Reply to AKAI LPD8 automap only in midi channel 1?

Hi everyone,
I just want get two controllers (Launchpad and LPD8) to work properly in Ableton Live. It seems that I only need to switch midi channel of the LPD8 to anything above 9 (so it doesn`t intersect with Launchpads), but if I do that, my automap mode ("blue hand") in Ableton dissapears for the LPD8 knobs. So I can only assign them permanently to one effect rack. But I don`t have enough knobs and want to control many Macros just switching the focus Rack.
So, does LPD8 automap features works only with the 1st midi channel or I`m missing something?
And another small question, I have only 8 knobs, but want to control 2 virtual deck eq`s in automap mode, but I can`t beacause only one instrument might be highlithed and automaped. How to deal with it?
Tnx,
Dmitrii.