Ableton debuts The Bridge, Akai APC20 controller
updated 09:40 am EST, Fri January 15, 2010
Bridge forms links with Serato software
Among the Ableton announcements at this week's NAMM expo is The Bridge, a partnership with Serato. The software lets musicians shift material back and forth between Ableton Live and Serato Scratch Live or Itch. When moving from Ableton to Serato, The Bridge enables Ableton Transport Control, letting an artist drag a Live Set into a deck in a Serato program, where it can be controlled with turntables and other hardware. Going in the opposite direction lets users turn a mix into a Live Set, which can be edited in more detail.
The Bridge will be a free download for owners of the Serato software and Ableton Live 8 or Suite 8. No release date has been set.
Ableton has also announced Akai's APC20, a new controller designed for use with Live. The 20 is a smaller version of the APC40, and shares with it a 40-button grid, used to load clips in Live's Session View. The two devices can be linked to form an 80-button grid; alternately, six 20s can be run in unison.
The unit also has eight faders, which by default control levels, but can also be set to adjust elements like panning and tempo. Three modes for the device include the Note Mode, which switches grid operation from Session View clips to MIDI data. The APC20 should ship to music stores in the second quarter of the year.
