In the office by day, Mark Egloff anchors Ableton's logistics department, overseeing the shipping of Ableton products to all corners of the planet. After clocking out in the evening, Mark opens up Max for Live, and has discovered a passion for creating tools to help others make music.

A hobby musician and remixer, Mark always preferred the direct control and tactile feel of hardware drum sequencers over their software equivalents. But hardware sequencers also have their shortcomings when compared to the arrangement and fine-tuning potential of Live. Inspired by the possibilities of Max for Live, Mark teamed up with Shane Hazleton from Akai. With the help of Shane's insight and hardware expertise, Mark created a patch that can be used for hours of beat making without touching the keyboard or mouse.

Using the APC Step-Sequencer

The APC Step-Sequencer converts the Akai APC40 or APC20 into a full-featured step sequencer. To use, simply load the device onto a MIDI track and then drop in an instrument (it's optimized for use with Drum Racks.) The APC-Step-Sequencer automatically configures your connected APC40 or APC20.

After connecting, the top four rows of the APC's button matrix toggle 32 steps of a MIDI clip on or off, while the Clip Stop buttons and Cue Level dial allow you to quickly switch between the different sounds in your Drum Rack. Many of the APC's other controls are also reconfigured. The ? button launches built-in documentation that details how everything works.