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Originally posted by tonyhibbert321 hey guys, thanks for all your questions and tips....like i said though, i have no expectations, nor really any idea about midi controllers, just want to experiment thats all.....experiment with deifferent sounds and production techniques. All of your help is much appreciated, can anyone reccomend one for under 200? i have no specific requirements at all, just a cool midi controller where i can learn the basics, but that is also respectable....if thats possible

i think u miss the point. a midicontroller of its own cant do anything. you need software or hardware synths and a sequencer to be able to make sounds at all. the controller is just a controller - like a lightswitch; without a light bulb or electricity it doesnt do anything.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Oq1G-IUNfg

Thanks echsystm for your detailed response, i will do some research into these products, guessing the roland one is most expensive . When did you buy it and have you had any problems with it?

hey clay, I understand midi's need software, and i dont intend to buy the software seperately, i want to buy it with the controller, therefore thats why my queastions have been based around the controller, thanks for your input though!

the software that usually comes with midicontroller, soundcards etc are often limited versions of some kind. like max 3 VSTs or max 8 channels, max 64 bars or something. just to keep in mind. theres no shortcuts except piracy which i cannot recomend either. you could get Reaper though, it is semi "free" (meaning you can evaluate full version for as long as you want). and theres some free VSTs to put into Reaper too, like synth1. Start there. If id were to start today that might have been the way id go. Ill admit though that i bought Reason in a bundle with the Edirol midikeyboard lol (after a year or two of pirating).

btw: midi doesnt "need" software. software could have good use of a midicontroller/keyboard. you seem to have everything upside down. a midi controller can control hardware synths also, through, yes, midi connectors (oldschool 5pin control cables - again no sound, just control messages to the synth which in turn is the device making the actual sound, or synthesize it if you like, hence the name synthesizer).

maybe what you really would like is a hardware synthesizer??? ALOT more fun there.

Last edited by Zak McKracken on Aug-28-2013 at 14:40

Sometimes midi keyboards bundle a "cut-down" version of a sequencer - i remember getting a copy of Live Lite with something as i have the disc lying around here somewhere
You wont get a full version with something like that though- not as far as im aware anyway

good post echo on those keyboards, im thinking of getting a new one myself possibly

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Originally posted by tonyhibbert321 Thanks echsystm for your detailed response, i will do some research into these products, guessing the roland one is most expensive . When did you buy it and have you had any problems with it?

The Roland I bought is about half the price of the Novation Impulse, so it is affordable. What I meant is that it is expensive compared to other simple keyboards (eg. M-Audio Keystation).

I bought it about a month ago and have had no issues whatsoever. If you want a keyboard with nice keys and lots of useful velocity curves, I think this is the best keyboard you can get without upgrading to a full workstation. It is very much a players/musicians keyboard.

Some people aren't actually interested in playing their keyboard and just want lots of buttons, faders and pads. If you're one of those, the Novation Impulse is probably better. However, be aware that the velocity curves may make the keyboard useless for you if you ever want to start playing keyboard properly.

I can't say I'm impressed by any of the midi controllers available at the moment though, including the one I bought. None of them are even close to the keyboards that you get with a good workstation. You really just have to buy the one that you hate the least.

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Originally posted by DJ Robby Rox I've never had a problem with FLs tech support till this day. (I've actually never used it till this day)

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Originally posted by floyd741 i think echosystm is a pretty cool guy. eh pwns robby rox and doesn't afraid of anything.

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Originally posted by echosystm I can't say I'm impressed by any of the midi controllers available at the moment though, including the one I bought. None of them are even close to the keyboards that you get with a good workstation. You really just have to buy the one that you hate the least.

This. The MIDI controller market has been shit for the past 6-7 years. The best newer controllers I've found are the ones from Arturia, which also happen to come with a good selection of usable synth sounds. The decent ones are a little above your budget, but I'd recommend saving a little more for something like this one:

http://www.thomann.de/de/arturia_ae...boratory_49.htm

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thanks guys, really good input again, much appreciated. Yeah heard of thomann before, heard they are pretty respectable brand, anyone heard of hifi tower? came across there site recently, they look like they have decent stuff too and quite cheap. I guess ill have to start looking for the midi controller i hate the least then

thomann is just a shop as far as i know. not a brand for products.

cool, yeah just checked them out, have some cool stuff but quite expensive than i thought, hi fi tower look a bit cheaper, has anyone shopped there before?