NAMM 2015. Anything exciting?

[CFM]

Roland JD-XA look interesting - analogue/digital hybrid - possibly best Roland stay away from the re-envisioning of their classic synths.
Prophet 6 - Dave Smiths instruments always look great and the Prophet 2 is one of them. However, I find that they all sound rather the same.
Akai the Timbre Wolf - sounds like a damp lettuce farting out of its backside. Not good! However, the Tom Cat has better potential.
Korg - ARP Odyssey one of the best NAMM releases - although I don't get Korg's obsession of making things smaller - if you want a ARP you want a full 'in-your-face' metal monster that's build like a tank. However, sound is nice and I'm sure the comparisons will go online when they get released.

[Angstrom]

Sonic State have a nice video of the new launchpad pro

http://youtu.be/sg04U0mLdh8

[yur2die4]

Lucky bastards got Thavius to promote for them. I bet they paid him well haha.

So far it looks mighty impressive. I'd still like to see it control gear completely detached from a computer.
As you could see, even with the midi 'out', he still recorded that synth. Did he record the audio or the midi from it???

Also wondering if it supports step sequencing.

Looks great next to the Launchcontrol XL

[Angstrom]

I think Thavius is wrong when he says "people want one device which controls everything". I prefer a mixer, a trigger matrix, a drum pad, etc. all separate. It's much better than even the slickest paging interface.IMO.

[eyeknow]

It's called "a sales pitch"



I use push. Until it dies, I have no real use for this. They are getting better though.

[Machinesworking]

I think Thavius is wrong when he says "people want one device which controls everything". I prefer a mixer, a trigger matrix, a drum pad, etc. all separate. It's much better than even the slickest paging interface.IMO.

Sort of agree, though the selling point on this to me is how beautifully it will work with the Drum Racks in live and Battery 4.
I've always kind of liked that Battery 4 gave you dozens of drum samples in a patch to choose from, but navigating around with a mouse to audition isn't any fun. The Launchpad sucks as a fader device IMO, soft touch fades doesn't make up for that. I do like that the whole interface is easier to see than Push. One thing though Summer? you've got to be kidding me? why even announce it?

[Machinesworking]

Christ is Beatstep Pro going to be that long before it comes out as well??

[TomViolenz]

...yes...it's like a "live/jam" version logic...you can also record what you're playin but only as a stereo file...

thanks

[fishmonkey]

I think Thavius is wrong when he says "people want one device which controls everything". I prefer a mixer, a trigger matrix, a drum pad, etc. all separate. It's much better than even the slickest paging interface.IMO.

i agree. a grid of rubbery square and round buttons doesn't make a good universal user interface. sure, you can map the buttons to anything, but then it becomes a morass of modes and having to learn which button corresponds to what in whatever mode you happen to be in.

[yur2die4]

This is true, but I bet it feels faster than Push in operation. It is pretty clever making the simple choice of placing the page buttons on the bottom. I know that with the way I work, this would mostly be faster and better than Push, except for the lack of rotaries and a screen. Which can easily be remedied with my other controllers, or that Launchcontrol XL.

I kind of find Push annoying to be honest. It isn't for lack of features, but the way the buttons are laid out, and the Type of buttons used for functions. I hate pressing them. And I dislike the top two rows of buttons under the screens. Well, I get that they are crucial for using a screen, but the Launchpad feels like it gives me a kind of feedback that I can react to more quickly.

[beats me]

I agree with the right tool for the right job sentiment. Just because a piece of hardware can perform a certain function doesn’t mean it’s ideal. But I appreciate some people wanting to perform as many tasks as possible in the smallest footprint. Things can get very cramped at home or on stage with a bunch of propriety function hardware.

[Coupe70]

I think Thavius is wrong when he says "people want one device which controls everything". I prefer a mixer, a trigger matrix, a drum pad, etc. all separate. It's much better than even the slickest paging interface.IMO.

I agree, because all I wanted was a "normal" launchpad, maybe with extra buttons on the side/bottom
with RGB LEDs for a good price.
Now we have an expensive version (mostly because of velocity sensitivity and hardware MIDI i guess)
packed with features I don't need/want...

[yur2die4]

Some people want more colors, some want velocity sensitivity.

From a business standpoint, you lose bigtime by trying to manufacture, support, and promote 5 kinds of Launchpads at a cut price. Instead you can offer all the features that everyone has been asking for in one product and see who wanted the features badly enough to buy the new product.

First people complain about it not having features they want. Now it is having too many features that they don't want except, each person un-wants different specific functions.

I guess my little annoyance is that gradual volume / velocity thing. It is neat in theory but not entirely practical. I'd rather have immediate plus a 'fine tune +/-' in various increments off to the side.

Overall though, when I use the launchpad alone, I do normally use all the pages (except Pan)

[Angstrom]

I think Thavius is wrong when he says "people want one device which controls everything". I prefer a mixer, a trigger matrix, a drum pad, etc. all separate. It's much better than even the slickest paging interface.IMO.

I agree, because all I wanted was a "normal" launchpad, maybe with extra buttons on the side/bottom
with RGB LEDs for a good price.
Now we have an expensive version (mostly because of velocity sensitivity and hardware MIDI i guess)
packed with features I don't need/want...

Well, I can see the point of velocity and aftertouch because there's a reasonable cross-over between a clip matrix and a drum pad controller. However, once you start to try to "mix" using pads rather than a little set of dials or faders we really enter the daftness zone. Is it really so hard to also take something like a Launchcontrol XL with your clip and drum trigger, IE a device which is dedicated to the purpose of mixing?

I would say that a Launchcontrol XL and a Launchpad Pro would be a relatively small cost and physical size and would require almost no paging, a decent what you see is what you get interface. Just ...arm track one on the Launchcontrol , play drums into it on the Launchpad, turn it down/up on the Launchcontrol as you are tapping away with your other hand.

I guess they are trying to pitch these things at the cheapest of cheapskate beginners who want to buy ONE item and "start making music like Pro!! Immediately !!!", but that's exactly what I hated about the 1990s drive toward giant keyboard workstations. Giant juggernauts filled with every feature known to mankind that you must edit through the letterbox. I thought we had eradicated that disease .. but now it starts creeping into another area.

"Hey what if the clip matrix had an AM/FM radio!"
"Yeah, and we can strike a deal with Fox Sports to include that on the LCD too!"

[yur2die4]

The thing is, the pad option for faders really Can be quite useable. Especially for sends. I like doing quick sends on specific spots in loops so I could maybe punch a small bit of reverb on a snare or a delay on one specific guitar note in a riff.

The pad option works very well for this (as long as it snaps immediately). Also, with arming it is far more convenient to arm from the grid that you are actually looking at and using than to jump to a totally different device.

The LP95 script has been a pretty major step up for the classic launchpad. This new setup should be lovely.