The APC40: A Review & Features of Akai's APC-40 Controller for Ableton

[@arenelomax]

This is the most concise tutorial on the APC40 that KZbin has to offer. Ableton owes you a pay check.

[@djbolivia]

+Arené Lomax And I owe Ableton for probably saving me countless thousands of hours in my work flow over the past several years!

[@patkelly3966]

bvrulez.. in partnership with Ableton.

[@seangrahamfilm]

You're so right. Even Appleton staff can't explain it as usefully as this man.

[@pereirarj]

6 Years and your tutorial is the most clear for me in 2019, thank you so much.

[@TheAshishDdaviddShow]

As good luck would have it, there is only ONE dude dealing with the APC 40 and he is in my locality!!! Less than 3 kilometers away from where I live. Im going to meet him tomorrow. He will be ordering it and the wait time is one week. So i am SUPER EXCITED!!! The video is super basic, concise and to the point and does what it is supposed to o with lazer sharp accuracy. Thanks so much. What would I be without your videos. This is why you are my GURU. Thanks and God Bless you sir for all the time.

[@DemaMoto]

9 years later these tutorials are still very relevant and usefull. Thanks @DJBolivia

[@PauloFernandi]

Hi Dj Bolivia I told you once : You are a competent and responsible teacher, Happy New Year !!!

[@djbolivia]

Happy New Year, Paulo.

[@millso17]

Some people are absolute natural communicators. You are one of them, thank you!

[@frigourif]

THX dude ! The best demo ever. English is not my first language but half an hour with you and then I know almost everything I wanted to know... Great job ;-)

[@misterstudebaker]

Hi. Just want to say thanks for such a pleasant and comprehensive review of the baisc functions of the APC40. I just got one (for stupid cheap - $25!!!) and saw it as a sign that I should learn it. Your video was my first intro to the device, and now I know that I can use it for my work. You get a thumbs up and Cheers! I owe you a beer....

[@djbolivia]

+stuart studebaker I like beer. I can't believe you got it that cheap! Amazing deal.

[@marcostala]

The best review of the APC 40 I have seen. Perfectly explained and with all details. Congratulations!

[@djbolivia]

I'm looking forward to reviewing the Push later this winter too.

[@seangrahamfilm]

Your video and teaching style is BEAUTY. It's what the title says and more. Perfectomondo. A sincere THANK YOU.

[@rpmronin]

I just bought an APC40 and this video has been incredibly useful in my understanding of the product! Well done, and thank you!

[@djbolivia]

Really glad to hear this ...

[@moonchard]

That's the best tutorial video I've seen for the APC-40 Controller for Ableton and I've seen so many now. Great job man!

[@POLABARECHICAGO]

Dude you are mad informative and very well clearly understandably spoken. Thanks for the video I def learned quick and easy with your explanation! Good job DJBOLIVIA! You are an awesome teacher! Peace!

[@dkkrecords]

right off the bat. so you get an apc 40 in 2020 and you wanna just be sure yer gettin' it all right n' there's no more to it....then this is a good spot to be at...thanks...got mine operating just like i want it ...from watching this tutorial and some home grown ingenuity....

[@TheMillion84]

thanks djB. you are one of the absolute best dj tutorialists on the youtubes.

[@rtsii10]

very nice tutorial! stupid question.....if you are using the apc40 alone with a laptop can you still use the cue via headphones to preview clips? surely you can right? again....thanks for the video!

[@djbolivia]

Do you mean on the actual APC-40? A yellow button means that there is a clip present in the slot, and a red button (rare) means that you are recording into that clip. Green is common though, it means that the clip is currently playing. I'm not sure if this is what you were asking about though.

[@BaconFighter1]

I can't wait to purchase one of these super useful toys. I make beats and I am getting more and more into the performance aspect of the beat scene. This controller looks like it will perform the best for my playing style. Thank you djbolivia.

[@djbolivia]

You're welcome. It's a pretty solid piece of gear, good for live performance work.

[@borisemiloff5242]

Very detailed and precised tutorial, thanks

[@djbolivia]

Glad you found it to be helpful!

