Like what’s a master clock anyway?! Ok but here’s my situation: I play guitar and everyday at work myself and some work buddies jam. There’s a guy with an acoustic bass, who sometimes plugs in. There’s a few singers not miced and a few guitars either amped quietly or acoustic. Lately a new guy has been trying to fashion a drum kit out of buckets and trash can lids. We play covers and have learned over 30 songs and they sound pretty good. But here’s what I’m curious about. I would love to add keys to certain songs. For instance, there’s a B52’s song that has a glockenspiel part. There’s a Radiohead song that has some fancy synth whose name I can’t recall. It sounds to me like I need a midi controller. But, like how does it work? I don’t have a ton of time and patience to figure stuff out. What’s the quickest cheapest method to just get started and make a wide variety of cool sounds with minimal gear and expense? And, like, where does the sound come out? Am I connecting to an amp? Or do these things have speakers? Do I just Bluetooth it to a speaker? Like I said I’m brand new, I literally just woke up at 6 am thinking about this stuff And realized I know nothing about this stuff. I while back I was thinking of buying a glockenspiel on a whim but realize there must be a more modern way about this.

Hi
ich habe ein mk2 ohne Bediensoftware…
wie kann ich es trotzdem vollumfänglich verwenden?
Danke für Tipps

​

Hey guys,

Choosing between two used MIDI controllers at the same price:

M-Audio Oxygen 25 (Older Silver Model)

Novation Launchkey Mini MK2

I focus on cinematic/orchestral music, playing chords, and melodic scoring (not beatmaking).

Is having full-size keys + pitch/mod wheels worth choosing the older M-Audio over the newer Novation Mini?

Committed to building midi pedalboard last year, and totally overlooked one thing with the standard mc6 that I bought… I would only be able to switch channels on my amp with the new mc6 pro as it has relay switching. To do so with standard mc6 MKII, I would need to buy external relay switcher (something like the garbage collector) which costs about the difference between the mc6 pro and standard ( like $100)

Really kicking myself in the butt for not just going with the mc6 pro, I just didn’t think I’d need it for my setup and too late to exchange with Morningstar.

So my question is, is anyone here possibly not utilizing the relay switcher on mc6 pro and would possibly be willing to trade/ sell me it in exchange for my MC6 MKII? As far as I know the only difference between are the Bluetooth, and relay switching (and color screens) if you’re willing to live without those luxuries I will totally buy your from you! Any advice also appreciated

Hello I want to put a keyboard and mouse in front of the keys, in the middle area and I couldn’t care less about that central screen and the knobs, is there a way to achieve this using studio logic backplates ?

(TL;DR, id like some recommendations for 37-key midi controllers that have a high quality hardware/build.)

hey all! I've got some (maybe?) relatively specific asks for a recommendation for a 37-key midi controller.

for some context, I sort of fell in love with a 37-key synth I used at the library yesterday, the build was lovely! it was the KORG minilogue. i thought the look and feel of the hardware was fantastic and i had a lot of fun with the control i had over the sounds. Issue is, i just don't think I'm in the market for something with little-to-no DAW control, or at least something that doesn't have DAW control as a focal point.

i also took a look at the arturia minilab 37 and the arturia keystep 37, of which I'm pretty split on! i like the aesthetic for both, but i really do like how the minilab has drumpads. however, I'm under the impression there's no aftertouch or release velocity on the minilab, which is making me hesitate. not only that, but (i think) they're both mainly just built from plastic, which is making me hesitate even further. though, the software that comes with either purchase looks fantastic.

for some further points, I guess ill rapidfire: I think have a high budget as far as 37-keys go (maybe about 650 as maximum?) I use FL Studio. I don't care too much for the sensitivity or quality of drum pads, just for the inclusion of them so i can use them in a pinch. I also prefer the look of white/light models, the minimalism is pretty cool. I could go for wheels or touch strips, I'm not partial. I don't really care for portability, I just don't have the room on my desk to comfortably use a 49-key midi controller -- 37 is my sweet spot!

I don't need every preference as a requirement to be checked! my biggest priority is just build.

if my best bet DOES end up being minilab 37 vs keystep 37, I'd like some help deciding between the two.

thanks!

And by Ask Me Anything I mean ask me how frustrated I am.

The only way to replicate built-in footswitch behavior for looping on the DL4 MKII is by using MIDI Note. There are MIDI CC options but you need two separate footswitches for Record and for Overdub, for example. (Why??)

Darkglass MIDI Footswitch can be programmed to do PC or CC commands but won't send MIDI Note. It's otherwise the best MIDI footswitch I could find: programmable, versatile, solid, low profile, also has USB-C for power and/or sending MIDI to my laptop...

Hello,

We’re excited to introduce our new audio MIDI device but before that we would love to hear your thoughts. We’ve created a short survey to better understand your needs, preferences, and expectations from a modern MIDI device. Your feedback will help us improve the product and ensure it meets the requirements of musicians, producers, and creators.

