One of our favorite features of the Ableton Push is the ability to set the controller to act as a scaled instrument – with standout root notes that allow very easy riffing and melody/harmony performance. We’ve seen this feature emulated software, but today we’re sharing a project by Netherlands-based programmer and electronic artist Fabrizio Poce that takes the Push’s Scale mode to the next level – on Novation Launchpad and Akai APC40 controllers.
Instead of just one scaled layout, J74 ISO Controllers incorporates 9 different isomorphic layouts (the Push layout pictured above) based around different instrument layouts that users might be familiar with. The manual puts it succinctly:
The templates in the J74 ISO Controllers package re-use the matrix layout of the Launchpad and APC40 as programmable MIDI note instruments by re-assigning notes to the pads and using colors to give essential and intuitive information about the layout being used and its harmonic characteristics.
The other layouts include DrumRack, Diatonic, Octave, Guitar (2 layouts), Diagonal, Chromatic, and Janko. Watch them all in action in this overview video:
The J74 ISO Controllers package uses Max4Live devices and MIDI Remote scripts to work its magic in Ableton Live, but also includes a standalone version that has slightly more limited control (Launchpad only) and works with any MIDI input accepting software. Both versions work on both Mac and PC platforms, and for a price of $8, it’s a pretty nice upgrade for producers looking to add serious enhanced functionality to these aging-but-affordable controllers.
Learn more about the J74 ISO package on Fabrizio’s site.