[@TerenceKearns]

You do great videos and reviews. I just got my apc40 today. Haven't been able to leave it alone. So stoked...

[@djbolivia]

Thanks, Terence ...

[@jamesm2075]

I know this video is quite old though I just got gifted an APC-40 and this tutorial was very informative! Thanks a lot!

[@PhoebeJCPSkunccMDsImagitorium]

ty for this nostalgia trip down memory lane looking at ableton 8.... ty again for this video, still helpful in 2020 when im blowing the dust off my old apc

[@bengobeatzdc68]

Just got it now , so far this video made sense 😎

[@DjGoBestMusicEver]

Great clear tutorial !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How we can use Apc in User Mode, please ?!!

[@djbolivia]

I'm sorry that I can't respond to any comments from before November, due to the way that KZbin changed their comment system!

[@omarmarmolejo345]

Thank you for the Tutorial great it really help, but I understand you are busy in you reforestation forest work. This Tutorial does not cover all my questions, at the end you mentioned something multi assign. it is what I am looking. thank a million for the great support. Omar in México

[@omarmarmolejo345]

At the end of this tutorial you played one track as a background, can I know the name of the track and artist. Thank you, and please come to Tour México City.

[@djbolivia]

Omar Marmolejo Ah yes, it's one of my own. Here's a free download link: soundcloud.com/djbolivia/bolivia-global-underground-dj-nard-instrumental

[@omarmarmolejo345]

djbolivia Lovely about the Track, nice Music. all my best, and please come back soon we all need you in the Tutorials.

[@omarmarmolejo345]

My friend. How you doing we need your help.

[@djbolivia]

Yeah, I agree, but a couple people emailed me last month and asked for a review of the APC--40. This will be good though, because I'm going to try to review the Push shortly, as soon as I can get my hands on one. Looks like a 12-16 week delay for shipments to Canada right now though, from looking at the Ableton website last night.

[@nathanpfeiffer3611]

Thank you for saving me a ton of time on midi mapping in ableton. If more videos were made by humans such as yourself, the communication and understanding of ableton and the apc40 would be better understood. I’m a communicator as well and I can honestly say your a genius litigator in terms of completely understanding somthing. So I thank you!

[@rockman49er]

I just got one of these wasn't sure if it was still worth getting after all these years because it's kinda old but people are still using it I see how are you liking it I also got a novation impulse 25 plus a novation launchpad so with this I should be set right?just asking because I'm a noob and only just got the free 90 day trial of ableton

[@dondoggywest]

You can solo multiple tracks without holding ctrl aswell, just need to flick 1 button in the preferences. Very nice video :)

[@okinawajapan1]

Well explained. Thanks. Wished everyone did this for all new controllers that came out.

[@djbolivia]

I wish I had more time, or I'd do it with a lot more products.

[@Woozy.0]

Thanks for this Bolivia, this is the best explanation for this device and it got me finally using mine🎉

[@djbolivia]

The Push is a much more complex piece of equipment. I hope to be able to video review it in January or February, once I'm back in my home studio.

[@TheHallucinati]

So weird. I never have the green LED rings around knobs. Only the position light which is 1 or 2 LEDs in a certain position around the knob. What influences that?

[@cd78]

masterclass. I bought my APC40 in 2010 and never used it as I went over to Logic, I have dusted it down and about to use it with live 8 suite.

[@DJDAMIAN72]

Great video DJ Bolivia, I always enjoy your videos, even when it's stuff about ableton that I already figured out on my own it's still very interesting & informative to see how somebody else does it & it can give me some new ideas. I've had Pro Tools for 5 year & although it's great @ recording & mixing it is not great for creating music... but I just got Ableton last year & wow is it amazing, great for creating music & mixtapes! Now I'm deciding between the Akai APC40 or the Novation Twitch.

[@Jemeneye7]

Does the APC40 have a "User 1" mode as is the case in Novation Launchpad? In user 1 mode you can drop in a drum kit or or any kind of 'sound' and hammer out a tune or a drum line. Thanks dude and great tutorial

[@amateurbear2303]

Great intro! Now, I'm ready to get started with my new holiday toy!! Thanks!

