MIDI controller question - insensitivity?

muzza23 · Post by **muzza23** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 2:24 pm

this mightn't be the best page of the forum for this question, but its prolly the best forum for questions about midi controllers!

i've got an edirol pcr-30 midi keyboard/controller and its wicked, except that the pots and sliders on it are really annoyinly insensitive (and i don't mean to my feelings)... the top and bottom 5% of each pot & faders range of movement registers no change in the value of the controller message being sent, and in the part that does register a change, it'll jump by a value of 4 or 5 at the very least, rather than one... move it a wee little bit and nothing, move it a bit more and suddenly you've jumped from 60 to 65 or 24 to 30....

what this translates to obviously is very clunky "stepped" volume fades and filter sweeps etc etc and its really really annoying because it makes everything i do in live sound like crap...

is this something that other midi controllers suffer from or is it just mine? if it makes a difference, its currently connected to the comptuer by usb and is being powered through that as well... if i swapped over to the traditional midi connection would that make a difference?

Vercengetorex · Post by **Vercengetorex** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 7:55 pm

I am afraid Muzza, that you are a victim of Rolands (Edirols) poor quality control. Unfortunatly switching between USB and standard MIDI will not chage this behaviour, as the problem is caused by the fact that all Potentiometers (knobs) are slightly different. Most MIDI controller manufacturers calibrate thier pots after the unit has been assembled, however it sounds as if Edirol is buying the pots within a certian (loose)tolerance range and skipping this calibration altogether. If I were in your position, I would search for any info on possibly calibrating your keyboard, however whether or not that is possible is entirely dependant on the electrical design of the controller.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 9:03 pm

muzza23 wrote:i've got an edirol pcr-30 midi keyboard/controller and its wicked, except that the pots and sliders on it are really annoyinly insensitive (and i don't mean to my feelings)...

How old is it? The insensitivity is a known problem with older Edirol PCR series controllers. I used to have a newer revision of PCR-30, and it didn't have any problems. If you still have warranty left, you should have it replaced.

muzza23 · Post by **muzza23** » Thu Jun 24, 2004 1:23 am

its fairly new, possibly over a year though (i can't remember) so im guessing my chances are a bit slim, but i'll give it a go!! thanks for your replies, looks like edirol are a bit crap eh...

Ed A. · Post by **Ed A.** » Thu Jun 24, 2004 4:02 pm

I have an Edirol PCR-80 and out of all the controllers I've used, M-Audio, Evolution, Studiologic, I like the Edirol the best. I used to have a dislike for their pitch/mod stick, but now that I've been using it, I'm beginning to like it more than wheels. I don't seem to have any of the controller sensitivity problems you mentioned, but it looks like Edirol has a life time warranty on my PCR-80, so I assume your PCR-30 has the same thing. It does seem like a good idea for them to take a look at it, maybe they'll swap it out for you.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jun 24, 2004 4:49 pm

Ed A. wrote:I have an Edirol PCR-80 and out of all the controllers I've used, M-Audio, Evolution, Studiologic, I like the Edirol the best.

I agree (I'm once again the first 'Guest' person in this thread). I really liked my PCR-30. It beat the shit out of my Oxygen 8. It's a shame I had to sell it for logistic reasons. I would wholeheartedly recommend an Edirol to anyone buying an inexpensive USB-MIDI-keyboard. Just watch out for not getting an old, buggy, one.

divonic · Post by **divonic** » Fri Jun 25, 2004 1:58 am

this is the thing that worries me a little about the behringer B-control units that should be apearing sometime next month. I like behringer stuff and am mustly happy with their stuff but they do cut cornners. I am looking forward to the B control BCR2000 with all the knobs on it. I hope the pots are good.

Vercengetorex · Post by **Vercengetorex** » Fri Jun 25, 2004 2:09 am

Divonic:
The upcoming behringer control surface does not use pots, it uses rotary encoders. As such quality will play a minimal factor in thier ease of use, but a large factor in thier durability (as they will likely be entirely plastic). From what I have been able to gather, these control surfaces should be able to work quite well with Live, as they will support realtime MIDI feedback from software.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jun 25, 2004 8:52 am

i use a novation remote 25 and was having the same problems
i switched from usb to midi through my firewire interface
problem solved! - i have no idea why, but it worked, and is worth a try if
you have a firewire i/o w/midi
good luck

MIDI controller question - insensitivity?

MIDI controller question - insensitivity?

Re: MIDI controller question - insensitivity?