Best compact MIDI keyboard controller?
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Here's where to talk about preamps, cables, microphones, monitors, etc.
Here's where to talk about preamps, cables, microphones, monitors, etc.
- mhschmieder
- Posts: 11332
- Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2005 10:01 pm
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I owned the hammer-action UF8 for a year, then sold it in anticipation of the much-delayed VX8. A lot changed in that time and I decided recently not to buy anything from CME again. But I don't want to get into those reasons as they are OT and related to hammer action primarily (as well as cost).
On the MIDI side of things, it CAN take a lot of work to get CME gear to work properly, but people have mixed results (and Mac vs. Windows seems to make a difference as well). The main criticisms have to do with how often things have to be reset due to bugs, and templating quirks. This is more of an inconvenience than anything else, but can impact a live gig. In a studio setting, you probably wouldn't mind recycling the power. I think it has to do with a MIDI event being lost and causing a note on event to stay stuck, and that sort of thing. The otherwise-tempting GPP-3 pedals seem to receive the most complaints of all.
It is difficult to generalise from a few people's experience (as seen on various forum postings). One never knows whether they represent 1% or over 50% of all customers. I personally experienced the above-mentioned problems though, so caveat emptor. You might want to read what Keyboard Magazine had to say about the UF series, as well as the December 2007 issue of Sound-On-SOund (just out!) for its review of the VX series.
On the MIDI side of things, it CAN take a lot of work to get CME gear to work properly, but people have mixed results (and Mac vs. Windows seems to make a difference as well). The main criticisms have to do with how often things have to be reset due to bugs, and templating quirks. This is more of an inconvenience than anything else, but can impact a live gig. In a studio setting, you probably wouldn't mind recycling the power. I think it has to do with a MIDI event being lost and causing a note on event to stay stuck, and that sort of thing. The otherwise-tempting GPP-3 pedals seem to receive the most complaints of all.
It is difficult to generalise from a few people's experience (as seen on various forum postings). One never knows whether they represent 1% or over 50% of all customers. I personally experienced the above-mentioned problems though, so caveat emptor. You might want to read what Keyboard Magazine had to say about the UF series, as well as the December 2007 issue of Sound-On-SOund (just out!) for its review of the VX series.
Last edited by mhschmieder on Tue Nov 27, 2007 4:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, Johhny Marr Jaguar, 57 LP, Danelectro 12
Eastman T486RB, T64/V, Ibanez PM2, D'angelico Deluxe SS Bari, EXL1
Guild Bari, 1512 12-string, M20, Martin OM28VTS, Larivee 0040MH
Keyboard Mag and SOS both gave pretty high reviews of the UF series. I use a WinXP PC, so any Mac related problems won't affect me (for now).
I was surprised to read that Keyboard Mag rated CME's AT second only to Novation's ReMote series. And they had the same to say for the keybed feel. Those are both big pluses to me. I see that the UF series came out in 2005, so I would think they have sorted some things out in two years.
The VX series is just out of my price range! $699 for the VX-5!
For that much, I think I would definitely go with Novation. The motorized faders and U-CTRL are probably the most sellable features for the VX. I see that there are new versions of UF now. The UF-50 is $329 USD and has slight outside redesign and supposed total internal redesign adding U-CTRL, WIDI, and a few other new features. Still, it'd be a hard sell to get me to choose the CME UF-50 over the Novation Remote SL 25
Saying that you'd NEVER purchase a thing by CME again means there must have been a serious impression left on you by the company. I feel that way about some stores and such, but rarely about gear manufacturers. And it's usually some asshole in customer service that screws it up for the whole company.
I was surprised to read that Keyboard Mag rated CME's AT second only to Novation's ReMote series. And they had the same to say for the keybed feel. Those are both big pluses to me. I see that the UF series came out in 2005, so I would think they have sorted some things out in two years.
The VX series is just out of my price range! $699 for the VX-5!
For that much, I think I would definitely go with Novation. The motorized faders and U-CTRL are probably the most sellable features for the VX. I see that there are new versions of UF now. The UF-50 is $329 USD and has slight outside redesign and supposed total internal redesign adding U-CTRL, WIDI, and a few other new features. Still, it'd be a hard sell to get me to choose the CME UF-50 over the Novation Remote SL 25
Saying that you'd NEVER purchase a thing by CME again means there must have been a serious impression left on you by the company. I feel that way about some stores and such, but rarely about gear manufacturers. And it's usually some asshole in customer service that screws it up for the whole company.
MOTU 828mkII, MOTU 8PRE, Cubase Elements 7, Win7 64bit, Yamaha Motif ES8, Virus TI, Casio Privia PX-350M.
- mhschmieder
- Posts: 11332
- Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2005 10:01 pm
- Primary DAW OS: MacOS
- Location: Annandale VA
Never is a long time and I shouldn't have said that. My own experience was overall positive. I've simply lost confidence in the company due to the delays and all the reports of problems; more than any other manufacturer of controllers, even allowing for how most on-line posters are people with problems vs. people for whom everything works. I just feel they are too green and that I'm safer with more established companies at this point.
