Akai APC40
The APC40 made by Akai is a midi controller which is designed for the Ableton Live software. Although it would be fine to use for music sequencing, the main purpose of this devise is to make live performance with this piece of equipment as easy and as fun as possible. Through personal preference I’d say this controller would be used to it’s highest potential in electronic music, although I’m sure it would work well when being used in performance for any sort of music. According to http://www.musicsoftwaretraining.com “Any Ableton user who wants to make the transition into professional DJing, Anyone who wants quick access to Ableton’s features in the studio without mouse clicks, Remixers and Producers looking for a more hand’s on & live approach to music making” Would benefit from the APC40. The APC40 uses a midi to USB cable so you are able to just plug straight in to your MAC or PC and get going. This controller is compatible with both Mac and PC depending on which version of Ableton you have.
You can buy an APC40 with a full version of Ableton Live 8 for around £500, which may seem quite expensive but you can buy just the controller for around £350, which when you consider the control and easy layout of this piece of kit, is not much to pay at all.
Novation’s new Launchpad controller was the new partnership with Ableton. The Launchpad is approximately half the price of the APC40, a good deal more compact (measuring just 239mm square and 24mm deep, and weighing 717g), and leaves all control to the buttons. Most of the unit’s top panel is taken up by a 64-button, eight-by-eight grid. When activated, these buttons are illuminated in one of three colours: amber, green or red. A column of eight round buttons stands at the right-hand edge of the grid, and another row of eight sits along the top. All of the buttons are made from a thick, translucent, rubbery material that feels very durable. The buttons are a fairly snug fit in their housings and have a slightly ‘sticky’ feel when pressed, almost as if there was a ‘notch’ half-way down. This may improve as the unit is worn in, and will probably be less noticeable for more assertive button-pushers. This controller although it does not have as much specific control as the APC40, it is probably within the price range that most people can afford, and once you are used to the layout can do a lot of things with it, even if it's not as much as the APC40. I'd say that the Novation Launch pad is a good piece of equipment if you do not want to spend as much money. You can buy the launch pad for between £120-£140.
Below are two review videos from Youtube which give a brief explanation of how to use both controllers.
