[production bible 2] MIDI Controllers

[spencertron]

korg nano series all usb
$59.99 nanopad - 12 pad drum controls + x/y pad
$59.99 nanokontrol - 9 knobs 9 faders 18 switches
$49.99 nanokey - 25 key midi keyboard, pitch and podulation controls adjustable velocity curves

suited for portable rigs and saving space + low cost

i will be buying these probably next month if i can

Man how many controllers do you need?
Plus those you already have seem easy enough to carry

No...my korg K25 and novation SL are surprisingly large despite those pics i posted previously...there is no bag big enough to carry them all (a korg controller , a novation controller and a laptop and a sound card and cables) other than my camping bag which is huge!

also...after a soundcheck...i hate to leave my set-up all out (i do alot of gigs on line-ups with bands not DJ's)...perhaps i should be a little more easy going but i ain't leaving my macbook/controllers/card out...so currently the hours i'm waiting to go onstage i'm walking around with this huge fucking bag on or it's taking up a load of space on the decks or under the desk...and the venues i play aren't prestigious enough to have a backstage area...and if they do...most twats have no respect for other peoples stuff.

if i can reduce it all down to a laptop satchel or regular backpack with those nano controls i'll be laughing...add that to the fact that i don't drive. getting around will be a breeze...

so yeh, thats why i would like to go for the smaller controls.

Fair enough.
And respect for actually playing live and not faking to do things with your mouse with everything's automated

thanks oh and if interested...my live 'controllerist' video here (mah junglist glitch vibes and electro) and another here (dubstep)

[daft cunt]

Yes I've already seen the 2nd vid, amazing stuff. Love the 1st one as well!

[elgato]

wicked thread nice one

other than semi-weighted keys, are there big advantages to the M-Audio Axiom over the Oxygen?

i saw something on the Axiom spec about independent configurable zones, i guess this means you can asign different octaves to different synths / sample patches etc? is this not possible with the Oxygen? i'm guessing the build is better on the Axiom too.

also why don't more manufacturers deal with 37 keys?!! 2 octaves is too few but i dont feel the need for 4, 3 would be just right...

[drokkr]

well done korg! good ads too. they are really aware of the laptop musician
ordered a kontrol myself today

[elbe]

I use an AKAI MPK49



- 49-key, semi-weighted keyboard with aftertouch and full-sized keys

- 8 360 degree rotary dials each with 3 banks = 24 total

- 12 MPC style pads, velocity and pressure sensitive, 4 banks = 48 total

- 8 sliders each with 3 controller banks = 24 total

- note repeat and arpeggiator

- 8 assignable switches with 3 banks each = 24 total

- MMC/MIDI Start Stop transport buttons

- USB powered.


great all in one midi controller/keyboard although you do pay a bit, typical price is around £280 new. Also as someone who has owned an MPC I can testify that the drum pads do note respond like an MPC, although they are the closest out of all the keyboard controllers I looked at, apart from that I can't fault it.

[zion cluster]

E-mu Xboard 25: 25 nice keys, 16 knobs and 1 fader. Plus the software is good, Live lite 4 and the E-mu proteus LE sound module. No transport, but I think its better value than the Oxygen. I got mine for 50 quid used, available on amazon for ~80 quid in the uk, ~115 bucks in the states.

[davetherave321]

I have just got reason 4 and am looking at one of the nano range to purchase as im on a budget which one would you recommend?

[DZA]

I have just got reason 4 and am looking at one of the nano range to purchase as im on a budget which one would you recommend?

for round the same price you could get a M-Audio Oxygen

[davetherave321]

for round the same price you could get a M-Audio Oxygen[/quote]

is this more highly recommended?

[DZA]

yup, at the end of the day it your money tho get which one you prefer or go to the shop if theres any local and try them out, if i was gonna choose between them i would go for the m-audio

[davetherave321]

yup, at the end of the day it your money tho get which one you prefer or go to the shop if theres any local and try them out, if i was gonna choose between them i would go for the m-audio

Cheers for your help...basically i dont know alot about production and software but have just started useing reason and i notice that it id more effective with a midi controller... the oxygen looks good and is around £65 ...how easy is it to use?

