What's A Good Midi Controller?, Oxygen8 or Ozone? usb or firewire? Options

[everybodysnobody]

I'm using a mac g4 with digital performer with the motu828, and i'm confused on what midi controller to get. Is there a midi controller out there that uses firewire instead of USB?

Does anyone have any recommendations as far as m-audio oxygen 8 v.s. m-audio ozone? I'm just really lost as far as what midi controller to get. I'd really like to get one with firewire capabilities or plugins, but can't seem to find one.

all advice welcome! Thanks!

[rickenbacker]

You don't need FireWire for Midi - it would be overkill, really. And I don't know what you mean by plugins onboard.

Anyway, with the M-Audio gear, the Oxygen 8 is cheaper but only has 8 controls. I think the Ozone has 10 or 12. And an audio interface. Which might not be necessary. Edirol do a nice range of controller keyboards, too.

[everybodysnobody]

thanks for the advice, i'm sorry, i didn't mean plugins as in plugins for the controller, wrong wording, I meant inputs/outputs. I've seen the Edirol keyboards, but haven't really checked into them a whole lot. Will definitely check into them a little more. So... just go with USB 1.1 or 2??? is 1.1 USB fine for Midi?

Thanks.

[drewmtb]

A g4 will only have USB 1.1 so even if it's a 2.x device it will switch itself to a USB 1.1 compatibility mode. Again a midi controller doesn't need to transmit very much data, USB 1.1 should
be more than fast enough.

I have an edirol PCR-50 and love it. It feels pretty good compared
to most of the other controllers out there in it's price range.

I hope this helps
Drew

[silsoe]

I've got an Edirol PCR-30 which works fine.

One thing I would think about carefully when buying controllers is size of keyboard.
Mine has just under 3 octaves which can be abit of a bind when I'm trying to be creative.
I guess its a trade off though as its far more practical for taking to gigs...

[everybodysnobody]

good advice guys, thanks! After looking at the Edirol's, I think I will definitely go for one, still determining which size tho, Portability seems nice, but more variation and room for creativity is enticing as well. One thing I am curious about the edirol's that I can't completely grab from reading about it online is.... Do they have different memory banks with effects or patches so to speak (i.e. - piano, strings, synth, horns, etc...) like a normal keyboard would?

[drewmtb]

The edirols are just a controller they don't generate any sounds on their own. You can use them to control many aspects of any sequencing program you use though which is very nice.


Drew

[nate d]

I'm a huge fan of the Oxygen8. While there are only 8 knobs (and a slider), there are multiple preset settings so you can assign the knobs to controls, go to the next preset, and basically have a new set of 8 controls. I forget how many presets it has.

A lot of people swear by the Oxygen8 in an Ableton Live/Propellerhead Reason setup. Especially with a Powerbook or iBook...it's small and very portable.

If you're looking to really write complex music with it, however, such as piano scores, it is a bit limiting since it only has a few octaves.

[Panopticon]

It's a little expensive for a MIDI controller, but the Korg microkontroller is SO sweet! I was playing with one yesterday at GC; and it had, far and away, the best look and feel of any dedicated controller I've come across. I would also probably guess it is built well...I have a few Korg synths on hand and have had no problems with them. It's a little pricey, so you might not want to go that route; but I was very impressed...

[annadyne]

hi there, psssstt,

ya might wanna check out the .......

Evolution
MK-461C USB

Flagship model for the Evolution line, featuring 9 assignable 35mm sliders, 12 assignable rotary knobs, 10 assignable buttons and 61 full-size touch sensitive keys.

i just bought one. haven't received it yet but i'll be glad to post a nice quickie review.

here's a link from the people i got it from - been doing biz with them for several years and they gave me a nice purchase price with absynth2.0 - no they did not pay me to plug them.

Evolution MK-461c USB midi kbd



i'm hoping that this, along with my motu 828, cubase, live, reason, max/msp, pluggo, metasynth, and all the other hoo-ha i've got crammed into my G4 1Ghz PB will make an excellent road studio as i travel back and forth between my studio and work.

not that you have to have all that software to make great music. truly.

good luck and watch for my review in the next 2 weeks....

elizabeth
'auracene'
secret orange star studio

motu 828 (2), g4 933 desktop, nord modular, eml 101, sh101, etc. reason, cubase, max/msp, etc

[zelen0]

when you say "portable studio", do you also take your Evolution keyboared with you? How portable is it? I'm also intersted in whether or not you use Logic Audio and if you have any problems with this keyboard?

[everybodysnobody]

thanks for all the advice, the evolution looks sweet! God, I'm really in a debate of what to get, i'm gonna go down to GC again and play around with a few more and I guess finally decide. Thanks again.

Ryan.

[annadyne]

BTW - I haven't received the MK-461C yet - tomorrow - Thursday 1/29/04's the day. Promise to post a review here.

