My APC40 not stable enough for live use

[synnack]

I've used the APC40 for 2 live shows now.

Both times, it seems to be sending random values into ableton and changing params as if it was being controlled by a ghost.

First time, the volume slider on track 1 would just randomly move up and down. This just started happening halfway through my set. Last night, one of the chain selectors started randomly moving around, then a volume slider on one of the middle tracks just started randomly moving up and down.

When that's happening, I can look up at the midi indicator boxes on the top right of ableton and see they are getting activity from the APC40. (nothing else is plugged in).

The only way I made it stop was to kill the power to the APC40 during a song and do everything with the mouse the rest of the set. ugh.

Until I can rid the ghosts from my APC40 I can't use it again on stage. Who knows what random things will change during my set. ugh.

I guess I will open a support ticket with Akai but if anyone else has some insight on this that would be even better.

[dburns]

It looks like you may have a MIDI loop in your system; some MIDI data is being routed back into your APC40.

Check your Live set to see where all your MIDI data is coming from and going to. Using an "All ins" channel setting may cause this, so try to be very specific in each channel's MIDI in/out assignments. Instead of "all ins," use a specific port and MIDI channel. Check where your "MIDI to" destinations are pointing.

MIDIOx may help you track the data.

[Radio Arcade]

i had this on the mpd 24 and it had to get sent back

[concept_control]

http://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=123383

Check that out, might be of use.. I had the same problem, and it was to do with power supplies - specifically not feeding the APC enough amps.

[elementv]

Yeah this sounds like a problem with the device, not Live. I would send it back.

[vicz]

Try a coupla beer mats under one of the legs...

[synnack]

Update.

It seems that the APC40 is sending random values over CC7 (which is fader 1 on the APC40).

So any track that's selected by the red box in ableton has its left most volume randomly changing.

In fact if i go into midi map mode, anything I click is suddenly mapped to CC7. It's pretty clearly a hardware issue, it even does it with no midi tracks in ableton so that rules out midi feedback loops.

I called Akai today. They answered the phone within 10 minutes and immediately gave me an RA number to return it. If they can't fix it they'll send me a new one.

Not happy that it's broken, but so far pretty happy with Akai support.

[Alextronica]

Thanks for the update.

[timothyallan]

Couldn't have picked a worse CC to go hawire either... wildly random fluctuating volumes always leads to an interesting live show

[synnack]

Couldn't have picked a worse CC to go hawire either... wildly random fluctuating volumes always leads to an interesting live show

Tell me about it! I had a show last night and i got so annoyed with it i turned the damn apc40 off and just used the mouse for everything.

Which unfortunately made me hunch over and look like this. Riveting!

http://www.boston.com/thingstodo/hotsho ... nance?pg=8

[Forge.]

make sure you have a power supply with it - I have had these kind of problems with a number of different controllers and laptops when running off USB

[Pitch Black]

^^ I believe the APC40 only runs with a PSU - too many LEDS for bus power.

[nuxnamon]

ooh.. ghost faders on the apc!!

[zalo]

you sure you didnt accidentally ghost ride the fader?

[synnack]

Well, I got my APC40 back today. So far so good. No more random CC data. They replaced fader one and sent the same unit back.

I am actually very happy they repaired it rather than replacing it. Knowing it is cheaper to actually fix the device means they put higher quality shit in it in the first place.

In true irony, I got my Launchpad in the mail today. It feels much more like a cheap USB toy compared to the APC but I'm loving the larger pads and much smaller size overall. I will be using both for sure for different uses.

Anyway, just thought i'd close for others so people know what they might expect if they have the same issue with their APC and about how long it might take.