Controller Idea

So as I've been playing with Ableton, I've been researching what controllers are out there. I'm trying to figure out which way I want my workflow to go as far as DJing with the program goes. And this leads me to start looking at what controller I may be using down the line. Right now I can't afford anything, but I really enjoy having "goals" as far as gear/software goes.

Lemur, Livid Ohm64, Livid Block, Akai APC40, Akai APC20, Novation Launchpad, Vestax VCM-600, Monome. There are a couple others out there, but these are the ones that are the ones I would look to first.

The Lemur by far would be my top choice, but it's got a serious price tag on it and no "tactile" controls. That being said, I very well may not buy a single thing until it's in my possession because of it's amazing versatility.

I like the APC40, but I do not like that it doesn't have EQ controls. That being said, that's where the VCM-600 comes in, paired with a Launchpad. The other option is the Livid Ohm or Block. Both of which are really interesting, but there is no native support in Ableton for them either.

The Vestax VCM-600 is probably my favorite out of all of the above controls for Ableton (under 1k USD), for the sheer fact that it has EQ controls. The Ohm64 has the ability to map the knobs to be EQ's, but only for 4 channels.

My workflow plan is something like this:

I want 3 EQ's for each column. I want a fader for each column. I would like clip launching abilities for each clip, and to be able to move the clip selection "window" and to have my controller(s) react to it as well. (like the red box to show what is active when an APC40 is hooked up to Ableton).

The big thing is having clip launching capabilities, and also to have faders and EQ's for each section.

And if I can't figure out how to work something else, I may be tempted into the realm of a "Do-it-yourself" solution.

Here's a picture of the controller I've semi-designed:



Basically it's taking the basic layout of the Ohm64, getting rid of the crossfader, adding more scene selection buttons, and adding more pots for EQ's and Effects. I'd use the top 2 rows of pots for effects, and the row directly below that for gain. I'd be mixing with the faders so I would not need a crossfader. It would leave 108 Buttons in the center to mess with, and I'm sure I would not need all of them for clip launching, and so I could assign them to other tasks. (Soloing/Cue, turning on effects, the list goes on)

The only other solutions on the market that I really see would be getting a VCM-600 and a clip launching solution (block, monome, launchpad). The APC series would be overkill with the VCM-600 I believe.

I'm still believeing that having a Livid Block and a VCM-600 could be a pretty amazing setup. Especially if I wanted to VJ alongside, because Livid has some serious options for that as well.

The problem is pricepoint. I figure a Lemur is roughly 2000. A VCM-600 is about 900, and the Block is about 400. I have no idea what a DIY solution would cost, but I'm sure it would not be cheap.

... the APC40 would be so nice if it actually had EQ knobs to go along with it. It's really unfortunate that it does not, though it may be a perfect control for some people.

So really, I'm looking at 3 options right now for the future:

Lemur
VCM-600 + Livid Block
DIY Solution (which I have no experience in, but it could be a lot of fun/frustration)

The launchpad is a solution that I could use instead of the Block, but I really like how the block interacts with CellDNA and other VJing programs, it's not solely locked to Ableton.

Anyone else want to share their frustrations/concerns when it comes to controllers with Ableton? I've probably spent the better part of today researching different options.