Ableton Forum

Hi,

Launchpad looks nice, but for those who already have a drum pad controller and are only interested in producing, wouldn't it be more useful to buy a touch-enabled computer screen instead? The price is almost the same.

I know Live doesn't support multitouch, but even without multitouch it seems way more useful being able to see the entire matrix with proper clip names when triggering clips instead of a launchpad, which shows me nothing but colors. Plus, the screen could also be used for simple tweaks, track muting, volume, sends, etc.

I'd buy a lemur I could afford it, but that's of course a completely different price range.

What do you think?

I think the Apple Tablet can provide a much cheaper solution to the lemur with the right software on it, so it's only a matter of time. I'm sure we'll see something this year in the vein of TouchOSC for the iPod Touch/iPhone but with a larger interface for the rumored tablet.

yes, a touchscreen controller would be great, if it only could transmit velocity.

@turrican: I already have a padKontrol, so I can play beats with that. Is there anything else you would like to have velocity for?

@ShelLuser: What small green arrows are you talking about? And how could looking at those tiny glowing rectangles on an APC give you a better overview of what you are looking at? The screen has proper labling of every single clip, the APC can only dream of something like this...

Don't get me wrong: I am not saying I wouldn't like to have an APC40 or a Launchpad, but a touchscreen would be cheaper and it seems to do some things (in fact those that I really care about) better.

turrican wrote:yes, a touchscreen controller would be great, if it only could transmit velocity.

Touchscreen devices are already capable of velocity sensitivity. It's done on the software side and iphone/ipod touch can already do that.

delicioso wrote:

turrican wrote:yes, a touchscreen controller would be great, if it only could transmit velocity.

Touchscreen devices are already capable of velocity sensitivity. It's done on the software side and iphone/ipod touch can already do that.

You mean this - http://createdigitalmusic.com/2009/10/2 ... -says-yes/ - ? Appears to work, but it's a kind of workaround in the absence of a true velocity sensitive touchscreen, right?

touchscreen != tactile harware controller

no matter how optimistically you want to put it, a touchscreen based crossfader control will never beat a real crossfader.. the same could easily be said about knobs etc.

there are advantages in both.. in a touchscreen you can (ideally) create your own custom UI, while a tactile hardware controller will perform better in its fixed job. however, don't kid yourself into thinking that IT tech will overcome every obstacle in the world.. if you want to save money you will have to compromise..

I wouldn't compare the LP to a touch screen or a drum pad.

why does the OP write that they're about the same but goes onto say he'd get a Lemur? what is the same price as a LP?

Tone Deft wrote:I wouldn't compare the LP to a touch screen or a drum pad.

why does the OP write that they're about the same but goes onto say he'd get a Lemur? what is the same price as a LP?

The price for a touch screen is about the same as the price of a Launchpad.

A lemur is in fact a combination of a computer + Touch screen. The lemur is much more expensive of course, which is why I wasn't comparing it to the LP or regular touchscreen.