mapping EQ on the APC40 for performance with Ableton Live

[kbridge]

I'm looking for some advice..

I'm moving from Traktor DJing with an S4 to an Ableton setup with an APC40, where I will be able to mix full length tracks, and just have more general control and a new way to perform, which I'm very excited about!

My issue is that the first two channels of live will be set aside for the full length tracks, with whatever other clips set aside for one-shots, loops etc - but as this doesn't seem to be the expected use for the controller, it has obviously been designed without a traditional DJ mixer EQ control.

My question is that I need help mapping the EQ to the controller, I need to be able to control the EQ of two channels simultaneously (is this possible? If so, how?) and where do you think the best location of the EQs would be? I was thinking the top right bank of four rotaries, could become a horizontal 3-band EQ with maybe the fourth rotary mapped to an Auto Filter for sweeps etc?

What do you think? Thanks for any help you can offer!

[DefCone]

Check out Ill Gates' template for the APC40. He's got a very intuitive mapping with some awesome features, and it's got internal mixing capabilities mapped to the knobs. I'm actually doing the opposite of what you're doing right now, I'm going from an Ableton + APC40 environment to probably a DDJSX.

[DefCone]

I'm actually doing the opposite of you, but instead of an S4 and Traktor, I'm going with a DDJ-SX (starting with SeratoDJ, but may move to Traktor at some point). I recommend checking out Ill Gates' APC template, as well as Will Marshall's template. If not using them directly, at least using some of the ideas they have and applying them.

Ill Gates' APC template : http://illmethodology.com/product/apc40-dj-template/
Will Marshall's APC template : http://willmarshall.me/products/dj-template-apc40

[deevey]

Really depends how much emphasis on EQ do you put on your mixes - generally I only use the Bass and gain to mix track to track and only fine tune with the Mid/High prior to the mix ..

Don't forget the APC allows you to select 4 banks of the top encoders so you can map 8x4 knobs.

Much more worthwhile IMHO is gain, as a result I have my top encoders set as follows

Bank1= Gain/Bass
Bank2= Mid/High
Bank3= LP/HP

Really though depends on you - its an adaptable controller if you are willing to sacrifice things however would probably consider a Cntrl-R or maybe even 2xK2's at this stage.

[William Gibson]

Look at ill.gates apc template. Its a hybrid 4 deck map. Its made to be used as 2 decks but each deck has a performance parts channel for one shots and stuff. Really sounds like what you are looking for. I use gates templates for my apc and will marshalls for my ohm. Gates was just updated for live 9 and is siiiick.

[kbridge]

Much more worthwhile IMHO is gain, as a result I have my top encoders set as follows

Bank1= Gain/Bass
Bank2= Mid/High
Bank3= LP/HP

I don't really follow pal, only because I come from a Turntable "background" (have only played on Turntables, but use Ableton for production), so I'm not fully sure why you would use gain control?

[kbridge]

I feel like if I don't have a 3 band EQ, the minimum I would need would be is a bass kill button (possibly the button just above each fader), so that I can atleast bring in track B, alongside the already playing track A, then just flip the basses over?

[deevey]

I don't really follow pal, only because I come from a Turntable "background" (have only played on Turntables, but use Ableton for production), so I'm not fully sure why you would use gain control?

Likewise - hence the reason I need gains, how else do you level off other peoples tracks on the fly if you want to keep your channels faders @ 100% ?

I feel like if I don't have a 3 band EQ,

You can still have a 3 band eq, just mapped across 2 banks if you do it my way, but if you are only using 2 channels no biggie to map them horizontally like you said before, swapping baselines using kills is IMHO cheap and nasty and leaves you with far less control in the mix.

Unfortunately you'll always be limited by the # of knobs on an APC and their arrangement, if you really wanted to you could also map some of the bottom knobs and sacrifice effects knobs.