Researched newbie looking for advice in keyboard midi controller purchase!

T

TnF

New member
Hello guys. First post here. To keep it short i'm looking for a starter 61 key midi daw interface controller. This is due to the fact that initially i wanted and will try to learn playing the piano, so it has to be a keyboard with min 61 keys. I'm mainly interested in "edm" production if that will make more sense. Since i'm a university student (MEng Mechanical engineer) my budget is located around 300gbp (for the controller only - note i'm located in UK). DAW will be software based (Ableton Live - after lots of researching and trialling it's the only one it can get through my workflow - or better, mindset workflow). Please understand that i know the differences between analogue and digital synthesizers and i appreciate their respective qualities but digital is the only cost-effective and logical solution at the moment. PC is an ASUS G73jh + second 24" lcd i'll already have. For "monitors" i'll use my Vsonic GR07 BE earphones which have i would say a pretty good flat frequency response, a bit bass biased like Rokit's in a way (experimental measurements: http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/VSonicGR07BassEdition.pdf ). Ok i know they can't be compared with actual monitors, but hey, i won't be mastering tracks anytime soon!

I've already set up my DAW with vst's all installed neatly in a separate internal hdd, and played a bit with it as well. To continue, my biggest consideration at the moment is if any new keyboard midi controllers at my budget are going to be released anytime soon (i.e. NAMM 2014). This would not only downgrade any purchase i'll be making right now, plus i'll theoretically lose money assuming any price drops (should i wait until the holiday season at least?:p). So please keep that in mind. So here are the controllers i've found out:

Novation Impulse 61:
Pros:
- Arp
- Quality keybed (Fatar made??)
- Live clip launch?
- Keybed can be split zoned up to 4 zones
Cons:
- Pads are unbankable? No button to change banks on the fly, so you are limited to 8 pads at a time, where usually a drum rack will have 16?
- Faders cannot be used to control a vst with Automap? You can only use CC to manually map them?
- Questionable quality (most of the problems i know where fixed with firmware updates - like the unstable fader value, or the acceleration of the encoders)

Akai MPK 61:
Pros:
- Quality made
- Good customer support
- 16 pads
Cons:
- Pads are unresponsive (they can be cheap fixed/modded although) - Will void warranty?
- More expensive
- General keyboard configuration a bit messed up? Mod/Pitch wheels in front instead of directly left to the keybed, Faders to the right, pads to the left?
- No "Automap" type software for direct vst control

Maudio: Bad quality? Sticky keys

Nektar P6: A lot more expensive, lots of pros, good integration with Reason only

Note that the Novation and AKAI keyboards are generally a bit old by this moment, so i think there is a great chance of an upgrade coming out soon. Pad count is not so important because it can be upgraded later with an Ableton Push/Novation launchkey. As for polyphonic aftertouch there is something a lot better i found out coming which can be installed in any keyboard: TouchKeys Multi-Touch Musical Keyboard by Andrew McPherson — Kickstarter

So what's your thoughts? I don't believe i've covered everything so please be free to ask.

Thanks in advance,
Ken

---------- Post added 10-19-2013 at 12:08 AM ---------- Previous post was 10-17-2013 at 06:47 PM ----------

So many views and not a single reply??
 
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I think that nobody has replied because there are too many points to respond to. The more concise your OP is, the more likely it is to start conversation.

I use a Novation SL mk2. The keys are the best.

M-Audio keyboards have the best pads.

Akai keys have VERY stiff springs.

You talked a lot about your music but not much about what your priorities are in a keyboard. Tell us in more detail what your expect to do with your keyboard.

-Ki
Salem Beats
 
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Thanks for the response. Sl mk2 is very old, however the integration is still up to date through Automap. Pads are a joke. Not to note that is over my budget considering i'm buying something new. It has lots of pros however which wouldn't be very advantageous to a newbie. I wish i could be more specific but either way my options are limited on what's on the market at the moment. I'm guessing the impulse would be the best all around and i know it's not perfect. However there is a lot of support online which makes it slightly better than other options. I'm still too busy at the moment so i guess i'll wait until NAMM 2014 at least, just to make sure if something better comes up. Isn't it a good reasoning?
 
