MixRevolution Blog

Every so often we see a piece of gear where we think it is a must have.  We over here at Mix Rev think the AKAI APC 40 is that next must have device. To start the device is made from AKAI, they are the same company that makes the MPC sampling device that almost every single true hip hop head knows is a must have and has been featured in hundreds of hip-hop videos since the beginning of time. But I digress. The APC 40 is once of the most collaborative pieces of equipment I have ever had the opportunity to play with. Everything makes sense from a design prospective. They have a set of buttons that controls your clips (drums, bass line, vocals etc.). These buttons can be either triggered individually or as a string. This will allow for live performances to go in new directions putting much more control into the hands of the user than was previously available at a consumer level. While there are a few standards like knobs and faders, my favorite feature of the new APC is the ability to change views and windows. For those of you familar with http://www.ableton.com/ LIVE know that there are so many different views and screens that it is often difficult to navigate them all quickly with a mouse. These quick change view buttons will help user visually see their effects, volume controls, and clips ultimately giving the user total control of LIVE.