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 Forum index » Instruments and Equipment » MIDI Controllers and Interfaces
Choosing a MIDI controller
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sergage



Joined: Jan 12, 2007
Posts: 3
Location: Bulgaria

PostPosted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 10:34 pm    Post subject:  Choosing a MIDI controller
Subject description: newbie, need help
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Hi all. I see lots of threads here on choosing MIDI controllers, but different people look for controllers for different purposes, so I guess it's fair if I start my own controller choosing thread.

So first off I need realistic sounds of existing instruments such as pianos, strings, organs and guitars, apart from synth. I guess it depends a lot on the application (btw I already have Reason 3, if it's of any significance), but there's one thing that I'm concerned about and it's key pressure sensitivity.

I'm really new to this, as I browse the web for MIDI keyboards I see that some have Velocity Sensitivity and some have After-Touch, some have both. What's the difference between those two anyway? So as I want realistic piano sound I guess I need something that will react to key pressure just as a real piano would or at least close to it.

I also need something as wide or wider than 5 octaves. Sustain and Expression buttons or pedal inputs would be nice too.

I need the controller for both playing classical piano music and synth, something like (if I daresay) Depeche Mode Very Happy if possible.

I mainly need advice on the brand and features (knobs, levers, buttons and stuff like that).

As I watched "Live in Milan" (Depeche Mode) I couldn't help but notice them using M-Audio Midiman (or something like that). But as I read reviews, people are not too satisfied with M-Audio.

Anyways, I'm currently looking at Edirol PCR-M80. What do you think? Is it ok for me?

Thanks
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ian-s



Joined: Apr 01, 2004
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 11:10 pm    Post subject: Re: Choosing a MIDI controller
Subject description: newbie, need help
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sergage wrote:
some have Velocity Sensitivity and some have After-Touch, some have both. What's the difference between those two anyway?


Velocity sensitivity is a measure of how fast the key travels when it is first hit. Generally this is proportional to how hard the key is struck and is the feature used to give you loud/soft piano-like response.
After touch is a pressure sensor that produces a control signal if you vary the pressure that you are holding a key down. Sometimes this is used to add vibrato or open the filter, to give you another level of expression in your playing.
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Johan R



Joined: May 04, 2006
Posts: 10
Location: Stockholm, Sweden

PostPosted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 8:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Check out the Novation Remote SL 61.
Or, if you want more keys and knobs etc, the Remote Zero SL (0 keys) and a CME UF7 (76 keys) for about the same money.
The Remote works really well with Reason, thanks to automap.
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sergage



Joined: Jan 12, 2007
Posts: 3
Location: Bulgaria

PostPosted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 1:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Thanks for your advices. After-touch sounds nice, could be useful for violins and stuff, but is it possible to turn it off whenever I want? If I'm playing piano and don't want to trigger it accidentally for example.

Btw, what's automap.
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sergage



Joined: Jan 12, 2007
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 9:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

So, as long as I understand, hammer action is for piano, synth action is for synth, but what's semi-weighted action? Is it something in the middle of the other two?

I'm currently looking at M-Audio Axiom 61, it seems to be having everything I want: 5 octave keyboard, velocity sensitivity, after-touch, an 8-key trigger pad, they have it in stock here and I can afford it Smile. What do you think?

Thanks
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Amant Symphonic



Joined: Jan 17, 2007
Posts: 5
Location: Baltimore USA

PostPosted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 12:48 pm    Post subject: midi controllers Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I believe that the midi keyboard and it's capabilites are not as important as the abilities of the vst or plug-in that your using. I would'nt waste to time looking for one. The most important thing is that you have enough keys and that its fairly durable.

Just a thought


Z. Barnes
Amant Symphonic
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jksuperstar



Joined: Aug 20, 2004
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 3:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

The action of the keyboard may be important if you are a piano player. hammer action will actually have (most of) the nuances of a piano, the heavy key feel, etc. A synth action keyboard is typically a lot lighter weigt, and easy to hit or release a key. Semi-weighted is more or less a cost-effective way at imitating a real piano's hammer-action, so you're right, it's somewhere in between.

Also, there are 2 types of aftertouch: channel and voice. Channel aftertouch goes across the whole keyboard, and any key that is pressed can effect the channel aftertouch signal. This works better than it sounds, and is far more popularly built in keyboards, especially the more affordable ones. True Voice Aftertouch tracks the pressure under each individual key, and is typically expensive. If you are playing mono parts, there is basically no difference between the two, other than how the signal is transmitted and how it is received (different midi messages). If you play chords & polyphony, like I said, it can be difficult to have your thumb varying one way, while your pinky is has varying pressure in a different way, and your forefinger varied in yet another way. And since it's midi, aftertouch is usually easily enabled/disabled.
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Antimon



Joined: Jan 18, 2005
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 4:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I would just like to throw in a note about when you're only interested in the actual keyboard, not in knobs, levers etc.

One might want to check out e.g. a second hand DX7. I used to have one, and it had a peculiar kind of (perhaps semi-weighted) feel that I found I missed once I had gotten rid of it. I later managed to find a second hand KX88 (also Yamaha) that I bought after seeing praise on review sites. It's a fully weighted piano-like thing. The thing about 80s Yamaha keyboards is that they are super-sturdy, and they should be pretty cheap second hand.

As long as we're talking MIDI, there is no guarantee that new stuff will perform better than old stuff (MIDI is a simple thing). There may be other old usable stuff that I don't know about.

Just a thought.

/Stefan

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seraph
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 4:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Antimon wrote:

One might want to check out e.g. a second hand DX7. I used to have one, and it had a peculiar kind of (perhaps semi-weighted) feel that I found I missed once I had gotten rid of it. I later managed to find a second hand KX88 (also Yamaha) that I bought after seeing praise on review sites.

I still own an old KX76 bought used 20 years ago Exclamation and it works flawlessly Shocked

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