All user reviews for the Akai Professional APC40

For how long have you been using it? I use it for 2 years, in the evening at home.

Did you try many other models before getting this one? No

What is so special that you like best? The fact that it is full power controller and Ableton Live, these effects, these modules and even the vst entirely by passing the mouse, mix, compound, in the studio, at home or in the evening, it is difficult part with them so they facilitate our vie.La quality knobs & faders is a plus too.

Minimum: For cons the quality is not top of the pads, it is very correct but is an effort to make this side, raising its price slightly, the very very short USB cable (USB extension cable required) .

What is your opinion about the value for the price? Despite its price remains good, as it is very very complete and very practical.

Knowing what you know now, would you make the same choice? Yes

<strong>For how long have you been using it?
<span style="font-weight: normal;">1 month. Including 2 live shows in public. Very intuitive, it leaves a big part to live and gives another vision of ableton, very tactile, very hardware <img class="smiley" src="/images/audiofanzine/interface/smileys/icon_wink.gif" alt="" />
</span>

Did you try many other models before getting this one?
<span style="font-weight: normal;">
Not bad for controller evolution uc-16 to pcr-300 through the innovations, the controllers "old school": p no return data, not had the opportunity 'to compare with a launchpad, and another nocturn the same generation, what attracted me to the side "all in one", the only thing it lacks little to my taste would be a few extra pads in the MPD but not in the same spirit ...
</span>

Knowing what you know now, would you make the same choice?
<span style="font-weight: normal;">
Eyes closed completely adapted to my games live ...
</span> What is so special that you like best?
<span style="font-weight: normal;">
Integration into live (Luckily), the side plug and play without making head (iMac OsX.5, Ableton Live 7), touch (the crossfader is really huge, the pads very nice ...)
the least?

Static controller very little customization required to adapt to the live sound controller and not the reverse, but max4live should greatly change the situation ...


What is your opinion about the value for the price?

Value for money very good, yet to see the life long term aspect but it is not at all "cheap"</span></strong>

+ How long are you using it?

A few weeks intensively.

+ Did you try many other models before getting this one?

BCR2000, Korg Nano Series, Novation Launchpad

+ What thing do you like most/least about it?

Pros: negligible latency, quality of construction, colored pads, seamless integration with Live.

Cons: No manual (for beginners) and no template editors (these kind of APC60-40 Hanz Petrov should have been imagined by AkaiPro, which has pro's name).

+ What is your opinion about the value for the price?

The quality / price is fair, we pay dear for a midi controller but the quality of components to air detriment to appointments, replaceable crossfader, nice leds around the knobs. Remains the lack of 'User Profiles' as the launchpad, or rating mode, appeared later on the APC20.

+ Knowing what you know now, would you make the same choice? ...

Yes, undoubtedly. In the end, despite my reservations about the ease of customization (which is why I put 8 and not 10), it remains for me the best controller for Live to date. With the presets APC60-40 is even a massacre

I bought this controller when it ships. Having started with electronic music hardware, I wanted to find these lost feelings since my Mac. The bet is almost succeeded with the APC 40, the controller integrates seamlessly with Live. Beyond the navigation using the pads (very convenient), the integration of potentiometers is certainly the most interesting function. Using Live on racks in optimizing its set in no time and on stage were all on hand, almost never watch the computer screen and it plays heavily in the report to the public. A big regret, however: the faders are not motorized and it lacks a lot, too bad ... Another weak point, less serious, small caps on the knobs are good in the public and have the annoying tendency to break free and disappear! (He must miss me half now)
Strong point, you can customize its configuration, and then it's great happiness!
For me, this controller has become indispensable!

- For how long have you been using it?
I use it for about two months.

- Did you try many other models before getting this one?
Yes, UC33e, BCR/BCF2000.

- What thing do you like most/least about it?

+ Ergonomics, everything is at hand.
+ Ease of implementation and use (from the moment you know how to use Ableton Live
the APC40 is a breeze)
+ Colored pads that indicates the status of videos
+ Low latency
Crossfader + handy

- The only downside that I could give this jewelry, it does not have motorized faders,
reassign the slider every time and sometimes a problem in live use.


- What is your opinion about the value for the price?
About 400 euros it's still pretty expensive for some of us, but it is possible to find
hand, some people buy it and do not find most useful, therefore, you can find
APC40 very well maintained for about 280 euros.
Once the investment, and according to the utility you have, I do not see why the change to
another machine ... ?
In any case it's a very good machine, the pads are well made, the crossfader is
Replaceable, the chassis is metal, the LEDs around the knobs are the most beautiful effect,
integration with Ableton Live is phenomenal for my taste ...

- Knowing what you know now, would you make the same choice?
Yes, yes and yes, I even plan to buy a APC20 and more.


Conclusion:

To me this is the most ergonomic controller that I know (integration with Ableton is absolutely bluffing), good quality and easy to use I recommend it to anyone wanting to play live, has changed the APC40 my vision of live machine.

The Akai APC40 is a unique MIDI controller that's designed for use with Ableton Live. Ableton is a DAW that's becoming more and more popular and for good reason as it's really intuitive and easy to use for creating music in the box. The APC40 makes this process even a little bit easier as it gives you access to controls in the DAW on an external piece. It's perfect as a controller for live shows if you're using your laptop on stage. I only recently got to try out the APC40 with Ableton, and while Ableton isn't my main DAW since I don't do all that much music creation in the box, it's a great tool for those who are using Ableton on a daily basis. You can control pretty much everything in Ableton using the APC40, as it's got nine faders (including a master), buttons for clip control, knobs for track and device controls, as well as transport and channel controls. It's pretty in depth with everything that it can do but if you know Ableton Live well, I don't think you'll have a hard time adjusting. Since I don't use Ableton all the time, it'll take me a little more time to get used to using the APC40, but I think those a bit more experienced will feel pretty comfortable with it. The price is about right for the APC40 considering all that it brings to the table and it's nice build. Of course for it to be worth it you should be using Ableton a lot as this doesn't work with other DAW's that I'm aware of, or least it's modeled after Ableton and wouldn't really translate over. For those who do have Ableton Live, definitely check out the APC40 for hands on control of your DAW.

I use the APC for 3 months.
Prior has had the Korg Nano, no report! PCA is very robust, works flawlessly and does everything asked of him. Obviously, it does not make it CIF Live pilot point (so the pads are not as teractive MPC)

I use it mostly at the stage of composition and recording. It allows me to record very easily DIFFERENT parts of guitars, basses, keyboards (track is armed, pressing the button on the clip you want and save dcompte begins. Tamping on it the button the clip To stop, the play continues back) Then, having recorded some riffs I juggle until it finds the structure ... Then I reworked the effects on the heart (the knobs are gniaux) and finally, I record a version model in understanding the view still juggling with the clips / scenes / effects

This is not necessarly the initial use of PCA (djing live ...), but it suits me IDAL and I bought for this purpose. I earn a lot of time and return trips of the mouse!

Only BMOL okay, you can assign any parameter or any knob pad, activating the remote control mode BUT if he does, the transport keys (read: play, pause ...) no longer work! Too bad!

So yes, it's expensive, but really I do not regret my purchase, so it is what I wanted.