Akai Professional APC64 Pad Performance Controller for Ableton Live
Ableton Live Performance Controller with 8 x 8 Clip-launch Matrix, 8 Assignable Touch Strips, Velocity Sensitivity, Polyphonic Aftertouch, 16-note Polyphony, 8-track 32-step Sequencer, 8 x CV/Gate Out, 1-in/2-out MIDI Mini TRS, Standalone Operation, USB-C Port, and Bundled Software
Unlock Next-gen Performance Potential for Ableton Live
When the MPC60 launched in 1988, Akai Professional blazed the trail for a unique way to get hands-on with your sound, and the indelible groove created by finger drumming cemented a distinct, immediately recognizable style of beat crafting and sampling. The APC series of instruments married this model with Ableton Live’s hybrid studio/live-performance architecture to elevate the creative potential of the software suite, and the APC64 is the modern musician’s answer to Ableton Live-driven performance. An 8-by-8, RGB-backlit, 64-pad matrix includes both velocity sensitivity and polyphonic aftertouch, while a surrounding constellation of multi-mode buttons comprises detailed, comprehensive navigation and performance tools. Ragtime production pros agree that the newly included, fully assignable touch strips are a game changer for expressivity, boasting continuous control and complete customization with FX, V.I.s, dynamics, and anything else within the virtual production suite. Furthermore, a powerful internal sequencer, onboard Gate/CV jacks, and flexible TRS-MIDI connectivity not only provide simultaneous interfacing with external instruments, but allow you to go completely DAW-less without sacrificing performance potential.
Reach out and seize your sound
There is no shortage of ways to use Ableton Live for your artistic endeavors. Whether you’re queuing tracks and clips, indulging MPC-style sampling, or sculpting soundscapes across FX and virtual instruments, the APC64 is a next-gen evolution in studio and live-performance possibilities. Each of its 64 performance pads is capable of polyphonic aftertouch with fine-tunable velocity sensitivity. At the same time, a 16-note polyphony on each track expands the melodic harmonizing opportunities found in the Notes and Chords modes. All eight touch strips boast continuous operation, maximizing expressive potential through attenuating any parameter within FX, virtual instruments, and even externally connected instruments. Conversely, you can use them for managing your mix, from filter cutoff values and modulation to entire tracks and FX sends. Moreover, Probability and Mutate functions are hard-wired for instantly injecting all matters of variety to inspire unexpected creative directions, ready to be immediately captured by the built-in 8-track, 32-step sequencer.
Intuitive interfacing for streamlined sonics
The APC64’s straightforward interface expertly allows for a world of performance, composition, and expression without cluttering your view or over-complicating your sound, thanks to seamless DAW control, ergonomically arranged buttons, and dedicated transport controls. The RGB-backlit performance pads can mirror Clip and Track views in your workflow to painlessly manage your tracks. Meanwhile, a vivid display screen and accompanying rotary encoder provide real-time visual feedback, in addition to supplementing navigation for onboard and DAW-based parameters. Scene launch buttons, panning controls, and a litany of secondary functions ensure you can get as deep as you need with your DAW in any setting. For even greater personalization, the included APC Project Editor Software lets you design custom layouts, presets, and control schemes that can stored and recalled as needed, providing a versatile tool kit for instantly moving between sets, styles, stages, and studios.
Dive in, plug out, and connect on your terms
A slew of bundled software runs the gauntlet of soft synths, vintage-style effects, emulations of iconic keyboards, vocal processing, and drum samples, drawing from the likes of CR2 Records, Air Instruments, and Sonivox, meaning the APC64 instantly expands creative possibilities in both the physical and virtual realms. What’s more, eight onboard Gate/CV jacks and a 1-in/2-out TRS-MIDI mini-jack interface allow you to deploy the APC64’s powerful performance suite across drum machines, Eurorack modules, keyboards, synths, and any compatible external instruments for simultaneous operation, or completely DAW-less composition. That’s right: the continuously operable touch strips, polyphonic aftertouch, and velocity-sensitive articulation of the APC64 can reach far beyond the confines of a single aural terrain.
