, DJs, sound designers, and music producers who love to get their hands dirty.A move to motorised faders would have been great, but would have increased the cost and, presumably, reliability. Trust in Decksaver to provide the ultimate shield for your valuable APC40 MK2, ensuring its longevity and uninterrupted performance for years to come. But I'm missing a controller to launch clips and control devices with knobs and thought MPC40 MK2 could be a good pick, especially because it has separate encoders with LED strips for control of devices and tracks. A revised knob layout with in-line controls enable a smarter workflow, with additional transport controls and buttons for easy navigation and recording.
The question now is whether Akai’s take on what makes an Ableton Performance Controller stand up against the alternatives that have come since. When composing you still have the core workflow of selecting and arming tracks from the surface, with control of the Devices in the selected track.The core of the APC40 remains the 9x5 clip-launch grid, laid out above faders and track controls to mimic Live’s Session View. When APC40 mkII is plugged into your computer, its hardware controls correspond 1 to 1 with Ableton Live's interface-no additional configuring is required. For those who want to guarantee they have access to the largest selection of Audio and MIDI effects, we suggest investing in Ableton Live Suite, as it has a much larger selection than the Standard edition. The APC40 MKII has been intelligently redesigned to be the premiere Ableton Live performance controller. In addition to its sleek look, veteran APC40 users will immediately notice the enhancements that include an RGB clip-launching grid, reinforced fader design, revised knob lay out, and much more.
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