WIDI could be a plus for some people. The keybpoardist for a band that I subbed for recently bought CME's small standalone WIDI adaptor and it worked pretty well overall, with a few glitches that were mostly at the end of the ancient semi-broken used Yamaha KX-5 keytar controller he was using. Pretty amazing he could marry those two technologies together!
WIDI could be a plus for some people. The keybpoardist for a band that I subbed for recently bought CME's small standalone WIDI adaptor and it worked pretty well overall, with a few glitches that were mostly at the end of the ancient semi-broken used Yamaha KX-5 keytar controller he was using. Pretty amazing he could marry those two technologies together!
iMac 27" 2017 Quad-Core Intel i5 (3.8 GHz, 64 GB), OSX 13.6.6, MOTU DP 11.33, SpectraLayers 11
RME Babyface Pro FS, Radial JDV Mk5, Hammond XK-4, Moog Voyager
Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35
Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, Johhny Marr Jaguar, 57 LP, Danelectro 12
Eastman T486RB, T64/V, Ibanez PM2, D'angelico Deluxe SS Bari, EXL1
Guild Bari, 1512 12-string, M20, Martin OM28VTS, Larivee 0040MH
RME Babyface Pro FS, Radial JDV Mk5, Hammond XK-4, Moog Voyager
Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35
Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, Johhny Marr Jaguar, 57 LP, Danelectro 12
Eastman T486RB, T64/V, Ibanez PM2, D'angelico Deluxe SS Bari, EXL1
Guild Bari, 1512 12-string, M20, Martin OM28VTS, Larivee 0040MH
- kelldammit
- Posts: 1012
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also, fwiw, the novation compact series has the same keybed as the larger SL or x-station units. size-wise, it's right in between the SL and xiosynth.
i just got mine, and use it mostly for remote control of daw (dp and logic) transport and mixer. it works pretty swell...and yes, of anything else i've ever used (other than my beloved -and long gone- k2000), the novation stuff feels the best.
kell
i just got mine, and use it mostly for remote control of daw (dp and logic) transport and mixer. it works pretty swell...and yes, of anything else i've ever used (other than my beloved -and long gone- k2000), the novation stuff feels the best.
kell
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So what made you choose the Compact over the SL?
You said you use it for your control of your mixer, don't you miss the sliders?
Do you find it more than capable, even with the reduced controls?
Thanks for adding your comments.
It looks like I'm going to wait until after new years to get whatever I'm going to get. I've got Christmas shopping yet to do and I need to go to the dentist too. Plus, if I buy it in 2008 I can deduct it from my business's taxes for next year. I bought a Access Virus TI this year, and it cost more than the business made. Not a very profitable business indeed. They'll probably shut us down soon and call it an expensive hobby.
You said you use it for your control of your mixer, don't you miss the sliders?
Do you find it more than capable, even with the reduced controls?
Thanks for adding your comments.
It looks like I'm going to wait until after new years to get whatever I'm going to get. I've got Christmas shopping yet to do and I need to go to the dentist too. Plus, if I buy it in 2008 I can deduct it from my business's taxes for next year. I bought a Access Virus TI this year, and it cost more than the business made. Not a very profitable business indeed. They'll probably shut us down soon and call it an expensive hobby.
MOTU 828mkII, MOTU 8PRE, Cubase Elements 7, Win7 64bit, Yamaha Motif ES8, Virus TI, Casio Privia PX-350M.
- gearboy
- Posts: 1426
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Since I am a synth player and not a piano player, I really like the simplicity of M-Audios Oxygen series. I have an old Oxygen 8 and a new Oxygen 49. I used to have a Radium 61, but alas, I wanted something smaller. I also have an Axiom 25. I like the feel of the keys, however I never use the pads and I'm not a fan of the rotary encoders. I much prefer the cheapness of the Oxygen's knobs. They just feel right.
I also have a Kurzweil SP76 that is fine for me for piano, Rhodes, B4 II, etc. Actually, the Oxygen 49 is fine for 75% of what I do.
Jeff
I also have a Kurzweil SP76 that is fine for me for piano, Rhodes, B4 II, etc. Actually, the Oxygen 49 is fine for 75% of what I do.
Jeff
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My recording blog: http://www.ipressrecord.com
My recording blog: http://www.ipressrecord.com
Thanks Jeff,
I forgot about the Axiom series. I see that it does have aftertouch (unlike Oxygen series), and the price is not bad ($179). It only has 20 memory locations though, but I guess that would be enough for me.
Most people seem to get the impression that the MAudio controllers are built cheaply. My buddy has an old Oxygen 8, and though I thought it was kinda like a plastic toy (manufacture wise), I did not play it much. He has had it for a long time. So, they must be fine for studio use, but people who gig don't seem to like them at all. I think I remember people saying that the trigger pads were not very good, almost unusable (I might be getting confused with some other controller, I have been researching a lot of models).
What don't you like about the rotary encoders?
Do they click as you turn them? Or is it a smooth motion?
Thanks
I forgot about the Axiom series. I see that it does have aftertouch (unlike Oxygen series), and the price is not bad ($179). It only has 20 memory locations though, but I guess that would be enough for me.
