Midi controllers?

[Shane_B.]

Does anyone use a midi controller? The kind with the pads on it? I am a 100% newb when it comes to this stuff. I'm just looking for a simple keyboard with those pads on it to tap out drums. Is that a thing or have I totally misunderstood the use of those pads on the controllers I've seen?

I was looking at this one for using in Studio One 5.4. Any thoughts? It's an Arturia Keylab Essential 49. I found a setup video and it hooks up to S1 in seconds and as a bonus it controls the transport with dedicated buttons right on the keyboard which is really nice. But I'm lost on whether or not you can use the pads to tap out drums or not. I have an ancient Korg I use but it's heavy, takes up a lot of room, doesn't have any touch pads, and can't do anything but be used as a piano. One thing I've noticed is anything below 49 keys that I could find have mini keys and that won't work for me. I need full sized keys for the limited amount of piano playing I do.

TIA for any info.

[Jeremy Oakes]

I use the Oxygen Mk IV 61 key as a keyboard and controller. Yes it has the pads.

and as its class compliant, no drivers needed.

J

[paulo]

From what I've seen of most controllers in that price range they're all a bit like kids toys in terms of feel. They will probably all do much the same job, but it depends how you feel about build quality and the idea of stepping up in price. The big plus for the Arturia ones is the bundled Analog Lab which is probably the best of any in terms of bundled synths if you don't already have a selection. If you get it and they give you an Analog Lab V licence ask them for a licence for version IV too as it has about three times as many sounds as the latest version. (Apparently, they will do that). In my experience Arturia's support is a bit hit and miss though. I haven't seen the relatively new mk3 Novation Launchkey range, so can't comment on them, but most things Novation seem to be pretty much geared up for and aimed at Ableton users these days.

Having seen most of what is on offer, I passed on all the cheaper ones and even the more expensive models  are all compromised in some way in the sense one will have this,but not that, the next will have that, but not this. There doesn't seem to be one that has it all for me - maybe I'm just too picky, lol.

Thanks to 2020 and all that entails I have been waiting a long time now to see the Black version of Arturia Keylab 88 in the flesh, but that is proving to be easier said than done here - local retailers have had no stock and have been claiming "new stock due in by the end of the month" since at least March, so I'm still none the wiser and as it was supposed to be a "limited edition" I'm seriously doubting that I will ever see one now. OTT for what you want, but it was the one that seemed to tick the most boxes for me.

[jesse g]

Hey Shane,

 

I have a M-Audio Code 61 Keyboard Controller, but it's not made any longer.

[Shane_B.]

1 hour ago, jesse g said:

I have a M-Audio Code 61 Keyboard Controller, but it's not made any longer.

I was avoiding even looking at them. They really screwed people with the lack of driver support with the Fast Track Ultra. They refused to release a 64bit driver. That was a great audio interface they left for dead and all they needed to do was update the drivers one last time.

That said, I just looked that controller up that you have. The replacement looks nice and is inexpensive. I can get the latest version for $177. I'm just looking for something to get midi instrument and drum notes in to my DAW easier, I am by no means a piano or synth player. The track and transport controls are just a nice bonus. I like that it is class compliant too. My ancient Korg X5 works and has some great built in sounds, but it's heavy and takes up a ton of room and has no transport functions. I can't even control all of the banks via midi. The sounds are split in to 3 main banks and only 1 is controllable externally.

3 hours ago, paulo said:

From what I've seen of most controllers in that price range they're all a bit like kids toys in terms of feel.

That worries me. My old Korg X5 was by no means a high end synth, but it is rock solid and feels great for having unweighted keys. If I get something that feels like a Casio VL-Tone I won't be happy. About 10 - 12 years ago the battery died in my Korg so I took it apart and soldered in a battery holder. It takes one of the standard Sony 2032 quarter sized batteries. I've had it well over 20 years.