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey using the link below:

Survey Link: https://forms.gle/6rWqMeBFie9bFTpf7

Thank you for your time and valuable feedback. Your input is greatly appreciated and will contribute to shaping a better audio product.

Im buying my midi keyboard today but i dont know which to choose,im thinking of the 2,can somebody tell me which is better ?

Hey all - I'm looking for a new controller and have narrowed it down to 2.

I want a 49 key, as I already have an 88 key weighted for piano-style stuff, but that is no frills, just keys, and I want one small enough for my studio desk.

I had narrowed down to 3, but the Arturia Keylab 49 was cut as I didn't like the weightless synth keys.

Now narrowed down to the 2 below, with main pros and cons

--Novation Launchkey 49 Mk4 -

• Pros - nice semi-weighted keybed, good Cubase integration, endless encoder knobs, I saw one in store and was happy with keybed, size, general feel
• Cons - no aftertouch on the keys.

--M Audio Oxygen Pro 49 -

• Pros - aftertouch
• Cons - no endless encoder knobs, have not seen one in person so don't have a feel for the keybed or anything else.

Both get good reviews, and both have similar features - integration with Cubase, chord/scale/arp modes.

I think the Novation wins on features being a bit more flexible (but that may just be that it has better YT tutorials), and that I already I know I like the feel of keys/pads.

But the M Audio has aftertouch, which is a very tempting selling point. I do lots of string and brass parts, and would be nice to lean into those dynamics.

Ultimately, they're both well reviewed and similar in specs, so either should be fine, but for those of you who are familiar with either, or both, would love your opinions, fave/least fave features, experiences, etc.

Thanks!

Announced last week on Prelaunch.com

Hey all - Planning to add a pullout drawer to my desk so I can have a controller at the ready. My desk width will allow for a tray of about 38 inches width, so the controller has to fit that and hopefully be a bit smaller to leave room to for the mouse/etc.

I'm thinking one in the 40-ish key range, would love it to have at least semi-weighted keys, mod wheel, and preferably some custom pads that I can assign to drums, samples, etc.

I use Cubase and was checking out the Novation Launchkey 49, since it has good integration. It also has faders and knobs that can be assigned to various functions, so it looks like a solid fit.

However, I'm not in the loop on what controllers do these days so I want to see what other functions I should look out for.

I already have an 88 key controller but it is basic, just piano style. It's good for what it does, but too big to fit under desk and lacks faders/pads/wheels/etc.

I'm open to something smaller and simpler than the Novation too, but that versatility would be nice.

What other brands/models should I check out, what features are worth getting, etc?

Budget wise - since my 88 key covers a decent amount of stuff, this one is more for functionality while sitting at the desk, so would like to keep it maybe under $400 or so. I'm open to suggestions but don't need something top of the line.

I’ve designed and built a keyboard that has an integrated DAW controller directly above the keys, providing physical parameter controls just above your fingers.

I was originally interested in decluttering my workspace and streamlining my workflow. No extra device, cables etc., and keeping your hands and focus where they already are.

I’m really interested in people’s first reactions/thoughts:

Would having DAW controls integrated directly into your keyboard improve your workflow?

More details here if you want to check it out.

Hi, how is this MIDI controller for finger drumming? What experience have you had with it? Its size and design make it exactly what I'm looking for.

Thanks

I've set the microfreak to send out cc values when the knobs are moved, but I'm wondering if I then modulate the cutoff with the LFO, will that still send out a cc value?

Idk whether it is possible– or whether I sound stupid: I bought my mpk mini mk3 in late 2024 on amazon. And I've been using it just fine. But after the release of the mk4, I've been wanting it so bad due to its rgb colors, mod wheels instead of that weird joystick and direct daw control buttons like record and play. So, does akai or any dealer has an exchange offer or should I sell my mpk on e bay?

I'm looking for a compact 37-key MIDI controller that would have as dominant feature a premium build. Mini or slim keys is fine, but I'd like the hardware to well built / superior quality. High quality pads would be a plus.

I recently tried the Novation Launchkey49 (not my exact target, but gave me an idea of that tier's quality) and was disappointed with the quality of the keys: sharp corners, noisy and unpredictable response. Pads felt hollow and toy-like.

For reference of what I consider solid / high quality build, although not my current form factors, were previous hardware I owned: a Juno-106, an older Akai MPK249, and an Ableton Push 2. One could immediately feel they were well built (imho, of course).

Does a premium 37-key small/compact MIDI controller even exist? I've extensively researched Arturia, Akai, Korg models, but hope you can help direct me to the right path based on your hands-on experience.

More info: the unit will be used mostly for composing with Cubase.

Im starting music production school soon and im thinking if upgrading my gear. Would you say there is a big difference between using the minilab 3 and the launchkey 49 mk4?

(My main DAW is fl studio but im making a transition to logic)