Hmm not so sure about Novation now..

Damn you Guitar Center!  I went there to get an M-audio expression pedal (which I had to special order) so I could try out the Wah-Wah on the Line6 in Propellerhead’s Record.  In the Sale Rack they had a Novation Nocturn for $92.00! thats pretty darn cheap so I figured “why not?”  Installation of Automap and the driver went OK. But Configuring for use with Live was not pretty and Record (and Reason) Locked up up hard when configuring Automap (Yes I did RTFM).

Then the BSOD occured. Bear in mind I am using Windows 7 RC and have have not seen a BSOD even once. I was very unhappy. I rebooted and still could not get Automap to work worth a shit and I gave up on Reason, when it BSOD’d  again. So I figured maybe I should update the software let me check on Novation’s forums.  Well the Sorry excuse for forum was useless as was their non answers about Windows 7. I know I should not be so critical but comapred to the Propellerhead and Ableton forums it was a letdown.  At any rate I downloaded the Automap 3.3 and to make a long story short, it would not install at all. I would get a DOS screen that would pop up an error that I could not read and then it would quit.  I tried the usual compatibility mode tricks without success.   In hindsight I should have used Win7’s Problem Steps recorder to really start troubleshooting the issue and read the pesky error but it was late, I was getting tired and quite frankly I have never had to work this hard to get any of my other other controllers to work.

My Rule of thumb is if it takes more than 15 minutes to install a piece of hardware on my PC, and that time is due to installation /config issues not “clearly” covered in the manual then that hardware is going back.  M-Audio and Akai have really spoiled my in that sense. Their shit just works.  So unless I get some handy tips and tricks to try in the comments section I’m probably going back to GC to return it for a refund.   This experience has made me a little Gunshy about picking up the Launchpad, Which I have to special order since my GC won’t be carrying it in stores.  apparently they already have a lot of Merch, and they don’t want to crimp the sales of the APC 40 which I guess they have a better markup on. (So says my GC Sales guy.)