Reply to Want to buy a "traditional" midrange priced DJ controller? Consider the APC40!

I know a lot of laptop DJ/controllerists who work with "traditional" DJ progs like Traktor, Virtual DJ, Serato etc. will consider buying a controller that looks like having 2 CDJs. At first sight, this seems like the most logical choice.

These DJ programs basically look like having 2 (or 4) decks. Additionally you will have more effects, more EQ options, more hotcue options, etc. Controllers like the VCI-100 and Torq Xponent will probably be the first things you will consider buying. They look a lot like having 2 CDJs with a mixer and extra effect and hotcue buttons.

But believe about this: a DJ controller is just a MIDI controller, it sends and a recieves MIDI signals. You can map it any way you want and with a bit of practice, you will get used to your mapping.

The VCI-100 and Torq Xponent are two popular DJ MIDI controllers in the 400-500 dollar/euro pricerange. The Akai APC40 is also a MIDI controller in that pricerange. It does not have much text written next to it's buttons and therefore you might believe that the buttons are not meant to control "traditional" DJ-ing options. APC stands for Ableton PRofessional Controller, so you might believe that it is not meant for other DJ programs. Both claims are far from true. It is probably one of the most robust and multi-functional (a lot of buttons and mapping options) controllers in it's pricerange.

I went to an audio store and tested the VCI-100 and Torq Xponent, and at home I played around with my housemate's APC40. The quality of the buttons and faders of the APC40 are significantly better than the VCI-100 and Torq Xponent. If you want to mess around with four decks and create true controllerism mayhem, it will give you a hell lot more cuepoints and looping options.

Just type in "APC40 traktor pro" in google::

http://www.listentopro.com/community /sho...d.php?p=637168
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuJQjrDj96g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf0B1k_8vRQ

Also keep this in mind: DJing is fun, but creating your own songs/samples and adding them into your own live set is the next step. The APC40 + Ableton are a great tool for that. If you will use another program than Ableton, I am 100% sure you will be able to map your APC40 to that.

The only downside is that your APC40 does not have jogwheels. Then again: will you be using a 400 dollar range controller for turntablism? The VCI-100 offers pretty good jogwheels, but still I do not believe they are really meant to do a lot of scratching with.

I don't mean this thread as a commercial for Akai or bashing of Vestax and M-Audio, I just want to give my personal advice based on my own experience.