ONE EIGHTY

Having checked out the full functionality of the iMPC Pro I’m now reconsidering the choice of hardware. Ableton Live alongside either the Launchpad S or APC40 in combination with the excellent Native Kontrol presets may be a better choice. Although the iMPC Pro is very intuitive and user friendly there’s something about using physical buttons and dials that gives a better connection to digital music making than does a touchscreen. I was concerned initially with the high learning curve involved in teaching via Ableton Live and also the equipment costs (laptop, audio interface etc) but in the long term it has more potential for covering extra subjects; multi-track recording, automation, mixing, and effects processing. Regarding mixing I always liked the idea of allowing students to use real faders to automate levels in real time, something that definitely helps with understanding the need and use of compressors and other dynamic processors.

Control wise I reckon the APC40 will be the best option, depending on whether the mk2 is compatible with the Native Kontrol preset or not. Another option would be Novations Lauchpad S in combination with the newly released Launch Control XL which should cover the same ground as the APC40 for less euros.