Akai Professional APC40 mkII Ableton Live Performance Controller with RGB Grid

Akai Professional APC40 mkII: The Definitive Ableton Live Performance Controller

The Akai Professional APC40 mkII is a full-size Ableton Live performance controller with a 5 x 8 RGB clip-launch matrix, nine faders, and sixteen assignable knobs in one road-ready surface. As the successor to the controller that launched the entire APC category, it refines years of user feedback into an RGB grid, reinforced faders, and a revised in-line layout. Pre-mapped to Ableton Live, the APC40 mkII maps the whole session, mixer, and device rack to hardware the instant it is connected. For the electronic artist who performs Live as an instrument, this is the flagship command center.

5x8 RGB Clip-Launch Matrix

A 5 x 8 matrix of 40 RGB-lit triggers anchors the APC40 mkII, mapping directly to the clips and scenes of Ableton Live's Session View. Full RGB lighting does more than the older tri-color grid: each pad can be color-coded to match your project and displays loaded, playing, and recording states, so a densely arranged set stays readable at a glance under stage lighting. For a live electronic act firing loops or a producer arranging a track by hand, the grid turns Session View into a tactile, color-organized performance surface. Seeing the whole song laid out in color keeps a complex set under control.

Nine Reinforced Faders

Nine assignable faders run in-line beneath the grid, built with a reinforced design engineered to survive the wear of constant live use. Eight channel faders plus a master fader mix track volumes and can be reassigned to sends or device parameters, giving the tactile level control that fast, expressive mixing demands. For a touring performer working a breakdown or a studio producer riding automation, the sturdier faders are built to take the abuse of nightly gigs. Reinforced hardware is the kind of detail that separates a stage tool from a desktop toy.

Sixteen Assignable Knobs

Sixteen assignable knobs split into two banks give the APC40 mkII deep control over Ableton Live's mixer and devices. Eight channel knobs handle pan and send duties while eight dedicated Device Control knobs, ringed with LEDs that display each parameter's value, tweak the currently focused device for immediate visual feedback. For the sound designer sculpting a synth patch mid-performance or the engineer riding sends, the LED-ringed knobs make automation something you play rather than draw. Watching the LED rings track your moves keeps you locked to the mix without looking at the laptop.

Assignable A/B Crossfader

A reworked A/B crossfader gives the APC40 mkII DJ-style blends directly in Ableton Live. The crossfader is fully assignable and re-assignable on the fly, so any tracks can be routed to the A or B side and blended without reaching for the mouse, making transitions between song sections or stems fluid and hands-on. For the hybrid DJ mixing stems in Live or the performer segueing between arrangement scenes, the crossfader brings turntable-style control to a clip-based set. Assigning it live means the transition can change as the set does.

Dedicated Sends, Transport, and Navigation Controls

Beyond the grid, the APC40 mkII adds a Sends button, transport controls, a tempo knob, a cue-level knob, and a Shift button with a four-way bank-select pad for full session command. The Sends button cycles through all eight send buses so effect levels are always a press away, while the bank-select arrows scroll the grid across larger sessions and the tempo and cue knobs manage timing and monitoring; in all, roughly seventy function switches surround the matrix. For the performer running a long, complex set, these dedicated controls mean every part of Live is reachable without menu diving. Purpose-built buttons keep the workflow physical from the first clip to the last.

Sustain Pedal Input and Connectivity

A single USB Type B port connects the APC40 mkII, joined by a 1/4 in (6.3 mm) TS input for a sustain pedal (pedal not included). USB carries both power and bidirectional MIDI to the computer, while the sustain-pedal jack lets a player hold notes or trigger an assigned function hands-free, extending the controller beyond grid and faders. For the keyboardist layering sustained pads or the performer who wants a foot-free control option, that extra input adds expressive range. A pedal jack is a small port that opens up a lot of playing technique.

Seamless Ableton Live Integration and USB Power

Plug-and-play USB delivers both power and native Ableton Live integration to the APC40 mkII, which comes pre-mapped to Live 9.1.3 or later. The moment it connects to a Mac or PC its controls correspond one-to-one with the software with no driver installation, and every control can also be reassigned on the fly for custom setups; bus power means no separate adapter travels with the rig. A newcomer performs within minutes while a seasoned user builds a bespoke mapping. A single cable carrying power, data, and a ready map is what makes the studio-to-stage move painless.

Included Ableton Live Lite and Production Suite

Ableton Live Lite ships with the APC40 mkII alongside bundled virtual synthesizers, effect racks, and gigabytes of samples and loops for an immediate music-production suite. Live Lite is a complete DAW for recording, arranging, and mixing, and because the controller is pre-mapped to it the hardware and software work together as soon as the downloads are authorized. A first-time producer gets a start-to-finish creative toolkit, while a professional can drop the controller into a full version of Live already at the center of their studio. Bundled software means the flagship is making music the day it lands on the desk.

Who the APC40 mkII Is For

Built for the stage as much as the studio, the APC40 mkII serves the performer who treats Ableton Live as a live instrument. Its full-size grid, reinforced faders, dual knob banks, and crossfader fit the touring electronic act, the hybrid DJ, and the producer who wants every corner of Live under two hands at once, because each of those roles demands deep, durable, hands-on control. Beginners inherit the pre-mapped simplicity of the whole APC line, while professionals get the most complete controller Akai builds for Live. It remains the benchmark other Ableton controllers are measured against.