Most people seem to get the impression that the MAudio controllers are built cheaply. My buddy has an old Oxygen 8, and though I thought it was kinda like a plastic toy (manufacture wise), I did not play it much. He has had it for a long time. So, they must be fine for studio use, but people who gig don't seem to like them at all. I think I remember people saying that the trigger pads were not very good, almost unusable (I might be getting confused with some other controller, I have been researching a lot of models).
What don't you like about the rotary encoders?
Do they click as you turn them? Or is it a smooth motion?
Thanks
MOTU 828mkII, MOTU 8PRE, Cubase Elements 7, Win7 64bit, Yamaha Motif ES8, Virus TI, Casio Privia PX-350M.
INSUB wrote:Thanks Jeff,
I forgot about the Axiom series. I see that it does have aftertouch (unlike Oxygen series), and the price is not bad ($179). It only has 20 memory locations though, but I guess that would be enough for me.
Most people seem to get the impression that the MAudio controllers are built cheaply. My buddy has an old Oxygen 8, and though I thought it was kinda like a plastic toy (manufacture wise), I did not play it much. He has had it for a long time. So, they must be fine for studio use, but people who gig don't seem to like them at all. I think I remember people saying that the trigger pads were not very good, almost unusable (I might be getting confused with some other controller, I have been researching a lot of models).
What don't you like about the rotary encoders?
Do they click as you turn them? Or is it a smooth motion?
Thanks
I just got the Axiom 49. I like the keyboard and all the controllers. I haven't had a lot of time with the pads, but since they have different velocity curves I think they'll work fine. The rotary encoders click just a little bit as you turn them, but I like it.
There are some good Axiom reviews online that are worth checking out.
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- gearboy
- Posts: 1426
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I just like cheap analog synth knobs that feel like all of the cheap analog synth knobs that I've been using since the mid 1990s. The Axiom's rotary controllers feel like driving a car with bald tires on a frozen lake. And yes, I have played with the sensitivity of them and I still just don't like the feel. Call me crazy.INSUB wrote:Thanks Jeff
What don't you like about the rotary encoders?
Do they click as you turn them? Or is it a smooth motion?
Thanks
Jeff
OS 10.4.11 - G5 Dual 1.8GHz, 3GB RAM / Mac PB G4 1.5GHz, 1.5GB RAM / Apogee Duet / MOTU 828mkii w/BLA Analog & Clock mod / MOTU DP4.61 / Live5.2 / Peak 4 & 5 LE / Izotope Oz3, Sp, Tr / Waves Ren Max / TRacks, Miroslav / NI Komplete 5 / GF impOSCar, MiniMonsta, M-Tron / Automat / Nomad Factory Vintage Studio Bundle / apTrigga / Audio Hijack Pro
My recording blog: http://www.ipressrecord.com
My recording blog: http://www.ipressrecord.com
i just purchased an akai mpk49 check out my personal reviews under this forum titled mpk49
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So, it is 2008 and I ended up buying the Alesis Photon X25.
Unforunately, I didn't come back here and re-read my own topic, and forgot that the Photon doesn't have AT at all! I saw the price drop and snatched it up.
The ultimate deciding factor was price since I'm on a limited budget and need other gear for my studio. I got it for $129.99 on sale. I'm considering sending it back and getting a Refurbished Axiom 49 key instead. I really want the Novation SL37 ($500) or SL compact 49 ($400), but the cost is just too much. The refurb Axiom is only $200.
After playing on the Photon a little bit, I realize that I will not be satisfied with only 25 keys. I wish there were more controllers with 37 keys as that fits my playing style and space restrictions the best. I would probably force myself to swing the extra dough if I could get a SL Compact with 37 keys for $300, but it looks like that is not an option.
I haven't gotten heavy into the Photon, but I will give it a simple review in a new post for everyone to see.
Thanks everyone here.
You nearly had me ready to get the Novation, which I'm sure I would not have been disappointed, but in the end, my small savings account got the best of me.
Unforunately, I didn't come back here and re-read my own topic, and forgot that the Photon doesn't have AT at all! I saw the price drop and snatched it up.
The ultimate deciding factor was price since I'm on a limited budget and need other gear for my studio. I got it for $129.99 on sale. I'm considering sending it back and getting a Refurbished Axiom 49 key instead. I really want the Novation SL37 ($500) or SL compact 49 ($400), but the cost is just too much. The refurb Axiom is only $200.
After playing on the Photon a little bit, I realize that I will not be satisfied with only 25 keys. I wish there were more controllers with 37 keys as that fits my playing style and space restrictions the best. I would probably force myself to swing the extra dough if I could get a SL Compact with 37 keys for $300, but it looks like that is not an option.
I haven't gotten heavy into the Photon, but I will give it a simple review in a new post for everyone to see.
Thanks everyone here.
You nearly had me ready to get the Novation, which I'm sure I would not have been disappointed, but in the end, my small savings account got the best of me.
MOTU 828mkII, MOTU 8PRE, Cubase Elements 7, Win7 64bit, Yamaha Motif ES8, Virus TI, Casio Privia PX-350M.