Considerations before buying a midi controller

[lotti]

Howdey,

I'm thinking about buying a midi controller to achieve a more intuitive way and focus on less gens, fxs and parameters.

Well, of course a lot of questions are highly individual like prize, knobs, faders, keys, pads and so on...

So my first and most important question is: Do I have to look for some technical prerequisites?

I've read key words like MidiMerge, Auto Mapping, peer machines, midi ox, virtualmidi and of course polacs vsti. But until now I've found no time and way to investigate further. It seems a good idea to me, first to buy a controller and then start to try things out in buzz. But it would be stupid if then I would realize, that I had bought a "wrong" device for my needs. So until now the main need is the compatibility towards buzz. To make it a bit clearer: to controll desired params with hardware faders/knobs. (is knob the right vocabular? I'm not talking about a trigger, but a thing you can turn to change the value... Sorry, not the best english...)

Okay, second question - Bindings: From what I've read I think the way to bind a parameter is first to assign e.g. a knob from a controller to a name in the buzz preferences (midi input controllers). After that that name would be available somewhere (where?) in the machine view to bind e.g. a parameter to. Is there something to read like a tutorial "hands on midi binding in buzz"?

I've found threads where x box controllers are used and whatsoever. So everything seems to be possible. But of course I want to start with the basics, which hopefully should be easier to achive...

Some Midi Controller seem to be delivered with software while others don't. Is this just additional stuff, like you get a controller with a sw-synth or a test version of ableton... Or is there software whichs works as an interface between the controller and buzz and which is responsible for some kind of bindings? If, it would be very important to choose, wouldn't it?

For example I've found the Akai MPK mini Mk2. It seems to offer quite a lot of opportunities in one cheap device. Would be sad to buy something, you can't use in buzz. So also concrete recommendations for a controller are of course welcome!

last easy question: I've read that if you have a knob with a determined start and end point bound to param 1 with value 100 and bind it to param 2 with value 0 and now start going down, it will send 99 to param 2 which will lead to undesired behavior. Is this problem always fixed when the knobs can be turned forever? Or do I have to look for a technical keyword which indicates, that the knobs calculate the send-value from a before recieved current-value?

lotti

edit: some controllers offer to store presets - how does this work in combination with buzz?

[mridlen]

I'm not really an expert since I don't really use my keyboard in a very robust way. I basically just assign my keyboard to the Master using the dropdown and lock it (this keeps me from playing 2 synths accidentally during a performance), then by selecting right click -> MIDI input channel, I can set synths to be on up to 16 different channels, giving me 16 presets for live performance. I also use keyboard splits using IX Split and the Keyzone settings in Polac VSTi (under Edit -> Settings).

Knobs are set up under Preferences -> MIDI Input. This is on a per channel basis, so if you want to map all knobs to all 16 channels, it's going to take a while.

Then you can open the Parameters view of the machine, and right click to bind midi controller stuff to the machine. I want to say there is a peer machine that handles being able to set different response curves to the knob, but I can't find it at the moment.

Personally, I would suggest getting a keybed that you like the feel of. Some of the cheaper ones are either very flimsy, or sometimes weighted in a very unnatural way. Sliders are better than knobs IMO, since you can control up to 5 parameters at a time. Pitch bend, mod wheel, and aftertouch are all very important features for me. If you like synth action (unweighted), the Roland A series has a good sturdy feel. If you want semi-weighted, Kurzweil is my pick (get something a generation or 2 old). I haven't really found a fully weighted keyboard that I like, but they usually come in 88 key only, and I think Korg comes the closest to what I like.

[ags]

edit: some controllers offer to store presets - how does this work in combination with buzz?

MIDI knobs and faders are all assigned a number, which is then linked with the params in Buzz.
The presets let you switch between sets of those assignments so you could have something like:
Preset A: your 8 or whatever knobs are numbered 1-8 and linked to one set of buzz params.
Preset B: your knobs are #9-16 and control a different bunch of Buzz params with the same knobs.

