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cosm
Livepa.org Regular
Joined: 07 Mar 2006
Posts: 191
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 Video - Apc40 - Opening the box and plugging in |
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Thanks to Akai and StoreDJ, I've managed to get my grubby little hands on an APC40 before the official release date. I strolled down and collected it yesterday, went straight home, set the camera rolling and filmed my first experience with the unit.
Watch the video as I plug it in and jump right into it!
I am spending lots of time with it over the next few days, and I will show it off at the official Ableton Live 8 launch in Melbourne on Thursday night ( http://www.cosm.co.nz/launch ) ... so if you are in VIC, head on down.
View the video at http://www.cosm.co.nz/apc40
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www.cosm.co.nz |
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| Tue May 26, 2009 12:18 pm |
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pongoid
Livepa.org Veteran
Joined: 10 Apr 2005
Posts: 1289
Location: Da Hood, West-O |
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Seems like an interesting tool, but having to navigate with the scroll buttons seems like hell. I cannot imagine playing a set like that. I have to wonder why Akai didn't go with something like a trackball instead. Not only that, but the ergonomics of where the scroll buttons are located is terrible considering that they're probably the most used feature if you're trying to stay away from your mouse/trackpad/keyboard. Lots of neat features, and the fact that it configures immediately is quite cool indeed, BUT navigating around a whole set with just those buttons seems like an RTS waiting to happen to someone who plays regularly. I personally think that that was shortsighted planning. I'd put a trackball between the crossfader and the sliders, maybe just a little further forward. Not hiding behind anything, and lets you work buttons and the ball simultaneously with one hand.
Good vid. Thanks for keeping others informed.
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| Tue May 26, 2009 1:04 pm |
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Blitz
Livepa.org Veteran
Joined: 25 Aug 2006
Posts: 1207
Location: Australia |
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fancy storedj giving a prerelease APC40 to a dirty sheepshaggin kiwi 
luckily you make decent instructional videos.. so I guess its ok haha..
Looks cool,
I agree with the directional buttons for scrolling... Also I noticed in the video you noted it doesnt keep scrolling when you hold the button down.. seems like if you have a wide area coverage of clips youd need to do alot of button bashing.. Not exactly optimal for really fast switching
The follow action lights are cool. . and the lights on the controller in general look nice.
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Modded DR-110, ES-1Mk2, Blofeld, KP3 = TECHNO
Last edited by Blitz on Tue May 26, 2009 2:24 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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| Tue May 26, 2009 2:20 pm |
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cosm
Livepa.org Regular
Joined: 07 Mar 2006
Posts: 191
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Yeah, I agree about the buttons... they aren't that much of a hassle... if I could move the red rectangle from within the program it would be ok.. im not sure if you can do this.
Holding down the shift key moves the red box the length or width of the box... so 8 across or 5 down... thats pretty good
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www.cosm.co.nz |
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| Tue May 26, 2009 2:23 pm |
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m2a2m
Livepa.org Regular
Joined: 02 Mar 2006
Posts: 325
Location: Rocky Mountains, USA |
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wow thats pretty impressive. it is like they made a hardware version of ableton live.
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| Tue May 26, 2009 4:53 pm |
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pongoid
Livepa.org Veteran
Joined: 10 Apr 2005
Posts: 1289
Location: Da Hood, West-O |
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Yeah, I agree about the buttons... they aren't that much of a hassle... |
Please let us know if you can say that after a month of regular use and gigging, IF the buttons last that long. Your fingers and wrist may not. Honestly, I hope they do and am not trying to wish any sort of RTS on you. Good luck.
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| Tue May 26, 2009 5:38 pm |
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decrepitude
Livepa.org Veteran
Joined: 23 Mar 2005
Posts: 1476
Location: Bloomington, Indiana USA |
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Yeah Tom, please keep us posted as to how it goes.
I canceled my pre-order of this unit just to see how things pan out. It looks awesome at first glance, but I realized I was GASing and decided to hold off.
