AKAI LPD8 Garageband

Heya Guys,

I've recently bought an Akai LPD8 for my MacBook. All I really want to do is program each pad to play a different track for my live show (i.e. tap the pad, plays backing track for band to perform with)

I'm having a really stressful time trying to do this. Currently using Garageband because that's all I have, but could get Ableton or Logic easily as well.

This is all completely new to me, so I need to know in baby steps.

Hope someone can help before I scream at the Youtube videos anymore.

Cheers,
Josh

Hi, welcome to the forums.

I'm not entirely sure you can trigger tracks that way in Garageband, you maybe able to trigger samples within an instrument. Same thinking applies to Logic too, you could load your samples into EXS24, Ultrabeat or a third-party VSTi/AU. I would consider Ableton Live, Reason, Logic, and other 'proper DAW applications' to be better out the box solutions for live triggering of loops/ clips/ tracks than Garageband, which is really entry level.

akaipro.com states:

"Send note information, MIDI CCs, or program changes from the pads to your software, and assign each of the eight Q-Link knobs to control any parameter."

Can Garageband instruments be set to receive note information, MIDI continuous controllers (CC's) or program change messages?

Load your samples (backing tracks) into a sampler instrument, assign each sample a specific MIDI note number, assign the same MIDI note numbers to the LPD8 pads.

Also, check our Akai MP/LP MIDI Controller forum for advice, tips and tricks.

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