[@djbolivia]

Nice, I hope you'll enjoy playing with it.

[@chrislewis2618]

Hi I just purchased an akai apc 40. Which version of ableton would I use? I tried 11 lite however it won't let me save nor export.

[@djbolivia]

Thank you. I hope that by the time I start working on the "dance music production" tutorials a year from now, I'll have a better studio set-up for filming, and be able to use 4k resolution. But for now, hopefully the 1080p HD is good enough for people to see the software decently.

[@djbolivia]

Not yet, but I'd love to visit there. I was in Chile and Argentina last month, and have been in a few other South American countries in the past. My Spanish is far from perfect, so it would be good to visit there for a few months and learn to speak the language better.

[@lals9655]

Hello. Does apc40 MKI come with the registration code of the live suite?

[@sibanger4939]

Thanks for your run through with the APC40. If you have your 'Exclusive', 'Arm' & 'Solo' turned off in your preferences, you can solo & arm multiple tracks without having to push them simultaneously. Cheers.

[@Nu_Relic]

2020 and still clear and useful. Thanks Man!

[@curtisjeffs6547]

I don't know if this will get a reply but I am considering buying this, my main concern is how to navigate around the ableton set with this? I see the up, down, left and right arrows and assume that is exactly what this does? I will be using this purely to trigger clips (as well as change parameters) and it is replacing my launchpad which allows you to navigate all around the project with the arrow buttons, can this do that?

[@djbolivia]

Great to hear that you'll be able to get one...

[@deathbells4203]

hi there. is there a way to control an three eq on the acp40? so i could increase the low end of one track and decrease the low end in another track as they are both playing out? thanks great tutorials

[@djbolivia]

+Deathbells I would want to use a separate traditional MIDI controller of some sort for that. Doesn't have to be a big and fancy one.

[@allareredeemed]

I have a Korg Wavestation SR and wonder if the pads on this would be assignable to specific patches in the Wavestation so I could use it as a means of selecting and changing patches. If not, what would do this ?

[@martinlucas7521]

De los mejores reviews del Akai apc40, gracias!

[@zodom23]

THANX A LOT FOR THIS TUTORIAL, keep on making it for dummies...whe got to start somewhere...thanx

[@djbolivia]

No problem, no problem at all. Enjoy the holidays, if you get any.

[@djricknice]

Question :) What does it mean when the border around the clips is yellow instead of red? Thanks for your help..

[@roffeyay99]

Hey! Would you anytime be putting out a tutorial about some tips and tricks on how to DJ with this APC 40?:)

[@kira_277]

Just discovered your channel. Im very grateful for all your work! :)

[@djbolivia]

+Kira _ Thanks, Kira.

[@djbolivia]

Well, the second half of the video goes into some basic examples of that. I think once you get through that part, it'll all make sense for DJ'ing. I hope so! I'll probably do a recording of one of my radio shows in early April using this unit though, so look for that too ... thanks for your interest!

[@edgaremh]

I think that the push is more designed for studio work. what do you think about it?

[@Givethankspoliticalexpert]

Will this work in reasons 11 as a midi controller. I would like to use it as a mixer using the buttons I sends

[@SweetScaleTV]

in 2019 just started looping this tutorial is a life saver!! thank you!

[@mathemen3011]

Very nice review!! Just one very nice feature which was missing: You can use shift+clip/track or shift+divice on/off or shift+arrow left or shift+arrow right to assign the 8 device control encoders to 4 different sets of device parameters, i.e. you can overall control 32 device parameters instead of only 8.

[@jordancortezsound]

Hello DJB! Is apc40 using a switching adapter? Is it good to plug in a 220v power source? Can it be bus powered? Thanks a lot!