[onecircles]

Don't worry about any technical pre-requisites. Midi is a fairly robust and universal standard, so as long as you've got the hardware to read midi data, buzz is going to be able to work with it.

Working with a midi controller isn't that hard, although I found it pretty intimidating when I first began. There is kind of a lot to learn, but the best way to learn is by doing. It's extremely abstract before you start actually working with it. After you learn it becomes easy because all midi equipment works in pretty much the same way.

To bind a controller, you set it as your default midi device. Then you define one of it's CC controls in the midi options, and name it. Then when you right click on a parameter in one of your machines, you hover over "bind to" and select the CC you want to attach to it. CC just means control change and it's how anything that can change continuously between 0-126/1-127 is referred to.

If you are really interested in ableton or any other specific software, you can take that into account, but I would just focus on buying a midi controller that seems exciting to use.

I was looking at the mpk 49 when I first decided I wanted a good controller. I ended up getting a much nicer vintage midi controller for my keyboard, but I did end up getting an MPD, which is pretty much the pad arrangement from the mpk as a stand alone midi controller. I set it on top of my piano a lot like the mpk. It's a great instrument. I love playing it, it can do a tremendous amount if you take the time to learn. There are some good websites where you can buy accessories to improve it's response and feel as well as personalize it. The MPD is very popular because it's used a lot in hip hop production. If you want to write beats/rhythms that have a more natural feel mpc/mpd/mpk pads are a great way to do that, and it's really a fascinating instrument in it's own right.

If you're mostly into working with parameters, you might want to get a controller that is mostly sliders. Having 10 or 20 sliders to map every parameter of a synth can make building and scripting tones a very fun and intuitive process.

[mridlen]

Can you elaborate a bit on how you have your pad controller set up? What plugins do you use it with? Do you have to jump through any hoops to set it up?

[onecircles]

I had to jump through a lot of hoops, but mostly because I was trying to avoid going too deeply into vst equipment at the time. I wanted to keep my approach as buzz native as possible. That didn't work though. Sample grid or anything else buzz has to offer is not a serious option, but in the end it isn't hard if you go the vst route.

I use the mpd26 It has 6 sliders and 6 nobs. I prefer it to the later models which have more sliders and nobs because it is smaller. That goes through my piano and into my midi interface. The plugin I use is geist. It's extremely powerful and very complicated. A DAW in it's own right. It has some pretty amazing and bizarre options for how I deal with my samples, as well as built in effects and automation. I can use it in combination with polac plugins to do hardware sampling style stuff from my music library.

Just make sure the vst your using matches the version of buzz you're using (32 or 64 bit), and connect your midi hardware to your plugin using polac midi in. Polac is our lord and savior.

Here are the threads where I detailed my experiences if you're interested.
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1734
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1809

[szaszhareen]

i recall you mentioning geist, but never tried it since i never got around to getting an mpd of my own. so you can set up geist to do some massive hip hop finger drumming?

[onecircles]

Geist is a monster. It's byzantine and powerful, it took me a long time to learn. I assert that it's the perfect pairing with buzz. It's similar to buzz. It looks simple on the surface, but there's layers of complexity hiding under every gui element. It's very dense. The gui looks sick btw.

Since you're interested here are the features of geist that stick out to me.

Patterns can be drawn in the pattern view, recorded live, or 'retro recorded'. Retro record constantly saves the last measure you played so if you get it right, you don't have to push record and reproduce it. You just push retro record and what you just played gets recorded.

Complete drum patterns can be played live using a keyboard or other midi controller similar to triggering an arpeggiator. Swaps patterns in sync with the time of the host so you never drop a beat or anything.

Patterns can be drawn quickly, velocities are edited by dragging upward or downward after placing a trigger in a cell. Some pre-made patterns can be drawn into the pattern view by dragging while holding a key. Could make building some pretty complex patterns very quick and magical in a live setting.

Everything in the gui can be mapped to midi with a few clicks, midi mapping profiles can be saved.

It's perfectly suited to mpc style finger drumming. It has 6 engines running simultaneously that each have 16 pads. You can switch between engines using a midi controller during performance. (the different engines run on midi channels 1-6 by default)

Has an engine mixer, and a pad mixer to get pads and patterns to perfect levels.

Lots of built in effects that can be applied per pad or per engine. Effects parameters can be automated/scripted, but it's a bit clunky and has to be done per pad, meaning that you'll have to put a separate filter on every pad if you want an engine to have a scriptable filter across all pads.

Samples can be layered into pads, I think up to 8. Sample triggering can be easily tied to velocity for expressive or experimental effects. Samples can be easily cropped or have vca style envelopes applied to them in a few clicks.

Built in sampler that receives input from an included vst effect called spitter. Spitter is placed anywhere in your signal routing as an effect and sends audio to geist. Makes traditional hardware style sampling from asio or other media easy.

Loading samples is automatic and tactile. you press a pad, it's selected and then any sample you play is automatically loaded into that pad. Samples are auditioned and loaded automatically as soon as they are clicked or selected in the browser. Building kits is fast and fun.

Tons of output options per engine.

The craziest feature of geist is the sample slice. You grab a sample, it analyzes it for it's frequency content, and then automatically slices it up into tons of tiny chunks that it then layers and loads into your kit. So it takes your sample and generates a drum kit from it. It automatically categorizes these drums as bass snare toms and hi hat, but it's really just lows mids and highs. The end result is you click a sample, fiddle with a few knobs if you desire, and you instantly get an experimental drum kit using the timbres and content of the sample you selected. The sound is very modern and cool.

[onecircles]

I don't have any experience with any other drum vst though. I've heard Phatmatic pro is good.

[elekt]

I'm a fan of Novation's older controllers, remote zero sl and sl mkII. If i didn't own enough I'd probably go for novation's Launch Control these days. Perfect fit with antonio's mixIO.

In practice, I'm not big on endless encoders in a live setup, switching pages to control different params with the same knob can be confusing when you're in a hurry. Also, build quality especially matters for those, unlike analog pots or faders, which tend to be sturdier. Analog pots are also easier to read right away, you know approximately what value they're sending at first glance.

Pretty much all midi controllers will save presets/templates, the most important of which is the default one, kept in the controller's memory as the boot preset. My first step in a setup is always making the default preset. Controllers come with their own editors, which you'll need to use exactly once per setup.

There are some quirks when using midi with vsts - there are some controllers defined by default - such CC #7 for volume, these are carried over from hardware synths standards. You have to pay attention to those. But MIDI is extremely flexible as far as routing, converting, splitting with plugins, like Piz Midi vsts.

I tend to avoid midi servers and loops like automap, unless I really have no choice. Mostly because a lean setup is safer. Basically all you need is midi data from the gear to buzz, anything else is optional.

Hope this is helpful.
If you need quick help with this stuff stop by in #buzz on efnet, you'll most likely get some live help.

[tinga]

I want to say there is a peer machine that handles being able to set different response curves to the knob, but I can't find it at the moment.

BTDSys PeerCtrl, this great machine is perfect, it allows 256 tracks, and you can draw the curves , a must for midi controllers.
I have a m-audio keystation pro 88 since 8 or 9 years, and i'm very satisfy with it, I prefer it to my novation mk2 more expensive but less solid and look like a christmas tree.
Actually, leap motion is my fav, anyway, Buzz is great with midi, so many incredible things with peer machines and midi controller.

[elekt]

Like tinga said, peers are useful for getting your curve on. But really unnecessary because you can use a midi vst like http://thepiz.org/plugins/?p=midiCurve and skip the peer assignments.

anyway, Buzz is great with midi

Buzz is OK-ish with midi.