It has a seriously noughties look, what with the touch strips and whatnot. StantonDJ started mucking around with that sort of thing in that period. It looked cool and futuristic at first, but was neither!
Faders and pots please.
1 Like
Today APC64 looks too big and heavy for its functionality. It would be better if AKAI or Novation or Native Instruments released something like AKAI MidiMix Mk2 or Novation L.C.XL mk 3 … for 250-300 dollars with a focus on standalone, otherwise there is still nothing good from a budget in this segment. Yes, of course, sensitive faders are cool, but when they are more under the hand / under 4 fingers on each of the hands of 2 hands (fifths are resting :-). Well, yes, instead of a strange sequencer and a weak standalone controller, I would like to get just a cool inexpensive controller with a built-in MIDI merging and MIDI Thru (so that you can connect a sequencer to the input of the controller and a multi-synth / groovebox to the output) and 2 or 3 MIDI outputs!
Well, in order for this simple but useful controller to also work well with Ableton, it would be nice for programmers to make an easy-to-edit Ableton Midi Remote Script in addition to the factory one for people who want to use the controller in non-standard way, for example, with two controllers for devices: the first for the selected track and the second with the ability to assign to another plugin or rack (for example, to something like Ozone on the master) and with switching banks of device parameters!
Kind of like the Maschine Jam
I’m sure there are some python scripts out there allowing complete integration with Ableton Live.
Not sure who would buy this instead of a used Push 2 at the same or cheaper price point. 
I guess if you’re only looking at it as a standalone midi sequencer?
1 Like
taught to always look on the bright side, so I guess at least it can be said that Akai is not stingy when it comes to putting out products and designs that literally no one asked for, so all of those people who wished quietly for a midi controller with touch strips on each side can rejoice that something has arrived that’s just for them, and the even brighter side is that if they’ll put something out like this then maybe there is still hope that they will put out an smaller mpc with the pads on the right side of the Q-Links! and some Q-link Faders!, and a Force Mini with a crossfader on the left side!
1 Like
Lots of glitchy madness to be had with those 8 touch strips.I think this thingy has loads of potential.
2 Likes
Looks like a Laundpad with landing strips to me 
2 Likes
If it isn’t covered in stuff that turns to goo eventually, that would be a strong point in its favor.
I’m happy with my Launchpad Pro and NanoKontrol, but would consider this Akai device if I was buying now.
Push2 looks cool, but the goo is a dealbreaker. Push3 is beyond my casual gear budget.
1 Like
The Push looks delicate to me.Very refined but expensive and vulnerable.This APC looks tough and bad ass.And im not normally a fan of touch strips……Generally but I hope they made these precise and effective.If its bulletproof and laid out well (i know theres some ? Marks about some of Akai’s decisions here) I might just have to get one and ditch MPC Live and bypass Push 3.
1 Like
my goo is all gone thanks to goo be gone and my push 2 is still black and smooth, before goo be gone it was a sticky mess!
1 Like
A lot of comments saying it’s very similar to LaunchPad Pro MK3
Does anyone understand what are the key differences between these 2 devices when it comes to the standalone (without Ableton) sequencing? I watched Loopop video and quickly checked the manual and I already see that there’s no micro-timing / micro-steps / unquantized recording in any form - which makes it much worse comparing to LP3
Anything else?
2 Likes
This specific point is worth diving into, as I imagine most people in the market for one of these controllers at least consider the Push (even if the price scares them off after 3 seconds). I’m considering a pad contoller, and from the outside it looks to me like you would use Push primarily as a creative workflow enhancer for sequencing stuff in Live, chopping samples, and getting a closer look at the parameters of stock devices, which obviously are a bit small at the bottom of the screen. This is fine for a short time, but for detailed work, it might be best to have the chance to look elsewhere.
Though I hear some things are better executed in the new Push, I imagine the mouse will always be quicker for certain things. However, with the Push having a screen, does that mean you are not constantly looking at your monitor, and is that a price worth paying for a little variety in workflow? Or, does the fact that you would end up using a mouse anyway negate the benefits of the Push, thus making the APC64 or a Launchpad a better buy?
Think standalone sequencing, simplicity of using APC64 / Launchpad Pro for driving external gear and at a much lower cost. APC64 can sequence 8 devices, that’s pretty decent.
I’m def going for a Push 3 at some stage, and own a LP Pro MK3 (which I’ll prob sell). But can see some appeal. But lack of rotaries puts me off the APC64.
1 Like
You know I think this the implementation of strips is kinda neat. I can imagine you’d want the touch strips turned on and off. But compared to mousing around or using a trackpad, it could be an interesting option. And additionally you can control multiple things at once with both hands, which probably lends it to performance. I think it’s a kinda clever way around the limitations Ableton likely impose on these devices.
Watching the folks using it on demo, people have to look at the screen but there is a lot of hands on control too which is really nice. I wonder if Novation are thinking of how they can respond with Launchpad mk4?
1 Like
if they don’t respond by finally putting out that self contained monome/emulating launchpad that samples and sequences samples all within the sleek launchpad form factor everyone has come to know and love then they are missing the boat!!
Speaking of the Launchpad, has anyone compared these two or considered them side by side?
The big difference I’m seeing here is that with the APC, you might be more able to edit automation without needing the mouse or additional controllers. I’m not aware that the Launchpad does this. From what I see you can automate and overdub automation via the APC and not the Launchpad. You could get around this by having a setup with a Launchkey Mini and a Launchpad Pro, as the LK gives you the rotaries.
I see some notes about the length of the step sequencer being just 32 steps (as a pose to 64 on the LPP) but I guess with the ability to quickly duplicate a clip length - you could easily sidestep that issue in Ableton itself. Loopop showed it is missing things like not note repeats and ratchets too. I believe they didn’t add capture MIDI, but this could theoretically be added if they wanted to?
Does the LPP still nick it, since it’s a bit cheaper now? As mentioned the main downside is that you’re losing the automation potential and trading that for a slightly better sequencer.
Having watched the reviews, a couple of points;
Looks like the strips light up in the colour of the track, if you’re controlling one. However, the one advantage of the AKAI design is that you are not restricted to that alone. So you can (unlike a Launchpad) play notes and control parameters of either the track devices, sends, vol/pan etc, but the pads can simulatenously be changed to control either notes, chords, sequences, or something custom. This seems to be the biggest advantage of the array of buttons on here.
As a parent, I look at this & the Launchpad. I want a Push, and then I think, “well when the kids try to break it -there’s not much to break!” I’d have to have a safe for the Push to avoid it becoming a Mush.
Hah. I’m holding out for Mush 3 
1 Like
That’s actually a really sweet perspective, thank you for sharing. 
Makes me think that developers of kid-friendly music tech could focus less on the ‘Fisher-Price’ aesthetics and more towards harder to break designs like touch strips with LEDs indicating positions and pads rather than keys.
2 Likes
Haha. It’s definitley a 1st world problem, but I enjoy loading up Ableton and letting some little people be creative dictator. My Launchkey Mini is pretty much exclusively for quick note entry and also for them to abuse. I don’t think this figures into Ableton’s market research. But a part of my research on these devices isn’t just the cost, but how bad I will feel about paying that money if somehow they decide to “feed” it some marshmallows or something equally sticky 
1 Like