[@mountainstartemple6041]

I use mine in 'performance mode' in FL Studio (12 now) .... I love this thing and works just great in FL Studio for whatever I want

[@carlos_mann]

Fantastic informative video

[@davidjoseph9625]

nice video! but i have a question. ok I'm MPC REN USER AND WITH MY TYPE OF MUSIC FOR LIVE PERFORMANCE I USE THE REN LIVE. BUT SINCE THERE IS NO MAIN TEMPO CONTROL ON THE REN I WOULD NEED TO USE ABLETON BUT IM TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WITH PROGRAMS I HAVE CREATED ON THE REN HOW DO I USE THE ON ABLETON LIVE TO USE BEATS I HAVE PROGRAM ON THE MPC REN FOR LIVE PERFORMANCE?

[@djbolivia]

Hey David, that's a good question. Very complicated too. The Renaissance seems like a pretty nice piece of gear. I've never played with one, but I'd like to. Since the Ren has its own brain, it's almost like it should be a separate piece of equipment rather than linked to Ableton. That's a tough thing to explain in words. I might have to try to do a video for this eventually. Sorry that I can't give you a quick and easy answer.

[@davidjoseph9625]

oh ok cool. id love that

[@JakkiousEliot]

David Joseph Hi. If you go to this page on youtube, there are a few videos that may help you regarding your MPC REN and Ableton. Good Luck. kzbin.info?search_query=HOW+DO+I+USE+THE+ON+ABLETON+LIVE+TO+USE+BEATS+I+HAVE+PROGRAM+ON+THE+MPC+REN+

[@djbolivia]

Giordano Galileo Llorente-Cortez The APC40 is good to plug into a 220v power source. The default power supply (double-check) normally is good for 110-240, so with the correct physical adapter, it can be used anywhere in the world, including 50/60Hz systems. Straight out of the box, the unit is NOT bus powered because it has so many lights. But you can do a mod by taking power from a couple USB ports on your computer and combine them in order to power the APC40. But I think that idea is mostly useful for people who like to tinker. Just carrying a power supply is a better option than possibly overloading the power drain from your laptop.

[@donnak138]

How musically enclined do I have to be to use this?

[@djbolivia]

Donna Kincaid I'd say that you need to be more comfortable with electronic technology for music than actually musically inclined. It's more for use when DJ'ing, or perhaps for music production, than it is for playing music as a pure musician.

[@djbolivia]

Donna Kincaid Think of it as a tool rather than as an instrument.

[@chef197]

Would this be considered as a digital audio workstation??

[@FavouriteMusicGr]

Hey man great video !!! Have you got a tutorial for apc 40 on traktor it would be useful

[@djbolivia]

+Tasos L I don't yet, but it's on my long list of projects to tackle.

[@ParkerEdwardsParties]

Thanks, really thorough basic overview - just what I needed. You're awesome

[@djbolivia]

+Parker Edwards Thanks Parker, I appreciate you taking the time to write.

[@Elusion189]

Thank you for taking the time to explain everything for us, great and very informative tutorials!!

[@johnaylward6467]

Brilliant video. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@JingleRants]

What drum pad would you recommend to someone who wants to produce. I was looking at the APC40 but after reading some comments on this video I am doubting it.

[@ben5660-k8t]

JingleRants Akai is releasing a new line of MPD pad controllers, that might be what you are looking for.

[@charlottecady9417]

I'm obsessed with mine! Depends on what you want to do with it.

[@djbolivia]

Have you ever looked at the MPD 32?

[@patchmorris1]

really good tutorial, thank you for posting this on youtube it was very helpful.

[@djbolivia]

Good point, sometimes I miss simple little tricks like this. Thanks for sharing it!

[@Dark0ripper]

can you use the apc40 for fingerdrumming?

[@dannymolns3573]

Does this integrate with Logic Pro at all?

[@heavyforward]

Thanks for the awesome video, as always Jonathan. I just have one quick question. I've been looking at Ableton Controllers and I have yet to find an effective way to move clips from the browser to the actual audio channels without using the mouse. What method or device do you recommend? Is that even possible or do I have to have all tracks I wanna play within a set prior to performing? Cause that would kinda suck.

[@djbolivia]

That's a good question. I haven't thought of a way. It's not a big deal for me because when I'm playing EDM, I already have all the tracks in my session, because I've warped them ahead of time. But very occasionally if I'm playing non-warped tracks, I'll end up going into the browser to grab something that wasn't already in my set, and that's something that I've always done with the mouse. Well, actually, I use my touch pad, because it's usually not a good idea to have a wireless mouse in a DJ booth in the dark. It tends to get lost in the chaos.

