Akai APC40 USB Performance Controller for Ableton Live

Akai APC40

Co-designed by Ableton and AKAI for flawless control of Live
AKAI brought their renowned controller hardware know-how to the table and Ableton brought the requests, hopes, and visions of their countless Ableton Live performers to the table, and the two went to work designing the ultimate Ableton Live controller. While Live software of Akai APC40 has always been totally MIDI-mappable, there's just never been a MIDI-based controller that resembled - or could be molded to resemble - the unique inner world of Ableton Live. But, now, with the APC40, Ableton Live performers have a plug-and-play solution for getting into the heart of their Live session, triggering clips, making on-the-fly adjustments, and more - just what Live software is intended to let you do.

Clip Launch Matrix for directly accessing clips in Session View
One of the most unique features of Ableton Live software is its "Session View" - columns of clips you can arrange into Scenes, trigger all at once, solo, record more into a new Scene, and the list goes on and on. And, the AKAI APC40 provides the perfect tactile control surface for doing all of that - no more squinting at a computer screen and grabbing a mouse. The APC40 features a Clip Launch matrix, with 40 different buttons - and it's easily navigable to get to other clips that aren't currently in view. The buttons light up green when that clip is playing, yellow when the slot contains a clip, red when the clip is record armed, and stay unlit when there's no clip there. Best yet, the APC40 communicates bidirectionally with the software, so it updates automatically when you make an adjustment in the software - and your software screen will also update when you make a tweak on the control surface. The grid itself is 5-scenes-deep and 8-tracks-wide, and a Bank Select button and a Shift button help you move up or down scenes one at a time or by holding shift 5 scenes at a time - or one track at a time or 8 tracks at a time - the matrix can be easily navigated up to 125 scenes by 64 tracks.

8-fader mixer section with volume, solo/pre-cue, record arm, and mute
In addition to its handy Clip Launch / Session Overview matrix, the APC40 features handy controls before the section for solo/pre-cue, record arm, and mute functions. There are also eight faders, which let you make quick adjustments to the volumes of each clip as you play live - or as you mix your projects in the studio. A dedicated cue level knob is available, so you can pre-listen to a clip or even the metronome, without the audience hearing.

8 encoders - with LED rings - for track selection and device control
Use the AKAI APC40 Ableton Live controller's eight Device Control buttons to take charge of your effects and virtual instruments onstage. There are eight endless dials and four control buttons, which map to your devices automatically. The Track Selection button routes the eight endless encoders to the first device or device rack on the track, and the LED rings automatically show you the levels on the selected parameter. Then, four buttons below the dials give you even deeper control. Clip/Track lets you switch between viewing the devices on a track, or the devices of the clip currently playing on the track. Device On/Off turns the currently selected device on or off. And Device Left and Device Right (two arrows) let you shift one step sideways along a track's device chain. When an effect or virtual instrument has more than eight parameters, just hold down the shift button and select through up to eight banks of eight device/parameter controls

Transport and Global buttons
The AKAI APC40 sports handy transport and global buttons, so you can access Live's main functions, so you can clean up your screen view onstage and part with using the mouse. Detail View opens and closes the Clip/Track View, so you can see more clips. MIDI Overdub lets you overdub on a MIDI clip. The Record Quantization button of Akai APC40 lets you toggle input quantization between "none" and the last selected quantization setting. And, the metronome lets you turn the metronome on and off.

Eight more encoders - bankable - for track control
You can take charge of pan settings and send effects for whichever eight tracks are currently selected, using the AKAI APC40's Track Control section. It features eight endless dials with LED rings plus four buttons - Pan Send A, Send B, and Send C. The buttons of Akai APC40 let you select what the encoders are controlling, and the encoders let you dial in the amount or depth of the pan or send effect.

Tap Tempo and Nudge Left/Right buttons
One of the coolest features in Live software, in general, is the ability to dynamically control the tempo of the performance - nudging it in one direction or another, or tapping it into place. The AKAI APC40 gives you control over that, as well, thanks to its Tap Tempo button, and "Nudge -" and "Nudge +". Stay in sync with turntables, the other members of the band, or quickly repair timing issues. You can use the Tap Tempo traditionally, to make the set follow your tapping, or use it to count in.

Smooth-moving, replaceable crossfader
AKAI and Ableton packed the APC40 with a rugged crossfader, designed to stand up to serious use. It's also easily replaceable from the bottom of the unit, so you can extend the lifetime of the already seriously durable APC40. In Live, you can set any track as an A or B destination, then smoothly crossfade between them. The crossfader of Akai APC40 is also handy for controlling effect, volume, and modulation curves.

Plug-and-play ready, but also totally customizable
While the APC40 comes to you totally ready to go with Ableton Live - and has been designed to create an incredibly smooth workflow for most Ableton Live users, Akai APC40's also totally MIDI-mappable. Go ahead and assign out all of the knobs, faders, and buttons to make the APC40 the best controller it can be for you and your music.

Includes Ableton Live AKAI Professional APC40 Edition Software
If you don't already have a copy of Ableton Live, it's okay - you can get started using your APC40 straight out of the box. It comes with a custom-tailored software package, the Ableton Live AKAI Professional APC40 Edition. This version features eight audio tracks and eight MIDI tracks, plus 20 Session View scenes. Akai APC40 also includes all of Live's effects and supports custom-mapping parameters within Live.

Co-designed by Ableton and AKAI for flawless control of Live

Clip Launch Matrix for directly accessing clips in Session View

8-fader mixer section with volume, solo/pre-cue, record arm, and mute

8 encoders - with LED rings - for track selection and device control

Transport and Global buttons

Eight more encoders - bankable - for track control

Tap Tempo and Nudge Left/Right buttons

Smooth-moving, replaceable crossfader

Plug-and-play ready, but also totally customizable

Includes Ableton Live AKAI Professional APC40 Edition Software

Mac: Any G4 or faster (Intel Mac recommended), 512MB RAM (1GB recommended), Mac OS X 10.3.9 (10.4 or later recommended), QuickTime 6.5 or higher, DVD-ROM drive

Windows: 1.5 GHz CPU or faster, 512 MB RAM (1GB recommended), Windows XP or Windows Vista, Windows compatible sound card (ASIO driver support recommended), QuickTime 6.5 or higher, DVD-ROM drive

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