The thing that really held me off, is that you're pretty much having to stare at the screen to navigate around (as described above.) Plus if what I understand is true, a max patch is what drives this thing and as soon as that news really gets out, there will be a HUGE reaction to it by controller manufacturers.
Not to mention, what's preventing AKAI from making a better product to compete with the APC40? I guess it would all depend on how savvy Ableton was in negotiating this deal.
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| Tue May 26, 2009 7:18 pm |
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Constantine
Livepa.org Regular
Joined: 18 Dec 2006
Posts: 135
Location: Moscow |
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Exciting! I wonder what kind of messages does it use to communicate with Ableton, ie how much time would it take for someone to hack it  Already placed a pre-order at Nova-Musik.
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| Tue May 26, 2009 7:56 pm |
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Blitz
Livepa.org Veteran
Joined: 25 Aug 2006
Posts: 1207
Location: Australia |
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if all it is is an ACTUAL max patch, thats just hidden somehow.. I would be realy pissed at buying one.
Anyone can make that shit happen in max
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Modded DR-110, ES-1Mk2, Blofeld, KP3 = TECHNO |
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| Wed May 27, 2009 12:25 am |
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Constantine
Livepa.org Regular
Joined: 18 Dec 2006
Posts: 135
Location: Moscow |
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you still get a monome with knobs and faders bundled with this patch
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Rhythmic noise/Dark ambient/TBM |
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| Wed May 27, 2009 5:43 am |
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Blitz
Livepa.org Veteran
Joined: 25 Aug 2006
Posts: 1207
Location: Australia |
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you still get a monome with knobs and faders bundled with this patch |
Yes... It is still tempting. . those arrow scroll buttons seem a little insane though.
Also having the interface still be so 'relative' means that you still kinda need a screen - if theyd added LCD track number/name readouts above each column, that wouldve helped alot.
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Modded DR-110, ES-1Mk2, Blofeld, KP3 = TECHNO |
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| Wed May 27, 2009 7:47 am |
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Wesley D.
Livepa.org Veteran
Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 1534
Location: Atlanta, GA, USA |
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| Wed May 27, 2009 8:20 pm |
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AudioMixChris
Livepa.org Acquaintance
Joined: 27 Feb 2009
Posts: 59
Location: MA |
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it's possible to route a knob for another controller for scrolling, i'm sure, but i highly doubt it will control lit button assignments and move the red box. that would be my guess.
still seems though worth it for the price not being ridiculous like some other controllers that don't seem as good and aren't specifically for live.
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'there are no limitations of the mind except those we acknowledge.' |
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| Wed May 27, 2009 8:36 pm |
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chase
Livepa.org Regular
Joined: 10 Sep 2006
Posts: 225
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Great intro vid, thanks for posting that! I would have liked to hear more about the shade of black they used on the box, though.
I agree that navigation is probably going to take some getting used to, but one of the commenters on your page already posted a good solution:
http://www.ableton.com/pages/2009/apc_40/session_overview
which seems like a pretty sensible way of doing it, and doesn't rely on the monitor. (I'm sure you would have discovered it had the video gone on a little longer, looks like you were able to find your way around the functions pretty quickly).
I'm probably going to remap the arrow buttons to reverse the normal and shift behaviors.
I think it may be off-base to say that the two-way communication is just a hidden Max patch, since the important thing is the information being sent out by Live for visual feedback. That's what's been missing in the past. It's only a matter of time before other manufacturers have controllers with bidirectional messages, Akai just got the jump on them, which was a pretty smart move.
And why on earth would Akai make a better product to compete with the APC40? Akai already makes the APC40.
My GAS is unabated. Looking forward to checking this out very soon myself...
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| Thu May 28, 2009 12:31 am |
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Blitz
Livepa.org Veteran
Joined: 25 Aug 2006
Posts: 1207
Location: Australia |
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live has always sent out those messages hasn't it?
that's how monolake's monodeck controllers worked, and I think someone here was doing something similar with just a standard midi control
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Modded DR-110, ES-1Mk2, Blofeld, KP3 = TECHNO |
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| Thu May 28, 2009 3:20 am |
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