Being that you're an engineering student, I'm surprised that it seems that you're expecting the best of all worlds.
There's a well-known engineering phrase that goes something along the lines of:

"Features, Durability, Affordability: Pick Any Two"

Overall controller build quality in the industry is trending downward (observable in more recent Novation keyboards) as companies discover that their user-base is more concerned with affordability (1st), and then features (2nd).
Buyers often make their purchases online without touching the keyboards, and often don't have a gauge for comparing anything which can't be seen (key action, etc.).
Reviewers often write things like "Great key response!" with only a $50 Casio keyboard as a reference point -- hardly a qualified review.
Because of this, if controller build is important to you, "newer" is often not better.

The Impulse's keys are not made by Fatar. They feel very similar to the keys employed on the M-Audio Axiom series. Not much of a surprise, since they also happen to look just like them.
The Launchkey's keys are horrible. They feel worse than the keys on the Oxygen series.

A UK equivalent to Guitar Center would be nice, so that you'd be able to test them out.

You still haven't emphasized what you'll be using the keyboard for.
I know that you'll be learning to play the keyboard, and that's about all I know.
- Will you be playing expressive pieces?
- Do you plan to ever use it in a live context?
- Do you plan on micro-managing your note velocities after recording (rendering the velocity response less important)?
- Is desk space a concern?
- Do you have kids or crazy roommates who might mess with your controller (making build quality more important than it might otherwise be)?
- Are you planning on making extensive use of the plugin-mapping features, or will you be using the knobs/sliders/etc. only occasionally?
- Will you be using the keyboard to control your DAW's mixer?
- Do you need your keyboard to provide comprehensive transport control, or will you have a computer keyboard within reach with the appropriate key commands memorized?
- If you're going to end up adding a Launchpad, does it even matter how well the keyboard's pads respond? Or is that just an OCD thing ("everything on my controller must work perfectly")?
- You said that the SL MK2 is out of your price range, but you mentioned that the Nektar P6 as a possibility. Unless you've got some amazing pricing on the P6, this is inconsistent. What exactly is your price range?

There isn't any one keyboard that does everything better than every other keyboard, so you need to clarify and prioritize.

-Ki
Salem Beats
 
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Thanks again for the response. I'm actually very aware of what you are saying. I know what is going on behind design, supply, manufacturing, and marketing/support of a product. What i'm looking for however is advice on finding the best option for my needs that is available or in the very near future currently in the market. Thus i'm already decided on what i'm looking for: a 61-key daw midi keyboard controller priced near 300gbp. For me, even if i had the actual chance of trying any of these keyboards beforehand i have no reference to compare to as i'm a newbie. So in an essence the real question is: Buy an Impulse/MPK/etc (and if not, why), a used better one (like SL Mk2), or play safe and wait until NAMM 2014?
As for going any cheaper i know it's not worth it (i.e launchkey etc.), more expensive is impossible.
 
TnF said:
i'm already decided on what i'm looking for: a 61-key daw midi keyboard controller priced near 300gbp. For me, even if i had the actual chance of trying any of these keyboards beforehand i have no reference to compare to as i'm a newbie. So in an essence the real question is: Buy an Impulse/MPK/etc (and if not, why), a used better one (like SL Mk2), or play safe and wait until NAMM 2014?
As for going any cheaper i know it's not worth it (i.e launchkey etc.), more expensive is impossible.
Click to expand...

You can wait for NAMM if you want, but there aren't generally many leaps and bounds that occur from year to year in MIDI Controller technology. Most of them send MIDI notes and CCs, and that's just about it.

If you're using it in the studio, get the Impulse without hesitation. Automap is great, and the Ableton integration is there.

-Ki
Salem Beats
 
That's actually what i'm thinking too. There is a possibility that Novation will release a successor to the SL since it's the oldest in their active line-up. I'm not sure for akai however. Also waiting until the holiday season would be beneficial i believe, since i may see a drop in price.
 
TnF said:
There is a possibility that Novation will release a successor to the SL since it's the oldest in their active line-up.
Click to expand...

Even if they do, it won't matter -- You won't be able to afford it with the strict budget you've provided.

-Ki
Salem Beats
 
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