am i the only one who isn't excited about the apc40

[john gordon]

FTR I'm not excited about the APC 40. it's been months since I knew about it, watched a video and paid for it. at this point I'd forget to go pick it up if people stopped reminding me about it.

still haven't seen a single good maschine video.

i have a video of me and my little maschine doing some fun things last night when i was all coked up...things got a little messy and outta hand but i will be happy to send you the vids.

[Tone Deft]

send the coke.

tonedeftsucks@yhaoo.com

[scott nathaniel]

send the coke.

tonedeftsucks@yhaoo.com

Stay away from that stuff, T. It'll give you a false sense of superiority and make you post like a madman...wait, hey, T, do we need to initiate an intervention for you. Kidding

[Tone Deft]

there's nothing false about my sense of superiority when you're around.

[scott nathaniel]

there's nothing false about my sense of superiority when you're around.

Can't argue with that.

[Illum]

I'm willing to bet that the Abes spent time with the maschine and really worked against its weaknesses.

APC40 offers nothing that Maschine does while Maschine does offer a clip matrix controller mode for Live like APC40.

If I wanted something like the maschine I would just get an MPC.

Can you launch Live's clip matrix with an MPC? Can you seamlessly integrate the MPC inside any DAW without having to deal with external midi sync? Does the MPC offer a step sequencer out of the box? How about being able to load more than 128MB of samples at a time?

I can do all of those things with my mpc 2500 tied to live...

Clip launch=Yup. My live template has 8 tracks of 64 clips midi assigned to the 4 banks of the mpc.
integration=Yup. Pretty seamless here. If I don't want to use midi sync, I can use time code or slave the mpc to ableton.
Step sequencer=Yup (JJ).
128MB=Yup. As many MB as ableton can hold.

I don't think this news to most people however.

[Pitch Black]

hmm, have you seen the official promo shot though, it looks a lot bigger than that to me ...

LMFAO!!


you never let on you were on the specification team

[bog]

I can do all of those things with my mpc 2500 tied to live...

Clip launch=Yup. My live template has 8 tracks of 64 clips midi assigned to the 4 banks of the mpc.

That's not the same at all. The setup you describe would be fixed to 64 clips whereas in Maschine's clip matrix mode, 4 of the blue group buttons light up and turn into arrow keys so you can navigate the clip matrix like the APC40 without any limits.

integration=Yup. Pretty seamless here. If I don't want to use midi sync, I can use time code or slave the mpc to ableton.

Many people run into problems with external midi sync with Live and hardware like MPC. Maschine removes all that hassle so that you won't ever have to worry about midi cables, master/slave/time code settings, timing...etc.

Step sequencer=Yup (JJ).

Again, not the same at all. You're talking about JJ OS, the 3rd party operating system that you have to buy separately and only available for MPC1000 and MPC2500 models. And even with that what you get is the so-called Grid Edit sequencing mode which is far from a tactile step sequencer with visual feedback on the pads that Maschine offers. Korg Electribe is a better example of the type of hardware step sequencer like Maschine. The MPC JJOS Grid Edit mode you're talking about is more like Ableton's new "step sequencing" mode in the piano roll editor where you scroll through the steps with a cursor.

128MB=Yup. As many MB as ableton can hold.

Yeah, you can sync the MPC to Ableton to get around the 128MB internal sample size limit. But once you're driving Live with MPC synced via MIDI, you no longer have the same control or workflow that you would have when using the MPC internally. With Maschine, you still get hardware-like mouse-free operation with every step of the process including quickly auditioning and switching samples while never being limited to something as archaic as a 128MB architecture.

The MPC is still useful by itself for a lot of people, no doubt. But it is very outdated and too limited for many people who eventually gravitate toward a more flexible and powerful software based setups and ultimately get disappointed by the very uninspiring 'clicking around with the mouse' workflow that is antithetical to hardware like MPC and Electribe. Maschine is a perfect solution for those people.

[JJarvis]

I'm willing to bet that the Abes spent time with the maschine and really worked against its weaknesses.

