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The Block's case is made out of jelutong wood.

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In use

When we tried Block with Ableton Live, we realised how spoiled we've been by the APC40 and Launchpad - suddenly it's old-school to manually map controls and clip launching! Once you've made the effort to set it up, though, Block works great and is fun to use. The interface is visually clear (apart from those knobs), and there's a quality feel to the thing, which is a big part of what you're paying for. In the default MIDI mode, Block's grid buttons will light to indicate a playing Session View clip.

Next, we downloaded the demo of Arkaos Grand VJ, an app which Livid itself uses in its tutorial movies (Grand VJ has a matrix view which relates very well to the Block layout). Livid's products feel like they're targeting VJs just as much as musicians, and Block will probably suit VJing very well, particularly because it's a discipline where you can be more flexible in the use of knobs and faders.

Like the Ohm 64 it's based on, Block is designed to be as open and customisable as possible, and it can be fully controlled via Max for Live or regular Max/MSP patches. Livid has a free Max for Live step sequencer example which you can download.

Summary

In a world of APCs, Launchpads and monomes - and even Livid's own Ohm 64 - it's tough for a new machine to fit in, but Block will reach those people who want a portable, customisable controller with a more 'organic' vibe, and more controls than the monome (but fewer than the APC40).

These days, at this level, it's not about 'better' or 'worse' with controllers - they all have different ways of doing similar things. You'll be choosing based on price, compatibility with your existing gear, maybe a specific hardware feature that you need, and an emotional response generated by which one turns you on when you look at it.

Livid seems to focus on three things: live performance, user customisation, and ethical production. Only you can decide if that means something to you.

Sometimes Block comes across more like something from an art installation than a down 'n' dirty controller, but it's a good looking, functional, and individual piece that will last you a long time.