APC40 + APC20... independent mapping issue

[tippyi]

I want to see if someone can help me with this problem that seems quite difficult right now, but probably has a very simple solution.

I use Ableton (8.3) + the APC40 for live dub reggae mixing of audio tracks. BUT I do it in a different way than "normal APC use" (which is very important to understanding my problem): I remap the clip launch buttons so that they turn sends on and off for a given track (sends A-E for track/fader 1 are mapped to the 5 clip launch buttons above track 1). This allows me to do performance dub mixing which requires access to many sends for each fader and that are organized the way they would be on an analog board - vertically in a line above the fader.

That had been working fine, but I was getting frustrated with having only 8 tracks to dub out in any given song, so I picked up an APC20, thinking that if I have both of them, I can just give myself 16 faders with 16 columns of independently triggering send buttons (clip launch buttons). Problem is, the clip launch buttons on the APC 20 send the same midi note as the corresponding button on the APC40 - so when I map a clip launch button on the APC20 to send A on track 1, it does the exact same thing on the first track of the APC40 (track 9 in my set up).

I've tried changing the APC20 to one of the 3 user modes... but that still doesn't allow me to map these clip buttons independently (it only affects the mapping of the faders). I've also tried using Note mode on the APC20 hoping that would change the midi message that the buttons on the APC20 send out. That changes the midi signal, but still doesn't allow me to map and trigger them (with leds lights coming on).

Anyone have any ideas? Seems like something that should be possible. I have a feeling I'll have to figure out how to use a midi translator program to do this (started to try this, but understanding midi code has been my obstacle). But, it would be great if there's an easier solution that I'm overlooking.

Many thanks in advance.

[tippyi]

Anyone? Give thanks.

[NPC]

I don't know exactly as i don't have both so i can't try this properly...but i guess that with something like midipipe (i'm on a Mac) - i can't remember the name of its windows brother - you can try to "intercept" the signal from one of the 2 devices, let's say the apc20 now, then tell the program to reroute the chan 1 of this "apc20 port" to chan 2. Then inside ableton you just turn off all buttons (track and remote) relating to the apc20, and turn on the same buttons but for port "midipipe". This way live should treat the signals as different, being them over different midi channels.
Hope it helps
Cheers

[NPC]

..i forgot to mention that using this workaround the device you are rerouting inside midipipe will probably no longer work as a "out-of-the-box" device for controlling live, but as a generic midi controller (that is, live expects the apc's to work on mid chan 1).

[tippyi]

OK! I did get midi pipe already, but could not figure out the ins and outs of it. This sounds fairly simple - I will give it a shot. Many thanks.