Struggling to Decide on What Hardware to Buy

Discuss music production with Ableton Live.
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BoxDJ
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Location: Ontario, Canada

Struggling to Decide on What Hardware to Buy

Post by BoxDJ » Fri Mar 19, 2010 7:55 am

Ello, I've been playing around with a old intro esq software from an old soundcard for a while. I've been trying to decide what hardware I want for over 3 months now and I still haven't decided. I've been very busy with school but I definitely want to buy something before summer starts. And I already own a Microkorg. So far I know I will definitely be buying these thrree things.

Live Suite 8
Echo Audiofire 4
Launchpad



Which leaves me with about 1200$ CAN for hardware.

The music I want to produce is trance/phystrance/ambient/dance/house and mashups/remixes. So I'll definitely need knobs and faders. So I'm looking at these options. A crossfader would be very handy as well because I already DJ lots, just not with Ableton live yet.

Novation Zero SL MKII
Evolution UC33e
Behringer BCR2000
Novation Nocturn (Keyless)


Lastly if I have any money left I would buy a Korg padKontrol.

I'm wondering if any of these pieces of hardware conflict with each other? If you are going to suggest a APC 40, I felt that it was limited and I could get more functionality out of combining two or more different pieces of hardware. Keep in mind, I do want to stay somewhat light because I will be performing.

Possible setups could be:

Launchpad
Behringer BCR2000
Evolution UC33e

Launchpad
Evolution UC33e
Novation Nocturn

Launchpad
Novation Zero SL MKII
Behringer BCR2000

^Although this one above seems to be my favorite.

I'm also very open to other suggestions!

**This is only a beginning setup, may get into some better stuff next year, such as a Jazzlemur**

dum
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Re: Struggling to Decide on What Hardware to Buy

Post by dum » Fri Mar 19, 2010 10:10 pm

have you considered the vestax vcm 600 ?

In the same boat, I'd consider the vcm 600 + launchpad + bcr2k



Image
Pasha wrote:Thanks dum for being so precise.

BoxDJ
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Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: Struggling to Decide on What Hardware to Buy

Post by BoxDJ » Fri Mar 19, 2010 10:22 pm

I did consider that, but there would be a lot of knobs that I wouldn't really use such as the sends, EQs on each track, scene select etc.

The knobs and faders are hardwired though right? Or is it possible that I can remap them? I heard about using Midipipe but I couldn't find the Windows version.

Launchpad
Vestax VCM 600
Behringer BCR2000


This would be very ideal if I could remap the Vestax VCM 600.

______________

On the side note I am running Windows 7 Home Edition, 32 bit

humnumb
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Re: Struggling to Decide on What Hardware to Buy

Post by humnumb » Fri Mar 19, 2010 10:42 pm

I would get Launchpad + Nocturn and then save up for Maschine.

dum
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Re: Struggling to Decide on What Hardware to Buy

Post by dum » Fri Mar 19, 2010 10:47 pm

I don't own a vcm600, but ya I believe the midi assignments are pre-defined.
That wouldn't bother me though...seeing as it's supported by Ableton so it should auto-map, and I would use it alongside a bcr2k. For every other circumstance you can always use the midi-learn function of your software... ? Perhaps templates already exist ?


For better info on the vcm600 + ableton live you could try googling
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&sa ... =&aq=f&oq=

or starting a thread on it...
Pasha wrote:Thanks dum for being so precise.

BoxDJ
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Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: Struggling to Decide on What Hardware to Buy

Post by BoxDJ » Sat Mar 20, 2010 7:17 am

dum wrote:I don't own a vcm600, but ya I believe the midi assignments are pre-defined.
That wouldn't bother me though...seeing as it's supported by Ableton so it should auto-map, and I would use it alongside a bcr2k. For every other circumstance you can always use the midi-learn function of your software... ? Perhaps templates already exist ?


For better info on the vcm600 + ableton live you could try googling
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&sa ... =&aq=f&oq=

or starting a thread on it...
Well, according to someone, they said that the Vestax VCM 600 is remapable, but from someone else I heard that the Vestax VCM 600 will conflict with the Launchpad.

ark
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Re: Struggling to Decide on What Hardware to Buy

Post by ark » Sat Mar 20, 2010 2:10 pm

What limitations of the APC40 do you think will get in your way? On the surface, it seems to have everything you want: knobs, faders, and a crossfader. Moreover, it is integrated with Live in a way that other such devices aren't.

McQ714
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Location: Orange County, CA

Re: Struggling to Decide on What Hardware to Buy

Post by McQ714 » Sat Mar 20, 2010 3:15 pm

what functions does the VCM automatically map to if there are no EQ3s in every track and what about the freq and reso knobs for each track?

HeadrickProductions
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Re: Struggling to Decide on What Hardware to Buy

Post by HeadrickProductions » Sat Mar 20, 2010 9:59 pm

ark wrote:What limitations of the APC40 do you think will get in your way? On the surface, it seems to have everything you want: knobs, faders, and a crossfader. Moreover, it is integrated with Live in a way that other such devices aren't.

I really like the apc 40 out of the box is pretty solid.....I've looked at the VCM but after I got the apc 40. launchpad is fun....It all depends on what you need the controllers for?
In a K induced Haze (the old K kind not the special K kind ), but an Asian spizz can sometimes bring me out! If ya don't get it, ya never will.

Swing like your life depends on it

HeadrickProductions
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Re: Struggling to Decide on What Hardware to Buy

Post by HeadrickProductions » Sat Mar 20, 2010 10:01 pm

BoxDJ wrote:
dum wrote:I don't own a vcm600, but ya I believe the midi assignments are pre-defined.
That wouldn't bother me though...seeing as it's supported by Ableton so it should auto-map, and I would use it alongside a bcr2k. For every other circumstance you can always use the midi-learn function of your software... ? Perhaps templates already exist ?


For better info on the vcm600 + ableton live you could try googling
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&sa ... =&aq=f&oq=

or starting a thread on it...
Well, according to someone, they said that the Vestax VCM 600 is remapable, but from someone else I heard that the Vestax VCM 600 will conflict with the Launchpad.

I don't own the vcm but was curious as to how it conflicts with the launchpad?

When I use the launch pad and ap40 they play nice together (so far)

I just hope the "bridge" plays nice with EVERYTHING
In a K induced Haze (the old K kind not the special K kind ), but an Asian spizz can sometimes bring me out! If ya don't get it, ya never will.

Swing like your life depends on it

BoxDJ
Posts: 261
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 9:38 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: Struggling to Decide on What Hardware to Buy

Post by BoxDJ » Mon Mar 22, 2010 9:18 pm

Well I just oredered the Audiofire 4 and the Launchpad!

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