Akai APC-40
This piece of hardware completely changed my live process. I had built the Chakakhantroller to do all the things this can do, and it does even more than I need. Combined with Ableton Live I have a limitless palette of sounds to choose from. I designate the first four tracks for my vocals, each channel set up with effects and a looper. I put stickers on some of the buttons for reference. The other rows are for VSTs and samples. I can trigger the looper or loop samples on the fly with the pads, and the knobs allow me to access and control effects for any channel at anytime. It’s the only piece of gear in my live set up that requires an external power source – all the other pieces run on batteries or are USB powered from my laptop. I’m all about cable minimalism.
akaipro.com/apc40
– Rucyl Mills