The Best MIDI controller

[laurence]

So whats in your opinion the best midi controller out there?

And whats the best under £300, cos i need a new one,
CME bitstream or
Novation Remote SL Zero anyone?

[Tone Deft]

there is no BEST one, but there are a lot of great ones out there, it all depends on how you like to work.

BCR/BCF
Remote SL
UC33
FaderFox

all seem to be at the top of the list.

USB powered is cool, native automap is great but any device can be programmed by the user for automap with a bit of patience.

M-Audio seems to still suck donkey dick.

[laurence]

Ok il make an edit, whats the best controller for:

Primarily Djing
Secondarily Producing

[Tone Deft]

For DJing I use a BCR (I'm just a bedroom DJ), it's an 8 track setup:

On the bottom knobs:
Top row - EQ8 hi
middle - EQ8 lows
bottom - volume

the buttons in the middle are for launching clips and track on/off

the A-D encoder groups are for sends A through D
The push encoders are for different stuff.

The buttons in the lower right are for scene up/down.

I can DJ a full set and not touch the mouse of keyboard once. All this for ~$120, pretty cool.

I probably couldn't do the same with a Novation SL, I could probably do a similar setup with fewer tracks with a UC33, BCF removes too many knobs, don't really know fader foxes.

the other cool thing about the BCR is that you can change presets instantly, so I have other presets made for production, like presets 1-8 are all different, preset 1 is for track 1 exclusively.

hth

[robin]

For DJing (in clubs not just bedroom) I've found small is good as most dj booths are very cramped. I've used a uc33 (a bit big), a uc17 (good but a little limited) and my favourite is the Faderfox LV1.

Now I can open the browser and select a track and inject that into a clip slot in session view all without the mouse, and select and fire any clip without the mouse I'm really happy.

The LV2 (the LV1's replacement) would probably be even better in a lot of respects.


Edit: the BCR looks a bit too big to me. Also there is no such thing as a controller that suits everyone

[thelike5]

I've played around with alot of controllers and best bang for your $ award has gone to the UC-33 for allowing me to have a USB controller with enough knobs and faders to do more than a good enough job. I mean the thing costs at the most around $150 anymore and the interface is just really simple to use. It dosen't have a dedicated cross fader but you can asign a knob or fader for that. Otherwise if you are in Europe I suppose the faderfox is a better built controller, looks nicer, but doesn't have built in usb (you will need a $30-$40 usb 1x1 interface) and the faderfox itself will cost you nearly double that of the UC-33. It's up to you but you are going to be well over $300 for the faderfox with the usb uinterface assuming you don't have one already...

I've been hoping for a newer version from Evolution but it hasn't came out yet. (Are they still a company?) It's in my opinion and cost being a factor, the best controller made for Ableton Live...

[Sketchy]

Now I can open the browser and select a track and inject that into a clip slot in session view all without the mouse, and select and fire any clip without the mouse I'm really happy.

The LV2 (the LV1's replacement) would probably be even better in a lot of respects.

Man, how the hell have you managed to do that?! do you use the LV2 for it? sounds very useful.

i've always imagined it to not be that great as it looks asmost TOO small and dinky. am i wrong then?

[robin]

Now I can open the browser and select a track and inject that into a clip slot in session view all without the mouse, and select and fire any clip without the mouse I'm really happy.

The LV2 (the LV1's replacement) would probably be even better in a lot of respects.

Man, how the hell have you managed to do that?! do you use the LV2 for it? sounds very useful.

I use midistroke (i'm on OSX, Bome's is even better if you're on PC) read this http://www.ableton.com/forum/viewtopic. ... =mouseless. It works a treat.

i've always imagined it to not be that great as it looks asmost TOO small and dinky. am i wrong then?

Yeah, well almost. The size is not a problem but jumping from one track to the next the row of knobs needs encoders (not knobs) but with led marker rings around them (like the BCR, not like the LV2).

I expect the LV2 would be awesome once you get used to it though.

[robin]

and the faderfox itself will cost you nearly double that of the UC-33. It's up to you but you are going to be well over $300 for the faderfox with the usb uinterface assuming you don't have one already...

huh?

A uc33 is £150.
A usb-midi interface is £30, a faderfox lv2 is £150.

