I need a MIDI controller for inputing notes into programs. I know this sounds nooobish, but I'm sick of typing in notes with the mouse. Now do most midi controllers hook up with the usb chord or with MIDI cables? I'd prefer USB since im not sure when Im getting my new soundcard w/ midi support.

I've looked at the M-Audio ones but don't know any other brands, some points would be appreciated.

BTW, my budget is 500MAX.

oh and where in Canada both online/off can I find this stuff?

Try Evolution Mk449c. Very sturdy, lots of knobs and faders, nice feel, cheap. It's also class compliant so it doesn't need any drivers - just plug it into a usb port and away you go! I've got one and I can vouch for it.

Found it for 180 USD on Florida Music Company (they ship to canada for $15 not bad). Is this site generally the best?

I don't know man. I usually deal with UK sites. It does sound quite a good deal though - mine cost about £130 if I remember correctly.

alright, so im looking and i definately want a 49/61.

It's pretty much between the:

Evolution MK449c ($180)
and
Edirol PCRM50 ($220)

I don't like the look of the M-Audios, they look like toys and I assume the aforementioned two are better then the oxygens/radiums in the same level of price.

So anyone whos experience one or both of those controllers, is it worth the extra 40 to get the Edirol?

have the smaller version of the edirol pcrm50...love the quality and the keys feel great...knobs are very smooth and turn with precision

id say its def worth the extra money...dunno about that site you found but i generally love zzsounds.com because of their reputation and guarantees...you should check it out

Wait, you should check out the EMU XBoards or the CME UF series. They feature aftertouch which is great for adding expression while playing. They're also around the same price as the evolution. Good luck.

Also I've had the Edirol and Evolution and while the Edirol felt of a high quality the knobs are detented so a smooth cc sweep across the full range was extremely problematic.

What exactly is aftertouch?

now with the CME and the E-MU in the picture its becoming a difficult choice! 49 keys are generally enough right?

okay, I've decided I want 61 key, because I dont only want this for production, but I'm a very curious guy when it comes to pianos and I love improving on them, it really amuses me. From zzsounds.com, floridamusicco.com and musciansfriend.com the only one that sends to canada is florida, not bad because their prices are pretty much the best. So here are the new options:

Edirol PCRM80 61-Key ($290)

CME UF6 61-Key ($300)

Evolution 461C 61-Key ($250)

So there you have it. The only other big guns that I know of that I am missing are the novation remote which is a little toooo expensive in 61 key format and the E-MU which florida doesn't carry, in fact I haven't seen the 61 key E-MU yet on the three sites. Am I missing a controller? or maybe I'm missing a really good music store online site?

ANyways, I have a quetsion about the EMU. It has 8 knobs, but the keyboard seemed to have assigned them various functions as visible in the photo on the zzounds site. Are these the optional defaults by the manufacturuer?

If you wanna know what I'm loooking for, well I'm looking for a high quality product that will last a long time and will be VERY useful for both general improvisations and productions using Reason for now and hopefully Cubase/Logic in the future.

I've got the Edirol PCR-50 (not PCR-M50) and I'm quite happy with my purchase. FYI, Edirol is a subsidiary of Roland, which has always been known for its quality. Here are the pros and cons:

Pros:
- Very nice and sturdy construction, also fairly lightweight.
- 16 keys are mapped to the hex digits (and labelled accordingly) so it is quick and painless to do program changes/tempo changes/etc.
- Uses hex or decimal display
- They designed the layout well (you can play with your right and and tweak the knobs with your left, or play with your left hand and tweak the faders with your right)
- Integrated velocity curves (though they aren't really that important because the s/w synths/samplers can do that for you)
- Mod wheel is combined with PB wheel (this is very useful for live recording, esp. with funky types of music)

Cons:
- Mod wheel is elastic (so if you take your hand off, it goes back to 0) and has a small range so it's very sensitive (these things can be good or bad, but I don't like it)
- Knobs have detents at midrange (64) which can be a pain (however, faders are perfectly smooth, and you can overcome the knob issues by simply changing the parameter in your instrument to use only half the range)

Aftertouch is not important - if a controller has assignable knobs and faders (i.e. ALL of the ones you're looking at), then you can assign one of them to aftertouch. The PCR-50 comes with a GM template that shows you where a lot of the default mappings are - filter cutoff, filter resonance, portamento, aftertouch, etc.

From what I know, the Emu Xboards are very solid boards and make just as good a choice as the Edirols. I simply preferred the layout of the PCRs to the Xboards. I'd recommend against the CME and the M-Audio - they are okay for some people, but most people who play piano/keyboard find them to have a bit of a cheap feel.

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