Ableton Live,
while brilliant for live performance and improvisation, bogs down when
you're trying to control all your parameters with a mouse and QWERTY
keyboard. Solutions like M-Audio's Evolution UC-33e
are a big help, but many of us have dreamed of a controller designed
specifically for Live. This could be it: the German-made FaderFox
micromodul LV1 and LX1 are compact MIDI controllers optimized for Live.
There's also the DJ1, designed for NI DJ Studio.(continued; click read more)
These guys clearly use Live: the LX1 is packed with buttons for
triggering clips, and the LV1 has everything from an X-Y joystick
perfect for AutoFilter to A/B/C/D pots for Live's effects sends, a
cross-fader and A/B switch, and a scene selector knob. The unit must be
ordered directly from Germany, but once I can get my hands on one I'll
post a full review; stay tuned.
Compatibility: MIDI in/out
Availability: Appears to be shipping now
Pricing: EUR179 including VAT; EUR154,31 w/o VAT (outside Europe)