Ableton Live Launchpad Help

[liamrd]

I am wanting a tool that will allow me to mix and mash up, clips of tracks, vocals, beats etc. I have ableton 9 already installed and I have been messing about with it for a month. I i've heard that the ableton launchpad is good for live performance, but I have never been able to use one. My main question is will a begineer like myself, be able to perform a mash up live with out no trouble and will this thing last from continous finger bashing? I have also looked at the Akai APC40, which seemed like a convincing option, it has many features too. The launchpad seems to have better reviews and cost's less, plus it looks less complex compared to the akai apc40. Also are these midi controllers, easy to setup? Do I just plug it in and play? or do I need to map the controls? The launchpad is built for ableton so I know that ableton intergation will be no problem, but I don't know about the akia apc40 that probally will need mapping right? Hope someone can help. Thanks

[Tektonix]

Sup liam!! I'm a happy owner of the Launchpad and going to be grabbing another yet another one to add on to the setup. I had the APC40 and sold it off as it was collecting dust.

The Launchpad V.S the APC40...Well, You can do almost anything you can with the launchpad that you can with the APC. Control, volumes, pans, fx parameters ect...your just using light up squares as linear faders instead of a physical fader/rotary knob like the apc. So in terms of what they do, its the same thing. They can take quite the beating, These things are built for button mashing (more so than the apc i find, especially as the buttons are bigger on the Launchpad). It's already integrated into Ableton, You just pop the disc that comes with it in, it will install whatever drivers it needs and from there its plug in and play. Its also dead easy to map to any other software down the road if you chose too (mines mapped into Traktor for remix decks + other random shit)

The launchpad i would say is more of a producers tool than the apc, I find the apc to be a bit more geared to DJing in ableton than producing (it does a good job at both however). But as said above, bigger pads, very very easy to use and setup and at the price point they are at right now...cant go wrong. Its better to buy something at 120$ and decide you don't like it than 300$ ynow?

Hope that helps man.

[DJ Riddims]

I bought a launchpad the other day and found it really easy to use. I had it working in a matter of minutes. It is easy to make mashups/remixes with it which is what I am currently doing. I am a complete beginner to Ableton but found using the launchpad to be easy and straightforward.

[DJ Riddims]

I made a video for the launchapad, didn't plan on uploading it but it might be helpful. I don't do video reviews/demos, lol.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA2ymgQiGx8