Ableton Forum

To wait for the APC 20?

Launchpad.

Why?(-:

Honestly the launchpad is the way to go. If you HAVE to have faders then get the apc20... but really if you were to go for that just get the extra cash and get the apc 40.

To start I am not an akai rep(would love to be) jst giving ya the truth


I have explored all these controllers. I've got the apc 40 and launchpad. I did a review somewhere on this site if you can find it.

CONS

Pirst off the plastic build and lack of stability is huge for me

the circle pads under the square plastic make it terrible to use. You can hit a button and it will not even register

I like having the faders so I am heading for the apc 20 to use with the 40...If you can wait I am sure that they will issue an even more stripped down version if ya wait a little bit....I hope that we get a controller that we can use away from a power source...

I have not been able to use my launchpad with win 7.....even when the laptop is plugged in.....my apc 40, mpk 25, lp8, lpk25, sL1, sL3 all work from the moment I tried them (axiom pro 49 still waiting on driver update)

does not seem to have a plug for external power source, and will not work with my laptop???

PROS
it is small and compact

It has the ability to use other dAW's is HUGE but I could not get automap to work in traktor so I hear you are suppose to BUY the better version of automap


NOW THAT THE APC 20 is out (even though I have not played with it yet) it will crush the novation sales unless you are jst a loyal to novation(who is a great company....love there keyboards...I jst hate this controller so far



You know what history says about haters.......nothing!!?!

Launchpad & ignore the previous comment by the way I do not work for Novation would love to though.

the Launch Pad is the funnest controller I have.

I have no worries about the build quality or playability.

a USB port on the top would be nice.

instead of the white on green text on the left I wish they put colors relating to the function.

other than that, I pity the fool that tries to steal my Launchpad.



for me, the LP complements the APC quite well. I might swap my APC40 for an APC20. I don't think it's which to get, it's which to get first. the LP is more of an animal, the APC is more of a general overall controller. that's the advice you want to hear anyway, buy it all!!!

how about a launchpad with a nanokontrol scotch-taped on the botttom?

HeadrickProductions wrote:To start I am not an akai rep(would love to be) jst giving ya the truth


I have explored all these controllers. I've got the apc 40 and launchpad. I did a review somewhere on this site if you can find it.

CONS

Pirst off the plastic build and lack of stability is huge for me

Ok, I can understand that one isn't too thrilled by the plastic, but "lack of stability? It's barely 2 cm high so there's no worrying about knocking it by chance, the rubber pads/feet that stop it from slipping on the table cover around 1/3 of the bottom surface (you really have to push it to make it slip, an accidental, hit when moving your hand past won't even make it move 1/2mm). And even if it's light and plastic it's got a very stable feel to it, you'd need to bash it with a hammer or jump on it so it breaks. If you gave the - metal - apc that kind of treatment, the case might hold, but you'd have destroyed the knobs/faders/buttons

the circle pads under the square plastic make it terrible to use. You can hit a button and it will not even register

They do feel kind of strange to have this "double-click" feeling, but they trigger as soon as you press them (not at the point they "click"-in) never had the problem of it not registering a click. On the other hand I find the apc buttons a bit small (but then again I have pretty big hands/fingers, so that won't be a problem for everyone)

I like having the faders so I am heading for the apc 20 to use with the 40...If you can wait I am sure that they will issue an even more stripped down version if ya wait a little bit....I hope that we get a controller that we can use away from a power source...

This should be the main poind in deciding which to get. The apc is an all in one remote-controler (ie you have everything you need for live's 'remote' functions, clip launching, faders, sends, device control, the only thing it doesn't have is a keyboard and drumpads, so if your not gonna play any notes live you can get away with using only this for a performance)
On the other hand lauchpad is just a grid for people who have enough knobs & faders on other controlers and don't need any more go for this (while the mixer section does actually give you the possibility to control lives faders/pans/sends and you can map rows of buttons in the user mode to device controls, keep in mind that these make live jump to the position of the next button so for level faders you can only choose between: +6/0/-6/-12/-18/-24/-42/-inf and there are no smoth transition)

I have not been able to use my launchpad with win 7.....even when the laptop is plugged in.....my apc 40, mpk 25, lp8, lpk25, sL1, sL3 all work from the moment I tried them (axiom pro 49 still waiting on driver update)

does not seem to have a plug for external power source, and will not work with my laptop???