By portable studio, this is what I use:

1) Motu 828 (b/c it has multi-client drivers AND works in OS 9 and X). I work in both OSs. Yes, it needs extra electricity but.... Most of the PCMCIA cards out there either work only in X or do not have multi-client drivers. Multi-client means you can use the audio card driver while flipping between 3 or 4 open audio apps. Very important if you need to switch from your midi/audio seq like Cubase or Live to a waveform ed like Peak or Sonicworx Studio.

When I need to be mega-portable I use a Dgigram VXpocketV2 PCMCIA card. Not multi-client friendly :-( but sounds great and has SPDIF and XLR audio connecs. And is OS 9 and X compat.

2) Midi keyboard.
Like I said I haven't received the 461 yet - I'll post a review when I've had a chance to use it - within next week... The thing is supposed to be powered by USB or optional (not included) power supply. USB cable comes with keyboard. Right now I've been using the Nord Modular with a Midipsport 2x2.

Alternately at the house I stay at when working an hour away, I use a Radio Shaft portable Casio-type keyboard with a Peavey PC 1600 slider box and the 2x2. The latter setup's not very portable, so to speak, but it works and it stays where it's at.

3) Pro headphones - AKG K171s though I'd rather have the K271s....the 171s fit in a smaller space.

4) Furman power conditioner racked up with the 828.
Never ever play live without a line conditioner. Bad electricity can be like a mega-virus on the weakest PC.

5) To be ordered today, PCMCIA firewire and USB adapter card which will allow me to simultaneously run a 7200 rpm OWC direwire drive, along with the 828 plugged into the main firewire port on the lappie: which unfortunately has only one firewire port.

6) 1Ghz, 1G ram, dual-boot (os 9 and X) G4 Powerbook.
Complete with Batz-maru sticker to hide Applegate logo.

Some of you will groan and say this is NOT a portable studio.

For the money and setup, however, for me, it offers the greatest possibilities, with the max amound of safety for myhard-earned equipment when traveling.

My earlier 'portable' setup was the Casio keys, PC1600, and a 45lb racked Kurzweil K2500RS, which I still have and which still sounds great, and AKG K240m headphones. Plus an occational gig tug-along Roland Jazz Chorus head and 4x12 cab.

If I were gigging in Europe, I'd take the VXpocket, rent the conditioner and take the keyboard in a tough-foam walled softpack to slap in the overhead.

Hope this information is helpful.

Cheers - and watch for my mk-4612c review soon!

Elizabeth
Annadyne
Auracene'
Secret Orange Star Studio
USA



P.S. The sooner the Bush 3 - Bush Beans, Chain-Chain-Cheney, and GinRummy, are out of office, the safer our planet and all its lifeforms will be. It's embarrassing that a country that proclaims freedom and democracy has so little toleration within its borders and a significant lack of consideration for the rest of the world. The Bush dictatorship perfectly embodies this.

[nate d]

6) 1Ghz, 1G ram, dual-boot (os 9 and X) G4 Powerbook.
Complete with Batz-maru sticker to hide Applegate logo

Aww, why would you want to cover up the logo?

This post has been edited by nate d: Wed 28 Jan 2004, 16:58

[annadyne]

grumpy batz-maru looks sexier than apple logo.

and BTW the mk-461c USB is here! the first few hours with it have been great. the controls are not heavy resistance, but for the features and price i'm very pleased with this keyboard. it takes about 2 secondes to have any knob, slider or the pitch or mod wheel output any midi controller message. evolution has made this very easy.

promise a full report in few more days when i've had a chance to see how consistently it will work.

plug i'm thinking of writing a how-to and what-to look for when buying a midi keyboard.

The Key Stuck Text - all the m-audio radiums have really crummy keys. if you're thinking about buying one of these give it this test: run your fingers up and down the keys 2 or 3 times a la Jerry Lee Lewis boogie-woogie style. If one or more of the keys don't get stuck like what happened on TWO different radium midi controllers, then maybe the keyboard is okay.

so far the mk-461c hasn't gotten stuck keys!

unofficial review coming soon.....

elizabeth
annadyne
appalachia, usa

[annadyne]

Sorry about all those ridiculous typos - it's really cccccold hhhhere in the computer room. fortunately, this is not where i'm playing the mk-461c.

correction 1: pluS i'm thinking about writing a how-to find the right and reliable midi controller keyboard for you...

correction 2: ''The Key Stuck TeSt.....'

cheers for now
elizabeth
auracene'
appalachia, usa

[everybodysnobody]

i like the idea of writing the "how to" manual. definitely a lot of good advice throughout the post and thanks to everyone.

[badtz]

annadyne,

I'm looking VERY forward to your review!!!!!

Just wanted to let u know