APC40 offers nothing that Maschine does while Maschine does offer a clip matrix controller mode for Live like APC40.

If I wanted something like the maschine I would just get an MPC.

Can you launch Live's clip matrix with an MPC? Can you seamlessly integrate the MPC inside any DAW without having to deal with external midi sync? Does the MPC offer a step sequencer out of the box? How about being able to load more than 128MB of samples at a time?

Do you work for Native Instruments? No just kidding. I just think that this controller is a throwback to the MPC and claims to wear all these hats when its essentially a software MPC. I know that it can step sequence and control live's clips, however all that means nothing for me. The commercial midicontroller market is quite a let down at the moment. I wish more people realized how easy it is to use qwerty key mapings in live to control things. Very tactile. Not to mention a cheap midi controller like an oxygen 8 or a simple arduino device can go a long way towards giving you a tactile experience when using software.

I'm far more interested in spending my money on synthesizers or guitars instead of cheap plastic toys that still keep me glued to the computer. Part of the reality of working with a computer to make music is looking at the screen and even using the mouse from time to time. Actually the mouse can be a fun x y controller. This is easily implemented in live too.

[Jarvisimon]

I'm far more interested in spending my money on synthesizers or guitars instead of cheap plastic toys that still keep me glued to the computer.

That's a little unfair to the APC 40, however, a variety of controllers usb'd up to a computer could be just as powerful, as well as being velocity sensitive.

I really wish these companies would ask us users what we wanted in a controller rather than giving us something that was only partially thought through.

Yeah they've incorporated some good ideas but 20 people's suggestions won't be anything like as comprehensive and wide ranging as 20,000 peoples thoughts.

[JJarvis]

I'm far more interested in spending my money on synthesizers or guitars instead of cheap plastic toys that still keep me glued to the computer.

That's a little unfair to the APC 40, however, a variety of controllers usb'd up to a computer could be just as powerful, as well as being velocity sensitive.

I really wish these companies would ask us users what we wanted in a controller rather than giving us something that was only partially thought through.

Yeah they've incorporated some good ideas but 20 people's suggestions won't be anything like as comprehensive and wide ranging as 20,000 peoples thoughts.

+1

[Jarvisimon]

+1

From one Jarvis to another, I have started a thread about a user designed controller, you'll find it if you do a search for my posts.

How about adding some ideas of your own to it.

[bog]

I just think that this controller is a throwback to the MPC and claims to wear all these hats when its essentially a software MPC.

Um, no. It does claim AND wear all those hats. It is not a "software MPC".

I know that it can step sequence and control live's clips, however all that means nothing for me.

It does mean a lot to many people, some of whom might be interested in the APC40 otherwise.

I'm far more interested in spending my money on synthesizers or guitars instead of cheap plastic toys that still keep me glued to the computer. Part of the reality of working with a computer to make music is looking at the screen and even using the mouse from time to time. Actually the mouse can be a fun x y controller. This is easily implemented in live too.

That no longer has to be the reality with the advent of tools like Maschine and APC. Part of the point of Maschine is that you don't ever have to even glance at a computer screen or use a mouse/trackpad while you're working with it, like real hardware. Can't say the same for APC40.

[glitchrock-buddha]

still haven't seen a single good maschine video.

Start with this one. Watch all 4 parts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h65aqWqJ2YA

Maschine is having the same effect on me that Reason 1.0 did when it came out.

I don't think that I could think up 2 controllers so perfect to work side by side as Maschine and the APC40.

[starving student]

still haven't seen a single good maschine video.

Start with this one. Watch all 4 parts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h65aqWqJ2YA

Maschine is having the same effect on me that Reason 1.0 did when it came out.

I don't think that I could think up 2 controllers so perfect to work side by side as Maschine and the APC40.

I can see how a flying lotus type or such would be creamin for maschine but there's just something about it.
glitch can you turn off the lights on the pads?
and what are the swing options?
and the pads are not velocity sensitive right or are they?