[DZA]

yup, at the end of the day it your money tho get which one you prefer or go to the shop if theres any local and try them out, if i was gonna choose between them i would go for the m-audio

Cheers for your help...basically i dont know alot about production and software but have just started useing reason and i notice that it id more effective with a midi controller... the oxygen looks good and is around £65 ...how easy is it to use?

easy, just have to plug it in, reason will find it then just play, piece a piss

[tezifon]

i use a keystation 49, you can get them used really cheap

some ones i will like to have

bcr2000

vestax vcm600



akai apc40



monolake monodeck 2


(custom one, is not for sale u_U)

[baydestrian]

The ReMOTE 37 SL in pretty sick. The pads are weak but other than that is is a good midi controller. It has automap technology, so it automatically maps the parameters of effects, vst's and instruments to knobs and faders on your midi controller (if you want it to) It comes with presets for Ableton and Reason ect.. You can create and save templates pretty easily too. It has a 3 octave keyboard, and changing octaves is a push of a button. It has a pitch bend wheel and and XY touch pad for things like flam and roll or whatever... I would recommend it, it saves me a ton of time.

[collective]

Bitstream 3x:

Definately the nicest of the midi controllers, especially cause you can talk directly to the developers about improving certain things. Automap has been standard on these things for ages.

couple key points... fully programmable midi LFO and ARP

35 knobs - 8 sliders - 16 buttons
Dual axis analog joystick
Ribbon controller
Cross-fader
Endless encoder
Foot switch input
7 curve models per control
(lin, inv lin, log, inv log, random, users 0 & 1)
Sync-24 output
Expansion port
Built-in programmable LFO
Built-in enhanced arpeggiator
Built-in 8 tracks motion sampler
MIDI IN / THRU / OUT 1 / OUT 2
USB compatible, driver-less
USB powered
Transport functions
Fully programmable
Large graphic display (with backlight)
100 snapshot scenes, 64 arpp scenes
21 fully programmable groups
Jump-less potentiometer mode
Built-in MIDI merger & filter
4U metallic enclosure

[oblivious]

Behringer BCF2000 (faders controller) ~ 180 EUR
Same as BCR2000 but with 8 faders instead.

a pro whit the BCF is that it can emulate mackie mode,
its a little tricky to set up, behringers firmware installer is a bit buggy, but once you patched it up it really nice to have a controller where you never have to assign any controlls manually.
and its probably the cheapest controller you can find whit auto mapping.

supposely its possible to do the same whit the BCR as well, however its not supported and i havnt got it to work myself, but seen others been able to patch it up whit mackie.

here is a example vid of the BCF in mackie mode cotrolling FL studios mixer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgJuG84Jxt4

and if your a reason owner its just to plug in and start rocking, comes whit pre made reason patches + a few others.

[phelm]

iv got a BCR2000 it works well with ableton, but Im struggling using with with Logic (8 ). I think the best way to do this is with the mackie emulation but ive not been able to get it to work. It seems behringer havnt really made any drivers/software for it in a long time. Its very powerful you can program all the buttons to transmit specific midi signals but im struggling to get to grips with this. I think its really for the more technical minds, i guess i just need to put a few hours with the manual and on some forums.

also, ive herd the korg micro keyboard one is rubbish, the keys are like laptop keys

[jinxkal]

How bout using Akai Mpd 32 for production? is this gonna be fine? It seems like every one goin for a keyboard midi controller style somehow.. thanx

[owlbeat]

New Novation mkII series...

http://www.novationmusic.com/products/sl_mkii?option=1

includes an update to the midi keyboards as well as a new version of the Remote Zero SL!

- longthrow faders on the new Zero SL mkII!
- crossfader
- illuminated knobs

the list goes on. also ships with Automap 3 Pro so it's gonna be a bit pricier...