The faderfoxes are bult like tanks compared to the uc33/uc17. (though it's hard to break the uc controllers so they're tougher than they feel...they feel rubbish though)

[MrTiddles]

I started out using a BCR and a X-Session. Using those 2 together you can pretty much do anything for 'normal' DJing. And you could pick both up for £180

The best by a country mile is the Lemur. At £1500 it's bloody expensive, but not only does it look amazing, but it plays really well too.

I'll post a video on here 1 of these days showing it in action doing something other than the usual wanky IDM bollox.

[joesapo]

Still waiting...


Remote Zero:


Even though I haven't used it yet, I'm pretty sure this is going to hands-down win the DJ controller battle. For me at least.

[thelike5]

and the faderfox itself will cost you nearly double that of the UC-33. It's up to you but you are going to be well over $300 for the faderfox with the usb uinterface assuming you don't have one already...

huh?

A uc33 is £150.
A usb-midi interface is £30, a faderfox lv2 is £150.

The faderfoxes are bult like tanks compared to the uc33/uc17. (though it's hard to break the uc controllers so they're tougher than they feel...they feel rubbish though)

Sorry, I had no idea that the LV2's were only 150 pounds in Europe. Here in the states, they are $300 and shipping is another $50 (still don't understand that one Mathias, I was a deal breaker for me) which brings it to $350 plus the interface, figure another $40 (subtract, of course if you already have one) brings the total to almost $400 in the states. MORE then double here at least...

The UC-33 is only $150 in the states and Europe. Until Mathias loses his $50 shipping charge and stores are able to stock Faderfox (he won't allow this and we have to order directly through him or a middleman like Robotspeak) the price won't come down. At that point, fuck it, CME's bitstream is also built like a tank, prettier (in my opinion) and has usb. All for the price of the Faderfox.

Sorry. That's why you never see anyone with Faderfox here in the states. I actually don't know anyone personally or haven't seen anyone use them once for that matter. I'm talking Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Chicago and Toronto... haven't seen one used live...

[wilxon]

The LV2 faderfox's are very good if you have 2.

I use 2 x LV1's

I did use 1XlLV1 and a doepfer pocket fader, then i used 2xlv1's and a doepfer pocket fader,

and now ive dropped the pocket fader.


The Faderfox's are built like tanks, the faders are smooth, the buttons and pots feel great.

Then there is the insanely well thought out design, operates like pages giving you 17 times the amount of control that you can see on the one surface.

Really hard to explain quickly, get one and spend a few weeks with one and you will see what i mean.

The most important feature for me is the construction.

I just sling them in my laptop bag with all of the plugs, leads, whatever else and i dont even worry about them scratching - not to mention a fader falling off.

I take them everywere with me like my laptop, and they still look god as new.

Oh and they both fit in my laptop bag which is really useful.

[robin]

Sorry, I had no idea that the LV2's were only 150 pounds in Europe. Here in the states, they are $300 and shipping is another $50 (still don't understand that one Mathias, I was a deal breaker for me) which brings it to $350 plus the interface, figure another $40 (subtract, of course if you already have one) brings the total to almost $400 in the states. MORE then double here at least...

Ah, I misunderstood what you said. Yeah US price. We have the inversion of the normal US-Europe price inequality here then.

The UC-33 is only $150 in the states and Europe.

The euro price of the uc33 is €185. ($245?)

Sorry. That's why you never see anyone with Faderfox here in the states. I actually don't know anyone personally or haven't seen anyone use them once for that matter. I'm talking Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Chicago and Toronto... haven't seen one used live...

Fair do's. Finally a benefit (in terms of gear) to living in Europe!

[wilxon]

I started out using a BCR and a X-Session. Using those 2 together you can pretty much do anything for 'normal' DJing. And you could pick both up for £180

The best by a country mile is the Lemur. At £1500 it's bloody expensive, but not only does it look amazing, but it plays really well too.

I'll post a video on here 1 of these days showing it in action doing something other than the usual wanky IDM bollox.

The problem that you may have with the lemur is that the screen is quite small,

I would like to map all of my view of live onto it so you can just push the right clips, but i doubt you could get em all on.

Good idea, should come in various sizes imo.