Control Surfaces
Hey Guys,
I’m thinking about picking up a control surface for Ableton. Any suggestions?
All the one’s i’ve seen are designed specifically for like Cubase and Pro Tools and what not, I know I can map them, but I was wondering if there was one out there just for Ableton?
Thanks!
The APC40 and APC20 by AkaiPro are designed specifically for Ableton. APC stands for Ableton Performance Controller. I believe the Novation Launchpad is also intended for Ableton use.
Here is a full list of controllers that are natively-supported by Ableton:
Behringer is coming out with their new modular line soon which includes a 8x4 grid for launching clips that you may want to check out. Although it may not be out for a while, so you may not want to wait.
Have a look: http://www.behringer.com/EN/products/CMD-LC-1.aspx
If you have the cash I’d say check out some of the Livid products.. You might be able to get a second hand Ohm for a decent price.
What do you want to use it for? Multi-tracking? How many channels would you need control over at once? I’ve been thinking of doing the apc-80 mod for recording local bands. I never really need more than 14 channels but I like the idea of having all the controls in front of me at once. It’s been the closest thing to an ideal ableton control surface that I’ve seen so far. Although those giant livid systems are damn sexy
APC40 all the way - built to last, and its integration is ridiculously tight out of the box, even moreso with some creative mapping and M4L
I think you guys are not understanding what he’s looking for. The APC40 is fine for live use like what it is designed for but I don’t consider it a good studio piece at all. Way too bulky, faders are not great for precision mixing or studio style, I don’t want that awkward clip matrix that gets in the way if you just want to mix, and it is just not ideal as a studio mixer piece.
The avid controllers and controllers for cubase are pretty cool and are meant for the studio and mixing. I would like to see something like that for ableton that offers good DAW control of the mixer. I’ll be looking for something like this soon I’m sure.
This is a proper control surface (avid/ pro tools)
Thats exactly what I was asking him. I understand the apc 40 isn’t the most conventional control surface for multi tracking but he IS using ableton. I’m sure he already knows about the apc series. Just waiting for his response on his needs. Does he just want the more traditional mixer layout or does he plan on using ableton the way only ableton can work? BTW livid has been suggested already but does anyone know of any other control surfaces of the same nature?
Yeah I’m not sure. Sometime in the near future I will probably be looking for something similar- not really at that point yet though.
Hmmm well one can hope that the release of live 9 will come with a nice and shiny control surface. Idk maybe it’s because people don’t really see ableton as the “go to” solution for multi-tracking. 
Xone: Will you be using Ableton primarily? Congrats on 2,500 posts!
who knows when that will ever happen if it will happen. I wouldn’t hold my breath, I wonder if ableton will even be at musikmesse…
Depends what ableton live 9 looks like, for some reason I doubt it is anywhere on the horizon so I’ll probably switch to bitwig if it is as good as it looks. So I’ll be on ableton for the near future until something changes.
I feel ya. I’m staying optimistic though. I’ve really enjoy ableton so I’m willing to hold out and even if they don’t deliver, theres always bitwig. I’ve been interested in getting into ubuntu anyway so I wouldn’t mind the convert.
I appreciate all the replies! Bot, the list you put up is awesome, thanks! And yep, Xone hit it on the head. I was actually looking at that exact piece of kit that was created for Pro Tools / Cubase, but one specifically designed for Ableton.
Sorry I wish I could go through and reply to everyone’s post, but the stupid quote thing isn’t working for me for some reason. But yes, I was looking for something along the lines Euphonix Artist Control.
I did think about the APC’s, and Livid instruments controllers but I am not looking for a sequencer or anything of the sort (although maybe I should be).
I don’t think that Ableton does any of the complex protocols…just MIDI.
My first stop would be to see if anyone has any videos of it working with the Mackie MCU Pro. If it works, they’re cool units. And both Maschine and the Behringer BCF series use that protocol. It’s also based on MIDI, so I think it probably has the best chance of working.
Second stop would be the Avid Artist line, though I might remember that it doesn’t work at all…Ableton just doesn’t speak their language iirc, though almost everything else does.
Third stop would be to switch to Logic, Pro Tools, or Cubase and get one of the above mentioned control surfaces. But, there’s a reason that Ableton is considered great for live performance but basically doesn’t show up in studios…it’s just not that suited to tracking or mixing. It can do it, but unless the support has gotten a whole lot better, good control surfaces just aren’t available. Hell even Reason works with a lot of the higher-end surfaces.
Fourth stop would be to get a Mixer. The A&H Zed R16 is pretty cool. Lots of FireWire IO and decent converters, good master section, and a good bit of MIDI control (transport, a few knobs, a few dedicated faders, an every channel fader if you want them to). The Presonus StudioLive series also look REALLY interesting, though both lack motorized faders. At least the Presonus ones do total recall. And it gives you really powerful channel strips and dedicated DSP that’s probably on par with stock plugins.
I use my Evolution UC-33E
Having owned one, I think it’s basically worthless for production.
Why do you say that?
It’s laid out weird. I guess if you built channel strips, you could do something, but there aren’t enough knobs on each channel to do EQs, certainly not also dynamics. The return/master sections are worthless. Basically, it’s just a set of faders…but there are only 12 of them, even using both banks. So, you’ve got 1 bank for drums, 1 bank for everything else, and no real control over anything except with the device control section, which is fine if everything you want to do can be wrapped in effect/instrument/drum racks……and if you use Ableton. If you use anything else, it’s just have raw MIDI…and not enough of it.
If it had any intelligent way of switching what was being controlled, it’d be a little better.
Basically…it’s made for Abelton DJing. It’s good at that. But part of being good at that means sucking at basically everything else. People make it work with Traktor, but I think they’re crazy. I can’t imagine using it for DAW control.
Not when things like the Mackie MCU Pro (and other things that emulate the Mackie Control protocol, like the Behringer BCF stuff) exist and control however many channels and arbitrary plug-in control. More shifted functions, yes, but it has some shifted functions that give you quick access to things you need that the VCM just won’t really have.
I don’t like the Novation stuff very much. But even that would be better. The Remote Zero SL MK2 has scribble strips, at least, and costs less.
