Did you buy a seperate MIDI controller and keyboard or ...

[marbles]

.... an all in one keyboard/MIDI controller . if so why ? , cost ? , efficiency ? ease of use ?

&

With which software & Mac model do you use your controllers , keyboards or all in ones , and how go's it ?




thanks in advance .



rj

 

[headfuzz]

The first piece of hardware I bought was a 2nd hand Yamaha CBX-K3 MIDI keyboard for controlling soft synths.

Since then I've bought a Yamaha RM1x groovebox, a Novation Remote Zero SL MIDI controller (for Ableton performances, now sits in the studio not doing much) a Novation A Station rackmount synth, a UC33e MIDI controller, which I've customised by hacking it together with an Evolution X-Session (original not Pro) MIDI controller, and a Nord Modular synth (and MIDI keyboard). The UC33e / X-Session combo has superceded the Novation for Ableton use.

The Yamaha CBX-K3 was bought for £20 off a mate and save for 1 dead key (which is probably easily repairable) works flawlessly. It was all I could afford at the time but does the job just fine. If you're just getting started out get yourself a half decent MIDI keyboard instead of spending a small fortune on a hardware synth.

Rest of my rig at the moment is comprised of Logic Studio, Ableton Live 7, the Macs in my sig, a Focusrite Saffire Pro 26 i/o rackmount audio interface for the studio and an M-Audio Firewire Audiophile for performance. Oh and a set of Adam A-7's for monitoring. it looks something like this:

...and the custom Ableton controller looks like this:

only now it's finished and painted black.

 

[marbles]

hey headfuzz , looks like a room intended for pure pleasure & thanks for taking the time to up the pics, really insightful , cheers.


after talking to folks here , I'm almost coming to a decision of sorts , am thinking now I may just go for a dj mixer that has MIDI control function built in such as the Ecler EVO5 or similar maybe , don't know yet .( saw the zero4's but ***** sound apparently)

I could get a lower priced keyboard for the hobby work with the kids then and put the money into what makes me money - the mixer / MIDI controller .

i will be using Ableton live & a vinyl control DVS software by either Traktor or Serato .
I'm just holding out from buying I suppose till I see what the serato & ableton collaboration comes up with.
.... sashas maven controller is going on sale in Jan I heard so not sure what to do right now , someone should start a sasha maven rumour site lol

maybe I should just get a separate dj mixer , MIDI controller , keyboard and audio interface , some say avoid all in ones , which I can and do understand , but for the keyboard and MIDI control it does seem a good idea , just get a separate mixer and audio interface ,or like I said i maybe I should get a dj mixer /MIDI controller and just a cheap keyboard ,.... do you have any thoughts on this idea .I'm walking round in circles at the minute .

but it's just such an exciting time to be getting into all this again man , I feel good about making music and glad to be in the position I am being able to buy gear now having missed all the cdj thing ( thankfully)
all I need to do is decide how to control the software so I feel like I'm playing an instrument rather than a computer , have the decks , just need the decision to be made on audio interface , MIDI control , keyboard , mic , etc etc .

not sure how I'm gonna do it tho because I'm not really sure what it is I need
what would you do in my position , looks like you spin with vinyl also so your just the kind of fella who's brains I wanna pick , s'ok , won't hurt , promise

" now it's finished and painted black " . I'd like to see that .I think I want it actually but seeing it would suffice , for now at least

cheers


rj






Anyone else out there coming in for a natter 'bout MIDI controllers / keyboards an the like

Did you get an all in one MIDI controller keyboard / MIDI dj mixer keyboard with MIDI or did you go all separates ????? ,


how go's it with your gear and Mac?


thanks in advance .