Akai APC40 / Novation Launchpad survey???

[exper]

So, as an owner of the APC, I found the questions, "interesting". For those who didn't get it or didn't do it yet, they asked how one would feel about motorized faders, touchscreens, velocity sensitivity, and other goodies. I almost feel like selling the APC now, before something new comes and makes it dive in value.

For Launchpad owners who took the survey, what interesting things did they ask in relation to that?

[seltsam]

At least the question about touchscreens motorised faders etc. also existed in the launchpad survey. Could be they are the same?

lg Alex

[oddstep]

Yeah, i think the questions were identical for both controllers... just a means of scoping out where the gap in the market is for people who buy ableton branded hardware. A shame really, since i actually have some suggestions for how the launchpad could be improved. The velocity sensitivity question is interesting.. clip launching can incorporate velocity, but the current python framework doesn't capture this input. Found this out with a clip launcher i made for a padkontrol.

[3phase]

booth products have only a half developed and shoddy integration with ableton life.. booth are designed to leave many wishes open to force users to go into the max for life trap...

sell the crap imideatly i would recomend... no future for this type of fake controlers...

[oddstep]

Hi 3phase. What controller would you recommend for clip launching. Ideally for less than 300 pounds sterling with at least equivalent functionality to the launchpad's implementation of the session grid clip launcher. I couldn't find one.

[Ben_Binary]

Check out the APC40 script here.

makes motorized faders not so big deal as you got
the rotary knobs for volume instead of pan!

Its easy to get up and running:

- Download it
- Unzip it
- Place it into Abletons Midi Remote Scripts folder >
C:\Program Files (x86)\Ableton\Live 8.1.4\Resources\MIDI Remote Scripts (on my win7 64bit pc)
- Launch Ableton and open Preferences > Midi Sync
- Select APC40_2# as control surface & enable in + outs
- Switch Input APC40_2# Track On (for Note Mode)
- Switch Output APC40_2# Remote On (for User Modes)
(I have Track & Remote switched on for input+output)

thats how i followed Hanz's instructions from his site:
http://remotescripts.blogspot.com/p/sup ... l#APC40_22

and his forum thread about it here>
APC40 - Note Mode, 2nd Device Control, EQ Mode & User Modes

Super easy and now my APC40 is getting deeper and deeper.

Mega thanks to Hanz_Petrov for doing this controller scripting design work. and cheers to ableton

[3phase]

Hi 3phase. What controller would you recommend for clip launching. Ideally for less than 300 pounds sterling with at least equivalent functionality to the launchpad's implementation of the session grid clip launcher. I couldn't find one.

just use the compuer keyboard and forget about the fancy controlers up to the time they are ready developed..
the problem is that we all was buying this crap, actually giving proove that its not necessary anymore to have finished developments on such dedicated hardware products... we allowed them to deliver hardware in the fashion they usually deliver software..half developed.. the user as the betatester... only a minimal feture set that leaves much wishes open...

keeping that all to max for live owners that do theire individual developments for the company.. and pay for beeing allowed to do so...
great... but not really good for the user interest...

a general boycot of theese products would have been best to teach the companys that this dont works..
at lest not on the long run... the second hand prices are so down the drain that one is curred from buing dedicated ableton controlers once and for all.. so i guess we wont see any more of this type..

at least..we will have the allready exsisting crap very cheap soon because the i pad allready started to blow away the ableton dedicated controlers..theire prices are falling. the market is soked with them.. you will be able to get an apc for <200 bucks soon...

so i recomend to use the computer keyboard up to that moment to launch clips...

besides... with the computerkeyboard you can launch clip while being rewired with live.. the dedicated controlers turn to useless junk when beeing in rewire mode..

thnxs to ableton for this one...

[oddstep]

Good response. I am sort of with you. Both the apc and launchpad are halfdeveloped dongles for accessing the clip launch matrix. However the keyboard doesn't have the same degree of visual feedback or the ability to shift the grid around the live set. So i decided to get a launchpad to help my singer perform live looping. I don't have the same culture of resistance that you do. I saw that ableton were performing a capitalist lockdown and gave in. Then, the ipad apps started appearing. Then again, i am opposed to using apple products because of all the usual reasons....
The use of these devices as max promotional materials really sucks as well. User two on the launchpad is almost a complete waste of space.... where is the device control that could have gone there instead of a space for max patches.

