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APCmini ACT preset/setup


mr wpg

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Does  anyone know where i can either find a preset for the Akai APCmini to use it with ACT or a recent tutorial from someone on how to set it up. I don't want to have to ditch cakewalk after only just learning it but ACT is extremely convoluted and makes no sense, even with "Sonar" video's showing the process.

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ACT is no more convoluted then Ableton scripting, the difference is Akai supports Ableton and doesn't support Cakewalk...

Instead of videos, I recommend to read the documentation: https://bandlab.github.io/cakewalk/docs/Cakewalk Reference Guide.pdf page 1272+

You can use 8 (+shift) buttons and 8 faders of your controller with  "ACT MIDI Controller plug-in". You can use more buttons with "Generic Surface plug-in". The functionality is more or less limited by strip and (VST) plug-ins controls.

If you want to use APC with Matrix view (something in Ableton direction), that is assigned in the Matrix view itself (ACT does not support it).

APC is a controller specially designed for Ableton, which in turn has rather special work flow. Cakewalk likes "mixer" controllers (Mackie or clones). You can try to use APC with Matrix / assign some commands to buttons / use faders for VST controller (with ACT or MIDI learn). In practice that is not controller which steer Cakewalk well, I will say "X-Touch Mini" is minimal (and the cheapest) in the right direction. 

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5 hours ago, azslow3 said:

ACT is no more convoluted then Ableton scripting, the difference is Akai supports Ableton and doesn't support Cakewalk...

Instead of videos, I recommend to read the documentation: https://bandlab.github.io/cakewalk/docs/Cakewalk Reference Guide.pdf page 1272+

You can use 8 (+shift) buttons and 8 faders of your controller with  "ACT MIDI Controller plug-in". You can use more buttons with "Generic Surface plug-in". The functionality is more or less limited by strip and (VST) plug-ins controls.

If you want to use APC with Matrix view (something in Ableton direction), that is assigned in the Matrix view itself (ACT does not support it).

APC is a controller specially designed for Ableton, which in turn has rather special work flow. Cakewalk likes "mixer" controllers (Mackie or clones). You can try to use APC with Matrix / assign some commands to buttons / use faders for VST controller (with ACT or MIDI learn). In practice that is not controller which steer Cakewalk well, I will say "X-Touch Mini" is minimal (and the cheapest) in the right direction. 

Thanks for the response.

I'm not a fan of Ableton if i'm honest but a friend handed me some free hardware.... what you gonna do...

I was hoping to use it as a hardware controller for the MPC2000XL vst....

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  • 1 year later...

Is there anything new here? I bought an APC mini from Akai. Actually, mainly for lighting control via MIDI. Now I wonder if it could also be used for the matrix view to play and record clips etc. Loop recording I would also like to do with it, as well as beat making with the step sequencer.

Does anyone have experience with this or ist anything new?

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