[jesse g]

Shane,

Try the Novation Launchkey MK3 line
https://www.sweetwater.com/novation-launchkey-mk3/series

 

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[craigb]

Yes.

[craigb]

?

[Shane_B.]

1 hour ago, craigb said:

Yes.

Fragile?

[Bapu]

10 hours ago, craigb said:

Yes.

 

8 hours ago, Shane_B. said:

Fragile?

Close to the Edge

[Notes_Norton]

I have an old Octapad, but you need to be able to use sticks with it. I save it for difficult things.

For simple drum parts I use a Korg PadKontrol just like ||:Pwal:|| who posted it while was looking for the image.

It works well. I suppose you cold find one on ebay.

You could also bang out drums on any keyboard if you set it to channel 10 and know the note numbers, but I found I do better with controllers designed for percussion.

Insights and incites by Notes

 

Edited September 27, 2021 by Notes_Norton

[Shane_B.]

1 hour ago, Bapu said:

Close to the Edge

That's me. One more step and I'll be in and around the lake.

[Bapu]

11 minutes ago, Shane_B. said:

That's me. One more step and I'll be in and around the lake.

If that happens, I'll be (the) roundabout  so that The words will make you out 'n' out

Edited September 27, 2021 by Bapu

[Shane_B.]

56 minutes ago, pwalpwal said:

for pads, i have an ancient korg padkontrol,

 

52 minutes ago, Notes_Norton said:

I have an old Octapad, but you need to be able to use sticks with it.

 

47 minutes ago, pwalpwal said:

my eldest boy has one of these, Millenium MD-90 Mobile Drum

I still have my Alesis SR-16. I completely forgot about it. It's in a box somewhere in my basement. I dropped it and broke the volume knob and kind of forgot all about it, but I could use that for pads. That SR-16 has been around for ever and it's still being made new. I've had mine well over 20 years. I can't believe I forgot I had that thing.

The more I look at these midi controllers the more I want one. I like how you can control the synth functions with knobs. I've always just manually edited everything in PRV.

[Bapu]

heh heh pwalpwal said he's a knob man

[craigb]

I had LOTS of MIDI stuff.  Here's some of it.  I still have the Oxygen 8!  Woot! 

[jesse g]

1 hour ago, craigb said:

I had LOTS of MIDI stuff.  Here's some of it.  I still have the Oxygen 8!  Woot! 

 

 I know for sure that the Oxygen 8 doesn't work because mine was unable to get the Windows 10 drivers from M-Audio,.....  LOL

I used to like that little keyboard.  I took it on an airplane and I had the TSA agents dying to see it and wondered how it made sound.  

[Shane_B.]

2 hours ago, craigb said:

I had LOTS of MIDI stuff.

I don't want to say the 'best' recording I ever made, but the most 'natural' was when I played real drums on a song I wrote a very long time ago. I forget where I got them but I had a set of those Rock Band game drums from a Playstation 3. I may have gotten them as a gift one time, IDK. Tiny little toy like things with 4 tom pads and a kick trigger. Some kid wrote a set of drivers for them so Windows would recognize them and your DAW could use them as midi triggers. I took to it like a fish in water. I used TTS-1 iirc. I imagine if I ever got my hands on a real set I would love to play real drums. My brother is a really good drummer, but I don't know. Nothings worse than two drummers in the family other than maybe two bass players. ?

[slartabartfast]

General MIDI controller pads are not just for, or even primarily for, triggering drums. They are probably most useful for the one man band who needs to trigger chunks of pre-recorded musical sounds in live performance. If you are really looking at putting live controlled drum sounds into the DAW then a dedicated drum controller may be a better choice. If you are a drummer, then an electronic drum kit would be even better and of course much more expensive.

[craigb]

6 hours ago, jesse g said:

 I know for sure that the Oxygen 8 doesn't work because mine was unable to get the Windows 10 drivers from M-Audio,.....  LOL

Good thing my DAW server is still running XP then!  ?