[@heavyforward]

Agreed. I find it weird that I cannot find an effective way to browse for tracks, bring them to the session, or even move a clip from one slot to another one on session view without using the mouse/trackpad. I thought at this point some device would have included that. It's kinda annoying that I can't decide what to play on the fly and instead have to put everything on a set prior.

[@wilsinhobatera]

Can I use the device control section while in arrangement view, or as soon as I choose any track, in order to change a device parameter, it goes back to session view?

[@djbolivia]

+Wilson Lemos The assignments stay constant. Arrangement view seems to be a very different beast than session view, but all the underlying assignments will stay the same in terms of the MIDI mapping. Clip selection is affected though, because you can't intuitively "see" where you are, even though Ableton understands.

[@georgevallack]

classic producer, working at 2am to explain some stuff

[@babydemonlab]

Awesome video man, you rock!

[@djbolivia]

Thanks, and also for taking time to comment.

[@Blacktyyy]

This man explains everthing realy good very helpful thank you.

[@djbolivia]

You're welcome.

[@romanxoroshilov7547]

Will it work with live 11 suite?

[@codrinserghei8228]

Great tutorial and great detailed description. Thank's alot! Congrats!

[@TrateMusic]

This was an incredible walkthrough, thanks for a great resource!

[@coreyswesh9661]

Hello, i have recently got a new APC 40 Akai Ableton Live launchpad. I do not know anything about it, or how to make any clips, music or beats... help?

[@Lumhiere]

thanks! great tutorial and very informative as well. by the way, is it only capable of controlling midi files? how about Audio files, as most of my loops and samples are all in .wav format and not in .midi or .mid file.

[@djbolivia]

As long as your audio software (ie. Ableton) can handle audio loops as well as MIDI loops, and most do, then you can definitely use your APC-40 to do all the triggering of audio loops, adjusting controls on the audio effect plug-ins, etc.

[@Lumhiere]

thank you, thank you and another million thank you! this really helped me a lot big time! am planning to buy one this coming april. : ) more power to you and your works!!

[@dakoolguy111]

How do I control a drum rack with the apc40?

[@moyah88]

hi there how cn it be used with other packages other than ableton

[@isaiahfurrow7414]

I have a friend looking to get into live looping, stuff like Dub FX "Love Someone" video....with some pre-recorderd stuff to add the live stuff to... any help or advice you could give would be great... I'm thinking a laptop with APC40, Ableton, a footswitch or two, cabling, an SM58 or other similar mic, something like a Scarlett 2i4 or similar interface, and some sort of amplification system would be ideal... with a cart with a couple deep cycle batteries, and inverter, and a single powered PA speaker, he could be a pretty cool street performer... that is part of what he wants to do, also parties and such...and make CDs of his music... He was looking at a Roland Keyboard that was in the $1000 range, and he could have most of what I mentioned above for approximately that...any input would be great, and thanks again for your videos.... Happy New Year!

[@djbolivia]

Actually, that's almost a perfect list of what I'd pick for that sort of scenario. I don't know about the APC 40 for mobile performance, I'd be trying to keep the gear simple, but having the APC 40 would certainly make performance more simple. The SM58 is pretty common, I think using the same guts as the SM57 (which is known as an instrument mic), so they're fairly interchangeable. The only thing I'd worry about with that much gear is the dollar value and the attention that it would attract, if he's performing in the hood.

[@MehEvver]

What does the "Shift" button do right beside the "Bank Select"

[@djbolivia]

It has a number of separate functions. For instance, if you're going up or down between scenes and you have shift held down, you'll go up or down five rows at a time instead of one. Check out this page, it lists some of the other ways it can be used: www.ableton.com/en/manual/using-the-apc40/

[@yesohmgod]

Hey man, I'm currently looking at getting my first controller. Would you recommend the APC 40 as a first time controller? Also, what else will I need to buy? Thanks man, see ya!