[3phase]

Good response. I am sort of with you. Both the apc and launchpad are halfdeveloped dongles for accessing the clip launch matrix. However the keyboard doesn't have the same degree of visual feedback or the ability to shift the grid around the live set. So i decided to get a launchpad to help my singer perform live looping. I don't have the same culture of resistance that you do. I saw that ableton were performing a capitalist lockdown and gave in. Then, the ipad apps started appearing. Then again, i am opposed to using apple products because of all the usual reasons....
The use of these devices as max promotional materials really sucks as well. User two on the launchpad is almost a complete waste of space.... where is the device control that could have gone there instead of a space for max patches.

i ve spend over 700 euro for abletons controlers and had to sell them again because they turned out to be unpractical and even disturbing on stage..

as good the initial idea behind might be.. with such a bad detail implemetation? sorry. just that you easily can scroll the apc to nowheres land is a design crime of a kind. like if it would have been planed by people that never have been on stage in theire live..

i know that this is not the case with ableton.. so there must have been a no detail development allowed policy behind that.. any serious engineer would suffer to deliver such an implementation.. of cause the details eat the time..thats allways the case..

raw function is easy to program... its all the safety routines.. it´s the if/thens that make such a development complikated ..

and why cant one use theese things in rewire mode? i can access a shitty ableton synth from the outside with any midi comtroler but not the mighty remote functions?

sorry.. i cant belive that this is technically not possible.. good design would at least have opeed a door for work arounds.. but..

nothing.. so i really cant recomend theese controlers ..nice visual feed back or not...

the i-pad apps are in theire first versions after 3 month more advanced than the apc integration after 1,5 years...

its pretty clear that ableton dont cares much about that... they rather do some weard integrations of max and serato nobody really needs...

[baseinstinct]

Very true, not only of APC and LP.
also padKONTROL. That's three big players, none of them offers users tweakability, which would allow adapting the device to what they (i.e. users ; ) do.

I choose not to think if this is "conspiracy" or just inertia. But if users are frustrated with what they have, it's easier to make them lose their wit when a new catalogue is issued.

I see it that once I have finally configured my near-dream music environment, there's no much reason to pop in to such a forum as this (I talk music elsewhere). Not to mention internet shops!

[agent314]

I'm not sure if I should feel bad for you folks that think the APC40 is a useless overpriced piece of crap because you haven't found as much use for it as myself and many others have, or be jealous because you must be using something significantly better and I want in on it.

I absolutely love the 40 and feel like it makes my production a thousand times easier and more satisfying than other controllers I've used, including the Launchpad (which I also own)

Wishlist:
-64 buttons rather than 40.
-Integration of colored LEDs to reflect clip color (prohibitively expensive - won't happen, much to my dismay).
-Drag-and-drop/clip moving/adding/deleting abilities via the clip launcher
-Ability to choose whether the scene launch buttons launch a scene or move the clip grid to another set of clip cells

[dna598]

They utterly fucked up by not making the pads sensitive on the apc/launchpad. But they didnt really, cos i bought them.

I am using padkontrol more than ever.

Having said that if they brought out a new clip launcher without velocity, digital display, and motorised faders they can piss off.

[oddstep]

Yeah i think the padkontrol is great as well... nice velocity sensitivity, good ergonomics, xy pad plus all the pads can be edited. Don't get why an earlier poster thinks its lame. The launchpad is alright as a 150 quid session grid controller but operation of the mixer view requires zen clarity or a deep familiarity. Velocity sensitivity would have to be switched off on a clipgrid box- low velocities don't trigger clips if you're using a session matrix control script... unlike in midi mapping where clips could be velocity sensitive. Both of the ableton controllers are deeply influenced by other controllers... i suppose there's still room for a branded multitouchscreen... or something innovative.

[Tone Deft]

I'm not sure if I should feel bad for you folks that think the APC40 is a useless overpriced piece of crap because you haven't found as much use for it as myself and many others have, or be jealous because you must be using something significantly better and I want in on it.

I absolutely love the 40 and feel like it makes my production a thousand times easier and more satisfying than other controllers I've used, including the Launchpad (which I also own)

yep, but consider the source. not everything you read here is worthwhile. some people just rant negative about everything, others only say "buy what I have."

[S4racen]

I love my 40, but i'm glad i plumped for the padkontrol over the trigger finger now....

Cheers
D