The APC40's unique matrix of buttons gives you direct access to the clips in your Session View. The matrix has 40 three-color buttons arranged in a five-scene-deep-by-eight-track-wide grid. The smart color-coding system lets you know exactly what's happening in each clip, and simple directional controls let you move around inside your Session View.
Play, stop, record
Pressing a Clip Launch button triggers the clip in the corresponding clip slot in Live. If the track is armed to record, pressing the button records a new clip.
The buttons in the matrix light up in different colors so you know what's going on:
- Amber: this slot contains a clip
- Green: this clip is playing
- Red: this clip is recording
Many aspects of the Live interface are replicated in the APC40. You can stop all music in a track with its Stop Clip button and fire horizontal lines of clips with the Scene Launch buttons. Stop All Clips does just that.
Communication integration
The controller tells you what's going on in the software, but, importantly, the software also reflects what's happening on the controller. The clip slots currently being controlled by the button matrix are shown in Live with a simple red border. This tight integration is a direct product of the collaboration between Akai and Ableton.
Navigate and Shift
Simple directional controls and a Shift button increase the scope of the eight-by-five grid:
