Best Midi Controllers and PCI-e card?

[bubbleboys]

Hey guys,
I just recently bought Ableton Live 8 and this software is amazing.

However, I find that I'm being restrained and it is more difficult to use Ableton with just the mouse and keyboard.

I have a fair amount of "money to burn" and so I am looking to get a pci-e sound card, midi keyboard, and control pad. Obviously, I'll eventually need to get an external amp, etc but for now, I am just looking to get those three items.

In terms of sound cards, m-audio seems to come up a lot in my searches but enough people have expressed their displeasure with the build quality, etc that I'm concerned. My main concern with the audio cards is my ability to grow with it. At the moment, I can't imagine I'd add more than the keyboard and control pad along with amp, etc but I don't want to grow and one year later find that my sound card doesn't have enough I/O or whatnot and that I'll need to buy a new one if I want to progress.

Also in terms of midi keyboards, I can't imagine that the top of the line one would cost that much in terms of actual dollars so what is the generally accepted best one.

Same goes for control pads, what're your suggestions?

Thanks

[McQ714]

did you win the lotto?

what's a "fair amount of money to burn"???

for the sound card, why does it have to be PCIe and not USB2 or Firewire or both?
RME Fireface UFX.. you know you want it! if you're stuck on PCIe, look at the other RME options like the HDSPe AIO or the Multiface 2.

Midi keys... i'd say either the Akai MPK61 or the Novation 61 SL MkII. Or the 49-key versions of those.

Pad controls... definitely get NI's Maschine!!!

[d-track]

i aslo wanna buy some killer controller.
i found novation remote sl25 mkii is the shit.
does anyone know any better (at least around the price of remote sl).
do the 49 key version offer more (knobs etc) than just +2 octaves?

[LeifonMars]

does the 49 key version offer more (knobs etc) than just +2 octaves?

Nope.

[XSIMan]

The Novation 61SL MK II is the shit If you want to play songs I woundn,t get anything smaller than a 61 key midi controller. It's used on many of the Ableton live videos. Im using a Creative X-fi Titanium card to suit my audio and gaming needs it has ASIO never had any problems.

[McQ714]

The Novation 61SL MK II is the shit If you want to play songs I woundn,t get anything smaller than a 61 key midi controller. It's used on many of the Ableton live videos. Im using a Creative X-fi Titanium card to suit my audio and gaming needs it has ASIO never had any problems.

does your music sound a lot better to you than it really is?
or is there a way to turn off all of the audio enhancement features of the X-fi???

[bubbleboys]

thanks for the suggestions guys, will look into it

did you win the lotto?

what's a "fair amount of money to burn"???

for the sound card, why does it have to be PCIe and not USB2 or Firewire or both?
RME Fireface UFX.. you know you want it! if you're stuck on PCIe, look at the other RME options like the HDSPe AIO or the Multiface 2.

Midi keys... i'd say either the Akai MPK61 or the Novation 61 SL MkII. Or the 49-key versions of those.

Pad controls... definitely get NI's Maschine!!!

Well I'd be putting the card into my desktop computer and I figure since I got a motherboard with four pci-e slots and expansion in mind, I minus well use one of the other two pci-e slots since I'm already using 2 of them for sli graphics cards.

Not to mention, PCI-e should theoretically give better performance than a card that is run over usb2 or firewire.

As for the rme fireface, yes that is the hotness but a beautiful piece of equipment like that would be utterly wasted on me, not to mention, based on the specs, it looks like i could probably buy a motorcycle with the money.

[bubbleboys]

Anybody else have any thoughts on RME or maybe an RME competitor, or is RME generally considered the ultimate sound card manufacturer?

[Rationalizer]

Anybody else have any thoughts on RME or maybe an RME competitor, or is RME generally considered the ultimate sound card manufacturer?

Let me put it this way: You can buy RME right away and save your money OR you can buy something else and then buy RME (like I did). If you want rock solid drivers, very good quality build cards with low latency and great support - go with RME. And no, I don't work for them.

btw. I'll second everything McQ714 said in his first post.

[LeifonMars]

Anybody else have any thoughts on RME or maybe an RME competitor, or is RME generally considered the ultimate sound card manufacturer?

Well, I've had my RME HDSPe Multiface2 since 2008 september running rock solid. AD/DA conversion is indeed excellent, but not that magnificently in its own class that I couldn't live without it. Originally I bought it for 2 reasons:

1. I had money back then
2. I needed a card with lowest latency possible for my MBP

I've had good experiences with e.g. Saffire Pro 40. I liked the preamp it sports, and overall it was good quality. I still have TC Konnekt Live as well, but I find the sound of it somewhat muddy, so serves as a dust trap now.

In case I was in market for new interface right now, I might go for RME Fireface UC.

RME is somewhat more expensive than most of the other manufacturers, but then again, you can't go wrong with it. What comes to the quest of ultimate sound quality, the differences are minimal, and cheapest M-Audio interface won't make a good excuse for a bad sounding mix. At the end of the day, what you hear depends on so much more significant things than just AD/DA conversion: the room you work in, monitors, the state of your ears and mind etc.

[d-track]

The Novation 61SL MK II is the shit If you want to play songs I woundn,t get anything smaller than a 61 key midi controller. It's used on many of the Ableton live videos. Im using a Creative X-fi Titanium card to suit my audio and gaming needs it has ASIO never had any problems.

no i don't play the piano, i can play only some basic melodies and chords. i think 2 octaves is enough for that. i wanted Zero Sl but the price difference is not as high so i would pick the sl 25.
i think in my case 61 keys is a waste if it doesn't offer something more than that.

[LeifonMars]

if it doesn't offer something more than that.

One more time: it doesn't.

[d-track]

if it doesn't offer something more than that.

One more time: it doesn't.

really?

[LeifonMars]

if it doesn't offer something more than that.

One more time: it doesn't.

really?

Except few more octaves.

[d-track]

i go get it but first i have to get rid of my kaossilator and my döpfer pocket control
anyone interested?