APC40 Midi Questions

RobG

Active Member
Hi again everyone. Thank goodness for this forum :).

So I have purchased an Akai APC40 (not MKII) on eBay. I have it hooked up. I have just finished reading the section on midi control from the user guide. But what a surprise, I have questions LOL.

1. When I load the APC40 profile, it changes the grid to 8 columns, 6 rows. I know I can change that in the Configuration settings in Beyond. However, I am guessing that the suggestion would be to reorganize all of my cues into 8x6 pages. Is that correct?

2. My biggest question right now is this: I thought using the APC40 would eliminate my need to have the Beyond software up on a screen, thereby eliminating one monitor from my basic DJ setup. I can see how you scroll through the pages on the APC40. But what I don't see is how you can know what page you are on, without having the software up on the screen? Do those of you who use midi controllers also display the software on a monitor, or is there some trick I am not seeing in order to know what page I am on? I just read about layers. Is there some way I can use the 40 main grid buttons on the controller for cues in one layer and for pages in another layer so I can map what page maps to what button? How do you switch layers to begin with?

3. I am trying to figure out how to get the APC40 button lights to give proper feedback. I have a button set to trigger a cue and while I am pressing the button, it lights up, but it doesn't stay lit with the toggle and go off with the next toggle to turn the cue off. How do I do that? I have read everything but still don't understand some of these things yet.

UPDATE TO ITEM 3: OK so I have gotten the feedback to work a bit now. Read where if I open Ableton Live first it will set the APC40 to Mode 1 and then it will work, once I get the codes entered properly, which I think I have now (for at least one cue). So two new questions from that:
1. Is there a tool to just flip the APC40 to More 1 without the need to open Ableton?
2. When I press the button, it lights immediately. But when I press it again there is a
delay prior to the light going out. It's not a long delay but it's definitely there.
Anything I can do about that?

I would really like to control my ClubMax 3000 with the APC40 but first I need to understand how to control the page selection so that I always know what page I'm on and I know how to select a page when I need it.

Thanks all,
Rob
 
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Another question: The "Midi to PangoScript" configuration button is grayed out. Why would that be? Beyond Essentials supports PangoScript, right?
 
Hi Rob,

1: Your correct, and after that you can change the grid size to match the APC40 in the configuration panel.

2: Well replacing your screen; thats a harder one.. Its possible to switch between pages, but any reference of where you are, will be lost. There is no "page" indication on the APC40.

3. you will probably need to load the midi file located in the BEYOND\midi directory. There is a file in there for the APC40. Version 1.9. That particular midi template also loads a special init string so you don't need to open Ableton.
3.1 and 3.2 are related to the template initialisation as described above.

in that same directory BEYOND\midi , you will also find an image describing how the APC40 works in that template.

The other question regarding PangoScript, to read PangoScript as you are doing now, you can use essentials. To edit and write PangoScript, you will need advanced or Better.

Best regards,

Bob
 
OK, so here are my final questions for now:

1. How do you change layers on the APC40?
2. If I had support for PangoScript, would I be able to define a second layer in which the buttons selected specific pages, instead of using the scrolling feature with pages. What would be perfect, if I could do it. I am already a bit disappointed because I didn't know Essentials didn't support using PangoScript to define commands. Spent a lot of money and upgrading will be a lot more. But if it will definitely do what I want, it might be worth it. But not if I can't define a layer that can be used to select the exact page I want without needing to look at the screen.
 
Well that leaves me kind of uncertain then. I would certainly not spend yet another $700 to get PangoScript only to find out I can't create a second layer and use it. So where does this leave me? Already spend $700 to upgrade to Beyond and don't dvr what I need. Can you help me with getting this functionality?
 
Well that leaves me kind of uncertain then. I would certainly not spend yet another $700 to get PangoScript only to find out I can't create a second layer and use it. So where does this leave me? Already spend $700 to upgrade to Beyond and don't dvr what I need. Can you help me with getting this functionality?
That should have said 'don't have what I need' LOL
 
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