APC-40: Crazy Versatile Ableton Controller

Akai Pro APC-40

As I mentioned in my previous post, I have been playing around with Ableton for a little over a month and I am stunned at how awesome this software is.  What I didn’t mention was the sweet toy I picked up with it. Below are pictures I took of my new studio hardware

A New Way to Play and Make Music

Akai Pro is known for it’s hardware. The makers of the legendary MPC Series have become a standard name in million dollar mega-studios and bargain basement beat factories. Their products have revolutionized the way producers are able to manipulate sounds and samples and create many of the hit tracks found all over the radio and web. Ableton and Akai teamed up to create and equally legendary controller to work hand in hand with the innovative interface of Ableton Live, and what they came up with  will probably go down in history as the beginning of a new way imagine music creation.

Though I didn’t have the privilege of growing up in turntable generation I can appreciate what they achieve in creating a new style of music and a new way to play tracks. Tempo matching, scratching, turntable mixing and all the other challenging aspects of  DJing made it a respectable art form and brought a unique sound that has forever changed music and the music industry. However, as time speeds up and technology grows beyond our wildest dreams we are forced to adapt or die.  The APC-40 and other new forms of controllers are emerging  as the next game changer and the beginning of the next phase of musical evolution.

Behold, the future of performance and production. I currently use mine for production purposes. It provides a fun way to quickly lay out some song ideas and work out my song arrangement before lay it down linearly. And with all the knobs and faders I can instantly give my song a natural, live performance feel with a little automation on my effects. I use this along side my M-Audio midi keyboard and it basically functions as another instrument. The only way to really understand this boss hardware is to see it in action.

Ableton Live: A Must Have for Producers

Ableton Live

A New Producer’s Perspective

Though I’m not new to music I am new to music producing. I’ve performed in front of big crowds and I’ve been recorded in a studio but I’ve only recently been making my own music. While researching which DAW I would be willing to throw some money at, I came across Ableton and it was love at first sight. I spent hours watching videos and tutorials trying to figure out how to use the software before I even got it. The videos discussed concepts and ideas that I had only briefly touched upon while studying music business in college, but the user-friendly interface and easy to understand knobs and functions made Ableton my number one choice over Pro Tools, Logic, FL Studio and Reason. I also spent some time working on the thrifty producer’s DAW, Reaper, which was a good software, but more on the complicated side for a noob producer.

I’ve owned Ableton Live Suite 8 for only a month and I’ve barely begun to scratch the surface of what it is truly capable of. I can say, however, that in this short time I have had more creative ideas flow through me than ever before. Ableton helps me grow my musical knowledge, expand my skill set and live out my dreams.

 3 Ways to Play

There are 3 versions of Ableton Live: Intro, Live 8 and Suite 8.

Intro

Intro is Ableton’s essential version. This feather weight DAW packs a mean left hook, whether you want to be the DJ at you next family reunion or record and edit your podcasts to make your online soapbox rants sound crystal clear. With 7 GB of audio content at your fingertips, you will instantly be rushed with the inspiration to finally write that song you promised your high school girl friend.

Live 8

Ableton Live is about making music; for composition, songwriting, recording, production, remixing and live performance. If you are family with DAWs and have acquired your own instrument and effects plug-ins and a sound library then this is the route for you.

Suite 8

This is the one I got. Ableton Suite 8 includes six powerful synthesizers, a selection of authentic sample-based instruments and a collection of rich effects devices: an arsenal of tools for serious sound design. It also comes with a library with over 1600 expressive sounds, each with versatile control options. I think this is the perfect software for someone new to producing and DJing but ready to take their music to the streets and make a living from their passion.

See For Yourself.

Throughout this post I’ve added links to the various DAWs. I challenge you to take a look at the different options and see which software would work best for you. Ableton offers much more than what I have discussed. Check it out: