Akai APC40 MIDI Layout
Akai APC40 MIDI Layout Posted on: 03.06.2009 by Estela Follansbee I'm starting to create a MIDI mapping of the APC 40 in Traktor and wanted to share the layout key I made. It displays all of the MIDI note and CC values and the respective channels for each button.I was going to try and use the APC40 in combination with the Vestax VCI-100, but unfortunately there are many duplicate notes and CCs. This means functionality out-of-the-box may be compromised, but there is probably a workaround using Bome's MIDI Translator, MAX, or just waiting till Max for Live comes out. Otherwise, I may come up with a complete mapping just using the APC40 for fun. It probably won't be as intuitive as using the VCI-100, but it may result in an interesting take on using Traktor. A little more of a monome feel. After all, I was able to break sports records and rescue a princess only using a directional pad and two buttons. Anyone using a monome to control Traktor? What are some ideas people would like to see implemented in a mapping? ***UPDATE: I posted a very basic mapping in a new thread to get people started with the APC40. ***http://www.djranking s.com/community /showthread.php?t=6240 | |
| Heike Hollinrake 07.03.2010 | Can anyone help me get started with a basic mapping template for Live and the APC40? If I can just tweak it a bit to my needs I'd be soooo happy. Mike |
| Milda Poucher 04.03.2010 | Hey people. I am now the owner of a APC40 and Traktor Scratch Pro. No decks of external mixer yet but they will come once I have the funds. Just wanted to know if we could get some community thing going to maybe make some APC40 mappings. One for external mixer users, one for internal and maybe one for people who want it just to have on the side. I'm new to Traktor but I'm keen to get stuck in and try peoples TSIs out. |
| My Steffe 03.03.2010 |
Originally Posted by Zac Kyoti
Originally Posted by Zac Kyoti
Originally Posted by Zac Kyoti
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| Reece Murray 03.03.2010 | The APC40 doesn't have any updated firmware. It doesn't really need any, either - it's not a glitchy piece of kit. Some of the behaviors you notice are part of it's default functionality, but the APC40 is very hackable too. Using it in conjunction with M4L or Bomes, you can get it to do anything you want. Once you understand basic midi programming, I'd highly recommend Bomes MT as a next step. That can free you up from some of the default button behaviors of the APC (like momentary vs toggle, etc). Experiment with all of the three "states" of the APC40: "Native" (red box) mode (Turn on APC, Start up Live, select APC as control surface). Non-native mode (don't turn on Live, or don't use APC as control surface in Live). And "Dumb" mode (Get the red box in Live, then quit Live). Each state does different things with midi and led feedback. In Traktor, if you have a control affecting more than one thing onscreen, you have the same note/CC mapped to more than one command in your tsi. Go in and change what controls are mapped to what command. |
| My Steffe 03.03.2010 | I just got my APC40 in the mail today and am currently setting up the mapping for it in Traktor Pro. So far I've run into a couple problems - nothing major, but still annoying. 1) The track selection buttons. Is it a locked in feature that I'm only allowed to use one of those buttons at a time? Or is there a way to disable that? 2) When I mapped the xfader, the actual crossfader on the apc also started controlling the filter knob in Traktor. Is there any way to fix that? 3) What are the most responsive buttons for mapping Loop Set? So far I've mapped them to the 2 activator buttons (one for each deck), but I have to actually press down on them in order to enable/disable the loops. 4) I figured that since APC40 has been out for more than a few months now, there would probably be new firmware for it to iron out the glitches, but unfortunately Akai's support site for APC40 seems to be down. Would anybody happen to have a download mirror and info on the latest firmware version? Tips would be much appreciated. |
| Tawnya Nevels 02.03.2010 | ANy chance on getting some help getting the lights to work in Serato. I have it mapped to serato and I love it but the lights won't stay on. |
| Aurea Kager 20.02.2010 | Greets mate, thanks for you colaboration! This mapping was designed believeing that someone from DJTT could be interested |
| Julieta Heublein 20.02.2010 | oscarjmg, I've been sitting on a basic decks + mixer layout for a bit of time and it might be worth combining some ideas. The layout is designed to run in Ableton Live mode 2, i.e. the mode that Ableton Live initializes the APC40 on startup. This allows, with a little bit of midi hacking, for both traktor and ableton to use the APC40 at the same time. Also, I've found that creating a tsi for traktor in this mode to be less obnoxious because of the momentary buttons and disabled channel/track selection The mapping has a simple concept. I've attached a quick mock up of the layout. And I will post the tsi soon. The clip launch buttons are mapped to deck controls. Top three right-hand knobs compose a traditional eq mixer setup. The first 4 lower fader and button groups form the FX/Vol section for each deck. The next 4 lower fader and button groups form a Tempo Group for controlling sync/tempo. The master fader controls the view, i.e. switches between preview mode, a 2 deck view, and a 4 deck view. The lower knobs and buttons of the Device Control section give an extended details section. This section can be mapped to control deck details for each of the decks, or effect parameters for effects 1 and 2. You can select the mapping by pressing the appropriate button from the track selection row. The layout isn't currently designed with controlling multiple loops or multiple effects at the same time in mind because I wanted to make sure that basic functionality was working. However, I do like some of the the filters/loops sections that you've incorporated into your mapping. Also, the effect presets (echo and slice) that you have are also cool. |
| Aurea Kager 19.02.2010 | Hey misa |
| Estela Follansbee 18.02.2010 | I'm not sure about the LPD 8...I haven't had any experience with it. I seem to recall reading somewhere that the LEDs on the pads only responded to being pressed, but maybe the software editor can adjust that function and it is not something that is hardwired. Let me know how it goes. |
| Aurea Kager 18.02.2010 | Thanks Misa, i would really love to work with that .tsi But, i have another question do you know someone that have managed to work with traktor and the lpd 8. Im working on a set up with 1 apc 40 (as the main controller) and 2 akai lpd 8 (working for beat juggling). All this to work with 4 decks, the main problem with the lpd8 |
| Estela Follansbee 18.02.2010 | Haven't gotten around to cleaning everything up with the lights. I'll post the TSI I have once I get around to completing it, but at the moment I'm busy with some other projects. |
| Aurea Kager 13.02.2010 | Hi there misa, could you send me your last version of the mapping? did u manage the lights to work??? I want to take as a base your work. Please help me! |
| Karey Crumbliss 10.02.2010 | I have a nice tsi file downloaded around. I wish the FX1 button assigned to the first solo/cue button of the apc was in a "hold" mode. Punch in when i push it and turn it off when i release but stills in a toggle mode. Can someone help ? Do i have to change something to the .tsi ? |
| Danita Jeangilles 11.01.2010 | thx so now i can order apc40 |
| Estela Follansbee 08.01.2010 | You actually do not need to go through this process with the TPro 1.2 update. You can now assign a particular controller to a particular MIDI Mapping, so you no longer run into the conflict of two controllers using the same MIDI channel. |
| Danita Jeangilles 03.01.2010 |
Originally Posted by misa
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| Luvenia Deyoe 22.07.2009 | Thank you so much. I've only just gotten "serious" and decided to stick some real effort into this hobby (Mostly because of what I see NI has done with TraktorPRO). I've been a thread checker for quite some time and I hope to be a contributor (not just an inquisitor) soon. Thanks again. |
| Estela Follansbee 22.07.2009 | You can use the modifier function in the MIDI mapping section of TPro to set up four states for the knobs (maybe access the different states by pressing the four small buttons directly below). This is done through software and not through the APC40. But don't forget, the lower set of knobs and buttons essentially gives you 9 banks. 8 knobs + 8 buttons x 9 = 72 knobs + 72 buttons Ridiculous. This section is controlled through the APC40. (BTW, each row of knobs has 4, not 6...so your comment of "48 knobs instead of 12" should read 32 knobs instead of 8) |
| Luvenia Deyoe 22.07.2009 | Love all the hard work you all are doing. I'm believeing I really, really want one of these Akai controllers for Traktor Pro. Can any of you tell me if I can set the top right section of knobs to have 4 pages like it does for Ableton (with the pans and sends acting like 48 knobs instead of 12) This would really influence my decision to buy. Have any of you mapped it out in such a fashion? Thanks |
| Estela Follansbee 20.07.2009 | Just to update how I'm working with my APC40, I am using MIDI Patchbay (for Mac) to transmit all MIDI coming from the APC40 channel 1 to channel 10 in a Traktor Virtual Input. Then all the output MIDI from Traktor Virtual Output gets transfered from channel 10 to channel 1 on the APC40. Works simple, great, and now I can use the APC40 in conjunction with the VCI-100 without any glitches. |
| Estela Follansbee 21.06.2009 | I'm pretty sure you can use a MIDI translator program like Bomes to assign a different output for the APC40. I intend to do so and also check how the APC's functionality in Ableton Live changes by doing so. I'm hoping I can use some buttons on the APC to control things in Traktor and others to control things in Live at the same time. I'm meaning to get to that within the next couple of weeks. I just ordered a new computer, reformatted my old one, and am waiting to install my music software. |
| Reece Murray 19.06.2009 | I know the notes and CC's the unit sends aren't programmable, what I'm suggesting is to use a pipe to change the midi channel the APC40 is transmitting on, so there's no interference with the VCI's commands. |
| Kasandra Debuse 19.06.2009 | you cannot change what midi note number and CC numbers the APC40 is assigned to. |
| Reece Murray 19.06.2009 | As far as custom mapping (not for Live) Can you choose which midi channel the APC40 sends on? Or if it always sends data on channel one, you could use MidiPipe to convert all the data to a different channel - and you could use it together with the vci-100 without duplicate notes affecting functions. (Haven't messed around with one yet, so just guessing here). |
| Kasandra Debuse 19.06.2009 | i used snoize midi monitor, but if you're a PC user you could use midi ox. track select does perform a function, just not a note on or cc message. it changes the midi channel that device control on. when used IN ableton, track select does work as track selection and that is handled in LIVE. i have tried to midi assign track select buttons in GRAND VJ and havn't been able to, and this is probably why. |
| Estela Follansbee 18.06.2009 | That is pretty interesting to note. It may depend on the software you used to check the note and cc values. I have heard that different software or hardware manufacturers sometimes label middle C differently. It is commonly known as C4, but seeing how all your notes are one octave different than my labeling yet all the cc values are the same leads me to believe this may be the case. This really can't explain why you're not getting any sort of value from the "track selection" buttons. As Ableton and Traktor both respond to the buttons being pressed, it is difficult to believe that no MIDI info is being sent. What software did you use to label your diagram? I used Traktor. |
| Kasandra Debuse 18.06.2009 |
Originally Posted by misa
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| Miles Bartucci 11.06.2009 | hello, Thought this might be helpful to you guys Here's a video of the APC40 with Traktor Pro and a .tsi...although I'll tell u, unless u are using an external mixer, this map will probably not be so perfect for u. Well, something to work with, i guess... Traktor Pro and Akai APC40 Video APC40 Traktor Pro map if that doesnt work go to: http://www.robelmusic.com and do save link as. I'll post a little description of the mappings later [m] |
| Shane Golia 10.06.2009 | As mentioned earlier, I'd still like to know the LED schema on this as well, but it doesn't look like Akai has released that information. I guess someone will have to intercept the notes it receives from Ableton to light it up with Bomes or something to see what lights up which color on a button and how. |
| Estela Follansbee 06.06.2009 | I didn't have the chance to look into LED output. I'll see what I can work out next week. |
| Shane Golia 04.06.2009 | Is there any way to get the Leds around the knobs to sync up with the knob position in Traktor? It seems only the top left knobs in each knob bank do this..... |
| Predrag Mladenovic 03.06.2009 | Thanks Misa, I am going to make a mapping for the smart mixer setup next week sometime, and I will post it. Any ideas? |
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