Could be, but thats no "con" for the launchpad, it's one either for you or your laptop. I'm running win 7 and I've had absolutely no problems using the launchpad, and there's enough other people here on the forum who are using it with win7.
And why would you want a external power supply? There's 2 reasons why controlers have an external power supply. 1) because they need more electricity than a USB port can supply (these allways come with an powersupply in the box) or 2) to use them as standalone midi controlers/keyboards for external synths/samplers/etc.
As launchpad only controls live (or automap), and live (and automap) only work on a computer, it only sends data down the USB cable. Now if it can get all it's power from a cable that has to be plugged in anyway, why would you want an external power supply?

PROS
it is small and compact

It has the ability to use other dAW's is HUGE but I could not get automap to work in traktor so I hear you are suppose to BUY the better version of automap

"buy a better version"? The things automap pro can do that the standard automap can't are

• if you have a function set to 1 button and want to move that to a different one, you can drag 'n' drop in pro, in std you'd have do deselect the funcion from the first button, and reselect it from the list on the second button.
• you can map keystrokes to any buttons including multipe keys so you can set functions like save/copy/paste/duplicate/etc to buttons on your controler.
• XY Pad Control (which isn't really needed for launchpad)
• and Multiple device support (but if you own multiple controlers, ie a nocturn or remote sl MK1 and a launchpad, you get automap pro free - remote sl MKII come with automap pro anyway)

Your not being able to set it up propperly won't be solved by unlocking a few extra features.

btw, if you want to change any controls on the apc you'll need max4live which is €250/$300, doesn't even give you the possibility to remap the controls straight out of the box.

NOW THAT THE APC 20 is out (even though I have not played with it yet) it will crush the novation sales unless you are jst a loyal to novation(who is a great company....love there keyboards...I jst hate this controller so far



You know what history says about haters.......nothing!!?!

I very much doubt that. There are more than enough people out there who own controlers with faders who won't need any more. Which allways was the market launchpad was aimed at. When the apc 40 was released at least half the people in this forum who would have considerd buying it, complained that they don't want to pay so much for a load of controls they allready had, and these people love lauchpad for what it is, a (very flexible) button grid and nothing more. The apc20 just seems like a mackie control extender for the apc40 (just they forgot to leave off the master fader)

Seriously, you obviously understand neither how the launchpad works, nor what/who it was meant for. But you list your own failings as those of the controler, add a bit of your own oppinion and claim "j(u)st giving ya the truth".

At the start of this Thread DJ VAKIS wrote:To buy a Launchpad?OR To wait for the APC 20?

The questions you should ask yourself:

• Do you need extra faders?
• Do you have max4live?
  If not, will you want to use it beyond the standard clip launching?
• Do you want to support a company that asks for 50% more from it's european customers that it's US ones (and the pricing of 100s of 1000s of other devices that are sold both in the US and EU show that any tax/currency/many different countrys/shipping/whatever excuses are bullsh*t

I want to launch clips,to control live mixer,pan pot,,,,,,,,,(Most for dj work)plus to play drums.
I need something small,and i think launchpad is the way to go.
Any help will be good,i need to order something today.
Opinions please!

Earlier I have APC 40. It was great! Usability of this was very very huge. But unfortunately on one of party someone drown my APC in beer, and it has broken On the next week i need to play again live act. My APC was broken, i don't have much money so I decided to buy a Launchpad. In compare the LP with APC, the LP was poorer... BUT not long ago the Novation in Poland was make great promotion and start sales the Zero SL MKII 50% cheeper. Now i have ZeRO and LP and I consider that set is greater than APC 40 and it is cheeper So... if you can buy the LP and later but the ZeRO SL MKII

Buy Launchpad and get nanoKONTROL or Nocturn or something...