[@djbolivia]

Can you give me more background? Are you looking at DJ'ing, or producing EDM, or producing/recording regular music? What kinds of equipment do you currently have? What kinds of software do you currently use for DJ'ing and/or audio production?

[@yesohmgod]

I have absolutely nothing, but a laptop and $500. I am looking at making some remixes at home, and then maybe in a year or so potentially doing parties, etc. Thanks man

[@djbolivia]

Grass I don't know. I think if you're looking at doing music production, you might be Ok just getting a cheaper multi-purpose controller, or maybe a DJ-rig style of controller where you can also use some of the knobs and buttons as general MIDI controls when you're at home doing production work. The APC-40 is almost tailored more to live performances with Ableton, so while it isn't inappropriate for your situation, you can probably find something that works as well in a more generic package, and for a tiny bit less money.

[@zachgreen611]

Is this software that your using compatible with FL studio or does FL studio have its own software that I could use this with??

[@djbolivia]

FLS could certainly integrate with this controller. However, there may be other controllers that you find to be more appropriate for using with FLS, depending on your exact music/production goals. Try doing a search on "midi controllers with lots of knobs and buttons" to see if there are other controllers that you like better. The APC-40 is well-built and useful, but definitely most useful to Ableton DJ's. From a strictly production point-of-view, especially if Ableton isn't your main DAW, there are definitely other controllers that might be even more suitable.

[@JakkiousEliot]

Zach Green Hi, If you go to this page in youtube, there are some great videos that will teach you how to use FL studio and Ableton Live together. kzbin.info?search_query=how+to+use+FL+studio+and+Ableton and on this page are some videos on how to use Akai APC 20 with FL studio. kzbin.info?search_query=how+to+use+FL+studio+and+Akai+APC+20

[@djcertaindaze]

Excellent video. Thanks for doing this.

[@djbolivia]

You're welcome!

[@Jemeneye7]

Great tutorial, SUPER DETAILED. Btw, what is "Q"ing?

[@romeokaleikau4143]

So theres no quantize button? Or it just automatically quantizes beats?

[@djbolivia]

Any quantization would have to be done by the DAW itself.

[@markkilley2683]

Thanks for the info. I'm about to get one for a bargain price.

[@BranZHamZ]

Would have been way better if he fit the video of the APC40 was fitted inside the blank area for more samples on the computer screen video. AND if there was some actual music being played

[@moltenriches]

This vs a Novation launchpad, what would you reccomend?

[@djbolivia]

Definitely the APC 40 over the Launchpad. The Launchpad is a much more basic unit that only incorporates some of the features of the APC 40.

[@paintedfoxes9889]

THIS 100% best way to laydown the fundamentals for arrangment to save time vs using a mouse for arrangment alone

[@Lambvaxx]

Try to do a review on the APC 40 mrk 2

[@djbolivia]

It'll be a while before I get back to my studio, and I want to do a Push controller review first (which I should have done this past winter), but I definitely want to get my hands on an APC 40 mark II, so I'll see what I can do when I get home.

[@Venus_official_music]

Wow - When I looked at these controllers I was so overwhlemed. But they are so simple! hahah

[@Stevecorona]

how do i get the crossfader to only play the 1st track while im mixing in the 2nd track? djbolivia

[@djbolivia]

Sorry, I'm confused, can you re-word this? If you're ONLY playing the first track, then you're not really mixing in the 2nd. I think I know what you're asking, but it's kind of confusing with the crossfader. On a traditional mixer, I would disable the crossfader and have the first track volume level up 100%, and then start mixing in the 2nd track on it's own channel volume fader.

[@almdmilk]

Really really really great video, I really appreciate it!

[@djbolivia]

Thanks Mark.

[@ChiefShaka]

will the default mapping turn off if i map one single command please reply

[@djbolivia]

I can't remember, and I'm six thousand kilometers away from my studio right now. Can you try it and see what happens? Or you're trying to figure this out before you buy one?

[@ChiefShaka]

trying to figure it out before i get one

[@freakingapples456]

I have fl studio. I need a tutorial on how to use it on that.

[@moyah88]

i have 2 of these can i link them